Re: First Test @Karachi..... Pakistan Vs Srilanka
Pakistan closed the day at 44/1
Even that is debatable
Jayawardene is not better than Younis Khan IMO. Younis is averaging almost 50 in tests and has been very consistent over the past 4 or 5 years. Jaya did not always have an average above 50. Besides 15 tons in 58 tests (and Younis has only just begun his innings) is as good as 25 in 101 tests. Younis has a slightly better one-day average as well
Younis Khan
http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/pakvsl/content/current/player/43652.html
The first priority obviously is to save the follow-on (or get to 445). Two batsmen have to get big hundreds. It's a big ask but not impossible.
Typical sub-continental Test Match in progress. Only good for bastmen to further their personal records.
Isn't this the same track where teams regularly notched up 300+ scores in the ODIs in the Asia Cup a few months ago.
Couple of months it was decided by the top brass that there is no need for bowler friendly or sporting wickets in domestic championships like Quiad-e-Azam Trophy and instead they want to make batting friendly wickets which could consistently result in 500+ scores. Guess they have decided to continue the trend for international games. Anyway that is nothing new. We have rarely seen sporting wickets in Pakistan.
Coming back to this game, a mamooth total means that Srilanka probably have batted Pakistan out of this game. Sorry to say this is what you expect to see on these "batting friendly" wickets with a bowling line incapable of taking 20 opposition wickets in the game.
Can't understand this defensive mindset of the management where they wanted players like Yasir Arafat and Shoiab Malik in the team so that they can bowl as as well help the batting in case there is a collapse.
Test match is a game of specialist players and not "utility players" who can be handy for you in an ODI or T20. It doesn't work that way in test matches.
You need to have specialist in Test cricket otherwise this approach or greed of having players who can both bowl and bat often bites you back in the rear. Take out Malik and Arafat from the bowling lineup and you are left with Gul, Sohail Khan and Kaneria. Don't know about you guys but I find this approach totally mind boggling specially knowing that this approach has not worked for them even in the past.
Mashallah. Pakistan has done better than expected. All credit to Kaneria for his 3 wickets. :k:
Couple of months it was decided by the top brass that there is no need for bowler friendly or sporting wickets in domestic championships like Quiad-e-Azam Trophy and instead they want to make batting friendly wickets which could consistently result in 500+ scores. Guess they have decided to continue the trend for international games. Anyway that is nothing new. We have rarely seen sporting wickets in Pakistan.
Coming back to this game, a mamooth total means that Srilanka probably have batted Pakistan out of this game. Sorry to say this is what you expect to see on these "batting friendly" wickets with a bowling line incapable of taking 20 opposition wickets in the game.
Can't understand this defensive mindset of the management where they wanted players like Yasir Arafat and Shoiab Malik in the team so that they can bowl as as well help the batting in case there is a collapse.
*Test match is a game of specialist players and not "utility players" who can be handy for you in an ODI or T20. It doesn't work that way in test matches. *
You need to have specialist in Test cricket otherwise this approach or greed of having players who can both bowl and bat often bites you back in the rear. Take out Malik and Arafat from the bowling lineup and you are left with Gul, Sohail Khan and Kaneria. Don't know about you guys but I find this approach totally mind boggling specially knowing that this approach has not worked for them even in the past.
Agreed. Talha should have been in the team and one of the three, Faisal, Malik or Arafat should have been dropped. 'Bits and pieces' cricketers have no place in a test squad
Re: First Test @Karachi..... Pakistan Vs Srilanka
aab main boloon k na boooloon :-|
Re: First Test @Karachi..... Pakistan Vs Srilanka
*bolein bolein
*
Re: First Test @Karachi..... Pakistan Vs Srilanka
I am not a fan of Kamran Akmal's keeping skills, but I have to say that he did take a very good catch to dismiss Jayawardene today. If not for his catch and the breaking of that record partnership that broke a 52 year old record for 4th wicket, we might have been staring at even a bigger score than 644. So he deserves praise for that.
Highlights Day1
Highlights Day 2
I am not a fan of Kamran Akmal's keeping skills, but I have to say that he did take a very good catch to dismiss Jayawardene today. If not for his catch and the breaking of that record partnership that broke a 52 year old record for 4th wicket, we might have been staring at even a bigger score than 644. So he deserves praise for that.
Agreed...... and he will do another rescue job with the bat and make everyone eat humble pie here.
