Overall, not a bad team team. It would have been better if Saleem Elahi wouldn’t have been in the team. I would prefer Imran instead of him. And I guess rest of the team looks good, but I think Faisal should have been in the final 15 at least. I think we have one problem and that is we have 4 openers in the team right now. Well, Taufeeq will probably be sitting on the benches, but I would rather see Afridi and Saeed open rather than Elahi and Saeed. Lets wish the Pakistani team best of luck for the World Cup 
:k:
Yawn, haven’t you look at the selection of PCB yet? They selected Azhar despite of knowing he ain’t physically fit. You defend that?
Yeah, we all know when that’s going to happen. Turn it up.
Yaar, my apology if I’ve been so harshed today. Even a single mistake will ruined Pakistan’s chances to qualify even for Super Sixes.
Remember what happened in the WC final of 1999? If Pakistan bowled first, result would have been different. Our team knew it, dewed was on the pitch. It was moistured. Despite of that, Wasim chose to bat first. 
A single mistake led to diaster.
Like i said yara Austrailia picked Warnae and England picked Flintoff, knowlign that they are not fit? You might ask not to give you other countries example. But thats a caculalated risk and not a harmful one..
The mistake wasim commited apart from the toss thing was to exclude Youhana from final playing eleven and playing Ijaz despite of his constant failures in the worldcup. Ahh dont remind me of that fatteful day, insha’allah it wont happen in this final and Pakistan will do better 
Its okay about that harsh thing, had i felt aggreieved to the squad, i would have gone abit hardh myself
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by saby: *
Like i said yara Austrailia picked Warnae and England picked Flintoff, knowlign that they are not fit? You might ask not to give you other countries example. But thats a caculalated risk and not a harmful one..
[/quote]
I failed to understand this:
Help me out yaara.
*Does Pakistan got to follow what other team does and select injurd players? Or Do we have our paradigm? Answer please! *
Forget Aussies, Ashes.
You're right about Wasim not including Youhana for final. We could have him instead of Wajahat-ul-Wasti.
Saby, Youhanna was injured and thats why he was not included in the final. There was no other reason.
The ins and outs about the Pakistan World Cup squad](http://www-pak.cricket.org/link_to_database/ARCHIVE/CRICKET_NEWS/2002/DEC/115270_CI_31DEC2002.html)
Pakistan announced its 15-man World Cup squad right at the cut-off deadline, here on Tuesday. The last-minute deliberations, during which lines must have burnt between here and South Africa (to take the captain and coach’s say) and England (to reconfirm Azhar Mahmood’s fitness from physio Dale Naylor), not to mention satisfying the brass at the Gaddafi Stadium, held up Wasim Bari’s press briefing but not for more than 40 minutes.
Though one may have an odd reservation or two, but one has to concede, and for a change agree with chief selector Wasim Bari, that on paper this is a side strong enough to perform a World Cup encore. But in case of Pakistan, it happens but only rarely that strength on paper is reflected in consistency on the field and as a consequence in results which could be termed as excellent.
A case in point is the recent 4-1 drubbing in South Africa. But in the only match that Pakistan won to level the series, before going down rather tamely in the last three, it massacred Pollock and Company to put 335 runs on the board and in a ruthlessly clinical finish spanked the Proteas by 182 runs - the latter’s worst-ever showing. Not surprisingly, the talk on the streets of Lahore, a cosmopolitan whose denizens have an uncanny knack to get to the pulse of the matter, was that a certain former captain and his cohorts in the eleven were out to scalp Waqar Younis by engineering a string of defeats.
Bari concedes, and none of the two other selectors Shafiq Papa and Abdul Raquib chose to disagree with him, that Pakistan had under-performed in South Africa, though he did beat about the bush about the real cause, blaming it on the brittleness of the middle order.
Former captain Rameez Raja, also without substantiating allegations of manipulation, says that the World Cup is a different ball game altogether. **“The decision on the captain is out. And come whatever, Waqar is going to lead Pakistan. And believe you me, that once the camp for a World Cup is held, the spirit is absolutely different. I have been part of enough Cup campaigns to tell you that it is more like a metamorphosis.” ** :jhanda:
We all need to back up the team, says Raja. Bari made a similar cry, urging “the media and the nation to back the team for the mega event.”
“The best possible team has been picked for the tournament. And my request to all of you is to back this team. Today it requires support, motivation and a boost in confidence. Instead of criticising the individuals that would only dent their confidence, they should be made to realise that they are the ones who can rise to the occasion and win back the title,” said Bari.
Whether the entire team rallies under the banner remains to be seen, but this time it has many an added incentive. Apart from the $2 million prize money, each player would be richer by another $90,000 as a reward from the PCB, not to mention other lucrative awards expected from the government and business houses - all keen followers of the game, and none averse to basking in reflected glory.
