Pakistan

[AbhishekS]

Discussion thread for Pakistan's 2011 World Cup campaign.

Squad: Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad, Taufiq Umar, Nasir Jamshed, Mohammad Yousuf, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Akmal, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Naveed Yasin, Kamran Akmal, Sarfraz Ahmed, Salman Ahmed, Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, Yasir Arafat, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Abdul Rehman, Saeed Ajmal, Yasir Shah, Zulfiqar Babar, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Sohail Tanveer, Tanvir Ahmed, Junaid Khan, Aizaz Cheema, Asad Ali

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

i think there should be some sort of prize to anyone that can guess the squad pakistan will take.

 

[ZexyZahid]

I've got a feeling this will the Pakistan squad:

Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Yousuf, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Akmal, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, Abdur Rehman, Saeed Ajmal, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz.

Yousuf isn't currently playing against New Zealand, but he has got experience. I think two extra spinners will be included (next to Afridi), because of the nature of the pitches.

The rest of the players have been playing recent cricket for Pakistan, so it would be tough to drop them for the World Cup.

 

[sami ullah khan]

I will be gutted if Yousaf plays in the world cup. He will be 37 years of age by then and he has never been fit even when he was 25-30. Asad Shafique has shown that he can replace yousaf. He is a busy player and will be handy in filed as well. I hope Yousaf and Kamran Akmal both get ousted.

 

[Addy]

my 15 men squad

1. Shahid Afridi (C)
2. Misbah ul haq
3. Abdul razzaq
4. Umar akmal
5. Ahmed Shahzad
6. Kamran Akmal
7. younis khan
8. Mohammad Yousuf
9. Asad Shafiq
10. Umar Gul
11. Shoaib akhtar
12. wahab riaz
13. abdul rehman
14. saeed ajmal
15. Sohail tanvir

Reserves
Junaid Khan
adnan akmal
Rana Naved

 

[Aoun13]

One of the weakest ever Pakistan team ahead of a world cup. Board is too bad that they are not able to even choose a captain.

 

[BKB1991]

I've got a feeling this will the Pakistan squad:

Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Yousuf, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Akmal, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, Abdur Rehman, Saeed Ajmal, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz.

Yousuf isn't currently playing against New Zealand, but he has got experience. I think two extra spinners will be included (next to Afridi), because of the nature of the pitches.

The rest of the players have been playing recent cricket for Pakistan, so it would be tough to drop them for the World Cup.

Too many batsmen. I reckon either one of Misbah or Azhar Ali might be dropped in exchange for one of teh Tanvirs. You could say they might even drop out Yousef, but I think that is highly unlikely.

 

[ZexyZahid]

This is the squad for upcoming ODI series against New Zealand. I suspect the final 15 will come from these players.

Pakistan ODI squad:

Shahid Afridi (capt), Muhammad Hafeez, Kamran Akmal (wk), Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Asad Shafiq, Umer Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Abdul Rehman, Saeed Ajmal, Shoaib Akhtar, Umer Gul, Wahab Riaz, Sohail Tanveer, Tanveer Ahmed, Ahmed Shehzad

There is no Yousuf and Kamran Akmal is back. I would have like to seen Rana Naved-ul-Hasan coming back into the side, because he has developed himself as a decent allrounder.

Kamran, Misbah-ul-Haq in ODI squad to play NZ
ESPNcricinfo staff
January 12, 2011
Pakistan: Kamran, Misbah-ul-Haq in ODI squad | Cricket News | New Zealand v Pakistan | ESPN Cricinfo

 

[Insomniac]

I'm not happy about Misbah's inclusion, particularly as vice-captain as I feel it almost guarantees him a spot in the side - and I don't think he belongs in the OD set up.

He plays too many 'tuk tuk' shots (dot balls), and then tries to hit out. Doesn't rotate the strike at all, and puts the required rate up high unnecessarily.

Only room for one of those types of players, and thats Younus Khan - who rotates the strike efficiently with his tuk tuk shots with singles, so its okay. Not happy about this at all, hopefully common sense prevails and he isn't in the WC squad.

 

[Aoun13]

Well Playing 11.

