***Official*** Pakistan v Sri Lanka in UAE 2013/14

[smash84]

If your best four players don't play well, your team doesn't play well? Shocker!

Stick an in-form Rehman into the lineup, and suddenly it's the best spin attack in the world, ably supported by an excellent seamer. Amir comes back next year and he's only young, therefore still has a big chance to make an impact, and suddenly it's one of the best bowling attacks in the world. Be happy.

You see Misbah, Younis and Ajmal are all 36 plus, they are pretty much at the end of their careers. There is no silver lining in the batting anytime in the near future (given the stupendous incompetence of our selectors). Also new bowlers are not being given a chance. Talha was selected for this test series but despite a lacklustre performance by Rahat Ali, Talha was still not given a chance. Similarly Sadaf is another pace bowler who bowls better than Rahat in the domestic circuit but itsn't being given a chance.

Though i can see us recovering in the bowling department but what do you do about the batting? There is no one in sight and we have lost most of our test matches due to inept batting.

 

[Eds]

nah genuinely can't expect anything from any batsman not named Younus or Misbah. That's pretty frustrating.

Meh, disagree. Decent knocks from Sarfraz and Manzoor in this game, and Hafeez certainly has potential.

The gulf between those two and the rest is obviously massive but it's not as bad a situation as some seem to be suggesting.

 

[hendrix]

Meh, disagree. Decent knocks from Sarfraz and Manzoor in this game, and Hafeez certainly has potential.

The gulf between those two and the rest is obviously massive but it's not as bad a situation as some seem to be suggesting.

Hafeez is well beyond the potential stage. He's simply not a top order batsman at test level. He should be considered an allrounder, batting no higher than 7.
The jury is still out on Arfraz and Manzoor - but it's highly unlikely that they'll ever be good enough to replace Misbah and Younus, whose retirements must surely be imminent.

I think they need to get Jamshed in the team along with any other young promising batsmen they can find and give them a wide leash for at least a season.

 

[smash84]

and Hafeez certainly has potential.

.

You have got to be kidding. Hafeez should be nowhere near the test side. If he is then he should be as Hendrix pointed out not be anywhere above number 7 and is also utilized as a full time bowler.

 

[Eds]

Hafeez is well beyond the potential stage. He's simply not a top order batsman at test level. He should be considered an allrounder, batting no higher than 7.
The jury is still out on Arfraz and Manzoor - but it's highly unlikely that they'll ever be good enough to replace Misbah and Younus, whose retirements must surely be imminent.

I think they need to get Jamshed in the team along with any other young promising batsmen they can find and give them a wide leash for at least a season.

I don't think anyone suggested he shouldn't be considered an all-rounder...

I was more referring to the short-to-medium term. Younis is awesome, and Misbah is playing as well as he ever has, I don't see either of them retiring within the next 18 months.

 

[Jono]

Great victory for Sri Lanka. If they can hold on to win this series it will be a magnificent achievement.

 

[Agent Nationaux]

We need Azhar back, along with Usman Salahuddin, Sohaib Maqsood, Harris Sohail and Fawad Alam in the team. Sadaf should be given a chance to open the bowling.

 

[Flem274*]

The main issue with Pakistan is the top three. The middle order is good and while Rahat and Bhatti were disappointing you can't be too sad to see Ajmal and Junaid in the same attack. Barring Manzoor no one in the top three is turning up with any sort of consistency (which is always a risk when one has just two tests to their name), and if there's a common theme to the lower ranked test sides, it's the lack of top three runs since almost everyone has a respectable middle order and bowling attack. Hafeez still has a role to play at number six as the allrounder imo if he is deemed to be more valuable than Asad Shafiq, who I rate but always seems to fall just short of being a good test batsman despite batting lower down.

It's been a while since I followed Pakistan with any consistency so I'm not sure what Azhar Ali did to get dropped since he's always been one to dig in and has a reasonable record. Continuously ignoring Fawad Alam is strange too. If he fails after being given a crack then fair enough, but he should at least be in the squad.

 

[salman85]

The problem with Fawad is that his first class record is phenomenally good,but he has never been to replicate that form in the international arena.Plus i don't think he is rated highly as a test player back home.He was always known as a fantastic limited overs player in the domestic circuit.I remember a domestic competition not too long ago where he was both the best batsman and the best bowler.He was always known as a very attacking cricketer,but his performances for the national team have always lacked that aggressive instinct.He doesn't seem to play the natural game that first made people take notice in the domestic arena.

He has been given chances in the limited overs,but he has not been able to perform as a batsman good enough to cement a permanent place in the team.His performances have always been somewhat scratchy and he's not someone who gives you confidence in his ability IMO.His credentials as a test batsman are something else however.He's only played 3 test matches,managed to score a century in the first one and then not do anything in the next 2 matches,and as far as things stand currently,i don't think he is anywhere even close to making a comeback in the test team primarily because i don't think the selectors back home rate him as a test player.Personally,I don't have a problem with him being given another chance,but i would be very surprised if he manages to do much better than current lot of batsmen.

Azhar Ali is a different case however.He was very likely to get the drop since his form had been very poor off late.Having said that, i'm sure he will be back in the squad soon since he has done a pretty good job for us by and large.He just needs a domestic stint to get the confidence and form back.

 

[Agent Nationaux]

3 matches, 1 century and he hasn't performed.....right.

 

[salman85]

Read the post again Einstein.I was talking about his ODI record.

 

[Agent Nationaux]

And yet you think he won't do better than The current lot.

 

[Maximas]

Turning pitch apparently, looks like Pakistan will try and get Ajmal into the series, both teams likely to pick a second spinner it would appear, Rehman in for Pakistan and either Senanayake or Dilruwan Perera for Nuwan Pradeep. It would be bit harsh on Pradeep who bowled beautifully at Dubai but he cannot bowl sustained, fast spells over the course of the whole match the way Eranga and Lakmal can at this stage, and if the pitch won't offer him anything he has to miss out.

 

[smash84]

I will be really pissed if Rahat Ali plays and talha doesn;t

 

[smash84]

doing the right thing for once it seems

Abdur Rehman, Azhar Ali and Mohammad Talha make their way into the XI

 

[Maximas]

would suck to lose the toss I feel, Dilruwan Perera comes in for his first test, highly rated this guy...

 

[Daemon]

Dude is pretty tall isn't he. Not a great first over, hopefully he's just warming up.

Pitch looks so dry. Gonna have so many footmarks for Ajmal to work with thanks to Junaid.

 

[Flem274*]

That scorecard reminds me, whatever happened to Welegedara? Last I heard he crocked himself but surely he must have recovered by now.

 

[smash84]

from cricinfo commentary Talha looks quick

 

[Flem274*]

from sky sports stream talha is sharp. consistently just either side of 140 with good bounce.