Cricinfo picks all-time Pakistan Test XI - Two Ws, Imran and Miandad unanimous picks

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Cricinfo picks the best Test teams of all time
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Jury
Arif Abbasi, Kamran Abbasi, Qamar Ahmed, Intikhab Alam, Khadim Baloch, Shaharyar Khan, Chishty Mujahid, Salahuddin Mulla, Ramiz Raja, Osman Samiuddin
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Cricinfo will be publishing an all-time Pakistan XI based on readers’ votes to go with jury’s XI.

Voting Links :
Cricinfo’s All-time XI: Pakistan: Openers Survey
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All-time XI | Cricinfo Magazine | Cricinfo.com

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My All-time Pak Test XI

Hanif Mohammad
Saeed Anwar/Majid Khan
Zaheer Abbas
Javed Miandad (v/c)
Inzamam-ul-Haq
Mohammad Yousuf
Imran Khan (captain)
Wasim Bari (w/k)
Wasim Akram
Waqar Younis
Abdul Qadir

12th man: Fazal Mahmood

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re: Cricinfo picks all-time Pakistan Test XI - Two Ws, Imran and Miandad unanimous picks

so they are voting for openers only for now ?

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no mudassar nazar :D

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The Great Fazal Mahmood (1927-2005)





Fazal Mahmood walks to the steps at The Oval following his 12-wicket haul against England

with Imtiaz Ahmed

with Raj Kapoor

Four 10-wicket hauls in only 34 tests…
http://www.cricinfo.com/pakistan/content/player/40092.html

A man worthy of folklore, legend and awe

The name Fazal Mahmood conjures up much; folklore, legend and awe. His legcutters are the stuff of legend, always extravagant, always moving from leg stump to take the off bail, his metronomic line and length of folklore. and his stamina - **he bowled 677 overs on the 1954 tour of England - awe-inspiring. **
Many compared him to other names about whom there is as much folklore, legend and awe. Alec Bedser was a contemporary master of cutters, but Frederick “The Demon” Spofforth and Sydney Barnes, who cut with the best of them, were of a different time and era entirely - when cricket was still prone to statistically freakish occurrences.
Many will also say that Fazal was the first great fast bowler of many that Pakistan produced, maybe the constructor of a legacy which moved from Sarfraz Nawaz to Imran Khan to the two Ws and has now passed on to Shoaib and Sami. In truth, there was little connecting him and the rest.
Modern Pakistani fast bowling, of pace and swing - reverse and conventional - has more to do with Sarfraz and Imran than it does with Fazal’s medium-pace cutters. Yes, the confidence, the steadfast belief that any situation could be salvaged, any match won, that coursed through Wasim and Waqar could be traced back to Fazal’s conviction (he said of the 1954 Oval game, “even though we were bowled out for 133, I did not think for a second we would lose”).
**For those who didn’t see him play, pictures of him show he was impossibly debonair, with a magnificently thick crop of wavy hair grown as if for the Brylcreem which he went on to model, the bluest of eyes to accompany his filmstar looks. He was Imran Khan before Imran Khan. **
**There is a picture of him in his recent autobiography, From Dusk to Dawn, with cravat round neck and cigarette in hand, standing alongside the Indian screen legend Raj Kapoor. Even in a photograph, he managed to out-dash the most dapper of actors. **
Those who didn’t see him play might wonder if he was really that accurate and wholeheartedly committed … Did his legcutter really, as Frank Tyson once wrote, jump from leg stump towards the slips regularly? Did it really spin more than Richie Benaud’s legspinner, as the man himself claimed? (Ken Barrington, bowled by one such miraculous delivery, was prompted to call him, pint in hand and sorrow in tow, “the bloody greatest”).
Well, cold numbers tell a big story: **he took 13 five-wicket hauls in just 34 Tests, and he took ten in a match on no fewer than four occasions. A further six times, he ended with four in an innings. Add to that his impressive economy rate - just over two an over - and the picture looks even better. **
He played a key role in each of Pakistan’s first, and most celebrated, victories. What is set in stone - in cold, hard numerical fact - is his part in first ensuring Pakistan’s entry into Test cricket, and then making it among the most accomplished of any new nation.
Towards the end of 1951, Fazal took 6 for 40 in the first innings for Pakistan against the MCC, leading to victory in an unofficial Test match which sealed Pakistan’s promotion to the international stage. Pakistan’s first-ever Test victory, at Lucknow, was built on his 12 wickets. Victory at The Oval in 1954 remains Pakistan’s greatest moment in Test cricket and, at the centre, with 12 wickets, was Fazal Mahmood. How Bangladesh, also scrapping to eke out an on-field identity and hammered on their first tour of England this week, would have wished for a figure like Fazal.
Thirteen Australian batsmen succumbed to him on their first trip in 1956, at Karachi, on the matting wicket on which he was supposedly lethal. On the run-infested tour of the West Indies in 1957-58, he took eight wickets in Pakistan’s first win at Port-of-Spain. When West Indies toured the following year, he took 19 wickets in the first two Tests, including 12 in the second at Dhaka, to ensure Pakistan won the series.
It is impossible to argue against the fact that, with Hanif Mohammad and Abdul Hafeez Kardar for company, he made Pakistan into a Test nation worthy of that status, only five years after the country itself had been traumatically created. At every moment in their early history, he shone among pioneers. More than just Pakistan’s first great fast bowler then, Fazal Mahmood was Pakistan’s first true great. And as he departs, he takes with him a significant portion of Pakistan cricket’s glorious, heady beginnings.

