2nd Test - Pakistan vs India - Kolkata (Merged)

elahi · March 14, 2005, 5:36am

Re: 2nd Test - Pakistan vs India - Kolkata

jmiandad:

1 Sulman Butt —> out due to low confidence
Yasir Hameed …> IN (good technique, good fielder)
2) Taufeeq Umar …> out (low confidence, mentally lazy, horrible foot work … his performance against India is something that he wants to forget for ever… he probably gets Balaji and Sehwag in his nightmares)
Shahid Afridi …> IN (cheap insurance against 25 runs that Taufeeq and Salman can give with their current form, excellent fielder, good backup spinner for Eden Gardens.)
3) Younis Khan ----> out (under pressure, not good against spinners, too much butter on his fingers)
Shoaib Malik —> IN (superb fielder, good batsmen)
4) Inzimam —> IN, No question about him, especially with his current form
5) Yousuf Youhana —> IN, Okay for the time being
6) Asim Kamal —> IN, For sure we need three more like him at the top for test matches.
7 Abdul Razzaq —> IN, Not a test quality bowler, not a very strong fielder either. On long term basis his position in the test team is really iffy.
8) Kamran Akmal —> IN, For sure a good keeper and a good batsmen at the tail end. This could be a good investment for Pakistan for the long haul.
9) Mohammed Sami —> IN, struggling to get his rythem. We need Sami for his fast bowling along with supportive fielding. Rana is a good fighter but not a test quality bowler. He can not get wickets for Pakistan at the test level. Plus he may not have big future with Pakistan when Shabbir, Umar Gul and Shoaib are all going to be fit and available for both test and odi’s.
10) Danish Kaneria —>IN, good bowler and supportive fielder.
11) Arshad Khan ----> IN, only for the spin track otherwise not.

Keep Younis, Taufeeq and Salman in the pool of players available for future test matches but include them only when they are super hot in Side matches!

Imran and Surfraz keep telling the media that we need fast bowlers for India but tell me when they both were playing for Pakistan, including the time of Wasim and Waqar, did Pakistan win matches in India with their bowling or with the spin bowling of Iqbal Qasim, Tauseef Ahmed and later Saqlain Mushtaq? I know when it comes to winning matches, Imran usually shows that he suffers from short memory syndrome. Surfraz was a good fast bowler but not a good salesman!

India will axe Zaheer Khan and bring Hurbajan Singh in his place! Only one change.

Excellant point. In India the fast bowlers generally only give a supporting role.
I disagree with opening using Afridi. I think he is a great player, but to expect him to open at this stage in his career is wrong. The guy has’nt been conditioned to hold his wicket in a long time and playing a long innings should not be expected from him, its not reasonable at this stage.