Akhtar tips Kohli-Amir duel to inject new life into cricket
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In the build up to the Asia Cup Twenty20, Shoaib Akhtar had tipped the Virat Kohli-Mohammad Amir battle to dominate the headlines.
A cracking opening spell and masterful knock on a spicy pitch ensured Akhtar got his wish and now the former Pakistan tearaway has predicted that duels between Kohli and Amir may inject new life into cricket.
Akhtar likened the rivalry to his battles with Indian batting great Sachin Tendulkar.
“It used to be a challenge bowling to Sachin and I think the future battles between Virat and Amir will be as exciting as our on-field rivalry. The two are world class performers and when they are pitted against each other, it can't get better than that,” Akhtar was quoted as saying by Press Trust of India.
Kohli scored a classy 49 off 51 and Amir picked up 3-18 from his four overs as India defeated Pakistan by five wickets after dismissing Shahid Afridi's side for a paltry 83.
“Virat is India's best batsman and Amir's inclusion has made Pakistan s attack far superior. Whenever these two will be up against each other, mazaa aanewala hain (its going to be fun),” Akhtar said.
Tthe 'Rawalpindi Express' said Amir's inclusion had bolstered Pakistan attack and it was time to move on from the spot-fixing saga.
“Let bygones be bygones. It feels good that world s best fast bowler is back where he belongs. It fills my heart with joy to see Amir run in and bowl those brilliant deliveries.”
Amir's performance was the highlight of match on an otherwise sorry day for Pakistan and Akhtar urged the other pacers in the side to step and support the 23-year-old.
“It's just that we need to be a bit more aggressive in our bowling department. Amir would need support from the other end and Wahab needs to step up.”
Akhtar also reserved special praise for Kohli and likened his finishing skills to that of Pakistan legend Javed Miandad.
“Virat Kohli is certainly the best batsman of his era. His match-finishing skills are exemplary. If you ask me whether he could be compared to Javed Miandad, who was also an exceptional finisher, I would say that two eras should not be compared. Yesterday, the manner in which he played Virat showed, why he is in a different league. Also like a true champion, he praised Amir's bowling which was a good thing.”
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, Shaharyar Khan, echoed Akhtar's words and urged his batsmen to learn from Kohli.
“During the post-match presentation I told Kohli that he had opened our eyes and demonstrated how to bat on tricky pitches,” Khan told reporters outside the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore upon his return from Bangladesh.
Flashback: Kohli's magnificent 183 against Pakistan
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Comments (79) Closed
Feb 29, 2016 09:15pm
Virat kohli is champion stuff ..probably the best batsmen with right and fiery attitude and NEVER SAY DIE spirit ..... man its amazing to see this guy....we are blessed.
About Aamir ..yeah a good bowler but just one spell !!! We shall wait.... one spell from wahab was special but that doesn't make him special or the best . ..
Let Amir breathe and perform.... he's a great stuff just doesn't burden him...let him perform.
Cheers
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Feb 29, 2016 09:24pm
Awesome bowling Mohammad Amir.
We love you.
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Feb 29, 2016 09:26pm
Amir is the best in world,
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Feb 29, 2016 09:53pm
AAmir is good bowler in bowler friendly conditions, if you look closely it was only for 2 overs that he looked dangerous, rahane didnot got his feet moving properly who was a replacement for the actual opener Dhawan..even the ball to raina wasn't special all this in a green top,
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Feb 29, 2016 09:54pm
@Mohit
Dont worry dude we have ample trust on him and he has never let us down...
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Feb 29, 2016 09:56pm
didn't we say the same about Watson and wahab....common get over it ....cricket is more than just one spell....Pakistan team my team is in a downward spiral and all we can think about is one spell ??? reason why our team just managed to barely beat uae
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Feb 29, 2016 10:02pm
@Facts Why do we always jump the gun....there are miles to go ....how many wickets did he take today against UAE
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Feb 29, 2016 10:02pm
@Mohit New Delhi
One Spell? Have you not seen his bowling in the ashes? Did you not see how he troubled Williamson and Guptell when they looked indestructible in New Zealand? He is bowling faster than he has 5 years ago and he has shown that he can swing the ball in the high the 145s. You can't compare a fiery spell of Wahabs to pure class of fast swing bowling by Amir. His spell will go down in history as one of the best in the limited formats and everything he has shown thus far has been nothing less the extraordinary.
