'Official' Pakistan in West Indies

[shivfan]

I don't think Simmons' glovework is good enough for Test cricket....

Maybe he could do a job in 20/20 cricket, and possibly ODI cricket, at a stretch, but until he takes the gloves for Trinidad, and does a good job of it in domestic four-day cricket, then I would be against the idea.

 

[smash84]

Who should Pakistan drop out of the young 'uns if Yousuf/Younis come back into the team? You could make a case for each of Hafeez, Taufeeq, Ali, Shafiq and Akmal... neither have set the world on fire. They've looked good in brief patches but haven't really made it count.

Are you talking about the young Khatmal or the older one???? The young khatmal should stay I believe.

 

[shivfan]

Agree generally, but just thought given how brittle the batting can be a 5 man attack may be a step too far. My knowledge of the Windian first class system is non-existant, how are Andre Russel's first class numbers?

I would be very nervous if the WIndies picked a five-man bowling attack....

I don't think the batting is consistent enough.

 

[salman85]

How many of you can dance?

Umar Akmal in the white suit.Adnan in the black.

YouTube - Umar Akmal & Adnan Akmal Dance


I love these two

Kamran would probably be somewhere in the background dropping his drink.

 

[smash84]

How many of you can dance?

Umar Akmal in the white suit.Adnan in the black.

YouTube - Umar Akmal & Adnan Akmal Dance


I love these two

Kamran would probably be somewhere in the background dropping his drink.

Salman now I can pinpoint the reason that we'll never get along

 

[salman85]

I think we should just be friends.

It's not you.It's me.I really have to focus on my career right now.

 

[smash84]

I think we should just be friends.

No. This is unacceptable

 

[vcs]

Are you talking about the young Khatmal or the older one???? The young khatmal should stay I believe.

Umar Akmal.

 

[salman85]

Who should Pakistan drop out of the young 'uns if Yousuf/Younis come back into the team? You could make a case for each of Hafeez, Taufeeq, Ali, Shafiq and Akmal... neither have set the world on fire. They've looked good in brief patches but haven't really made it count.

Taufeeq and Umar Akmal.

I don't think there's any case for dropping Hafeez,Azhar Ali and Asad Shafique.Hafeez is in the form of his life,whereas Azhar Ali and Asad Shafique have been impressive so far.

Taufeeq has been given too many chances,whereas Umar Akmal should probably be dropped because of a lack of space,not talent.I'm a big fan of his,but he's young and will definitly become an integral side of our Test Side once Yousuf/Younis call it a day.I don't want Yousuf or Younis back TBH,but if they do come back,i think the following lineup would be good :

Hafeez
Azhar Ali
Younis
Yousuf
Asad
Misbah
Salman/Sarfaraz/Adnan
Gul
Riaz
Ajmal
Sadaf/Junaid

 

[vcs]

You'd open with Hafeez and Azhar?

 

[salman85]

Yes.

Azhar Ali practically opens the innings anyway,so making him actually open won't be too much of a difference.He can play the moving ball well.Has a solid technique,does not play rash shots,and has a very calming presence.Good combination with the natural strokeplay of Hafeez.

 

[vcs]

Pakistan should really do everything to find an opening pair that gells together properly (easier said than done, but at this stage I'd say pick a successful opening pair from domestic cricket and run with it for a few matches as they can't do any worse than the incumbents). It adds so much to the team, India have been a completely different team after the Sehwag-Gambhir partnership has been settled (yes, there have been other factors as well). Umar Akmal strikes me as a long-term No. 4 candidate, bats too low and often finds himself with too much to do alongside the tailenders.

 

[salman85]

Gambhir and Sehwag weren't playing together domestically,or were they?

Batting low is an issue with Umar Akmal.For someone who can play so fluently,coming down the order is criminal.This is probably truer in ODIs than in Test Matches.But even in Tests,he should bat at no.5 or no.4.In ODIs however,i think it's only a matter of time before he starts playing at no.3 or even no.2.He is monstrously talented,and that is going to waste by bringing him at no.5 in ODIs.

 

[Howe_zat]

As much as I like him, I'd say Azhar would be the most likely to be dropped given his remarkably donkeyish batting in Guyana.

 

[Borges]

Why does Pakistan prefer erstwhile bowlers as the coach these days? I would have thought that their batsmen need more help.

But then you could turn around ask me: why does India prefer batsmen for their coach?

 

[Howe_zat]

Every country prefers to have its best players as coaches.

 

[smash84]

But then you could turn around ask me: why does India prefer batsmen for their coach?

no

 

[smash84]

Pakistan should really do everything to find an opening pair that gells together properly (easier said than done, but at this stage I'd say pick a successful opening pair from domestic cricket and run with it for a few matches as they can't do any worse than the incumbents). It adds so much to the team, India have been a completely different team after the Sehwag-Gambhir partnership has been settled (yes, there have been other factors as well). Umar Akmal strikes me as a long-term No. 4 candidate, bats too low and often finds himself with too much to do alongside the tailenders.

Agree with this. Khatmal comes a little too low down the order. Quite often he has an uphill task and has to bat with the tail enders.

 

[Blaze 18]

Doesn't help matters by playing some absolutely atrocious shots TBH.

 

[smash84]

yeah he has brain implosions but he still adds about 30 to 40 runs to the total.

Others don't even do that