18-member squad announced for South Africa Test series

[pakfan54588]

Pakistan can definitely get away with a rank turner in one match. Anything more than that would be taking a risk.

I say prepare a rank turner in the first test and catch them off-guard. Really dent the confidence of their batting line-up, which I reckon is one of the weakest against spin.

Then follow it up with a flat pancake in the second. Give South Africa a taste of their own medicine. They did the exact same thing when we toured this year.

During last test series Sa team at home were ultra aggressive against us and were sledging our every batsmen .Hopefully we will give it back few in this series

 

[Aqib_mustafa]

Alleged 38 year old. He looks well into his 40s. He's likely to never be selected ever again, so another totally illogical selection.

Nope spinners can play till they are 45 smash these sena teams badly with your spinners operating is the way to go and pakistan best chance to play wtc final

 

[Shaka81]

Nope spinners can play till they are 45 smash these sena teams badly with your spinners operating is the way to go and pakistan best chance to play wtc final

Well he already looks older than 45 so good luck getting much more out of him. Personally there must have been younger, more deserving spinners in domestic cricket who deserve a chance to start their international career rather than someone old enough to be their dad.

 

[Aqib_mustafa]

Well he already looks older than 45 so good luck getting much more out of him. Personally there must have been younger, more deserving spinners in domestic cricket who deserve a chance to start their international career rather than someone old enough to be their dad.

Well he has lot of experience he will surely be handful in these spin pitches tbh

 

[shamaan]

I don't care. If he's not playing test cricket I don't have much respect for him as a cricketer.

That's your opinion.

 

[Savak]

I was under the impression that Shaheen Afridi did not want to play test cricket anymore. Atleast thats what several reporters on social media at the time commented. If that is false, on what basis did the PCB not select him for the test series in South Africa then?

This PCB administration is absolutely diabolical, the worst in our history, giving even Zaka Ashraf a run for its money.

 

[Abid Z]

Its going to be really hard for south africa to bat against these guys in spinning conditions will be a good series for sure.

You do realise that pitches that spin also seam? The grip and friction works both ways. It’s the slow bounce that nullifies pace (and certain spin options)

 

[Local.Dada]

18 member squad for 2 tests ?

 

[DeadlyVenom]

I was under the impression that Shaheen Afridi did not want to play test cricket anymore. Atleast thats what several reporters on social media at the time commented. If that is false, on what basis did the PCB not select him for the test series in South Africa then?

This PCB administration is absolutely diabolical, the worst in our history, giving even Zaka Ashraf a run for its money.

I think he will become "injured" before the series

 

[Savak]

This spin dependent strategy worries me. First of all, other teams are now well prepared and versed with Pakistan's tactics and will come with spinners of their own and Pakistan is the worst Asia side against spin as we have seen in the recent Asia Cup. Second of all, what will this do our fast bowling culture?

 

[Aqib_mustafa]

This spin dependent strategy worries me. First of all, other teams are now well prepared and versed with Pakistan's tactics and will come with spinners of their own and Pakistan is the worst Asia side against spin as we have seen in the recent Asia Cup. Second of all, what will this do our fast bowling culture?

Oh please bhar mein jaye fast bowling culture what have they won us your strength is always spin bowling vs sena teams and aqib got this spot on make dust bowls and make these sena teams suffer that's how india does it so should pakistan i would surely play noman and sajid in world t20 cup in sri lanka they can be match winner in those conditions.

 

[Savak]

Oh please bhar mein jaye fast bowling culture what have they won us your strength is always spin bowling vs sena teams and aqib got this spot on make dust bowls and make these sena teams suffer that's how india does it so should pakistan i would surely play noman and sajid in world t20 cup in sri lanka they can be match winner in those conditions.

India doesn't just win at home on the basis of spin, the likes of Bhumrah, Shami, Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Sharma have also run through teams with the new ball and reverse swing. Pakistani fast bowlers need to work on their reverse swing skills on these dry wickets.

 

[RidiculousMan]

Alleged 38 year old. He looks well into his 40s. He's likely to never be selected ever again, so another totally illogical selection.

He is a like to like backup for Noman

 

[Aqib_mustafa]

He is a like to like backup for Noman

I heard he can bat a bit bro afridi noman is a handy batsmen as well lets not forget that.

 

[Savak]

I heard he can bat a bit bro afridi noman is a handy batsmen as well lets not forget that.

