Kritik und Lob » with the 21-year old Brazilian Andrade, who make

When one is writing for any publication, it is best to try and avoid too much emotion. Though your passions are central to any good writing, if you wear your colours too openly, you are prone to being sideswiped by accusations of bias and prejudice. After a few harrowing experiences with cyber mobs, I have generally tried to hide any agenda behind data and evidence.But the person I am writing about here is somebody I have opposed quite vocally, and so it seems futile to try to pretend I am being objective here. With that disclaimer in place, let us examine the news that the former Pakistan captain and opener, Salman Butt, is expected to be included in the upcoming ODI series against West Indies.My issue with Butt isnt limited to the fact that the spot-fixing scandal tainted him. While the act was extremely contemptible and shameful, over the last few years I have consistently argued for allowing the three disgraced cricketers to return to playing the sport at any level once their bans were served. In my opinion, if you dont wish to see them back, then your issue is with the laws and not the players themselves.The reason I dont particularly like Butt has been because of his attitude since the scandal. While Mohammad Asif displayed indifference and Mohammad Amir remorse, Butt showed defiance. Now I am not going to argue whether any of these reactions were sincere, and indeed, I expect they were carefully created reactions rather than heartfelt ones. What I am talking about here is the chosen response.For several years, even as his lawyers were accepting his guilt, Butt acted as if he was the victim of a vast conspiracy and someone who was completely innocent. He showed up at political rallies against corruption, attended conventions on accountability at elite universities, and appeared on talk shows where he seemed to stop just short of blaming the Illuminati for conspiring against him. In a country that is never short of conspiracy theories, Butt played out a remarkable narrative where five years in, it left many wondering if indeed he was just some pawn in a massive game.But that is not a reason to oppose his return to the team. That is a decision that should be taken purely on cricketing grounds, and in that sense, Butt has made some sort of a claim. In his first List A tournament since returning, he was the second-highest scorer, averaging over 100 in seven games, with a century and four fifties. He was then selected in the more elite Pakistan Cup, based on five teams. Butt passed 50 once, and averaged 27. His latest outing has been in the recently concluded National T20 cup, where he averaged over 70 with four fifties, once again ending up the second-highest scorer behind an Akmal.For his supporters, such numbers surely merit a return to the side, but there are a couple of caveats. In the two tournaments that Butt has done well in, the bowling stocks were fairly weak, with few internationals playing. Butt did much worse in the higher-quality List A tournament. More importantly, his strike rate has been worryingly poor throughout. In his first tournament, he and Shan Masood stood out among the top ten batsmen for their strike rates, around 75, with the rest all at 85 and above. In the Pakistan Cup, Butts strike rate of 65 was worse than those of his team-mates Masood and Asad Shafiq, both of whom are known for batting relatively sedately. In the National T20, his brilliant average came at a strike rate of 102, which was an aberration among the top batsmen. His semi-final knock displayed this trait best - he scored 55, yet took 55 balls to do so. In charitable terms, it could be said that his approach is obsolete in modern batting. In cynical terms, it could be said that he is selfishly putting together runs to get back into the national side.Now it might be harsh to judge a player returning after five years this way, and more appropriate to focus on his successes, but given that Butt might be poised to return to national duty, it is important to consider what he brings to the table. As an opener, he is contesting for one of two spots, given that the other is taken by the incumbent captain, Azhar Ali.Azhar has had a major impact on the top spot, and his personal record is among the worlds best. And though he has played with ten different partners, over the last year Pakistans opening partnership has put on more runs than that of any team bar England, at an average better than Australias and South Africas. But Azhars strike rate is still below international standards, and unlike other options such as Sarfraz Ahmed or Sharjeel Khan, Butt will definitely be the slower partner of the two. Bringing him in as an opener feels both unfair as well as a step back in terms of ignoring younger options.Pakistans real problem lies in the middle order, where their partnership numbers are just about respectable in terms of the average, but their run rates are closer to those of Associate sides. Once again, Butt cant quite be expected to provide the answers here, even when accounting for the fact that if he were to play here, he would be batting in unfamiliar positions.Given all that, it doesnt make sense to turn to someone like Butt in the white-ball side, at least at the moment. While even a critic like myself cant deny the sheer weight of his runs, it would be foolish to imagine that strike rates dont matter in the modern game. Moreover, with Pakistan struggling to qualify for the next World Cup, picking a player like Butt feels like giving up. Given that Pakistans coach, Mickey Arthur, recently criticised his ODI side for playing 90s-era cricket, its quite puzzling that Butts sub-75 strike rate is being viewed as an option. Of course, he still might be able to convert his style to a more modern pace, but he hasnt given any indications of doing so at the moment.Air Max 95 Outlet Clearance . Vettel, who has already clinched his fourth straight F1 title, enters the finale with a chance to equal Michael Schumachers 