Pakistan 2005

[Shaka]

Just looking at the threads about India and England jostling to challenge Aussie dominance i wanted a recap of where Pakistan stands now and where we will be 12 months down the road. First we should remember we have already come a long way from the depths after losing Wasim, Waqar and Saeed Anwar. We have beaten South Africa at home and a tough New Zealand side away. Ok we lost against India but that was no disgrace, they were on a high after going toe to toe successfully with Australia. I think progress has been good.

Australia series would have been fantastic opportunity if Umar Gul was fit as he would have been a key bowler on those pitches. Sami and Shoaib are faster through the air but the lift and seam that Gul generates would make him perfect for Australia. To some extent Shabbir can get it too but he is inconsistent and tends to lose concentration. I think Australia will come too soon and I think all we can do is give it our best shot and see how we fare. I think in the ODI's we will be able to give a better account of ourselves as we can turn out quite a strong side packed with allrounders.

By the time we get to 2005 I expect we will be back amongst the front runners again. Woolmer's organisation and ideas should have sunk in and we will be maiximising our potential by then. We need to find a settled opener, but at test level Asim Kamal has strengthened the batting and once Gul and Shabbir return from fitness we will have a pretty handy seam attack alongside Akhtar and Sami. And yes, I think we are better than South Africa right now and will prove it by 2005.

[Rachael]

All depends on Woolmer, really: the biggest problem with the national team in Pakistan is not the cricketers.. but the environment in which the selectors and the coach and the captain and the team have to operate - the pressure, the scrutiny, the obsession with replacing Wasim and Waqar... the slavish obsession with the pace of Akhtar and Sami... the refusal to set Inzi out to pasture for his obesity (and willingness to tolerate ponderous running between the wickets and dire outfielding).. and ultimately the obsession with individual heroes that can win matches rather than puling together as a disciplined team that punches above it's weight.

When the Pak team has the ethos and approach of the NZ or SA teams... without egos and "stars".. then I reckon they'll come good - until then.. I find it hard to be too sympathetic when they struggle!

[fair_&_balance]

Rachael ,
I dont see it as if they are on decline. They are definitly on there way up and credit definitly goes to Woolmer. Few changes that he has done in team and they way he has handled player and press so far has been truely professional and outstanding.

Talking of Pakistani fan, Biggest problem they have is their thirst of blood. Every Time team does bad some head has to roll. They wont rest untill someone is punished.

Anyway I agree with Shaka that this team is coming up very good and on current form it is definitly in top 3 ODI team. I will reserve my opinion about their TEST position for a while now. Biggest problem they will face in Test matches in AUS would be their batting lineup. Top order is truely fragile. This guy Yasir has no Idea where his off stump is.There is no consistant partner with him. Coming to their middle order,Yoyo & Inzi though are great batsman butthey are yet to show any spine when they travel to Australia. I hope this time they will do better. I am eagerly awaiting to see Asim though. Looks like best batting hope for pakistan . He is mixture of Great temprament and good technique.

[Shaka]

Ha ha...Rachael, Inzi has been slim and trim for over a year now. He's very focused these days and has grown into his captaincy (as opposed to just growing) and in fact Woolmer has gone on record as saying how impressive a figure he has become. His batting is the corner-stone of our team these days and he leads from the front. He was superb against India as I'm sure f & b will tell you.

Everything else you say though has the ring of truth, Pakistani fans hang their hats on individuals and it goes to their heads. One of Woolmer's first innovations was to try and get Shoaib Akhtar to bowl off a shorter run up for ODI's and I swear the dude is pouting with indignation at the thought when he runs in. Umar gul and Shabbir Ahmed are very different type of bowlers to Sami and Shoaib btw, so the obsession with speed is coming to an end at ODI level at least.

f & b,

I think you are right that our top order lacks genuine quality and experience and it's the big chink in the armour. There are some really talented youngsters around fighting for that spot such as Salman Butt, Imran Farhat and Taufeeq Umar. I'm hoping that Woolmer being a top class coach can get these guys to improve their game by 5% which will make all the difference. Taufeeq Umar has some big centuries against quality opposition behind him but then he started falling over to his leg side. If you can iron out these little flaws that creep in I think he's still a very good prospect and a real determined character.

[Rachael]

Originally Posted by Shaka

Ha ha...Rachael, Inzi has been slim and trim for over a year now. He's very focused these days and has grown into his captaincy (as opposed to just growing) and in fact Woolmer has gone on record as saying how impressive a figure he has become. His batting is the corner-stone of our team these days and he leads from the front. He was superb against India as I'm sure f & b will tell you.

Ah.. i thought I might be on shaky ground there as I'd heard rumour of his new, lithe look and even encoutered a report that he was beginning to forsake showboating, risky boundaries for scurried, low risk singles.. and if it's true I really AM pleased: Inzi was a disgrace the last time I actually saw him bat.. and aside from being as much of a liability to his batting partners and the Pakistan cause as ANY opposition bowler.. his very presence seemed to set a chronic tone for the team.

