Kritik und Lob » as expected to contend for the Pac-12 North,

In the 1985 film Rocky IV, Sylvester Stallones titular character faces the challenge of fighting Russian champion Ivan Drago in Moscow during the height of the Cold War. In cricket at the time, West Indies were Drago, a seemingly insurmountable challenge to every other team in the world. But Pakistan were one team that consistently challenged their supremacy a la Rocky Balboa.From June 1, 1976 to March 30, 1995, West Indies played 142 Tests and lost only 19, four of these to Pakistan. Each defeat came when the series was still alive - Port-of-Spain in 1976-77, Faisalabad in 1986-87, Georgetown in 1987-88, and Karachi in 1990-91.The Faisalabad Test, where Pakistan shockingly routed West Indies for 53 - their lowest Test score at the time - wasnt far from being a Hollywood drama itself.Every time we played West Indies during their invincible period, we looked at it as an opportunity to beat the best side in the world rather than sit back and be prepared for a loss and devastation, says former Pakistan batsman Rameez Raja. We strongly felt that a win would help to raise the status of our team and players. We backed ourselves because of the talent that we had. West Indies also respected us for what we brought to the table against them - aggression.Offspinner Tauseef Ahmed says it was the quality of Pakistans spin bowling that often troubled West Indies.We talk about power-hitting as a part of modern cricket these days, but West Indies had been playing that brand of cricket in the 80s, so beating them was always great. They struggled against spinners, especially legspinners, and we had the finest spin attack at that time.Pakistan under Imran Khan were conscious of avoiding being whitewashed by West Indies.Imran Khans leadership and encouragement lead us to believe that we could challenge West Indies, says opener Mudassar Nazar, who played two Tests of that 1986-87 series.While I wont say it was the greatest Test match we played in, it was one of the better ones - to overcome a great West Indies team. In a lot of ways the game was fairly even until their fourth-innings collapse.West Indies players from the match also acknowledge Imrans role in the win.That was the nature of Pakistan under Imran Khans leadership, which pretty much was an extension of his personality, says Richie Richardson, who top-scored in both innings for West Indies. Plus with tough competitors like Javed Miandad, Abdul Qadir, Wasim Akram on the rise, they proved a tough but great refreshing competition for us.Michael Holding and Joel Garner missed the series, which gave 23-year-old fast bowler Tony Gray a chance to break into the West Indies side. He took four wickets in the first innings to help bowl out Pakistan for 159.I remember the first morning of the Test, Gray said. I was very nervous knowing that I was about to make my debut with all those legends. Malcolm Marshall was not just a tremendous fast bowler but a friend, since he was always willing to give advice.My first Test wicket resulted from Qasim Umar being hit on the helmet and the ball deflecting onto the stumps. Overall I wasnt surprised at my performance. I had been visualising playing for West Indies since I was nine years old. Plus, I had played for Surrey in 1985 and had had a fantastic season, so playing for West Indies came as second nature to me.Gray, who dismissed Imran for 61 in the first innings and took six wickets in the match, compares the Pakistan captain to a couple of great West Indian leaders.Its easy to understand why Pakistan challenged West Indies so often back then. Their cricket mirrors West Indies cricket in so many ways, with the perpetuation of natural talent on both sides, while administratively both nations have struggled historically. The influence Imran had on Pakistan is very similar to what Clive Lloyd and Frank Worrell had for us, and that cant be understated, says Gray.West Indies wicketkeeper Jeff Dujon, who had kept to some of the greatest West Indian quicks, was impressed by Grays bowling.He swung the ball with good pace and accuracy, and certainly appeared to have the tools. As time went on, I got the impression that he was what you call a confidence bowler. He went as his confidence went. I think he would have had a better career if he had more self-belief. He certainly had the physical ability.Dujon was dismissed for a pair in Faisalabad. He says Pakistan made up for their lack of extreme pace with good swing and spin bowling.Pakistan were always a challenge to us. We played each other on mostly flat wickets, and they had good flat-wicket batsmen. Though they did not have the quantity of pace we had, they had quality swing bowlers and two outstanding spinners.West Indies were not only troubled by Pakistans spinners but also by a food-poisoning incident that affected their captain, Viv Richards.A few of us, including manager Jackie Hendricks, went out for Chinese food and the manager told the waiter that we wanted to take some food back for our captain. Well, he got sick and we were fine, remembers offspinner Roger Harper, who faced the first defeat of his Test career in Faisalabad. Twenty-year-old Akram, playing his ninth Test, produced the first significant all-round performance of his career - taking a six-for to keep West Indies first-innings lead under 100 and then scoring his first Test half-century to help set them a competitive fourth-innings chase.It was pretty clear to us that Wasim was a player on the rise, says Dujon. We had seen him before in the ODIs in Australia and knew he was a quality bowler who had all-round ability. He bowled beautifully and kept the pressure on with swing and good pace on a pitch which was quite flat.Rameez recognises Wasims performance as one that brought him out from under Imrans shadow. Wasim was instrumental in setting up a win. Here was a star in the making. He played a crucial, gritty knock, also filled, at times, with exciting shots.On the fourth day West Indies were set a target of 240 and they proceeded to collapse in the face of the classic Pakistani bowling duo - reverse swing and legspin; Imran and Qadir. Tauseef, Qadirs spin bowling partner in the match, wasnt even required to bowl in the second innings, such was