Razzaq as a test player

[Shaka]

Now's a good a time as any to ask whether Razzaq's inclusion in the test team is justified or not..seeing as he's just taken 5 for 35 in 21 overs...

the problem I have with Razzaq is when he's on the verge of losing his place having bowled anaemically for a number of games, he then grabs a few wickets or scores a few runs and his place is assured again. His batting is ok, although he doesn't play spin as well as he should, but his bowling has often looked pedestrian. His 54 test wickets have come at an average of 38 runs which isn't great...but maybe not getting the new ball could be used as a partial excuse.

Another problem is he is a bowler who likes to tie batsmen down with a very mean line and length but Sami and Shoaib often release the pressure with their more attacking style which can prove expensive if things go wrong. For me Razzaq has to perform consistently as a bowler, he's been too borderline in the past. Will watch SL's second innings closely to see how he does.

[Maranello]

He does average around 30 with the bat, which is pretty decent for a no.7.

Also he might argue that his Test appearances have been too sporadic and intermittent - he made his ODI debut in 1996/97, his Test debut in 1999/00 but this is only his 29th Test...

So maybe he needs a longer run, with a well-defined remit to be the third bowler in the team (and not just a part timer as he is sometimes treated)...and we might get better results...

[Shaka]

Well I am surprised this is only his 30th test match...he seems to have been playing forever. He has been quoted before this series that he wants to be seen as a test match bowler but I haven't seen him do what he did today enough in his career to date; move the ball BOTH ways...he looks a different prospect when he pulls it off. I don't think we can put it all down to a green pitch either. I've seen him get movement into a batsmen (RH) on most surfaces. It's been a long time since I saw him getting them to leave or straighten which makes him look far more dangerous.

[Maranello]

Yeh if he doesn't move it both ways, he is at best a good stock bowler, with little margin for error at his pace. But today he did look dangerous...menacing with intent n all that.

His full test record is as follows:

Batting
M I NO Runs HS Ave SR 100 50 Ct St
29 46 4 1230 134 29.28 42.36 3 4 7 0

Bowling
O M R W Ave BBI 5 10 SR Econ
702.1 142 2057 54 38.09 4-25 0 0 78.0 2.92

As Rachael has pointed out in other threads, he does do reasonably well in the PwC rankings as a bowler...so not a bad bet if he tries like today.

[Shaka]

Originally Posted by Maranello

As Rachael has pointed out in other threads, he does do reasonably well in the PwC rankings as a bowler...so not a bad bet if he tries like today.

also there isn't exactly a queue of successful bowlers who are lining up to take his place. Shoaib is probably ahead of the game (not without his own problems though) but the likes of Sami are struggling to justify their own inclusion...other than looking dangerous occasionally.

Unless a front line bowler can put his hands up and claim the spot for his own it must be tempting to include Razzaq on the strength of his batting as well as the stock bowling he can offer.

[Maranello]

From cricinfo Verdict on today's play:

Originally Posted by cricinfo

He located a nagging length that was on neither the front foot or back, and said later – as he has done before – that his contribution as a bowler increases in accordance with his responsibility. Without Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami, the burden on his shoulders was immense, and so was his contribution.

[Maranello]

Originally Posted by Shaka

Unless a front line bowler can put his hands up and claim the spot for his own it must be tempting to include Razzaq on the strength of his batting as well as the stock bowling he can offer.

Yes at the moment he should continue to be selected for Tests.

Once everyone is fit, the first choice three pace bowlers should be Shoaib, Shabbir and Umar Gul. In that scenario, one could revisit Abdul Razzaq's role...

[Shaka]

Regarding the report from cricinfo, I think Razzaq needs to raise his game for every match not just when Shoaib and Sami are playing...but in his defence, he probably didn't mean it to sound like that. I think once all the front line bowlers are fit he'll probably be fighting it out with Shoaib Malik for the allrounder spot, unless Malik can claim one of the specialist batting places.