Caught At Silly Point

Cricket & cricketers will be discussed here with a lot of logic and a bit of rant.

[Caught At Silly Point @atsillypoint]

Man, I love New Zealand cricket. I love their fast bowlers. I love their fans. I love their system. They just make cricket so beautiful and special. I love the fact that they do not have a very huge population. Not even close. Yet somehow they have built one of the most formidable units in the world, a side that walks out and challenges the big teams without blinking.
That is just incredible. New Zealand should play more and more. The game is richer with them in it.

[Caught At Silly Point @atsillypoint]

Selecting Sahibzada Farhan in ODIs was not a bad decision. But I think for now he might have to wait a bit more to master the ODI format. He is a hardworking lad and I hope he will rediscover his touch and make improvements, but for now he is probably not ready for ODIs.

[Caught At Silly Point @atsillypoint]

There is a reason Harry Brook is hyped so much. There is a reason why he has been able to pile up so many runs in the toughest form of the game. His temperament is just too good.

Today was another example. He read the surface perfectly. You simply could not hang around on that pitch for too long, and Brook understood that better than anyone. So he kept attacking.

Sure, luck was on his side. But on a surface like this, luck is not a bonus. It is a mandatory ingredient. You do not survive without it.

Amazing player.

[Caught At Silly Point @atsillypoint]

Pakistan cricket management are fooling us again. Let me show you exactly how.

See, what was our biggest problem in the Champions Trophy 2025? Simple. No backup for Saim and Fakhar, and Babar forced to open. Why did that happen? Because we never tested other options in bilaterals. We were too busy chasing meaningless wins. And it backfired spectacularly.
Same story at the World Cup 2024. Babar shoved in at number four.

The reason is not complicated. These people just want to protect themselves by winning bilaterals that mean nothing, while refusing to try a single new option.

So tell me. Why the same playing eleven in all three matches? The selection was poor to begin with. This was the perfect window to test a high pace enforcer like Ali Raza.
But fine. Forget that. Even with what we had, this was the ideal series to give Ahmed Daniyal or Sufyan Muqeem a real look. Did we? No.

So will we suddenly try them in the World Cup? Who is even making these decisions?
I am so done with this mediocrity.

[Caught At Silly Point @atsillypoint]

Man, I love Test cricket in England.
. Two of the finest red ball bowlers going at it. One using his height to extract bounce. The other living off the seam.
And then you have Atherton and Broad on commentary, reading the game flawlessly.
The broadcast, the crowd, the atmosphere. Every single piece of it just works.
This is cinema.

Only shame is the weather. It just refuses to cooperate.

[Caught At Silly Point @atsillypoint]

Wow, so fellas, the time has come when even stronger boards with huge money will not be able to stop their players from playing leagues, and this is the future and we have got to accept it.

I was listening to Lalit Modi in a recent Wisden Cricket podcast and he mentioned that cricket is eventually heading in a direction where everyone will prefer to play league cricket rather than international cricket.

And he used football to explain it, where in England everyone dreams of playing in the Premier League but maybe not for the national team. The same will go for cricket as well. Whether you like it or not is up to you, but that is the future.

[Caught At Silly Point @atsillypoint]

Ever smiling George Bailey. Well, whenever I hear his name, these graphics just come to mind. This series was fun though.
What a series it was! But India won the series. Two times a 350 plus score was hunted down by India. A most thrilling, extraordinary, spectacular series it was.

[Caught At Silly Point @atsillypoint]

Why is no one even talking about Hassan Nawaz and how easily he has been erased from the scene? After his brilliant series in the West Indies, I always thought he should be a genuine consideration for the number 6 or 7 spot. But no. Nobody likes his style of play, so nobody even brings his name up anymore.

So who are our current six and seven? Shadab and Samad.
Be honest. Do you really think those two solve that role? Because I do not. Not even half as well. Shadab can be handy there now and then, but he is not the solution. And neither is Samad. They both cannot adapt to the shifting circumstances and situations of the game in ODIs.

