No revenge victory, just addition of good memories against Pak Freiburg CC

FNCC has played few matches against Basel CC, including an away fixture for the Rhine cup and have thus far remained undefeated by the Basel CC since the loss to Pak CC. The only blip since last season has been a serious loss against the Pak CC. So when an opportunity came to play a match against the Pak. CC most of the FNCC players were interested in playing. However, it happened at such short notice that not everyone could become available.


The first surprise was that Purav, Rehan and Beau were not available, meaning that we were short of our regular openers and another player who could open. Some people were away like Sathish. Somehow we managed to bring together a good eleven. The morning started with taking our flix pitch to the new ground. Rain had left the ground very wet and there were even puddles at some places. With overcast skies at 1100hrs the match seemed impossible. But a big part of Cricket involves overcoming the weather conditions and in fact mastering them. 


So we started out with a wet field and slippery flix. Fawad won the toss and invited us to bat in some very testing conditions. He thought that uneven bounce on an unsettled flix wicket would be an advantage. They did not have to wait too long. Raghav clipped the first ball of the match to a fielder and started off for a single which was not there. So we were zero for one. That eventful over ended with the fall of Lucky who handed an easy catch at extra-cover on the very first ball he faced. Pak CC was elated as they had claimed two wickets in the first over and I was kind of wondering how fast we will collapse. But Pandiyan was in different zone altogether. He welcomed the second over of the inning with a six, announcing that he was unfazed with the stupid losses. As he dominated the batting Saghir was very circumspect in the beginning but players like him do not take much time reading and adjusting their game. Both Pandiyan and Saghir prepared a very solid and intelligent partnership.  There were aggressive blows from Pandiyan and careful precision drives from Saghir. Later when Vijay came in at the fall of Pandiyan, we were looking solid and this was the time Saghir swapped the roles. He went in attack mode and Vijay in the precision mode. Two huge sixes that came of Saghir's bat were a sight to watch -- first was a case of sweet timing and second was a pure power blow. Vijay, went after batting as a surgeon goes after a damaged tissue -- precise, calculated strokes that killed the bowlers' motivation. The pitch was slowly easing out but there was quality spin bowling from the Pak CC. It was the brilliance of Vijay and Saghir and later Waleed, that runs kept coming at ease. Waleed went after the fall of Saghir who got out attempting to smash a ball out of the ground. He accelerated the inning like there was no tomorrow. At one time Waleed had hit one of the bowlers for four consecutive sixes. Adnan who did not get many overs, also added a six to his score. Our middle order showed its depth (pandiyan ~29, Saghir ~36, Vijay ~46, Waleed ~48). There were not too many extras. We put together 174 in 25 overs. This was remarkable because when we took the break after 14 overs were cruising along at 76 i.e. last 11 overs brought nearly 100 runs. 


The job was half done although done in style but still needed to be finished. I started off with Saghir. Having spent nearly a month off the field I was completely out of touch. Somehow I sent in three overs and was happy not to concede too many runs. Saghir was spot on and was ready exploit the wicket which by then was starting to respond to fast bowlers. But once again Arpit continued his love affair with Pakistanis' as he bowled 4 superb overs conceding only 6 runs and he should have got at least one wicket (I dropped an easy catch). As Arpit applied breaks on the scoring rate the batting became desperate. Both Fawad and Mansoor (who for the first time was looking dangerous against us) skied catchs to Arpit and me, respectively. After the departure of Mansoor things were looking easy for us. But still we had to finish it high. Raghav took the charge and almost erased the memory of his horrendous runout early on. In fact, every bowler responded and took at least one wicket (except for me but I was still happy to return to winning ways). Some smart bowling chages from Vijay were at the play and Pak CC knew that they were not going to get to the target. One key move was to bring Arpit to bowl very early one but even after that they way Vijay handled Nila, Waleed was a great sight.


