300 Test Wickets: Why Pakistan must groom a pacer exclusively for this task - Who will be the next?

[FearlessRoar]

We've had some incredible talent over the years, but surprisingly, no one has crossed the 300-Test-wicket mark since Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis hung up their boots.

Those two legends set the bar ridiculously high - Wasim with 414 wickets and Waqar with 373. But since then, we've struggled to find someone to reach those dizzying heights.

Note the significant gap: since 2003, no Pakistani pacer has crossed the 200-Test-wicket mark

So, what's gone wrong? For starters, injuries have plagued our pace bowlers, making it hard to build momentum. Even when fit, consistency has been a major issue. Another concern is Pakistan pacers' preference for T20 cricket.

Initially, I thought Mohammad Amir would end this drought, but he took a different path. Now, I have high hopes for Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah to achieve the 300-Test-wicket milestone for Pakistan. However, they're struggling with fitness and a lack of interest in red-ball cricket.

Khurram Shehzad's injury-prone nature doesn't inspire confidence. Haris Rauf and Mohammad Hasnain were never in contention. Currently, I believe Ali Raza can be a valuable asset for Pakistan if the PCB invests in him and grooms him exclusively for red-ball cricket. To reach 300 Test wickets, a bowler needs dedication, focus, and a clear goal.

 

[SpiritOf1903]

Pakistan cricket is finished. It's not England, Australia or India.

Half decent hacks like Rauf prefer t20

 

[FearlessRoar]

Polls added

 

[uppercut]

At this rate Test Cricket will be done and dusted in about 5-10 yrs in Pakistan. There are just too many systemic issues within Pakistan cricket setup. Lack of bowlers remotely capable of taking 200 wkts let alone 300+ is just one of the many symptoms.

 

[Muhammad Saad]

Ali Raza definitely a workhorse type bowler who can keep coming at you , definitely have the potential to reach 300 wkts as he is very young currently and in couple of years he will be ready for test cricket.

 

[SpiritOf1903]

English bowlers take wickets most English bowlers is Abbas...

 

[hoshiarpurexpress]

The cycle continues... in few years down the line Ali Raza is the next hyped man.

 

[Blackbradman]

As long as Pakistan bowlers play meaningless T20 leagues you won't find a pace bowler who can be consistent performer at Test level.

 

[Romali_rotti]

No Pakistani fast bowler from here on will achieve 300 wickets imo. Test cricket will be dead in another 7 years I feel.

 

[Hitman]

For a Pakistani fast bowler to take 300 Test wickets, he himself needs to have the desire and ambition to take 300 Test wickets and make Test cricket his priority.

 

[Josh]

A bowler from a rich family who doesn't care about T20 leagues much

 

[Kianig89]

Nobody is interested in the country to become a Test phaast bowler, the circumstances are such that everybody has to earn their bread and butter, earlier young cricketers were look after by their elder family members or some sugar daddies in club cricket.

Tiktok PubG Franchise cricket has changed the aspiratins of youngsters

 

[DeadlyVenom]

No Pakistani fast bowler from here on will achieve 300 wickets imo. Test cricket will be dead in another 7 years I feel.

India Aus and English will likely play in 7 years time. BGT and Ashes is high as quality cricket.

The rest will die out.

 

[Unbiased-Fan]

I seriously thought Shaheen would end the drought and complete 200 wickets before turning 25.
But, seeing his role in internal politics, lack of fitness and form, it will take much more time than expected.
Still I'm sure he will be the pacer alongside Naseem who will finish with 250+ wickets in test format.

Shaheen's bowling average of 27. 88 seems to be respectable but when you look his average against top teams, you will get to know that he's is another minnow basher like Babar Azam.

Shaheen's average against top teams
Vs Australia 38.4
Vs England 63
Vs Newzealand 44

Average against weaker teams
Vs Zimbabwe 16.4
Vs Windies 11.27
Vs Bangladesh 19

Pathetic numbers

 

[Romali_rotti]

India Aus and English will likely play in 7 years time. BGT and Ashes is high as quality cricket.

The rest will die out.

Could be..

Sad reality though.

 

[Sunny_majoka]

Who will wish to become pak test bowler when we prepare these type of pitches

 

[shaz619]

Amir was right all along to have retired during the Misbah School of Mortons. The deal agreed with Mickey Arther made a lot of sense, I think under that deal and regime, he would be close to breaching the 200 wicket mark by now and I still think he is the most skilful bowler available in Pakistan.

 

[pakistani pride]

Pak cricket is finished. We will never compete again in TEST cricket and in a few years time TEST cricket will not even be played in Pak.

What we can hope, but that is just hope that somehow all these mental midgets are replaced and a new fresh crop of players arrives. We might, in a few years time be able to compete in again in white ball cricket. Reality is that the system is rotten to the core and players have a pathetic mindset.

 

[shaz619]

India Aus and English will likely play in 7 years time. BGT and Ashes is high as quality cricket.

