Re: Afridi back in form and squad
Yup, Afridi back in form. 
Re: Afridi back in form and squad
agreed, i dunno why it's so hard for anyone to c he can't play up the order! bring him in 6th down and he'll do his part as usual...
Re: Afridi back in form and squad
^ agreed :k:
Re: Afridi back in form and squad
On current form Afridi does not merit a place in a full-strength Pakistan team neither does Malik. Also Hameed perhaps is more suited to the test format.
My XI for SA series will be:
1- Hafeez
2- Farhat/Butt
3- Younis/Faisal Iqbal
4- Yousuf
5- Inzi*
6- Razzaq
7- Akmal
8- Akhtar
9- Abdur Rehman (seems to have great control and could be very handy in the middle overs. It's about time we played a specialist spinner rather than bits and pieces over-rated all-rounders like Afridi and Malik)
10- Gul/Rana
11- Asif
Re: Afridi back in form and squad
Hameed suited to Test format? You are talking like PCB think tank now.
Re: Afridi back in form and squad
^ From what I have seen of Hafeez, I think he's more naturally gifted and has more flair than Hameed and should improve with time plus could be used as a 6th bowler if one of the 5 regular bowlers has a really bad day. I like a R/L combination, hence I would go for Hafeez + one of the two Farhat or Butt.
Re: Afridi back in form and squad
In his current mental state he would fail regardless of where he bats. It's purely academic. He quite simply has lost it. Despite showing some consistency and discipline in 2004-5 he's back to his same old reckless self. It's almost like he has had a brainstorm since the early part of 2006.
Re: Afridi back in form and squad
Why can't we keep Hafeez and Hameed? I don't see Imran Farhat improving with time at all.
Re: Afridi back in form and squad
This was latest Afridi performance, he was shining with the ball in domestic, and he was used as opener in the ODI :cb:
**[Name](http://www.pcb.com.pk/Pakistan/Events/ABN-AMRO_Patrons_Trophy_2006-07/Batting_by_Player.html) ****Matches ****Inns ****NotOut ****[Runs](http://www.pcb.com.pk/Pakistan/Events/ABN-AMRO_Patrons_Trophy_2006-07/Batting_by_Runs.html) ****HS ****[Ave](http://www.pcb.com.pk/Pakistan/Events/ABN-AMRO_Patrons_Trophy_2006-07/Batting_by_Average.html) ****100 ****50 ****[Ct](http://www.pcb.com.pk/Pakistan/Events/ABN-AMRO_Patrons_Trophy_2006-07/Fielding_by_Catches.html)**
[Shahid Afridi](http://www.pcb.com.pk/Pakistan/Players/4/4163/4163.html) 5 9 0 253 100 28.11 1 1 5
**[Name](http://www.pcb.com.pk/Pakistan/Events/ABN-AMRO_Patrons_Trophy_2006-07/Bowling_by_Player.html)**** Balls ****Mdns ****Runs ****[Wkts](http://www.pcb.com.pk/Pakistan/Events/ABN-AMRO_Patrons_Trophy_2006-07/Bowling_by_Wickets.html)**** BB ****[Ave](http://www.pcb.com.pk/Pakistan/Events/ABN-AMRO_Patrons_Trophy_2006-07/Bowling_by_Average.html)**** 5wI ****10wM**
[Shahid Afridi](http://www.pcb.com.pk/Pakistan/Players/4/4163/4163.html) 410 12 206 22 5-30 9.36 1 0
Re: Afridi back in form and squad
While Hafeez is known for hitting sixes, Yasir Hameed is not known for aggressive hitting. Although he averages 39 in ODIs his SR is only 67. He’s more of an orthodox player, that’s why I said he’s perhaps better suited to the test format. The first time he tried to cut loose yesterday he was caught in the deep.
Re: Afridi back in form and squad
who would you keep in team?
A person scores 20-30 runs, at SR of 80, or a person who scores 50+ with SR of 67? Esp when we have 'crisis' of opening batsmen.
Re: Afridi back in form and squad
From your past list, defending average of Younis (~31) you mentioned these people, now it contains there ODI SR as well. You can see SR of 67.72 is not far off.
