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International Cricketer
- Joined
- Apr 13, 2011
As Group B has reached completion and two teams have been eliminated (WI and Pak) I think it's time for my team reviews. Everyone else is welcome to post their assessments of the various participating nations.
Imran Farhat: 2/10
Mohammad Hafeez: 4/10
Misbah Ul Haq: 7/10
Shoaib Malik: 4/10
Asad Shafiq: 4/10
Kamran Akmal: 2/10
Umar Amin: 3/10
Saeed Ajmal: 6/10
Junaid Khan: 5/10
Mohammad Irfan: 6/10
Wahab Riaz: 7/10
Review
This has been Pakistan's worst tournament since the 2007 World Cup, which ended in similarly abysmal fashion, where Pakistan were humiliated by Ireland and beaten by the West Indies. This however, may be construed as something worse, due to Pakistan's lackluster showing against India and a complete lack of batting strength.
The teams newcomers, the likes of Jamshed, Shafiq and Amin didn't play with the enthusiasm or fearlessness of youth exhibited by the likes of Dhawan and Voges. It was made worse by the fact that Jamsehd and Shafiq had shown so much promise in the previous 12 months yet here they looked like rabbits caught in the headlights. It may be a harsh criticism, considering both men scored in the double digits throughout the tournament and Jamshed even managed a half century but that is to take away from their total lack of conviction when they were set. The captain, much maligned in the Pakistani media was once again the saving grace, not just as a batsman but surprisingly as a fielder too. Sadly it seems his days are numbered and the vultures are circulating.
And then we come on to the bowling, the much vaunted ace in the deck for Pakistan. The three main quicks, all left handers, seemed to do more than a decent job, with Wahab Riaz's second spell at The Oval an electric performance. He was fast, furious and on top form. The best spell of pace bowling in the tournament? Possibly. But the bowling, for all it's bluster failed in the subsequent matches, not quite living up to the hype. Ajmal wasn't his usual magical self and Khan lacked the fire and precision that had made him a mainstay of the ODI outfit. Better than the batting but not as dangerous as expected.
Chris Gayle: 6/10
Darren Bravo: 5/10
Ramnaresh Sarwan: 3/10
Marlon Samuels: 6/10
Kieron Pollard: 5/10
Dwayne Bravo: 7/10
Devon Smith: 5/10
Denesh Ramdin: 4/10
Darren Sammy: 7/10
Tino Best: 4/10
Kemar Roach: 6/10
Sunil Narine: 6/10
Ravi Rampaul: 3/10
Review
A resurgent West Indies, that's what we've been hearing for well over a decade now yet they have never materialised, apart from a brief moment of glory in the Champion's Trophy 2004. This was supposed to be another tournament where they would do well and in some cases, they did. Their beating of Pakistan was impressive and a number of key components looked to be ready. Gayle got a start, Roach and the rest of the bowlers looked good, if not exactly the world beaters some thought they were. Then came India, THE in form team of the tournament and West Indies were outclassed in almost every department.
My first paragraph may seem harsh, considering the Windies were eliminated on D/L rather than being genuinely beaten by a South African team which was just being put under pressure by a decent middle order stand and we all know what happens to South Africa under pressure, don't we? Having said that, my misgivings with regards to Gayle and Pollard came true in this tournament. Both are terrific strikers of the ball yet they are both more apt at scoring a quick 20 then sticking around and proving their worth as match winners. The Gayle fans, of which there are many, won't like that but it's a simple enough fact. The last time he played an innings of note was last July, since then it has been nothing but media hype and mad fandom that have allowed him to viewed as such a destructive force.
Players that genuinely pleased me and deserve far more credit were the likes of Charles, Roach, Best and both the Bravo brothers. None of these players looked like world beaters but each one showed confidence and intent. They wanted to prove how good they were and how good they can make the West Indies, at least in limited overs cricket. Sammy once again proved his worth and quietened the rather ridiculous critics. This hasn't been quite the resurgence one may have hoped for but it's obvious that with a little help and stability, this team could do good things.