13 victories in a year and match the record of nine consecutive wins by Alberto Ascari in the 1952 and 1953 seasons. Vapormax China Paypal . The 27-year-old Scrivens will be joining his third NHL club since signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs as a free agent in 2010. The move also reunites with him with head coach Dallas Eakins from their time together with the American Hockey Leagues Toronto Marlies. http://www.outletsneakersclearance.com/fake-air-vapormax.html . -- Team after team passed on Andre Ellington in the draft. Yeezy Wholesale Authentic . After taking two big hits this week -- losing at home and dropping back-to-back games for the first time all season -- Indiana struck back by playing its most complete game of the year. Discount Sneakers Online .com) - The women will also have a new champion at the Australian Open.Wait theres a title fight this weekend? You wouldnt think so with all talk leading up to UFC on FOX 8 surrounding the potential welterweight title eliminator between Canadian Rory MacDonald and Jake Ellenberger. Either way, the UFC once again is showcasing a flyweight title fight as it main event on FOX, in an attempt to boost the popularity of the 125-pound division. Jordan is playing the role of T.J. Grant and staying on the sidelines this week, so Ill be riding solo in this preview. As always you can hit me up on twitter @LynchOnSports if you “Agree” or “Disagree” or leave your opinions in the comments section below. Demetrious Johnson vs. John Moraga (Flyweight Championship) James Lynch, TSN.ca (@LynchOnSports): The UFC flyweight champion makes the second defense of his title Saturday night as he squares off with the 13-1 powerhouse Moraga. The odds suggest the current 125-pound torchbearer is a considerable favorite, but Id argue this is a much more competitive matchup. The 29-year old Moraga has been stellar in his first two octagon appearances, finishing both Ulysses Gomez and Chris Cariaso. In fact in his 13-fight career, the former NCAA Division I Wrestler has eight finishes, while Johnson has yet to finish a fight at flyweight. He also holds a three inch reach advantage over Johnson and is arguably the better wrestler. If the Phoenix native is able to control “Mighty Mouse” with his wrestling and neutralize his stand-up, he has a good chance of finishing this fight early. However, if this contest goes into the championship rounds Id favor the current flyweight kingpin. While no doubt Moraga is talented, at the end of the day the AMC fighter is faster and has more tools in his arsenal to win this fight. I see Johnson riding this contest out into the later rounds, out striking his opponent and having his hand raised in grueling contest. Johnson via unanimous decision Rory MacDonald vs. Jake Ellenberger The most competitive matchup on the card serves as the nights co-feature, as these welterweight contenders hope an impressive win leads to an eventual 170-pound title shot. Over the last three years MacDonald has been hailed the future of the welterweight division but has been constantly critiqued for his lack of quality opposition and injury history. If the 24-year old wants to silence his critics, an impressive victory over the IFL veteran would certainly do that. The Nebraska native meanwhile shoulders a similar burden heading into this fight, as past losses to Carlos Condit and Martin Kampmann have halted his billing as a title contender. While “The Juggernaut&rddquo; lives up to his nickname having the superior knockout power in this fight, MacDonald does possess a three and a half inch reach advantage which could be effective in keeping the 28-year old at a distance.dddddddddddd Despite a lackluster victory over an undersized B.J. Penn in his last fight, I believe we will see a more evolved “Ares” as he should neutralize Ellenbergers speed and stand-up on route to a unanimous decision victory. MacDonald via unanimous decision Robbie Lawler vs. Bobby Voelker A pair of Strikeforce veterans square off in a pivotal welterweight matchup. Lawler had a successful UFC homecoming in his upset victory over former title challenger Josh Koscheck. The Kansas City native Voelker meanwhile was on the wrong side of a decision against Canadian Patrick Cote in his last fight in which many pundits (including this writer) thought he was robbed. Despite this, “Vicious” has a number of factors working against him heading into this fight. He accepted this bout on just two weeks notice (replacing the injured Siyar Bahardurzada) and has a rather weak resume compared to the former Elite XC middleweight champion. On top of all this, Voelker works full time as a construction worker and attends school, meaning his time for training is far less than that of his opponent. “Ruthless” should be able to use his superior wrestling to control his 34-year old foe and knock him out sometime in the second round. Lawler via second round knockout Liz Carmouche vs. Jessica Andrade Former title challenger Carmouche returns to the UFC as she squares off with the 21-year old Brazilian Andrade, who makes her octagon debut. Despite losing in the first round to Womens champion Ronda Rousey, the former marine did have the champ in danger in the fight early on and that experience will certainly serve her well in this contest. The Brazilian meanwhile replaces Miesha Tate (who replaced Cat Zingano in her title fight versus Rousey) and is considerably smaller than the Strikeforce veteran. Honestly we dont know much about Andrade, other than her fight record is rather lackluster compared to the 29-year old. “Girl-Rilla” should use her size, speed and wrestling to outmuscle the 21-year old, on route to a third round TKO victory. Carmouche via third round TKO Undercard picks: Chiesa, Castillo, Guillard, Cruickshank, Kedzie, Herman, Salas, Albert Also be sure to tune into the “Weigh-In” on TSN Radio 1290 Winnipeg every Saturday as myself (@LynchOnSports) and Jordan Cieciwa (@FitCityJordan) go toe to toe in discussing the hottest topics in Mixed Martial Arts. ' ' '