Re: 2nd Test, England vs Pakistan, 27th-31st July
Is this the everyone get injured season. Lagta hay aglay match main sirf hamray selectors or Woolmer he khailain gay.
Re: 2nd Test, England vs Pakistan, 27th-31st July
There is more chance of India producing a 90 mph than Sami taking 5 wickets in a Test, it's not that he doesn't take wickets, he also takes all the pressure off the opposition, gives them few freebies every now and then and wastes the new ball.
Couldn't agree with you any more.
Re: 2nd Test, England vs Pakistan, 27th-31st July
Well, yes, partially true. However, legendary names such as Warne and Muralitharan have gone on record to steal their lion’s share in the past. All records suggest that there was at least one genuine spinner in every match who was featured quite heavily throughout the proceedings.
Bob is correct in this case. All indicators point to a lush green top, and there is a high chance the likes of Iftikhar will run through Pommies batting line-up as compared to Danish or Mushtaq combined.
Close, yes. Mighty close, if I may say so. 
Re: 2nd Test, England vs Pakistan, 27th-31st July
Assalam O Aalaikom brother,
How are you? Shahid Afridi is a best spinner but not a best long-term spinner as comparing to Danish Kaneria and Mushtaq Ahmed. I prefer Mushtaq Ahmed over Shahid Afridi. I know much people will disagree with that. It is my opinion and everyone has different opinions. I hope people will respect my opinion.
Take Care,
Allah Hafiz!
Re: 2nd Test, England vs Pakistan, 27th-31st July
Mushtaq was or is still injured recently, so I doubt he's in good form.
Re: 2nd Test, England vs Pakistan, 27th-31st July
So Darlymple is out of squad http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/engvpak/content/current/story/254625.html
Re: 2nd Test, England vs Pakistan, 27th-31st July
Good new..... Afridi is fit to play so we will be able to play 11 players in the team :) ....... www.cricinfo.com
Re: 2nd Test, England vs Pakistan, 27th-31st July
There is no chance of it left since he is already back in his homeland due to the sad demise of his father. 
Re: 2nd Test, England vs Pakistan, 27th-31st July
WOOLMER RULES OUT SHOCKS
Bob Woolmer had to spend much of Wednesday silencing weird and wonderful rumours of improbable additions to his Pakistan squad for the second Test at Old Trafford.
It was with increasing exasperation that the coach made it clear he anticipates no surprise call-ups to or defections from the team which will face England tomorrow.
Shoaib Akhtar will not be back from a stress fracture of his ankle either here or at Headingley next week - and Shahid Afridi, hit on the elbow in the nets yesterday, is not out for the series but fit for selection.
Woolmer was unequivocal in setting those two records straight. By implication, he spelled out too - contrary to some bizarre whispers in Manchester - that Pakistan’s bowling coach Waqar Younis is not about to be drafted in at the age of 34 to revive past glories in a pace contingent depleted by injuries.
Waqar’s old partner Wasim Akram apparently ought not to pay too much heed either if he happens to hear on the grapevine he is to be called out of retirement on his old stamping ground. Woolmer made it no secret that he regards a day of denying gossip as anything but ideal Test preparation. “It is very unsettling,” he said.
"There are lots of these rumours floating around, and I wish they’d stop.
"We have the side here. We’re happy with the squad that we have; if we weren’t happy with it we would ask other people to come in.
“Whatever is rumoured or is going round, we are quite happy with what is going on.”
Woolmer confirmed Sussex leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed as the only player who did come into the reckoning at one point as a surprise call-up.
“We did consider Mushtaq. But we’ve had a look at the pitch and feel we have a balanced attack for it,” said the coach.
As for Shoaib, reportedly impatient to return to the fray, Woolmer is not about to yield to an obvious temptation to rush back Pakistan’s most potent pace weapon.
“I’d love to have him on this particular pitch,” he conceded.
"Shoaib Akhtar on a bouncy pitch would be a handful - but he’s not ready. He’s still 10 days away from bowling.
“We don’t have Shoaib Akhtar available for this Test, or the next Test match.”
Instead, the three-man pace attack which operated in the drawn first Test at Lord’s are likely to be complemented again by the wrist-spin of Danish Kaneria and all-rounder Afridi.
Woolmer was confident all along Afridi would be fit after his mishap.
But again he had to contend with unfounded alternative suggestions.
“I believe there is a rumour circulating that he is out for the series,” he said.
"But he is not - he is fit and available to play tomorrow.
“We have 15 players fit and willing to play tomorrow - which is absolutely fantastic.”
