Pakistan ATG Team - Open Voting

[grecian]

Mushtaq Mohammad

 

[smash84]

To put it into some context, I'd probably pick him a Pakistan All Time Second XI even if he couldn't bowl. He was a very fine batsman.

Ok, might as well go with him then if he is as good. So a pace quartet and a leg spinner.

Pretty formidable bowling line up and would fancy itself against pretty much against any batting side.

The batting goes down to number 8 and 9 with Wasim and Latif able to pick a few here and there. Waqar and Fazal the only real tailenders

 

[kingkallis]

Mushtaq

 

[Fusion]

Fazal's inclusion neans theres really only one choice:
Mushtaq Mohammad

If it was upto me i'd have had Saqlain/Qadir instead of Fazal

Agree completely. My preference would've been to have a specialist batsmen at 6 and a specialist spinner to balance the pace attack. We already have the allrounder we need in the team with Imran.

Anyway, Mushtaq Mohammad for me too considering the current team composition.

 

[Michaelf7777777]

Mushtaq Mohammad

 

[fredfertang]

incidentally anybody have an idea how good a batsman mushtaq really was?

He was a brilliant improviser - had we had a spinner I think I might have gone for Asif Iqbal, another wonderfully unorthodox batsman who also bowled medium pace that swung a long long way, but without another spin option Mushy is needed here

 

[ankitj]

Little disappointing. What is a subcontinent side without a high quality spinner? Mushtaq Mohammad doesn't fit the bill. I vote for Saqlain Mushtaq

 

[Satyanash89]

Little disappointing. What is a subcontinent side without a high quality spinner?[/B]

Exactly... A specialist spinner is an absolute must for an SC team... Faz wasnt a good selection imo

 

[smash84]

Fazal has 10 or so 5fers in the SC in less than 30 matches. That is just fantabulous

 

[Satyanash89]

Fazal has 10 or so 5fers in the SC in less than 30 matches. That is just fantabulous

Not saying Fazal wasnt a great bowler but its a matter of team balance... its the garner vs gibbs situation all over again... only here seeing as Pakistan will play roughly half or more of their matches in the SC so a spinner becomes even more important

 

[smash84]

but if your fast bowler is getting wickets cheaper than the spinner in those same conditions then wouldn't you opt for the fast bowler?

 

[Satyanash89]

but if your fast bowler is getting wickets cheaper than the spinner in those same conditions then wouldn't you opt for the fast bowler?

That was my argument for choosing garner over gibbs... also WI would only play a small fraction of their matches on pitches reall conducive to spin, but, for a side which would play most of its matches in the SC, a spinner is an absolute must... thats why youve gotta have Qadir/Saqlain imo

SC team with no spinner just doesnt look or feel right imo

 

[smash84]

it doesn't feel right probably but if they can perform better without the spinner then the side is better than the one with a spinner

 

[kyear2]

AWTA

Getting too caught up with the specialist spinner debate. I too for a while was getting caught up with a spinner for the West Indies team, and that was because of how some would perceive the team with out a spinner. In fact though one should pick the best four bowlers , and unless one has a Warne or Murali of the modern era (a lot of the old spinners benifitted from conditions that no longer exists in world cricket and would probably average around the same 30 mark on covered wickets) at your disposal then just select who took the most wickets for the least runs from the fewest deliveries.
That aside Mushtaq Mohammad is no worse that the other spinners and the four bowlers used are all proficient with the new and old ball and could take advantage of the last day pitch and Mahmood (like Garner) can play the role of workhorse while keeping the run rate low while taking wickets.
Great attack which is more or less on par with some of the others selected and superior to a couple.

 

[The Sean]

Mushtaq Mohammad

 

[Red]

AWTA

Getting too caught up with the specialist spinner debate. I too for a while was getting caught up with a spinner for the West Indies team, and that was because of how some would perceive the team with out a spinner. In fact though one should pick the best four bowlers , and unless one has a Warne or Murali of the modern era (a lot of the old spinners benifitted from conditions that no longer exists in world cricket and would probably average around the same 30 mark on covered wickets) at your disposal then just select who took the most wickets for the least runs from the fewest deliveries.
That aside Mushtaq Mohammad is no worse that the other spinners and the four bowlers used are all proficient with the new and old ball and could take advantage of the last day pitch and Mahmood (like Garner) can play the role of workhorse while keeping the run rate low while taking wickets.
Great attack which is more or less on par with some of the others selected and superior to a couple.

Nah, spinners are nearly always necessary in a cricket team. That's why teams keep on selecting them.

 

[hendrix]

would've gone with Saqlain and MoYo

 

[grecian]

would've gone with Saqlain and MoYo

The problem with that is Saqlain is in no ways an all-time great player, it is bizarre that Pakistan haven't really produced an incredible spinner, but they just haven't. So it's a compromise which ever way you look at it.

I prefer the world class bowlers, with MM giving you something, in the spin department.

 

[morgieb]

Mushtaq Mohammad

 

[watson]

Disappointed that there isn't a specialist spin bowler in the side as the contrast from one over to the next between fast and slow bowling often makes the likes of Imran and Waqar more potent than they really are - and vice versa. Puts the batsman off his timing, that sort of thing.

But I can't argue with democracy so Mushtaq Mohammad is the way to go from here I think.