**Official** India v Pakistan

[Shahid_afridi]

"Mohammad Sami is an over-rated fast bowler, while Rana Naved-ul-Hasan is an improved pacer. But both are not in the same class as Irfan Pathan or Zaheer Khan," he said.


i think sami will be a very good bowler without akhtar because he has to prove his skills in this series...and i guess rana will support him well.i dont know why everybody talks so bad about sami.he just couldnt prove his skills yet because he was always in the big shadow of akhtar.he bowled really well in the first test against australia.i think it will be samis series and he can at least match with zaheer khan and maybe even with pathan.sami will also improve his bowling when waqar younis comes in as a bowling-coach.

 

[duffer]

Whenever I think of Sami, I think short, wide outside off-stump pies. Without Shoaib he could just be cannon-fodder for Sehwag and the middle order. Rana is a good workman like bowler which I believe will trouble India more but I don't see any proper backup strength in that attack.

This series will pretty much come down to India getting 20 wickets per match to win, because I don't see Pakistan doing it.

 

[honestbharani]

On another note, can someone explain how the blue hell the rotation system of the BCCI is supposed to work? They gave tests to Ahmedabad and Mohali as they last hosted the tests against NZ and have not had any matches since. Same with Bangalore as it hosted the first test against Australia and has not hosted any since then. So, by that system, once the Ahmedabad test was cancelled, I think Chennai should have gotten the test, since we hosted the second test against Australia and have not had tests since then. How did Kolkata end up getting the test, they hosted the last home test India played. I am not saying this because I live in Chennai or anything....I am really angry at how untransparent the functioning of the board is and how unaccountable they seem to be for everything.

 

[imranrabb]

It looks like 3-0 to india after seeing the squad but what can we do without shabbir,gul,shoiab akhtar and saqlain

 

[shoot_me]

On another note, can someone explain how the blue hell the rotation system of the BCCI is supposed to work? They gave tests to Ahmedabad and Mohali as they last hosted the tests against NZ and have not had any matches since. Same with Bangalore as it hosted the first test against Australia and has not hosted any since then. So, by that system, once the Ahmedabad test was cancelled, I think Chennai should have gotten the test, since we hosted the second test against Australia and have not had tests since then. How did Kolkata end up getting the test, they hosted the last home test India played. I am not saying this because I live in Chennai or anything....I am really angry at how untransparent the functioning of the board is and how unaccountable they seem to be for everything.

I don't understand that either. I think Chennai is definitely the best choice to host the Ahmedabad test because of the crowd there and I still have little bit of hope since the itinerary will only be finalised in two-three days. But most likely, it'll go to Kolkata even though it doesn't follow the rotation policy. What can we do....

 

[Vikas Bhatt]

India.... Dravid,Kumble and Irfan.

Pakistan.... Youhana.


Flops.

India...... Laxman

Pakistan.... Inzamam.

Oh, I think you will be seeing Laxman at his best again! Everytime Laxman has been axed and forced to play domestic cricket, he has returned back, all guns firing! He is a confidence player, even if the confidence coems from demolishing local bowlers!

 

[Unattainableguy]

It looks like 3-0 to india after seeing the squad but what can we do without shabbir,gul,shoiab akhtar and saqlain

Shoaib's absentee may have reduced their chances of winning the series, but to say that India will win 3-0 is only imaginary.
Anyway, does anyone know if Shoaib Malik is cleared to bowl against India?

 

[Unattainableguy]

Don't think Laxman will be much of a star, especially when playing against Pakistan if you look at his stats against them.
In 6 test matches, he's scored 262 runs at an average of 26, which sucks.
In 10 one-day matches, he has 234 runs, averaging only 23...
I'd play someone else instead of him.

 

[shoot_me]

Oh, I think you will be seeing Laxman at his best again! Everytime Laxman has been axed and forced to play domestic cricket, he has returned back, all guns firing! He is a confidence player, even if the confidence coems from demolishing local bowlers!

ya we'll see about that man ...

 

[PAKMAN]

Lets have a look at the possible Pakistan lineup for test match.

Butt
Hameed
Younis
Inzi
Youhanna
Asim
Akmal
Rana
Sami
Shahid Nazeer
Danish.

