Episode 65 - @sportingmyths x @BattaFast - Saqlain, his thumkas & the lost art of the doosra

In this special episode, we have our bestie @sportingmyths with us as we dissect what the doosra was, what made it so special, and how Saqlain Mushtaq used to make batters do the thumka with it.

00:00 Introduction
02:08 The Impact of the 'Doosra' on Cricket
07:24 Celebrating Saqlain Mushtaq's Legacy
12:34 The Evolution of Off-Spin Bowling
16:31 The Role of Innovation in Pakistani Cricket
21:16 The Challenges of Bowling Innovations
27:19 The Cultural Context of Bowling in Pakistan
33:19 The Future of Off-Spin Bowling
38:23 Reflections on Saqlain Mushtaq's Career
46:22 Crazy cricketers - Asif, Raza Hasan et al
50:00 Pakistani cricket's social context and love for bowlers
53:30 How radical tactics helped Pakistan win its major tournaments
58:00 Recalling our favourite Saqlain wickets
1:05:00 The legend of Ahmaq Naqli

[TheAshishiyer]

Boss you've completely missed the point that you have 2 new balls now. Off spin has disappeared in white ball for the same reason reverse has disappeared. Ball just doesn't get old.

[muhammadamanhazara]

Saqlain Mushtaq and Rashid Latif were the reasons I fell in love with cricket. Now that you have done an episode on Saqlain and offspin, why not do an episode on the art of wicket keeping and wicket keepers

[arsalakhan]

very original insight on neoliberal vis a vis defensive and offensive preference

[AdityaSingh-llld]

Guys you’re the best cricket podcast hands down. Miles ahead of anybody else.

[osmsiddiqi_photo]

This was definitely the best episode yet. Past cricketers really just need to step away and not crowd the discourse tbh. They take up too much airtime and continuously only talk about the past which appears to be a negative Pakistani habit - succeed once, deteriorate, never forget that success, and create legend status and gatekeepers. Hockey, squash, physics, ambulance services, women running against dictators in different eras, textiles development, name the damn thing, us ke baad aagay nahin bhurte based on principles, thing just get stuck, which means they deteriorate, then all of us just keep holding onto the laurels of nostalgia. Quite tired of this pattern on repeat. It's almost like the worst thing that can happen is innovation and winning because what comes from that is degradation.

[BlackJack-ovnq]

Great guest. Subscribed to his channel.

[Gilgamishmash]

49:13 The person Sarfraz Nawaz is likely referring to here is PJ Mir’s uncle (Saleem Mir I think). I heard Amir Sohail mention in an interview that Saleem had shared this insight about the old ball with Sarfraz, so in that sense he was the guy to first discover reverse swing.

[pavanckm]

Osman, since you brought it up during the podcast, what's that background in your frame?

[sachinkashyap]

2 new ball and only 4 fielders in powerplay 2 (11-40 over) make off spinner disappear.

[osmsiddiqi_photo]

Also - kuch Shahnameh or even Khaadi ya kuch pehn lo. Sponsors bhi shayud aa jaein!

[imqurban]

Osman bhai clinic aa jayen aapkay daant ka maslay hal krtay hain...

[aak]

Is / was doosra really a fair / legal delivery?

[Gilgamishmash]

52:00 What world is Rehan living in here? “Pakistan is obsessed with technique” WHAT?! You guys are so free range that you’ve been waiting for a headless chicken like Haider Ali to turn into AB de Villiers for the past 5 years 🤣. If you understood or enforced technique Haider wouldn’t have made past under-17.

If you want to see what respecting technique looks like, listen to Indian comms critique their batters, where it seems every movement or lack thereof is meaningfully analyzed - kis ka sar kahan jaa raha tha woh kab drop hua phir wapis select honay ke baad foot kahan land ker raha hai and all that.

Hamara tou ek hi commentator hai jo 25 saal se sirf “brilliant shot”, “magnificent hit”, “sensational innings” he karta raha hai. If Rehan thinks Pakistan is obsessed with technique, not sure what he’ll say about Indians.