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Feb 29, 2016 10:10pm
Kohli is up there with De Villiers and Steve Smith as the top batsmen in the current game. Love to see him play as he also reminds me of Saeed Anwar in fearlessness.
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Feb 29, 2016 10:14pm
@Mohit New Delhi ....well said
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Feb 29, 2016 10:48pm
@Mohit New Delhi That's not one spell.. Check Amir's other spells against England and Australia...
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Feb 29, 2016 10:49pm
Stop taking fans for a perpetual ride. One match does not a rivalry make. Amir has much to prove while Kohli is clearly the best of the best.
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Feb 29, 2016 10:55pm
Today UAE batsmen came prepared to play Pak bowling, and they tackled Amir well. 129 on board was speaking for itself. The air was more damp and humid today than it was on Indo-Pak match but we could not see same swing today.
That day India openers came over confident seeing just 83 to win and tried for shots to on side and that caused 2 Lbw. Raina also did not start in defense mode, he was trying to hit and misjudged swing.
Or I am wrong ...and Pak bowlers thought that since it's UAE so let's not bowl their best.
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Feb 29, 2016 11:24pm
"Akhtar tips Kohli-Amir duel to inject new life into cricket"
Really! How melodramatic can armchair TV commentators get. When Pakistan were 17 for 3 this afternoon, I thought UAE had already injected new life into cricket.
Cricket should be much bigger than glorifying a few selected names. Yeah, sure we all know it is a commercialized enterprise.
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Feb 29, 2016 11:27pm
I am telling you Amir is the new Wasim
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Mar 01, 2016 12:02am
We saw how good Amir is against UAE. Pakistan team is as good as UAE. UAE fast bowlers as good as Amir.No comparison with india. Forget your time against Tendulkar
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Mar 01, 2016 12:11am
It seems all Pakistani in hurry to make Aamir a hero but wait otherwise he will become zero!!
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Mar 01, 2016 01:32am
Kohli is better than Tendulkar, he has won more matches than Tendulkar did in his 20+ years' career.
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Mar 01, 2016 02:38am
@Critical :- They have the habit. They made the same mistake with Wahab. Look at his spells now...he is blasted all around... One match does not make one a champion...
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Mar 01, 2016 03:11am
@Mohit New Delhi
Obviously you have remained detached from the time when Amir started his career, He was one of the best talent at such a young age, just like Wasim Akram a champion was born.
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Mar 01, 2016 03:14am
Wish Aamir a lot of success. But he should focus on his game. He is not at his true best at the moment. Our management must manage him well and make him focus on his bowling only.
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Mar 01, 2016 03:15am
No doubt Aamir is one of the greatest bowler. I think is going to be the biggest assets for Pakistani cricket. I wish him all the best.
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Mar 01, 2016 04:25am
Hope Indians don't forget that Kohli was LBW on the very 2nd ball he faced in the match. He survived due to Umpire's mistake and absence of DRS.
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Mar 01, 2016 04:40am
If Amir really turns out as next Wasim Akram,Indians will really appreciate that. We miss Wasim dearly.
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Mar 01, 2016 06:03am
@Mohit New Delhi Just one spell? just a good bowler? You probably haven't seen him bowl before his ban. He's one of the finest bowler today. The pace he generates, the accuracy, the swing...stuff only exceptionally gifted bowlers bring on the field.
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Mar 01, 2016 07:11am
@CANPAK -Its not about matches. You should think that Sachin started cricket at the age of 16 and he dominated at that age. That itself shows his greatness. Other thing-you should really think that the amount of expectation sachin carried over a period of 20 years, no other sportsman ever did . Not only he carried the expectation but he fulfilled that also. Kohli is also great in this era. you can not compare player of different era. But let me tell you one more thing, if you talk about matches, sachin batted at no 6 in ODI from 1989 to 1994. Almost 6 years. Kohli batted at no 3-4 right from his first match... Again if you want to compare-in 2011 world cup , Sachin scored more than 450 and kohli was also part of that tournament....Sachin played likes of macgrath, warne, wasim, waqar, walsh and ambrose. see current generation of bowlers and then try to compare
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Mar 01, 2016 07:13am
@CANPAK Kohli is truly winning many more matches for India than Tendulkar did. Kohli soaks in the pressure while Tendulkar would scarcely be able to handle pressure especially in chases and must-win situations when all Indian expectations rode on his shoulders. To be fair though, we have a lot more players putting their hands up for India including the bowlers, in spite of good quality players during Sachin's time. And thank god that Indians do not put that much expect ions on Kohli yet as compared to the team as a whole.
