Pakistan's Tour of Sri Lanka

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If I'm not mistaken, it is less than a month away from Pakistan's tour of Sri Lanka, a tour in which the number 3 test side on the planet will face off against the conquerors of England, so I thought it about time to make a thread discussing this.

What squad will Sri Lanka go for? Any change from the successful England team?

How about Pakistan? Can they maintain their ranking against the most fiercely competitive Asian side in test cricket?

This is, in my opinion, the most interesting of test series' this year.

 

[War]

Hmm not sure it will be the "most" interesting for the year - PAK & SRI played each other the other day IIRC. But will be some solid cricket no doubt, some players on both sides have points to prove.

Pakistan in Sri Lanka 2014 : Mohammad Hafeez dropped for SL Tests, Younis Khan recalled for ODIs | Cricket News | Sri Lanka v Pakistan | ESPN Cricinfo

 

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About time Hafeez got dropped imo, just wish there were more 3 test series' featuring both countries.

 

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These are the squads (Pakistan) for the up coming series:

Test squad: Ahmed Shehzad, Khurram Manzoor, Shan Masood, Azhar Ali, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rehman, Mohammad Talha, Junaid Khan, Rahat Ali, Wahab Riaz

ODI squad: Ahmed Shehzad, Sharjeel Khan, Mohammad Hafeez, Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Younis Khan, Umar Akmal, Fawad Alam, Sohaib Maqsood, Shahid Afridi, Anwar Ali, Saeed Ajmal, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Talha, Wahab Riaz, Zulfiqar Babar

I'll update with the Sri Lanka squad when they announce it. So what do you all think? Odd absence of Anwar Ali? How about the return of Younis Khan?

Also, can someone sticky this or does that only happen when the series starts?

 

[Muzammil.]

however, i say warm welcome back to UMAR Akmal in test cricket

 

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I'm not sold on Akmal being a test player, maybe he can change my mind this series.

 

[RetroVertigo]

Yea it's about time Hafeez got dropped. Also of note is Bhatti's exclusion from the ODI side. Although he hasn't been performing well, I feel he should still be there in the WC squad. His pace could come in really handy on the bouncy pitches in Australia.

 

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I agree, Bhatti and Anwar Ali are the two best young pace bowlers in Pakistan, they should both have been in at least one squad.

 

[War]

Based on how I'm seeing Sohail Tanvir batting in the CPL on BT Spot, he is quite unlucky not to be in PAKs ODI team for this tour. His batting seems to have gone up a level, to to point where he looks capable of performing the # 7 batsman hitting role, that PAK has lacked since Razzaq declined and was dropped.

 

[SpitfiresKent]

Shoaib Malik has been pretty impressive in the CPL yet there's no space for him in either of the squads?

 

[Addy]

All of these bits and pieces cricketers are good for t20 leagues only.

 

[SpitfiresKent]

Bits and pieces cricketers? So you don't rate Malik then?

Interesting, just looking at his stats in Test matches which aren't too bad and his last outing was in 2010.

He also doesn't have a central contract with Pakistan.

 

[War]

Its a interesting topic i guess. In some cases players who do well in T20 leagues don't always take that form to the national stage. Malik did well in CPL last year, PAK recalled him & he didn't shine in T20 W-Cup this year.

But other players from other countries have performed better. So i don't think a straightforward distinction can be made.

 

[Satan666]

Based on how I'm seeing Sohail Tanvir batting in the CPL on BT Spot, he is quite unlucky not to be in PAKs ODI team for this tour. His batting seems to have gone up a level, to to point where he looks capable of performing the # 7 batsman hitting role, that PAK has lacked since Razzaq declined and was dropped.

I echo those comments. Pakistan have really missed the mark by not picking him.

Interested to see how Talha bowls, havent heard much of him. Traditionally new fast bowlers from Pakistan have always made the eyes look in awe.

 

[War]

Osman Samiuddin: The old-world virtue of Younis Khan | Cricinfo Magazine | ESPN Cricinfo

Lovely article on Younis Khan. This little paragraph stood out:

one day soon Pakistan will field a team in which nobody has played Test cricket in Pakistan, and that is when I think the virtue of Younis Khan will become clear. For a team that has no home, the late-career hundreds of Younis Khan have felt like home. Only when he's gone will Pakistan be truly homeless.