Sunday, February 27, 2011

Great start Pakistan. Still room for improvement?

Pakistan has made a fabulous start of ICC World Cup 2011 conquering the battles against Kenya and Sri Lanka. . Although Sri Lanka was too tough to win against but there are very tough matches ahead specially after Quarter Finals where a mistake has no compensation and Knock-out is the destiny.The Green Shirts seem to be in great form and everyone praises the team spirit but there are a few changes that are immediately needed to be made to the Cup-grab.


1. Include Saeed Ajmal instead of Abdur Rehman:
Abdur Rehman hasn't been good with the spin in both the matches (0-18 in 7 overs against Kenya and 0-63 in 10 overs against Sri Lanka). Although economical against Kenya but in the situation where we already have economical bowlers like Umar Gul and Mohammad Hafeez, a hardcore wicket-taker is needed and Saeed Ajmal is the perfect choice who can bowl different varities of spin including Off-sppin, Doosra and Arm-ball. Moreover, Saeed Ajmal is also a fine batsman.

Comparing the ODI statistics:

Abdur Rehman: 13 wickets in 17 matches (Average: 49.00)
Saeed Ajmal: 44 wickets in 35 matches (Average: 30.52)

I wonder why still Abdur Rehman remains the ultimate choice of selectors?



2. Middle-order should maintain 100.00+ strike rate: Pakistan's middle-order, specially Misbah-ul-Haq and Younus Khan, is known for a slow and steady game. The middle order has played an important role in many victories but in the time of T20 where the teams are scoring 300+ in ODIs, Pakistani middle-order should maintain a sustainable strike rate so that they pass on a strong situation to the lower-order strikers and ultimately Pakistan achieves a strong total.

3. If Shoaib fails, give Wahab a chance: Shoaib Akhter has taken two important wickets of Sri Lanka but on the other hand he seems unfit to bowl 10 overs, plus he couldn't even dismiss the openers of Kenya bowling with the new ball. Wahab Riaz could be smart choice who bowls with perfect line and length and also good with the bat. Shoaib seemed good in the last match but selectors please keep an eye!







4. Improve fielding and wicket-keeping: No explanation required.

Good luck Pakistan, we pray for your success.

10 comments:

  1. well written article and i think i totally agree with you and your keenly consecrated view point and approach

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  3. Since Umer Gul has not shown any signs of energy as well, replacing him with Sohail Tanwer could also be considered. The availability and fitness of Sohail is not clear to me though.

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  4. An excellent Article.Your hard work and positive attitude for the team will INSHAALLAH keep them all going.
    It's a credit to our team!
    Wajji

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  5. saeed ajmal is far better option than abdul rehman totally agree with u but shoaib akhter is better than wahab..as shoaib akhter has weathered stacks of controversies and fitness problems to become one of the few constants in Pakistan's team. There has not been any talk of injuries for eight months, a minor miracle given his past record. Age hasn't slowed him down too much either; even at 35 he remains among the quickest bowlers in the world.....i like ur blog its quit interesting as well as well written
    maaz tariq

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  6. Maaz: Shoaib Akhter has surprisingly performed well in the match against Sri Lanka. Although hes not 100% fit, he bowled at 159 km/hr. Hes surely the priority but if loses the form, Wahab Riaz should be the ultimate choice.

    I've read today that Abdur Rehman will be replaced by Wahab Riaz against Canada as an experimentation practice. I think Saeed Ajmal should be there as the wicket and weather conditions support spinners.

    Thank you for liking the blog bro, keep visiting and sharing.

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  7. Noman bhai: Sohail Tanvir is out and unavailable. Umer Gul hasn't been that bad in both the matches, still reliable.

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