Pakistan Player Ratings
Nasir Jamshed: 5/10Imran Farhat: 2/10
Mohammad Hafeez: 4/10
Misbah Ul Haq: 7/10
Shoaib Malik: 4/10
Asad Shafiq: 4/10
Kamran Akmal: 2/10
Umar Amin: 3/10
Saeed Ajmal: 6/10
Junaid Khan: 5/10
Mohammad Irfan: 6/10
Wahab Riaz: 7/10
Overall Score: 4/10, Abysmal
Review
This has been Pakistan's worst tournament since the 2007 World Cup, which ended in similarly abysmal fashion, where Pakistan were humiliated by Ireland and beaten by the West Indies. This however, may be construed as something worse, due to Pakistan's lackluster showing against India and a complete lack of batting strength.
The teams newcomers, the likes of Jamshed, Shafiq and Amin didn't play with the enthusiasm or fearlessness of youth exhibited by the likes of Dhawan and Voges. It was made worse by the fact that Jamsehd and Shafiq had shown so much promise in the previous 12 months yet here they looked like rabbits caught in the headlights. It may be a harsh criticism, considering both men scored in the double digits throughout the tournament and Jamshed even managed a half century but that is to take away from their total lack of conviction when they were set. The captain, much maligned in the Pakistani media was once again the saving grace, not just as a batsman but surprisingly as a fielder too. Sadly it seems his days are numbered and the vultures are circulating.
And then we come on to the bowling, the much vaunted ace in the deck for Pakistan. The three main quicks, all left handers, seemed to do more than a decent job, with Wahab Riaz's second spell at The Oval an electric performance. He was fast, furious and on top form. The best spell of pace bowling in the tournament? Possibly. But the bowling, for all it's bluster failed in the subsequent matches, not quite living up to the hype. Ajmal wasn't his usual magical self and Khan lacked the fire and precision that had made him a mainstay of the ODI outfit. Better than the batting but not as dangerous as expected.
West Indies Player Ratings
Johnston Charles: 7/10Chris Gayle: 6/10
Darren Bravo: 5/10
Ramnaresh Sarwan: 3/10
Marlon Samuels: 6/10
Kieron Pollard: 5/10
Dwayne Bravo: 7/10
Devon Smith: 5/10
Denesh Ramdin: 4/10
Darren Sammy: 7/10
Tino Best: 4/10
Kemar Roach: 6/10
Sunil Narine: 6/10
Ravi Rampaul: 3/10
Overall Score: 6/10, Hopeful
Review
A resurgent West Indies, that's what we've been hearing for well over a decade now yet they have never materialised, apart from a brief moment of glory in the Champion's Trophy 2004. This was supposed to be another tournament where they would do well and in some cases, they did. Their beating of Pakistan was impressive and a number of key components looked to be ready. Gayle got a start, Roach and the rest of the bowlers looked good, if not exactly the world beaters some thought they were. Then came India, THE in form team of the tournament and West Indies were outclassed in almost every department.
My first paragraph may seem harsh, considering the Windies were eliminated on D/L rather than being genuinely beaten by a South African team which was just being put under pressure by a decent middle order stand and we all know what happens to South Africa under pressure, don't we? Having said that, my misgivings with regards to Gayle and Pollard came true in this tournament. Both are terrific strikers of the ball yet they are both more apt at scoring a quick 20 then sticking around and proving their worth as match winners. The Gayle fans, of which there are many, won't like that but it's a simple enough fact. The last time he played an innings of note was last July, since then it has been nothing but media hype and mad fandom that have allowed him to viewed as such a destructive force.
Players that genuinely pleased me and deserve far more credit were the likes of Charles, Roach, Best and both the Bravo brothers. None of these players looked like world beaters but each one showed confidence and intent. They wanted to prove how good they were and how good they can make the West Indies, at least in limited overs cricket. Sammy once again proved his worth and quietened the rather ridiculous critics. This hasn't been quite the resurgence one may have hoped for but it's obvious that with a little help and stability, this team could do good things.
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