Since PCB chair and chief selectors keep issuing instructions to the touring squad, why don’t they advise the touring selection panel to allow every one on the bench some batting and bowling practice if in case someone is needed for semi final and/or final. As we all saw Ponting, Prior out of the competition, and God forbid Pakistan may face any such situation.
Since Pakistan already made it to semi final, so it will be nice to allow everyone some match and batting practice, and choose following team and batting order (wicket look like equally conducive to bowling and batting:
[Rest Butt, Nazir, Asif and Rehman]
Send team in following batting order if bat first:
- Akmal
- Hafeez
- Afridi
- Misbah
- Fawad
- Tanvir (he scored 124 in one of his 21 first class matches)
- Yasir Arafat
- Rao
- Malik
- Younis
- Gul
They could change Malik and Younis order of batting if team started to get in any unexpected trouble, otherwise above batting order with instruction to each player to play their natural game.
This team will give Pakistan more than enough fire power along with 3-5 spin bowling options (Leg spin of Afridi and Younis; offspin of Hafeez and Malik and left arm orthodox of Fawad); plus 4 pace bowlers in Gul, Tanvir, Rao and Yasir; And batting depth to number 10.
It will be worth a try.