Just finished watching the highlights of the Pak/SA semifinal. Here are my thoughts:
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Afridi, even though he scored a fifty, was uncomfortable against the fast bowlers. Maybe it was the pitch, or maybe the speed of Dale Steyn, but his pull shots didn’t look convincing. It is very easy to mistime a pull against the faster bowlers, top-edge it and get caught.
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Shahzaib’s pull shot needs some work too. You can’t always pull from outside off against really fast bowlers. Result is often a skier, to which Shahzaib got out against SA.
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Malik is playing his role well as a consolidator. He may not bat pretty, but he has got the experience, and can be effective. Plus he can slog too. No need to give him grief about playing slow.
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Misbah should bat ahead of Abdul Razzaq. Pakistan can’t afford to NOT let Misbah bat.
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Abdul Razzaq should come in the end overs to just slog. He doesn’t bat well against the spinners, but can be effective against the fast bowlers if he connects.
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No need to say anything about Gul, Afridi, and Ajmal. They’ve been outstanding. However, not many have appreciated Mohammad Amir. To me, he has been rock solid, quietly going about his business without fuss. He’s got a good head on his shoulders, keeps his line and length, and has good speed.
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Razzaq seems to be the weaker link in bowling. His overs should be used wisely.
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Akmal’s straight six and Younis Khan’s reverse sweep for a four were the shots of the day for me.
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Another classic moment was Afridi’s flying kiss to Kallis. While he initiated the exchange with his glare to Afridi, Kallis really had no idea how to react to that flying kiss! Classic!
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The final is not the time to experiment. No need to promote Afridi as an opener, or to bring a new player in. Also, no need to try Fawad Alam if he hasn’t been bowled the whole tournament. Unless things go drastically wrong, stick with the basics and the players who have been performing.