ICC Champions Trophy 2017

[Aoun13]

Time now for some lineup predictions for Pakistan.
I guess Pakistan's best chance is to stuff as many genuine bowling options as they can without being too predictable. So I feel we should play a 4 man pace attack against India, since its very likely to have a flat pitch at oval. We should not think about the dibbly dobbly all-rounders to save us against India, the only thing that can save us is our aggressive seam attack so I feel Amir, Junaid, Hassan and Roman all should play against India. Like any other wrist spinner Shadab can be expensive at time but I still feel that Pakistan's bowling lineup should have Shadab instead of Imad against India. The below given team gives us a very aggressive bowling line with almost no weak links and that is what could make the difference against the inform Indian batting.

Azhar Ali
Fakhar Zaman
Babar Azam
Mohammad Hafeez
Sarfraz Ahmed
Shoaib Malik
Shadab Khan
Mohammad Amir
Hassan Ali
Roman Raees
Junaid Khan

 

[Satan666]

Time now for some lineup predictions for Pakistan.
I guess Pakistan's best chance is to stuff as many genuine bowling options as they can without being too predictable. So I feel we should play a 4 man pace attack against India, since its very likely to have a flat pitch at oval. We should not think about the dibbly dobbly all-rounders to save us against India, the only thing that can save us is our aggressive seam attack so I feel Amir, Junaid, Hassan and Roman all should play against India. Like any other wrist spinner Shadab can be expensive at time but I still feel that Pakistan's bowling lineup should have Shadab instead of Imad against India. The below given team gives us a very aggressive bowling line with almost no weak links and that is what could make the difference against the inform Indian batting.

Azhar Ali
Fakhar Zaman
Babar Azam
Mohammad Hafeez
Sarfraz Ahmed
Shoaib Malik
Shadab Khan
Mohammad Amir
Hassan Ali
Roman Raees
Junaid Khan

I'd go with that lineup also playboy!

 

[Perfect Square]

Time now for some lineup predictions for Pakistan.
I guess Pakistan's best chance is to stuff as many genuine bowling options as they can without being too predictable. So I feel we should play a 4 man pace attack against India, since its very likely to have a flat pitch at oval. We should not think about the dibbly dobbly all-rounders to save us against India, the only thing that can save us is our aggressive seam attack so I feel Amir, Junaid, Hassan and Roman all should play against India. Like any other wrist spinner Shadab can be expensive at time but I still feel that Pakistan's bowling lineup should have Shadab instead of Imad against India. The below given team gives us a very aggressive bowling line with almost no weak links and that is what could make the difference against the inform Indian batting.

Azhar Ali
Fakhar Zaman
Babar Azam
Mohammad Hafeez
Sarfraz Ahmed
Shoaib Malik
Shadab Khan
Mohammad Amir
Hassan Ali
Roman Raees
Junaid Khan

Yeah its best line-up. Rauman and Amir should both play and Imad should take a rest.. (He hasn't been good with batting)

 

[LiveLoveABD]

Even if their bowlers turn up, we have the batsmen to fight it out. Also we have the bowlers who can take advantage of Pakistan's brittle batting lineup (yes they have looked good since that game against us; but they still have Azam who is inconsistent and Azhar Ali/Hafeez who if tied down, can really put pressure on themselves and their team). If only we remove Pandya and have Shami, we should have "ideally" the best attack to successfully defend the Champions Trophy on Sunday.

I think you've over estimated our attack and under estimated theirs. Pakistan have a genuine off spinner, a left arm orthodox, a leg break bowler, two serious left arm quicks and H Ali who's a right armer and the bowler of the tournament so far. The biggest strength of the attack is that it has variety & wicket taking options through out 50 overs. India? I think Jadeja has been average, as has Ashwin. I think Bumrah is a fantastic economy bowler but will struggle for wickets at the top. Bhuvi will make the ball talk if it swings but otherwise it's up and down stuff. You're also betting big on Shami.. I don't think he's that good a LOI bowler as he is tests. Plus, he hasn't played a game.. So, it's not all that easy!

