Australia v Pakistan: build-up

[Zainub]

We've agreeded to disagree I think.

Initially I was going for Sami, Shoaib, Ahmed, Kaneria as front line bowling attack + Malik as the all rounder in my side. But then some people convinced me Sami was lacking form and Razzaq should play as his record as a test bowler is better than Sami's and he can also bat. So, that become Shoaib, Razzaq, Ahmed, Kaneria as the front line bowlers + Malik as the all rounder. Now with Ahmed injuired Sami takes his place and the attack becomes Shoaib, Razzaq, Sami, Kaneria as the front line bowlers + Malik as the all rounder. So you see, I'm not playing 2 all rounders, I'm actually playing Razzaq as the front line bowler, he's be going to be bowling first change with a relatively new ball, and expected to take wickets. Any runs he scores will be a bounus.

Secondly, before we start arguing again, I appreacite your efforts to go back to that last time and remind me of what happened when Azhar Mahmood was picked. But for the moment let's define an all rounder, in my books a test all rounder is a person capable of getting in his side just as a batsmen or a bowler. My personal beleife is that Razzaq (because now Ahmed is injuired and also because Sami is not in the best of forms) will get into the Pakistan side purely for his bowling (especially after how he bowled against Sri Lanka in both tests (in first test too many catches went down off his bowling, and hence his figures don't tell how well he bowled). I also beleive that Malik's batting+fielding (owing right now to Asim Kamal's poor form in the 1st test vs Sri Lanka and in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy as well) is good enough to get him a place in the side just as a batsman.

Thirdly, please reconsider calling Malik and Razzaq bit and pieces players (both have won (test) matches for us with their bowling as well as their batting (seprately on different occasions). They can't be bits and pieces players, if they are bits and pieces players than what will you call Rickie Clarke...a bits and bits player? That's not the argument, I'm just asking you to consider the fact that people who have 5 fors and 100s in tests like Razzaq and 4 fors and 50s (in comparitively much fewer tests) like Malik and who are individually potentially match winning players cannot be bits and pieces players.

Fourthly, what's all the fuss about the wicket? Really, its not going to be anything but a piece of soil. The WACCA has always been famous for producing wickets with pace and bounce, but that doesn't mean its not good for batting. Australia if you check out have notched up some really big scores on that ground (Mathew Hayden scored his 380 vs Zimbabwe on that ground)and Mathey Hayden plays all the shots in the world. I'm compelled to beleive that we're much better off playing a batsman like Malik on a surface like Perth and generally all over Australia who is much more willing to play his shots than Kamal. Australian wickets are very true to good shots and are consistent in bounce and pace, and those are if anything conditions most postive stroke makers like Malik rather than accumalators like Kamal would relinquish batting in. I also think Malik has a batter all round defense than Kamal. He is the better all round cricketer than him. And has a better chance of doing the job required by Pakistan than Kamal. And he is also better rated by the coach, and is hence theoritically, and realistically speaking more likely of the two being in our XI.

Finally, Malik did go quite for a while in England, but it wasn't because he is flat track bully or because he's not a good player of the moving ball, but because it was cold, and he admitted that later that he found it difficult batting in such weather. He did score runs for us in Holland ant those were conditions different from the sub-continent. If you remember, when we went to Sri Lanka last year to play a one-day tournament in Dambulla ( a seaming wicket on a hill station, conducive to fast bowling, showing overwhelming movement both off the pitch and in the air , and generally conditions very unlike traditional Sri Lankan wickets)...they were generally poor batting surfaces and even the home side Sri Lanka, and the other team New Zealand struggled on it....in those conditions who was the best bastmen of the series?...Shoaib Malik. Not Youhanna, not Hameed, not any one else but Shoaib Malik.

I have a lot of faith in his ability as a batsman, and I think he will score runs in Australia to prove that he can score away from home, and also that he is good enough to be considered on a regular basis for the Pakistan Test side and that he is not a one-day specialist.

[Maranello]

On the Shabbir Ahmed issue, a coupe of extracts from Pakistani news stories of this Sunday:

Originally Posted by The News (Pakistani newspaper)

Insiders say that either Muhammad Asif, who is the leading wicket-taker in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy with 25 wickets or Muhammad Irshad, who has 16 wickets, have an outside chance of making the touring squad if they succeed to impress the selectors and Woolmer. "Asif is doing consistently well for Sialkot and is a good stock bowler while Irshad has a lot of raw pace and could be a surprise weapon on Australian pitches given the success Pakistan had with Muhammad Zahid when he went there in 1997," a source pointed out.

