Pakistan's Tour of New Zealand - 2020/21

AsadRM

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No Malik, Asad Shafiq, or Amir. Excellent stuff, Misbah! :clap:clap

Good to see Talat, Danish Aziz, Imran Butt, Rohail Nazir, Zafar Gohar, and Ammad Butt in the squad!

Seeing Sohail Khan being selected over the likes of Zahid Mahmood, Aamir Yameen, Saud Shakeel, etc is baffling.

Interesting when you think that the last squad that Misbah has selected has been the best of the lot.
 

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No Malik, Asad Shafiq, or Amir. Excellent stuff, Misbah! :clap:clap

Good to see Talat, Danish Aziz, Imran Butt, Rohail Nazir, Zafar Gohar, and Ammad Butt in the squad!

Seeing Sohail Khan being selected over the likes of Zahid Mahmood, Aamir Yameen, Saud Shakeel, etc is baffling.

Interesting when you think that the last squad that Misbah has selected has been the best of the lot.

Kya best of the lot bhai?
(What best of the Lot brother?)

To be very honest with you, I think Pakistan's biggest problem for the last let's say 15 odd years has been the fact that they always try to be somebody else and not true to themselves.

I think this recently concluded series against Zimbabwe was a good example. When do you "develop" cricketers or try out say an A or B team? You do it when you are damn sure of 10 players at least in your squad. I can not even name 5 in Pakistan's case. What cricketers will you exactly develop against a Zimbabwe?

I have been extremely disappointed with Misbah. He has clearly fallen to the system and is simply "obeying" to directives and the media largely runs narratives and agendas that determine selection.

You have discarded Amir- I know Pakistan has lots of good bowlers but who has been your gun bowler in big tournaments last 5 years? He had such a good World Cup? Idiots in the media went about with their usual rants about him disrespecting test cricket and here we are. Why can't a cricketer choose a format if he feels he cannot be an all format asset? He's actually making sure his team doesn't suffer because of his loss of motivation. But then, you guys have made a bowling coach out of someone who has been fired from the coaching job more than Umar Akmal has made a fool of himself.

You have fired Shafiq- Do you have someone proven ready to bat overseas? I see three accomplished batters in the Pak team at the moment in this format in SENA conditions. You need 6. Could have just got rid of him if he failed in NZ? Most brainless of all exclusions and Amir himself is just a pathetic one.

You have left Malik out- I don't even know what to say. What did he do wrong? He will come back. You will see. He is better than Hafeez when it gets tricky to bat and he never gets to bat the premiere positions like Hafeez. Just a case of "obsession with youth."

Let's see how Pakistan go. I think apart from Haider Ali, not one young cricketer has impressed me. Very honestly, I am glad Amir isn't selected. An attack of Shaheen, Wahab and Amir not playing the T20 WC is great news for all fans bar Pakistan as that's a beast mode pace attack capable of winning the World Cup. Wahab and Amir have buckets of speed, accuracy and experience which is gold in such tournaments.

Pakistan are a threatening team as long as a format has unknowns, where talent can win tournaments. The moment the game gets professional, they begin to fall behind. That is what has happened in T20's. Instead of being Pakistan and picking inconsistent cricketers like Afridi they are now allowing computers to pick sides that pick based on numbers. That's why all your batters want to make runs. Not meaningful runs. Guys like Afridi will bust more than perform, but when he did, you win world cups. I am not saying Pak needs to pick Afridi again, but there are match winners and there are run of the mill blokes. Right now, I mostly see run of the mill picks.
 

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First of all, who names a 35 player squad for a 5 match series?
 

