I don't really believe Pakistan team is number one. International cricket teams have played a nice game on the Pakistani team and its fans. We have been beating weaker third string sides and then getting happy about it. It's clear Pakistan is a weaker team although in T20s you can say on any day if you have a half decent team you can win, it's not like Test cricket where when the schedule is announced you know whose going to win. Pakistan seriously look a level or two below Australia and that's sad. This team is exactly who you don't want to back as they win when it doesn't matter and suddenly when it counts they lose and get exposed. Teams have given the dog a bone and they have accepted it. Still I'd advise them to actually do something right for once now they have received the slap on the face, it's time to put things right and concentrate on Tests and Odis. I said this last year during Asia cup and during Australia T20 series that this T20 team is not number one and the players are bits and pieces although they won back then now they have been exposed.
With the current shit ass batting line and shit ass bowling attack - this is just a phuddu team. Galli mohalla type chouthi jamaat fail nayee, darzi, mochi, halwayee type mental intellect and captaincy. A bunch of dumb effs who can’t handle pressure, media, fame and money. Just look at how Rizwan bats. No matter what the line of the delivery is, he will make sure to adjust his body in such a way that ball seem to hit right into his penis. He will then try to take a heroic action and push it towards midwicket for a single. This is the only way he knows how to bat.
Pakistan crickets style was always suited to t20 format of cricket!! We always played this aggressive unpredictable brand of cricket!! However, Pakistan team has potential to become World No. 1 team in all formats with the kind of talent that we have at our disposal and there can be no better person than Misbahulhaq to help us achieve that goal!! Pakistan cricket will rule the world once it is able to play to its strengths and once we are able to get our best players performing in best manner and feeling good about themselves!! Ahmed Shahzad, Umar Akmal and Mohd Irfan were supposed to be world beaters but they were neglected for various reasons by previous coaches~ Misbah is trying to bring them back into cricket! They are not able to straightaway get their act together as they are rusty, away from the game for such a long period!!
T20s. I know we are terrible on the others but this is where we are supposed to be good and all I see is a fake ranking.
From what I have seen in the last 2 years, yes I do think Pakistan justifies it’s ranking in the T20 format.
I am not sure if Pakistan is simply because we dont possess good enough batters and this is not a moot point. Apart from Bobby, who else you can count on? Fakhar, Asif, Harris? Seriously ... Harris shouldn't even play T20. With only 1 premier batsmen you just cant be no.1 side is any format and things go further south if he gets out early.
Yes they were good enough to be ranked 1. This is new team and it will take some time to play as a team. We have already burdened this team with Superman Misbah so it will take longer to get its act together but it will for sure. Sooner PCB get rid of misbah better for PAKISTAN CRICKET. It is preferable to be Man of Understanding then to be a Man of Knowledge.
Please Misbah leave coaching, Let someone else take this responsibility ...... I rather have Younis Khan as a young coach than this so Baba E Tuktuk
Thrashing...... Only series Pakistan has one have been following: Pakistan vs England: 1-0 Pakistan vs West Indies: 3-0 Pakistan vs West Indies: 3-1 Pakistan vs World 11: 2-1 Pakistan vs New Zealand: 2-1 Pakistan vs Australia: 2-1 Pakistan vs Australia: 3-0 Pakistan vs New Zealand: 3-0 Starting off with Pakistan's highest rated series win in New Zealand - New Zealand played players like Ben Wheelan, Anaru Kitchen, Tom Bruce, Glenn Phillips and Seth Rance across the matches. New Zealand have a very good side but they have average domestic cricketers. We won against Australia in Zimbabwe because they were missing Starc, Cummins, Warner, Smith so that made it very difficult for them with rookie cricketers - still they played well, we relied mainly on Fakhar Zaman who was in good form back then. Against Australia and New Zealand in UAE, Australia had a depleted team and generally in UAE teams get bogged down as the pitches are terrible for cricket. The ball hardly bounces and so if you have less experience you will miscalculate and lose the match. Against West Indies simply put they were weaker team and Pakistan was expected to win. The rest of the fixtures hold no value imo. This year this same team has lost 1-2 v SA 0-1 v England 0-3 v Sri Lanka 0-2 v Australia You can't call them number one.
It was a no. 1 team. Not anymore. When Fakhar, Babar, Hafeez, Shadab, Hassan were in form this team used to do okay. Now that those guy are not available or are out of form its not decent any more. They need to find their form again. P.s. Pakistan T20 team is going through that phase again. The phase they go through before every world cup. A year before they will try A-Z of failed players and then the world cup squad will include a totally different list. Watch how Hafeez, Malik and Wahab make that list in a years time. 2/3 are not even playing. Should continue to play them now that they are confirmed for selection in a years time. What is the point of having Imam there? Is Imam really better than Hafeez? At least Hafeez gives you 4 clean overs in bowling and a wicket
T20s are Hafeezs best format. Line up should be this in a years time: 1. Sharjeel 2. Babar (C) 3. Fakhar (if back in form) 4. Sarfraz (if back in form) 5. Hafeez 6. Iftikhar 7. Imad 8. Shadab 9. Hassan 10. Amir 11. Shaheen Shajeel, Fakhar, Iftikhar have the ability to score quick. They are the best this country has at the moment for a fast scoring role. Babar, Sarfraz and Hafeez can keep it ticking and score quick when needed. I am 100% certain Sarfraz will be back in the team after PSL. His batting form let him down massively but he will regain it.
