Pakistan vs Australia, Hobart, Tasmania

[Zainub]

Greetings everyone, I'm back! Anyway, use this thread to discuss tomorrow's game between Pakistan and Australia.

To kick off, some interesting team news. For Australia, Gilo is out with a knee problem and Dizzy has niggles in his calf - Brad Hiddin (who scored a 100 against us in the warm up game ) will replace him for the Hobart game, although Gilo wil be expected to be back for the VB series' next game in Brisbane, vs. the Windies. Pigeon, who was 12th man in the first game of the series at the MCG, will definately come back to the team in place of Dizzy (whose condition will be reviewed in the lead-up to the Brisbane game). Cricinfo adds that Simon Katich who missed the first match at the MCG, has recovered from a throat infection and will be available for the second game.

For us, we're thankfully at full strength, but the final XI is not confirmed. We've tried out 15 players in their two warm-up matches against Australia A so final XI will most probably not be announced until the morning of the game. Shoaib Malik will not be allowed to bowl, and that is a major blow as far as my opinion is concerned. Top order played unsatisfactorily both games and even despite my trying to not consider the resuts or performances of the 20-20 match too seriously I can't help being confused about who we should send into open and what should be the batting order? What do you think?

ps: does any one know what the pitch is like in Hobart?

[Seamer]

Zainub, firstly, the hobart wicket is usually fairly placid - definately not pace friendly - so Lee and Shoaib will probably be less effective than usual. Should be a high scoring game
I agree that we should,nt draw many conclusions from the 20/20 game - this game will be a different story. I would like to see Inzamam bat much further up the order than his #6 position in the 20/20 game, as he is their best batsman and should come in as early as possible. Razzak should bat in the top 5 at least as well, as he is Pakistan,s form batsman at the moment

[Zainub]

The thing about Razzaq seamer is that he's most effective when he bats with not a lot of overs to go, he's been used as high as 1,2 and 3 before, but recently, most of his hurricane knocks have come batting down the order, he's lethal at the death, I don't think we will be contemplating making him bat any higher than 6.

I'm still very confused about who we should play:

1 Yasir Hameed/Mohammad Hafeez/Taufeeq Umar
2 Salman Butt
3 Shoaib Malik
4 Inzamam
5 Youhanna
6 Abdul Razzaq
7 Shahid Afridi
8 Azhar Mahmood
9 Kamran Akmal
10 Rana Naved ul Hassan
11 Shoaib Akhtar

And how in all the world do I fit Younis Khan into this team - I'm all at sea...don't have a clue of what we should do

[Maranello]

You are right Zainub, Abdul Razzaq is most effective batting at 6 or lower, the ball is not doing much, and the field is well-spread. He has recently been lethal coming in at around the 30 over mark. He can then face 60-90 balls, and score at a strike rate of over 100%.

Incidentally, Razzy is the only player to have batted at all positions, from opener to no.11 in ODIs! Remarkable. The only thing he has not done, is face the first ball On the other hand, Shoaib Malik has batted at both no.1 (faced first ball), and no.2 (opened but non-striker), and at all other positions in the order to no.10! Two very strange facts, highlighting the baffling inconsistency in Pakistani selection and strategy.

[Zainub]

You're right, who would you play?

[Realcharm]

The auusie A games against the windies produced high scores, so Pakistan's batsman will have to be on song. Pakistan really need to bat first, as the aussies will pile close to 280+ if they bat first. Shoaib is going to really have to play out of his skin, cause he needs Gilchrist, Ponting and Martyn in his first spell if the Paki's are a chance. Australia are pretty much unbeatable, and Pakistan's chances will be against the Windies. That's when Pakistan are going to really have to play well. Because they only play the Windies 3 times, they need to win 2 to probably make the final.

good luck to Pakistan Cricket Team

[Maranello]

I don't disagree RC bhai, the Australians are the favourites for this game, but I am still hopeful that if our bowlers come to the party, it can be a contest. The batting 'should' click, but the bowling I am not so sure about.

Zainub my team I guess will be:

1. Salman Butt
2. Taufiq Umar
3. Younis Khan/Yasir Hameed
4. Inzamam
5. Youhana
6. Hafeez
7. Abdul Razzaq
8. Afridi
9. +Kamran Akmal
10. Naved-ul-Hasan
11. Shoaib Akhtar

Malik not being able to bowl is a big blow as we are a bowler light. I would accordingly play Hafeez instead, who can bowl. Taufiq Umar is probably in there as a personal indulgence, he deserves a few chances! I imagine in reality Pak would play both Yasir and Younis and leave out Taufiq.