Coming back to the 15,** the squad seems quite balanced with the number of quality all-rounders rivalling South Africa. This provides the greenshirts with considerable depth, both in bowling and batting. That, and the power and venom of its pace quartet (Waqar, Wasim, Shoaib, Sami), **notwithstanding, one has a nagging uneasy feeling about top of the batting. Saeed Anwar has been brought back, for his experience says Wasim Bari. It is entirely another thing that Anwar is shying away from the new ball even in domestic cricket - where the level of competitiveness is at best of the same calibre as Bangladesh or Kenya. He was batting as low as number seven, and the highest up the order was still No 3, for just one game. And he has barely scored a fifty.
His sojourn to the middle in his last World Cup match, the final against Australia, witnessed one of the most embarrassing sights of the previous decade: changing the grip on the field, with the satellite television beaming the sorry scene to the whole world, on his way back to the crease apologising to each and every Aussie and then getting bowled first ball. Four years on, during which he has not just added a beard but also some wobble in the legs not to mention nerves, he is expected to hold the Pakistan’s top together along with Saleem Elahi. It sounds like a tall order, though his inclusion may make certain quarters in the eleven, like Inzamam-ul-Haq happy.
After all, if you infuriate one faction, you have to appease the other or you end up losing both. Anyway, Anwar is back.
It is only a matter of opinion, but had the selectors used some imagination,** they should perhaps have recalled Moin Khan instead of Anwar, since Shahid Afridi has rather wrongly been relegated to late in the order. Moin’s guts, courage and batting skills, not to mention his enormous ability to improvise, would have served the team well as a pinch-hitting opener. And he would have covered up for Rashid Latif, who has of late proven to be injury prone. ** PT, your point comes 
But Bari believes that the side being rich in experience, and having recently played in South Africa, despite unpalatable results, is capable of prevailing over all comers. "Of the 15 selected, 11 have previously played in the World Cup. Besides, there are 14 boys who are playing or have played on the recent tour to Africa. The only newcomers to the squad are Saeed Anwar and Azhar Mahmood.
**“The Pakistan team is a combination of youth and experience, and it is capable of excelling in the World Cup despite a recent run of poor form. But I believe form is temporary and class is permanent and there can’t be any two opinions that this team has plenty of class and natural flair,” said Bari. **
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by ehsan: *
Saby, Youhanna was injured and thats why he was not included in the final. There was no other reason.
[/QUOTE]
Yeah, Man. Whenever a time comes, our players suddenly becomes injured. There has been no other reasons, frankly.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by ehsan: *
Saby, Youhanna was injured and thats why he was not included in the final. There was no other reason.
[/QUOTE]
nahi ehsan bhai, i rememebr the interview Wasim gave which was aired on all channels he said Youhana is fit to play but we would not like to change a winning combination from semifinal and i m pleased with Afridi playing late in the order.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by saby: *
nahi ehsan bhai, i rememebr the interview Wasim gave which was aired on all channels he said Youhana is fit to play but we would not like to change a winning combination from semifinal and i m pleased with Afridi playing late in the order.
[/QUOTE]
Saby bhai he got injured and was suffering from a groin injury.
Now if our openers give the team a good score i think we can bounce back from the current situation as there are no flaws in the middle order and even Wasim and Razzaq can be counted as batsmen. So we should not be losing coz of our batting!!!
This is what we talked about today(12/31/02)
Pakistan name ‘injured’ Azhar for World Cup: Injury-prone Shoaib, Rashid get selectors’ nod
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by ehsan: *
Saby, Youhanna was injured and thats why he was not included in the final. There was no other reason.
[/QUOTE]
Exactly good point ehsaan Yohana was injured.
Despite that fatal injury of his; wasim was courageous and had enuf balls to make a decisin of not playing him in the match, but still bringing him as a substitue fielder.
I dont really recall what happend. i think inzamam hurt his hand or some other player and youhana was brought in for fielding :)
Talk About Some Great Blunders Done By Our Captains.
Afridi's position a waste
World Cup squad is announced and seems pretty balanced & formidable on paper. The only error seems to be the persistence of the selectors to stick with Shaid Afridi who doesn't warrant his place in the final roster. His cameos with the bat happen not even once in a blue moon now, and all teams know how to trap him. To add to that, he's an expensive bowler. Worst of all he never seems to learn from his mistake. No question a high source is behind him! Other then that the team is well-balanced and shd do well at the Games.