Because he's most destructive WK batsman in Pakistan. What's good of bringing Sarfraz back and what form will he gain? He's a player who based himself on hand eye and due to his own carelessness he's lost that. Kamran is also performing in domestic. If you are going to bring Sarfraz back then what's wrong with Rizwan??
It was a team which employed certain tactics (e.g. the big squeeze), trusted a nucleus of players very successfully and as a result won a lot of matches. Win more matches = higher ranking. I didn’t particularly like watching the so called big squeeze and I didn’t like some of the personnel (malik, hafeez). Would have much preferred some power hitting with the bat and stumps flying with the ball. However, it worked. Did I deep down think we were the best T20 side? Not really (always thought the No1 ranking it flattered us a bit). And yes we did beat some average / under strength sides. But we did have some good victories against good sides too. So overall, I’d say we were a good T20 team. What we have now is a team bereft of ideas, no strategy, no consistency in selection. Everything is just random. Random tactics, random selections. Everyone’s just playing aimlessly. And as for beating average teams, we’re in a position where we are getting whitewashed by a Sri Lankan Z team. Whatever you thought about the previous team. They displayed success, and even if it was padded, flattering etc, that same team with the same mentality and tactics should have been allowed to play through to the end of the next T20 World Cup. Sure we might not have won it. Who knows we could have been embarrassed, but you have to trust a team that was winning. They deserved that much Right now we are a total and utter shambles.
I was replying to other poster who said Sarfraz will be required. Just feel Kamran is required because of Pakistan batting line up mixed with nudgers and hypothetical hitters so someone like Kamran will be able to fit in and conditions in Australia suit his style of batting. If you noticed Australia batsman played cut and pull and that is exactly modus operandi of Kamran Akmal. I haven't seen any shot Rizwan can play off pace except working ball to leg side.
My friend lightening doesn't strike twice and actions speak louder than words. You are telling me winning back to back 11 series was fluke ? .. come on man, we lost at home against B grade SL, The pitches were batting favored and they lost cause of spin not pace against SL, So your analysis is useless. If you are comparing players with our players then you need to understand our players are not super stars as well.
Pakistan need a keeper. Kamran is no wicket keeper. Anyone who would play him in that role is mindless. Rizwan is a mediocre batsman. Nothing to his batting at all. He has played enough games to show his worth but not seen anything. Sarfraz is a pathetic batsman currently however he has a higher ceiling than Rizwan. Thats why I said Pakistan should pick Sarfraz if he regains form.
Pakistan must move on from Akmals and Sarfraz. Rizwan might be good for ODI and TEST but not good enough for T20. Option might be an average Keeper with good shot making ability an opener or lower order batman. Pakistan must stop looking for a middle order keeper batsman. It is preferable to be Man of Understanding then to be a Man of Knowledge.
Rizwan is 10 times the player Sarfraz will ever be. Sarfraz was a serious match loser and a lazy guy. I've seen club cricketers with more professionalism and intent than him. Keep him away. He was the biggest embarrassment as captain. Rizwan failed twice but don't forget he has two centuries against Australia and he will build on that. He's just not that great at T20 stuff which is why we need Kamran. As far as keeping is concerned it's not Test cricket. How many balls will go to the keeper in a T20 game?? The end matter is the PCB need to communicate with Kamran and give the expectations from him so he can get ready. Expectations basically is 20 overs of keeping and opening for one year. It's all about using players not ruining their careers. You have seen the youngster beauties now you are in a dilemma such that you are calling back Sarfraz. Kamran is keeping in 4 days so if he can keep in long format cricket and in PSL why can't he keep for Pakistan. You just assuming he isn't??
You said Rizwan is not great in t20s well thats the format we are discussing! Rizwan should not be in the team for this format. Just don't see any value batting wise at all. He needs to improve big time. If anyone mentions Kamran Akmal as a keeper in any format then I'm sorry I can't argue with them. I have seen enough of this waste of space to know he's not worth another chance. As a batsman only - you can pick him all you want but never give him the gloves! That leaves Sarfraz only. When he hasn't lost it completely like of late, he is an okay batsman for this format. I'm sure he will come back again. Are there any other choices apart from these 3 players? I'm tired of these mediocre keeper batsmen.