This line-up means we have five bowlers: Akhtar, Naved, Razzy, Hafeez and Afridi, plus part-time off-spin from Taufiq and/or Yasir.

[Shaka]

Malik not playing is a massive blow, it takes out our best performing all rounder in ODI's for the last few months. In fact his role is so crucial I know Woolmer will still be contemplating playing him as a specialist batsman. I'd replace him with Hafeez though, who is a decent odd spinner and can bat...although nowhere near as destructively as Malik. Hafeez might well be a weak link though if the Aussies get a hold of his bowling as I'm not sure whether he will do much with the bat. This would be my team:

Salman Butt
Yasir Hameed
Mohammad Hafeez
Inzamam-ul-Haq (capt)
Yousuf Youhana
Younis Khan
Shahid Afridi
Abdul Razzaq
Kamran Akmal (wk)
Rana Naved-ul-Hasan
Shoaib Akhtar

Only five bowlers there but I don't think the quality of bowling back up is strong enough to sacrifice a batsman. Rao and Khalil don't look much better than our all rounders like Naved and Razzaq so they stay in the team.

Needless to say, I am well ********** off that Malik hasn't been cleared to play this game. I was expecting better news after the efforts that Woolmer went through to avoid bowling him in the tests. I just hope Hafeez proves a decent understudy, but Malik has won us a lot of matches recently.

[Shaka]

Shoaib Malik showing his value once again today, playing handicapped as a specialist batsman only. Fantastically positive 31 before being sawn off by a poor lbw decision form Daryl Harper. More proof if it were needed that it's time for the new gaurd of umpires.

[Maranello]

Pakistan, after choosing to bat first: 272/8 in 50 overs.

Afridi doing a lot of the damage towards the end, an incredible 56 off 26 balls (4 fours and 4 sixes), including two consecutive beauties off McGrath (a 6 over cover and the next ball a 6 over Midwicket). In fact, he really did take to the medium paced fare offered by McGrath and tucked in with a healthy appetite!

Earlier, Inzamam scored a brisk and fluent 68 (64 balls, plenty of singles), excellent running (!). Butt contributed with 61 (87 balls), though could have been a bit more positive after the initial start. Yohana a rather insipid and scratchy 30 (47 balls).

Yohana's problem I guess was that he came in at the wrong time, Pakistan may have been better served with Razzaq coming in when Yoyo eventually did, the guy wasn't sure how to bat - hit, or block, and his timing was atrocious.

Salman Butt played very well, he is in the form of his life, and probably the best 20 year old batsman around. Still a long way to go for him though, his game often seems too one-dimensional (square of the wicket). Did strike off very brightly, especially off Lee, and played some very wristy shots square of the wicket. Needs to work harder on milking the slower bowlers for spinners, he did get somewhat bogged down, though that does not detract from another very impressive performance by the kid.

Malik again proved his worth, a very fluent, counter-attacking knock (31 off 43) early on when Pakistan had lost two quick wickets and the bowlers were getting the most assistance. He was Pakistan's MVP (most valuable players) in one-dayers in 2004, and is now playing only as a specialist batsman, ahead of the likes of Younis Khan and Yasir Hameed. Remarkable, since both Younis and Yasir are more accomplished batsmen. Shoaib Malik though is braver, has much better temperament, uses his head and works much, much harder at his game. He did not look out of place batting at no.4, and given his phenemonal development over the past 12 months, could well develop into a quality Test-class batsman in the long-term. Well done to Inzi and Woolmer on playing him today, and well done the young lad!

For the Aussies, Brad Hogg was the pick of the bowlers, everyone found him hard to get away, though some of that was inept batting by Salman and Youhana who both did not do what Inzi did so well, ie look for singles to keep changing the strike.

McGrath bowled an excellent first spell, seven overs on the trot and proved hard to score off. Was doing well in the second till Afridi took a liking to him.

McGrath first spell: 7 overs for 17.
McGrath 2nd spell: 3 overs for 37!
McGrath innings: 10 overs, 2 wickets for 54 runs.