..................


Mohammed Asif has been doing consistently well in domestic cricket and is pretty sharp although many players, who have faced him, claim he is not international cricket material. But on the evidence of his performances in previous years and in the ongoing Quaid Trophy the tall and lanky bowler could be a good bet as a back up bowler.

Seems we might end up with Asif, another stock bowler and maybe one who is similar to Shabbir. I would rather we looked for a strike bowler - someone who is not the finished article, but at least could one day take consistent 5-fors. Shabbir or Naved or Afridi are honest triers but will never be Pakistan's premier strike bowlers.

So we need to find a diamond, however raw. Better a raw diamond then a lump of coal! The former can be cut, cleaned and polished. The latter can never aspire to be a diamond.

[Zainub]

See see see I always told you Mohammad Irshad's pace and raw abd ability was going to get him a mention before the likes of Rao Itikhar and Riaz Afrifdi.

All in all though, I'm glad I'm not in Wasim Bari's shoes right now, he sure does a have tough job on his hand, it can be very hard being a selector and please everyone at the same time, some people or the other will always find a fualt with someone or the other.

[Maranello]

Interesting...on the bowling front, Irshad did not make it in the end. Also, Khalil is preferred as the left-armer over Waqar Ahmed (we had gone for Waqar in the WAT A team). And Asif is preferred over Abdur Rauf.

Rauf, Irshad or Waqar also did not make it to the reserves, whilst Rao Iftikhar Anjum did.

The other interesting ommission is that of Taufeeq Umar, they have included Farhat and Butt as the two specialist openers, for me that means Butt is assured of a Test spot, since I don't see them opening with Yasir Hameed. Also, Afridi is in the squad, which is a positive move. Not sure how he will get a game though - will have to bowl really well to unseat Kaneria!

So the final XI might end up being like this:

Farhat, Butt, Younis, Inzamam, Youhana, Shoaib Malik, Razzaq, Akmal, Akhtar, Sami, Kaneria.

I would be tempted to go for one of the two new pacers instead of Sami.

Originally Posted by News story

PCB announce 17-man squad for their three-test cricket tour of Australia.

Pakistan have included debutant pace bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Khalil in a 17-man squad announced today for their three-test cricket tour of Australia.

Asif, who has taken 117 wickets in 33 first-class matches, is the leading wicket taker on the domestic circuit this season while left-armer Khalil has played for the Pakistan junior and A sides.

"We have picked the best possible balanced outfit for what is going to be a very tough tour. But at the same time the youngsters in the side have a chance to establish themselves on a permanent basis," chief selector Wasim Bari said.

"Both have a lot of potential and with Shabbir Ahmed injured it was necessary to have a strong pace attack because in Australia the pitches are good for the pace bowlers."

Shabbir, who has not played since September because of a knee injury, failed to pass a fitness test.

Pakistan leave on Saturday for the tour which includes tests in Perth, Melbourne and Sydney followed by a triangular one-day tournament against Australia and the West Indies.

Bari said there would be two changes made for the one-day series in the 17-member squad.

Pakistan have never won a test series in Australia and suffered a 0-3 whitewash in the last series between the two countries in 2002.

"Australia is always a tough tour for any touring side and they are playing very well at the moment. But I think we have a lot of balance and spirit in this team which is a blend of youth and experience," Bari said.

Pakistan: Imran Farhat, Salman Butt, Yasir Hameed, Younis Khan, Inzamam-ul-Haq (captain), Yousuf Youhana, Asim Kamal, Kamran Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, Shoaib Malik, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Sami, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Khalil, Rana Naved, Danish Kaneria.

Reserves: Bazid Khan, Rao Iftikhar and Taufiq Umar.

[vvvrulz]

Just a question, where is Umar Gul?
I recall him bowling superbly agaisnt India before being forced out with injury, is he still injured?

By the way, here is what I think should be the first XI
Farhat, Hameed, Malik, Younis, Inzimam, Youhana, Razzaq, Akmal, Sami, Akhtar, Kaneria

[Zainub]

Gul underwent back surgery in SA not so long ago, he's in Pakistan now, still not started training, is expected to go to SA once more to consult his doctor there if he can start training in January. He will miss the Australian tour, in all likelihood even the one-day series. Expect him to be back in the team when we tour in India in Feburary.

