Man, these two are good. Hafeez is good since his kind of sane batting is a rarity in Pak cricket.
But I’m a huge fan of Malik’s. This guy likes to compete; he doesn’t roll over and die like so many others. I’m afraid though that his bowling might be found out against better teams 'cause he’s only a cheaper imitation of Saqi’s. But his batting and fielding should be more than enough to keep him in the side.
Best of luck to both of them.
Putting England in a spin
By Thrasy Petropoulos
BBC Sport
What would England give for two front-line batsman under the age of 23 who are capable of bowling 10 tight overs of spin apiece in a one-day game? Despite the introduction of five new faces, and an average age of 25, England could only look on in admiration at two rising Pakistani stars who did just that at Old Trafford.
Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik are predominantly batsmen, but it was their bowling - much of it in tandem - that won the opening one-day international for Pakistan. Hafeez, who later scored an assured 69 from 112 balls to anchor the Pakistan reply, took the wicket of Vikram Solanki just when the Worcestershire batsman was beginning to find his range. And Malik suffocated England’s rollicking start with figures of 10-2-26-3.
Perhaps most impressive of all was the way that Hafeez handled the pressure of being brought on to bowl the sixth over of the innings. The 22-year-old off-spinner was being asked to control Solanki and Marcus Trescothick while the field restrictions were still in place. Worse still, he put down a caught-and-bowled chance off Solanki and was hit for six in successive balls. Undaunted, back Hafeez came and pushed one through. Solanki also went back - as did his middle stump - bringing to an end a bright and breezy run-a-ball 36.
Malik’s success was in keeping with a distinguished start to his international career, but Hafeez was playing in only his 10th one-day international and he is yet to make his Test debut. Uncharacteristically in a country where young talent seems to be plucked from obscurity, he earned his chance after several eye-catching performances in Pakistan domestic cricket.
Malik is rapidly developing into a top-class performer
And already he has three half centuries to his name, Tuesday night’s 69 being the best, and has taken eight wickets at 25. Despite being a year younger than Hafeez, Malik is fast becoming an old hand at this one-day business. In 40 one-day appearances he already has two hundreds to his name and he chipped in with 24 runs from 26 balls against England. His 3-26 represented his best bowling figures so far. Little wonder that he appears to have modelled his action on Saqlain Mushtaq.
So, from a side of supposed greehorns have stepped two rapidly maturing - and enviable - talents. Hafeez modestly declined to accept the magnum of Champagne that came with the Man of the Match award because of his Muslim faith.
The sobering experience, however, was all England’s.