Should the PCB not be looking into the future? How long do Nauman Ali and Asif Afridi have left in Cricket? Why not groom a youngster like Mehran Mumtaz who can serve Pakistan Cricket for the next 10 years atleast?

 

[Aqib_mustafa]

Should the PCB not be looking into the future? How long do Nauman Ali and Asif Afridi have left in Cricket? Why not groom a youngster like Mehran Mumtaz who can serve Pakistan Cricket for the next 10 years atleast?

Spinners can play till they are 45 even and there is no reason for noman to be not playing right now he got his chances late has been a warrior in domestic cricket mehran is a darter like imad won't do well like noman is doing noman spin it both ways and mehran has to prove himself in longer format but like i said noman and sajid should be there for atleast 5 years plus both can bat so mehran has to wait.

 

[cricfan432]

Important question should be how can pakistan win on these lottery wickets? SA will come with spinners and one two fluke innings from their side would set the match just like what happened in one test against WI. I think best is to go with medium turning wickets, and let your batsmen and bowlers do the job. Select batsmen who play spin well, and sajid nouman will do the rest. SA are not good players of spin except markram and bavuma.

 

[Aqib_mustafa]

Important question should be how can pakistan win on these lottery wickets? SA will come with spinners and one two fluke innings from their side would set the match just like what happened in one test against WI. I think best is to go with medium turning wickets, and let your batsmen and bowlers do the job. Select batsmen who play spin well, and sajid nouman will do the rest. SA are not good players of spin except markram and bavuma.

I think pakistan got it covered with kamran and saud they play spin really well and tbh against spin on turning tracks fluke innings won't happen it's extremely hard to score runs on pakistan should just go for those pitches which they had vs england in 2nd and 3rd test.

 

[RidiculousMan]

Should the PCB not be looking into the future? How long do Nauman Ali and Asif Afridi have left in Cricket? Why not groom a youngster like Mehran Mumtaz who can serve Pakistan Cricket for the next 10 years atleast?

I believe the last thing PCB wants is another series lose. They are going with the tried and tested method of spin trap against SENA teams. With Aqib at helm you can be sure that will be the plan.

Chairman can't experiment with young kids to end up taking another L.

 

[Aqib_mustafa]

I believe the last thing PCB wants is another series lose. They are going with the tried and tested method of spin trap against SENA teams. With Aqib at helm you can be sure that will be the plan.

Chairman can't experiment with young kids to end up taking another L.

Bro that's the thing these pak fans don't get when even a blind person can tell you to win a series vs sena teams make spin tracks bowl your spinners you will most likely win the series why should pcb provide anything different do they get similar pitches when they go sena countries answer is no at last aqib got this right hopefully this will be pakistan template for Asian wickets.

 

[hur rizvi]

India doesn't just win at home on the basis of spin, the likes of Bhumrah, Shami, Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Sharma have also run through teams with the new ball and reverse swing. Pakistani fast bowlers need to work on their reverse swing skills on these dry wickets.

Agreed. In recent times I have liked SA 2022 pitches the most. There was spin and reverse swing both on offer.

Pitch should be conducive to 2 spinner/2 pacer combo

 

[Aqib_mustafa]

Agreed. In recent times I have liked SA 2022 pitches the most. There was spin and reverse swing both on offer.

Pitch should be conducive to 2 spinner/2 pacer combo

Nah sena teams will bash fast bowlers give them spin pitches that turn from ball 1 and torture them like they do when pakistan tour them and i am glad aqib has got this spot on play spinners win the series vs them

 

[Kianig89]

So the format where we are completely hopeless , last time Pak were beaten in 2 days by WI at home. Don't have high hopes from this team

 

[Aqib_mustafa]

So the format where we are completely hopeless , last time Pak were beaten in 2 days by WI at home. Don't have high hopes from this team

This team has beaten bazz baller england sajid and noman made them look minnows which world are you living in there is a strong chance of Pakistan winning 2 nil vs south africa sajid and noman going to destroy them with bat kamran and saud will handle their spin.

 

[Kianig89]

This team has beaten bazz baller england sajid and noman made them look minnows which world are you living in there is a strong chance of Pakistan winning 2 nil vs south africa sajid and noman going to destroy them with bat kamran and saud will handle their spin.

We will see......