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First of all, who names a 35 player squad for a 5 match series?
GrLlFlh.jpeg
 

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Shafiq has been on a long decline for the last three years and his place has been mostly secured by those fifties that he makes in defeats frequently. On paper, those fifties and the ensuing average does look pretty but almost always they have never contributed significantly in providing any momentum barring the odd knock (his partnership with Babar Azam when the rest of the side collapsed spectacularly). Will be regarded as a player that failed to achieve his potential ultimately, averaging in the high 30s is no justice to the sheer talent he possessed at a point. I do agree on the timing of his axing being a bit hasty given that this is an overseas tour and a replacement could have always been brought in during a home tour but how long will he be in the side just for that experience factor?
 

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Shafiq has been on a long decline for the last three years and his place has been mostly secured by those fifties that he makes in defeats frequently. On paper, those fifties and the ensuing average does look pretty but almost always they have never contributed significantly in providing any momentum barring the odd knock (his partnership with Babar Azam when the rest of the side collapsed spectacularly). Will be regarded as a player that failed to achieve his potential ultimately, averaging in the high 30s is no justice to the sheer talent he possessed at a point. I do agree on the timing of his axing being a bit hasty given that this is an overseas tour and a replacement could have always been brought in during a home tour but how long will he be in the side just for that experience factor?
Yeah, he was on the verge of being dropped for a while now, but kept making those useless fifties. Was a burden on the team for a long while. Both he and Azhar failed miserably in their task of filling the gap left by Younis and Misbah. Granted, it wasn’t an easy job, but both of them were abysmal. It shows how much their records were built on the backs of those two rocks in the middle order. Once they themselves were supposed to be the rocks, both of them crumbled.
 

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You can put 11 Bradman's in the Pakistan team. It won't make a difference. Their set up is dated and they have about 20% of the professionalism in their game that the big three have. I keep saying it repeatedly that in the 90's Pakistan was a force because cricket had not become so professional and was not an automatic career option in any country bar Australia and England. The situation now is vastly different and Pakistan cricket is run by goons. Less said about the media the better.

My prediction is that Babar Azam will finish with pretty statistics and that's about it. Why? He has more talent in his little finger than most batsmen in the world but he will play an insecure brand of cricket (a bit like Chanderpaul) and not become a big match winner like Imran Khan or Wasim Akram. I was watching the U-19 WC and the moment I saw Haider Ali, I had said that this kid can be the next great Pakistani batsman at least as far as white ball cricket goes. But, I have a sinking feeling that he will be tortured and curbed and ultimately lose his way.

Just to drive home my point- I don't think Shafiq or Rahane are that different. Both have been made insecure in spite of being proven performers and they both could have had good white ball careers and they both have ended up as ruins. India has hope though, Kohli is 32 and Shastri will be there till he is there so we have hope after 4-5 years. I don't see any change in the short term future for Pakistan. They will continue to blow hot and cold, win a major tournament out of nowhere where other teams make mistakes but they will not be a consistent outfit and threat to the big three for the next five years at least.
 

AsadRM

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You can put 11 Bradman's in the Pakistan team. It won't make a difference. Their set up is dated and they have about 20% of the professionalism in their game that the big three have. Pakistan cricket is run by goons. Less said about the media the better.
:facepalm:facepalm:facepalm:facepalm

Pakistan has still won more ICC trophies than India in the last 6 years, and even England had the umpire not messed up in the 2019 Final. Pakistan still has won more tests in England than India during the last decade. Off the top of my head, in the last decade alone, Pakistan has whitewashed Australia and England in Test series, drew against England in England twice, became the first team to beat South Africa in South Africa in an ODI series, defeated India in India, defeated New Zealand in New Zealand, defeated West Indies in Tests in West Indies, got the Test mace, won an Asia Cup, and many many more, despite no Cricket at home. So of course, 11 Bradmans won't make a difference...