A man worthy of folklore, legend and awe | Pakistan Cricket News | Cricinfo.com

Pleased to beat you: 13/114 v Australia, Karachi, 1956
http://www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/343149.html

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Well you can only have 11 in your first team and these are the best players ever to have played for Pakistan in my view

A case could be made for Fazal's inclusion in the First XI - I certainly would not mind that - ahead of Waqar Younis....ask people like Hanif Mohammad and Imran Khan

Waqar was no doubt more destructive than Wasim during his peak years - most of his dismissals were either bowled or LBW - but he was not the same bowler once his pace dropped in 1996 following a stress fracture of back spine. His inswinging yorkers became predictable and good batsmen did not really have any great problems facing him. Wasim because he did not rely so much on pace as swing remained a dangerous bowler throughout. He could bowl a quick bouncer from a short run-up or deceptive slower ball at will.

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re: Cricinfo picks all-time Pakistan Test XI - Two Ws, Imran and Miandad unanimous picks

well, Fazal Mahmood was beyond doubt a great bowler.. and so is Wasim Akram..

Waqar was great.. but i liked Aaqib Javed..

Sami is fast but still Asif is my favorite bowler.. :)

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The only problem that I can see in this team is Wasim Bari I don't think he deserves to be in this team..Moin or Akmal would be my choices

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This is a test XI and a wicket-keeper's primary role is keeping. Hence I w'd prefer Wasi Bari over anyone-else in** tests**. He is the best keeper that we have had so far. True Bari's batting was nothing special and for the one-dayers therefore my first choice keeper will be Moin Khan. Moin's late-order big-hitting helped us to set challenging totals/win many one-day games. Kamran Akmal is a capable batsman but his keeping is awful and leaves a lot to be desired.

Cannot really afford to drop catches in test matches. A single dropped chance of a great batsman such as Sobers, Viv Richards or Tendulkar might = 150 extra runs gifted to the opposite team

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In batting order..

My All-time Pakistan Test XI

Hanif Mohammad
Saeed Anwar
Zaheer Abbas
Javed Miandad (v/c)
Inzamam-ul-Haq
Mohammad Yousuf
Imran Khan (c)
Wasim Akram
Abdul Qadir
Wasim Bari (w/k)
Waqar Younis/ Fazal Mahmood

My All-time Pakistan ODI XI

Majid Khan
Saeed Anwar
Zaheer Abbas
Javed Miandad (v/c)
Inzamam-ul-Haq
Wasim Raja/ Asif Iqbal
Imran Khan (c)
Moin Khan (w/k)
Wasim Akram
Abdul Qadir/ Saqlain Mushtaq
Waqar Younis

(ps.
- a bit harsh on both Hanif and Fazal but then they never played one-dayers plus Hanif was more of a grafter than a stroke player
- Wasim Akram will also be a good choice as vice-captain)

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Guys Middle order batting is on for X1 at cricinfo. Go Vote!

