Does Team Pakistan Need Shoaib and Asif?

[Mr Hutt]

Right now Pakistan looks a very solid unit, with Umar Gul Rana Nazeer and Rao Iftikhar in bowling, Kaneria and Abdul Rehman in spinning, they really do not need Shoaib and Asif IMO. Ok Asif will definately prove to be a bonus when he plays as he is totally miserly with run giving and takes wickets right away, but Shoaib? i Think Pakistan after playing him will realize that his days are numbered.

What do you all think?

[Maranello]

Shoaib should never be part of Pakistan's plans even if there was no drugs issue - his fitness makes him the most unreliable cricketer around and so Pakistan need to plan for life without Shoaib. My suspicion is that they probably have done it already, blooding the likes of Rana, Rao, Shahid Nazir and of course Umar Gul of late, with Shabbir set to make a comeback too - who needs Shoaib?

[gangstacocacola]

The thing is that you if you have a bowler that can bowl over 90mph+, a team has to play him. akhtar at the end of the day is a wicket taker. most batsman are frightened of playing him.he is just like how warne gets some of his wickets. I think Pakistan have to play him untill he retires.too good of a bowler and his new attitude proves that.
But seriously, how can you even think that having a promising bowler in the likes of Asif and not playing him is even an option. he is the future of pakistan fast bowling. the next mcgrath. wicket taker and beautiful libe and length. the thing is that bowlers like rana, rao, sami are not consistent. This has been the downfall of pakistani cricket. inconsistency. that is why we play like world champions one match, and total amateures the next. Bowlers like Akhtar, Asif, Gul show consistency and we have to stay with that and set an example for our country's cricket to move forward.

[Mr Hutt]

Actually.... Pakistan's mercurial nature which you refer to Gangsta was when these bowlers were leading the attack.. ever since Gul and Co have taken over its not bad, pretty consistent stuff so far.

[Orchid]

Originally Posted by gangstacocacola

Bowlers like Akhtar, ... show consistency and we have to stay with that and set an example for our country's cricket to move forward.

Others maybe, but Akhtar and consistency don't go together. A bowler who breaks down after playing half a match is hardly consistent, regardless of what his returns are in that half match. By breaking down, he not only becomes uselss but actually a burden as somebody else has to carry his slack for the rest of the match and we end up playing with 10 players. And if he is brought back into the team everytime he recovers, no justice is done to that poor guy who has to sit out to make way. That can't be good for the team morale either.

[Quagmire]

You need both of them to beat the top class sides.

[Zainub]

Originally Posted by Orchid

...Akhtar and consistency don't go together. A bowler who breaks down after playing half a match is hardly consistent....

May be gangstacocacola meant to say he was consistent in being inconsistent

[Mr Hutt]

Originally Posted by Quagmire

You need both of them to beat the top class sides.

I think WI is pretty much near the top... they played the final aganst you guys in the CT and beat your team twice as well...

looks at his signature and rolls over laughing LOL

man thats rude!!!!!

[gangstacocacola]

With Akhtar, i meant consistency in form, not fitness. he always takes wickets.when we toured Australia last, 2004 i think it was, he was our only bowler who damaged the Aussies. We lost because of his attitude. now he wants to play. Its good that Gul and co have come up and shown us they can perform. but just a few months ago, this was Akhtar and Asif. when they got injured what happened? We got a thrashing in England. If your saying do not play Asif and Akhtar, what happens when Gul and rana get injured????
We need players that perform in our team. strike bowlers. Akhtar and Asif as new ball openers will scare most teams. with gul and rana coming in at second change.