And I can only laugh at the baffling, illogical and senseless claim of 'Pak has 20% professionalism of the big three'. Let me tell you that this 'unprofessional' setup produced Babar Azam, one of the world's batsmen currently, who was a proper product of the system due to playing U-16, U-19, Pakistan-A, and then internationals. The same goes for Shaheen Afridi, Haider Ali, Naseem Shah, Abid Ali, Imam, Shan Masood and quite a few current players. Long gone are the days when Wasim Akams and Inzamams would be picked from nets or streets. Additionally, this unprofessional setup brought Cricket back to Pakistan despite countless challenges and was the first Cricket board to announce and successfully follow their entire domestic and home international season, in spite of COVID, as well as brought PSL back to Pakistan, and signed the biggest broadcasting deal in Pakistan Cricket's history.

The current PCB regime or should I say 'Goons that have 20% of the Big 3's professionalism' regime is headed by a goon, unprofessional, illiterate graduate of ICAEW and the former president of ICC, Ehsan Mani. Of course, Wasim Khan, an MBE, first British-Asian to play County Cricket, graduate of the world's elite Warwickshire Business school and former CE of Leicestershire and the next in line for ECB Chairmanship (had he stayed in England) holds zero credibility because a Mr. Nobody on an online forum says that he has 20% professionalism of the Big 3 and is a goon.

And I am always amazed about how you consistently watch Pakistani media when we Pakistanis ourselves pay zero heeds to their blabbering.

Shafiq has been made insecure in spite of being a proven performer and could have had a good white-ball career and ended up as ruins.

Asad Shafiq being made insecure and a proven performer is all I needed to hear in 2020. The then Pakistan captain, Misbah-ul-Haq gave that master of stats padding a run of 60 ODIs only for him to return a world-beating average of 24 and the strike rate of 67 of course set the world on fire. Asad Shafiq was an outstanding test player at one time, no doubt, but no way on earth could he have had a good or let alone decent career in LOIs. I can't actually recall him hitting a six against pacers in his entire career.
 

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:facepalm:facepalm:facepalm:facepalm

Pakistan has still won more ICC trophies than India in the last 6 years, and even England had the umpire not messed up in the 2019 Final. Pakistan still has won more tests in England than India during the last decade. Off the top of my head, in the last decade alone, Pakistan has whitewashed Australia and England in Test series, drew against England in England twice, became the first team to beat South Africa in South Africa in an ODI series, defeated India in India, defeated New Zealand in New Zealand, defeated West Indies in Tests in West Indies, got the Test mace, won an Asia Cup, and many many more, despite no Cricket at home. So of course, 11 Bradmans won't make a difference...

And I can only laugh at the baffling, illogical and senseless claim of 'Pak has 20% professionalism of the big three'. Let me tell you that this 'unprofessional' setup produced Babar Azam, one of the world's batsmen currently, who was a proper product of the system due to playing U-16, U-19, Pakistan-A, and then internationals. The same goes for Shaheen Afridi, Haider Ali, Naseem Shah, Abid Ali, Imam, Shan Masood and quite a few current players. Long gone are the days when Wasim Akams and Inzamams would be picked from nets or streets. Additionally, this unprofessional setup brought Cricket back to Pakistan despite countless challenges and was the first Cricket board to announce and successfully follow their entire domestic and home international season, in spite of COVID, as well as brought PSL back to Pakistan, and signed the biggest broadcasting deal in Pakistan Cricket's history.

The current PCB regime or should I say 'Goons that have 20% of the Big 3's professionalism' regime is headed by a goon, unprofessional, illiterate graduate of ICAEW and the former president of ICC, Ehsan Mani. Of course, Wasim Khan, an MBE, first British-Asian to play County Cricket, graduate of the world's elite Warwickshire Business school and former CE of Leicestershire and the next in line for ECB Chairmanship (had he stayed in England) holds zero credibility because a Mr. Nobody on an online forum says that he has 20% professionalism of the Big 3 and is a goon.

And I am always amazed about how you consistently watch Pakistani media when we Pakistanis ourselves pay zero heeds to their blabbering.