Happy New Year to all
this is sad...sad sad sad
the batting is all too weak..Shahid Afridi cannot survive on these pitches, Taufeeq Umar is not atall a oneday batsmen, and I dont think hes gonna play either. Saeed Anwar is so out of match practise....Allah madad kare uss ki...That leaves Inzi, Yoyo and Younis as are only dependable and inform batsmen. They should have included Faisal Iqbal and Kamran Akmal. Taufeeq Umar is nothing but a liability they have sent in 4 openers...akal ghaas charne geyi hoi hai in slectors ki...
Ehsan bhai...u sayin that then sent in Taufeeq Umar as a back up for Rashid Latif, in case something happenes to him. I say whats the point of sending in Rashid if that is the case. Kamran should enough potential on the South Africa tour. And they included Rashid as a policy of continuity. What bull****....Or lo....Including an injured player, just because he has an excellent track record.
Allah bhala kare team ka....ussi ke haath mein sab hai, warna hamare selectors ne to koi kasar nahin chori.
arey bhai...
come to the World Cup 2003 main thread...udher yehi discussion chal rehi hai.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Sharaabi: *
this is sad...sad sad sad
the batting is all too weak..Shahid Afridi cannot survive on these pitches, Taufeeq Umar is not atall a oneday batsmen, and I dont think hes gonna play either. Saeed Anwar is so out of match practise....Allah madad kare uss ki...That leaves Inzi, Yoyo and Younis as are only dependable and inform batsmen. They should have included Faisal Iqbal and Kamran Akmal. Taufeeq Umar is nothing but a liability they have sent in 4 openers...akal ghaas charne geyi hoi hai in slectors ki...
Ehsan bhai...u sayin that then sent in Taufeeq Umar as a back up for Rashid Latif, in case something happenes to him. I say whats the point of sending in Rashid if that is the case. Kamran should enough potential on the South Africa tour. And they included Rashid as a policy of continuity. What bull****....Or lo....Including an injured player, just because he has an excellent track record.
Allah bhala kare team ka....ussi ke haath mein sab hai, warna hamare selectors ne to koi kasar nahin chori.
[/QUOTE]
Sharaabi jee, Shahid Afridi did not get selected for his batting, but as an all-rounder, and more as a bowler these days. And about Saeed Anwar, he was a must because of his past experience. Who else was there to open the innings with Saleem Elahi?? Taufeeq Umer?? I dont think so. I don't know or think Saeed is in great form right now, but he certainly the best choice Pakistan had for the World Cup. I do agree, if Taufeeq has been picked as a back for Rashid, then PCB should have picked Kamran Akmal instead. Except for that, the team looks strong. If we still don't win the WC, then the selectors wont be to blame, because they picked a good team for the first time in a very long time. Lets hope Waqar doesn't make stupid decisions in the WC.
Re: Afridi's position a waste
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by akpower: *
World Cup squad is announced and seems pretty balanced & formidable on paper. The only error seems to be the persistence of the selectors to stick with Shaid Afridi who doesn't warrant his place in the final roster. His cameos with the bat happen not even once in a blue moon now, and all teams know how to trap him. To add to that, he's an expensive bowler. Worst of all he never seems to learn from his mistake. No question a high source is behind him! Other then that the team is well-balanced and shd do well at the Games.
Happy New Year to all
[/QUOTE]
I don't think you know what you're talkin about. Afridi deserves a place in the ODI team. Go look at his bowling figures for the last few months and see how he has improved his bowling! And about his batting, I think he is being wasted being sent down the order like at no.7. He is in the team for his bowling, fielding, sometimes good batting, and his determination. And I don't think there is any big source behind him, because when he wasn't playing well, he was never a regular part of team, he was in and out. But over the last few months, he has been playing all the ODI's because he deserves a place.
Whose who are criticizing Rashid’s inclusion.
let me reaise a point wchih i raised above. Imagine a ful-house noisiest crwod on 1st march against India and in a pressure cooker situation, and askin Kamran Akmal to do the job there is aksing too much from him. HAd he been slected and done badly there, it would have been shattering for his confidence. And thats where experienced players like Rashid and Moin are sure shot selections. And the point is, If Rashjid gets injured (God Forbid), PCB can call Moin, so whats the panic. Insha’llah he will do the job
I dont think you can assume that Akmal would freeze, he might raise his game, you never know. As far as batting is concerned he is a much better batsmen than Rashid.
**Kenyan Squad:
Steve Tikolo (captain),
Maurice Odumbe,
Asif Karim,
Alpesh Vadher,
Ravindu Shah,
Hitesh Modi,
Brijal Patel,
Martin Suji,
Tony Suji,
Thomas Odoyo,
Kennedy Obuya,
Joseph Angara,
Peter Ongondo,
David Obuya
Collins Obuya.**