f&b, Please don't tell me India has more batsmen (Agarkar)in addition to Sehwag, Chopra, Tendi, Dravid, Laxman, Yuvi?. Oh bhai inko kaun out karayga, woh bhi dau baar?
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*Originally posted by fair_&_balance: *
I dont think so.They way Agarkar has bowled in last few months I think he is a very improved batsmen.Indians should have played him infirst match itself.
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I agree with you FnB. His batting improved a lot, lets not forget he has a century under his belt.
But again since we have a huge batting line up then we can afford a nehra for agarkar.
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*Originally posted by funguy: *
f&b, Please don't tell me India has more batsmen (Agarkar)in addition to Sehwag, Chopra, Tendi, Dravid, Laxman, Yuvi?. Oh bhai inko kaun out karayga, woh bhi dau baar?
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nah....I want Agarkar purely as a bowler. I think he deserves a place in the team just as a bowler. If he can make some 50-60 then it wil be a bonus. :D
I heard pakistani are making green top.In that case Indian may need some tailender to make some runs. And with Patel,Irfan and Agarkar astaileneder I feel very confident. Specially Pathan. He is very good with Bat too. It is just that he has not got chance to show his skills.
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*Originally posted by kaka_in_usa: *
I agree with you FnB. His batting improved a lot, lets not forget he has a century under his belt.
But again since we have a huge batting line up then we can afford a nehra for agarkar.
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Kaka,
I was talking about his bowling and I think he was our best bowler in AUS after Kumble.
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*Originally posted by Some1: *
and btw, it looks like Ganguly is going to be fit for the 3rd test.
Is there any need for him in the team. I think he should be made to sit out...Yuvraj is doing a great job in all departments - batting/fielding/bowling. And as far as Kaptaani is concerned...Dravid isn't bad either.
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Some1 ,
I think Ganguly is one player ,people love to hate. And there is always a bias against him just because he belong to a particular region and people from some other regions(specially NORTH and WEST) cant stand him as a captain. I know Dravid id pretty well as Captain buit he was just reaping the benifits of the culture that ganguly has brought into team. Ganguly has done all the hard work.
Now talking of his batting.. Do you know that Ganguly's test batting in last couple of years has been better than his career average. Yes, Others ( Dravid,Sachin,Sehwag,laxman) has been in tremendous from but Ganguly has not don bad either.
year Mat Runs HS BatAv 100 50
2002 (29y 177d) 16 945 136 41.08 2 5
2003 (30y 177d) 4 393 144 65.50 2 1
2004 (31y 177d) 1 16 16 16.00 0 0
His average in last 3 yrs is 45 compared to his career average of 42. So I dont think he has been doing bad.
Has anyone seen the new ad line from Pepsi, the sponsors of the series? It's been getting a lot of flak in India as being in very bad taste and anti-pak when the emphasis is on friendship. my guess is they'll withdraw it in a day or so.
FB, you got it right, Agarkar should play over Nehra anyday. He's a wicket taker.
^Well in my humble opinion, there is little to choose between Agarkar and the new-improved Nehra as far as bowling is concerned. But Agarkar should get the nod for his batting.
F&B, I dont care about Gangu's past records...the world knows that he is not the best batsman against fast bowling...he rarely performed in Australia....and in the one-day series against Pak...Instead of having an inconsistent player like him in the team...why not have Yuvraj who besides his batting can also make direct hits and take spectacular catches.
But I know this will not happen, Yuvraj will have to make way for Gangu...that is how the system works in India.
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*Originally posted by Some1: *
^Well in my humble opinion, there is little to choose between Agarkar and the new-improved Nehra as far as bowling is concerned. But Agarkar should get the nod for his batting.
F&B, I dont care about Gangu's past records...the world knows that he is not the best batsman against fast bowling...he rarely performed in Australia....and in the one-day series against Pak...Instead of having an inconsistent player like him in the team...why not have Yuvraj who besides his batting can also make direct hits and take spectacular catches.
But I know this will not happen, Yuvraj will have to make way for Gangu...that is how the system works in India.
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I want to question your assumption that "He is not the best batsman against fast bowling".
Thats why I gave those records. Inspite of all this allegation I think he performed pretty well.Point is that he delivered on bouncy wickets. He was our best batsmen when we toured west Indies. He did pretty good in AUS.Infect in AUS he failed on so called non-bouncy wickets and He scored Century at GABBA. I dont care what critics say If someone is delivering I am fine with it.
Talking about Yuvi. I think pretty soon he will be in Indian team regularly,playing in place of Akash Chopra though Akash did pretty well but if he continues to score only 30s and 40s we will see Yuvi opening in TEST matches and this is what team think tank is planning on. Yuvraj has the technique to do it in TEST matches.