Asad Shafiq being made insecure and a proven performer is all I needed to hear in 2020. The then Pakistan captain, Misbah-ul-Haq gave that master of stats padding a run of 60 ODIs only for him to return a world-beating average of 24 and the strike rate of 67 of course set the world on fire. Asad Shafiq was an outstanding test player at one time, no doubt, but no way on earth could he have had a good or let alone decent career in LOIs. I can't actually recall him hitting a six against pacers in his entire career.

I think I have hurt a patriotic sentiment which was not my intention in the very least. I apologise if you felt bad. If you speak to some of the Pakistani forum members they will tell you how big a fan I am of the 90's cricketers. What is the difference between us? An imaginary line drawn by dead people who decided that you and me are different? That is how I see India-Pakistan.

Now to the cricketing stuff. Read my post. Pakistan will win big tournaments now and then because of the level of talent they produce. But do you have the infrastructure in place to develop and nurture that talent? Ask yourself this question honestly. I will not get into the cricket not happening in Pakistan but I never supported it in the least for them to be victimised but you are living the dream if you think that is the only cause for the decline in Pakistan cricket. Again, read what I wrote about Babar Azam and what I have predicted.

Ehsan Mani is a prudent mind as is Wasim Khan and I expect them to do some brilliant things but are they being allowed to work and position PCB the way that they want to? Do they have a free hand? Does the head of the country have a say in operations? How do we know that these two administrators are even running the show?

I will just say that read my post calmly without thinking I am an Indian making a dig at your country. I am not that person. I am as much a nobody as anyone else is and I don't give a hoot about the media in any country. I am the first to criticise it but I can prove with factual evidence that more cricket XI's are selected by media pressure in Pakistan than any other test playing nation.

Again, sorry if you felt bad but the post is about as real as it gets. If you think the professionalism quotient is high with the PCB, then why did you not play cricket in Pakistan for ten years? Should we get into details? How many captains have you had in the last two decades? Not people. Changes. How many coaches? It is a proper joke. India has the biggest broadcasting deals for everything but in spite of all the depth and money in our game, our team is run by a bunch of drunk goons. Fact is fact.
 

AsadRM

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I think I have hurt a patriotic sentiment which was not my intention in the very least. I apologise if you felt bad. If you speak to some of the Pakistani forum members they will tell you how big a fan I am of the 90's cricketers. What is the difference between us? An imaginary line drawn by dead people who decided that you and me are different? That is how I see India-Pakistan.

Now to the cricketing stuff. Read my post. Pakistan will win big tournaments now and then because of the level of talent they produce. But do you have the infrastructure in place to develop and nurture that talent? Ask yourself this question honestly. I will not get into the cricket not happening in Pakistan but I never supported it in the least for them to be victimised but you are living the dream if you think that is the only cause for the decline in Pakistan cricket. Again, read what I wrote about Babar Azam and what I have predicted.

Ehsan Mani is a prudent mind as is Wasim Khan and I expect them to do some brilliant things but are they being allowed to work and position PCB the way that they want to? Do they have a free hand? Does the head of the country have a say in operations? How do we know that these two administrators are even running the show?

I will just say that read my post calmly without thinking I am an Indian making a dig at your country. I am not that person. I am as much a nobody as anyone else is and I don't give a hoot about the media in any country. I am the first to criticise it but I can prove with factual evidence that more cricket XI's are selected by media pressure in Pakistan than any other test playing nation.

Again, sorry if you felt bad but the post is about as real as it gets. If you think the professionalism quotient is high with the PCB, then why did you not play cricket in Pakistan for ten years? Should we get into details? How many captains have you had in the last two decades? Not people. Changes. How many coaches? It is a proper joke. India has the biggest broadcasting deals for everything but in spite of all the depth and money in our game, our team is run by a bunch of drunk goons. Fact is fact.
This makes a lot more sense. Thanks for the explanation. I'm sorry too if I sounded rude.

You're absolutely right! I don't disagree one bit.
 

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