One thing I do agree with you on is the PAK batting. The analysts and some fans here were heaping praise on Azhar Ali as well as the inconsequential cameo by Hafeez, but they seem to be only effective when the total is under 250! That's a lot to ask from your bowlers every game.. PAK have made some inspiring and bold decisions in this series and now I really hope for PAK's sake they pick Haris Sohail.. At least give him an opportunity! If PAK bat first, they will be psychologically shod. In their heads they will be thinking 280-300 and that can go south very quick with Azhar Ali and Hafeez. On the other hand if India make 300, these two will be needing to go at a SR of at least 90 which has looked tough so far. So, Pakistan's mantra has to be- Win the toss and bowl, bundle India for below 250 and then crawl to the target!

 

[LiveLoveABD]

Started watching Straight Drive with Misbah.. What a classy man! Wish there was one show like this on India! The guy that can provide it is on cricbuzz!

 

[SaiSrini]

I think you've over estimated our attack and under estimated theirs. Pakistan have a genuine off spinner, a left arm orthodox, a leg break bowler, two serious left arm quicks and H Ali who's a right armer and the bowler of the tournament so far. The biggest strength of the attack is that it has variety & wicket taking options through out 50 overs. India? I think Jadeja has been average, as has Ashwin. I think Bumrah is a fantastic economy bowler but will struggle for wickets at the top. Bhuvi will make the ball talk if it swings but otherwise it's up and down stuff. You're also betting big on Shami.. I don't think he's that good a LOI bowler as he is tests. Plus, he hasn't played a game.. So, it's not all that easy!

One thing I do agree with you on is the PAK batting. The analysts and some fans here were heaping praise on Azhar Ali as well as the inconsequential cameo by Hafeez, but they seem to be only effective when the total is under 250! That's a lot to ask from your bowlers every game.. PAK have made some inspiring and bold decisions in this series and now I really hope for PAK's sake they pick Haris Sohail.. At least give him an opportunity! If PAK bat first, they will be psychologically shod. In their heads they will be thinking 280-300 and that can go south very quick with Azhar Ali and Hafeez. On the other hand if India make 300, these two will be needing to go at a SR of at least 90 which has looked tough so far. So, Pakistan's mantra has to be- Win the toss and bowl, bundle India for below 250 and then crawl to the target!

Well I know a lot of us Indian fans have been over critical of our team, but I am giving credit where its due. India has taken the most wickets between overs 11-40 and the team thats behind us is Pakistan. We have really bowled well in this tournament. After that loss to Sri Lanka, India really bowled superbly against SA and again today, India did not give Bangladesh any leeway. Its the tightness that causes mistakes and that's what happened.

 

[SaiSrini]

Just watching the highlights! Loved seeing Dhoni becoming so animated behind the stumps. His reaction to Tamim's wicket was amazing. Looks like he is now enjoying his time away from captaincy and doesn't carry that baggage of "oh I'm going to be very tight because I was a very successful captain before". But he still shouts at fielders as though he is captain.

 

[Velocity]

You're also betting big on Shami.. I don't think he's that good a LOI bowler as he is tests. Plus, he hasn't played a game.. So, it's not all that easy!

In the warmup's he has done pretty well, but he isnt very good at the death but I think we need a wicket taking bowler. He is a real wicket taker. Pandya hasn't been effective at all with the ball this tournament putting batting aside. Shami is effective with the new ball as well which can be a boost after 10 over's and the middle overs. He is an aggressive fast bowler and I think India should play him.

 

[Rehan_24]

Ex-captains launch at 'timid' England | cricket.com.au

On paper here, India is looking strong for the Finals because of their risk free compact batting lineup, but Pakistan has raised its spirits as well and looks like the team has gained the momentum at the right time. As for the lineup, It is getting a little tricky where to adjust Aamir. You can't really sit him on the bench considering his economy rate against India and his magic which can return big time in such a big stage. But, I also liked how Rumman Raees Cope with the situation and performed so well against England, He was fearless. The only way I see Aamir to induct in is in place of Imad Wasim, But then you will miss out one batsman. Imad though out of form seems like but his utility from the bat can be very handy and on the day he can deliver a match winning innings.

Azhar Ali is still not an ODI batsman but there is no choice but to induct him now as opener. I'd also like to see Fahim Asharf in the lineup because of his sheer fire power down the order, You can't really drop Hafeez here... The lineup set by @send2yaari seems good but its quite aggressive and risky approach. Maybe Fahim Ashraf in place of Shadab Khan. But fahim can be thrashed all over the park

My Pick, Junaid and Hasan are key players here. In the batting lineup, Malik needs to bat up the order. He should be the key player and He has to perform now.