the legspinners mastery of the conditions.The fast bowler-and-legspinner combination is always delightful to watch, and they bowled extremely well, says Tauseef. Qadir taking wickets in the second innings was mainly because West Indies had always been struggling against legspinners. So it was his day there. It still was really satisfying to see because we were about to win the match and history was about to be made, because we outclassed a world-class team.Rameez took a diving catch at short leg off Qadir to dismiss Richards for a duck - one of four in the innings - and West Indies slipped to 19 for 4 in the chase. On the previous ball, Viv had planted a vicious flick straight on my shin. I remember diving full length forward to an inside edge to take the catch. Viv was always a huge wicket.In the last innings they got an unplayable ball in every over from Qadir and in the end were blown away.For West Indies, the defeat was a never-again moment. A loss of such magnitude will naturally leave lasting memories, Dujon says. Pakistan outplayed us throughout the Test match. They got on top of us early and never allowed us to settle.When we got rolled for 53 in the second innings, there was a general acceptance that we had not been mentally prepared. We resolved that this would not happen again.It never did. We ended up squaring the series, one we should have won. Alas, no international panel of umpires in those days.Bulls Jerseys Outlet .B. - Sebastien Auger made 44 saves as the Saint John Sea Dogs edged the visiting Acadie-Bathurst Titan 2-1 on Saturday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. Youth Bulls Jerseys . Each of Houstons starters scored in double figures as the Rockets improved to 2-0 against the Spurs this season, with both victories coming on the road. They also moved within 3 1/2 games of San Antonio (22-7) for the lead the Southwest Division. http://www.cheapbullsjerseyschina.com/ . 24 Baylor in a Big 12 clash between teams trending in opposite directions. Andrew Wiggins made 10-of-12 from the foul line and scored 17 for Kansas (14-4, 5-0 Big 12), which capped a stretch of four straight games against ranked opponents unscathed. Discount Bulls Jerseys . -- Former San Diego Chargers safety Paul Oliver was found dead at his Atlanta-area home Tuesday night, and a medical examiner said Wednesday that the ex-player committed suicide. Chandler Hutchison Jersey . The 19-year-old Olsen played 34 games with the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL this season. In that time, hes recorded 17 goals and 17 assists with 36 penalty minutes.PULLMAN, Wash. -- The mind of Marcellus Pippins of Washington State was racing as he saw the loose football on the turf at Martin Stadium.He bent down and scooped the ball up, and one thought ran through his brain.Run fast, dont get caught, Pippins said.He gave no thought to diving on the football.It was me and the touchdown, said Pippins, who ran 72 yards for the score that helped ignite Washington States 56-6 win over Idaho on Saturday.Luke Falk threw for 226 yards and three touchdowns as Washington State posted a positive end to a tumultuous week.James Williams rushed for 126 yards and a touchdown for Washington State (1-2), which won on a wet, windy day when the Air Raid offense was not working very well.Idaho (1-2) struggled for the second straight week against a Pac-12 team, after losing at No. 8 Washington.The Vandals have not scored a touchdown against Washington State the past two times the teams have played.Austin Rehkow kicked a 42-yard field goal as Idaho took a 3-0 lead on its first possession.Williams ran over from the 2 for a 7-3 lead for the Cougars. The touchdown was set up by a 50-yard completion from Falk to Kyle Sweet.Nose tackle Robert Barber blocked a 32-yard field-goal attempt by Rehkow and Pippins scooped up the ball and ran 72 yards for a touchdown as Washington State took a 14-3 lead midway through the second quarter.Once special teams made a play it was like a chain reaction, WSU running back Gerard Wicks said.Idaho quarterback Matt Linehan fumbled on a bootleg, and Robert Taylor recovered for Washington State on Idahos 36. Falk threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Gabe Marks as Washington State built a 21-3 lead late in the second quarter.Idaho drove all the way to the WSU 1 midway through the third quarter, but had to settle for Rehkows 18-yard field goal that cut the Cougars lead to 21-6.Washington State replied with a 90-yardd drive that ended on Wicks 2-yard scoring run for a 28-6 lead.ddddddddddddFalk threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Robert Lewis early in the fourth for a 35-6 lead, and the Cougars added three more touchdowns in the fourth.We played hard the whole game, Washington State coach Mike Leach said. Defense played better than offense.The sloppiness with regards to penalties is alarming, Leach said of the 11 penalties against the Cougars.Leach said his players seemed to respond well to a week of hard practices and harsh criticism.We seem to have a group that has a tendency to go soft, Leach said. Weve got to be on them all the time.Idaho coach Paul Petrino did not appear in the postgame interview room.Washington State was expected to contend for the Pac-12 North, but opened the season with losses to FCS foe Eastern Washington and Boise State. That prompted Leach this week to rip his Cougars as soft. Leach also complained that Pullman police seemed to be targeting his players, after four were recently arrested in three different incidents, which the police chief has denied.THE TAKEAWAYIDAHO: The Vandals, who have designs on qualifying for a bowl game this season, were coming off a 59-14 loss at Washington. The Vandals and Cougars are located in towns just 8 miles apart and this was the 92nd meeting between the two closest neighbors in the FBS.WASHINGTON STATE: Idaho has often been a cure for what ailed the Cougars. Washington State leads the series 72-17-3.GROUND RAIDLeachs Air Raid pass attack got a bit of a rest, as the Cougars piled up 228 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. The coaches believed in us, Wicks said.UP NEXTIDAHO: Plays at UNLV on Saturday.WASHINGTON STATE: Has a bye this week, and hosts No. 22 Oregon on Oct. 1. ' ' '