Yousuf wants Misbah to fill Younis gap in NZ Tests

HomiD · November 14, 2009, 1:02am

Saturday, November 14, 2009
KARACHI: Pakistan’s new Test skipper Mohammad Yousuf wants middle-order batsman Misbah-ul-Haq to fill the gap left by Younis Khan’s decision to opt out of the Test series against New Zealand.

“Our team is fine but I have asked the board for Misbah-ul-Haq to fill the gap that has appeared in the middle order as Younis would not be playing in the series,” Yousuf said on Friday.

“He (Misbah) is a good batsman and I think he would prove helpful for the team. He has been playing well in domestic cricket and I hope he would also perform well in the series against New Zealand,” he said.

Misbah was dropped from all the three forms of the game against New Zealand. He is currently playing in Bangladesh in its domestic league.

Yousuf added that he would try his level best to bring the team together and go in the series as one unit. “Teamís performance depends on the unity within the team and I will try my best to bring together all the players and team management and give a top performance myself,” he said.

“I thank Allah for all this respect he has bestowed on me. I will try my best to lead the team to victory in the series,” Yousuf said.

He said that the board has asked him to lead the team in the series against New Zealand only — which comprises of three matches and he cannot say much about the future of the Test captaincy as it is a decision which has to be taken by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

brahmachari99 · November 14, 2009, 6:48am

Re: Yousuf wants Misbah to fill Younis gap in NZ Tests

That's a sensible choice. There's nobody else on our bench who'd be a better fit. And Pakistan will need Younis to be back for Australia tour.

baazigar100 · November 14, 2009, 9:42am

Re: Yousuf wants Misbah to fill Younis gap in NZ Tests

Pakistan team have a serious lack of natural leaders. Younis was no means a leader, but at least he did a half decent job. Misbah, if he was a slightly more dynamic batsmen would have been the ideal captaincy candidate. Well educated, experienced and a cricketing brain. Thats why Yousuf has asked for him to tour NZ. Yousuf is a poor leader even if he is a legendary batsmen. Pakistan will continue to struggle in the proper format of the game which is Tests.

Esix · November 14, 2009, 12:06pm

Re: Yousuf wants Misbah to fill Younis gap in NZ Tests

good choice :k:

HomiD · November 14, 2009, 3:50pm

Re: Yousuf wants Misbah to fill Younis gap in NZ Tests

Yousuf calls for unity ahead of tough NZ Test series
Updated at: 1810 PST, Saturday, November 14, 2009

DUBAI: Newly-appointed Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf called for unity from his side on Saturday ahead of their tough three-Test tour of New Zealand, saying it would be a double test for his players -- on and off the field.

"My main target is to unite the team because our religion also teaches us to unite for a cause and the New Zealand tour will be a tough task for us," Yousuf told a foreign news agency.

The 35-year-old batsman replaced Younis Khan who opted to rest following Pakistan's 1-2 defeat in the one-day series against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi earlier this week.

Pakistan won the two-match Twenty20 series 2-0 on Friday. The team flies to New Zealand from here on Sunday where the first Test opens in Dunedin on November 25.

"I am sure all the players realise their duties," said Yousuf, who has previously captained Pakistan in four Tests and three one-day internationals. "For me all the players are equal and I will treat them on an equal basis.

"We will definitely miss Younis as batsman but I have asked the selection committee to bring in Misbah-ul-Haq as replacement who has the experience to handle the conditions in New Zealand."

Misbah was dropped for the limited over series against New Zealand in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and could not find a place in the Test squad as well.

Yousuf said seaming conditions in New Zealand will test his batsmen.

"Conditions in New Zealand will be difficult and with the ball seaming a lot it will be a real test for our batsmen but I am sure that the players will stand up and play to their potential," said Yousuf.

"We know New Zealand will be tough in their conditions, and with a world-class bowler in Daniel Vettori they will put a lot of pressure on us so it will be a matter of how to handle pressure," said Yousuf, himself a world class batsman.

coOoLBreeze · November 14, 2009, 5:08pm

Re: Yousuf wants Misbah to fill Younis gap in NZ Tests

yeh to honaa hee thaaa..

GoldenAsif · November 14, 2009, 5:13pm

Pakistan's batters will be tested on the seaming wickets for sure, a lot resting on the shoulders of Yousuf, the two Akmals and perhaps Misbah (has not been in great form recently). The rest of the batting is not good enough IMO. Younus will be sorely missed in tests.