Lets not bring oneday record to discuss Ganguly's place in test team.
Is this fair???
I was taken back to hear a lot from Inzi,Mia and other old paki players.
Everybody is behind the pak bowlers.
A good captain or a good coach never makes a negative comment in public. It affects the mind and behaviour of that player. He may become counterproductive, or he may not at ease when he plays next match.
A lot of pressure is now put on the paki bowlers. Sure they will do more mistakes under presssure. Instead of that, captain and coach should have lifted their moral in private, giving them enough options and time to come up with good goods next time.
Chastened Pakistan thirst for revenge over wary India](Yahoo is part of the Yahoo family of brands.)
LAHORE, Pakistan (AFP) - Inzamam-ul Haq’s Pakistan will pull out the stops to gain a series-levelling win in the second Test against India starting at the Gaddafi stadium here on Monday.
India, buoyant after the emphatic innings victory in the Multan Test last week that gave them their maiden victory on Pakistani soil, know from past experience that nothing can be taken for granted.
In the last three years, the Indians have taken the lead in overseas series against Zimbabwe, the West Indies and Australia, only to see the hosts bounce back and draw level.
It’s a jinx Pakistan hope to capitalise on after ordering English curator Andy Atkinson to prepare a lively wicket that will aid the home team’s pace attack led by Shoaib Akhtar.
Inzamam wants to forget the embarrasment of the first Test where they collapsed twice on what was a lifeless track after India rode on a brilliant 309 from Virender Sehwag and an unbeaten 194 from Sachin Tendulkar to post a mammoth 675-5.
“There is no looking back now, we have to go flat out to level the series here,” said Inzamam.
Pakistan were unable to bounce back in three home series since 1998 against Zimbabwe, Australia and Sri Lanka after losing the first Test, but Inzamam is determined not to let that happen again.
“India played better cricket in the first Test and deserved to win, but we are not a bad side as the result indicates,” he said.
“It’s time to prove ourselves in front of our own crowds, especially the bowlers who have not been performing well lately.”
Akhtar, nicknamed the Rawalpindi Express for his fiery pace, failed to take a wicket in 32 overs in Multan, but conditions in Lahore will suit him more.
Pakistan are set to bring in leg-spinner Danish Kaneria and seamer Umar Gul in place of Saqlain Mushtaq and Shabbir Ahmed, while reserve wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal is standing by for Moin Khan, who is recovering from a groin injury.
India, meanwhile, are pondering their bowling options after left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan suffered a suspected hamstring injury at Multan and was ruled out for the rest of the series.
Ashish Nehra, who replaced Zaheer, Ajit Agarkar and Laxmipathy Balaji are in contention for the final two seamers’ spots behind Irfan Pathan, the rookie 19-year-old who claimed a career-best 4-100 in the first Test.
Seasoned leg-spinner Anil Kumble, who went to India after the Multan Test to celebrate the birth of his first son, returned on Saturday to build on his eight-wicket haul in the first Test.
Kumble, who once grabbed all 10 Pakistani wickets in a Test in New Delhi in 1999, is another 10 wickets away from taking his career tally to 400.
Rahul Dravid, who leads India once again in the absence of the injured Sourav Ganguly, was confident a series victory could be sealed before the final Test at Rawalpindi.
“We may not have been able to capitalise on a lead in the past, but this is our best chance to ensure it does not happen again,” Dravid said.
“We have played good cricket on this tour by winning the one-day series 3-2 and the first Test, and there is no reason why we should not continue the same way.”
India (from): Rahul Dravid (capt), Virender Sehwag, Akash Chopra, Sachin Tendulkar, Venkatsai Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Parthiv Patel, Irfan Pathan, Laxmipathy Balaji, Ajit Agarkar, Ashish Nehra, Anil Kumble.
Pakistan (from): Inzamam-ul Haq (capt), Yousuf Youhana, Imran Farhat, Taufiq Umer, Imran Nazir, Yasir Hameed, Misbah-ul Haq, Asim Kamal, Shoaib Malik, Abdul Razzaq, Moin Khan, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Sami, Shabbir Ahmed, Umar Gul, Danish Kaneria, Kamran Akmal.
Umpires: Steve Bucknor (WIS), Simon Taufel (AUS)
TV Umpire: Nadeem Ghauri (PAK)
Match Referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI)
I just heard on Star TV that Moin Khan has been replaced with Kamran Akmal for the Lahore test. I cant find the news on the net anywhere. can someone confirm the news?