Here are the players up for voting. For MANY, Miandad and Inzi are the automatic choice so rest fight for 1 spot :slight_smile:

Pakistan’s strongest suit
Osman Samiuddin
April 19, 2010

The engine room of Pakistan’s batting has forever been the middle order. Good openers have come, even a couple of greats, but the real stories have been written by those who come in once the openers have gone. Over the years, memories are brightest of the great triumvirates or quartets that have formed the belly of the line-up: Zaheer Abbas, Javed Miandad, Asif Iqbal, Mushtaq Mohammad through the 70s; Younis Khan, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Yousuf through the 2000s.

How spoilt Pakistan is for choice here shows in that nine names suggest themselves automatically, and probably others will add a couple more at least. Wasim Raja and Ijaz Ahmed, for example, despite their outstanding records against the leading pace attacks of their time (West Indies and Australia respectively) might have made it in some other lists.

The other dilemma is how many to have, of course. Should there be four specialist batsmen in the middle order, to shore up what is Pakistan’s weaker suit? Or does the guaranteed presence of one of the world’s greatest allrounders soften that need?

And one of the beauties of middle-order batsmen here has been there flexibility: barring a couple of names, most of the nominees have played at several positions in the middle order, with success. Ensuring the right order is critical to Test match success and that makes this selection trickier still, and one that will likely be most open to debate.

The contenders

Zaheer Abbas
Not for nothing was he called the Asian Bradman. Abbas had a monstrous appetite for big runs; four of his 12 Test tons were doubles, and he is the only Asian batsman to hit 100 first-class hundreds. He was beautiful to watch too.

Javed Miandad
Few would disagree that Miandad is Pakistan’s greatest batsman. He was a free-spirited, full-stroked attacker when he began but became such a calculating mastermind thereafter that nobody minded. His Test average never fell below 50, from day one to the end, and he remains the highest Test run-getter for Pakistan. The nurdles and nudges, his presence at the crease, and an incredible brain, which made batting a form of sledging - no match was ever lost while Miandad was at the crease.

Mohammad Yousuf
A direct descendent of Abbas in more ways than are immediately apparent. Like Abbas, he is fond of scoring big, and like Abbas, his range of strokes is as vast as it is elegant, constructed from a high back-lift, quick hands, stillness and lazy feet. In 2006 he was, without doubt, the best batsman in the world, during a record-breaking year. But for many eyes his batting was never as beautiful and productive as during a bewitching Melbourne Boxing Day hundred in 2004-05 against two of the greatest bowlers the game has seen.

Inzamam-ul-Haq
Not much separates the standings of Miandad and Inzamam at the very top of Pakistani batting. Like Miandad, Inzamam was a pure match-winner, often at his best with his side at its worst; but with many more strokes than Miandad. The best Inzamam innings are the ones he led Pakistan to a win in, and there are plenty. His bulky frame brought power, but a sharper mind than always apparent also allowed a surprising dexterity of touch.

**Saleem Malik **
Though tainted, the wristy and ever versatile Malik was one of the finest batsmen this country produced, much more than the flat-track bully Imran Khan accused him of being. Three technical masterpieces in Headingley in 1987 and 1992 - when Headingley was still Headingley - should have told Imran as much. His mastery of Shane Warne in 1994, when he became the first man to really dominate Warne, should have convinced his other detractors.

Mushtaq Mohammad
A cheeky, innovative and aggressive batsman, Mushtaq was not as gifted as a couple of his brothers, but his personality and will saw him through to greater success. In a long career he ended with a batting average just under 40 - a proper benchmark in those days - and was, till the end, a fine lower-order organiser. His batting and captaincy were instrumental in Pakistan’s rise in the mid-70s, and he wasn’t a bad legspinner either.

Younis Khan
Pakistan’s gutsiest batsman currently, Younis, after a shaky start, has become one of Pakistan’s best one-downs (some achievement, given the openers he has had). Though he can be technically awkward, he is solid, and his fearlessness makes up for the rest. On tougher wickets around the world, he is probably Pakistan’s most well-equipped batsman, with a range of shots not entirely orthodox but not entirely unorthodox either.

