Pakistan's tour of Australia/Australia announce squad (Merged)

Entertainment Cricket and Other Sports
61

**Pakistan call up new pace pairing **](BBC SPORT | Cricket | Other International | Pakistan | Pakistan call up new pace pairing)

Pakistan have included two uncapped pace bowlers in a 17-man squad for their three-Test tour of Australia.
Mohammad Asif is the leading domestic wicket-taker this season while left-armer Mohammad Khalil has played for the Pakistan junior and A sides.

Paceman Shabbir Ahmed was not considered after failing a fitness test on his knee on Saturday.

“We have picked the best balanced outfit for what is going to be a very tough tour,” said selector Wasim Bari.

"But at the same time the youngsters in the side have a chance to establish themselves on a permanent basis.

“Both have a lot of potential and with Shabbir Ahmed injured it was necessary to have a strong pace attack because in Australia the pitches are good for the pace bowlers.”

Pakistan leave on Saturday for the tour which includes Tests in Perth, Melbourne and Sydney followed by a triangular one-day tournament with Australia and West Indies.

Pakistan have never won a Test series in Australia and have suffered 3-0 whitewashes in their last two series, one in Australia and the other at neutral venues.

Pakistan squad: Inzamam-ul-Haq (Capt), Imran Farhat, Salman Butt, Yasir Hameed, Younis Khan, Yousuf Youhana, Asim Kamal, Kamran Akmal (Wkt), Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, Shoaib Malik, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Sami, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Khalil, Rana Naved, Danish Kaneria.

62

The following from the probables have not been chosen:

Taufiq Umer, Shabbir Ahmed, Aamir Bashir, Riaz Afridi, Bazid Khan, Faisal Iqbal, Ashar Zaidi, Faisal Athar, Misbahul Haq.

I think Riaz Afridi and Bazid Khan should have been chosen and given more chances.

Still a good squad and lets hope they put up a good show.

63

idiots missed Rauf and the other fasty once again .

64

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by ehsan: *
The following from the probables have not been chosen:

Taufiq Umer, Shabbir Ahmed, Aamir Bashir, Riaz Afridi, Bazid Khan, Faisal Iqbal, Ashar Zaidi, Faisal Athar, Misbahul Haq.

I think Riaz Afridi and Bazid Khan should have been chosen and given more chances.

Still a good squad and lets hope they put up a good show.
[/QUOTE]

Ehsan bhayee,, do you really think that Riaz Afiridi needs to be in the team.. To me he is a lil lower than being mediocre. He doesnt posses a satuture( i hope this spell is correct) of a good fast bowler either..

Anyway, it seems to be a good side.

65

i think taufeeq n faisal iqbal shud have been chosen :(

66

For those who are angry over Rauf's continuous exclusion must remember that coach, selectors and captain are not blind or have any bias against Rauf. They must have had a look at him and felt that Asif and Khalil are better choices for the tough tour ahead.

A balanced enough squad, I think the only reason Afridi was chosen is to give him enough time to acclimitize himself with australian pitches (not that he needs it :-p). He is highly unlikely to play tests.

67

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by saby: *
He is highly unlikely to play tests.
[/QUOTE]

haan lekin likes u said VB series me to aakhir afridi ne hee hamay bachana hai na....

68

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by saby: *
I think the only reason Afridi was chosen is to give him enough time to acclimitize himself with australian pitches (not that he needs it :-p).
[/QUOTE]

haha - true say :-)
Instantaneous Acclimatization ... or say "Plug-N-Pray" :)

69

I would have had Taufeeq instead of Farhat. We need stability at the top, and Omar is the best man to provide it. Maybe, just maybe, Afridi would have been better than Rana as he relies on seam movement and Rana on swing. Seamers tend to be more successful in Oz.

Otherwise the squad is perfect. Kamal's inclusion is especially pleasing.

70

Inzamam, on eve of Australia tour, not worried by Kiwis’ thrashing](http://uk.sports.yahoo.com/041122/3/7od2.html)

LAHORE, Pakistan (AFP) - Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq insisted his team remained positive about their upcoming tour of Australia despite New Zealand’s heavy defeat against the world champions.

He said Pakistan, who have never won a full Test series in Australia in eight attempts, would not be intimidated by the Kiwis’ innings and 156-run defeat as they crumbled for 76 all out on the fourth day on Sunday.

“We are going to Australia with a positive frame of mind and our young team and are not worried over what happened to New Zealand in the first Test last week,” Inzamam told AFP on Monday.

The captain, who took over as skipper last year, also received a boost when the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced he will remain as captain until the tour of the West Indies in May-June next year.

“It’s a great honour for me to lead the side and the Australian tour will be my first real test and I want to achieve what no other captain has achieved – win a Test series in Australia,” said Inzamam, who took over as skipper last year.

“On a bad pitch Australia succumbed in India recently so any team can suffer like this,” he added.