- Azharuddin (36.92) : SR 73.99
- Sangakkara (35.90) : SR 74.20
- Astle (35.33) : SR 72.56
- De Silva (34.90) : SR 81.13
- Yuvraj Singh (34.84) : SR: 85.78
- Steve Waugh (32.90) : SR 75
- Jayasuriya (32.73): SR 89
- Jayawardene (32.47) : SR 75.79
- Fleming (32.31) : SR 71.03
- Sehwag (31.28) and so on............. SR: 95.96
Re: Afridi back in form and squad
Captain1 I am not saying Hameed can't play limited overs cricket but I have already mentioned that I like a R/L combination and if I had to choose b/w Hameed and Hafeez I would go for the latter but that's my personal choice. I just think that Hafeez has more natural ability and flair so important in the limited overs format.
MIANDAD's SR in ODIs was only 66.99 but there is a reason for that. Eveytime he strode out to the crease Pakistan were in a crisis situation with the top order gone for not many on the board (cf. WC 1992). so more often than not he had to play like a test batsman initially before accelerating.
Re: Afridi back in form and squad
^ bhai jaan... why do we have to look at Hafeez vs Hameed? A R/L combination is not as important (Hafeez/Hameed + Farhat) as having two good batsmen in the middle (Hafeez + Hameed). Anyway, that is my opinion.
Re: Afridi back in form and squad
Hameed/Hafeez perhaps a good combination but let's see who the management go for in SA. It does n't appear from recent selections that Butt figures at all in the management's WC plans. It's a shame really because anyone who's good enough to score a hundred in Australia and in a pressure game v India (Golden Jubilee) I think deserves another chance. Admittedly he had a poor home series against England but I just hope that they atleast give him another chance before the WC.
Re: Afridi back in form and squad
I am sure there will be a blunder by PCB when they will chose who should go to SA. Plus they have a quta of giving out free rides (i mean tickets) so they have to fulfill that too.
Re: Afridi back in form and squad
Bring Back Imran Nazir!!! that way we can get rid of both farhat and hafeez
and nazir can open with yasir
-my two cents, but surely not worth a penny
Re: Afridi back in form and squad
Non performers like Rao and Hafeez should be kicked out.Hafeez just does,nt look like a Player of substance with just an average of 17 with bat and 33 with ball.
Classic example of bits and pieces cricketer.
Dont kid yourself that Hafeez and Farhat will do anything in SA other than to miserably flop.Remember in 2003 ODI series in Pakistan against SA Hafeez scored just 30-odd runs in 5 games,all on absolutely flat tracks.
SO what he will be able to do in SA is a anybody,s guess,If he is playing as a Opener or top order or whatever he should have been able to secure his place till now as a batsman alone with substantial number of runs Bowling should only come into fore as a Bonus and secondry,But nothing else,
With the ball he is not much better than a part timer anyway.
Do,nt know about u guys but i think their Opening pair in Tests should be Taufiq and Yasir and in ODI,s Salman and Yassir (a case for going for lesser evil)
Shoaib Malik,Razzaq should also step up their performances specially Malik,s batting has been a big disappointment for me in recent times , I used to rate him 3rd best in the side atleast in ODI,s after Inzi and Yousaf but he always looks completly lost and clueless against moving deliveries,and his bowling looks almost finished .
Same goes for Kamran Akmal as well ,apart from his 3 hundreds in ODI,s ,I realy can,t remember a single match where he actually won the game for Pakistan with the bat on his own,Moin Khan despite the fact that he never scored a hundred in ODI,s always used to contribute with those aggresive little even 20s and 30s at the right time which is, in ODI,s down the order were always crucial.
And Wicket keeping looks even bigger worry for him in recent times but maybe some proper help and coaching fron someone like Rashid or Saleem yousaf can help him,Otherwise they should look at other options like Humayun Farhat or Zulqarnain for a while.
And as far as Legends like Afridi,Sami and Farhat are concerned,
Need i say more.
THESE 3 ARE ABSOLUTY RUBBISH.
and I,m actually hoping( probably for the first time) that if any of these 3 play in the next Game they fail(Which they most definitely will) ,which might save us from some of the torture we are now going to recieve in South Africa anyway,
But keeping the history of BOB and INZI in sight it is very unlikely that this will actually happen and they will drop any of them.Atleast They should have some Mercy on the fans and public .BUT NO WAY,How can it be ever happen?