The reports I'm reading so far in the English press are pointing towards a massive over-confidence wrt the coming matches. One commentator even went as far as to suggest that England would be better off playing test matches right now against South Africa to prove themselves the 2nd best team in the world. I think I might revise my opinion on the results, I think we are capable of providing a nasty shock to the system.
Pakistanis innings R M B 4 6
Imran Nazir c Powell b Anderson 66 92 63 12 1
Mohammad Hafeez lbw b Swann 38 80 56 4 0
Younis Khan c Swann b Anderson 69 89 82 5 1
Yasir Hameed run out 62 91 74 5 0
Shoaib Akhtar c & b Wright 5 8 9 0 0
Misbah-ul-Haq b Cawdron 18 18 11 1 1
Bilal Asad c Wright b Cawdron 4 4 5 0 0
Shoaib Malik not out 7 11 3 0 1
Mohammad Sami not out 1 0 2 0 0
Extras (lb 7, w 16, nb 5) 28
Total (7 wickets, 50 overs) 298
DNB: *+Rashid Latif, Umar Gul.
FoW: 1-116 (Mohammad Hafeez), 2-126 (Imran Nazir),
3-252 (Younis Khan), 4-268 (Shoaib Akhtar),
5-268 (Yasir Hameed), 6-274 (Bilal Asad),
7-291 (Misbah-ul-Haq).
Bowling O M R W
Wright 10 1 49 1 (1nb, 1w)
Cawdron 10 0 70 2 (5w)
Greenidge 5 0 56 0 (4nb, 4w)
Anderson 10 0 43 2 (1w)
Swann 10 0 41 1 (1w)
Cook 5 0 32 0 (2w)
Finally a decent performance with the bat by Imran, Hafeez, Yasir again and younis khan... Misbah still didnt get enough time in the middle but maybe in last practice match he will bat up the order..
Decent performances by Imran, Yasir and Younis. Hafeez was very slow. Can't understand why Shoaib was sent ahead of Misbah. As Misbah was included in the team he should have been sent up the order to see how he performs. I hope we are not suddenly deluding ourselves by thinking that Shoaib can bat.
A good defendable total.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by ehsan: *
I hope we are not suddenly deluding ourselves by thinking that Shoaib can bat.
[/QUOTE]
surely he will not be considered as a batsman but i think he is considred as a good death-overs hitter..... but yes i agree that runs werent important in this match, misbah should have been sent then.
Azhar Mahmood - ready for action.
I know there has always been a choice between Azhar Mahmood and Abdur Razzaq - but there is no reason why they could both not play. He would definitley would have been a better chice than Afridi.
Mahmood ready for responsibility
By Martin Gough
Essex might not have been ready for Azhar Mahmood when he ripped through their line-up with figures of 6-37 on Sunday.
They were not expecting to face him until a day later, when Pakistan visited Chelmsford for a tour match ahead of their three-match one-day series against England.
But Mahmood gained permission to play a final match with his county before joining the tourists this week, and he left Essex in tatters.
On Monday, the Chelmsford fans had something to cheer about as a Mahmood-less Pakistan succumbed to a 50-run defeat at New Writtle Road.
And the tourists will be especially desperate for the all-rounder to maintain his fine start to the England season when they take on England at Old Trafford on 17 June.
With Shoaib Akhtar serving the final part of a three-match ban for ball-tampering is the only senior member of the attack, and is likely to open the bowling.
That would be a remarkable turnaround for a man who made just a single appearance for Pakistan during the World Cup - he did not take the field in a wash-out - and has not played since.
Pakistan’s chief selector Aamir Sohail said the 28-year-old had been recalled because of his “excellent form with the bat and the ball” for Surrey.
So far this year he has taken 13 one-day wickets at a miserly average of 18.38, as well as 19 in the Championship, and scored 447 runs in both forms of the game.
But it is not just the defending county champions who have gained from Mahmood’s first full season at The Oval.
Surrey coach Keith Medlycott believes the all-rounder has prospered because of the quality of the south London Test venue and the attitude of a team that has not lost a match this season.
“We have played on some high quality wickets, which is always helpful,” Medlycott told the BBC Sport website.
“And we play with freedom so unlike some other overseas players he doesn’t have to come in and prove himself or be fearful of getting out.”
Mahmood as yo-yoed in and out of the Pakistan line-up since his debut against India in Toronto in 1996.
But for Medlycott there was never any question as to his quality with both bat and ball.
“It’s surprising that internationally he hasn’t been given a full crack because he has real quality, as we saw when he toured with Pakistan two years ago” he says.
"He is destructive especially at the start and end of the innings, both with bat and ball.
“But his biggest strength is his hunger - he has the heart of a lion and just loves a challenge.”
Mahmood’s biggest break has come, though, because of an all-rounder who currently plies his trade across town with Middlesex.
Speaking to this website in 2002, between spells as Pakistan coach, Richard Pybus said: "In any other cricket-playing country, such a wonderful all-rounder would have his permanent place.
“But for Pakistan, it’s a question of choice between him and Abdur Razzaq.”
Razzaq was passed over by the selectors, who described him as “tired” prior to this trip.
In his place they have a veteran of 124 one-day internationals ready to step up and make a claim to a more permanent place.
Pakistan doing well so far ,
Northants 62/3 in 14 overs
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by ehsan: *
....I hope we are not suddenly deluding ourselves by thinking that Shoaib can bat...
[/QUOTE]
I think 42 in World Cup was in focus when he was sent ahead of Misbah, Bilal, Shoaib Malik.
Northamptonshire 157/4 (30 over)
142 needed with 6 wickets remaining.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by a1kashur: *
Northamptonshire 157/4 (30 over)
142 needed with 6 wickets remaining.
[/QUOTE]
Thats what Pakistan needed in last game, 141 in 20 overs. Lets see how we manage things now.
Umar Gul 7 overs for 57 runs. 
Umar Gul (RFM) 7 0 57 1 8.14 (2nb, 2w)
and still bowling
Northampton 170/5.
Northamptonshire require another 129 runs; Northamptonshire have 5 wickets remaining
Another one gone.
170/6
Gul 2 wickets in two balls
Bowlers: O M R W Econ
Umar Gul 7.4 0 62 3 8.09
Calm down, its a practice match, winning is not the important, its only to see which player is doing good or not.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by ehsan: *
Bowlers: O M R W Econ
Umar Gul 7.4 0 62 3 8.09
[/QUOTE]
I think now its justified.... phew
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by UMAIR316: *
Calm down, its a practice match, winning is not the important, its only to see which player is doing good or not.
[/QUOTE]
If in practice match against unknown players you are doing this then what will happen when you face the actual English team.
On the other hand if you think 57 runs in 7 overs is good bowling then good luck.
However he has redeemed himself by taking two wickets.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by UMAIR316: *
Calm down, its a practice match, winning is not the important, its only to see which player is doing good or not.
[/QUOTE]
then you find out that Umar Gul is giving away too many runs. though he got 2 more wickets too (3 in all), good for him.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by ehsan: *
If in practice match against unknown players you are doing this then what will happen when you face the actual English team.
On the other hand if you think 57 runs in 7 overs is good bowling then good luck.
However he has redeemed himself by taking two wickets.
[/QUOTE]
Ehsan bhai, I never said his figures are good, some of the very good bowlers in the past have gone for high figures, but that doesn't mean it will be repeated.
Practice matches are only there to see which player is in good form, so the selection process for the selectors will be easy or the players to be adjusted to English conditions.
Bowling O M R W
Umar Gul 10 0 73 3 (2nb, 2w)
Gul took three wickets but was expensive. It will be a case of choosing between him and Shabbir for the ODI as a third seamer.
Northants 210/8 off38.5 overs.
man, this team sucks. they still can't chase and now they can't even defend targets. at least the old team was a tiger at defending scores.
I want Inzi, Saeed, Wasim, Waqar, Razzaq, Saqlain, Ata-ur-Rehman, Imran and Sarfraz Nawaz back. Kick out these good for nothing newbies (except for my two boys Hafeez and Shobby Malik).