 

[Rehan_24]

Just watching the highlights! Loved seeing Dhoni becoming so animated behind the stumps. His reaction to Tamim's wicket was amazing. Looks like he is now enjoying his time away from captaincy and doesn't carry that baggage of "oh I'm going to be very tight because I was a very successful captain before". But he still shouts at fielders as though he is captain.

What a cricketing gentleman he is. What I most liked about him is that he has remained such a humble team man even after leaving the hot seat. There are no negative signs from him showing expressions that he was the ex-captain and the most successful one. Playing for the team with such determination. The smooth transition of captaincy from Dhoni to Kholi is the benchmark for subcontinent teams. His support for the new captain is to watch out for.

 

[Villain]

Well I know a lot of us Indian fans have been over critical of our team, but I am giving credit where its due. India has taken the most wickets between overs 11-40 and the team thats behind us is Pakistan. We have really bowled well in this tournament. After that loss to Sri Lanka, India really bowled superbly against SA and again today, India did not give Bangladesh any leeway. Its the tightness that causes mistakes and that's what happened.

On point. Our bowling hasn't been as bad as people are pointing it to be.

I also don't get why are forgetting Umesh Yadav? He's a good bowler, possibly even better than Shami. I'd pick him for the last one instead of Jadhav/Pandya, Bumrah has been economical but barely any wickets during the first 10 overs. I'd replace him with Shami which makes us a strong bowling unit. Ashwin's inclusion might be doubtful all thanks to his fielding. If I get to choose the playing XI, my take :

Rohit Sharma
Shikhar Dhawan
Virat Kohli
Yuvraj Singh
MS Dhoni
Kedar Jadhav
Ravindra Jadeja
R. Ashwin
Mohammed Shami
Umesh Yadav
Bhuvneshwar Kumar

But as far as the selection goes I don't think they'll be dropping Pandya and might just go unchanged for the last.

 

[asprin]

I know it's a long shot and by no means I'm downplaying Bangladesh, but anyone fancy a Ind-Pak final?

Ahem!

Hats off to Dhawan for making me eat my own words. But I think the numbers game will catch up to him now. It would be too silly to expect him to score in the final again. Kohli too is bordering along on the same lines.

Coming to the lineup, I think Ashwin will be dropped for his "dropped" catch. The way Kohli looked at him after he fumbled at third man, it gave me a, "Alright, you haven't been effective with the ball today and you're not helping with your fielding either. You're out" feeling.

I also think one of Shami or Yadav (60% Yadav since he has some games under his belt) will come into the squad in place of Ashwin. Rest of the lineup should be the same.

My reverse jinxing is in place with me putting the maximum wager possible on Pakistan. If India wins, I'm happy but broke. If Pakistan wins, I'm sad but rich.

May the best team win.

 

[LiveLoveABD]

Just watching the highlights! Loved seeing Dhoni becoming so animated behind the stumps. His reaction to Tamim's wicket was amazing. Looks like he is now enjoying his time away from captaincy and doesn't carry that baggage of "oh I'm going to be very tight because I was a very successful captain before". But he still shouts at fielders as though he is captain.

It's something about the Bangladesh games.. He seems to be a bit emotional in them! Like you said, he seems a lot more free and dropping Pandya will mean again carrying the death and batting with the tail. I still feel he can do it, but not with the same consistency. It's time he bats at 4/5 depending on the situation and plays a support role to the finisher or gives a launching pad to him. I personally feel Pandya is an absolute beast. His power reminds me only of Andre Russell. If he can only sort his bowling![DOUBLEPOST=1497598861][/DOUBLEPOST]My XI for Sunday-

Rohit
Dhawan
Kohli
Yuvraj
Dhoni
Pandya
Jadeja
Ashwin
BK
Shami
Bumrah

 

[aditya123]

It's something about the Bangladesh games.. He seems to be a bit emotional in them! Like you said, he seems a lot more free and dropping Pandya will mean again carrying the death and batting with the tail. I still feel he can do it, but not with the same consistency. It's time he bats at 4/5 depending on the situation and plays a support role to the finisher or gives a launching pad to him. I personally feel Pandya is an absolute beast. His power reminds me only of Andre Russell. If he can only sort his bowling![DOUBLEPOST=1497598861][/DOUBLEPOST]My XI for Sunday-

