JOHANNESBURG (South Africa), February 4: Pakistan opener Saeed Anwar will also miss the World Cup warmup match against Easterns at Benoni on Thursday after injuring his elbow during Monday’s net session at the Wanderers.
Saeed was hit on the left elbow joint by a rising delivery from Shoaib Akhtar.
Saeed underwent a series of tests on late Monday and on Tuesday morning. According to medical reports, Saeed has damaged his tissues and has a bruised elbow.
“Saeed will also miss Tuesday’s game but will hopefully be available for World Cup opener against Australia at Wanderers on February 11,” team manager Shaharyar Khan said.
Saaed has been out of the game at the highest level for a very long time and now he is injured. The question is therfore that can he perform at the highest level and also against the best team in the opening match, or should Pakistan look at other openers and dump Saeed?
His performance in cricket's most prestigious tournament has been brilliant as he averages 53.61 from 16 matches, including two centuries and three half centuries.
He really needed to be on Pakistan's recent tour of South Africa, and this latest injury is a major headache.
The only realistic alternative is Elahi - asking Afridi to open will be like handing the first wicket to the opposition. I say stick with Saeed and hope for the best.
Saeed will also miss next and last warm-up match on Thursday. I am not sure if he should play against Australia. Maybe, we should play Taufeeq and bring Saeed for the second match against Namibia.
It really is a shame that at a time when we are struggling to find a reliable opening pair, that our one world class opener is injured and short of match practice. If he doesnt play against Australia who do we open with:
Taufeeq and Elahi
Taufeeq and Afridi
Elahi and Afridi?
Playing Afridi as an opener against Australia means the first wicket down within the first three overs.
Afridi should open against all the teams EXCEPT Australia. He will destroy Namibia, England and India for sure. I guess Taufeeq and Salim should open against Aussies.
Waisay bhai log, just the thought of McGrath and Gillespie bowling the first 12 overs against Pakistan on tuesday … array yaar meri tau abhi sai Phutt rahee hay.
I think Taufeeq will play whatever comes. The other spot will be decided b/w Afridi, Saeed and Elahi. If Saeed isn't going to play then I'd go for Elahi ahead of Afridi. Although I don't think either will do anything.
LOL! I reckon two left-handers is our best bet of knocking them out of their rhythm. If Elahi plays he should just go for it and let Taufeeq play the anchor role.
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*Originally posted by funguy: *
Afridi should open against all the teams EXCEPT Australia. He will destroy Namibia, England and India for sure. I guess Taufeeq and Salim should open against Aussies.
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I can see Afridi murdering the teams you mentioned above, FG.
But by the law of averages, Afridi is due a big score against the Aussies. So, I'd go in with Afridi and Taufeeq. All Afridi has to do is let Taufeeq hold the fort against McGrath and Gillepsie (I know in Afridi's case, it is easier said than done) and he can easily launch into Australia's backup, most notably Brad Hogg. I hope Hogg and Warne get caned by Affers and the rest.
But playing Elahi and Afridi together is a big no-no. It's like havng two pinch hitters go in together.
If saeed Anwar doesn't play in the next 2 matches then we have only 2 choices, Afridi-Elahi or Elahi-Taufeeq, seeing that Afridi is needed as a sixth bowler then we should go with Elahi and Afridi, Elahi has done well in the warm up matches and Taufeeq has not. We all know no matter who the openers, we are guarenteed to lose the first 2 wickets in the first 3 overs so we have to rely on the middle order, so why not have Afridi score 15 runs in 5 balls rather than Taufeeq score 10 runs in 40 balls.
why not consider bringing another batsman up the order to open if saeed cant play. we can't have two relatively slow batsman in taufiq and elahi to open innings in the world cup.. afridi still has the experience and may still be atleast able to put some of the pressure off, he needs to score a resonable total before leaving. remember 2 quick wickets could mean a disaster down the order. but also we gotta loook at the fact that we need a big total against australia, and we cant get that when we get 20 runs of the first 10 overs with taufiq and elahi
Pakistan pace bowler Shoaib Akhtar has claimed his first World Cup victim – team mate Saeed Anwar.
Opening batsman Anwar has been ruled out of both the team’s warm-up matches after ending up in hospital following a blow on the left elbow.
Team manager Shahryar Khan said: “He was hit while batting in the nets and had two scans. There’s no fracture, it’s just bruising. He’s out for three or four days. Anything from Shoaib hitting the body is pretty lethal.”
Pakistan were playing Gauteng in Lenasia, just outside Johannesburg, in their first warm-up game on Tuesday. They play Easterns in Benoni on Thursday.
Shoaib, challenging Australia’s Brett Lee as the fastest bowler in the world and dubbed the ‘Rawalpindi Express’, was unofficially timed bowling at 100.04mph (161kph) last year.
The 34-year-old Anwar, the holder of the world record one-day score of 194, has just been recalled to the team after a long spell in the wilderness in an attempt to bolster Pakistan’s batting.
Pakistan play their opening match against Australia, a repeat of the 1999 World Cup final, on February 11 at the Wanderers ground in Johannesburg.
… array yaar meri tau abhi sai Phutt rahee hay.
