Afridi is a mindless moron and so is Saqlain. Their days are over, unless some stupid selector thinks otherwise.
Why not giv Azhar Mahmood for Razzaq
OPENERS needs to start good, by tht 100 plus patnership, they should go into to bat with mind set to get 100, for that if they have to face 400 balls so be soo !
Tafueeq and farahat really dissapointed me
Yasir is set and in form why not give him chance at open or 2nd
following Inzi, yohuana
If we can get good openning stand that will put us in decent picture
BOWLING NEEDS DESPERATE HELP, THEY ARE OVER RATED, THEY ARE DUE TO PERFORM !!
enough of this peaceful gestures to india thingy and gifting matches! its time to get down to business and win a match or two!
Good job by Inzi and Miandad. Hopefully the boys will lift their game for the next match.
**Inzamam, Miandad ask Shoaib and company to shape up **
From our correspondent
MULTAN: Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq and coach Javed Miandad on Thursday gave a dressing down to their bowlers, in particular, Shoaib Akhtar before the start of play on the fifth and final day of the first Test against India.
“Inzamam and Miandad were very curt and hard on the bowlers and told them in clear terms they had let the team down with their listless bowling so far in the series,” a team source said.
**“Shoaib in particular was told in clear terms that stardom only remains with performance and unless he started performing the team management would have to consider other options as well,” he added.
The source said that Inzamam was very upset since day one of the match and was shattered after the defeat. “He didn’t expect his players to perform so much below par. He was particularly disappointed with the way the bowlers had bowled so far in the series.”
The source said that before the fifth day’s play the bowlers were taken to task but after the match there was another team meeting in which all the players were told that everyone had to stand up and take responsibility or it would become impossible for Pakistan to fightback in the Test series.**
The Pakistan players went out for nets immediately after the prize distribution ceremony on Thursday and spent over two hours in the middle before returning to their hotel. But even the nets left one wondering whether it was too late for the players given the abject manner in which the team surrendered to the Indians.
“Look, Pakistan has performed very poorly and without discipline in this Test. And everyone is utterly disgusted and disappointed with the performance against India,” former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif said from South Africa.
"But it is still not too late and I know, having led this side, what they are capable of. What Inzamam and Miandad should guard against is being too hard on the players who are all professionals. What is required is a day off and then a team meeting where everyone contributes with his input.
**.Imran Nazir recalled, Saqlain dropped for Lahore Test **
From Waheed Khan
MULTAN: Pakistan’s experienced off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq was made the scapegoat for the humiliating defeat in the first Test against India on Thursday.
Saqlain, who returned disappointing figures of one for 204 runs in 43 overs after seeing, Muhammad Sami drop a sitter off his bowling when Virender Sehwag was 61 runs has made way for opener Imran Nazir. That is the only change made by the national selectors in the 16-member squad announced this afternoon.
The inclusion of Nazir means that the team now has three openers in the side and a total of eight specialist batsmen in a squad named just for the second Test.
Add Abdul Razzaq and Shoaib Malik and there are also two all-rounders in the Pakistan squad while the bowling options have been reduced by dropping experienced Saqlain who was made to toil on a batting paradise.
These decisions certainly don’t augur well for the Pakistan team in the rest of this series against the Indians who are now a supremely confident lot after their comprehensive win here.
**Just what purpose are the selectors serving by retaining eight specialist batsmen and two batting allrounders in the side while making no effort to boost the pace battery is beyond logic.
Perhaps the strategy is to give Nazir a chance since he has been in prime form this season having already scored four first class hundreds and is an aggressive player who can shake any bowler’s confidence with his attacking play.**
“Maybe the idea is to allow Nazir a go at the Indian new ball bowlers to shake them up a bit,” a former player said.
**The axing of Saqlain also means that now leg-spinner Danish Kaneria is certain to play in the second test in Lahore as he is the only spinner in the line-up and even Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq made a reference to this direction on Thursday.
Chief selector Wasim Bari said Nazir had been given a chance because he was batting very well in this season and Pakistan needed options in the opening slot.