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Mar 01, 2016 07:36am
i remember shoaib troubling indians just once in kolkata test , 2 great wickets in 2 balls....after that he never troubled indians...
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Mar 01, 2016 07:40am
Come on. He is a good bowler. Even better in helpful conditions on a green top. Virat is Indias best batsman right now. But... Thats where it should end. To say it would inject new life into cricket is just taking things too far. India and Pak play 1 or 2 match in a year. And most importantly, Cricket is a TEAM GAME. You cant reduce it to an individual duel. The moment you do that, you lose focus on the result which indeed is a contribution by 20 other team members who play the match...
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Mar 01, 2016 08:31am
@Indian well bowler need these kind of pitches it's so unfair with all these dead pitches and fat bats and small grounds make so easy to score runs and 100
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Mar 01, 2016 08:31am
Kohli is probably not good enough for Amir's class. Kohli survived him once and may not be that lucky again!
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Mar 01, 2016 08:35am
@Mohit New Delhi Bad analysis buddy. Checkout his 20 other spells when he was just 18. At 18, he was more lethal than all Indian bowlers combined.
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Mar 01, 2016 08:56am
Mr Khan, glad that you learned something from Kohli. Now please go back and tell your favorite Misbah (tuk tuk) who ruined our batsman with his tuk tuk methodology
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Mar 01, 2016 09:07am
Surprised to know Shoaib Akhtar is talking normal. Keep up the sensible and non-emotional talking.
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Mar 01, 2016 09:34am
@Indian for Life, Yes that is why Pakistan has won just one match after his re entry.. You forgot 3 t20s in NZ 10overs 100 runs 1 wicket on those grassy wickets..
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Mar 01, 2016 09:44am
Amir is overrated.. He has just arrived after 5 yrs due to which he is able to pick wickets.. Now people will study his bowling in details and then he too will become a just another common fast bowler in the world cricket.
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Mar 01, 2016 09:47am
I appreciate the speed and swing of Amir. But guys don't make hurry to make Amir as a hero. In past you gives the same treatment to Shahid Afridi and now you can see the result of it. Let this young man give some time to become more volatile, dangerous and vigorous then he automatically respected across the world.
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Mar 01, 2016 09:58am
@Sachin Overrated??? I think you have watched him bowl only in this Ind VS Pak match. You haven't watched him bowl when he was just 18 and against world class batting of SA, Australia and NZ. He is the next WASIM AKRAM.
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Mar 01, 2016 09:59am
@Indian If the umpiring was up to the mark, he would have taken 5 in his first two overs alone. First ball, Rohit Sharma was out plumb and Kohli was also hitting the stumps but was a 50/50 decision. And if he had taken the top 5 in 2 overs, imagine what could have happened in the remaining two :))
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Mar 01, 2016 10:00am
@dr Sikander Sher But Wahab is performing since then. He is the highest wicket taker in PSL. What else do u expect from him. He has been pretty consistent i think
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Mar 01, 2016 10:02am
@Osama Correction - Ashes is teh series between Aus and England. Any series played in Eng is not called Ashes
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Mar 01, 2016 10:10am
@Tahir A Some things can not be captured by statistics. Any one who understands teh game and has played the game , be it Viv Richards, Imran, Wasim, Kapil Dev, Sachin, Ponting , Holding or Lara- they will unanimously telling you that Amir was the best bowler before he was banned and is now one of the best since his comeback. Without going in to statistics. Stats will tell you that Ravi Bopara took 6 wickets in the game but that still doesn't make him the most threatening bowler in the game. Stats tell you that Shahid Afridi has more man of the match records to his name then Wasim Akram, that does not make Afridi a greater cricketer then Wasim Akram. All these legends praising Amir cannot possibly have a bias in favour of Amir for no reason. This is because they understand the game beyond statistics
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Mar 01, 2016 10:13am
@i Even The fastest bowler you have produced till date bowls slower then what Shoaib could bowl with his left hand :))
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Mar 01, 2016 10:14am
@Indian for Life And not to forget the LBW appeal turned down which could go either way as it was umpire's call
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Mar 01, 2016 10:16am
@Jay ...heard it few times. No he was not out. Even with DRS it would be on-field-call which was not out and rightly so.