It is a relief to the coach that batsman Younis Khan is back from the injury which ruled him out at Lord’s - giving the Pakistan squad a more solid base, despite the ongoing absence of three frontline pace bowlers.
“It leaves us with a selection problem - and it’s a good thing to have these extra options, rather than the last game where we had literally 11 fit players,” Woolmer noted.
Even so - and in the protracted unavailability to England of all-rounder Andrew Flintoff - the Pakistan coach acknowledges his team must improve on their first-Test performance.
“We need to play better cricket than we did at Lord’s - we need to bowl better and we need batsmen other than Izamam(-ul-Haq) and (Mohammad) Yousuf to come to the party as well,” he said.
"Pakistan have to play well if we’re going to beat any side that England produce.
"Andrew Flintoff is very important to English cricket. But England can’t rely on one person - and nor should they.
"No one should start thinking England are a walkover or a pushover, just because Flintoff is not playing.
“We can’t worry about their players - we’ve just got to play against the 11 they put forward.”
Re: 2nd Test, England vs Pakistan, 27th-31st July
Looks like this will be the final 11
Butt
Farhat
Younis
Yousaf
Inzi
Razzak
Akmal
Afridi
Sami
Gul
Kaneria
Re: 2nd Test, England vs Pakistan, 27th-31st July
^^ I will be surprised if the above team doesn't play.
Re: 2nd Test, England vs Pakistan, 27th-31st July
How are you? Shahid Afridi is a best spinner but not a best long-term spinner as comparing to Danish Kaneria and Mushtaq Ahmed. I prefer Mushtaq Ahmed over Shahid Afridi. I know much people will disagree with that. It is my opinion and everyone has different opinions. I hope people will respect my opinion.
Take Care, Allah Hafiz!
Waslam bro
You are right about Mushtaq Ahmad but we can't really afford to play two specialist spinners in the team because our strength has always been fast bowlers so i would rather have another FAST bowler than a spinner( Afridi plays as an all rounder).
Re: 2nd Test, England vs Pakistan, 27th-31st July
Butt Bat Farhat Bat Younis Bat Yousaf Bat Inzi Bat Razzak Bat / Seamer Akmal Bat / Keeper Afridi Bat/Spinner Sami Seamer Gul Seamer Kaneria Spinner
Not a bad team if Sami and Gul performed a bit.
Now replace Sami, and Gul with Shoaib Akhtar and Asif/Naveed, and one of the openers with Shoaib Malik, and you have a blast!!!
Re: 2nd Test, England vs Pakistan, 27th-31st July
Conservative Pakistan will field the same side as Lord's with Younis coming in for Faisal. You've got to feel for Iqbal, who puts in performance after performance whenever it is required of him, only to be dropped the next game. All the while, our openers get a free ride.
Also, if Sami can still justify his inclusion after that miserable (even by his standards) peformance, then it doesn't say much for our reserve bowlers. He only bowled 5 useless overs in the 2nd innings!
Given the pace and bounce of this wicket, the Pakistan batsmen will have to play out of their skins for them to escape unscathed for the next test. With this wicket unfriendly for spinners, I really don't see this attack getting 20 wickets.
Re: 2nd Test, England vs Pakistan, 27th-31st July
According to Jang news, Pakistan is likely to open with Akmal and Farhat and play Faisal Iqbal at 6.
Salman Butt is expected to be DROPPED!!
Re: 2nd Test, England vs Pakistan, 27th-31st July
^ where did you get that info from? I don’t think this will be the case.
More importantly, Bob Woolmer gave a statement in which he said that these two had been identified as the openers in the absence of Shoaib Malik and that Pakistan would persevere with them. I think this statement should have served to give both the openers confidence and will help them to relax knowing that they are not going to be on trial on a ball to ball basis.
SOURCE: The News International: Latest News Breaking, World, Entertainment, Royal News (Jang again)
Re: 2nd Test, England vs Pakistan, 27th-31st July
Looks like Woolmer wants to keep these two so Inzi and Yousuf have to perform under pressure as always.
Re: 2nd Test, England vs Pakistan, 27th-31st July
Just watched Inzi’s interview on GEO and he hinted a change in the opening pair. May be Butt at last will be dropped. 
He also hinted that Pak will go in with 5 bowlers.
Re: 2nd Test, England vs Pakistan, 27th-31st July
Inzi bhai is always misleading, i still think we will field a predictable squad.
Re: 2nd Test, England vs Pakistan, 27th-31st July
Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat.
Butt dropped.