Re: Shoaib Malik as a test player
I followed the discussed, not the title. My comments also cover the issue of his place in the test side. I think the two issues are very related. If you ask me to put together the best possible test side for Pakistan based on available players, it will have Shoaib Malik in it. What can I say... I like the guy. :)
Re: Shoaib Malik as a test player
Sorry to bubble your burst, curve.
dont u ever bubble my burst again!!!!
PS: malik is a duffer and wont be a good captain
PS2: test player..as long as he can deliver results
Re: Shoaib Malik as a test player
I'm not getting it, why do we differ between ODI players and Test Match players? Why? Isn't Cricket=Cricket?
One little example, my friend; You can have as many as 4 or 5 slips in test cricket as soon as a new player comes in. This is unheard of in tulla cricket, and thus Malik can make his runs merrily. In test cricket, attacking fields and more time to execute bowling plans = Malik won't last long either as captain or test batsman for that matter.
Re: Shoaib Malik as a test player
Au contraire to most opinions here, I think based on available pool of international level cricketers, Shoaib Malik not only has a place in the test side, he is also the best one to lead the team. As a nation and as a group, we are way too impatient and want instant gratification. Sorry to bubble your burst, but gelling a new team under a new captain, a new coach and many new players take time. If you don't have patience, then don't follow the team for the next 12 months.
Now here are my reasons for my conclusions...
Malik, as a batsman has proved again and again that he is a cool headed player and has performed fantastically on many occasions. He may not be a Dravid or a Yousaf, but a player can't score centuries against good opposition again and again by being mediocre.
Pls get rid of this fascination with Asim Kamal and other domestic players. Time and again it has been shown that the difference in class between Pak domestic and international is pretty wide (Bazid Khan, Imran Farhat etc are prime examples). Asim Kamal can't even knock off Faisal Iqbal from our test 15, how in heavens' name will he replace Shoaib Malik?
Shoaib Akhtar is not fit to be captain for all the reasons mentioned above by dhobi bhai. We can't have a captain who plays only 20% of the season.
Younis, if he wanted to be a captain, will be captain. You can't make a horse drink. 'Enuf said. Lets move on.
Hazrat Muhammad Yousaf is a class act as a batsman. He is no motivator on the field. Move on.
Shahid Afridi doesn't even want to play in test cricket. We can't have non-playing captains. Move on.
Malik did some smart moves in his captaincy so far (T20, ODI's, tests). He did some dumb things. Its all part of the learning curve.
Highly disagree with your bias towards Malik. Based on performances alone, Afridi deserves Malik's spot in the test team (and that says A LOT). I have seen no "smart moves" from Malik sahab at all as far as REAL cricket goes. In fact, he has made so many dumb moves that it completely negates the miniature amount of good moves he did make. He is doing the basics wrong, and no coach or experience in the world can fix such peabrainness (Yes, I made that word up). We have had enough of our little "experiment" with a young captain; time to move on.
Re: Shoaib Malik as a test player
Even 9 slips 
Re: Shoaib Malik as a test player
Au contraire to most opinions here, I think based on available pool of international level cricketers, Shoaib Malik not only has a place in the test side, he is also the best one to lead the team. As a nation and as a group, we are way too impatient and want instant gratification. Sorry to bubble your burst, but gelling a new team under a new captain, a new coach and many new players take time. If you don't have patience, then don't follow the team for the next 12 months.
Now here are my reasons for my conclusions...
Malik, as a batsman has proved again and again that he is a cool headed player and has performed fantastically on many occasions. He may not be a Dravid or a Yousaf, but a player can't score centuries against good opposition again and again by being mediocre.
Pls get rid of this fascination with Asim Kamal and other domestic players. Time and again it has been shown that the difference in class between Pak domestic and international is pretty wide (Bazid Khan, Imran Farhat etc are prime examples). Asim Kamal can't even knock off Faisal Iqbal from our test 15, how in heavens' name will he replace Shoaib Malik?
Shoaib Akhtar is not fit to be captain for all the reasons mentioned above by dhobi bhai. We can't have a captain who plays only 20% of the season.
Younis, if he wanted to be a captain, will be captain. You can't make a horse drink. 'Enuf said. Lets move on.
Hazrat Muhammad Yousaf is a class act as a batsman. He is no motivator on the field. Move on.
Shahid Afridi doesn't even want to play in test cricket. We can't have non-playing captains. Move on.
Malik did some smart moves in his captaincy so far (T20, ODI's, tests). He did some dumb things. Its all part of the learning curve.
Faisal bhai, i dont agree with you. Let me tell you something. Players usually become captain of the side because they are a regular member of the squad. In our case, Shoaib Malik has become the member of the squad just because he is the captain and this I find unfair.
Please tell me how many times he has played a cool innings in test matches??? I think you are thinking about ODI games. I am not saying that he hasn't or or he can't. And I am also not saying all that because he is too young. Smith was also very young when he become the captain of South African Team, however he is a specialist player. Malik on the contrary apparently has no role in the side. After opting not to bowl in so many past matches, he has conveyed the message that he wants to play in the team as a batsman, and unfortunately he does n't have what it takes to be a specialist middle order test batsman.
As far as Asim Kamal goes, please dont compare him with crap like Bazid Khan ,Imran farhat or Faisal Iqbal. You cant even compare him with Malik. If he can't replace Faisal Iqbal that doesn't mean that Faisal is better than him. We all know how Faisal makes the cut. Asim Kamal was on his way to become Pakistan most dependable replacement for Inzi in the middle order. 8 fifties in 12 games against quality oppositions is no ordinary task. Most of his innings have been in pressure situations. However dopeheads in PCB have other plans.
