I thought it would be a good idea for us to have a thread where we follow the developments of the Pakistan team. From now related to the SA tour and upto the WC 2007.
There will be many things happening and we document it by creating a timeline of sorts here. What ever related to the team we put here.
For individual games there will be sticky threads no doubt.
Here is one new development for SA:
Maybe , maybe not…
Pakistan all-rounder Abdul Razzaq is doubtful for next month’s Test series in South Africa.
Scans have shown the 27-year-old tore muscles in his thigh during Saturday’s final one-day international against West Indies.
“Doctors have initially advised him to rest for around four weeks which means he could miss the Tests,” said a Pakistan Cricket Board official.
The first match of the three-Test series starts on 11 January.
^ I agree. Razzaq should not be a part of our test team, especially on the SA pitches. I think we're better off playing a specilist seamer or batsman in his place.
If selector can't trust inexpereince Yasir Arafat as replacement for Razzaq, They should consider Azhar Mehmood as Razzaq replacement. Azhar did pretty good against SA in past, and he is experienced and gained some good experience on ENG wickets.
PCB tipped Azhar as a future captain, and i guess that threatened Inzi and since then they are unjustly keeping him away from the team.
Bhaiya if you know your cricket then you would not discard Razzler like this.
I heard his interview and he fencied himself on SA bouncy pitches for his kind of bowling. His injury is not so serious but he requires 2/3 weeks rest and reconditioning to be of any use on this tour.
Its Afridi's test who is 'In' and must pickup his form.
----------------cvabn-----------------
Utter rubish ! Whats your source ? and don’t tell me 'local corner shop grocery Urdu Newspapers scattered all over UK & N.America,
Did you follow cricket when Azhar was recalled, esp after his rocketing performance in England? He looks like a pregnant woman now :o He was good for first few years. Please stop living in past and stop using ‘education’ factor when looking at player’s performances. He cannot earn his place back in the squad and you are saying PCB tipped him as captain?
i think pcb should replace razzaq with samiullah niazi, youngster and future of our cricket
please stop thinking about old and discarded guns azhar is out and thats it pcb should try young guns like
samiullah niazi
mohd irshad
but apart from giving chances to youngsters i think the best replacement of razzaq is yasir arafat
I watched M. Irshad during the 20/20 tournament...He looks like a Shoaib Akhtar duplicate to me...he has a similar body..maybe not as tall..all his actions looked as though he was a walking talking Shoaib Photocopy....Anyone else notice this? He has his own bowling action though,.
Irshad is no where near Shoaib, and will never be. I have seen Irshad bowl, and he doesnt not have the talent Shoiab has, nor the speed. If anything, he is a clone of Sami. All Irshad tries for is pace, and has no control over his line and length. His domestic record is not impressive, and he's been getting spanked in 20/20 as well. Yeah he has got a few wickets here and there, but hasnt Sami? Plus, 20/20 is no way to judge a bowler, as batsmen are trying to hit every ball, even Imran Farhat and Hasan Raza have been getting regular wickets in 20/20.
Bowlers to watch out in the future are bowlers like Samiullah, Anwar Ali, Jamshed Ahmed, Najaf Shah, and a few more. Bowlers like Sami, Irshad, Khalil are overhyped players and get more attention than the more deserving ones.
We have a bowling attack to match Australia’s - Younis http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/pakistan/content/story/273868.html
Younis Khan, the Pakistan vice-captain, believes that the possible comeback of three key fast bowlers including Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif would make Pakistan the best bowling team in the world, even ahead of world champions Australia.
Younis said that his team would gain a huge pace advantage once Shoaib, Asif and Shabbir Ahmed - whose action has been cleared by the ICC - return to international cricket during next month’s tour of South Africa. The trio have been included in a list of 25 probables invited for a conditioning camp starting in Lahore from tomorrow in preparation for the tour of South Africa.
“We would have a bowling attack stronger than Australia’s if Shoaib, Asif and Shabbir return to the squad,” Younis told The News at the National Stadium in Karachi. “We are already equipped with some good bowlers but once these three are back our attack would be awesome. All these three are valuable bowlers for their wicket-taking abilities and you need such players to win Tests against strong opponents.”
Shoaib and Asif are available for selection for the tour of South Africa starting from January 4 after being cleared of doping offences by a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) appeals committee earlier this month.
Pakistan rode on a good showing from pacers Umar Gul, Shahid Nazir, Abdul Razzaq and legspinner Danish Kaneria to beat West Indies 2-0 in a home Test series this season.
“The one thing that makes me very optimistic about our team’s future is that bowlers like Umar Gul, Shahid Nazir and Mohammad Sami have been performing impressively in recent times and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan is also regaining good form,” he remarked. “I must say that once we have all our pacers ready for national duty we would be better off than even Australia in this department of the game.”
Younis, who led Peshawar Panthers into the semifinals of the ongoing Twenty20 Cup believes Pakistan would be in a good position to win the series in South Africa but was quick to add that the players will have to really apply themselves in what would be demanding playing conditions in South Africa. He played down fears that the Pakistan batsmen would flop on bouncy South African wickets.
“The South Africans are a top side but we are good enough to beat them. By applying ourselves and showing self belief we can do it. The going would be tough but I am confident we would be ready for the challenge.”
RAZZAQ:
I think Razaaq is much better palyer when used in clutch situations,Wsim showed lots of confidence in him.
Inzi needs to play him at much higher batting order than what he is sending him at.I consider Razzaq in a class of Bottam and Kalis.He should be retained in both test and one day.
loo bhiooo....imran nazir has also been called to the camp (jang urdu news)... inzi confirmed the fact and said that they wanted to monitor his performance as he is in good touch.... but i doubt that he will be able to make the cut.
^ he batted brilliantly in Twenty20... not sure about other domestic games, they should also consider other good performers in the tournament like Fawad Alam.
man now I seriously want to know who do you hangout with? or if you are Azhar or Sami in disguise.