This is where Hassan Nawaz could be so relevant. Hassan Nawaz has an uncanny ability to anchor an innings as well. We have literally seen it in T20Is. Everyone has boxed him in as a pure hitter, but he can also read the situation and play exactly what it demands.Neither of them can truly adapt to the shifting situations an ODI throws at you.

And we just let a player like that vanish without a single proper conversation.

[Caught At Silly Point @atsillypoint]

This game has seen only one Wasim Akram. He was, and will forever be, relevant. To describe only his selective performances would be an injustice because every single moment deserves to be dissected. But fine, let us take just one. Thirty-four years ago. World Cup final. The game hanging by a thread as England were cruising at 141 for 4, needing just 109 to lift the trophy. And then Imran tossed the ball back to Wasim Akram.

See, this is where Wasim does what only Wasim does. Two balls. Two wickets. Allan Lamb gone, then the next man gone, both undone by deliveries that defied belief. Brings one in from the same line and length. Takes one away from the same line and length. Two of the very best balls ever bowled.
And just like that, Pakistan are world champions.
That is the Sultan of Swing for you. Thirty-four years later and he is still the first name that comes to mind. Forever relevant.

It really stings when someone disrespects Wasim Akram. He may have made some mistakes but man, he is the hero of every left armer in Pakistan. He is still inspiring generations, still ruling our streets. Such a phenomenal legacy. He is there in every best XI in the world picked by any player. But somehow we manage to belittle him.

[Caught At Silly Point @atsillypoint]

See, PCB is a mastermind. Not in a way you would admire. In a way that should genuinely concern you.
Every single time, they plant one controversial selection, sit back, and watch us tear each other apart. This time it is Shadab. And right on cue, everyone is screaming about Shadab while the actual problems breathe freely in the background.

Nobody is asking who opens for us in the World Cup. Fakhar and Saim were both excellent at the top and both have simply vanished from the conversation. Nobody is asking what happened to Hassan Nawaz after a genuinely impressive West Indies tour. Nobody is discussing who handles the middle overs in South Africa. Nobody is even processing what just happened against Bangladesh.

That is exactly where PCB wants us.

Shadab is a problem. But he is a temporary one. The real damage runs much deeper and PCB knows precisely what it is doing by making sure we never reach that conversation.
They do not silence us. They redirect us. And, we fall for it every single time.

[Caught At Silly Point @atsillypoint]

Jarrod Kimber writes.

“There is something weird about sharing the field with someone this much better than you. That feeling of there is nothing you can do, there is complete hopelessness to it, you’re not even going through the numbers, you’re just there, like a crash test dummy. Sure, you try new tactics; you be the best you can be, work harder, but they just are better, there is a point where that wears down everyone. The mega-talented, the hard workers, the guys who never give up, they can do all they can, because it’s like bouncing a rubber ball against the wall. The wall always wins. The wall will always win.

Anyway, at one stage today, instead of taking the new ball, England used the old ball and bowl off-spin from both ends. Because Matthew Wade — who was already well set — has a bit of a weakness against it. Australia had lost four wickets, and England were targeting Wade like he’s a number ten, almost entirely uninterested in getting the wicket at the other end. Or maybe they weren’t but it just looked that way because it wasn’t real cricket at the other end, it wasn’t a contest between bat and ball.

One end was cricket, the other was Steve Smith”

Birthday Red ball GOAT

[Caught At Silly Point @atsillypoint]

I do not know why these people think that we have a problem with Shadab the person. We do not have any problem with Shadab the person. We have a problem with the flawed process that has been used here to select him.

Let us not forget that he has not played a single ODI since the World Cup 2023. Let us not forget that he was woeful in the World Cup 2023. Let us not forget that in any instances during this time wherever he bowled, he does not look like a bowler who will consistently hunt wickets or score runs in a way that will make this team win matches.

