Draft: Pakistan All-Time Test XI Draft

[CerealKiller]

Iqbal Qasim has spent his entire life being overshadowed by Abdul Qadir. He has a better average and economy, and similar strike rate, but Qadir's flamboyant leg spin was preferred by captain Imran Khan. During Imran's numerous absences in the 80s, stand-in captain Javed Miandad placed more trust in Qasim's solid left arm spin. It’s probably not a coincidence that Imran and Qadir are from Lahore, and Miandad and Qasim from Karachi.

CerealKiller's XI
1. Shoaib Mohammad
2.
3. Azhar Ali
4.
5.
6.
7.
8. Wasim Akram
9. Iqbal Qasim
10.
11.

@Ahmad94

 

[Ahmad94]

]1. Aamer Sohail
2.
3.
4. Zaheer Abbas
5.
6.
7.
8.
9. Saeed Ajmal
10.
11. Mohammad Asif

Saeed AJMAL - One of the greats to follow on from the retirement of Mushi and Saqlain - hugely underrated bowler.

 

[Yash.]

Saeed AJMAL - One of the greats to follow on from the retirement of Mushi and Saqlain - hugely underrated bowler.

Up until he was reported for his action.... Nevertheless, great bowler

 

[AsadRM]

@Aislabie you're next!

 

[Aislabie]

Shahid Afridi

Test stats - 1,716 runs @ 36.51 (5 centuries, best 156) and 48 wickets @ 35.60 (1 5WI, best 5/52) in 27 matches
First-class stats - 5,695 runs @ 31.46 (12 centuries, best 164) and 266 wickets @ 26.68 (8 5WI, best 6/101) in 113 matches

Have I lost my mind? Yes, probably. Except Shahid Afridi has a solid record as a Test batsman - as an opener, he averaged 37 with the bat, and may yet get promoted to fill that role. At number six, where I currently plan to put him, he averaged 44 and scored at nearly seven an over. Those are silly numbers, so I'm picking him. Yeah, he bowls a bit too but he'll probably be our third spinner.

1.
2.
3.
4. Babar Azam
5. Mushtaq Mohammad
6. Shahid Afridi
7.
8. Fazal Mahmood
9.
10.
11.

@Yash.

 

[CerealKiller]

Shahid Afridi

Test stats - 1,716 runs @ 36.51 (5 centuries, best 156) and 48 wickets @ 35.60 (1 5WI, best 5/52) in 27 matches
First-class stats - 5,695 runs @ 31.46 (12 centuries, best 164) and 266 wickets @ 26.68 (8 5WI, best 6/101) in 113 matches

Have I lost my mind? Yes, probably. Except Shahid Afridi has a solid record as a Test batsman - as an opener, he averaged 37 with the bat, and may yet get promoted to fill that role. At number six, where I currently plan to put him, he averaged 44 and scored at nearly seven an over. Those are silly numbers, so I'm picking him. Yeah, he bowls a bit too but he'll probably be our third spinner.

1.
2.
3.
4. Babar Azam
5. Mushtaq Mohammad
6. Shahid Afridi
7.
8. Fazal Mahmood
9.
10.
11.

@Yash.

Stole both my first and second choices for all-rounder

 

[Na Maloom Afraad]

Noooooo!!! That was my next pick!

 

[Yash.]

Moin Khan
Danish Kaneria


@Aislabie

 

[blockerdave]

Moin Khan
Danish Kaneria


@Aislabie

that’s an outrage. He was in my next pick!

 

[Aislabie]

Pervez Sajjad

Test stats - 59 wickets @ 23.89 (3 5WI, best 7/74) in 19 matches
First-class stats - 493 wickets @ 21.80 (28 5WI, best 8/89) in 133 matches

Pervez Sajjad was an outstanding left-arm spinner who curiously wasn't ever an automatic selection. He was the guy given the job of bowling on unhelpful wickets, like that time he was sent away to New Zealand fully expected to just be a spare part to the seam attack, and came away with twelve wickets at 22 apiece. Sajjad just didn't bowl bad balls, and generally if you bowl enough good balls then the batsmen will make mistakes. Although that's not really the Pakistani way, is it?

(Oh, if it's not clear already this will be the strangest all-time Pakistan XI ever assembled)

1.
2.
3.
4. Babar Azam
5. Mushtaq Mohammad
6. Shahid Afridi
7.
8. Fazal Mahmood
9.
10. Pervez Sajjad
11.

@Ahmad94

 

[ahmedleo414]

(Oh, if it's not clear already this will be the strangest all-time Pakistan XI ever assembled)

This is why I love Pakistan cricket, there is something for everyone

 

[CerealKiller]

View attachment 240488

Pervez Sajjad

Test stats - 59 wickets @ 23.89 (3 5WI, best 7/74) in 19 matches
First-class stats - 493 wickets @ 21.80 (28 5WI, best 8/89) in 133 matches

Pervez Sajjad was an outstanding left-arm spinner who curiously wasn't ever an automatic selection. He was the guy given the job of bowling on unhelpful wickets, like that time he was sent away to New Zealand fully expected to just be a spare part to the seam attack, and came away with twelve wickets at 22 apiece. Sajjad just didn't bowl bad balls, and generally if you bowl enough good balls then the batsmen will make mistakes. Although that's not really the Pakistani way, is it?

(Oh, if it's not clear already this will be the strangest all-time Pakistan XI ever assembled)

1.
2.
3.
4. Babar Azam
5. Mushtaq Mohammad
6. Shahid Afridi
7.
8. Fazal Mahmood
9.
10. Pervez Sajjad
11.

@Ahmad94

I went with the safer option, but was hoping someone would pick him. Wikipedia has him as left arm orthodox, and Cricinfo has him as a chinaman in their written profile, but orthodox on his player page.

 

[Ahmad94]

1. Aamer Sohail
2.
3.
4. Zaheer Abbas
5. Fawad Alam
6.
7.
8.
9. Saeed Ajmal
10.
11. Mohammad Asif

An overlooked player - Fawad Alam. A domestic god with an average of 56-57 at first class level. Crabby and ungainly batsmen with a temperament for runs - but we have seen that work a lot in this modern generation (ala. Steve Smith).

@CerealKiller

 

[CerealKiller]

1. Aamer Sohail
2.
3.
4. Zaheer Abbas
5. Fawad Alam
6.
7.
8.
9. Saeed Ajmal
10.
11. Mohammad Asif

An overlooked player - Fawad Alam. A domestic god with an average of 56-57 at first class level. Crabby and ungainly batsmen with a temperament for runs - but we have seen that work a lot in this modern generation (ala. Steve Smith).

@CerealKiller

Now that is a left-field pick.
@AsadRM can't participate anymore. I don’t want his picks to be wasted, so would you be willing to replace him? @Bevab

 

[Na Maloom Afraad]

And... another of my picks bites the dust, thanks to @Ahmad94. :/