Re: QF Australia vs. Pakistan 20th March 2015 @ Adelaide (3rd QF)
I do not think that Pakistan lost because of bowling, so it is no point saying that Pakistan lost main bowlers. I doubt if Hafeez or Ajmal had done much in Australian wickets of fast bowlers. As for Junaid, I doubt he would have bowled any better than what present set of bowlers did.
Problem was batting and fielding. Pakistani batting line upis full of crappies, low standard batsmen. None can be classified as good or even average batsmen in world cricket where norm is Ave 40 plus @ SR 80 plus. As for fielding, Pakistani players give runs on fields and drop catches as habit.
Just imagine, take any Pakistani top batsman and think what Pakistan would do if they played all balls Pakistan would face?
Misbah … Ave 43 @ SR 73 … one of the best of the lot (selected to play). In 50 overs (300 balls), if Pakistan have all 5 top order batsmen with performance like Misbah than they would make 220 runs losing wickets 5 time … add 10 extras and Pakistan would make at most 230 runs.
Compare that with Australian player Shane Watson … Ave 41 @ SR 90. In 50 overs (300 balls), he would make 270 runs losing his wickets 5 time … add 10 extras and you would get 280 runs.
Well, Australia has other quality batsmen too … while Pakistan is full of pathetic batsmen.
Among pinch hitters, Pakistan only have 1 (Shahid Afridi) with Ave 23 and SR 117. That means, Pakistan lacks batsmen who can accelerate inning in last 10 to 15 overs. Australia has two pinch hitters (both better than Afridi) and some of their middle order batsmen are also as good as pinch hitters. For instance:
Pakistan: Shahid Afridi .. Ave 23, SR 117
Australia:
Maxwell .. Ave 35 @ SR 126
Faulkner .. Ave 44 @ SR 112
Very few may have noticed that Australian top ten batsmen who played with Pakistan, nine had SR near 90 and all can bat (exception was M Clarke whose Ave is ~45 and SR is ~79, still better than all Pakistani batsmen)