I remember when Muhammad Nawaz was selected again after the World Cup 2024 without any performance in domestic cricket. A lot of us, including me, condemned this decision and I still do. I condemned it because I knew that Muhammad Nawaz's bowling abilities had been greatly diminished and he was not that effective after his finger injury in 2023. When he started performing in bilaterals, people thought that this would work. Unfortunately any shortcut method you suggest will never work. Even if Shadab does perform now and somehow makes us believe that he might do well in the World Cup 2027, the chances are that he will collapse heavily in the World Cup 2027 just like Nawaz did in the World Cup 2024. When the process is not clean, the result will never be clean.

[Caught At Silly Point @atsillypoint]

The term "aura" comes from the Greek word for "breeze" or "breath." It was first recorded in Middle English between 1350 and 1400.

According to German philosopher Walter Benjamin in his 1936 essay The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Production, aura’s the distinctive singularity of an original work of art. It’s the potency that attributes to authenticity, presence, uniqueness, and historical context.

Regardless of whatever definition you might look at, one thing you should remember is that aura’s an intangible quality. It can’t be measured or quantified but is something that a few individuals naturally possess.

If you actually want to see a practical representation of someone being the epitome of this term, India’s finest, Virat Kohli, is the best-suited contender. In cricket’s universe, this term’s labeled with different people and in different contexts. I don’t think in this generation of cricket, there’s anyone else apart from the boy from Delhi who owns the term like him.

It’s not something like hunger that’s necessarily always on display. It’s that captivating presence, that innate aggression even when he isn’t at his best. It’s the silent sign of fear in the opposition that as long as Kohli’s there, they aren’t fully in; it’s the excitement and craving of broadcasters to warrant them stardom’s power, bringing benefits for them; it’s the calm rays of hope among fans that "keep calm and trust Kohli." It’s the sense of attention in everyone’s mind that Kohli’s on the ground.

Of course, it’s not something that developed overnight. It’s taken a lot to grab this unique identity. But as we bring aura ever into consideration, there should be no sense of doubt that he’s owned that.
India’s finest.

[Caught At Silly Point @atsillypoint]

Repeat after me!
Andy Flower is a genius.
Andy Flower is a genius.
Andy Flower is a genius.

It’s an unprevailed truth, but Andy Flower is a walking, talking qualification machine. Whether he’s guiding the Trent Rockets, lifting the Multan Sultans, or forging champions out of the Gulf Giants, he is starting a series of transformation and wins at every stop.

World Cup glory with England to Ashes wins home and away, conquering India in a rare Test series to scripting franchise success across continents, and most recently, dragging RCB to their first-ever IPL title in 2025.
He just providing reasons to make us believe that he rewrites destinies.

What a coach.
What a mastermind.

[Caught At Silly Point @atsillypoint]

Trust me, Arafat Minhas is not a very ordinary cricketer. He is distinctly different and unique. At least he is a decisively upgraded version of Nawaz. I have been following him since his Under-19 days and I know a lot about his game. Firstly, he is a proper cricketer who came through a rigorous process. He played Under-19 tournaments, emerging team tournaments, the Pakistan Junior League, A team tours and whatnot, so he has had enough seasoning. Then his bowling. His bowling is much sharper. A proper left-arm spinner like Keshav Maharaj. The only concern I have about him is his batting at number seven. He is a proper middle order batter so if Pakistan expects him to fulfil the role of a pinch hitter he might falter. I am incredibly happy by the way to see him claiming that success.

[Caught At Silly Point @atsillypoint]

Vaibhav Suryavanshi is going to be an all-time prodigy in T20 cricket. Yes, an all-time prodigy like how Bumrah appeared as a phenomenal bowler who could bowl almost anything so well, or like Smith, who could bat with an awkward stance and provide no answer to bowlers for dismissal, or like AB, who has every shot in his repertoire in every direction. The whole point is that he is unique. Whatever he is doing is not normal. This world has not witnessed anything like Vaibhav Suryavanshi. He is actually 15, medically proven. Then he possesses one of the most explosive bat swings on the planet. Then that raw power is absolutely unprecedented. Then that fearlessness to dominate the best bowlers. Then making sure every innings is the ultimate representation of strike rate. We have not seen anything like this.