My take
Keeping......still not so sure
Batting......potential is there
Agreed...... and he will do another rescue job with the bat and make everyone eat humble pie here.
My take
Keeping......still not so sure
Batting......potential is there
If after all these years we are not too sure about his keeping skills than it does tell us something. I have said it before and will say it again that Kamran Akmal has single-handedly lost matches/series for Pakistan.
Thanks to Adam Gilchrist, cricket fans have developed this criteria that wicket keepers have to be specialist batsmen level players which should not be the case.
How would you feel if someone would tell you that lets use this XYZ player as your main strike bowler eventhough we are not sure about his bowling skills but yes there is a batting potential?
The bottom line is that a player is if no use if he is not able to fullfil his main purpose in the team and has failed his fellow teammates and his team on several occasions. The main purpose of a batsman is to bat, a bowler is to bowl and a wicket keeper is to keep.
The bottom line is that a player is if no use if he is not able to fullfil his main purpose in the team and has failed his fellow teammates and his team on several occasions. The main purpose of a batsman is to bat, a bowler is to bowl and a wicket keeper is to keep.
But what's the harm in trying Akmal purely as a batsman if he continues to perform with the bat. That's my point not his keeping which I know is awful.
Well, I sure hope we dont have to go count on Kamran Akmal for a batting rescue in this innings. We need the top order to fire, and I hope they do. Much relies on Younis Khan in this innings. Hopefully Khurram Mansoor can show his mantle, though he looked a confused facing Murli (dont blame him).
If after all these years we are not too sure about his keeping skills than it does tell us something. I have said it before and will say it again that Kamran Akmal has single-handedly lost matches/series for Pakistan.
Thanks to Adam Gilchrist, cricket fans have developed this criteria that wicket keepers have to be specialist batsmen level players which should not be the case.
How would you feel if someone would tell you that lets use this XYZ player as your main strike bowler eventhough we arel not sure about his bowler skills but yes there is a batting potential?
The bottom line is that a player is if no use if he is not able to fullfil his main purpose in the team and has failed his fellow teammates and his team on several occasions. The main purpose of a batsman is to bat, a bowler is to bowl and a wicket keeper is to keep.
Agreed. Yes, the curse of Adam Gilchrist to the cricket world. The keeper's main job is to keep wicket and takes catches and make catches out of half chances.
Agreed. Yes, the curse of Adam Gilchrist to the cricket world. The keeper's main job is to keep wicket and takes catches and make catches out of half chances.
I agree too that a keeper's first job is to be tidy behind the stumps......but why should n't he do both. Not only Gilchrist but also Sangakkara (for quite a while) and now Dhoni and Boucher do the same job for their respective countries. If your keeper is a good batter (agreed that should be his secondary role) as well it takes the pressure off your top 5 or 6. This batting line-up is already short on quality and experience, only Younis Khan is world-class...
And I never said if Akmal continues to drop chances that we should persist with him as a keeper
You have to spare a thought for Tilakratne Dilshan. The guy spends 10 hours padded up and ready to bat.....and when his turn eventually comes....he scores a duck lasting only 3 balls.
But what's the harm in trying Akmal purely as a batsman if he continues to perform with the bat. That's my point not his keeping which I know is awful.
Without even looking at his batting record I can tell you that Akmal is not good enough to be included in the team as a specialist batsman.
Ok lets just forget for a minute that Kaman Akmal has been our wicket keeper for all these years and lets reevaluate his performance purely as a batsman. Do you think he has performed consistently to even deserve a spot in top 16 squad or a Pakistan "A" team?
As the biggest sporting organization of our country, PCB should be ashamed of the fact that they have failed to keep an incompetent player like Kamran Akmal away from the national team.
Without even looking at his batting record I can tell you that Akmal is not good enough to be included in the team as a specialist batsman.
Ok lets just forget for a minute that Kaman Akmal has been our wicket keeper for all these years and lets reevaluate his performance purely as a batsman. Do you think he has performed consistently to even deserve a spot in top 16 squad or a Pakistan "A" team?
As the biggest sporting organization of our country, PCB should be ashamed of the fact that they have failed to keep an incompetent player like Kamran Akmal away from the national team.
Well he still averages more than so called specialists like Salman Butt and Faisal Iqbal
I didn’t know bhanja was in the playing XI, now that you mention, I think we are saved woohooooo 