Not a bat team you have seleted there, but the batting order resembels the one we prefer in one-day cricket, for test cricket, having 3 inexperienced players in the top order... well, that sounds dangerous when you're touring Australia to say the least. Younis Khan did well at 3 last time, he should be persisted with there, and I think that is what will happen. On the opening slot, I think Inzi is impressed with Butt and I think he will prefer to go in with Farhat and Butt but there is an equal chance Butt might be left out in favor of the relatively more experienced Hameed. My personal hunch though is that they'll play Butt and Farhat and Hameed will carry the drinks.

[vvvrulz]

Well, Butt hasn't got an awful lot of experience as you said, and I would much prefer either Hameed or Taufeeq taking on the likes of McGrath and Gillespie. Much depends on the middle order for Pakistan to succeed batting-wise.

[Maranello]

I have made this thread to store all pre-series hype, quotes and comments; it is sticky so we can all find it easily.

Story 1:
Swift Shoaib arrives in style (link) and refuses to comment on Ponting's mind games. Extract:

ALL HAIL, the Rawalpindi Express is in town.

Never one to do things by half, Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar made a Hollywood-like arrival yesterday at his team's first training session of their Australian tour.

While the rest of his team-mates walked from their nearby hotel to the WACA Ground, the man Cricket Australia hopes can re-ignite a dreary summer arrived in rock-star style in a $177,000 silver Lexus sports convertible.

Story 2:
Akhtar to play Western Australia second XI - link

[Zainub]

First of all let me say how glad I am we are playing the extra 3 day game against WA 2nd XI, we'll do with as much practice before the test in these conditions. I think this is great news, now all we have to do is make good use of this opportunity, and make sure everyone in the squad gets a good measure of time out in the middle. Happy with the side we've seletced: Inzamam-ul-Haq (capt), Yousuf Youhana, Shoaib Akhtar, Younis Khan, Mohammed Sami, Danish Kaneria, Yasir Hameed, Imran Farhat, Kamran Akmal (wk), Mohammad Asif, Shoaib Malik. (12 players can play but only 11 may bat and bowl.)

Now to those comments from Shoaib, glad he's just said he'll let the ball to the talking, I'm hoping he can actually do that, cause its a lot more tougher doing that in theory than just saying it. By his standards that's a fairly normal statement. Apart from that, is there anything I can possibly say about him arriving at training in that apparently lavish car? Apart from concluding that Shoaib likes, genuinely likes being reported about in the press. Noting new. As long as he's comitted to the team's cause I'm fine with everything and anything.

ps: link to snaps of Pakistan's arrival at the Peth International Airport, Western Australia

[Beny]

Woolmer commented that to win a game Pakistan needed to score 600 runs and take 20 wickets.

Here are the teams for the WA 2nd ix vs Pak game.

Pakistan
Inzamam-ul-Haq (capt), Yousuf Youhana, Shoaib Akhtar, Younis Khan, Mohammed Sami, Danish Kaneria, Yasir Hameed, Imran Farhat, Kamran Akmal (wk), Mohammad Asif, Shoaib Malik.

Western Australian 2nd XI
Adam Voges (capt), Justin Coetzee, Liam Davis, Sean Ervine, Aaron Heal, Sam Howman, Scott Meuleman, Matthew Petrie, Luke Ronchi (wk), Craig Simmons, James Sprague, Peter Worthington.

Preety decent 2nd XI team. Adam Voges recently hit the fastest ever 100 at state level. Sean Ervine the Zimbabwe outcast. Meulman a WA lower order bat (not sure why he isnt in the first team). Luke Ronchi is a rising star WK. Cootze is a normal WA player too although I havent heard a lot about him.
A few good bowlers there too. Some real pace.

Originally Posted by WACA

The State Selectors have named former Queensland fast-bowler Matthew Petrie in the team. Petrie moved to WA in the off-season in a bid to further his chances of First-Class selection.

He has taken 21 wickets at an average of 11 for Willetton in WACA Pennant Cricket this season.

James Sprague has also been picked to play his first representative match for WA. Sprague has taken 15 wickets at an average of 23 for Joondalup in WACA Pennant Cricket.