Group F - Australia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka

[Cricketman]

I think Afridi is a waste down at 7. He should open!
Take use of the restrictions..

 

[nightprowler10]

Yes, I want Misbah up but then I think Salman should be replaced by Arafat. he's just not down the order material.

Did you mean Arafat as an opener? Nah, I think that would be a waste. Arafat needs to be playing the Razzaq role down the order more than anything. I think it might actually be a better idea to have Afridi open depending on the pitch. And I also feel that either Butt or Hafeez need to sit out the Sri Lanka match, preferably Butt. We don't need anyone wasting balls in the first four overs just to get out later.

 

[Pak_cricketer]

Did you mean Arafat as an opener? Nah, I think that would be a waste. Arafat needs to be playing the Razzaq role down the order more than anything. I think it might actually be a better idea to have Afridi open depending on the pitch. And I also feel that either Butt or Hafeez need to sit out the Sri Lanka match, preferably Butt. We don't need anyone wasting balls in the first four overs just to get out later.

Hafeez can be handy because of his spin. Arafat should be down the order. Where he belongs.

 

[harishankar]

I think Afridi is a waste down at 7. He should open!
Take use of the restrictions..

He's a slogger. So his best chance is up the order with the field restrictions as mishits can usually go over the inner ring.

 

[ZexyZahid]

Pakistan vs Sri Lanka will be played at Johannesburg, which is famous for it's batting pitch. So promoting Afridi in the batting order could help Pakistan getting runs.

 

[angryangy]

Shahid Afridi
Mohammad Hafeez
Younus Khan
Misbah-ul-Haq
Shoaib Malik
Imran Nazir
Kamran Akmal
Yasir Arafat
Abdur Rehman/Fawad Alam
Umar Gul
Mohammad Asif

I tend to think someone like Shoaib or Younus should be opening, but I think this sort of a lineup makes most of the tough decisions. It banks on the strength of the top order, but lower down, they are capable of hitting the ball hard for a while. The bowling has variety, maybe an extra paceman could fit in, but some of the bowlers really seem like they deserve a go.

Feel free to pick faults.

 

[RoboRocks]

I would give Tanvir another go since his unorthodox way of bowling will upset the batsmens rytham and he also a good lower order batsmen so I would include him.

 

[Gilly Fan]

What are you talking about? In the Ashes series and the Commonwealth Bank series he was bowling above 140 at will and for nearly every single delivery.

Its not the norm that he is bowling this slow - I think it might be because of the ankle. He may want to take it easy. Don't say "the past couple of years", thats untrue.

I didn't say he was rarely getting up to 140. I was saying he rarely gets above 145. That's usually his effort ball. I remember the time when he was constantly clocking 155+.

 

[aussie_ben91]

I'm predicting at least one Hayden ton in this tournament..

Wouldn't bank on it unless Ponting losses the toss.

 

[Hooper]

I didn't say he was rarely getting up to 140. I was saying he rarely gets above 145. That's usually his effort ball. I remember the time when he was constantly clocking 155+.

Iam pretty sure you said mid 130s. But anyways, who cares. He got a Hat Trick!

 

[Gilly Fan]

Iam pretty sure you said mid 130s. But anyways, who cares. He got a Hat Trick!

That was Ben.

 

[Gunner786]

i can just dream of this pakistan team if not for the blunders of the pcb

butt
hafeez/nazir
younis
malik
yousuf
afridi
razzaq
akmal
arafat
gul
asif

and the odd promotion up the order for afridi and razzaq.

razzaq is still a devastating late order hitter no matter what the state of his bowling is

 

[dikon]

Todays game should be a cracker slight favourites are Sri Lanka with all there experience if Asif and Gul can get early wickets and put pressure on Silva,Dilshan then it could be interesting.

 

[angryangy]

I would give Tanvir another go since his unorthodox way of bowling will upset the batsmens rytham and he also a good lower order batsmen so I would include him.

Yeah, that makes sense. The most important changes for me are dropping Salman Butt and moving the good batsman such as Younus and Misbah up the order. He deals badly with straight bowling and it's pretty much only when bowlers aren't onto that that he scores at a reasonable rate.

 

[ZexyZahid]

I don't think Pakistan will bat with Imran Nazir at number 6. Misbah-ul-Haq deserves a promotion. Also Rehman will be helpful, because they're playing at Johannesburg, but I don't think Pakistan will include. I've got a feeling that Pakistan will stick to the side of previous match. When they lose they will find out that they have to change things.