Playing Eleven!!!!

[Prince EWS]

I'm actually getting really keen on always picking five genuine frontline bowlers in this format, providing the top 6 is reasonably capable.

Here's some stats on Twenty20 Internationals involving the "big 8" teams.

The number seven batsman...

* only has to bat 79% of the time.
* contributes 11.15 runs per game.
* has only passed 50 twice in 55 Twenty20 Internationals - once when New Zealand were reduced to 64/5 and once when New Zealand were reduced to 31/5.

Basically, it's very much a bit-part role. I actually think it's more similar to the #8/9 ODI role than anything else. This was counter-balanaced in early Twenty20 games by the fact that part-time spinners often used to be able to roll out four cheap overs without the batsmen realising but as the format has evolved, we've seen less and less and less of this. Batting teams are now really successfully targeting the part-time bowlers, particularly when they know at the start of the innings that they're going to have to bowl a certain number of overs between them.

I'm not saying there's no value in having a #7 that can bat, but I'm definitely starting to believe that the fifth bowler in Twenty20 cricket is far, far more important than the seventh batsman. As such, I'd have absolutely no qualms at all with seeing someone like Swann, Johnson, Mills or even Harbhajan come out at 7.

Hence, my Australian team from the squad available:

1. Warner
2. Haddin
3. Ponting
4. Watson
5. Symonds
6. M Hussey
7. Johnson
8. Lee
9. Hauritz
10. Bracken
11. Siddle

The counter-argument to this is the fact that Dave Hussey actually has a really good Twenty20 bowling record - he's basically become a frontline bowler for Victoria. I'm still pretty sceptical about him though so I'd feel more comfortable with the above. If Watto was available to bowl I'd bring Dussey in for Siddle or Hauritz.

Dave Hussey in for Symonds. Probably makes me more inclined to go with Clarke for Hauritz as well as the top 6 isn't as strong anymore, but I'll stick with what I said.

 

[Naumaan]

Yeah, whose action is Saqlain look-a-like.

I don't think he'll have much impact in the tournament.

BTW: I was talking abt Fawad Alam's fielding.

he'll be good against netherlands, newzealand & bangladesh
so can help Pakistan winning some important games
& Fawad Alam's fielding might be good, but his batting & bowling isn't good at all, & he's not Jonty Rhodes to be picked as specialist fielder

 

[GGG]

Ryder
McCullum
Guptill
Taylor
Styris
Oram
N McCullum
McGlashan
Franklin
Vettori
Butler

 

[Athlai]

Ryder
McCullum
Guptill
Taylor
Styris
Oram
N McCullum
McGlashan
Franklin
Vettori
Butler

Waaaaaaaaaaay too much batting.

Franklin good enough to play at 5.
Top 4 is unquestionable. The rest of the batting order is really dependant on form. Right now I'd go with Styris, McGlashan, Franklin, N McCullum in that order.
Then Vettori, Butler, O'Brien

 

[Naumaan]

For me Pakistani side for today's match should be
1.Ahmed Shehzad
2. Kamran Akmal
3. Younis Khan
4. Shoaib Malik
5. Misbah Ul Haq
6. Shahid Afridi
7. Sohail Tanveer
8. Umer Gul
9. Saeed Ajmal
10. Muhammad Amir
11.Yasir Arafat(he should just be used in batting when required)

 

[pietersenrocks]

For me Pakistani side for today's match should be
1.Ahmed Shehzad
2. Kamran Akmal
3. Younis Khan
4. Shoaib Malik
5. Misbah Ul Haq
6. Shahid Afridi
7. Sohail Tanveer
8. Umer Gul
9. Saeed Ajmal
10. Muhammad Amir
11.Yasir Arafat(he should just be used in batting when required)

IMO, Butt or any other opener should replace either Amir, or Arafat && What THe ____?? .. Playing Arafat as a batsman only??

 

[Naumaan]

IMO, Butt or any other opener should replace either Amir, or Arafat && What THe ____?? .. Playing Arafat as a batsman only??

Butt will waste balls
& we don't have any good batsman to play in twenty20
so in the late order we may need sme runs
Yasir Arafat can score
so that's why picking him, if he's needed to bowl then younis khan should bowl him, otherwise he should just stay away from him