Pakistan v South Africa (In U.A.E)

Pakistan's top three have been big time flops! Farhat gets a 40 once in eight innings and keeps his place while the other two are just pathetic! Mohammad Hafeez has been a tried and tested failure while that guy Shahzaib is simply crap! Even Chris Martin will be more consistent if he opens the batting!

Shoaib Malik I feel is a very important member for the 2011 world cup. He, Younis and Yousuf at numbers 3,4 and 5 makes the line up formidable! Its high time he's given a consistent run rather than being played for 2 matches and dropped for the next 7!

The bowling attack looks decent! If Pakistan can get someone who is half as good as Salman Butt to open with Kamran Akmal then they are a force to reckon with!

Younus and probably Yousuf will be there along with Fawad and Asad in the 50 over matches. I am pretty sure Pakistan will put decent totals and play full quota in the one day games.

this Ingram guy looks gutsy, his side was not at ease when he came to bat i both the matches. Not many hit Shoaib Akhar for sixes so effortlessly. I think he belongs to this level. And so does Miller. I am not too sure about Bosman though, he should be opening for Pakistan the way he plays.

I think Davey Jacobs deserves a go instead of Loots Bosman. Jacobs is 27 while Bosman is 33. Jacobs did really well in the CLT20 as a player, captain and a fielder.

I didn't see Ingram's innnings as I had gone off to sleep but Rusty Theron has been a valuable addition to the team. He looks deceptive and sharper than what the speed gun shows and gets those yorkers to tail in to the right handers perfectly! He's an excellent death bowler and a really good one to have for limited overs cricket these days!

Edited by dips_december - 28 October 2010 at 9:01am

Originally posted by zuhair_abbasi One word on this chap Ingram - he is a gem I must say.

Edited by mystery - 28 October 2010 at 9:27am

As for Pakistan, well the real thing starts tomorrow and I am very hopeful that Pak will turn this around. Looks unlikely but just hoping for the best.

In case the suspended trio doesn't make it to the WC then I think the following 15 will give Pakistan a good chance to have a real shot at the WC.

Kamran Akmal - Aggressive batting at the top + no better option available
Mohammed Hafeez - Very handy bowler (can act as bowling cover) + holding one end (hopefully)
Shoaib Malik - Excellent record in India and at No. 3 + gives extra Bowling Option esp in the subcontinent
Younus Khan - Experience will prove to be handy + class player
Mohammed Yousuf - PAK's best batsmen + experience
Umer Akmal - Should act as a support player for the above three, like how Inzi played in the 92 WC... should not play as a "star" player.
Shahid Afridi - Big hitting + all round abilities gives more options
Abdul Razzaq - Big hitting + all round abilities gives more options
Umer Gul - excellent limited overs bowler + reverse swing
Saeed Ajmal - will be Pakistan's trump card in the subcontinent, has a crucial role to play, most important member.
Shoaib Akhtar - fiery spells (hopefully) + experience + reverse swing

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Sohail Tanvir - wicket taker + previous experience
Iftikhar Anjum  - can be economical, useful when it swings around.
Fawad Alam - excellent fielder + good all round player
Asad Shafiq - back up for Kamran + good young player

Given the fact that they have Saeed, Hafeez, Afridi, Malik and even Fawad I think there need not be a place for Abdul Rehman in the side. I hope they resist picking Misbah and pick Asad instead. At least four fast bowlers are required in the squad + Razzaq, given Akhtar's fitness levels

Without 3 suspended players they dont have many options. They will have  many problems in top order. Salman Butt will bemissed there.

Kamran
Hafeez
Younus
Yousuf
Malik
Umar
Afridi
Razzaq
Gul
Akhtar
Ajmal

Maybe Malik can open and replace Hafeez to adjust Fawad in middle order.

Here we go - just when I thought Pakistan will play a better team, they have dropped Umar Akmal. Can't understand why, if he is not injured. Kamran Akmal's injury has done a lot of damage to the team balance.

They have too many crap batsmen in their line up. They only know one way to bat. Opposition just need first 4 wickets and then the others will be given by themselves.
Yousuf, Malik and Kamran should come back. Even Zimbwabwe have better batting than this crap battingline up.

I am not sure Afridi deserve even a place in odis. He cant lead a team from front. 3 similiar failures in just 4 days and he is not learning.

With 301 odis Afridi is Pakistans most experienced player in the odi side. Youngsters usually learn from the experienced players. What can Afridi pass them? 

Haha, Sam, if Afridi really said that to Smith, that's the joke of the year, that gave me ah laugh.

Originally posted by sam_ahmed ah! The opposition doesn't need to take any wickets Kahmed, all the wickets will be given! Fawad started off so well but his career is going no where now, same is the case with Umer Akmal or for that matter all the youngsters like Asad, Shahzaib, etc... these youngsters needed proper grooming, instead what they got was chaos, new captains everyday, people getting banned, coming back again, again getting banned again coming back. Blame games going on all around, allegations, controversies and what not. no surprises that PAK have now forgotten how to play. Razzaq's form has just disappeared, we see one or two flashes every now and then but consistency is no longer there, Afridi, rightly said he cannot lead from the front and three similar failures in just 4 days from a CAPTAIN is just pathetic! you cannot expect the team to do anything when you yourself are crap.

Originally posted by spin wizard Haha, Sam, if Afridi really said that to Smith, that's the joke of the year, that gave me ah laugh.

He did Spinny, Ramiz Raja told this on air, and it is also mentioned in cricinfo's ball by ball commentary.

You cant always blame off the field circumstances for failures on the field Sam. It is a fact that Pakistan played without a proper plan and they got what they deserved. South Africa played honest hard working cricket without being exceptional and that paid off. Your coaching and planning staff really needs to be fired if your captain does not even know who is Tsotsobe, a guy who responsible for rattling Pakistan's batting in the first two games of the series. If, like all other things, this is also spared on the coaching staff, then I am afraid, Pakistan can only do worse form here on. You cannot always go on telling the world that we have exceptional talent and all that - unless uou show some professionalism, which was clearly lacking.

The problem with Pakistan at the moment is that they dont have anyone in coaching staff who was a good batsman. They are all bowlers and pakistani bowling without amer and asif is doing also well. They need someone who can plan their innings. They really need Yousuf and malik back. Afridi or Razzaq should play at the top to use their powerplay.