Re: Shoaib Malik as a test player
Dhobi bhai a very biased analysis. You listed all these faults with Shoaib and then continued saying that we have run out of options hence Shoaib is the Captain. So you think a 20 minute wait outside Sheheryar's office and then leaving is a far bigger crime than being a mediocre batsmen, having less than desireable acumen of the game, making wrong decisions, not willing to lead from the front? Why not Younis Khan bhai saab ya phir Shoaib? Both are world class and both are relatively consistent with their performance.
Why not Younis Khan or Shoaib Akhtar? The 'why not' translates into one of them rejecting the captaincy on two separate occasions and the latter? Should we go ahead with the decision of changing captains every two games based on looking at the hamstring levels of Shoaib Akhtar which might or might not pull? A world-class bowler, by all means, no argument from this corner. But one has to be available for an entire series, let alone be able to lead the team in the field for a whole day while on the field. The guy bowls his quota, goes and sits in the dressing room until he is match-fit again. They both are, as you put it, relatively consistent but how much of a risk should we be taking one of the above scenarios were to take place? As far as Younis Khan becoming captain, by all means. PCB will have to cut one of their own legs before making him captain. A question of how soon and the answer will be after the end of next year. A big, big mistake they made. Realistically, they should have made Shoaib Malik captain, not on a series-by-series basis (or for a set period of 18 months), but a suitable option would have been to set his captaincy in stone for 3 series in a stretch, against South Africa, against India and against Australia. That would have been one of the better recommendations. Shoaib Malik would have had plenty of time before settling in as a captain and proving (or disproving) his worth. You just can't rob somebody at a gunpoint by making him a series-by-series captain, that just does not instill confidence. One match with India is all that took for them to make even a bigger mistake.
By repeating that Shoaib is the captain because there is no other option it seems you are having a hard time believing that yourself.
I say ask Younis other wise go with Shoaib Akhter and let Shoaib Malik regain his form and work his way back in the test side. He is not only junior but his sub-par performances as a player and a captain makes it more difficult for him to lead seniors like Yousuf, Younis, Afridi and Akhter.
If the "seniors" are not willing to listen to "juniors", honestly, do they deserve to be a part of the team while boasting on the fact that the captain within them is a "junior"? The time when Shoaib Malik became captain, 'Jang' followed articles and quotes by some of the senior members of the team, and when referring to the team captain, Shoaib Malik was labeled "a younger brother". Three, if not four, of the senior members, if I gather correctly, said the exact same phrase and slapped it against his name. This is lunacy. The team's captain is a team captain is a team captain, regardless of his age! The "younger brother" statements should be carried either before or after the game. When on the field or giving interviews to news media, professionally, one does not refer to his team captain as such. By labeling him as "my younger brother", it gives a strong vibe that there are going to be obvious differences amongst the certain quarters.
Shoaib Malik have not been all horrible of a captain. How many times did Inzamam force a change in the bowling and brought on Shoaib Akhtar in the middle of an innings to break a partnership, or set the field accordingly in conjunction with the bowler's appeal? Shoaib Malik has taken some very pathetic decisions in the field at times, but there were also times when he was very actively present and it was noted. All in all, it is not impressing but it is there with a certain degree. The sooner Younis Khan can lead Pakistan, the sooner we can rid us of this extra space in the team that is getting hogged by Shoaib Malik. That is Shoaib Malik as a test player, not Shoaib Malik as a captain.