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Discussion (10) ¬

1. 
   abdul

   January 28, 2008 at 4:55 pm | # | Reply

   It’s the first time i’m commenting on cricket files and i must this is an excellent site. Thankyou khansahab and co for creating this site and giving me and other cricket fans the oppurtunity to express our views on theese fascinating.

   My views on this series to far are that Pakistan team are winning by thin margins which is a conern in the long term.
   I feel that the pkistan team hasn’t given enough oppurtunities to young players and this series was an ideela to remodel the team and restore pride. The brainless selection comitee is to blame for the problembs revolving around this cricket team.
2. 
   khansahab

   January 25, 2008 at 10:39 am | # | Reply

   Once again the Selection Committee has slotted a youngster in who deserves to prove his worth to the nation. Khalid Latif should have got an opportunity earlier on when he was in the squad. He averages almost 50 in LIST A games which is brilliant for an opener. Latif has also played some excellent knocks against good bowling attacks, not least AUSTRALIA A.

   I know he failed in the warm up game but my opinion is that if he is played for a few matches he will come better than Butt. Khurram Manzoor has been a more consistent player than Latif but if Latif has made it to the squad there is no reason why he should sit on the bench for the remainder of the matches.
3. 
   nadeem

   January 25, 2008 at 8:07 am | # | Reply

   Sachin again scored a big 100, but I think Kumble batted for too long in his bid to complete his 100 in his final test which in my opinion was a bit selfish. Also Ricky ponting has been extremely slow in his over rate, he might get fined again.
   It will be to hard to get a result out of this test unless Australian batting collapses tomorrow.
4. 
   wasim

   January 25, 2008 at 7:53 am | # | Reply

   Mr Kasim:

   True but isn’t it so far so good, if we cant say he is a good test batsman we also cant say he is not, as we have not seen him bat in the tests as of yet I know zimbabwe is a weak opposition but compare him with other batsmen and see how comfortably and confidently he has been scoring.He has timing he sees the ball early and is a powerful hitter of the ball and above all he is confident.
   Thats all what it takes initially to be successful.

   I also want Khurram Manzoor to be given a chance but again they included Khalid Latif who will not play and will be a 12 man besides he failed in the side match.

   I do not agree with your rating of Kamran Akmal he can only score on flat tracks and has been quite inconsistent with the bat so far his start was promising but he very soon faded away. He has nothing in his batting to be compared with all the batting greats you mentioned in your post.

   But when he is in form he is exciting to watch. Also I have a belief that a player who has played so many tests and have not increased his consistency level is not going to change in future either.
5. 
   M. Y. Kasim, Houston. Tx.

   January 25, 2008 at 5:41 am | # | Reply

   Wasim,
   I beg to differ that we have solved the opening problem. I do concede that young Nasir Jamshed is a good opening batsman but he is more suited to one-day games than Tests.
   What I gather from newspaper reports and observations, Khurram Manzoor looks a better bet as a Test potential. And I have been backing Kamran Akmal as an opening batsman on keen observation. I am no Master Abdul Aziz nor M. S. Baloch nor Noor Mohammed Miandad nor Abdul Hafeez Kardar and cetainly not Bob Woolmer but whatever little I know about cricket, I have seen the glimses in him of what it takes to build an innings that I have been fortunate to see in Hanif Mohammad, Asif Iqbal, Mushtaq Mohammad, Javed Miandad, Mudassar Nazar, Inzimam-ul-Haq and Younus Khan of Pakistan and Rahul Dravid of India and Jaques Kallis of South Africa beside others. One sucessfull opener is not enough, you have to have at least three in case of injury or lack of form. Rememcer, Salman Butt also came with a bang !
6. 
   wasim

   January 25, 2008 at 5:27 am | # | Reply

   Mr Kasim:

   I understand about Shoaib Malik he was not interested in playing Nasir Jamshed but Talat Malik just did his job he gave the report I think he should be applauded for his boldness.

