As an after thought:
I have always maintained that Razzaq and Flintoff are fairly similar kind of players. So I did a bit of research comparing them, particularly when Andrew Flintoff and Abdul Razzaq were both at similar stages in their careers. I found out that when Flintoff (now aged 27) was the same age as Razzaq (i.e. 25) he found him self having the same problems as Razzaq and therefore having to hear the same sort of criticism as Razzaq, here is a closer look at finding out why, and looking at some of their other similarities as well:
• In the 25th year of his life Andrew averaged in between 50 and 47 with the ball while Razzaq is averaging in between 37 and 36 in the same period. See this (Flintoff’s stats in red, Razzaq’s in black)
http://statserver.cricket.org/guru?s...ds=comparetype
• After Flintoff had played as many games as Razzaq (i.e. 37) he was averaging 39 with the ball, as opposed to Razzaq’s 37. In fact their cumulative career bowling averages show that Razzaq has so far had a relatively smoother ride into test cricket:
http://statserver.cricket.org/guru?s...ds=comparetype http://statserver.cricket.org/guru?s...ds=comparetype
• In batting too both players showed remarkable similarities at similar stages in their careers. There is nothing to choose in between there averages when they’d both played 36 games each, Andrew was averaging 29, Razzaq is averaging 28.
http://statserver.cricket.org/guru?s...ds=comparetype
• In the 25th years of their life Flintoff averaged in between 19 and 26, while Razzaq averaged in between 29 and 27.
http://statserver.cricket.org/guru?s...= comparetype http://statserver.cricket.org/guru?s...ds=comparetype
• Razzaq today is criticized for being all or nothing type batsmen, who either blocks or blasts – a criticism Andrew was all too often the target off in his post SA-2003 days. And despite Flintoff’s timing and placement improving by at least 100% in the last 2 years this is something that still comes to haunt him time and again, like during his Sri Lanka tour. Both players essentially have a very similar game plan, revolving around their sheer brute force. Many people in England believe Flintoff hits the ball hardest of any one in international cricket but Stephen Flemming, who has played test cricket for all but a matter of 11 years, said in early 2004 that he’d never come across a player who could hit the ball as hard and as long as Razzaq. Ability to hit the ball hard is a double edged sword; it is amongst both players’ biggest strengths and biggest weaknesses. What is now the difference between the two players is that Flintoff has through experience and time learned to curb his natural ability to some extent while Razzaq is still figuring out how to.
• Both players are also perceived as having a weakness against high quality spin bowling.
• Both players generally struggle away from home.
• Both players were introduced into test cricket earlier then they should have been.
• Both players were unjustifiably compared to former greats all rounders of their country at very early stage of their careers, putting far too much pressure on them. Razzaq’s cricinfo profile still says that in his hay days Razzaq was the most complete all rounder Pakistan have produced since Imran Khan. Flintoff still has to remind every one every now and again that he’s not the new Beefy; he’s the new Andrew Flintoff.
• Both players have an awful lot of catches dropped off their bowling. In this respect Flintoff’s luck has some what improved in the last couple of years, Razzaq’s still hasn’t.
• Both players have suffered major injuries at crucial junctures in their careers. Andrew has been far unluckier in this respect.
• Both players are the best exponents of reverse swing in their respective sides.
• Both bowl very well to left handers.
• Both players are the respective work horses of the either side.
• Both players are down to earth blokes.
• Both players have nicknames after cartoon characters. Andrew is Fred after Fred Flintstone, and Abdul Razzaq is Popeye after Popeye, The Sailor Man.
• And not that this matters, but for the sake of it, both are married and have a daughter.
Now I know you all will point towards the dissimilarities (Flintoff can bowl at higher pace, Flintoff is a hit the deck kind of player, Razzaq is lesser so, etc)...but all of the above has given me enough hope to believe that some day in the not so distant future Razzaq if nothing can at least become as good a player as he’s truly capable of being. So far he’s underachieved.
What do others think In 2 years time, when Razzaq will be 27 how far will he have come along in his international cricket career? Will he ever manage to create the sort of impact on Pakistan as Flintoff has on England?