The rest will die out.

I hope not. We should enjoy the Tests here in England while they last. Nothing beats watching a Test live in decent weather here. Maybe we will be those member pensioners, fast asleep in our suits and ties by the afternoon session.

 

[hoshiarpurexpress]

We've had some incredible talent over the years, but surprisingly, no one has crossed the 300-Test-wicket mark since Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis hung up their boots.

Those two legends set the bar ridiculously high - Wasim with 414 wickets and Waqar with 373. But since then, we've struggled to find someone to reach those dizzying heights.

Note the significant gap: since 2003, no Pakistani pacer has crossed the 200-Test-wicket mark

So, what's gone wrong? For starters, injuries have plagued our pace bowlers, making it hard to build momentum. Even when fit, consistency has been a major issue. Another concern is Pakistan pacers' preference for T20 cricket.

Initially, I thought Mohammad Amir would end this drought, but he took a different path. Now, I have high hopes for Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah to achieve the 300-Test-wicket milestone for Pakistan. However, they're struggling with fitness and a lack of interest in red-ball cricket.

Khurram Shehzad's injury-prone nature doesn't inspire confidence. Haris Rauf and Mohammad Hasnain were never in contention. Currently, I believe Ali Raza can be a valuable asset for Pakistan if the PCB invests in him and grooms him exclusively for red-ball cricket. To reach 300 Test wickets, a bowler needs dedication, focus, and a clear goal.

There should be an option of "No one". Don't see it happening anymore.

 

[Ab Fan]

Need to stop overhyping bowlers after 1-2 memorable spells. Also, need to improve the pitches too.

 

[pratiktc]

I do not think any Pak bowler will ever take 300 wkts again but then same is likely true for WI, NZ, SA (Rabada will be last) as well.

Over the next decade we will likely see international whiteball cricket dwindle towards WCs and WT20s with global leagues and cros

Test cricket will dwindle into boutique series for Aus/India/England and maybe some pastiche World XIs

 

[The Bald Eagle]

Pakistan need another Waqar Younis desperately. And Naseem Shah isn't one.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

The one who looked capable of doing so was never given a chance to play... Yes, I am talking about Mohammad Abbas!

 

[Aang_The_last_airbender]

Pakistan barely plays 15 test in a 2 year cycle. You need about 75-80 Test matches to reach 300 wickets. I don't see any Pakistani pacer consistently playing test for 10-12 years.

Hence the answer will be NONE!!

 

[Markhor]

I'm not sure how much longer we can keep blaming T20 leagues for the lack of quality Test pacers when other nations face the same issue yet are still producing decent options.

It's down to the board to manage the workloads of our pacers. T20 leagues have nothing to do with PCB playing our seamers in every bilateral white-ball series and ensuring they never play domestic FC matches. The lack of qualified coaches who understand biomechanics, poor pitches and negligent medical care all pre-date T20.

Firstly let's identify the skillset needed to take wickets on these dead flat pitches. We need guys who are:

a) Physically robust and capable of consistently bowling min. 20 overs/innings without a significant dropoff in pace.
b) Less dependent on movement through the air and more on hitting the surface hard with high release points. Sorry but these low slingy Hasan Ali types are gonna do jack.
c) Adequate pace - not necessarily express but minimum of 135kph at the very least.
d) Capable of bowling dry when situation requires. Pakistan in all formats constantly concede at least one boundary ball an over making it impossible to build pressure.

We've had 26 selectors in the last 3 years yet nobody can tell us what the selection criteria is when picking pacers, whether any profiling work is done, or what parameters the selectors are given.

There's technology now where umpires can literally wear a device that allows you to track release points, pace, seam, spin etc like ECB's iHawk. Sri Lanka, our Brothers in Chaos, have just invested in an Analytics Department. And there's ample fitness monitoring technology. PCB are not cash strapped like Zimbabwe. Instead of wasting money on useless mentors, spend on things that might make a tangible difference.

 

[offstump]

Nobody is interested in the country to become a Test phaast bowler, the circumstances are such that everybody has to earn their bread and butter, earlier young cricketers were look after by their elder family members or some sugar daddies in club cricket.

Tiktok PubG Franchise cricket has changed the aspiratins of youngsters

Every cricketer around the world will have the franchise lollipop in front of them. The big issue for Pakistan is there’s hardly any money playing domestic cricket or even in terms of the PCB’s retainer, match fees, etc. Pakistan is poor, the board’s finances are questionable at best, PSL while it pays ok is nowhere near IPL or other leagues. Until
Pakistan can become a “rich” board we’re never goona produce a 300 wicket test bowler. We also need to prioritize FC cricket. When’s the last time any of our top batters played domestic FC games? Babar hasn’t been anywhere near the domestic circuit apart from some white ball, he doesn’t even play county which used to be somewhere serious Pakistani batsmen went to hone their skills.

