Saleem Malik blasts Pakistan

[Beny]

Saleem Malik, the former captain of Pakistan who is currently serving a lifetime ban after being found guilty of match-fixing, has spoken out about his country's weak performances against Australia. Pakistan are 2-0 down heading into the third Test, which starts this Sunday (January 2), at Sydney

http://aus.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/C...30DEC2004.html

What a.... Well lets not go there.

I hate it when players who think the're God, start opening their mouths. As for his comment about Warne being easy to play... To start with he did'nt notice that whilst he was playing him well (debateable since he ussualy got out to the pace men), Warne was taking 5,6 and 7 wicket hauls. Even getting man of the series.

[Maranello]

Beny, wrong there mate, Salim Malik did play Warne with consummate ease, and Warne was made to look very ordinary against him in those series. In the early 90s Pakistan won their Test series comfortably against Australia, all the other spinners did well, relatively speaking, Warne did not, due to Malik's strangle-hold over him.

I agree, Malik's criticism of the current lot is a bit over-the-top, and he does not suggest any magic solutions to beat Australia (because there are none!). But he is entitled to his views about Warne, since he did master him. To be fair, Warne struggles agains the very good players of spin, eg his repeated failures on all types of helpful and unhelpful pitches whilst playing the Indians.

Would have been interesting had he ever come up against Miandad, one of the best players of spin bowling of all time. Malik was very good against spin, but Miandad was a different class; I think Miandad would have had Warne for breakfast, lunch and dinner!

[Seamer]

Maranello, to be fair to Warne
India never played Warne when he was at the height of his powers.India played Warne in his debut series in 1991 and did not play against him again until 1997 - He was at his greatest between those years. We will never know how he would have gone had he played India when he was at his height.
As for how he would have bowled againt Miandad, I think any of the greatest spin bowlers in history would have found it difficult.

[Shaka]

Salim Malik played Warne pretty easily, that can't be denied. He was a high class batsman as opposed to many in our current line up who look like they learned most of their cricket in the backstreets...which most of them probably did.

Not that I want to hear Malik's views, he was a player I disliked a lot. Not someone that could be relied on for various reasons.

[Zainub]

Just a couple of things here Beny. The impression that Salim Malik played Warne well, is simlpy not an impression, it's a fact. Warne dismissed him just once in test cricket. And from what ever I have seen of Malik and heard as well, he was a pretty accomplished player of spin bowling. Having said all that, it doesn't for once make the view that Warnie is a negavtive bowler correct. A negative bowler simply cannot pick 550 odd wickets. A comparision with Murali as I always say is pointless, the two are completely different type of bowlers (for heaven's sake one is an offie the other a leggie) and are equally effective in their own respects. A comparision b/w them is what I expect a troublemaking TMS user to do as a deliberate wind up post not an ex-international player. Of coarse Salim Malik is different, cause he probably isn't as widely respected as most other players are regardless of their relative successfulness or unsuccessfullness, but still, you'd expect him to act more maturely...

These statements from Malik now reflect why I have always had just one opinion of Malik, which I once said in another post

Originally Posted by My self on Saleem Malik in another post

...generally he's just been on of those players I've had alternate bouts of love and hatered for; a conflict which has persisted in me and which to date I have never managed to resolve. To be honest I have lost a bit of respect for him since those match fixing allegation have been uncovered...

[Beny]

Beny, wrong there mate, Salim Malik did play Warne with consummate ease, and Warne was made to look very ordinary against him in those series. In the early 90s Pakistan won their Test series comfortably against Australia, all the other spinners did well, relatively speaking, Warne did not, due to Malik's strangle-hold over him.

I don't debate it but I simply point out that the rest of his team was getting out to Warne who was man of the series against his team. HE may have been a very good player of Warne but it's unfair to suggest that therefore everybody else should be.

Regardless its really only a side point.

[Paoli]

Pity Malik had to ruin it all by taking some cash!!!

[vvvrulz]

There are only a select few that can boast the fact that they could play Warne, and Malik may have been one of them. But it doesn't give him the right to suddenly claim that playing Warne is easy, most of his comments were pretty brash and you can't discredit the Pakistani's too much, they were simply outclassed !