Loud Thinking

Archive for the ‘My Views’ Category

The Scheme of Surrender!!!

How the Asia Cup was lost???

There is no shame in going down fighting. As they say, if fate has ordained defeat for you, give it a good fight. However, any team is as good as its leader. And there can’t be a better saying to describe the importance of a leader, than the one associated with Alexander the Great, quoted as below:

“I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion.”

What happened in the Asia Cup final at Dhaka on Saturday, 8 March, 2014 is a classic example of mental bankruptcy of the Pakistani cricket teams think tank, or the tour management committee, consisting of Messrs Zaheer Abbas, Zakir Khan, Moin Khan and Misbah ul Haq.

At the out set, two basic and important decisions (team selection and the decision to bat first) were wrong, where we made sure that the match was lost, even before a ball was bowled.

Always the basics of team selection stipulates that only fit players are selected. The whole world knew that Umar Gul, Junaid Khan, Sharjeel Khan and Shahid Afridi were not 100% fit. If at all, we had to take chance with an unfit player, only Shahid Afridi was the person, where the gamble was worth taking. Otherwise, Suhaib Maqsood and other two fit players viz., Bilawal Bhatti and Anwer Ali should have played for the unfit Umar Gul and Junaid Khan.

Now, coming to the batting first decision, again the whole world knew that we earlier won very close matches against India and Bangladesh, by chasing the target. May be the long list of unfit players included in the team, was the reason for the surprise decision of batting first, so that the injuries does not further aggravates, in fielding first.

After the disastrous top batting order collapse (exclusive responsibility of which falls on Zaheer Abbas, the chief batting consultant), Misbah and Fawad Alam, almost consecutively played four maiden overs, which practically reduced our innings to 46 overs. Such type of defensive approach is never adopted in an ODI match, under any circumstances; because of its limited overs nature. Yes, Test matches are saved under such type of circumstances, but in an ODI match, game is only played for victory; and victory can not be achieved by playing record number of dot balls, even if there is a collapse. How can any team forget the adage that offence is the best defence.

Furthermore, unfit Shahid Afridi was not played for his bowling prowess. Obviously, he was included, keeping in consideration his tremendous batting form. As such, at least for the last five overs Fawad Alam should have been called back, as retired hurt, to allow Afridi to have a go. Afridi was our nuclear weapon and the enemy was allowed to conquer us with, worlds most potent weapon in our arsenal unused. We could not have given a bigger gift to our enemy, that too, in the most important final match.

In the bowling department, we perhaps wrongly believed that only one fit bowler i.e., Saeed Ajmal will single handedly take ten wickets in his ten overs. After all, the Sri Lankans were not in the finals for nothing.

Our most pathetic performance was given in the fielding and wicket keeping departments. Our teams fielding just gave a look of a third rate club team, if compared with the fielding performance of the Sri Lankan team. As such, Mr. Shoaib Muhammad do not even deserve a stint for the T20 World Cup tour. Pakistani team gave a much better performance in the fielding department, during the last UAE series matches. This proves that our fielding coach practically contributed in the down fall of the teams fielding level. Hence, he also deserves immediate sacking.

In view of the foregoing, if we have to at least play the semi finals of the T20 World Cup, then the entire tour management committee and the fielding coach, must be replaced with some deserving and capable persons.

Misbah ul Haq, has again proved that that he is not at all capable to lead Pakistani team to the victory podium of the 2015 ODI World Cup. He is being retained as captain, at our own peril.

Syed Nayyar Uddin Ahmad

Lahore.

How the Asia Cup was lost???

There is no shame in going down fighting. As they say, if fate has ordained defeat for you, give it a good fight. However, any team is as good as its leader. And there can’t be a better saying to describe the importance of a leader, than the one associated with Alexander the Great, quoted as below:

“I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion.”

What happened in the Asia Cup final at Dhaka on Saturday, 8 March, 2014 is a classic example of mental bankruptcy of the Pakistani cricket teams think tank, or the tour management committee, consisting of Messrs Zaheer Abbas, Zakir Khan, Moin Khan and Misbah ul Haq.

At the out set, two basic and important decisions (team selection and the decision to bat first) were wrong, where we made sure that the match was lost, even before a ball was bowled.

Always the basics of team selection stipulates that only fit players are selected. The whole world knew that Umar Gul, Junaid Khan, Sharjeel Khan and Shahid Afridi were not 100% fit. If at all, we had to take chance with an unfit player, only Shahid Afridi was the person, where the gamble was worth taking. Otherwise, Suhaib Maqsood and other two fit players viz., Bilawal Bhatti and Anwer Ali should have played for the unfit Umar Gul and Junaid Khan.