 

[Aqib_mustafa]

So the format where we are completely hopeless , last time Pak were beaten in 2 days by WI at home. Don't have high hopes from this team

And same west indies team won in australia you have to take gamble that's what happen with spin pitches but pak will still win the series vs south africa

 

[Savak]

Important question should be how can pakistan win on these lottery wickets? SA will come with spinners and one two fluke innings from their side would set the match just like what happened in one test against WI. I think best is to go with medium turning wickets, and let your batsmen and bowlers do the job. Select batsmen who play spin well, and sajid nouman will do the rest. SA are not good players of spin except markram and bavuma.

All it took was Warrican to have an arm ball to bamboozle Pakistani batsmen. Pakistani batsmen have to bat and play well against spin for this strategy to work consistently.

 

[Aqib_mustafa]

All it took was Warrican to have an arm ball to bamboozle Pakistani batsmen. Pakistani batsmen have to bat and play well against spin for this strategy to work consistently.

Well didn't pak beat bazz ball aggressive england won that series with spinners doing the main job and saud and kamran getting 100 so pakistan will always play spin better than sena teams and most likely will win the series.

 

[gazza619]

Nice squad. Batters must step up and put some runs.

 

[Aqib_mustafa]

Nice squad. Batters must step up and put some runs.

Lot will depend on kamran imam saud and even rizwan vs spinners.

 

[gazza619]

Lot will depend on kamran imam saud and even rizwan vs spinners.

I doubt if Kamran will get a chance. I am expecting the top 7 to be:

Imam
Abdullah
Shan
Babar
Saud
Agha
Riz

 

[Aqib_mustafa]

I doubt if Kamran will get a chance. I am expecting the top 7 to be:

Imam
Abdullah
Shan
Babar
Saud
Agha
Riz

Babar can't play spin how is he going to be over kamran makes no sense at all hopefully kamran plays bro

 

[sweep_shot]

Pakistan played 12 T20s in a row. They are finally getting to play some Tests now.

Good squad.

 

[Monday Morning]

I googled Asif Afridi.

C'mon man, he's easily in his mid-40s!

A country Pakistan's passion and population, should not be debuting fossils in a home test series!

 

[gazza619]

Babar can't play spin how is he going to be over kamran makes no sense at all hopefully kamran plays bro

if Babar is in the squad then he should be in the XI in my opinion.

 

[Aqib_mustafa]

if Babar is in the squad then he should be in the XI in my opinion.

Ok fair enough but they should adjust kamran somehow he is really good player of spin

 

[gazza619]

Ok fair enough but they should adjust kamran somehow he is really good player of spin

I guess the other option is that Shan opens with Imam. This will make room for Kamran at no.3

Shan
Imam
Kamran
Babar

 

[tiger_khan]

I googled Asif Afridi.

C'mon man, he's easily in his mid-40s!

A country Pakistan's passion and population, should not be debuting fossils in a home test

he is a good cricketer. very skilled spinner and a hard hitting batsman

but there was news reporting that he was banned for two years by the PCB for corruption

he is good but not that good that he should be brought back at his age, after a two-year of corruption ban


below id the article reporting his ban:

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/...wo-years-for-anti-corruption-offences-1357666

 

[AZulfi]

Batting looks weak.

Babar has struggled in tests in the last couple of years. Hence his average dropped from 48 or 49 to 42.

Shan Masood lacks consistency as a test batsman. Hence averages just 30 after playing 42 tests.

Abdullah Shafique had a good start to his career esp. his double hundred in testing conditions in Lanka in 2023. However, he has not been very consistent since then

 

[Nasty Naz]

Must say it is quite hilarious to see Shaheen selected for this home Test match series on dead and lifeless pitches than selecting your best 6'6 fast bowler for a series in SA.

Kashif Ali dropped after a token test match. Why was he tried if he had no future? You play limited Test matches as is and just wasting it on selections that the players don't believe in. Huraira dropped quite quickly too after being highly touted for a while.

At least they were smart enough not to select Abbas based on his SA performance.

 

[zahid01]

We are heading towards the cowardly minnows mentality land we can only win by doctoring the pitches why not make sporting wickets with help for both pace and spin anyhow maharaj most likely will terrorise our batsmen if its a dust bowl

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Not from a pacers point of view. KS and HA are not long term prospects

Pakistan are not backing their pacers because , alarmingly, they are getting outreversed/outbowled by opposition pacers on their own pitches.

I don't think they have faith in any pacer on these pitches at least

That's why they pivoted to the spin strategy .

