Re: Sri Lankan tour hits its first wave (Mohammad Irshad standing in a very good chan
BBCUrdu has reported that the final team selection is due this upcoming Friday, and two new faces will be up for debate - Karachi’s right-hand off-spinner Tahir Khan, and Sialkot’s left-arm seam bowler Abdul Rahman. The good news is, Mohammad Sami and Arshan Khan will most likely receive the axe from the ODI series. What’s even more interesting to read is Inzamam’s comments on Sami (as the article notes in the final stages in Urdu):
“Jo fast bowler itnay bainul-aqwaami match khail kar bhi sahih line sey bowling na karwa sakey uski team mein jagah nahin banti”.*
Re: Sri Lankan tour hits its first wave (Mohammad Irshad standing in a very good chance)
Dhobi bhai,
I think Abdur Rahman is a left arm orthodox spinner and Tahir Khan is a regular off spinner. I'm not sure if A. Rahman is a lefty seamer. @last, Inzi realized what Sami should have realized a lot earlier.
Umer
Re: Sri Lankan tour hits its first wave (Mohammad Irshad standing in a very good chance)
Pakistan atleast should try to give chance to Jamshaid (Lefty from the U19) like India gave a chance to their U19 Chawla. But Chawla has also played first class cricket so maybe that was nother reason they tried him in 2nd test against Eng.
Even though Anwar Ali took more wickets in U19 but I would like to see Jamshaid the guy reminds me so much about Wasim during the 80's....same action, same runup, same hair style and even similar way of apealing for LBW and most of all his bowling looks more promising as compare to Anwar.
Re: Sri Lankan tour hits its first wave (Mohammad Irshad standing in a very good chan
Thanks for the correction. Yes, not a left-arm seamer (although I was excited there for a minute), but rather an orthodox.
In any case, I took a deep sigh of relief after reading that both Arshad Khan and Mohammad Sami will most likely get their axes. It should have come a long time ago, but then again, we just had to take that route and present numerous unaccounted chances to both of them, neither who has returned the favor back to the selectors. It is about time we at least temporarily let go of Sami, and think of other upcoming prospects, and provide them with at least half a dozen chances which is exactly what Sami has gotten so far in his entire career. Enough is enough already. Christ.
Re: Sri Lankan tour hits its first wave (Mohammad Irshad standing in a very good chan
Our good friend Waheed Khan is going absolutely hysterical in his latest column in The News considering the decision to drop Sami from the team. Nitty gritty pieces worth noting (on a crumbled piece of paper which should be immediately burned):
‘The News’ has learnt after just two days of the conditioning camp in Lahore, Sami and Asim and the other players not selected for the tour, have been given air tickets and instructions to pack their bags and return home.
Veteran off-spinner Arshad Khan, who remained part of the Pakistan squad since the Indian tour last year, has finally been dropped to make way for the young off-spinner all-rounder Tahir Khan from Karachi.*
(A sigh of relief)
While one can understand the selectors’ decision to include Tahir and Rehman but the move of not including Sami and Asim smells of injustice.
Similarly, in fast bowler Sami’s case he was dropped during the home series against India and when recalled in place of the injured Shoaib Akhtar he bowled well in the last two one-dayers taking valuable wickets and proving his worth as a strike bowler particularly in the absence of Shoaib.
Sami might be wayward and inconsistent but there is no denying his worth as a quality pace bowler specially when Shoaib and Shabbir Ahmed are out of contention and the others like Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Mohammad Asif, Rao Iftikhar or Umar Gul lack genuine pace.
It’s not clear how much of a role the new bowling coach of the team — Waqar Younis — would have played a part in the selection of the pace bowlers.*
“Smells of injustice”? You have got to be kidding me. How many times do we have to go through with this? For christ’s sakes, why can’t we just move the barnacles on? Everywhere you turn around, it’s at least that one uncanny reporter passing judgments on Sami stating how he still holds together the future fast-bowling prospect for Pakistan, and hence, should be included automatically in the team just because he wears this label.