“It is always good to have an inform and confident opener in the side,” he said. Imran Nazir last played for Pakistan in England last year in the Natwest series while his last Test appearance was in Sharjah against Australia in October 2002.
“Since there is an effort to prepare a lively track in Lahore which will assist the pace bowlers we have decided to boost the batting and retain just one spinner in Kaneria,” Bari said.**
“The defeat in the first Test has naturally been a big setback. But we have to look forward and we have told the captain that we have faith and trust in the ability of this team to comeback in Lahore,” he said.
Nazir had played in the warm-up match against India at Lahore last month and scored a brilliant 65 in the surprise win.
Pakistan squad: Inzamam-ul-Haq (Capt), Yousuf Youhana, Imran Nazir, Imran Farhat, Taufeeq Umar, Yasir Hameed, Asim Kamal, Abdul Razzaq, Shoaib Malik, Moin Khan, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Sami, Shabbir Ahmed, Umar Gul, Misbah-ul-Haq and Danish Kaneria
Good Step from Inzi and Javed. Guys need to pull up their socks. I hope we will see some thrilling cricket in next 2 test matches. That would be great end of series which started with 2 great ODIs.
**
Perform or perish, Inzamam warns his bowlers**
MULTAN: Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul Haq on Thursday put his fast bowlers on notice, saying they must perform or face being dropped from the side for the remaining two Tests against India.
“Bowling is a problem and we may have to leave out those who are not performing,” Inzamam warned after his team suffered an innings and 52 runs defeat to give India their first-ever Test win on Pakistani soil.
“The Indians bowled very well on this track, while our bowlers failed. They could not put the ball in the right areas which allowed the opposition to put up a big score,” he said referring to India’s mammoth first innings total of 675 for five.
The skipper said it was imperative for the bowlers to perform if the side was to bounce back in the series.
“They are working hard in the nets, but are not able to perform in the matches. We have to sort out our bowling problems if we are bounce back in the series.”
Inzamam defended his batsmen despite their pathetic show in the second innings and said the pressure of conceding such a lead was too much.
“We batted well in the first innings, there was a lot more pressure in the second innings. I think they all tried to bat responsibly but succumbed to the pressure,” he said.
Seems more like SAP (Save the A$$ Program) by Inzi and Miandad. What the heck will a public lynching achieve, that a private dressing down won't? All these two are trying to do is to give an impression to the world that 'we are trying our best, its the friggin bowlers who are letting us down'.
But unfortunately, this is re-inforcing the confidence of Indian team. It showcases that Pakistan is in a disarray, and its time to tighten the screws.
Cricket is a professional sport. The players have the talent to perform. They need guidance and support. The Captain needs to remain awake in the field. To plan. To make strategy on how to get the batsmen out. Field placing. Tell the bowlers where to bowl. Find out the weaknesses of the batsmen. How they have gotten out. Fielders should be sharp in the field. Give their 110% by saving every single run they can save. Hold on to every single catch offered by the opponents. Not let batsmen take any run forgranted. If you stop the flow of runs, the batsmen will get frustrated and will do something stupid. Thats how you get wickets in a test match. Pak team was probably still in their ODI frame of mind, waiting for the batsmen to gift the wicket away.
These are not new things. Or stuff they don't know. Every cricket team in the world knows about these things. The coaches do research all the time, on their opponents, and keep telling their players exactly what needs to be done. John Wright is always staring at his notebook. While Miandad is gesturing wildly from the balcony. Wright is sitting on his chair relaxed enjoying the fruits of his labor. While Miandad is mouthing off publicly to his players.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Faisal: *
John Wright is always staring at his notebook. While Miandad is gesturing wildly from the balcony. Wright is sitting on his chair relaxed enjoying the fruits of his labor. While Miandad is mouthing off publicly to his players.
[/QUOTE]
Well Miandad beleives that computer are not important. Everything is in head. Man his head should be something. As I said in some other post his way of working is medeival.
But ..I dont think dressing down of bowlers was done in public .I think news just leaked as a damage-control measure.
** Imran pulls up Pak pacers**
MULTAN: " Tum log unko bahut width detey ho ." These were the words of Imran Khan to Pakistan’s four fast men - Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammed Sami, Abdul Razzak and Shabbir Ahmed, after Pakistan’s meek capitualation to India in Multan.
And the fiery four had their heads down as the former Pakistan captain gave them a piece of his mind.
**
“You can’t attack them on these wickets,” he told Sami. “Just keep it wicket to wicket as much as you can. There is no point in trying to beat them with pace,” the last one seemed to be directed at Shoaib. ** :k:
The loss has obviously stung Pakistan, their first ever at the hands of India on their own soil. And they were all out practicing except for Saqlain Mushtaq, who was suffering with an upset stomach, manager Haroon Rasheed informed. Saqlain has been dropped for the next Test in Lahore.
And those who are reading too much between the lines claim that his time is up.
While that is debatable, there is no doubt that Pakistan are lost and have nowhere to go. Even their training session this afternoon looked more to cushion the criticism directed at them. Opening batsman Taufeeq Umar was still over-balancing in his strokes and bowlers were still over-stepping.** As Imran said, " Aap log discipline bahut lack kartey ho . Play with head and heart and not only heart," was Imran’s advice. ** :k:
Coach Javed Miandad also did his bit to motivate Shoaib. “You are the best, just keep this in mind. There are two more Tests to go,” he told Shoaib, who didn’t bowl at all.
As all this was unfolding, Haroon Rashid was helping out wicketkeeper Moin Khan with some catching practice. He too has been quite flat so far on this tour.
And that didn’t change even in the practice. He was missing the nicks and nicking them while batting. Such was the day for Pakistan.
Times of India is very happy. Badtameez 
Why bringing a new batsman at this stage and that too a tullay baaz..I suggest bring in fresh bowling attack. The indians are reading our bowlers with great ease. We need a change. Replace Shabbir with Rao iftikhar and Saqlain with Danish. The bowlers have more time to settle in. How about Shaoib Malik in place of Razzaq? Malik is much more solid than razzaq and a good spinner. He might claim more wickets than Razzaq. He also plays with straight bat and has a better defense.
i am pretty much happy to be proven wrong - but the fact is Indians are pretty good players of spin- they have tackled the likes of Warne and Murali pretty easily. The only spinner who could have troubled them was Saqlain Mushtaq but sadly he is off color in the first match.
Danish Kaneria would be easy meat for them.
I want Imran Nazir to play. He is capable of playing an innings in Sehwag style. The way Farhat and Umar played in the first test match, I think its about time one of them is dropped. I would drop Umar, as in the test match, he has not looked confident at all. Farhat is an aggressive player, useful fielder and a part-time bowler. I think it would be a good idea to change tactits a bit and bring in an aggressive player like Nazir who can thrash bowlers all around, especially since he is in good form.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by fair_&_balance: *
Well Miandad beleives that computer are not important. Everything is in head. Man his head should be something. As I said in some other post his way of working is medeival.
[/QUOTE]
Does he have a choice in the matter? Is he even computer literate ? Certainly does not look like one to me.
[QUOTE]
Originally posted by sambrialian: *
*"Shoaib in particular was told in clear terms that stardom only remains with performance and unless he started performing the team management would have to consider other options as well," he added.
**
[/QUOTE]
I think Akhtar is being unfairly singled out. Now that I have watched the match, I can say that he bowled his heart out on a pitch that provided scant support to his brand of bowling(which by the way, is different from Pathan's).
Rather than taking somebody else to task, Inzy should look at his own dismissal in the second innings...
I also feel bad for Saqlain. Had Sami not dropped that catch off his bowling when Sehwag was on 63 (I think), Saqlain would still be in Pak team for the 2nd test.
I dont see Kaneria doing anything to the Indians that Saqlain couldn't.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Some1: *
Does he have a choice in the matter? Is he even computer literate ? Certainly does not look like one to me.
