Are you a fan of sides naming their playing XIs ahead of time?

[MenInG]

Pakistan have done it on numerous occasions but doing this for the match against India takes it to another level.

What exactly is the point of that?

If this is a good idea, why aren't other sides also doing this on a regular basis, especially in white-ball cricket?

 

[Major]

I don't really mind. We often see this in test cricket.

If you are sure what you are going to play and its a no a secret to others than post the line up. The players are also aware who will play and who will not.

I think it also saves the players from journalist bugging them to leak the playing 11

 

[Rana]

It shows clarity.

Teams are internally announced 24-48 hours prior to a match more often than not

 

[MenInG]

It shows clarity.

Teams are internally announced 24-48 hours prior to a match more often than not

Why aren't India doing the same in public?

 

[MenInG]

Poll added to this thread

 

[Rana]

Why aren't India doing the same in public?

Probably just how they like to do things

Each Indian player in the squad has huge fan bases+media backing. Clearly omitting players (by not selecting them in the XI) creates a massive ruckus on social media. Might as well delay that ruckus to the point of the toss

 

[Farah Sohail]

Shouldnt be done, esp when weather could affect playing condition and an extra seamer should be added due to overcast conditions

 

[Rana]

Shouldnt be done, esp when weather could affect playing condition and an extra seamer should be added due to overcast conditions

Na I recon you still need good slow bowling options

3 seamers is fine

 

[Major]

Shouldnt be done, esp when weather could affect playing condition and an extra seamer should be added due to overcast conditions

The pitch that they are playing on has given support to spinners more

 

[Asad T]

I would like to see it be abused a bit as a tactic. For example, announce that Shaheen will be dropped for faheem (to give the opposition a sense of relief) but then play rauf anyway

 

[Saj]

Given the conditions out there and the way the ball has been swinging, I wonder if Pakistan might be thinking they should have played M Wasim jr over Nawaz.

Time will tell.

 

[Asad T]

Given the conditions out there and the way the ball has been swinging, I wonder if Pakistan might be thinking they should have played M Wasim jr over Nawaz.

Time will tell.

Possibly. However, the ball could spin a bit. Also, I think it will be a tough chase so we will need to bat deep today

 

[Ali T]

I don't see why Pakistan would give the opposition more information than they need ? Doesn't make sense to me.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

No problem, but would rather have Pak announcing it at the toss.

 

[hitthestump]

There is no benefit at all to naming your side publicly before you've even seen the conditions on the day.

If you aren't going to name 4 seamers in these conditions then you never will.

Pakistan would have had 3 spin bowling options even without Nawaz.

 

[MenInG]

Given the conditions out there and the way the ball has been swinging, I wonder if Pakistan might be thinking they should have played M Wasim jr over Nawaz.

Time will tell.

Seems to be the case or maybe our spinners are horrible?

 

[MenInG]

And Pakistan done it again.

 

[shamaan]

Why aren't India doing the same in public?

Do we have to follow everything india do.

 

[MenInG]

So no Pakistan XI announced in Babar Azam presser today ahead of the game against India - maybe a good thing?

 

[MenInG]

So no Pakistan XI announced in Babar Azam presser today ahead of the game against India - maybe a good thing?

Ok so Pakistan have once again named their XI for the next game against India

 

[Asad T]

Haydos and Sanjay Manjrekar were talking about this while commentating on the Bangladesh-Lanka match.
Both of them agreed that there is no advantage to announcing the xi earlier than required. "What if conditions change?" Manjrekar said.
I generally don't agree to anything Manjrekar says, but he has a point there

 

[alishahid]

Shows the confidence level pakistan has nowadays. Very positive. I can imagine the indian players and the oppositions having a peak at the line up to see who is in

 

[Nasty Naz]

A lot of teams do it and I am sure its the exact lineup India expected. Pakistan never used to do it before and have only done so recently but to me, it's a positive thing because it shows how settled they are and its a confidence boost to the players to know they are playing tomorrow and being prepared for it.

If you don't know what the pitch is like and how its expected to play and you're still picking your XI prior to knowing that, then its a problem.

 

[Saj]

No surprises really.

I think in this situation it was obvious who the Pakistan XI would be.

So a fair enough call from the Pakistan management.

 

[Farah Sohail]

No surprises really.

I think in this situation it was obvious who the Pakistan XI would be.

So a fair enough call from the Pakistan management.