Hasan Mahmud , Brydon Carse and many others have outbowled Shaheen, Naseem and pretty much everyone else.

 

[Markhor]

Make turners by all means but please don't make lottery pitches like we saw vs West Indies with results being determined by sheer luck than skill. Series where not a single batsman on either side can score a hundred is not good for cricket nor for our development as a team.

Our Test pitches between 2019-21 were excellent. I'm curious why our pitches have degraded so much since then.

 

[khyberlion]

Make turners by all means but please don't make lottery pitches like we saw vs West Indies with results being determined by sheer luck than skill. Series where not a single batsman on either side can score a hundred is not good for cricket nor for our development as a team.

Our Test pitches between 2019-21 were excellent. I'm curious why our pitches have degraded so much since then.

The recent pitches will end our cricket which is near its end anyway.

 

[Aqib_mustafa]

The recent pitches will end our cricket which is near its end anyway.

Why would it end i love spin pitches that's the only way to beat these sena teams and pakistan best chance why should pakistan deprived of this opportunity.

 

[Abid Z]

Pakistan are not backing their pacers because , alarmingly, they are getting outreversed/outbowled by opposition pacers on their own pitches.

I don't think they have faith in any pacer on these pitches at least

That's why they pivoted to the spin strategy .

Hasan Mahmud , Brydon Carse and many others have outbowled Shaheen, Naseem and pretty much everyone else.

There is an element of truth to this Question is why are they getting outbowled?
It’s a combination of skill fitness and depth in squad. Couragecand foresight is lacking so Pak are going for easy options despite talking up our cricket in the media. If you keep alternating between Roads and lottery pitches cricket just won’t develop.

 

[khyberlion]

Why would it end i love spin pitches that's the only way to beat these sena teams and pakistan best chance why should pakistan deprived of this opportunity.

We beat SA on very good surfaces which had enough for everyone. On these pathetic pitches we have lost to WI.

 

[Aqib_mustafa]

We beat SA on very good surfaces which had enough for everyone. On these pathetic pitches we have lost to WI.

Bro i understand your points but pakistan has to take a gamble with ball spinning from day 1 but i don't want to see complete rank turner jist enough for spinners.

 

[khyberlion]

Bro i understand your points but pakistan has to take a gamble with ball spinning from day 1 but i don't want to see complete rank turner jist enough for spinners.

I am not against spin pitches but the pitches should provide some support for fast bowlers too and something for the batters. You can't have the pitches the ones we had recently. They are embarrassing which will further destroy our cricket.

 

[cricfan4lyfe]

ridiculous to bring back Imam and Shafiq while dropping Saim & Huraira

I'd have selected Farhan & Saim as openers with Huraira the back up any day of the week ... how many more matches will TTFs like Imam/Shafiq keep getting ???

 

[cricfan4lyfe]

Oh please leave it should we play so called fast bowlers like tapiya harris who are loosing matches with their pace get over pace i would even play sajid and noman in world cup these guys are proven performers will win you a world cup instead of useless pace.

Sajid should certainly be in ODI/t20 teams as well

 

[cricfan4lyfe]

Making rank turners that enable granddads like Noman Ali to look like Shane Warne isn't good for our cricket long-term.

winning formula >>> over style points

 

[cricfan4lyfe]

We are heading towards the cowardly minnows mentality land we can only win by doctoring the pitches why not make sporting wickets with help for both pace and spin anyhow maharaj most likely will terrorise our batsmen if its a dust bowl

does SENA make "sporting wickets" ???

get over this colonized mentality ... Pitches that aid spin is the way against SENA at home since Pak lacks top tier seamers although Shehzad/MAbbas have done well in recent times but it's just the two of them

SENA teams don't have an answer for Sajid/Noman so play to that advantage and win simple

 

[cricfan4lyfe]

Make turners by all means but please don't make lottery pitches like we saw vs West Indies with results being determined by sheer luck than skill. Series where not a single batsman on either side can score a hundred is not good for cricket nor for our development as a team.

Our Test pitches between 2019-21 were excellent. I'm curious why our pitches have degraded so much since then.

I think the pitches in 2nd/3rd tests vs Eng are the way to go as they gave a chance to batsmen to score as well ... WI series it was definitely heavily skewed towards spinners and Pak's brittle line up cost us another series win as a result

Eng series should be the template for pitches