Nasir Jamshed - Rare maturity from a quality player - Part 1 - Opinion
With a compact technique, the gift of immaculate timing and a penchant for scoring big when it matters, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Nasir-Jamshed-c78752 of Pakistan, managed to steer his side home by scoring an elegant 97, against Australia in the second ODI of the Cool and Cool Cup, in
Abu Dhabi. Unflustered, determined, and exhibiting heaps of concentration, Jamshed proved to the critiques of Pakistani batsmanship, that there was a method towards batting in the country and not all the batsmen are compulsive bashers. His contemporaries such
as http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-Afridi-c2482 have often been labeled as brute, brash, yet brilliant to watch. Jamshed however, demonstrated impressive composure, and an array of strokes which were soothing to the eye.
His score of 97 off just 98 deliveries in that game is his second highest in ODI cricket, and came at a time when mutterings of Pakistan’s poor batting came from several quarters. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 managed to secure 248 in their innings, against a potent Pakistani
attack, and the odds were stacked against a team, which had a history of batting collapses and capitulating under pressure. Pakistan was thankful however, that a batsman of Jamshed’s stature safely negotiated the new ball and thwarted any possibility of a
batting collapse. He played some incredible shots which hinted at a mature approach that is rare amongst Pakistani batsmen. On a lively wicket, which tested the nerves of most of the players, Jamshed remained calm, as he caressed the ball through the covers
and off his pads with ease.
For those who have an acute, aesthetic sense, his innings was pleasing to the eye. With a http://www.senore.com/Cricket/GC-Smith-c1473 like stance, and eyes low and level, Jamshed refrained from playing any extravagant stroke until he reached the nineties for the most part of his innings.
Deliveries which were fractionally off line were targeted, elegantly. Bludgeoning the ball was never his strong forte, as he resorted to middling quick deliveries off the front and back foot. The wicket at the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Imtiaz-Sheikh-c64290 Zayed Stadium offered plenty of assistance
to the Australian bowlers, with significant lateral movement on offer, on what looked like a placid wicket. A late start, compounded with the evening dew, eased out prospects for http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755. Despite this, Jamshed ensured that he went behind the line of the ball
and smothered any possibility of it sneaking through the bat and pad. His characteristic punches off the back foot and through the leg side were also a rare sight for Pakistani batsmen, who had traditionally been wristy, yet lacked the acumen for driving length
balls on the up through the leg side. Jamshed on the other hand managed to do so with ease, which hinted at a player, who had a unique method to his game as compared to his contemporaries.
His cover driving and punchy play through the offside has not been too bad either. In fact, some of his strokes through the off side were extremely elegant, and characterized a player who preferred brain over brawl. None of his shots were extravagant in
nature and he refrained from pulverizing the bowlers. He focused instead on hitting the ball off the meat of the bat and opening the full face, instead of bludgeoning the ball through the offside. His back foot cover drives off bowlers such as http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mitchell-Aaron-Starc-c76392
and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/MG-Johnson-c1945 for example, were right out of the top drawer, in terms of timing, placement and precision. The timing was so exquisite, that most the Australian fielders were left astounded. Jamshed managed to pierce an inner ring of fielders who had
gained notoriety for stifling the run flow. The normally impregnable fielding apparatus was exposed beautifully by Jamshed, who was in his prime. The fielders simply had no answer, as almost every delivery that was fractionally wide, was middle by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Jamshed-c66276
and rocketed off the bat.
Continued in Part 2...
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