CerealKiller
Staff Member
Yeah, why would you go with Sodhi's half-trackers?
Pakistan vs New zealand : 2 Test & 3 ODI: Dec 26, 2022 - Jan 13, 2023 at Karachi
- Thread starter Gurukirat
- Start date
Bevab
Staff Member
Can’t even describe the feelings I have now. On one hand only cricket makes this possible, on the other… this feels unfair to both teams. I think both teams subconsciously wanted this though… there were plenty of occasions where both of them were unsure and just wasted time here and there.
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Just like with Latham… as more time passes I’m becoming less impressed with Southee as the skipper. Feels like there’s a poor backroom management hampering all of the recent leaders NZ cricket have had internationally since Baz.
A.P Haux
The Meowest Avenger
Well that was anticlimactic. Was rooting for another "Tailenders snatch Important game from jaws of defeat with defiant batting" but alas.
CerealKiller
Staff Member
Should have won the first two Tests vs England, chasing.
Should have also won this one chasing.
Plus the Karachi and Lahore Tests vs Australia, chasing on the deadest of tracks.
All lost or drawn due to negative approach dictated by the captain.
When he does show aggression, it’s at a completely stupid moment, asking NZ to chase 110 in 12 overs, somehow thinking that we'd bowl them out in that time
Should have also won this one chasing.
Plus the Karachi and Lahore Tests vs Australia, chasing on the deadest of tracks.
All lost or drawn due to negative approach dictated by the captain.
When he does show aggression, it’s at a completely stupid moment, asking NZ to chase 110 in 12 overs, somehow thinking that we'd bowl them out in that time
Fenil
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NZ have this reputation of being 'good guys' and hence they usually don't for a kill unlike their neighbors. Also, in Southee's defense, he wasn't allowed to bowl his fast bowlers in the dying stages.
NZ actually lacked an out an out fast bowler like Ferguson who could have rattled the tail even in the first innings and saved up some time to produce a result. Pakistan on the other would feel that if only Shakeel batted with a little more intent in the second innings, they could have won it but then again, it was him and Kaptaan - Sarfaraz - who made the match for them in the first place.
Sarfaraz finishes as the highest run getter of the series. Interesting dilemma for the selectors now as he is not too young while they don't really have any youngsters shouting for the spot whereas Rizwan has been a pale shadow of himself recently.
CerealKiller
Staff Member
Rizwan with the gloves is arguably the best in the world, and Sarfraz has dropped big chances. The easy solution is for both to play, and Rizwan to keep.
Bevab
Staff Member
NZ’s nice guys reputation has only developed since Baz was made the captain… they were downright nasty sometimes prior to that. Southee grew up and developed under that culture back then and I don’t think it’s holding them back either when I’ve seen NZ fight hard for plenty of results. This just felt like Southee going on the defensive because he was afraid of losing which again seems to stem from the management that has been completely risk averse since Hesson left.
The lack of developing a quality fast bowler in tests is also completely on the conservative NZ management too, they never did induct Lockie properly into the test setup and just threw him into a gruelling Australia tour with little prep prior to it. Since then they’ve also not shown any inclination to turn Sears into a test prospect either. It’s only going to hurt them more in the near future when they realise that Wagner is past it and no one will be afraid to take in his 120 kph bouncers.
I think there’s room for both Sarfaraz and Rizwan in the side. There aren’t a lot of prospects coming up and the former can be very useful in taking on spinners.
wasteyouryouth
Verified
Only saw sporadic periods of play but there's times when cricket seems to actively work against its own interests.
Didn't really feel like one of those brave and battling draws, just another missed opportunity for Pakistan.
Fair play to New Zealand for dangling the carrot.
Ahmad94
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Honestly, i would bring some/most of the blame on captaincy. With these docile roads - you need a captain to make aggressive decisions and go all out (Stokes-esque). A lot of Babar's decisions were passive and reactive all winter - very poor from him. Shows you that just because you're an exceptional batsmen doesn't make you an exceptional captain ( a development from the case study of Sachin).
Sarfaraz has really proved himself to be a main stay in the lower order - play both him and Rizwan.
Sarfaraz has really proved himself to be a main stay in the lower order - play both him and Rizwan.
CerealKiller
Staff Member
Need a head coach who can shape Babar, the captain.
wasteyouryouth
Verified
Looking at Sarfaraz numbers. Always felt he was a bit underrated and Pakistan didn't really know how good they had it with a keeper/batter averaging in the high 30s. Really looked like he should've had four centuries since his comeback and perhaps it's his conversation rate that means he doesn't get as much recognition. Nice to see him get one in the end.
All time, he's 9th highest average for a designated keeper.
Even better, his strike rate is fourth highest (not counting JJ Kelly's record, whatever that may be) and on par with Pant and de Kock.
All time, he's 9th highest average for a designated keeper.
Even better, his strike rate is fourth highest (not counting JJ Kelly's record, whatever that may be) and on par with Pant and de Kock.
LiveLoveABD
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Pakistan remotely celebrating a win yesterday shows the tatters their red ball cricket is in. The only reason they would have won any test this home season is because the tourists were declaring and pushing for a result. I don't remember Pakistan driving a test or series and pushing for the result.
Bevab
Staff Member
Like most other players of this generation, Sarfaraz’s reputation suffered due to him being a below average white ball cricketer. People in the current era keep mixing up all three formats without factoring in that adjusting between them is incredibly hard given how different they’ve increasingly been.
Ahmad94
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In my honest opinion, Sarfaraz has a really weird niche in batting. He isn't a powerhouse or a slogger nor does he have an exceptional technique - which weirdly means he isn't suited to T20 or Test (he isn't even an exceptional enough keeper to make it in the side as a keeper alone - ala Chris Read). Weirdly, I feel like he knows that about himself and become an accumulator in all formats, constantly looking to sweep or rotate the strike (something that we honestly lacked in both ODI and Test Cricket). He has made quite a record for himself in that niche.
Even when he was a captain in ODI - I always felt like he put himself in really low in the order. Often coming in as a last batsman before the bowling all-rounders/bowling started. Maybe a confidence issue?
Let's look at Test cricket for the time being: Misbah realised that he was a proactive accumulator and really used him well in that role. Often promoting him in the batting (once as an opener) and often within the top 4 during 4th innings chases and it stats showed it:
Post Kamran Akmal he was the best we had - and his captaincy was really good as well. I can't hate him at all. When Rizwan became the main stay he supported him and never said a bad word. Deserves all the success he has gotten.
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Bevab
Staff Member
I disagree on Sarfaraz being unsuited to tests, on the contrary his lack of power hitting means that he’s forced into being more street smart with his shots and more unorthodox to get his runs. This has resulted in him being a better player of spin. His lack of power doesn’t impact him in tests when most of the fielders are inside the circle. All he needs is to clear the infield to get boundaries which is how he thrives.
It’s the same reason why Asghar Afghan was good in FC and test cricket too; he could clear the infield with his limited power but struggled to do the same in LO cricket where he was very poor and at times a specialist captain. Sarfaraz being a better rotator of strike ensured that he did not suffer a similar fate in LO cricket (especially when he batted in the top order) but by the end when he was insistent on being a Pakistani version of Dhoni it was clear that his weakness was letting him down.
It’s the same reason why Asghar Afghan was good in FC and test cricket too; he could clear the infield with his limited power but struggled to do the same in LO cricket where he was very poor and at times a specialist captain. Sarfaraz being a better rotator of strike ensured that he did not suffer a similar fate in LO cricket (especially when he batted in the top order) but by the end when he was insistent on being a Pakistani version of Dhoni it was clear that his weakness was letting him down.
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