Pakistan’s test match schedule against SA next month is ridiclous as we play 3 tests in 20 days. This will place lots of physical demands on our already fragile and partly fit players and could lead to injuries which might not heal in time for the world cup. What was the PCB thinking in agreeing to such a hectic schedule?
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Don't worry. PCB is quite smart. They realize that Pak will lose the tests within three days, so it really isn't as bad as it looks.
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^True, we know our batting and these days proteas are batting poorly too, so no test is likely to go to 5th day.
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i agree with you .major injury to one of the key players is a great concern. PCB should rotate players to avoid chances of getting hurt.one other disadvantage of SA series that i see is that if we loose badly, it will be very demoralizing before the WC.
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yeah PCB is betting on that.
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To be honest I like the schedule and only thing missing is more practice matches, the fact that Pakistan team will will play only one practice match is a bad thing. Like India if they can get another practice match it will be better for the team. Injuries are part of the game, Pakistan is sending the extended party of 17 players to SA, so I think there will be sufficient depth to cover all bases.
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Potentially 15 days of top class cricket spread over 20 days will tire out our fast bowlers if nothing else. This is not good for the team.
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who cares, PCB is gonna earn lotsa money in very little time which means big bonus for the bosses.
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PCB should have included shoaib, he could have at least played 1 test match, no matter what, this guy always gives u a chance to win, he makes a difference as we saw against england and india!
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PCB sucks… Is it not worth it to give your star player a chance on this tour unless there is another reason which they are hiding from Public… As Osman Samiuddin points out here: http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ci/content/current/story/274401.html
There is definintely people who dont want him on this tour including our own Inzi.
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I think there would be growing pressure on the selectors to send Akhtar to SA esp. if we lose the first test badly and India go onto draw or win the test series against SA. As many people have quite rightly said even a 1/3 fit Akhtar is less of a gamble than a fully fit Sami who has been given one chance too many IMO.
The ‘Shoaib is unfit’ line is nothing but codswallop, a convenient way of covering Inzi’s ongoing personal problems with Akhtar. I am afraid Inzi has a lot to do with Shoaib’s non-selection. And as it says in the article…
**‘The speculation doesn’t appear to be entirely unfounded either and there are suggestions that the captain was adamant about not taking him’ **
And what are we supposed to make of this recent pic of Inzi and Akhtar getting up close and personal?
Does it mean that beneath that often goof, dopey and humble public persona of Inzi lies a person who’s disingenuous and untrustworthy?
I hope they get hammered in the first test and Akhtar shuns them all by announcing his retirement from all cricket. Yes the guy is no angel but he has surely had enough of PCB treating him shabbily all the time.
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Axed Shoaib storms out of chairman’s office
http://www.dawn.com/2006/12/30/spt3.htm
LAHORE, Dec 29: Pakistan’s maverick fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar stormed out of the Gaddafi Stadium on Friday after holding a brief meeting with the Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman, Dr Nasim Ashraf following his axing from the South African tour.
Shoaib, who had appeared at the stadium soon after the announcement of the Pakistan team, left the chairman’s office after just 15 minutes, looking extremely angry and refusing to talk to the mediamen at the ground.
Later, selector Ehtesham-ud-Din told the press conference that Shoaib could not find a place in the squad since he lacked match-fitness. “Shoaib’s performance in the third Twenty-20 Cup was proof that he needs to gain more match-fitness,” he said.
Ehtesham, however, said that the Rawalpindi Express could stage a comeback for the one-day series against South Africa if he displays form and required match-fitness in the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy which commences from Jan 6.
“Shoaib will have five matches in a row in the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy and if he does well, he will definitely be considered for the one-day series against South Africa,” said Ehtesham, a former Test medium pacer.
According to inside sources, Shoaib who was recently exonerated from doping charges alongwith fellow pacer Mohammad Asif, was under consideration for the tour but his refusal to display a sponsor’s logo in the recent Twenty20 Cup rubbed the PCB officials wrong way and compelled them to impose a fine of Rs 10,000 on him for his needless act.
While Asif was recalled by the selectors on Friday for the challenging tour, lanky medium-pacer Shabbir Ahmed failed to get selectors’ nod. According to Ehtesham, the lanky pace bowler, who recently completed a one-year ban imposed by the ICC for his illegal bowling action also failed to impress in the Twenty20 Cup and did not show much enthusiasm in the ongoing training camp at the Gaddafi Stadium for the tour.
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That is a pathetic schedule, to say the least. And what is the deal, really, with selectors judging the performances based on Twenty/20? Why the double standards? If one player does terribly exciting and thrashes the domestic bowlers all over the park, does it translate into him being picked over the one who, granted is not fully upto his fitness level, but could lead to be a decisive factor in foreign pitches? The one who is already a proven commodity? What kind of a selection is this? That infernal contraption is hand-picked for God knows what reasons, everytime now. Ridiculous just doesn't cut it.
Not happy at all.
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**
Woolmer unhappy with Pakistan itinerary**
Bob Woolmer, the Pakistan coach, has criticised Pakistan’s international schedule, claiming that the team would be too tired before the World Cup in the West Indies begins in March. “Unfortunately, in today’s merry-go-round, I think you can call it, tour itineraries are just nonsensical,” he said.
Pakistan’s current tour of South Africa includes three back-to-back Tests and five one-dayers, a cramped schedule compared to India’s tour which preceded this series. "They’ve got to sit down and really think it through. I’m particularly worried that the World Cup comes so soon after a three day Test series and five one-day internationals crammed into just over a month.
“The modern coach is going to have to factor in a completely different way of structuring practices and structuring tours in order to cope with this situation. This all makes winning away from home very tough.”
Woolmer hoped that all the individual cricket boards take player issues into consideration before drawing up itineraries, especially before important tournaments like the World Cup. With Pakistan’s final one-dayer scheduled for February 14, they have barely three weeks to recuperate before the World Cup warm-up matches get underway. Woolmer had requested that Pakistan play just one Test instead of three, mainly to avoid player fatigue.
“I think it could be a bridge too far for a lot of our players and I’m really worried about it,” Woolmer said. "There’s so little time to prepare. In the past, you would have a couple of four-day games; you’d have 10 or 11 days in the nets, and then you’d walk into the first Test match. Now you have to adapt as best you can to the conditions.