Moin Khan ruled out of 2nd Test
LAHORE: Pakistan’s bid to level the series against India received a big blow with veteran wicketkeeper-batsman Moin Khan being ruled out of the crucial second Test starting in Lahore on Monday.
Moin is suffering from a groin injury and would be replaced by Kamran Akmal, said Pakistan captain Inzamam-u Haq.
“Moin is not fit and Akmal will play in his place in the Test,” he said.
The 22-year-old Akmal has played just four Tests and Monday’s match would be the first on home soil for the youngster.
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Originally posted by ehsan: *
**I just heard on Star TV that Moin Khan has been replaced with Kamran Akmal for the Lahore test. I cant find the news on the net anywhere. can someone confirm the news?*
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Inntresting..
Not sure if it is good for team or not. On one hand Moin was struggling with form but then he has experience on his side on the other hand will be difficult for a rookie in pressure match.
Also why such a late replacement.Is it injury? or Voluntered by Moin or sign of some problem inside the team.
here ehsan bhai....
this is from JANG akhbar....
[thumb=E]moinakmal5718_9965237.JPG[/thumb]
now lets see how inzi handles this change....
just more reasons for indians to smile.... :(
** Shoaib wanted out of Lahore Test**
PTI SUNDAY, APRIL 04, 2004 01:12:38 PM ]
LAHORE: Dejected with his performance in the Multan Test, Pakistan’s pace spearhead Shoaib Akhtar came close to pulling out of the second match against India “in the larger interest of the team”.
A pep talk from coach Javed Miandad (right) helped persuade Shoaib Akhtar. (Reuters) More pics
Team sources were quoted as saying in a local daily that Shoaib had told captain Inzamam-ul-Haq and coach Javed Miandad that he was not keen to play the second Test as he was totally disappointed with his own form and had let the team down.
The bowler, however, agreed to continue when he was advised that instead of feeling depressed, he should just concentrate on making amends in the second Test starting here tomorrow.
“Shoaib offered to step down in the larger interest of the team saying he was not enjoying peak form at the moment against India,” said a report in The News .
The “Rawalpindi Express” went wicket-less in the first Test defeat to India in Multan while conceding 119 runs from 32 overs, the first time he failed to take any wicket in a Test match at home.
“Inzamam and Miandad told Shoaib that it would not be right for him to withdraw from such an important Test when the team was still depending a lot on him,” the source was quoted as saying. “Shoaib then agreed to play the second Test.”
Arguably the world’s fastest bowler, Shoaib did not come for nets on Thursday and Friday complaining of sore knee and then an upset stomach but yesterday morning he sent down a couple of overs as Pakistan Cricket Board chief Shaharyar Khan watched the players train.
The captain had given Shoaib and the other bowlers a piece of his mind before the fifth day’s play in Multan and since then the fast bowler had been feeling down and depressed.
“Inzamam simply told Shoaib and Sami that it was time they delivered and the team could no longer depend on their reputations,” the source added.
---- It seems that he took the the whole “bowler bashing” thing very seriously.
Bowl straight, not fast, Akram urges Pakistan quickies](http://uk.sports.yahoo.com/040404/3/30m5.html)
LAHORE, Pakistan (AFP) - Pakistan’s pace bowling battery, led by Shoaib Akhtar, can demolish India in the second Test here if they control their speed and bowl straight, according to the legendary Wasim Akram.
“My advice to our fast bowlers is to bowl straight, because in modern day cricket batsmen do not fear fast bowling,” Akram told AFP on Sunday.
Pakistan, trailing 0-1 in the three-match series, hope to take advantage of the rock-hard Gaddafi stadium wicket that sports a tinge of grass to outwit the Indians.
“You bowl straight to put pressure on the batsmen because bowling fast is not the main thing,” Akram said.
“The Indians did that very well in Multan and won even on a flat wicket.”
Even as India bowled out Pakistan twice to fashion an innings victory over the arch-rivals, Akhtar went wicketless in his 32 overs.
“The important thing is to make batsmen play all six deliveries in an over,” said Akram, who claimed 414 Test wickets and a world record 502 one-day wickets.
“Pakistan was negative in their approach in Multan. They have to play positively here to win.”
Akram brushed aside criticism in the Pakistani media that he had contributed to India’s success by giving tips to 19-year-old Irfan Pathan, who claimed a career-best 4-100 at Multan.
“One or two tips to a bowler does not make him successful,” he said. "It is sheer hard work which helps a good bowler move up.
“And I don’t think Pathan bowled extraordinarily well in Multan. He just bowled in-swingers and kept a good line and length which the Pakistanis should also do.”