1. Kamran Akmal(wk)
2. Muhammad Hafeez
3. Younis Khan
4. Asad Shafiq/Umar Akmal
5. Misbah/Azhar Ali
6. Shahid Afridi(c)
7. Abdul Razzaq
8. Umer Gul
9. Shoaib Akhtar
10. Abdul Rehman
11. Saeed Ajmal/Wahab Riaz

This is actually quite a good team if they play on their potential especially in SC conditions.
I think Pakistan must experiment with both Rehman and Ajmal in the same team it will little over with spin as Afridi and Hafeez are already regular spinners too but I feel adding a left arm spinner will be really handy. He can actaully get more turn then Ajmal plus he can contain runs better then Ajmal which will allow Ajmal to concentrate more on the attack. Also one factor that Srilankan pitches are usually very good for spinners.

Batting is quite strong on papers. Akmal and Hafeez can be a very good opening pair considering that both can play fast. Akmal needs to stop playing his usual against the line pull shot which always result into his wicket. Hafeez is one of the most inform batsman so he just need to carry his form.
Younis need to come as one down. He is little out form but he needs one innings to start playing as he used to play.
Asad Shafiq or Umar Akmal both are very good but the first is more inform then later so I guess Shafiq must be there in playing 11.
Misbah has a quite poor 2010 as an ODI batsman but if can bat as he batted against SA and NZ in test it will really help our cause. Misbah can also be replace by Azhar Ali, this boy has talent and he can anchor the innings incase there is a usual collapse upthe order.
The come the two giant hitters, they just need to carry on with thier usuall game. Afridi will be under pressure as a captain but hope he will as good as he played in Srilanka in Asia Cup. Razzaq is in good batting touch, his late order monster hitting can really turn any match in Pakistan's favor plus he can be handy as bowler if he try to maintain his line and length and think himself as a container not as an attacking option.
Umar Gul, Rehman, Wahab all can hit huge and can slog well under pressure.

Bowling is actually quite good obviously If Aamer is some how included in this team(which is impossible), this attack can actually be very very good.
But even without Aamer bowling unit is still very good. Umar Gul especially in death will be a great plus for Pakistan. Spinner will Pakistan's major trump cards and their performance will have a direct effect on Pakistan chances in this world cup which are already quite less.

 

[sami ullah khan]

Umar Gul is not that good in odis. He is very inconsistent. I think a pace attack of Wahab Riaz, Shoaib Akhter and Abdul Razzaq is pretty sufficient for subcontinental condition considering we have spinner like Ajmal, Afridi and Hafeez to back it all up.

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A bit offtopic but did you guys see Aizaz Cheema bowl in that final yesterday. He seemed to be very sharp. Too bad we don't have a speed gun.

 

[Aoun13]

Umar Gul is not that good in odis. He is very inconsistent. I think a pace attack of Wahab Riaz, Shoaib Akhter and Abdul Razzaq is pretty sufficient for subcontinental condition considering we have spinner like Ajmal, Afridi and Hafeez to back it all up.

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A bit offtopic but did you guys see Aizaz Cheema bowl in that final yesterday. He seemed to be very sharp. Too bad we don't have a speed gun.

Gul is very good in death overs. So Afridi must use him as a death bowler.
Aizaz Cheema is in great form but I think Anwar Ali suits better in Srilankan conditions.

 

[Rehan_24]

The biggest problem lies in the fact that PCB hasnt announced a Captain till World Cup, which I believe such madness has never been done by any other Cricket Board. I mean you got to show confidence in Shahid Afridi, everyone knows that he possesses strong leadership qualities. What point they want to prove by making Misbah as vice-captian??? What message they wanna give to Afridi???

The other concern is towards the exclusion of Muhammad Yusuf from NZ ODI Squad. Such World Class players deserve to be in the reservers atleast if they are out of form.

 

[Paki007]

Playing 11


K.Akmal
M.Hafeez
Y.Khan
A.Shafiq
U.Akmal
S.Afridi(C)
A.Razzaq
W.Riaz
U.Gul
S.Akhtar
Ajmal/Rehman (i will prefer rehman)

 

[sami ullah khan]

^Pretty much the same side as mine but I will put in a batsman in place of Umar Gul. Our batting is what needs to be strengthened.