If those days are past and Inzi is now leading by example then maybe the future does look more rosy.

Originally Posted by Shaka

Everything else you say though has the ring of truth, Pakistani fans hang their hats on individuals and it goes to their heads. One of Woolmer's first innovations was to try and get Shoaib Akhtar to bowl off a shorter run up for ODI's and I swear the dude is pouting with indignation at the thought when he runs in. Umar gul and Shabbir Ahmed are very different type of bowlers to Sami and Shoaib btw, so the obsession with speed is coming to an end at ODI level at least.

LOL - your comment about Akhtar encapsulates ALL that seems to me to have held back Pak cricket these past few years.

I'm alert enough to have taken real note of Umar Gul and Shabbir Ahmed: if Woolmer would just ensure they play ahead of Sami (who really does strike me as the most unmitigated flop in world cricket, eclipsing even Brett Lee in the "over-hyped" stakes) then things would seem to me to be looking up. What I'd REALLY like to see, though, is both Gul AND Ahmed signed up by English counties for a season or two - it's that County Cricket finishing school that so helped Wasim Akram that these young players seem to miss.

ON a side note.. what do you make of the prospects for a pair of genuinely world class Pak spinners? Is Abdul Qadir's school producing the goods? It seems to me quite bizarre that in recent times.. the Pak side has just lacked credibility on the slow bowling front.

ps.. roll on the day when Pak tour England with 3 fast-medium swing bowlers and a slow bowler: if that happens and doesn't lead to riots and revolution back home then I'll finally believe that Woolmer's got a prayer!

[Shaka]

Yes Rachael, Inzi is a different man these days, captaincy has really brought the best out of him. He's never going to be the sharpest but he commands the respect of his team and coach by his decisive leadership on and off the pitch. WRT Sami, Woolmer is a big fan as am I, but he needs to find his feet at this level. A bit like James Anderson I suspect, but he has a big heart and has come back well after poor shows. Sami is fast, can move the ball both ways, has aggression and has won matches with devastating spells. IMO he needs to lose some of the need for speed and concentrate using the new ball well. He has all the tools but gets carried away with bowling fast, a bit like his opening bowling partner.

Shabbir I think might already have been signed by a county team but I'm not sure. Gul is out for 6 months with a back problem which was made worse by not being diagnosed so he carried on bowling with it. I hope he comes back because he's a genuine talent. He would have been sensational in Australia.

As for spin bowlers, our main prospect is Danish Kaneria, a leg-spinner who had a very successful series against South Africa. He gets a lot of turn and bounce and has been bowling for Essex this season. He's still quite young though but he's getting picked ahead of Mushtaq Ahmed...that should tell you something about his abilities. Also Shoaib Malik the allrounder who has been performing with both bat and ball in ODI's for the last year...BW wants him to play as an off-spinner in the test team and I can see why. He turns the ball appreciably and can bowl the doosra as well. I don't think he's any less of a bowler than Saqlain...and the guy can bat like a star too!

[Rachael]

Reading your positive comments.. I was moved to look back to something reported here.

The post quotes a cricinfo report (originally here but seemingly inaccessible now) on a game in Multan.. and singles out the following comments...

Writing of Pakistan:

"Their bowlers were indisciplined, their fielding was lacklustre, and the captaincy was lazy. On the second morning, their fast bowlers bounced back with some hostile bowling, but their fielders let them down – the two catches that went down in one Shabbir Ahmed over just before lunch being a classic example. Most of the Pakistani fielders ambled around as if they had given up hope of taking wickets, and were surprised that any chances actually came their way."

And of India:

"There was no such lethargy from the Indians. They were alert and energetic on the field, diving around enthusiastically, clapping each other on. The bowling was especially disciplined, with Zaheer Khan, Irfan Pathan and Lakshmipathy Balaji all keeping it tight, not giving the batsmen any easy runs. They focussed not on the obstacles on the way to their destination, but on the process. They had the mental toughness to keep pegging away, despite the odds – the batsman-friendly pitch, the conditions – being stacked against them."

What had caught my eye was the conclusion.... that "India's discipline and mental strength is the difference between the two sides in this Test; does that have something to do with the team's work ethic off the field*, perhaps?"

I'm very, very glad that Bob W has taken over.. and that Inzi has started sorting his act out.. and that there are old-fashioned swing bowlers coming through.. and that Abdul Qadir's school is delivering results... but this short report from criinfo does, for me, indicate the real scale of the challenge that awaits Woolmer - sorting out talent and technique has always struch me as child's play compared with sorting out "discipline and mental strength" and "work ethic off the field"!

[Shaka]

Rachael, all those criticisms were very valid. At the time the leadership was under Javed Miandad and he had a habit of taking the credit when things went well and publicly blaming his players when they went wrong. Bob Woolmer since coming in has kept a very tight ship, backing his players to the hilt in public at least and I think this will go a long way to developing team spirit.

Discipline, work ethic and mental strength are indeed crucial and i think these are the very qualities that Bob instilled in his South African team! I feel he is the best man for the job, I only hope he can cope with the pressures of leading a side like Pakistan where every win elevates you to a king and every loss is a disaster...or the match must have been fixed!!