[Caught At Silly Point @atsillypoint]

No ODI century for Misbah, while he was an absolute lifesaver, has to be one of the gravest injustices in cricket. He used to bat at number five and never got enough backing from the other end. He has 42 half centuries by the way, which speaks volumes about his mettle.

Happy Birthday chief!

[Caught At Silly Point @atsillypoint]

Is Rajat Patidar one of the most gifted cricketers in the Indian domestic circuit? I would be dishonest if I denied it. Perhaps the majority would echo the same sentiment.

There was this reel on Instagram where Venkatesh Iyer was saying in a podcast, “Yaar Rajat Patidar India mein mera favourite batsman hai, uski batting itni khoobsurat hai.”
And honestly, I have no grounds to disagree with his take. His elegant strokeplay mesmerises. His variety of skills convinces.

Why does Patidar seem impressive? Well, he just seems to have that extra bit of time on his hands. He is a very good spin-hitter, there is no doubt about that. But his pace game is quite polished too. He is a naturally gifted batter who trusts his instincts more often than not.
Of course, there will be questions for him in the longer formats, and perhaps fairly so, though not as much in T20Is. Arguably, this format maximises his strengths. He can play a game-breaking knock any day of the week.

[Caught At Silly Point @atsillypoint]

Is Rajat Patidar one of the most gifted cricketers in the Indian domestic circuit? I would be dishonest if I denied it. Perhaps the majority would echo the same sentiment.

There was this reel on Instagram where Venkatesh Iyer was saying in a podcast, “Yaar Rajat Patidar India mein mera favourite batsman hai, uski batting itni khoobsurat hai.”
And honestly, I have no grounds to disagree with his take. His elegant strokeplay mesmerises. His variety of skills convinces.

Why does Patidar seem impressive? Well, he just seems to have that extra bit of time on his hands. He is a very good spin-hitter, there is no doubt about that. But his pace game is quite polished too. He is a naturally gifted batter who trusts his instincts more often than not.
Of course, there will be questions for him in the longer formats, and perhaps fairly so, though not as much in T20Is. Arguably, this format maximises his strengths. He can play a game-breaking knock any day of the week.

[Caught At Silly Point @atsillypoint]

I kind of find it both disappointing and amusing when the talk is about the greatest Pakistani batsmen ever and people mention the likes of Younis Khan, Inzamam, and even sometimes Babar. I truly believe Javed Miandad was the greatest long format player Pakistan has ever produced. I have plenty of facts to support that.

See, Miandad's career average never dropped below fifty. This is a feat unrivalled by any other Pakistani player. Aside from Inzamam-ul-Haq, perhaps no other batsman has delivered as many wins for Pakistan as Miandad. In 61 Tests played in Australia, England, the West Indies, India, and New Zealand combined, he commanded an average of 47.12. His away average could have been even closer to 50 if not for his comparatively lower performance against Sri Lanka, where he averaged just 15.75 in 4 innings.

It was not only about statistical dominance but also Miandad's extraordinary calibre. At the tender age of 19, he confronted bowling attacks with confidence. Against a Hadlee-led attack, he scored a commanding 163 in Lahore when Pakistan was reeling at 4 for 55. Similarly, during the same period, he travelled to Australia and faced the fearsome Lillee-led attack, scoring two crucial fifties, one of which was decisive in levelling the series.

Miandad's batting style was not of the classical school, but he had a devastating repertoire of shots that included a beautiful square cut and an impressive early reverse sweep. He knew how to dissect the angles and spaces on the field, demonstrating his ability to manufacture runs in almost any situation. A true GOAT.