Asif Iqbal
A dashing rescuer of hopeless causes, Iqbal epitomised much of Pakistan’s punch through the 70s. It took a legendary 146 at The Oval - made from No. 9 - to convince others he was a batsman first. Alongside Mushtaq, he ensured the lower middle order was not only robust but fairly enterprising; he revolutionised the role of running between the wickets.

Saeed Ahmed
Pakistan’s first No. 3 of genuine quality, Saeed scored over 500 runs in his debut Test series in the Caribbean. He was a particularly fluent driver in the “v”, and when he got in, big scores were on the cards. Three of his five hundreds are 150-plus and to end with an average of over 40 in the time he played is to suggest considerable ability and success.

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^ Thanks. voted for Zaheer, Miandad and Inzamam

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Actually I am not that happy with my all-time Pakistan ODI XI

My All-time Pakistan ODI XI

Majid Khan
Saeed Anwar
Zaheer Abbas
Javed Miandad (v/c)
Inzamam-ul-Haq
Mohammad Yousuf
Imran Khan (c)
Moin Khan (w/k)
Wasim Akram
Abdul Qadir
Waqar Younis

12th man: Saqlain Mushtaq

We need atleast 5 bowlers and my team has 4 regular (Imran, Wasim, Waqar and Qadir) and a part-time bowler (Majid Khan)

So Yousuf unfortunately has to go :)

*Who should replace Yousuf at 6? *

It should ideally be be an all-rounder as we only have 5 proper batters

? Mushtaq Mohammad
? Asif Iqbal
? Wasim Raja
? Razzaq

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re: Cricinfo picks all-time Pakistan Test XI - Two Ws, Imran and Miandad unanimous picks

^ I would go for wasim Raja, hard hitting batsmen and a very useful spinner. One of my favourites.

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Agreed. Wasim Raja was a very versatile player

  • ambidextrous

batted LEFT-handed
bowled RIGHT-handed

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Taking a page out of Ehsan Bhai's book on Wasim Raja, here is my X1 (as of today :D)

  1. Majid Khan
  2. Saeed Anwar
  3. Inzamam-ul-Haq
  4. Javed Miandad (v/c)
  5. Mohammad Yousuf
  6. Imran Khan (c)
  7. Wasim Raja
  8. Rashid Latif (w/k)
  9. Wasim Akram
  10. Saqlain Mushtaq
  11. Waqar Younis
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^ cannot imagine an all-time Pakistan Test or ODI eleven without Zaheer Abbas :)

For ODIs we need a wicket keeper-batsman and Rashid Latif no way better than Moin Khan. Latif slightly better keeper than Moin but not as brilliant with the bat

Little to choose b/w Saqlain and Qadir when it comes to ODIs but Qadir w'd still be my first choice spinner in tests

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cricinfo being grossly unfair or rather stupid here asking cricket fans to drop one of the two greats from Pakistan

We are being asked to pick 1 from 5 all-rounders incl. Imran Khan and Wasim Akram

Immi w’d be the natural choice as all-rounder but I cannot get my head around not having Wasim Akram in the side. Both DESERVE to be in an all-time Pakistan test or ODI XI

Why could we not have two all-rounders in the side like Richie Benaud’s all-time Test XI (Sobers and Imran)

http://www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/457111.html

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But FIKAR not...

as per one poster on cricinfo

Posted by Engle on (April 27 2010, 08:00 AM GMT)
Fear not ye avid posters. Mushtaq M was included amongst the batsman as well as here, so I forsee Wasim Akram amongst the forthcoming bowlers. Perhaps even Imran again amongst the bowlers. That would allow us to pick MushtaqM. Who I would like to see in the #6 spot is Asif Iqbal. Spare a thought for Nasim-ul-Ghani who was a SLA who scored Pakistans 1st century in England, that too as nightwatchman.

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re: Cricinfo picks all-time Pakistan Test XI - Two Ws, Imran and Miandad unanimous picks

Hanif Mohammad
Saeed Anwar
Javed Miandad
Zaheer Abbas
Inzamam-ul-Haq
Mohammad Yousuf
Imran Khan (c)
Wasim Akram
Saqlain Mushtaq
Rashid Latif (w/k)
Waqar Younis

that would probably be my team