I love Waqar and Rashid as cricketers, but i think they must go if Pakistan is to bring the cup home.Waqar has lost his repect as a leader (after series of bad experiences with star players, i.e. AKhtar, Youhanna etc), and Rashid Bhai is badly worn down by Injuries. I understand how both are extremely keen to participate in the world cup but we are to win it, then following can do the job:
Saeed Anwar- Pakistan need his class and experience!
Taufeeq Umar
Yosuf Youhanna
Inzamam ul Haq
Younis Khan
Abdur Razzaq- Does not want to perform under Waqar’s leadership
Shahid Afridi- Has improved his bowling immensely
*Moin Khan- Good with gloves and mouth behind the stumps
Wasim Akram
Saqlain Mushtaq
Shoaib Akhtar
well yeah Waqar may nt be as respected for his bowling but he still is the suitble captain for the worldcup. I dont think that changing captain at this 11th hour before the worldcup will bring any stability.
Let this team settle down under waqar and pray that they beat south africa to check their credentials… :k:
One player is just one player. Cricket is a team sport and the whole team matters.
In any case, I find the team given up very good, because at this late stage we can probably get away with changing the skippers, but it will be very hard to gel together a new and inexperienced side. Our current selectors seem to be working on the wrong theory to build up a young team at this point. The time to test new and outstanding talent will begin after the world cup campaign is over. Hopefully successfully. Thats what all Pakistanis pray for, right? :)
Player for player, the above team stacks up very well. It has 3 fast bowlers, one regular spinner, three-allrounders (Waseem, Razzak and Afridi) and good solid and above all, experienced batting line-up.
Four more points, as my personal opinion:
1. I have not seen Taufeeq Umer play, but based on his record recently, I am sure he is a good bet for ODI's. Though the selectors can keep a couple of back-ups like Imran Nazir, or whoever is good, so they can have some options in case an opener just couldn't adjust to SA pitches.
In the top 15 players, I will also pick up a good leg-spinner (Mushtaq Ahmed, maybe) just to give tour selectors more options in case Saqlain loses his form or the wickets support a wrist spinner.
Afridi may come in very handy in the slog overs, because although he has less than perfect technique, but he has very strong wrists, which can hit very hard and very far.
*]Personally, it pains me to see the captain constantly experimenting with batting line-up and sending Razzaq at #3. The top order should be responsible enough to take control of the innings and settle down, instead of requiring an all-rounder (howver, talented he maybe) to play the role of sheet-anchor. In 1999, in some matches, Razzaq did stay on to stem the riot but because he is not naturally a top-order player so that slowed the tempo of the innings beyond relief.
Pakistan batting is as un trustworthy as our Bazameer Bhutto...
don't count on them!!!
The key to our sucess...is one and only... "SHOIAB AKHTER"
Inshallah he will rattle evey single batsman.....The apex preditor will hunt them down
he will unleash the true terror...Inshallah
may the forces be w/ him (Yoda style)
[/QUOTE]
I hope he stays fit for the world cup and if he can do the trick for PAK I'll jump up and down. But somewhat you are right due to the fast pitches of SA. I think we will be able to get the answer after PAK vs SA series.
Pakistan's only hope of WC glory rest with the peformance of a few players:
Shoaib Akhtar-he is the key! Centar lto it all, if he fires-we can go all the way. If he flops, Pakistan can book tickets home ASAP!
Inzi-one of the worlds premier batsmen, all class. Brilliant ODI bat-can turn a game. Also 1 of our 2 reliable m/o batsmen.
Youhana-the other in our pair of world class batsmen, improviser in the mould of Miandad, and a fighter. These two must score!
Saqlian-indespensable ODI bowler, (his test worth is a totally different issue so dont say I'm contradicting myself!) Magician, keeps it tight at the death.
Razzaq-pivotal role, and balance of team,
The rest are just there-if they fire, takbir, if they dont-we will not lose too much in terms of contributions. That 5 must to all the work, others are largely either past it (Waqar/Wasim/Anwar) or "bits and pieces" players.
Oh when I was reading the topic, I thought you would mean, “If Pakistan is to win the WORLD CUP… what would you do afterwards?”
Well I’d paint myself totally in Green and White and run onto the -25oC weather and celebrate in the middle of traffic in front of goray Canadians.
Or maybe I’d get a Egg painted of each country reprsented, and write Proudly Pakistani, then throw a egg at a house for where a individual of that origin resides.
But back to the real topic.
I am 100% in favor of your lineup.
I just wish Moin Khan could be back and leading the team. It’s Ramadan, maybe if I pray harder, my dua might come true.
Imran Nazir.
when I was reading the topic, I thought you would mean, “If Pakistan is to win the WORLD CUP… what would you do afterwards?”