As for his bowling, he has talent but needs to work on consistency.
If he can develop more consistency, he may even have a future test level, not as a genuine strike new ball bowler but as a third seamer who can bowl tightly and build up pressure on the batsmen.
Exactly. That four-ball an over or six-ball an over can go. He bowled quite well in Australia, except in a few matches. He may go for a lot of runs, but that's what happens if he bowls at an easy pace. He just needs to vary his pace a little. Good final overs bowler, but still, too many runs.
He can also do a good job as a strike bowler in emergency/least risk conditions, but not regularly. He just has to keep to a good line and length, while Zaheer and Pathan try to run through the opposition batting.
Come off it - Kaif is a specialist batsman - Balaji a tailender at best.
This was about the final overs. Kaif is not a good hitter, though he's a good runner. Balaji can hit the ball cleanly and a long way.
Balaji's batting has really imressed me in this series. He looks comfortable against the pace of Sami and Shoiab . He reminds me so much of Srinath.
If there's a problem I find in this Indian team, the players end up being very one-skilled. That other skill should be allowed to develop. That can be said of Pathan's batting, Balaji's batting, Sehwag's bowling and both of Powar's skills, but
not Dravid's keeping!
I mean to say someone who has a FC HS of 37 and a OD HS of 21 shouldnt' even be considered near Razzag.
Razzaq is a top-6 batsman, though Balaji's FAR better than the average Indian tailender, who, according to Boycott and Sidhu, can't bat at all.
Infact this bloke is becomming a big threat to Z khan. When Nehra is going to return, i would expect India to go with Nehra,Irfan,Ajit and Kumble. ZK will have to sit out.
Agarkar should only play in ODI's, like Ian Harvey. Nehra should improve his batting and fielding and the same can be said of Zaheer. My picks are any 4 out of Bhandari, Pathan, Powar, Kumble and Balaji, and even Karthik. Agarkar should play as the fifth bowler. Zaheer is the only Indian bowler other than Kumble in this current lineup with more than 1 5-wicket haul. Agarkar got his after 4 years, Zaheer, after 2. He has 3 in all.
Why does Nehra get prefrence over Zaheer and Balaji when Nehra's career record is a pile of absolute crap.
He's potentially more effective than Balaji and he can bowl faster and move the ball a lot more. It's his inconsistency and his lack of batting and fielding that are a problem, which make Agarkar, Balaji and even Yohannan better choices.
. I just watched a program in a local channel and there were plenty of people lining up for his autograph. Maybe his attitude won him fans. Check out this link