[/QUOTE]
similarly kumble doesnt look anything more than a typical mallu for whom a "bidi" is the ultimate luxury of life....
lekin we all know he's a software engineer....
Absolutely 100% true :k:
The players need to be lifted and reminded how good they are rather than have individuals singled out and made scapegoats. Shoaib and Sami didn’t bowl badly in the first match, the Indian batsmen played well. Compare this attitude with Imran Khan’s cornered tigers speech where he backed his players to turn over the Aussies in their own backyard. This isn’t leadership it’s passing the buck in the most cowardly fashion. it’s fine to criticise your players but not make them public scapegoats.
Indian team carries no passengers
by Omar Qureishi
THE last rites had been administered by close of play on Wednesday evening. The burial took only a few minutes on Thursday.
Fittingly, it was Irfan Pathan who took the last wicket and brought to close a Test that Pakistan lost by a thumping margin as if to give the impression that it was no contest.
An innings defeat carries its own stigma. It is like a bowler being hit for a six. I think we should save the criticism for later and first and foremost give praise where it is due. This is without doubt the best Indian team ever. As one goes through the score-sheet of the Multan Test one is struck by the fact that each and every Indian player made a contribution.
The team carried no passengers. Rahul Dravid missed out as a batsman but consider the role he played as a captain. He provided the kind of leadership that moves mountains. He is not as demonstrative as Saurav Ganguly but he did not miss a trick.
Dravid’s bowling changes, his field placing were spot on. He got respect from his teammates, a sign that the players are loyal to Team India and not to individuals. It is in this area that the Indian team has grown up.
India played this Test without its regular captain - Ganguly. He was present on the balcony but Dravid was his own man. In Pakistan’s second innings, India was without its main strike bowler, Zaheer Khan but the others, Irfan Pathan in particular, picked up the slack and what a good job they did.
This was a team that had come with a mission and the mission was to win. It was not distracted, it remained focused. We were lulled into believing that we had the edge over them with our bowling.
India made 675 and we found fault with the curator, not with the bowling that was not sharp enough and we found fault with our fielding which continues to be poor and in this Test was even poorer.
Compare it with India’s fielding. Can we claim to have a fielder even half as good as Yuvraj Singh or even with the commitment of Pathan who not only bowled like a tiger but fielded like one?
I have been too involved with Pakistan cricket and I should be used to its mood swings and I should not feel badly when the team loses. But it riles me and angers me when the team goes down without a semblance of a fight.
One didn’t mind losing the Karachi ODI because the team put up one helluva fight. One cannot even give the excuse that our players are tired and if they are they must be from boredom not from playing.
The Indians came to Pakistan soon after their hectic tour of Australia. They are the ones who should be tired. What Pakistan needs is a huge leap of faith. The team needs to get together and work out how they can get out of the deep hole that they have dug for themselves. It will serve no purpose to apportion blame and find scapegoats.
It was a total team failure and every official and player must own up to his responsibility. Most of all, they must plan to win the Lahore Test which means that they have to have a strategy which includes better communication with each other.
Teams win Tests. And team means a collective effort as against the brilliance of one or two players. When a team wins, the pride must be shared equally. When it loses, the hurt too must be shared equally. And the team should see the Multan Test as a wake-up call and not as a tolling of bells. All is not lost.
I knew some good had to come out of getting our asses whipped by the aussies for the past year. If you can't beat em, at least try to copy em.
Another excellent analysis:
Osman Samiuddin in Multan
April 1, 2004
Inzamam-ul-Haq and Javed Miandad: plenty of work to be done before the next Test © AFP
It is debatable whether or not the dust actually ever settles in Multan, but for Pakistan it must. When Pakistan wake up to the storm that hit them, they will find themselves needing to resolve some familiar issues if they intend to remain in contention in this series.