Rohit
Dhawan
Kohli
Yuvraj
Dhoni
Pandya
Jadeja
Ashwin
BK
Shami
Bumrah

I`d go with that lineup with Jadhav coming in for Pandya, simply because its Pakistan. This won`t be a 350 game for sure either way. Lets look at the 2 scenarios that the No.6 batsman could walk into. The first case is if India are well placed and the No.6 walks into bat with 10 overs to go. In such a case, considering the Pakistani batting, 300-320 would be sufficient. So we may not need someone who can go hard from ball 1. In the second case, the No.6 might walk in when the score is 100/4. Its this scenario where Jadhav is important. Unlike Pandya, he is a proper batsman who can bat through and rescue us from a tricky situation. Also, he is`nt a slow-coach either and can up the tempo when needed. If this were a T20, it would be a no-brainer and I`d go with Pandya because the rescue job is not that frequently needed in T20s. However, ODIs are a different beast, keeping in mind the Pakistani bowling lineup. Jadhav coming in at 6 gives the lineup that much more technical pedigree. I would`nt back Pandya to rescue us from a 100/4 situation. Remember, Yuvraj and Dhoni have not had much game time either. So, you don`t want to go into a final with one-dimensional players. Pandya`s utility outside of the final 10 overs of batting is very limited. One day cricket has space for specialists and genuine all-rounders. The temptation to go with the jack of all trades backfires more often than not.

The other option is to drop one of Ashwin or Jadeja and bring in Shami/Umesh. However, you entail the risk of Pandya bowling 10 overs which might still work out against Pakistan. Having said all that, knowing how team selection in cricket works, seldom are the best sides actually fielded. So expect an unchanged side for the final.

 

[Yash.]

You're right.... Since, no opening batsman seems to be in great form at the moment... Rohit-Dhawan would be the best for CT... They have experience..

What will they do with that experience? Make pickle out of it? My concern here is that what is the use of having experience if you score single digit and get out. What will the experience be doing? Warming the bench after getting out? (Dhawan is the main concern)

And you will replace him with? Rahul? I don't think so.... Rahane? Maybe, but his form currently is shit... Mandeep? Unteseted... Kohli? Who will fill the no. 3 spot then....

When you don't have good players to choose from, you take the best possible person....

Also, don't forget India won the CT because of Dhawan.. He was the man of the tournament...

KL Rahul is better option than single digit Dhawan. He atleast scores some runs than Dhawan.

Is he the only BEST option? Dinesh Karthik can even open if required. Rishabh Pant smashes everything that comes on his way. Parthiv Patel has recently won Ranji Trophy for his domestic team Gujarat etc...

Even Yuvi did in 2011 WC. Why didn't he get selected for 2015 WC for his experience even though he was performing fabulously in domestic series at that time?

When did he perform in The Zimbabwe series, eh? Dhawan also performed in the Australia series in the start of 2016...


Parthiv Patel is a nice option, but I don't see him coming in the squad without any testing in the ODI format...

Rishabh Pant? Are you serious? He is a great talent but it is too early to trust on him to be the opening partner of Rohit Sharma for a tournament in England (one of the most difficult places to bat in)... Seeing his approach, he won't stand a chance against the likes of Rabada, Junaid and Steyn in England

Dinesh Karthik is an apt replacement as he also played in last CT... But I don't see him coming into the side with no testing..

We'll see that when India plays him in the first match against Pakistan...

Also, if you quote that Test series in Australia, the CWC happened just after the series... Who was the highest scorer in the tournament for India? If you say about The T20 century against West Indies, didn't India win the Asia Cup T20 because of the Dhawan's batting in the final...

List A is different, ODI is different. Didn't you watch IPL last season? He won us (RCB) 3 games under pressure when 2-3 wickets were down. What wonders did Dhawan till now? Two years almost and he has got nearly 10+ chances which he hasn't proved yet. Shouldn't we give Rahul more chances so that he can justify his selection? At least 10+ chances what Dhawan got.

So what you are saying is - Come On, Let's Give This Sir. Shikhar Dhawan Another Chance?
Let he justify his chances he got first in domestic series, IPL, then hope for another chance. Yuvi has done it for the past two years and he is back in the team for two formats.

In that experience prospective, even GG is better than Dhawan. He is at least performing in domestic series which Dhawan didn't, being the part of same team as GG i.e, Delhi.

@PresidentEvil Ahem.. Ahem.. Turns out someone was wrong.