@Saj Do you have any insight..who is most powerful in Pakistan think tank..these days,.regarding selection of playing 11? Is it Mickey Arthur, Grant Bradburn or Babar? Who has the final say? If babar disagrees on anything..does Mickey have the power or influence to veto?

 

[shamaan]

Haydos and Sanjay Manjrekar were talking about this while commentating on the Bangladesh-Lanka match.
Both of them agreed that there is no advantage to announcing the xi earlier than required. "What if conditions change?" Manjrekar said.
I generally don't agree to anything Manjrekar says, but he has a point there

Am sure they can change the xi just before the toss even if they already announced it a day before.

 

[Rana]

Can’t wait to see the mouthwatering battle of Faheem Ashraf v Shubman Gill

 

[Firebat]

Can’t wait to see the mouthwatering battle of Faheem Ashraf v Shubman Gill

He won't survive long enough to face Sir Garfield

 

[emranabbas]

Nothing wrong
it's just giving a statement this is it bring on whoever You want we are ready for you

 

[The_KING]

Don't see the point of it

 

[Asad T]

We are making 5 changes and announcing the xi in advance again. Surely, we could have used the surprise factor in our favor in what is a knockout game. Now Lanka can put plans in place against Harris, Saud, Wasim and Zaman

 

[BouncerGuy]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1702240502626590809

 

[Rana]

Pakistan are basically trying to copy England.

They fail to understand that England have reached this level of ‘Boss’ having completely changed their brand of cricket in 2015…and have played serious cricket since. 8 years in the making, that’s when you start announcing your team in advance, demonstrating fearlessness.

Pakistan have tried to demonstrate this fearless approach defeating B string sides at Rawalpindi

 

[MenInG]

If needed Pakistan can still change their XI as not official - maybe a decision based upon rain?

 

[Mamoon]

Pakistan are basically trying to copy England.

They fail to understand that England have reached this level of ‘Boss’ having completely changed their brand of cricket in 2015…and have played serious cricket since. 8 years in the making, that’s when you start announcing your team in advance, demonstrating fearlessness.

Pakistan have tried to demonstrate this fearless approach defeating B string sides at Rawalpindi

The difference is that England knows that if they bring their A game on the day, there is nothing the opposition can do even if they know their playing XI a month in advance.

Pakistan has started this flex without realizing that no team cares about who Pakistan is going to play because if they do their basics right Pakistan will lose.

 

[MenInG]

If needed Pakistan can still change their XI as not official - maybe a decision based upon rain?

And Babar's done it

==

Pakistan have made two changes in the side that was announced last evening.

Saud Shakeel and Imam ul Haq are out. Saud has fever and Imam has suffered a back spasm during warm up.

Fakhar Zaman and Abdullah Shafique come in.

 

[Major]

Feel bad for Saud, i think the fever was just an excuse

 

[ads101]

Feel bad for Saud, i think the fever was just an excuse

No I think he must have a fever. He would have been our last ditch hope given the form he was in. And we chose to play Haris middle over over him.

 

[hassan918]

I don't think there is any need to announce the playing xi publicly when you can do it just before the match. Keep your opposition guessing.

 

[Nado_]

Makes no tactical sense whatsoever

 

[Saj]

If you know the conditions are not going to change and neither is the weather, that's ok.

But as we have seen today, the weather is changeable so why would you want to announce your team a day before - it makes no sense at all.

 

[gazza619]

Being the first to announce the playing XI, and now being the last to announce the WC squad.

Yeh tou khulla tazaad hai.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Being the first to announce the playing XI, and now being the last to announce the WC squad.

Yeh tou khulla tazaad hai.

Yep ye to Khula Tazaad hai as you said. It is very odd to not announce your squad when there are only 3 days left for your team to travel to the host country for world cup.

 

[Rana]

Being the first to announce the playing XI, and now being the last to announce the WC squad.

Yeh tou khulla tazaad hai.

Lol this is khulli confusion

 

[Rana]

India delivered such a KO blow that Pakistan management is in total daze

 

[gazza619]

India delivered such a KO blow that Pakistan management is in total daze

We must thank India for this phainti

Now we know where we stand.

 

[BouncerGuy]

yep, I agree. That was a huge wake-up call for us. Such a dominant performance has put India out of pressure after that World Cup 152/0 thrashing

We must thank India for this phainti

Now we know where we stand.

 

[Rana]

We must thank India for this phainti

Now we know where we stand.