 

[SpiritOf1903]

They've only had three in their history; Wasim, Waqar and IK!

Who's gonna come along now ?

 

[SpiritOf1903]

I'm not sure how much longer we can keep blaming T20 leagues for the lack of quality Test pacers when other nations face the same issue yet are still producing decent options.

It's down to the board to manage the workloads of our pacers. T20 leagues have nothing to do with PCB playing our seamers in every bilateral white-ball series and ensuring they never play domestic FC matches. The lack of qualified coaches who understand biomechanics, poor pitches and negligent medical care all pre-date T20.

Firstly let's identify the skillset needed to take wickets on these dead flat pitches. We need guys who are:

a) Physically robust and capable of consistently bowling min. 20 overs/innings without a significant dropoff in pace.
b) Less dependent on movement through the air and more on hitting the surface hard with high release points. Sorry but these low slingy Hasan Ali types are gonna do jack.
c) Adequate pace - not necessarily express but minimum of 135kph at the very least.
d) Capable of bowling dry when situation requires. Pakistan in all formats constantly concede at least one boundary ball an over making it impossible to build pressure.

We've had 26 selectors in the last 3 years yet nobody can tell us what the selection criteria is when picking pacers, whether any profiling work is done, or what parameters the selectors are given.

There's technology now where umpires can literally wear a device that allows you to track release points, pace, seam, spin etc like ECB's iHawk. Sri Lanka, our Brothers in Chaos, have just invested in an Analytics Department. And there's ample fitness monitoring technology. PCB are not cash strapped like Zimbabwe. Instead of wasting money on useless mentors, spend on things that might make a tangible difference.

Nassem got injured prior a World Cup playing in SLPL!. What a joke and he's not the same bowler now

 

[jnaveen1980]

They've only had three in their history; Wasim, Waqar and IK!

Who's gonna come along now ?

Pakistan has 300 club
Then 100 club
No pacers in 200 club besides those 3 in th 300 club

 

[mon858]

can you please add an option for none. i dont think we are going to produce any 300 test wicket bowler from existing stocks or anytime soon. few reasons:
a) psl/t20 league culture, no incenstive to put hard yards, play long first class seasons, fitness for 4/5 day, etc.
b) kookabura bowl even in home tests, doens't really help fast bowlers after initial 15 overs or so
c) not as much reverse now based on tactics used during games, extra cameras, etc.
d) lack of tests Pakistan plays each year, this year is an exception
e) no more test minnows that we play that also help boost stats (in the 90s era bowlers were able to feast on playing Zim, Srl, Nz, etc., now we are not even able to beat Bangladesh, let alone boost stats)

 

[Markhor]

Nassem got injured prior a World Cup playing in SLPL!. What a joke and he's not the same bowler now

PCB should've denied the NOC. What the heck was the point of playing LPL in hot and humid Sri Lanka when there was the Afghanistan series, Asia Cup and World Cup literally in the next two months or so.

But they made the situation worse by continuing to play him through injury.

That's why I said we can keep blaming these leagues but it's up to the Board to properly manage the workload of our pacers. However our Circus Board is incapable of even basic common sense.

 

[offstump]

Wait I’ve got it, Musa Khan!

 

[Justcrazy]

Pakistan need to play at least 13 - 15 Test Matches every year , then only they will have 300 Test fast bowlers.

 

[jnaveen1980]

200 wickets should be the target first.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

200 wickets should be the target first.

I think 20 wickets should be a target first for next Test match

 

[sweep_shot]

I feel like current Pakistani players are distracted by social media and franchise cricket. That probably prevents them from being consistent.

Anyway, Shaheen can still come back strong and end up with 300+ Test wickets. He is young.

 

[ElRaja]

the only world class test quality pacer Pakistan have produced in the last 25 years is Mohamad asif. let that sink in. its not a new phenomenon, Pakistani cricketers are less athletic, dumber and a part of a weaker system than thirty years ago, so there is no hope.

 

[Local.Dada]

Shaheen Afridi and Naseem are very good bowlers. Had they been managed carefully and not played every gully-nukkad type games they would have had great returns. I still feel they both still have that 1-2 great match winning performances left in them. Also the wickets provided by Pakistan board/management very punishing for any kind of bowler.

 

[Farabi]

The issue isn’t with the players or selection. Pakistan has produced plenty of pacers capable of reaching 300+ wickets. The real challenge lies in the lack of a strong sports medicine department that can accurately diagnose, treat, and rehabilitate fast bowlers after injuries. What’s also needed is a dedicated fast bowling contract to attract and retain talent for the longer formats. The talent is there and will continue to emerge, but the key is sustaining it long enough so it doesn’t break down or fade away after injury.

 

[aukhan]

Abbas was the only one who could have done this but we discarded him due to a lack of pace. Ironically, overrated bowlers like Shaheen and Naseem both bowl around Abbas's pace after bowling 15 overs in the match.