The problem lies within PCB. They need to act an employer and get rid of player power. Make Younis or Yousuf captain of the test side. Yes captaincy is a very important task but still it should not guarantee a player an automatic selection in the squad.
I think we need to clear this confusion when people oppose Malik. They don't oppose Malik because he is young and doing dumb things in the field, and thus making fans impatient or restless. He could become a very good captain in days to come. However the million dollar question is if he is talented enough to be a part of test team purely as a specialist batsman? Nobody here is being impatient however when people oppose Malik I think they know that the answer to the question is No.
Re: Shoaib Malik as a test player
Malik's failure as a test batsman (apparently he doesn't deem himself good enough to bowl) is also having an impact on his captaincy. These two things go hand in hand. One would find it hard to motivate one's team when he himself has hardly done anything to write home about. Similarly, his confidence level as a batsman would hardly help in making any astute or bold decisions on the field. Therefore, we have to put up with this inert presence and conservative mindset.
Re: Shoaib Malik as a test player
BTW, it was Shoaib's first Test match in India as captain ... in Younis Khan's first test match as Vice Captain in India series, Younis Khan sucked really bad too.
Re: Shoaib Malik as a test player
One little example, my friend; You can have as many as 4 or 5 slips in test cricket as soon as a new player comes in. This is unheard of in tulla cricket, and thus Malik can make his runs merrily. In test cricket, attacking fields and more time to execute bowling plans = Malik won't last long either as captain or test batsman for that matter.
YOu mean a Test player can handle pressure better than one who plays ODI's? It's all about mental fitness?!
A player who performs well on international level, must have these qualities anyways. Be it 100 slips. Warna, drop him from squad. That's my opinion.
Re: Shoaib Malik as a test player
kaheen se shayed koi “hope” nikal aaye Shoaib Malik ke liye
Re: Shoaib Malik as a test player
I'm not getting it, why do we differ between ODI players and Test Match players? Why? Isn't Cricket=Cricket?
No Cricket is not equal to Cricket....when it comes to Test cricket vs. ODIs. They are two totally different types of games in essence.
Pakistanis have forgotten this basic difference due to excessive ODIs, and that is why we cant play test cricket any more.
Re: Shoaib Malik as a test player
YOu mean a Test player can handle pressure better than one who plays ODI's? It's all about mental fitness?! A player who performs well on international level, must have these qualities anyways. Be it 100 slips. Warna, drop him from squad. That's my opinion.
Test cricket is the real form of cricket. Unfortunately for Pakistan, we've been producing a tad too many specialist ODI players, who have absolutely no aptitude and neither the brains for Test Cricket.
Sadly I see Pakistan Cricket going the same route where Zimbabwean Cricket and West Indian Cricket went, unless something radical is done soon.
Re: Shoaib Malik as a test player
Test cricket is the real form of cricket. Unfortunately for Pakistan, we've been producing a tad too many specialist ODI players, who have absolutely no aptitude and neither the brains for Test Cricket.
Sadly I see Pakistan Cricket going the same route where Zimbabwean Cricket and West Indian Cricket went, unless something radical is done soon.
Actually even these so called ODI specialists have hardly done anything to write home about. When was the last time we won ODI tournament or series of note?
Basically the current Pakistan setup mirrors the country's haalat, the future not looking good for either.
Re: Shoaib Malik as a test player
No Cricket is not equal to Cricket....when it comes to Test cricket vs. ODIs. They are two totally different types of games in essence.
Pakistanis have forgotten this basic difference due to excessive ODIs, and that is why we cant play test cricket any more.
sharaabi,
I'm not convinced yet. And no one really made an effort to convince me either.
What are THE differences between Test and ODI? What ability and skills difference are needed as far as cricket players are concerned to select them or drop them off the Test Cricket squad.
That is my very question.
Re: Shoaib Malik as a test player
Ali_R: In Test matches, for a batsman you need to have the temprament to play LONG inning, to be able to stay for a day or two on crease, you are in NO RUSH (supposedly) to score [faster], you wait for bad balls to score a boundary or few runs, you don't play risky shots. Whereas in ODIs you have limited number of overs to score maximum runs, you don't have lots of time/overs to wait for bad-ball-runs. There is a lot more than this, but this like basic stuff.
Also in ODIs they have field restrictions for first 10 overs, then another 10 overs (in a set of 5 overs, optionally a captain can delay those overs called Power Play).
Re: Shoaib Malik as a test player
sharaabi, I'm not convinced yet. And no one really made an effort to convince me either. What are THE differences between Test and ODI? What ability and skills difference are needed as far as cricket players are concerned to select them or drop them off the Test Cricket squad. That is my very question.
Ali, the reason you are not getting responses to your query is that this is not the relevant topic to discuss here in this thread. Feel free to open a new thread where you want to have this discussion.
Re: Shoaib Malik as a test player
shoaib is a gr8 test player. all u have to do is give him time (decades) and chances (millions) to prove his worth. in the end 1 of the two will happen…either he’ll stop playing or you’ll stop watching… :k:
Re: Shoaib Malik as a test player
I was going to address your concern Ali_R, but Sharaabi and Captain have done a good enough job. And no, a good one day player does not necessarily translate into a good test player. The converse situation is not true, however, because anyone who has the technique and the patience to do well in test matches should be just fine in mickey mouse ODI matches as well.
