Time for a bit soul searching for Pakistan. Lets share our views.
-Naveed was a gem for Pakistan in this series. He has won over many a critics with his lion hearted performances.
Afridi and Razzaq are two other standouts for Pakistan. Razzaq is definately coming back to his bowling best and that gives us great advantage. Shahdi Afridi , well 13 wickets, 220 odd runs, 16 sixes in 7 innings. He was the most aggresssive player of all and he has shown he is a must in paksitan team from now on.
-Our top order specially Salman Butt lost it after initial heroics. Akmal becoming new Afridi up the order. It was almost liek we were playing with 8 wickets in 45 overs.
Mohammad Hafeez played in most of the matches due to his bowling only. Boweld wel in patches but his allround abilities with the bat were missing and sorely missed.
Inzi and Youhana played well but Inzi never went on to make a hundred from five fifties, thats a worrying sign.
Kamran Akmal will tour India, he is an awesome wicket keeper but he is not consistent with the bat. needs work here.
Yaasir Hameed shuld have opened in most matches IMO. HE can play pace bowling more confidently than Hafeez.
Rao and Khalil made their presence felt, need more work but they are workign hard to claim a permanent spot in the team.
Pakistan lacked their balance in the team due to Malik’s bowling action restriction but the way we showed reslience througout the tourney.
This series has highglithed the gulf between our test and one day sides. TEst side is not upto mark. One day outfit can challenge anyone on anyday.
It remains same as it was a year ago. Since WC03 we have tried the following players but have not found a single batsman who can be a permenant solution atleast on one end. Or in other words some not so deserving players (parchibaaz) got more chances than the other talented blokes.
Imran Farhat
Imran Nazir
Yasir Hameed
Taufeeq Umer
Salman Butt
Shoaib Malik
Kamran Akmal
Mohammed Hafeez
I think Malik should come on No. 3 in ODI and test both. But what to do with the right combination on the top. Who has nerve to take the early pressure, and take the shine off the new ball and who has more patience that is needed to give a good start. The sadest thing is that we had to send Akmal as our opener who has no technique what so ever but has courage more than others, indeed.
Re: Views on VB series/Opening pair problem (Merged)
My views.
since shoiab has left the team, team's moral is up.Rana has become a superstar with responsibilty on his shoulders. very good batting too.
- We have no openers.
Salman Butt = better than taufeeq umer but not in form. should find a better one if we can.
-kamran akmal. - good batsman but not an opener. he scored only in one match. it doesnt mean he is an opener. I personally think he is not a good wicket keeper either. Else he is very energetic and one of the players i want in india.
-taufeeq = khudahafiz.. no need
-hafeez. ok bowling. bad batting. absolutely no need
-yaser hameed= good batsman, not in form. take him thouh
-younas khan = good batsman but lack to have resposnibilty on him. cant score more than a fifty. than ever make a fifyu to hundred. not in form either. take him though.
- inzi = best and most reliable player in the team now. but as someone mentioned, loose his wickets with stupid shots after fifty
-youhanna = very good batsman. need him. he runs a lot and thats y is involved in run outs. control him
-razza = v good player. in form. v much needed.
-afridi = cant do anythingw/out him. only onedays
-azhar = not in form. he is old and not in cricket touch. leave him in pakistan
-rana = watch out. he will be our new captain within 3-5 years. very impressive. should be lead bowler, not shoiab.
-rao = v impressed. good bowler. take him.
-khalil = need some more work but take him. need to learn.
- shoiab shoora = lakh laanat fitay mooon par. no need of the actor. pakistani teams moral is up. taking him means bringing it down. he is a bad rotten apple.
Re: Views on VB series/Opening pair problem (Merged)
Rana stole the show.
Razzaq and Afridi were a big plus.
Our bowling came into its own in the finals and that is a very good sign just ahead of the Indian tour.
As usual Shoaib was the biggest disappointment. Every time he opens his mouth he gets verbal diarrhoea. Wish he could bowl half as well as he talks. Our bowling improved in his absence and that should be a warning to this loud mouth, good for nothing, waste of space guy.
The tour is over and even though we lost the finals 2/0 we put up a good fight an well doen guys. :k:
Re: Views on VB series/Opening pair problem (Merged)
No doubt about Rana,, he showed his mental toughness throughout the series, In one match he bowled an aweful lot of noballs and wides and next match he came with a bang.. But mind you guys the wickets he bowled on are Australian wickets. He really needs to be tested on other wickets. ( specially india's, wahan per to barhaay barhay bowlers kaa hoslaa kharab ho jata hai)..
But since the departure of that bloody actor, Pakistani team has changed up side down. They are working ** hard ** , and are showing some responsibility.
Talk about Akmal position, its a pure blunder, we definitely need Shoaib Malik to be there. Afiridi and Razzak are fine. But Afridi is coming to his act again. when was newly reinstated in the team he was batting more sensilbly, but now he is acting same again. 20-30 runs, 2-3 wickets and thats all.
Inzi was brilliant, but he needs to convert 50's to 100's. Youhana needs to have a cool head, so he can think of making runs instead of running some one out.
Bowling ALHAMDOILLAH improved, but batting again is giving problem, Butt has a series problem of playing Middle leg deliveries, and Australian found it very fast.
Re: Views on VB series/Opening pair problem (Merged)
Sir jee, Akmal has won praised from experts like Healy and Ian Chappel who claims he is the best wicketkeeper in international cricket. He is a lot better than Moin and if we cannot bring Rashid back we are better off with Kamran.
Re: Views on VB series/Opening pair problem (Merged)
Salman is the best one of the lot. Too bad he lost form at the crucial moment. Yasir Hameed and Salman Butt should be allowed to open both in tests and onedayers. Yasir needs a bit more confidence from selectors otherwise he is fine.
Re: Views on VB series/Opening pair problem (Merged)
I am sorry but that doesn’t cut it. In every match he has repeatedly fumbled and dropped regulation carries. He has screwed up runouts twice. He has missed stumpings and catches. What’s so impressive about him? Even Younis Khan can take those regulation catches. A SPECIALIST keeper is kept to take the GOOD catches and not screw up stumpings/runouts.
Re: Views on VB series/Opening pair problem (Merged)
As far as the openers are concerned, Yasir and Salman. Malik one down. It's ridiculous to have so many openers in the squad and still have a wicketkeeper to open the batting. Mind boggling.
The less said about Hafeez the better. Hopefully we have seen the last of him.