   I dont like kineria either but Afridi is not a test bowler, he cannot move the ball in test matches batsman are not in a rush to score so he will not be able to take much wickets.
7. 
   wasim

   January 25, 2008 at 4:38 am | # | Reply

   Salman Butt should be axed from the team Khurram Manzoor should be given a chance but I think this will not happen, the success of Nasir Jamshed has clearly reflected what our team was actually missing, Couple of more changes on merit and the team will be on its track, I am still disappointed that we have not picked a good fast bowler we do not need medium pacers if we have to replace shoaib we need a fast bowler who can bowl close to 90mph and can swing the ball.
   Rao’s performance has been extremely disappointing he has been a good bowler but in this series he has been out of rhythm.

   The selectors are wasting time with these bowlers all of them are quite similar in speed and skill and the current bowling strength of Pakistan reminds me of the Indian fast bowling of the 80′s and 90′s
   fast bowlers win matches and they are at their best when they are young and wild thats the time when their talent should be harnessed, you can teach them skill but at a later age you can’t teach a bowler to bowl fast.

   I was not impressed by Pakistan teams performance in the second Odi although they limped to victory but again the bowlers were pathetic the fielders were napping at times and shoaib’s captaincy in the first 25 overs was not good at all he was too defensive and failed too make further in roads after the first two wickets although at times it seemed he was one bowler short as Rao for the second consecutive match gave away over 9 runs per over in his first four overs and forced Malik to hold back Afridi and use Younus khan.
   It is also quite clear that Malik is favoring Rao over Gul and other young prospects which is not healthy for teams future development,
   but the main problem which is hampering our ODi teams balance is that both Afridi and Malik are in the team as allrounders, in fact one is a batsman and the other is a bowler both of them are not allrounders, yes they both can occasionally surprise with the ball and bat but there is no consistency and as a result when the batting or bowling gets stretched by opposition the team fails as it is a serious loop whole in the team.

   I think that Fawad Alam should be played more and Tanvir’s batting should be more used and he should be groomed as a new all rounder in the team.
8. 
   M. Y. Kasim, Houston. Tx.

   January 24, 2008 at 11:17 pm | # | Reply

   It looks like the main culprits are the two Maliks. Talat Ali should immediately be sacked and Salman should be kicked in the Butt.

   Finally, the Selection Commitee is doing an honest job and I take my hats off. ( though I dont wear one ! )

   And Please, Please, Please dont even think about the great winning spinner, Danish Kaneria. We have enough of him. Even I can take two wickets after conceding 200 runs. Like they say in Urdu, the opposition will get out ” Sharam Ke Mare” after plundering me for 200 runs !! Use Shahid Afridi as a leg-spinner and if he scores even a single run, count it a blessing. On recent form, Afridi is a better spinner than Kaneria and we dont have to prove to the world that we are a ” Moderate ” nation.

   All we need is a decent opening pair and fast, furious attack, not medium pacers with Rao Bahadurs and Malik Sahebs. I have been calling for a long time to try and identify new and raw talents but we are missing the opportunity. What better time than the Zimbabwe series? Sohail Tanveer and
   Rao Iftikhar Anjum dont need exposer. We know where they stand. It is time to give chance to Sohail Khan, Anwar Ali Jamshed Ahmed, Mohammed Irshad and above all that unfortunate lad Abdur Rauf. And there must be others whom I dont know half way round the world but the Selectors must and should know, because they are paid for it now.
9. 
   Dr Haroon

   January 24, 2008 at 10:55 am | # | Reply

   Current selection panel has made many mistakes but they must be given credit for playing Jamshed in fact fighting for his selection with Malik and Lawson.

   Former great cricketers are also praising selection panel in attempting to play youngsters. It is rumoured that selection panel is trying to play Sohail Khan and Abdur Rauf in the forthcoming matches.

   Dr Haroon
   Seattle
10. 
    khansahab

    January 24, 2008 at 10:32 am | # | Reply

    Salman Butt should be sacked now. This guy is a serious liability and I don’t understand why so many people support him. In the 43 matches he has played for far his average has floated from 30-33. That is not good enough as now he is nearing 50 ODI’s and there has been no improvement in his technique or temperament. He is very lucky to be still in the side.

    PCB should try a different opener in the next match- the time has really come for them to try Khurram Manzoor for a few matches.

    Once again the running between the wickets has affected Pakistan. This was one of the biggest problems with Pakistan in 2007 and unfortunately it has not been remedied.

    Pakistan will probably win but it is a shame to see how Zimbabwe managed to scare them with a few quick wickets.