I do not know how much Pak CC scored in the end but we romped home in style and victory margin was at least 60 runs. In a way it was a sweet revenge of the loss in the previous match. But there are no revenges in cricket, there are only new memories, sometimes the new memories are good sometime bad. But in this match, they way it was played I hope everyone returned with good memories. The changing order of players in the Pak CC is a very important factor in it. The younger players just want to play cricket and not create hurdles in the way of cricket. 


It is a pity that I do not recall the names of many Pak CC players but some are very good players and deserve a mention in this blog. With such a young and motivated team I think despite the loss Pak CC had lot to take home and this would only improve the team.


Later Pandiyan wanted my opinion on who should be the man of the match. In my opinion this particular match was an illustration that Cricket can be a team game. From our side essentially everyone contributed either in batting or bowling (except for me). Vijay perhaps will be my pick but more for his dual role as a batsman and as a captain. This match was won by captaincy as much it was won by serious batting efforts of Saghir, Pandiyan, Waleed and Vijay himself, and bowling efforts of everyone. In the end 10 of our players were involved in the dismissal of the Pak CC.


This match was special for a reason -- Pak CC managed to access another soccer field in the city for one Sunday. Hopefully, for them this is a beginning of a more serious relationship with that sports club and they maybe able to have ground for the full season next year. So it was really important that we all showed up and played good clean cricket to set the tone for the possible new home for Pak CC. I have to congratulate Zeb Bhai and Rizwan for organizing it.


The ease with which this match was organized is a clear sign of improved relationship between the two teams. However, the echos of that dispute which led to the abandoning of a match are still audible, maybe feeble. The fabric of the FNCC has changed quite a bit and only few have that match in their memory. In the Pak CC club there are changes but not sufficient to burry the ghosts of that match. But more such more amicable encounters between two teams can indeed burry the past. I look forward to more matches with the Pak CC team. However, we must take caution and should not rush things and take every match at a time. 

Cricket survived the scare: Nomads won the onesided affair

The winning Nomads

It was a much awaited match, more than 15 players wanted to play. Our captain Vijay drove from Munich to reach Freiburg past midnight, very likely by cutting short his family trip; Saghir, our top performer over many seasons made himself available in spite of a painfully injured right index finger; Rajesh wanted to play despite his injured knee; Adnan worked through the Saturday so that he can have time to play the game on Sunday; Purab skipped preparations of his birthday party to play. In fact, virtually every player took extra effort to play this game, just because they value their cricket and understand the need to maintain a healthy relationship with Pak. Freiburg Cricket Club (PFCC) on the cricket field and play fair and clean cricket no matter what the opposition wants to do.

Several times during the match a question crossed my thoughts - was it worth the effort our players were making? I do not want to answer the question but let me recollect one instance when this question flashed in my thoughts.

Purab was batting, we were looking comfortable in our chase and I was umpiring. On that particular delivery Purab came across in such a way that I had no view of stumps. He missed the ball and the wicket-keeper appealed, I thought it was for stumping, so I was relaxed that I dont have to make a decision because I had not seen anything that happened around the stumps as Purab had blocked my view. Suddenly I hear Mansoor who was fielding at the short mid-on suggesting that it was a clean bowled. So it was actually my decision. I asked Parthibhan our leg-umpire. He thought that the Zeb's hands hit the stumps and ball was no where close to the stumps.  Our opposition immediately became aggressive and started to blame the umpires for being biased and their conversation suggested that they were on the verge of abandoning the match. For them there was no value of umpire's decision. I did not want the match to close in any undesired manner so I asked Zeb who was the wicket-keeper and main person involved in that incident and also a very respected person by both the teams. I actually asked him to make a decision and he suggested Purab was out. Poor Purab who at that time was all set to lead us to victory was forced out (a new way to get out in cricket) by the opposition.

