Pakistani Team for test Announced

[fair_&_balance]

Yasir Hameed, Imran Farhat, Asim Kamal, Inzamam-ul-Haq (capt), Yousuf Youhana,
Younis Khan, Abdul Razzaq, Shoaib Malik, Moin Khan (wk), Shoaib Akhtar, Muhammad Sami,
Riaz Afridi, Danish Kaneria, Zulqarnain Haider (wk), Naved-ul-Hasan

I am surprised not to see Salman Butt in this team.I think they could have had him ither in place
of Imran or Malik.
It will be intresting to see Riaz Afridi if he gets chance to play any test match.Hearda lot about him.

[Shaka]

Originally Posted by fair_&_balance

Yasir Hameed, Imran Farhat, Asim Kamal, Inzamam-ul-Haq (capt), Yousuf Youhana,
Younis Khan, Abdul Razzaq, Shoaib Malik, Moin Khan (wk), Shoaib Akhtar, Muhammad Sami,
Riaz Afridi, Danish Kaneria, Zulqarnain Haider (wk), Naved-ul-Hasan


It will be intresting to see Riaz Afridi if he gets chance to play any test match.Hearda lot about him.

I saw him in a couple of games during the U-19 World Cup. He is a big strong guy who didn't impress me much from the little I saw. He does swing the ball but it's not late swing and he's not that dast from what I remember. Having said that, when I first saw Rana Naved I wasn't too impressed either but he's out-bowled Sami and Shoaib in recent ODI's. In any case Riaz will only play if one of the other guys are injured.

As for Salman Butt, maybe it's felt tht he needs a few more games under his belt before he takes on test cricket. I don't think Imran Farhat will let anybody down and he's a guy capable of making big scores..maybe when salman is getting big fifties or hundreds he'll be promoted to a test spot.

[Maranello]

Yeh I am happy to include Farhat over Salman at this moment too, have nothing against the latter, but Farhat has more matches and bigger scores under his belt - it seems the selectors' strategy was to drop him from the ODIs to give Butt, Bazid et all a chance, and then to revert back to experience (ie Farhat) for the Tets.


Not sure about Taufeeq Umar's exclusion though...if he is not selected now on home pitches where he has done excellently in Test and First-Class, what chance of a call-up just before the Australian tour!

[Shaka]

1st day belonged to Pakistan with SL finishing on 233 for 7. It could have been worse with SL reduced to 9-3 in the first 4 overs but Thilan Samaraweera hit a superb unbeaten 97 to keep his side in it.

Sami bowled beautifully with the new ball...I wonder what happens to his away swing in ODI's? It was going like a dream today. Kaneria was unlucky not to get a couple more victims too, he bowled with menace throughout. The new ball is due within a couple of overs tomorrow, really Pakistan should mop up the tail if they bowl intelligently, putting themselves in a very good position to win from there.

[Shaka]

Very ordinairy day's batting sees the pendulum swing back in favour of the Sri Lankans with Pakistan taking a negligible 1st innings lead into the third day with two wickets standing. I would make SL favourites as they are now in a position to post a decent total on a very good batting wicket putting the Pakistan batting line up under pressure batting last.

Every Pakistani batsman in the first 6 was in complete command but tossed their wickets away with rank bad shots, surprisingly this included the skipper. I accept that Pakistan haven't played test cricket in 6 months but even so the lack of application was unacceptable. The new ball was fairly easily negotiated but Farhat's gifting of his wicket to Tilanga who is a no-swing round arm slinger set the tone. The only way this guy looks capable of taking a wicket is if a batsman mistimes a pull/hook and that's what Farhat did. before that there looked no danger at all with even Vaas being played easily.

Herath with his left arm spin looked the only threat and Pakistan will look at this as a wasted opportunity. If they lose they have only themselves to blame for wasting the work of the Pak bowlers who had to mostly earn their wickets in stark contrast to SL.