I think Woolmer's plan will be to identify the players he wants to make up the core of his squad then work with them. He's going through all the hopefuls and youth teams to see what he has available. A few changes have already had very favourable results as f&b noted. Promoting Shoaib Malik to no 3 has paid off big time so far with a spate of MoM performances including 2 hundreds with the bat. Plus the resurrection of Shahid Afridi as primarily a bowler has had spectacular results. Not only has he bowled very well, but playing down the order he's hit some great cameo knocks at the death. Woolmer's insistence that he was worth a place as a big 'impact' player could not have been proved more accurate so far.

So yes, although we still need to stabilise the top order there is a feeling of optimism around Pakistani cricket these days, but it will need patience...things don't get turned around overnight.

[Maranello]

Originally Posted by Rachael

What had caught my eye was the conclusion.... that "India's discipline and mental strength is the difference between the two sides in this Test; does that have something to do with the team's work ethic off the field*, perhaps?"

I'm very, very glad that Bob W has taken over.. and that Inzi has started sorting his act out.. and that there are old-fashioned swing bowlers coming through.. and that Abdul Qadir's school is delivering results... but this short report from criinfo does, for me, indicate the real scale of the challenge that awaits Woolmer - sorting out talent and technique has always struch me as child's play compared with sorting out "discipline and mental strength" and "work ethic off the field"!

Rachael, I agree in part with what you are saying. Must clarify though, that the cricinfo report you quote is on the Multan Test (first of three) - I think any team would be somewhat despondent/demoralised once the opposition have racked up 356-2 on the first day of an important Test Series!

So one should not take those comments out of context – yes, Pakistan's performance in that first Test was below par and India played brilliantly. However, to their credit, Pakistan did come back very strong the very next Test and won convincingly by nine wickets, and then lost the series decider by a similarly large margin, this being a reflection mainly of our much weaker batting line-up more than anything else.

A team with no work ethic or team spirit would have found it much harder to come back in the second Test after losing by an innings and 52 runs in the first - and all this was pre-Woolmer.

[Maranello]

Originally Posted by Rachael

The post quotes a cricinfo report (originally here but seemingly inaccessible now) on a game in Multan.. and singles out the following comments...

The cricinfo report is at: http://usa.cricinfo.com/link_to_data...30MAR2004.html

Interestingly, Amit Varma had the following to say of Inzi's contribution in that same report:

"Looks like a mountain, scores like a river
It is rare for a current player to have a stand in a ground named after him, but Multan has no heroes more worthy of this honour than Inzamam-ul-Haq, so there he was, adding 160 polished runs with Hameed in the backdrop of the Inzamam-ul-Haq Stand (which could also be interpreted as an instruction to him during quick singles, perhaps?).
Inzamam's bulk seems to imply the solidity that one associates with him, but, of course, how big you are has nothing to do with how well you keep the ball out – bats, after all, are more or less the same size for all batsmen. Inzamam's technique is sturdier than most, and it is a pleasure to watch him bat. He is remarkably still at the crease, spots the length early as the ball leaves the bowler's hand, gets into position with a simple fluid movement, and is perfectly balanced at the split-second before his bat begins its downward arc, coming down on the ball, most often, not with the bludgeoning force one sees in highlights packages, but with smooth precision. He uses the bowler's pace to guide the ball into the gaps, and often ambles for runs instead of sprinting madly. Like so many great players, he often reaches 50 or 100 before one realises it – his opponents may not notice him scoring his runs, but they certainly feel the weight of them.

There are no unnecessary flourishes in Inzamam's play. One of the leitmotifs of his batting is the conservation of energy. From the moment the bowler begins his run-up to the moment bat hits ball, there is acute concentration, but the rest of the time, he seems almost somnolent. This shows in his running between wickets as well, as he clearly sees no point in running the first one hard when only one run seems possible. This is of a piece with the rhythm of his batting, though he has shown more urgency between the wickets in recent months, clearly adapting himself to the modern game. Regardless of that minor matter, though, he remains one of the modern masters – as he showed in his unhurried, untroubled innings today. He may look like a mountain, but he scores like a river. "
------------------


Hardly calls for dropping the chap, now does it...!

I have seen Inzamam bat quite regularly over the past 13 years – over this period, he has been Pakistan’s best batsman and probably the most valuable contributor to the team, and could arguably be among the top five or ten batters in the world over the whole period (though at this precise moment he would struggle to make a World Top Ten – but then form ebbs and flows over time . . ).

What he does bring as a captain is strong leadership, authority and the unqualified support and respect of all his team (with the possible exception of one Mr. Akhtar!). He is not a tactical genius, but listens to advice from others in the team, eg Youhana, Moin and Afridi.

So Woolmer and Inzi are two decent, committed men and as long as they stay together running the show, a lot can be expected from the team in 2005 in Tests. We did after all win Test Series against SA in late 2003 and away in NZL in early 2004, both with the same teams and squads that we currently have.