How to play for the close

Will Luke

It's a sign of the changing times of modern cricket, that a player can "tee off" and ignore the traditional "playing for the close." Shahid Afridi did just this today when, nearing stumps on the first day at Faiasalabad, he rattled off 20 from one over.

I didn't see the play myself. Yet, while such violence is par for course for Afridi, it's nevertheless indicative of how run-scoring has become an utter frenzy in modern cricket. "Playing for the close" might, some coaches would argue, hand over any momentum to the opposition. Never mind the risk involved; runs are vital and let's get them as quick as we can.

Pakistan have, certainly in my time watching the game, always been a bold and aggressive team. Their positive nature has, though, been their downfall in the past. But their win against England - who admittedly looked tired and jaded - has buoyed them; this is a team grasping the initiative against India (they're 379 for 4 at stumps on day one) and demonstrating to us, and maybe themselves, that their all-out aggression is going to take them far. With Afridi in such brilliant form, they are - for the time at least - quite unstoppable. Brittle in years gone by, has Inzamam instilled a toughness to this team not seen in a generation?

Will Luke writes for Cricinfo.com, edits The Corridor of Uncertainty and runs several other blogs.