For a moment lets assume that he was out but not given. But then Amir was so great why didnt he ger him out again ?
I think Amir definitely looks good but he can look better when you respect the calibre of batsman he takes out. If you say Kohli, Rohit, Rajane are not good enough then whats the point praising Amir ? He has taken out only average batsman.
So please respect others to earn respect.
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Mar 01, 2016 10:26am
People normally linked this to Wasim and Sachin pair, i don't think how Shoaib with such a limited career full of injuries and other disciplinary issues fitting himself to this scenario.
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Mar 01, 2016 10:31am
@Asim Iqbal : Though I am Indian, but I would say that no one can become next Wasim Akram. Wasim is a gem! Wasim is just uncomparable! And that too with Amir? Pls spare..
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Mar 01, 2016 10:37am
Do not compare Amir to the great Wasim Akram just yet, this lad still has a lot to prove. On the other hand Virat is light years ahead.
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Mar 01, 2016 10:41am
Wasnt Virat LBW when india was at 9? So Amir 1-Virat 0
Lets keep a telly for easy referencing!
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Mar 01, 2016 10:49am
@Azmat Shah hahaha if we started counting every 50/50 as a wicket, pak wudnt hv scored 20 runs. Only rohit sharma was plumb out, rahane was a doubtful decision, kohli was totally not out and raina is a walking wicket on grass. Effectively amir only took one wicket, but we agree he bowled dangerously
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Mar 01, 2016 11:02am
Aamir reminds Wasim's era of 90s. Good wishes to him.
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Mar 01, 2016 11:02am
@Jay Hope you also remember if the DRS was available, your team wouldnt have crossed even 45 runs
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Mar 01, 2016 11:08am
Well for Indians Pujara, Rahane are having great talent together with Kohli & we don't compare & believe in kohli-Amir or Sachin-Shoaib like stuffs.Pakistan should play mature cricket & not be emotional on Amir spell on a fast pitch recently.
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Mar 01, 2016 11:22am
@zakir proud Indian even an UAE player javed made pakistan to 17/3 yesterday. stop glorifying only Amir. he is not the best bowler in the world. even hardik pandya taking wickets in seamer friendly tracks.
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Mar 01, 2016 11:36am
One thing is sure Amir is not a 'mediocre' bowler...
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Mar 01, 2016 12:01pm
No doubt in Aamir being a great bowler. But there is a long way to go. Doing well in few matches is something but to maintain the same format for a long time is something which makes a player a hero like Kapil Dev, Shoeb Akhtar, Waseem Akram and many more. These legends are titled as heroes just because they could maintain there performance for a very long duration. Aamir has a lot of time to learn and he till now he is really doing well. But I think let's not make a hero for the moment because it MAY distract him from what he is upto and we may lose a very versatile player. Lets give this young man some time to learn and become an actual hero instead of just calling him a hero.
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Mar 01, 2016 12:15pm
@Maths Puzzle: How many runs did Kohli made against Bangladesh
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Mar 01, 2016 12:30pm
well done Amir, you are going to be one of the best bowler in the world and I wish you for success in your carrier
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Mar 01, 2016 12:35pm
@Maths Puzzle 4 overs 6 runs 2 wickets. Before you start pretending as a 'know-all' analyst atleast spend some time to watch the game. He was the best bowler against UAE of the 24 balls he bowled 21 were dot deliveries.
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Mar 01, 2016 12:38pm
Virat Kohli is undoubtedly the best batsman in the world right now. I am amazed though by the kind of responses people are making on this thread. Saying 'It's just a single spell" bla bla. If you know any cricket i guess you can guess the caliber of the bowler with a single over. The kind of effort he was putting in was incredible. He knew we were defending 83 odd runs and he just blasted off from the beginning this is what champions are made of. Kudos to Kohli for finishing the match like a champ too.