On the bench( Afridi/malik,Umar,Razzak,Arshad Khan,Rao)


The batting look decent atleast on paper, Inzi,Youhanna,Younus and Asim can put up a good score. However the bowling attack looks very ordinary, it will be spearheaded by Sami and Rana(the former being the biggest underachiever of all time, while the later is a very limited talented player but is a honest trier). Danish will struggle to have any impact on Indian batsmen who are best players of spin. The one bowler i can't talk much about is Nazeer whome i haven't seen lately. The last time i saw him in action was in '99, he appered to be a decent pacer but certainly not a match winner by any means.

I DONT THINK NAZIR IS IN THE AQUAD ,now that is bad news

 

[biased indian]

I DONT THINK NAZIR IS IN THE AQUAD ,now that is bad news

i know its a typo just for fun

 

[biased indian]

India plans to issue around 10,000 visas to Pakistan cricket fans ahad of the forthcoming Test and one-day series. The move comes a few days after the historic decision to start a bus service linking the disputed province of Kashmir, which is divided between India and Pakistan.

cricinfo

 

[PAKMAN]

HEHE good keep havin fun
id love to go to india see taj mahal n stuff

 

[deeps]

shahid nazir actually seemed a talented good bowler when i saw him on the tour of australia in probably about 1998/99. Seemed to have alot of talent, but wasn't given enough opportunity. Didnt do too bad

wouldn't be a bad bowler to bring in, has a little bit of international experience, 8 tests, and 17 odi's, with a bowling average at around 32. with one 5wicket haul in test matches. averages 25 in ODI's but only 7 in tests... he's not a bad batsman from what i remember, could hold up an end,ala jason gillespie as 2 first class 50's show.


would have been an interesting selection, though i haven't seen/heard anything off him since that 99 tour

 

[biased indian]

i was planning to see the first ODI between Pakistan and India, but the new dates that BCCI have announced has left me disappointed because the game in Kochi clash with the dates of an Exam for which i have been preparing for the last six months . i was already assured of a VIP Pass as one of my friends father is in KCA(Kerala Crocket Association). My day is spoiled with that news and i will feel reallly bad when writting that exam

 

[Shahid_afridi]

Whenever I think of Sami, I think short, wide outside off-stump pies. Without Shoaib he could just be cannon-fodder for Sehwag and the middle order. Rana is a good workman like bowler which I believe will trouble India more but I don't see any proper backup strength in that attack.

This series will pretty much come down to India getting 20 wickets per match to win, because I don't see Pakistan doing it.

whenever i think of sami i think of him bowling sourav ganguly around the legs with a great cutter(i think it was in the champions trophy last year)...
he can also bat.he made a good 49 against india in a test match last year.

 

[Arjun]

whenever i think of sami i think of him bowling sourav ganguly around the legs with a great cutter(i think it was in the champions trophy last year)...

And they said Sourav was in great form...maybe not when needed.

 

[shoot_me]

i was planning to see the first ODI between Pakistan and India, but the new dates that BCCI have announced has left me disappointed because the game in Kochi clash with the dates of an Exam for which i have been preparing for the last six months . i was already assured of a VIP Pass as one of my friends father is in KCA(Kerala Crocket Association). My day is spoiled with that news and i will feel reallly bad when writting that exam

Yo "chetta" you're from Kochi, Kerala? I used to live there a couple years ago until I moved to NY. Well your story is very touching, especially since Kochi hasn't hosted an international match for so long. My sentiments to you

Hey is there any new info about the TV rights? I'm hoping against hope that Dishnetwork is going to broadcast it in America because otherwise the only thing I'll be watching is the cricinfo scorecard and how sad would that be!

 

[shoot_me]

Oh, I think you will be seeing Laxman at his best again! Everytime Laxman has been axed and forced to play domestic cricket, he has returned back, all guns firing! He is a confidence player, even if the confidence coems from demolishing local bowlers!

Good old Vangirappu's gotta lot of work to do. How many centuries does it take to make up for a season average of 19?

 

[shankar]

i was planning to see the first ODI between Pakistan and India, but the new dates that BCCI have announced has left me disappointed because the game in Kochi clash with the dates of an Exam for which i have been preparing for the last six months . i was already assured of a VIP Pass as one of my friends father is in KCA(Kerala Crocket Association). My day is spoiled with that news and i will feel reallly bad when writting that exam

Go to the match! You can write the exam next year, Dont know when you'll be able to watch a match in Kochi again!