Overall it seemed that our opposition had entered the field with a prejudice that we will not be fair in our umpiring. They were not even prepared to accept the calls of wides. LBWs decision when turned down are always unacceptable to the bowling team. There was one close shout but in that incident the ball had hit the pad outside of the leg stump, wicket-keeper Zeb knew it and did not appeal. We did not get much chance to see the fairness of the umpiring of the PFCC. We conceded only 6 extras and there were at least two stumpings denied because the guys who was asked to do leg-umpiring was not interested in the game in any form. We did get two LBW decisions against low order batsmen in our favor. 

When the opposition is so biased, questions arise whether it make sense to play, even if for the sake of cricket. So I will not answer the question I asked and leave it to you and move on to the many good things that happened during the course of the match.

First, an excellent half century by Din, who I learned later, was playing his last match as he returns to Pakistan in a week time. It was his innings that held the PFCC batting together. He was the second last wicket to fall, that says a lot. He showed great temperament and virtually scored all his runs in the gulley and slip area with cutting. He was supported by Fawad in beginning, who played brilliantly until he was surprised by a low full-toss of Arpit. Later Din had some temporary support from a left-hander whose name is not known to me. Together they took the score from 90s to 120s.

For the nomdas, the real revelation was Arpit who changed his regular medium fast bowling to slow off-spins and ended up with four wicket, two in one over. Saghir bowled two beautiful deliveries to claim two wickets towards the end of his spell. The one that cleaned up the wickets of the Zeb was simply unplayable, otherwise Zeb is an accomplished batsman. Rajesh showed that even with an inured knee he can surprise the batsmen and claimed two wickets. I also two wickets including that of Din. Raghav then took the final wicket as we were playing 12 a side game. Adnan and Nila were unlucky to go wicket-less. It was not the most important aspect of out bowling that we had bowled out the PFCC for 128 runs. The most important aspect was that until 22 over we did not concede a single extra runs, no wides or no balls or leg byes or byes. In total we gave away 6 or 7 extras. In that sense 128 runs that PFCC scored was a great effort.

Vijay who returned to wicket-keeping after a long time was spot on.  We did have few lapses in the field as a couple of catches were dropped and we could have converted few runs in to run-outs. All and all it was a superb effort and 128 was not a difficult score to chase.

We stared our chase with Rehan and Purab. Rehan apparently just cant hit the ball in the air. Yesterday he was caught just inches above the ground by Fawad, brilliant effort. But Rehan is so unlucky that his catches, however, difficult are never dropped. Raghav was promoted to fill in for Pandiyan. He stared very cautiously, and later he became such a tormentor of the PFCC bowling that I am sure they would not want to bowl to him again, particularly Din who was regularly hit for a six and/or a four in each of his three overs. After the Purab incident Rahul came in and the two left-handers never allowed the opposition bowlers to get to a good line. Runs kept coming until Rahul was given out on a dodgy stumping call. But by that time damage was done. After 17 overs we needed 49 runs. Raghav made it an easy task as he launched flighted deliveries of Din out of the boundary. Adnan wanted to finish and he showed his intentions. He also hit a funny boundary -- his on drive landed just in front of Rizwan as long on but the ball bounced over Rizwan and Adnan had a boundary. In the end Raghav, who had already completed his 50, very fittingly, lofted Mansoor for a six over long-on to finish the match. Later Raghav said that he was motivated by the foul talk of some of the PFCC players. They were talking in Punjabi but they perhaps did not know that Raghav understands Punjabi.

Among the PFCC bowlers the left-hander Lukman was brilliant. He cleaned up Saghir on a nearly perfect delivery which may have kept a bit low according to Saghir's expectations. PFCC struggled with their field placement and of course were not very sharp in the field. In the end 128 was just not enough and FNCC made an easy task of that.

It was very satisfying to win. Now we have six wins out of seven matches we have played. This victory was special because last year loss to the PFCC was responsible for out early exit in the BWCV league. More importantly, despite several attempts from the PFCC, we maintained out cool and finished the match without any visible incident.I dont know if more matches will help in developing a stronger sense of respect for both the teams. 

This is my personal opinion that while nomads were playing to maintain their own high standards, perhaps PFCC were just playing to win. I think goals of a teams should go beyond wins and losses. 

