Your fave Pakistani player?!

[Doink]

What better time (and what better place!) to ask this question! Who's your favourite Pakistani player and if you wish you can also mention the name of the most disliked one as well!

My favourite is Rana Naved and Inzi comes a close second. Both are very talented but what I like most about them is the level of commitment they always display for their team. And Shoaib Akhtar is my least fave player across the border. He's a good bowler but many a times I have felt he isnt giving his 100% to Pakistan.

[DomainK]

Good thread Doink.

My most fav Pakistani player is Inzamam. He is a very underrated batsman. Whatever fame he has is not upto his potential. I believe he has done injustice to his talent.
The reast of the Pakistani team is young and I like most of the players.

[Maranello]

I am not sure if I am supposed to contribute to this thread, but I have always wanted to write about my favourite Indian player. In fact, many months ago I almost wrote an article on him for the WAT Articles forum, but then other things took over and the article never got finished... Anyway, hopefully I will write a new one some day, but some very brief thoughts below:

No prizes for guessing that my favourite current Indian player is Rahul Sharad Dravid: educated, suave, intelligent, well-spoken, diplomatic, generous in victory and very gracious in defeat, well-read, great mentor for younger players from all countries; and that's just Dravid the person, we haven't even begun to talk about Dravid the cricketer! It really is remarkable how his wicket is always the most sought after by opposition attacks, but then once the play is over, he is the one guy everyone in the opposition wants to speak with and to learn from. His tact and intelligence are not just unusual for a cricketer; they are exemplary by any standards, and I often think his press conferences should be essential viewing in Foreign Office academies around the world

And then there is the batsman: Unlike Tendulkar, Dravid can never be accused of buckling under pressure - in fact, when the going gets tough, this lad from Bangalore invariably gets going. And Dravid's contributions have led to Indian crickets most memorable wins and backs-to-the-wall acts; from Calcutta to Adelaide, from Pindi to Headingley, there is a long list of Tests where Indian cricket's finest hour, not just of our times, but of all times, owed it all to the perseverance, the concentration, the doggedness, the determination and the sheer batting acumen of one guy. For my money, Dravid is not merely India's most effective or most valuable batsman ever - let's be frank and say it like it is: he is India's best batsman, ever. Not a bad epitaph for a cricketer

[Maranello]

Originally Posted by DomainK

Inzamam. He is a very underrated batsman. Whatever fame he has is not upto his potential. I believe he has done injustice to his talent.

Completely agree. He was the best natural player of pace bowling in his generation, and great against spinners too, using his feet and his hands so naturally - however, for the first ten years or so of his career, he underachieved drastically, by not working hard enough, either at the crease or away from it (eg his fitness). Things have changed in the past two years, and he is easily one of the more resilient, patient and sensible batsmen around; however, the sheer ability is no longer there, the ability where he could play someone like Ambrose and still seem to have an age to play his shots. Had he batted with such application for the other 8-10 years, especially in 1996-2001, when he was in his prime as a batsman, he could have built a record to go with his talent.

[Doink]

You guessed it right Maranello, no Pakistan fans allowed for this thread! Your short piece on Dravid looks nice and I am hoping you do someday, let us have a read of the full article. Hey, but dont you think Gavaskar was a more effective and accomplished btsman considering the opposition he had to bat against?

[ahsan32]

Inzi is my favourite along with rana naved and a recent sensation kamran akmal.

[greg]

Being someone who always gains great pleasure in seeing newcomers doing well i will have to say Kamran Akmal.Yes he has had a fair few games but his improvement in recent months has been remarkable,he also has a good aggressive attitude to his cricket and from what i have seen is fair with it too.

[Vrock]

I'll go for Akmal like Greg and Afridi when he's not dancing down the pitch for the wrong reasons.

[Uham]

My fav is Inzamam and Mohammad Yousuf. I would like to say Younis Khan, and I will in a couple of years. I completley agree that Shoiab sometimes dosnt give it all. But he is improviing his health and atthudide. Thats what I want to see. The player I dislike the most is Mohammad Sami. He has good skills but gets hit to much. I think Rana is better Sami way to much expensive. I cant wait till the odi's.... GAME ON.....

[Mr Hutt]

Inzi for sure.... he bats like a demon... and whenever he is needed he puts up a ton.. now how many players in todays cricket can say that??? talk about the wall this guy is the whole friggin mountain!!! He can improve on his verbal skills but the unassuming charecter he comes across as is a total facade hehe... ive met the guy hes sharp!!!