Antumul_alona · November 14, 2009, 9:44pm

Re: Yousuf wants Misbah to fill Younis gap in NZ Tests

^^ Don't forget Khalid Latif.. I thought he has shown some good technique and needs to be given a chance at Test level (don't know if he was given one already)

funguy · November 14, 2009, 10:15pm

Re: Yousuf wants Misbah to fill Younis gap in NZ Tests

Test Batting Line-up:

Butt
Fawad Alam / Imran Farhat / Khurram Manzoor
Umar Akmal
Yusuf
Malik
Misbah / Faisal Iqbal
Kamran Akmal

HomiD · November 15, 2009, 4:17am

It sure would be interesting to see the test 11 of Pakistan. There are many questions, like will Fawad Alam open (he shouldnt on seaming wickets as he is not used to opening), will pakistan go with traditional openers in Khalid Latif & Khurram Manzoor, would they take the risk of No.3 slot to Umar Akmal or Faisal Iqbal. Last time we were in Australia, Asim Kamal did really well in our middle order. But Asim has not been making the headlines in our domestic circuit lately, so I think he has been long forgotten.

Khurram Manzoor (definite)
Butt/Alam
Umar Akmal/Fawad Alam
Yusuf (definite)
Misbah (definite)
Malik/Faisal Iqbal (Faisal Iqbal should be given a chance, though I am not his fan).
K. Akmal (definite)
Gul (definite)
Asif (definite)
Kaneria (definite)
Ajmal/Razzaq/Rana/Aamir

HomiD · November 15, 2009, 4:37pm

Re: Yousuf wants Misbah to fill Younis gap in NZ Tests

OMG…Looks like Misbah is not going…I havent heard anything official about his inclusion, just Yousuf’s wish list to fill in for Younis, and it only makes sense. But this is what I saw today on The News. Yousuf will have double pressure. He is the ‘only’ senior test batsmen in the team( Shoaib Malik is not a test batsmen on seaming wickets) and the captaincy. Another PCB blunder for not listening to Yousuf for Misbah’s inclusion.

Pakistan team leaves for New Zealand

Pakistan team leaves for New Zealand
Updated at: 1600 PST, Sunday, November 15, 2009
DUBAI: Coach Intikhab Alam identified batting as the key area for improvement as the 17-member Pakistan squad minus Younis Khan flew to New Zealand early Sunday to play a three-match Test series.

Younis opted to sit out the New Zealand tour and hand the captaincy to Mohammad Yousuf after his side’s one-day series defeat in Abu Dhabi last week, saying he wanted to rest after suffering poor batting form.

Yet it was not only him, the batsmen faltering badly in the one-day series which New Zealand won 2-1. Pakistan won the two-match Twenty20 series 2-0 here on Friday.

“Our batting must click and show improvement because it will be tough to switch from one-day and Twenty20,” Intikhab told a foreign news agency. “Our bowling has the capacity to bowl New Zealand out twice but we must put runs on the board first.”

Intikhab Alam, who took over as coach after Australian Geoff Lawson was sacked in October last year, said Younis’s absence was a blow, but appeared to harbour no bitterness.

Pakistan open the tour with a three-day game against New Zealand Invitational XI at Queenstown from Wednesday before the first Test starts at Dunedin from November 24.

Intikhab said conditions in New Zealand will also test his players.

“It is an early start to the season and conditions will be tough because the weather will be very cold but I hope all the players show professionalism and adjust to the conditions,” said Intikhab Alam, a former captain.

The three-Test series, like the limited-overs series played in the United Arab Emirates, was scheduled for Pakistan but had to be relocated after New Zealand refused to tour over security fears.

After the New Zealand tour, Pakistan will move to Australia to play three Tests, five one-dayers and a Twenty20.

Squad: Salman Butt, Khurrum Manzoor, Imran Farhat, Mohammad Yousuf (capt), Shoaib Malik, Fawad Alam, Faisal Iqbal, Kamran Akmal (wk), Danish Kaneria, Saeed Ajmal, Yasir Arafat, Umar Gul, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Aamir, Abdur Rauf, Umer Akmal, Sarfraz Ahmad.

baazigar100 · November 16, 2009, 1:24pm

Re: Yousuf wants Misbah to fill Younis gap in NZ Tests

Khalid Latif? Are you serious?
Khalid Latif is another average batsmen like the Taufeeq Umers and Wajahatullah Wasti's of the world. He has not foot movement, is a bottom handed leg side player and the minute he faces a world class bowler (Vettori) the poor lad does not have a clue. Lets not waste time with such openers. Please someone bring back Ahmed Shezad. A class batsmen, pure confidence and straight bat.

Antumul_alona · November 16, 2009, 2:04pm

Re: Yousuf wants Misbah to fill Younis gap in NZ Tests

^^ he seems better than butty boy..who is in once again...

HomiD · November 16, 2009, 2:57pm

Re: Yousuf wants Misbah to fill Younis gap in NZ Tests

Khalid Latif is not part of the test squad. He was part of just ODI and T20.