FNCC again showed that they are developing in to a good team. They are not afraid of experimenting as was seen in Arpit turning to off-spin. Everyone who get a chance grabs it with both hands as was seen in promotion to Raghav who scored a brilliant unbeaten 50. This is certainly making it difficult for Vijay, but perhaps only in a good way. Now Raghav and Rahul have been tested at top, I am sure if Fayas is promoted he will also do well, he is clearly a complete and solid batsman. In bowling I dont think Vijay can keep Nila for the old ball. I am very positive that he will be a big success with the new ball. Perhaps it is time to try Nila in the second spell.

Match ball that went to Purab as his Birthday present

I also would like to say something about Vijay. Given the success of virtually every batmen on the top of the order he is not getting enough chance to bat but as a great leader of the team he has never let his personal performance come in the way of leading the team in the best way he can. Part of the success of all the batsmen can be attributed to the fact that they know that in the form of Vijay they have a formidable batsman to fall back on.

Finally, for it was Purab who was given Forced Out, and we were going to Purab's pre-birthday party we decided to dedicate this win to Purab and the match ball was given to him as a birthday gift -- which I am sure will remain a prized possession for him for time to come.

Cricket beyond cricket: Freiburg Nomads to take on the Pak. Freiburg

Let me start with a question. What would you prefer, play the game and have fun or play the game and risk the sanctity of the concept of a cricket match. Which one you will chose will reflect on you and your character. Choosing not to play a match of cricket at the risk of demeaning cricket will suggest that you value things more than your own personal interests and abstract concepts make sense. But sometimes we have to play cricket even when the essence of the game might be at a risk, only for the larger interest of cricket.

Freiburg Nomads faced this conundrum when Pakistan Freiburg team approached us for a 'friendly' fixture.We have played Pak Freiburg team before, mostly even without asking the games were friendly i.e. they finished on very friendly note. So this comes as a surprise that we have to officially term the upcoming match as a 'friendly'.

Two seasons ago there was a massive incident on the field between our then captain Sikandar and the opposition captain Mansoor, which at first led to abandoning of the match midway and then a sequence of arguments which precipitated in the opposition captain making some very serious and offensive comments about a Country and a religion, in addition to the scene it created on the field. It was so embarrassing and humiliating to be a part of that group of players who created such a mess and presented cricket as a game which people from the Indian Subcontinent use to express their personal frustration. In my opinion cricket is not the medium for a display of frustrations, it is a medium to express yourself, your skills and your self-control.

From then on FNCC have played the Pak. Freiburg only once, just because both teams were playing in the BWCV league. In some sense it was good that the two teams did not play each other. Because this meant that many personal relationships between the players of the two teams remained largely unaffected.

When we play in a country where Cricket is not a well known sport, where it is seen as a modified form of baseball, where it is impossible to explain why we wear whites, why one cricket game must last for a day at least, it is our first and foremost responsibility to present the game in its most clean and pious form, not dented by personal problems. With Pak. Freiburg team there is always a small probability that at some point in the course of the game there will incidents that are not 'cricket'. In last seasons we have not allowed such deformed cricket by not playing it. But, not playing cricket is also not 'cricket'.

Cricket must be played and it must be played properly. Now that the two teams have once again agreed to play each other, it is a huge responsibility that we allow proper cricket to happen while playing cricket.

Perhaps FNCC needs to be more responsible because we are known for our clean cricket. Also because the reformed FNCC team looks beyond the transients of winning or losing. Also because half of the current FNCC team is not even aware of the history between the Pak. Freiburg and FNCC, and it can only be good for the game. As cricketers we have to be aware of the history and traditions of the game and not of personal problem which were presented on the cricket field.

This is my request, personally and also as the chairman of the FNCC, to all the players from both teams that lets not play for winning or losing or settling scores but to display what cricket is in its true sense. I think only that kind of cricket can be called 'cricket'.

Good luck to both the teams.