As far as “he bowled well in the last two one-dayers taking valuable wickets”, just how convenient exactly was it for the author to mention “two” one-dayers and “Valuable” wickets in the same breath? Sami, single-handedly, was the single biggest factor of Pakistan’s final loss in the final ODI, dropping two catches…two dollies, really. Speaking of which, gave away 65 runs in almost 9 overs. I am speechless.
Convenient to see chamcha Mushtaq was a part of the team as a bowling assistant during this misery. Utter Garbage.
Re: Sri Lankan tour hits its first wave (Mohammad Irshad standing in a very good chance)
The decision to drop Sami and Arshad were long overdue, once again reactive instead of proactive selection by our ultraconservative PCB.
The inclusion of two ordinary offspinners who have been on the domestic scene for the past 6 years is pretty mind boggling. Are these the types of bowlers who are expected to win us the World Cup? Do we really need TWO more offspinners given Malik, Afridi and Kaneria are in the squad? Do we plan on playing 8 bowlers in a ODI?
Instead of India who aren't afraid of tossing their YOUNG talent in the deep end, we are adding more bits and pieces players to an already allrounder packed team. What about Irshad? What about Shah? What about the U19 bowlers?
You would have thought that a low profile series against a modest opponent in subcontinental conditions, might just instigate a selection gamble or two from the PCB. Guess not.
I am not dissing these two players, I am just questioning their need. With Rana terribly off color, with Gul extremely injury prone, with Shoaib's career hanging in the balance, you would think maybe we could try looking for a fast bowling strike bowler.
Re: Sri Lankan tour hits its first wave (Mohammad Irshad standing in a very good chan
kuttay ki dum terhi ki terhi rahay gee. Sami has been bowling this way for last 3 years, rarely in a full series his performance was good, otherwise he is a good player for one or 2 games per year, for the rest he becomes as legendary as Arshad Khan.
I’m glad to have “medium” pacers in Rao, Asif, Razzaq and Rana, atleast these guys know where to pitch the ball. I hope Gul performs to prove his worthiness, he has been off after recovering from injury (back).
Re: Sri Lankan tour hits its first wave (Mohammad Irshad standing in a very good chance)
This team announcement suggests that there will be a lot of burden on Asif's shoulder. Only Razzaq's parallel strike can put up a good pressure early on. I say first change should happen after 10th over and that would be Razzaq for Rana. I am not sure if Razzaq can open.
Re: Sri Lankan tour hits its first wave (Mohammad Irshad standing in a very good chance)
Razzaq also has the tendency for giving runs, which can further bring pressure on the bowling, provided if he opens with Asif ... i still think its should be Gul and Asif...
Re: Sri Lankan tour hits its first wave (Mohammad Irshad standing in a very good chan
Good to see sanity changes and the team selection getting it right, I hope they could have done the same with I. Farhat and get a new opener (from domestic) instead of him.
I agree with Teaser bhai, Jamshed should have been given a chance, he swings both ways and his line and length was good in U-19 world cup, he would have certainly come very handy in Srilanka as he was coming back from there and in England also. I am not saying that the bowlers picked are not good..etc but such a talent should should have been given some exception.
Do we remember Tariq Mehmood the copy of Murli, he is no where in sight and at that time pcb and coach said they are working on him. were they working on his action or to dissappear all together.
Just one more point I read from that BBc article is that when Wasim Bari said " this is a build up to the WC 07’ " well that bothers me for the new players in the squad coz it sounds like musical chairs rather than you will be given more chances, put your best show. :k:
Re: Sri Lankan tour hits its first wave (Mohammad Irshad standing in a very good chance)
Over all, a predictable squad as nucleaus of the team remains the same. Two new spinners are gonna be passengers mostly.
Thank God 'incredible talent' is dropped. Lets hope he spends some quality time at home with Waqar and learn from the great man. Its rather harsh on Yasir Hameed though. But I think Farhat's fifty in karachi saved him.