Inzamam said Pakistan, whose first Test against the hosts starts in Perth on December 16, could take inspiration from their 1992 World Cup win and other one-day victories in Australia.

“We won the World Cup in Australia in 1992 and a tri-series in 1997 so we can do well in the Tests as well and the way this young team is working I am confident that the results will be different,” he said.

“This is a young team willing to do its best and I hope they will achieve the best.”

Pakistan have announced a 17-man squad for the three Tests and tri-series one-day tournament also involving the West Indies.

Besides Inzamam, only express pacer Shoaib Akhtar, Younis Khan, Abdul Razzaq, Yousuf Youhana and Shahid Afridi have previously toured Australia.

71

The Schedule:




Dec 2004 
Tue 7 Cricket Australia Chairman's XI v Pakistan, Perth 
Thu 9 - Sun 12 Western Australia v Pakistan W.A.C.A. Ground, Perth 
**Thu 16 - Mon 20 Australia v Pakistan W.A.C.A. Ground, Perth 
Sun 26 - Thu 30 Australia v Pakistan Melbourne Cricket Ground 
Jan 2005 
Sun 2 - Thu 6 Australia v Pakistan Sydney Cricket Ground **
Wed 12 Australia A v Pakistan Adelaide Oval 
Tue 25 Prime Minister's XI v Pakistan Canberra

The ODI series:



Jan 2005 
Fri 14  Australia v West Indies Melbourne Cricket Ground 
**Sun 16 Australia v Pakistan Hobart 
Wed 19 Pakistan v West Indies Brisbane Cricket Ground **
Fri 21  Australia v West Indies Brisbane Cricket Ground 
**Sun 23  Australia v Pakistan Sydney Cricket Ground **
Wed 26  Australia v West Indies Adelaide Oval 
**Fri 28 Pakistan v West Indies Adelaide Oval 
Sun 30  Australia v Pakistan W.A.C.A. Ground, Perth
Feb 2005 
Tue 1 Pakistan v West Indies W.A.C.A. Ground, Perth **
Fri 4  VB Series 1st final Melbourne Cricket Ground 
Sun 6  VB Series 2nd final Sydney Cricket Ground 
Tue 8  VB Series 3rd final (if req) Adelaide Oval
72

let's hope mohammed khalil and mohammed aisf can produce some results since they have been given the chance. they should try one of them instead of rana

73

nahi bhayee, aur bhi baray players hain. Afridi bhi perform karega insha’allah but he isnt our only hope :-/

that ‘plug and pray’ phrase is hillariuos :hehe:

74

Very stable team. Openers and middle order batsman and bowlers all set, squad looks good.

The only dissapointment is that, i dont see Shabbir Ahmad's name anywhere. Dammn this was one tour where we needed him the most.

75

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by saby: *
For those who are angry over Rauf's continuous exclusion must remember that coach, selectors and captain are not blind or have any bias against Rauf. They must have had a look at him and felt that Asif and Khalil are better choices for the tough tour ahead.

A balanced enough squad, I think the only reason Afridi was chosen is to give him enough time to acclimitize himself with australian pitches (not that he needs it :-p). He is highly unlikely to play tests.
[/QUOTE]

no they r not, but the politics of favorism still go on until today, even in the so called bob woolmer era.

n afridi selected to acclimitize?? he needs no aclimitization, the guy just goes out there n plays, he's never got ne planning. how many of us seriously believe that his selection will make ne difference 2 the way he plays the game??

also is khalil another medium pace bowler, or has he got some wicket taking ability as well??

76

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Sharaabi: *
Very stable team. Openers and middle order batsman and bowlers all set, squad looks good.

The only dissapointment is that, i dont see Shabbir Ahmad's name anywhere. Dammn this was one tour where we needed him the most.
[/QUOTE]

We have decent enough bowlers ( can get 22 wickets of kangroos) and all rounders, but the game lies how our batsman play against the pumped up aussiz attack.

Inshalla they will do good, Its not only Afridi we should count on, its the TEAM WORK!

77

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by acrobi123: *

We have decent enough bowlers ( can get 22 wickets of kangroos) and all rounders,
[/QUOTE]

You will just need 20 in each game. Please Forgive those 2 extra guys.

78

I think this is a decently chosen team. I dont know why people keep saying Taufiq this and that. Does anybody out there have any proof that he has performed recently. From what I've heard he is even struggling in domestic cricket.
The main problem is pace bowling (strangely enough). Sami is very unpredictable and Razzaq might be our second best bet for wickets after Shoiab.
Kaneria will have to play well for us to have any shot.
I hope we do ok, but honestly I think we would be lucky to tie one test and I would be ecstatic if we can win one.

79

i hope they salvage some pride out of the tour...its the toughest tour possible

80

i think we may surprise alot of ppl on this tour...seriosuly the loss of shabbir is pretty big considering the australia pitches.. but who knows, we could breed a new fast bowling superstar u never know.... all i know is ill be glued to the tv for this series