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Mar 01, 2016 12:54pm
How it could have been if Pakistan and India never separated and the players were playing in a same team then Amir's fierce spell and Kohli's class batting could be too much for other International teams to handle.
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Mar 01, 2016 01:31pm
Advantage is with Kohli in future duels with Amir because we are in an era of flat pitches, Bangladesh type ones rarely seen elsewhere. On flat pitches the best of bowlers look mediocre while the poorest of batsmen look good. Not taking anything away from these two excellent players though.
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Mar 01, 2016 01:48pm
Kohli is good but I am seeing my Indian friends getting overboard with him, too much of praising. He is also having his weaknesses and need to work on it. He has shown change in his attitude which is a positive sign but he still need to work to be in the league of Donald Bradman, Sachin Tendulkar and Javed Miandad. Amir on the other hand is a lethal bowler who was framed into controversy to hamper his career. I am glad that he bounced back. No doubt, he also need to prove his metal. But comparison of Kohli and Amir is fair since both have the ability, one is provided by sponsor of cricket thus having an edge in everything while other is with the deprived and corrupted cricket board thus need to be vigilant to avoid controversies and work really hard to prove himself
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Mar 01, 2016 01:58pm
@Sachin For your information, Wasim himself has compared himself with Amir,period.
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Mar 01, 2016 02:02pm
@zakir proud Indian Well Indians should also not be proud of their great batsmen who would've reduced to 9/4 has KOhli "THE GREATEST" were given OUT on duck-period.
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Mar 01, 2016 02:05pm
Umpires should have the CONFIDENCE to give OUT on every ball even if its six wicket an over IF it qualifies for that, I think the umpire in case of Kohli got in pressure of falling wickets that's why not given him out.
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Mar 01, 2016 02:12pm
@Jay What are you trying to prove here. Dont make a Wahab Riaz out of Amir, he has a long way to go.
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Mar 01, 2016 02:23pm
Awesome bowling Amir, It was a treat to watch your bowling and always will be. Wish you lots of success. World's best batting line-up or whatever
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Mar 01, 2016 03:05pm
@Maryam Nobody has called Kohli greatest nor we want to listen with such a tender age & short span.He has to perform & behave well for another 7 to 8 years to be great like Sachin, ponting & Miandad.All I want to say don't take Amir spell in a seamer friendly wicket emotionally. He is a good bowler.
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Mar 01, 2016 03:18pm
@Maryam Keep this attitude of denial and keep on loosing the way you are against us.
We don't mind .But please don't learn from your mistakes because it is going to harm us.
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Mar 01, 2016 04:10pm
@Maryam : As I said Wasim is a gem of a Cricket and as a person also.. Its his high thinking if he compares himself with this new guy Amir.
But we all know that there is no comparison between these two, not at the level of Cricket.
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Mar 01, 2016 05:36pm
Aamir has a class, put spot fixing saga aside, he proved himself and it is unfair to get the conclusion after only one spell.
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Mar 02, 2016 09:40am
@Jian Delhi True, that. However, this guy was giving pretty consistent and awe-inspiring performances against England and Australia. Yes that was quite a while back but give him time. He will produce that old magic.
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Mar 02, 2016 09:42am
@roonie Suure he didn't.
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Mar 02, 2016 09:45am
@Qasim Strange. Most of our batsmen seem to get out to attempted big shots not tuks.
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Mar 02, 2016 09:52am
@Niladri I would still think the Aussies would find a way to beat us.
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Mar 02, 2016 09:57am
Amir is relatively a newbie compared to Kohli's class. Amir still has a lot to prove in international cricket.. Wheras Kohli has performed well across different countries and territories. It is unfair to place both on the same pedestal..
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Mar 02, 2016 11:52am
@arvind ajimal as for UAE tackling Pakistani bowlers is concerned..we'll have to say Pakistan did play casually allowing them to score freely in the middle overs and also some flukes went their way in the end.
But for Amir...he bowled 4 overs for only 6 runs and picked up 2 wickets in the process so don't tell me they had the measure of him.
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Mar 03, 2016 06:07am
Shoaib Akhtar again stating the obvious to stay in the limelight. Desperate really.
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