From: bnataraj@uceng.uc.edu (Bhaskar Natarajan)
Subject: Re: Azhar, #3, etc (was Re: Indian Team for the next ODI
Organization: University of Cincinnati
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 05:19:17 GMT

In article <1992Dec13.015646.16673@news.acns.nwu.edu> sidi@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Sadiq Yusuf) writes:

>	Frankly, I've been an Azhar fan for years, and have long been
>screaming for him to bat at #3 in the ODI's - Iam not about to change now.
>I don't think that's the biggest problem we have - I think Azhar is perfect
>for the role. ( Note that this move has failed only a couple of times - far
>too small a sample size to make any lasting judgements ! After all, in the
>WC when Azhar batted at #3, the move was a resounding success - he was our
>top bat in the WC, just marginally better than SRT if memory serves ).  

	Absolutely agree...

>	I think one of the misconceptions engendered about Azhar is that he
>doesnt require time to get into the groove - that he can strike from the
>word go  in ODI's. It's partly due to the fact that his strike rate looks
>pretty impressive in many cases - I particularly remember a game in England
>on the last tour  when he had 55 not out off about 45 balls. But even in
>that game, he was slightly under a run-a-ball for most of the inning - it
>was only when he was set ( had gotten about 30 ) that he struck about 4
>boundaries that shot his average thru the roof. 

	Agree again...

>	Azhar _has_ turned into more of a strokeplayer over the last few
>years . However, I think he's more of a natural strokeplayer and is
>reverting to his origins rather than playing an unnatural game. I think
>thats because he feels he's going to be more successful playing the way
>he's comfortable - he feels he's had more success then. And it has been the
>case to some extent - he had that purple patch in NZ and England. ( Even
>now, in the last 12 tests, he's gotten 4 centuries - a strikerate that most
>test players would give their right arms for ! ) He had a bad patch for
>most of the OZ tour, but recovered his form towards the end - got that
>century and was terrific in the WC. So far in this series, he's played 3
>test innings and not done very much - but he did take India from 38/4 to
>120 odd with Amre in the first test while making 36 before being run out
>(suicidal , by all accounts ). But I do agree that he has become too
>aggressive in the sense that he's not going to have the Gavaskar or Miandad
>tyupe consistency. That works both ways - as a India and Azhar fan I'd love
>to see him get centuries with greater regularity , but he's _sooo_
>beautiful to watch this way when he gets going :-) 

	Our views match almost to a T. But somehow i've got this sneaking 
feeling that his inconsistency is due in large part to his having to look
over his back every time, to safeguard his captaincy, that is. Looking at
this Indian team, i feel there are reasons unrelated to cricket that is 
causing this mess. I feel Azhar's inconsistency stems from insecurity. The 
way he has been playing of late only points to this. He is far far too good
a batsman to perform as he currently is, and i feel his being a stroke-player
has little to do with it. I believe he is as good as, if not better than 
Sachin (BTW, why is no one talking of Sachin's inconsistency ?) now, or ever.
The way Azhar batted a couple of years ago, i was convinced he had come good,
and refuse to believe he would take this long to reorder his batting without
non-cricket reasons.

Bhaskar ( certainly not a conspiracy-theory proponent... but then what the 
	  !@#$ is going on !!!! )
  
	
>			Sadiq [ a ramblin' wreck ] Yusuf