Pakistan In New Zealand

Making this topic now because Pakistan have just named their T20 & Test squads - no Mohammad Yousuf or Kamran Akmal in either but Younus Khan returns and Ahmed Shehzad is in the T20 squad.

Tour Schedule

	26 Dec 2010	1st Twenty20		New Zealand v Pakistan	Eden Park, Auckland	IT20
	28 Dec 2010	2nd Twenty20		New Zealand v Pakistan	Seddon Park, Hamilton	IT20
	30 Dec 2010	3rd Twenty20		New Zealand v Pakistan	AMI Stadium, Christchurch	IT20
	07 Jan 2011	1st Test		New Zealand v Pakistan	Seddon Park, Hamilton	Test
	15 Jan 2011	2nd Test		New Zealand v Pakistan	Basin Reserve, Wellington	Test
	22 Jan 2011	1st ODI		New Zealand v Pakistan	Westpac Stadium, Wellington	ODI
	26 Jan 2011	2nd ODI		New Zealand v Pakistan	Queenstown Events Centre	ODI
	29 Jan 2011	3rd ODI		New Zealand v Pakistan	AMI Stadium, Christchurch	ODI
	01 Feb 2011	4th ODI		New Zealand v Pakistan	McLean Park, Napier	ODI
	03 Feb 2011	5th ODI		New Zealand v Pakistan	Seddon Park, Hamilton	ODI
	05 Feb 2011	6th ODI		New Zealand v Pakistan	Eden Park, Auckland	ODI

Pakistan T20I squad: Shahid Afridi (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad, Younus Khan, Umar Akmal, Fawad Alam, Adnan Akmal, Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rehman, Abdul Razzaq, Umar Gul, Shoaib Akhtar, Tanvir Ahmed, Sohail Tanvir, Wahab Riaz

Pakistan Test squad: Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Taufeeq Umar, Younus Khan, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Adnan Akmal, Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rehman, Umar Gul, Tanvir Ahmed, Sohail Tanvir, Wahab Riaz

Depends who you ask - Yousuf would say no, Rana Naved and the PCB would probably say yes!

Oh my, just when you think Pakistan can't get in anymore trouble, more news have surfaced again with spot-fixing, this time, the 4 names that went unknown came up as Kamran Akmal, Umar Akmal, Wahab Riaz and Imran Farhat.

Yousuf ain't injured - Mohsin Khan thinks Yousuf despite being great is not the fittest so he has decided not to pick him. It pretty much says curtains for Yousuf as he does not seem to be in the WC plans.

Pakistan seems to be heading towards disaster, as by the look of things they are closing on the WC squad and a WC squad without Yousuf and more importantly Kamran Akmal and Shoaib Malik in sub continent conditions is absolutely foolish. Malik and Akmal have been scoring heavily in the domestic season which is going on currently. Not sure it has much to do with the ICC as they have given the written clearance, I very much think it is Afridi's growing influence in the team and his personal problems with Akmal and Malik are not hidden.

Kaneria should also have been picked for the test matches.

It is going no where for Pakistan. Can't believe Ijaz Butt still holds his office, but then, our president still does too.

It was initially 2 T20s, 5 ODIs and 3 tests - but the PCB and NZC wanted to have more money - and test cricket between two sides at the bottom of the rankings would not have given them that. Pity.

Yes they are. No doubt about that. Test players still do get handsome match fees - but you play 2 ODIs and you have made more money than one who has played five days of test match cricket.

But a lot has to do with the audience and the TV rights too Sledge. Everything is commercial and paying more for a 5-day match in most parts makes less commercial sense.

Haha, that's funny. 

Originally posted by sam_ahmed "Aamer is the best young bowling talent in the world. I have seen him closely and I can say he is streets ahead of Wasim Akram.

I don;t think Imran was foolish. I do believe Aamir is way better than what Wasim was at this age. e has improved all the time and his absence is the biggest loss.

Sam, on the World Cup hopes, i don't have much. The inside news is that the PCB will not pick Malik and Kamran Akmal for the WC. The other three are already facing a case. Pakistan will be lucky to make it any further than the second round.

They will probably open with Afridi. A Pakistan WC squad in sub-continent conditions without Yousuf, Malik, Akmal, But and Aamer tells me we will have to wait another four years to even stand a chance.

They'd play a keeper too and from what we have seen they are not to keen to ask Shafiq to take the gloves. So yes, Akmal will be behind the wickets with gloves on, but sadly not the one we want.

apparently Sohail Tanvir took 9 wickets in a domestic game and bowled 28 overs in the match after he was withdrawn from the squad to NZL because of a knee injury!

Now then, do they have an agenda against Tanvir too?

I think in the current set up he fits in Zuhair, given the departure of two lead bowlers.

It is an important series with the world cup just around the corner. I've been surprised by the poor cricket played by New Zealand in their last series - they seemed to lack fight , something they usually have in abundance.  Pakistan also need a good showing , but for other reasons - their standing in world cricket is at an alltime low.
           I'll be keeping an eye on this , but there are other pressing matters elsewhere where my full attention will be focussed !