Me and Mr Malik
My Day at the Cricket – by Patrick Age 7
Today I went to the cricket with my Dad. I went yesterday too. Tasmania are playing Pakistan and they come from a country very far away. I’m glad they came because they are really good at batting and bowling but not that good at fielding.
I was playing Futsal this morning so we didn’t get to Bellerive till everyone was at lunch so me and Dad went to the nets so I could practise batting. When we were there some players from Pakistan came to practise too and I made friends with them. They said I was a good batter because I always hit the ball and my bat and leg were close together.
I helped them pick up the balls when they were finished and a really nice man called Mr Malik showed me how to hit the ball to the side with a pull shot. He showed me that when the ball is bouncing higher than your waist how you can step back and hit it like baseball.
My Dad always tells me to play straight but Mr Malik knows more than Dad about cricket because he is a World Champion like Ricky.
Mr Malik showed me how to roll my wrists so you don’t let anyone catch you when you pull it. It was hard to do at first but after a while it was easy and fun.
Tomorrow Mr Malik is going to show me how to play a glance because he said my feet are fast and because I’m left-handed I’ll get lots of easy runs if I learn it.
Mr Malik is really smart because he knows his language and English too and I hope he gets 200 against Australia next week.
He probably will because I saw Ben Hilfenhaus and he wasn’t very nice. I said hello to him and he looked at me but didn’t say anything.
I felt sad but Mr Malik told me not to worry because bowlers don’t like good batters but I think Hilfy was angry because he came to practise bowling but he couldn’t bowl fast because his leg was hurting.
Some other boys were watching and they asked Hilfy for an autograph and he said no. That is really mean and a man with a fat belly told Hilfy that he had a big head and that made me laugh because it is true.
Ricky is my favourite player and I used to like Hilfy second but now Mr Malik is the best after Ricky.
Mum says I have to brush my teeth and go to bed now so I can’t tell you about anything else. Dad says if anyone writes any comments I can do some more tomorrow before we go to the cricket.
99.94 
Pat – you’re a lucky lad and not just for living in a beautiful part of the world! Mr Malik is a fine coach for you and you’ll learn a lot. Don’t worry too much about Mr Hilfenhaus – fast bowling is a hard way to make a living and they have to be moody most of the time to push themselves to bowl fast. I’m sure he’ll be nicer to you on another day.
You’ll never be short of exciting cricket if you have Pakistan as your second team – in one day cricket, they are definitely mine!
By: tootingtrumpet on December 21, 2009
at 1:11 am
That is a brilliant piece Patrick. So refreshing. Look forward to hearing from you again soon.
By: Kit Kat on December 21, 2009
at 2:10 am
Thank you Patrick. Your writing has made my day brighter. You are absolutely adorable and I hope you write some more soon.
By: sarah on December 21, 2009
at 2:21 am
Great Job Patrick!
Don’t worry about Ben he must be having a bad day.
keep on writing you are adorable.
By: Wasim on December 21, 2009
at 2:30 am
Good article Patrick, I enjoyed reading it.
Who knows what’s bitten Hilfy.
You wrote:
“I felt sad but Mr Malik told me not to worry because bowlers don’t like good batters”
That’s a very good answer from Mr Malik, and I’m glad you remembered to write about it. I like Mr Malik too now.
By: GM on December 21, 2009
at 3:01 am
Thank you for reading my blog. Making blogs is hard and takes a long time but I am on holidays and I might write again when I go to watch Chris Gayle play Tasmania after christmas. I learned how to play a glance and you don’t have to hit it hard to get runs in cricket. Mr Malik gave me a hat with a yellow star on it but it is a bit big but I still like it. Have a happy christmas from Patrick.
By: Patrick on December 21, 2009
at 9:28 pm
Terrific job Patrick and Merry Christmas to you as well.
Keep enjoying your cricket, that’s the most important thing.
By: Japaljarri on December 21, 2009
at 11:38 pm
Nice work Patrick
Pakistan are an excellent team.
Straight bat is the best thing to learn first like Ricky and Daniel Boone, then Hilfy will never be able to bowl you out and you will have the last laugh.
keep writing
and merry christmas
Doc
By: doctorshoot on December 22, 2009
at 9:29 am
Great stuff Patrick, I look forward to hearing more!
By: percinho on December 22, 2009
at 8:27 pm
Well done, Pat, for your blogging and your batting too!
By: Jonathan on December 23, 2009
at 10:10 am
Pat, you look very adorable in that picture with mr Malik.. i am glad you enjoyed meeting and learning from him.
All the best!
By: Khan from Canada on January 10, 2010
at 6:14 pm
Pat, your blog just made my day. I’m a Pakistani, and an ardent fan of my team. But I’ve been utterly disappointed with my team’s performance lately, especially at Sydney. Reading this lovely piece written about our team is so refreshing. You will always find Pakistani’s to be extremely hospitable and friendly.
Hope you learn lots of new strokes over the years, and grow up to wear the baggy green. Good luck:)
By: Waqas Ather Saeed on January 10, 2010
at 8:40 pm
Pat thats a lovely little piece! well composed and well written :)
I wish our players can learn somthing from you too. like keeping the ball down! :P
Keep writing! good luck :)
Salman Rashid,
Pakistan
By: Salman Rashid on January 10, 2010
at 9:06 pm
Nice. You should have learnt from Malik how to hit a spin bowler out of the park because he is good at it.
By: Dr Aziz-ul-Qadir, Pakistan on January 10, 2010
at 10:57 pm
thats good boy… at this age u got to meet former Pakistan captain.. but it would have been better for u .. if u got to meet Mohammad Yousuf so he could have helped u in adjusting some techinicalities :p anyways…. good luck little kid.. u look cute… God Bless You… !!
By: Muhammad Daniyal on January 11, 2010
at 12:53 am
Great post Pat, keep at it! You write well.
Use the pull shot when you need runs if you get an opportunity, but batting straight is always safer :)
P.S Loved this bit of incisive wisdom: “they are really good at batting and bowling but not that good at fielding.”
By: Ahsan on January 11, 2010
at 3:57 am
That was lovely Pat. Your article was extremely well written. I hope you turn out to be another Adam Gilchrist some day.
Work hard little boy and you will get the top spot. All the best young man.
By: Naveed Haider on January 11, 2010
at 11:53 am
one day I was sitting at a piano wit my friend who can play piano, Chris Gale came along with two of his team, we started singing bob marley tunes, unfortunately Chris is better at cricket than singing to the most high, but it was fun, cricketers can be fun cant they Pat! glad u had good day, and oh yeh nice work Dad!
By: Andry on January 12, 2010
at 2:19 am