When you see the squad announced, you will realise that we still do not know where we stand

The reports suggest Babar is a major stumbling block for progression. He and his think tank are refusing to accept shortcomings in this squad

 

[BouncerGuy]

When you see the squad announced, you will realise that we still do not know where we stand

The reports suggest Babar is a major stumbling block for progression. He and his think tank are refusing to accept shortcomings in this squad

I don't wanna believe in all these rumours. It is the time when the team has to gel together no matter what who ever is selected in the squad? They have to work together as a team.

 

[Rana]

I don't wanna believe in all these rumours. It is the time when the team has to gel together no matter what who ever is selected in the squad? They have to work together as a team.

Yes. But you can make it better by selecting the right kind of players. That’s the important issue here.

There is no way that you cannot purposely avoid picking horses for courses after being exposed like that in the Asia cup

 

[hitthestump]

Being the first to announce the playing XI, and now being the last to announce the WC squad.

Yeh tou khulla tazaad hai.

I'm glad.

The fans need a solid moment to calm down. The players need respite after such a gruelling tour where they also recieved a battering.

The outrage will start again the minute the squad is selected. Pakistani fans will be in full force criticising anyone and everyone. The players will need to be mentally ready for that.

Whichever squad is selected it will be 'wrong'. Inzi has a thankless task on his hands.

 

[MenInG]

So Pakistan have dropped this idea now.

 

[MenInG]

Australia have named their XI ahead of the 1st Test

Will Pakistan follow suit?

 

[MenInG]

Australia have named their XI ahead of the 1st Test

Will Pakistan follow suit?

and Pakistan too for the 1st Test vs Australia.

Smart move?

 

[The Bald Eagle]

Has Pakistan done right to announce the playing XI today against Bangladesh although the 1st Test match is on August 21, 2024?

 

[sweep_shot]

I think announcing playing XI ahead of time is not a good idea. It allows opponent to prepare better.

 

[Bhaijaan]

As an opposition team fan, I am always interested to know whether or not Pakistan is about to unleash the cornered tigers. Knowing it one day in advance helps.

 

[ElRaja]

its not like theres massive secrets anyway, at most 1 or 2 spots are unknown in a test team. i dont think any opposition is changing their xi because Mohamad ali might play for mir hamza, lol.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Has Pakistan done right to announce the playing XI today against Bangladesh although the 1st Test match is on August 21, 2024?

TBH thats a stupid move!

This way you r giving your opponents the chance to do their homework on a specific player.

Why not keep it a secret until game day, so your opponent won't be well prepared before the match.

 

[mominsaigol]

TBH thats a stupid move!

This way you r giving your opponents the chance to do their homework on a specific player.

Why not keep it a secret until game day, so your opponent won't be well prepared before the match.

It doesn't matter. The opposition already knows Shan, Babar, Rizwan, Abdullah, Saud and 4 pacers are going to play.

The only thing that they had to worry about was whether saim or Hurraira would play, which in either case it doesn't matter.

Saim has enough info on him for the opposition to just get him out by bowling waist high or on his legs for his so called no look shot or legsode flick.

And hurraira doesn't have any info on him so even if he was selected sri lanka can't do Home work on him either way

 

[BouncerGuy]

It is fine to name your team. Shows how confident a captain is with his selection and in those 11 players.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Mohammad Rizwan speaking to media ahead of the T20 series opener against Australia:

About Playing 11 and Opening Pair:

"There’s been a lot of talk about the playing XI, but we’ve kept it a secret for now because there are some things I want to keep to myself. Once the decisions are finalized, we’ll share them. As for the opening, we always aim to stick with what’s working best, while also focusing on areas that need improvement. I always try to consult with others and make decisions that are in the best interest of Pakistan, whatever the situation may be."

 

[tahir_dj]

It removes the surprise element
If you name them early the opposition then plan accordingly

 

[Caved12]

I have never been a fan of teams announcing their playing XI a day before the game. Cricket is such a mental sport that it is often best to keep the opposing team guessing until the last minute. Revealing the lineup too early can give away strategic insights that may benefit the opposition.

That said, there are situations where an early announcement can be helpful. For example, if there are new players or if the team lineup has been changing frequently, sharing the XI early can give players clarity and help them settle their nerves before the match. However, this should be an occasional strategy, not a regular habit. Flexibility is key, and teams should adapt their approach to suit the situation.

In any case, most players usually know they will be in the final XI a day before, even if the lineup isn’t publicly announced.