Noooooooooooooo 
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*Originally posted by fair_&_balance: *
Inntresting..
Not sure if it is good for team or not. On one hand Moin was struggling with form but then he has experience on his side on the other hand will be difficult for a rookie in pressure match.
Also why such a late replacement.Is it injury? or Voluntered by Moin or sign of some problem inside the team.
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Yes, it would have been nice if Rashid had not pissed Ramiz with his recent antics otherwise he would have been a great asset in this match. I hope Kamran Akmal performs and cement his place in the team, Moin was largely looking unintersted in the proceedings anyway.
I really would rather not see Umar Gul play. He's a very, very ordinary bowler (at least right now). Someone with more experience from domestic circuit should've been given a chance.
What do people play domestic cricket for if the team is always going to be picked from the same pool of players regardless of how limited and ordinary they are?
Kamran on the hand hand is fine. I don't expect a stellar performance from him but at least this gives him exposure. And a talented guy like him deserves more chances especially since Moin looks totally jaded.
It seems like most top test nations have a full-time keeper who doubles up as a competent batsman. We’ve been served well by Rashid’s excellent keeping and occasionally gutsy batting, and Moin’s always gutsy batting and occasionally excellent keeping. But it would be nice to not have to make a tradeoff between batting and keeping abilities.
Looks like Kamran Akmal is going to do that for us. I like his confidence. Seems eager to play and that is always a good sign.
**Kamran Akmal - A man for the future **
Osman Samiuddin - April 4, 2004
For over a decade, Pakistani wicketkeeping has been in the safe hands of two men. Moin Khan’s initially awkward glovework and gutsy batting battled with Rashid Latif’s niftier keeping and lesser ability with the willow. Depending on the captain and the state of injuries, these two Karachiites ensured that the issue of Pakistan’s wicketkeeping remained unproblematic, and the quality high. Now, with Latif’s career seemingly over, and Moin’s coming towards a more natural end, Kamran Akmal steps up behind the stumps against India to reaffirm himself as Pakistan’s future number one.
The 23-year-old Akmal, from Lahore, has long been touted as a potential national wicketkeeper, and his pre-World Cup debut performances in Zimbabwe and South Africa for the senior team confirmed this growing reputation. Having been picked as standby for Latif, ahead of Moin, Akmal got his chance in the first Test against Zimbabwe as Latif pulled out with back problems. Despite making a duck in his first innings, Akmal impressed first with his athletic work behind the stumps, picking up four catches. In the second innings, he displayed his unorthodox, gutsy and hard-hitting batting style with an innings of 38, studded with shots through his favorite areas square of the wicket on either side. Against a weak attack, depleted further by the absence of Heath Streak, Akmal made his first and solitary international fifty in the next game at Bulawayo, coming in at No. 7. Although he has opened at domestic and ODI level – with limited success in the latter form – it is likely that his future with the Pakistan team lies in the middle or lower order, rather than at the top.
Drafted into the team as a replacement for Moin, incapacitated with a groin strain, Akmal was ecstatic at the opportunity to face India. “There is a lot of pressure, obviously, given that it is India, but I am looking forward to the chance with great anticipation and am confident that I will perform well. Moin gave me a lot of tips and generally has been very helpful.” The confidence in his abilities is shared by the Pakistan team management. Haroon Rashid, the manager, said he was not worried about Akmal playing in only his fifth Test in such a pressure situation. “He has a good temperament and he can handle the pressure. He has been in the Pakistan set-up for over a year now, he played recently against Bangladesh (in the ODI series last year as a replacement for the suspended Latif) and he will do well.” Inzamam-ul-Haq, at the pre-match press conference, expressed similar sentiment.
While losing Moin – the engine, cheerleader and tactician – is a big blow to the team, the magnitude of his loss is tempered to an extent by his recent struggles with the bat. His magnificently defiant century against New Zealand notwithstanding, his form with the bat has been poor by his own high standards since his return to the team. Although his performance in the Multan Test behind the stumps was adequate, the half-chance he floored off Virender Sehwag again suggested that Moin was never picked in the team purely for his wicketkeeping abilities.
When Akmal made his debut in November 2003, with Latif on the verge of retirement and Moin nowhere in the picture, the permanency of his spot in the team seemed only a matter of time. Since then, a lot has changed in Pakistan cricket, including the captain, board, team management and the first-choice wicketkeeper. Moin, in all probability, is likely to return for the last Test, **but his best days may be past him soon - and as the latest inheritor of a legacy passed on by the likes of Wasim Bari and Salim Yousuf, Akmal will still be there, biding his time. **