Now, coming to the batting first decision, again the whole world knew that we earlier won very close matches against India and Bangladesh, by chasing the target. May be the long list of unfit players included in the team, was the reason for the surprise decision of batting first, so that the injuries does not further aggravates, in fielding first.

After the disastrous top batting order collapse (exclusive responsibility of which falls on Zaheer Abbas, the chief batting consultant), Misbah and Fawad Alam, almost consecutively played four maiden overs, which practically reduced our innings to 46 overs. Such type of defensive approach is never adopted in an ODI match, under any circumstances; because of its limited overs nature. Yes, Test matches are saved under such type of circumstances, but in an ODI match, game is only played for victory; and victory can not be achieved by playing record number of dot balls, even if there is a collapse. How can any team forget the adage that offence is the best defence.

Furthermore, unfit Shahid Afridi was not played for his bowling prowess. Obviously, he was included, keeping in consideration his tremendous batting form. As such, at least for the last five overs Fawad Alam should have been called back, as retired hurt, to allow Afridi to have a go. Afridi was our nuclear weapon and the enemy was allowed to conquer us with, worlds most potent weapon in our arsenal unused. We could not have given a bigger gift to our enemy, that too, in the most important final match.

In the bowling department, we perhaps wrongly believed that only one fit bowler i.e., Saeed Ajmal will single handedly take ten wickets in his ten overs. After all, the Sri Lankans were not in the finals for nothing.

Our most pathetic performance was given in the fielding and wicket keeping departments. Our teams fielding just gave a look of a third rate club team, if compared with the fielding performance of the Sri Lankan team. As such, Mr. Shoaib Muhammad do not even deserve a stint for the T20 World Cup tour. Pakistani team gave a much better performance in the fielding department, during the last UAE series matches. This proves that our fielding coach practically contributed in the down fall of the teams fielding level. Hence, he also deserves immediate sacking.

In view of the foregoing, if we have to at least play the semi finals of the T20 World Cup, then the entire tour management committee and the fielding coach, must be replaced with some deserving and capable persons.

Misbah ul Haq, has again proved that that he is not at all capable to lead Pakistani team to the victory podium of the 2015 ODI World Cup. He is being retained as captain, at our own peril.

Syed Nayyar Uddin Ahmad

Lahore.

“Negative people need drama like oxygen. Stay positive, it’ll take their breath away.”

— Tony Gaskins

“Throw your dreams into space like a kite, and you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, a new country.”

Anaïs Nin (1903-1977);
author, diarist

Three Ways to Listen More Actively

Active listening, combined with trying to understand others’ perspectives and points of view, is the most effective form of listening. It can help you get the best from your employees — and propel you to a class of your own as a leader. To listen more actively:
Recognize verbal and nonverbal cues, such as tone, facial expressions, and other body language. Pay attention to what others are not saying, and probe a bit deeper: “You seem excited (happy, upset…), and I’d like to hear more about your perspective.”
Assure others that you’ve heard what they have to say, and encourage ongoing communication with appropriate replies such as verbal acknowledgements, clarifying questions, or paraphrasing, as well as non-verbal behaviors such as facial expressions, eye contact, and head nods.
To show others that you’ll remember what they said, summarize key messages at the end of your conversation.

Adapted by HBR from “Three Ways Leaders Can Listen with More Empathy” by Christine M. Riordan.

The best way to be happy with someone is to learn to be happy alone. That way the company will be a matter of choice and not necessity.

May be our superior judiciary consider de-seating the CM Sindh, and all the MPA’s and MNA’s of Tharparkar, for being criminally negligent, in discharge of their public responsibilities, for which they were elected by the voters of Tharparkar.

PM’s visit to Tharparkar

Dear Mr. Prime Minister

AoA.

I salute and really appreciate you, for cancelling all engagements, for your urgent visit to the famine and disease stricken Tharparkar area.

Your governments rapid response to attend this severe human crisis, is really something to sing about.

Kindly note the issue is less of shortage and more of access to food and medical facilities.

As such, kindly order immediate air drop of the relief supplies to the far flung areas without delay.

Please remember providing humanitarian relief should have priority, even over your visit to the area.

Best Regards,

Syed Nayyar Uddin Ahmad

Karachi.

Sent from my iPad3 4G LTE

“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”

— Thoreau

At Allama Iqbal International Airport Lahore waiting in lounge for departure to Karachi at 11 AM PIA flight PK 303.