The early bird
Pakistan must win the opening sessions on each day. When Rahul Dravid emphasised that taking the early initiative was essential, he wasn’t just providing a convenient sound bite. Nowhere was this diktat more evident than in Virender Sehwag’s first-session assault on the Pakistan bowlers or on the fourth day when Irfan Pathan’s first-ball dismissal of Abdul Razzaq sparked off a late-order collapse. Pakistan are notoriously slow starters, but in the past they have had the personnel to bounce back. However, against a batting line-up which makes oceans seem shallow by comparison, and a bowling attack which is highly underrated, forfeiting the initiative means letting go of the match. Pakistan did that in the one-day series, and again at Multan: they need to get out of the blocks early and apply the pressure, rather than withstand it.
Maintaining morale
The nature of Sehwag’s assault was such that the wounds were not simply a statistic on the scoreboard. The effect his batting had on the morale of the team was more disturbing, as shoulders and heads began to droop, and the urgency which had so refreshingly defined the team since last year evaporated into the searing heat.
By contrast, and it was a stark one, the Indians were electric - sprinting and buzzing around between overs, motivating each other and looking professional. **Wasim Bari, the chief selector, acknowledged this: “It is now imperative that we motivate and encourage the team, and try and bring their morale up.” The lead must come from Inzamam-ul-Haq and Javed Miandad, and while encouragement has never been a problem with Miandad, Inzamam’s motivational skills, which surfaced only occasionally during the one-day series, will be tested to the limit. **
Back to basics
The bowling attracted attention (and some scorn) in the one-dayers, but now the batting and fielding will need examining as well. The bowling, although uneven, was made to look worse by the class of Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar. The Pakistanis bowled on both sides and on both halves of the pitch, instead of bowling to a consistent line and length, and building up pressure. Pathan, in particular, and Lakshmipathy Balaji adapted rather than fought with the conditions, and reaped the rewards.
Pakistan’s second-innings batting was shockingly thoughtless. The dismissals of Yasir Hameed and Inzamam, in particular, betrayed a dangerous lack of match awareness. To lose 13 wickets in a day, on a pitch that was still, as Anil Kumble pointed out, flat and excellent for batting, spoke of a deficiency in application as much as it did for the Indians’ indefatigable efforts. Rameez Raja, speaking to Wisden Cricinfo, was more emphatic: “The Indians showed what could be done on this pitch by sticking to a line and length. The pitch has come in for unnecessary criticism.”
Finally, Aakash Chopra’s stunning catch at short leg to dismiss Razzaq confirmed that as well as outbatting and outbowling Pakistan, India outfielded them. Pakistan’s fielding, which had improved considerably in the last year, provoked an untimely recollection of the days when Pakistan fielders caught only colds. Catches were dropped - some simple, others not, but all crucial - and the ground fielding lacked urgency.
Don’t panic
In the past, a defeat to India might have provoked wholesale panic-stricken changes. By common consent, Pakistan’s team is the best available, by and large. Bari has ruled out wholesale changes, asserting that “the team is not as bad as they appeared during this match. There were a couple of crucial decisions that also went against us which didn’t help.” Iqbal Qasim, another selector, agreed: “One loss should not induce that sort of panic, although a couple of changes must be made.” Saqlain Mushtaq, disappointing with the ball and irresponsible with the bat, is one who is unlikely to survive this game, given the non-committal answers from the selectors when asked about his performance.
**One loss, even to India, should not be accompanied by the shrill sounds of alarm bells surrounding the quality and composition of the team. The team is clearly capable, as was proved against New Zealand and South Africa. What should be of growing and longer-term concern is their inability to apply what they have been working on for some time. Bari conceded that “allround discipline must be improved”.
The training camp prior to the series was held precisely to instil this discipline into the team, and the subsequent lack of success hints either at problems of communication, or application by the players. If the problem lies with Miandad’s abilities, then the suggestions that the team needs specialist coaches - or at least a fitness trainer - may not be as spurious as was implied by Inzamam’s replies at a press conference during the Test. **
Osman Samiuddin is a freelance journalist based in Karachi.