So...What's Next

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So bhano aur bhaiyo

T20 is over but what’s next..big question mark on few players and it is not about this worldcup…we need to look at few players in a broader context..their performance in last 12 moths…future potential…bah blah but you know what i mean

I think time has come to make decisons abou some players… here are few as I see it:

Mohammad Shahid Khan Afridi (in his 17th year of international of cricket)…pretty dull performance throughout last 12 months

Shoaib Malik (in his 13th year) .… given many chances in T20 and some in ODI in last 12 months…but could not materialize

**Imran Nazir (in his 12th year) **… some claim it was his 10th come back … i think he was not overly bad in this T20 but can he ever score against good teams..big question mark? I really doubt it…how many more comebacks?

Razaq( in his 17th year).…out of administration and skipper favor…at best he can play T20s or maybe ODIs…if no one wants him to play why is he in the squad taking spot of a young player? need to make a decision about him sooner than later

Mohammad Sami (in his 12th year)…well not sure what to say…some claim he made as many 12 comebacks! we need to make a decision about this guy for sure

Yasir Arafat (in his 13th year)…yes in his 13th year..hard to believe but he made his ODI debut in 1999-2000 season…no idea what is he doing in the team..no batting potential..Okish medium fast..we have many young players like him..better to invest in hammad azam than yasir…i mean come on!

Kamran Akmal (in his 11 year)...a come back for him but could not materialize at all…as always was pretty fishy behind wickets..no score either…spotty character with match fixing allegations…but more importantly does he fit in next 2-3 year game plan?

Umar Gul (in his 10th year)…well not sure what to say..after 10 years he is not going anywhere..he cant even bowl 4 decent overs anymore and was one of the most expensive fast bowler in the tournament and prolly took 1 or 2 wickets…but again we are doing this analysis in a borader context…Umar has been pathetic in last12 months…what now?

Sohail Tanvir (in his 6th year) … no comments, no idea why is he in the team!

As i finish this analysis, I am actually shocked…i don’t think i am overly critical and yet ended up with a list of 9 players in this team about which we absolutely need to make some decision… here are the buckets

a)retire now
b)maybe 1 more year…
c)still has potential for 2-5 years

Comments welcome!

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Re: So...What's Next

All the players you have mentioned are top picks for the T20 leagues. None of them would like to retire now as their rate will go down drastically in IPL. Lets wait for few months, if they get picked up by IPL then they will limit their role in national team giving room to new comers. They are staying relevant at the moment.

IPL is also parking of old and near retirement players. I know you guys dont like IPL but it serves a good purpose of giving money making option to the near retirement players and it gives good platform to the new coming players who dont yet have room in the team.

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Re: So...What's Next

So many players currently under contract with the PCB are over the age of 32. With 50 overs world cup still 3 years away, they won't be fit enough to play then. It's the right time to get some fresh legs in the team, especially bowlers. IPL should be the least of worries for PCB.

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Re: So...What's Next

Only good thing for Pakistan was Raza Hassan and Nasir Jamshed. Moreover, Umer Akmal should play up in order. Ajmal is class, but he needs a partner. Hafeez showed some talent with batting, but his captaincy is still a question mark. Afridi needs a break. We need young blood in the team. Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali and Junaid Khan.

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Re: So...What's Next

As I keep saying your best batsmen should play the maximum number of overs in both limited overs formats esp. T20. NJ and Imran Nazir (in the circumstances) should have opened the innings with UA coming in at 3 or 4.

Imran Nazir, Afridi and Malik were the biggest disappointments of the tournament. Nazir is at best a minnow basher, hence scored runs against BD (but not before being given a life by BD) but didn't manage a single 30+ score against a top flight nation.

Hafeez's batting was ok at times but he is not a natural T20 opener as he needs time to play himself in and so wastes too many deliveries in the beginning

Neither Kamran Akmal nor Umar Akmal were properly utilized by the management. Our management thinks that Umar Akmal is some slogger type player, which he is not. He is ideal for the number 3 or 4 slot. I thought he showed great maturity throughout the tournament. Don't forget that he nearly always came into bat in a crisis situation, 50-5/ 60-4 but took responsibility and scored runs even on tougher pitches in this tournament. If the management cannot remove its blindfolds now and promote Umar up the order then we might as well forget about him ever fulfilling his potential! First it was Misbah and now it's Hafeez who is wasting him. Batsmen less talented than him incl. Malik and Afridi batted ahead of him! And not just limited overs, he should be in our test squad too. A lot of hate he receives is due to his last name.

It may not have made a difference in the end but in the SF I would have played Razzaq instead of Malik

NJ, Raza and UA were the bright spots of this tournament for Pakistan.

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Re: So...What's Next

Against better teams I would have actually opened with NJ and Kamran Akmal (Yes KA, because opening is where he has had the greatest success with the bat)

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Re: So...What's Next

Have no fear
Misbah is here

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Re: So…What’s Next

Pakistan Cricket News: PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf aims to take Pakistan to No. 1 | ESPN Cricinfo

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Re: So...What's Next

Most of these players should go. Imran Nazir, Shoaib Malik should never have been 'recalled'.

Hafeez might be persisted with since someone needs to be 'captain' with some experience, unless we make Umar Akmal or Kamran as captain (only for T20 that is). Razzaq should've been utilized in this T20 but he should be let go as well.

For next tournament we need Nasir Jamshed, Ahmad Shehzad, Umar Akmal, Shahzaib Hasan, Asad Shafiq, Rameez Raja, Awais Zia, Hammad Azam, Raza Hasan, Junaid Khan to be there. May be 2-3 seniors (Hafeez, Kamran, Wahab?).

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Re: So...What's Next

I am not sure that Pakistani players are going to be picked up in IPL this time also. Atleast I have not heard any official comment that says that.

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Re: So...What's Next

so it looks like that there is a general consensuses among guppis that all these 9 players are non-core to our strategic plans for next 2 years ... moreover they don't deserve position in the team .. at least in T20 squad - based on their last 12 months performance....logical question would be how come we had all of them in our t20 squad?.... anyway, looks like we need to do some serious grooming... need young talent but we cannot get rid of all 9 players right away ..phase them out in in next 12-15 months

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Re: So…What’s Next

Ok now lets go talk to Zaka Ashraf. I know he will listen.

:chai:

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Re: So…What’s Next

“Afridi needs to retire someday. I know that, we know that & especially he knows that. But I honestly think right now is not the time.” - Imran Khan

:jhanda:

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Re: So...What's Next

^ did he say that in 2006? :D

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Re: So...What's Next

^^ He said it recently few days back :@: