Be patient… This young Pakistan team needs to learn to convert good positions into winning ones

[hoshiarpurexpress]

Be patient… This young Pakistan team needs to learn to convert good positions into winning ones

I have been reading the posts on the forum and there is again a typical knee jerk reactions.. and over-hyping as usual.

There is no middle path for Pakistan supporters.

But there is one theme common in two test matches, The young Pakistani team was in a good positions. The just need to learn the art of winning more sessions and converting those good positions into winning ones.

Babar, Shaheen,Rizwan,Naseem are the core of this team. Build on that in the future and just be more patient.

Even Kohli, when he became captain, Indian team was ranked 7 in tests.
But step by step, a team was assembled which became number 1.

This team has the potential to do that. Just buckle down, speak less and do more should be mantra for future success.

 

[HappyWarsFan]

Only 1 young pacer should play at a time. Having 2 is too much for tests.

 

[Rana]

This isn’t a young team. Too many dead weights

 

[coy0607]

Young??

This must be one of the oldest Test teams by average age. Only 3/11 players are under-28

This is veteran team, playing u-16 level cricket

 

[TeamPak95]

At least on this forum, yes I agree on average there isn't really a middle ground among posters.

Player/team plays good = he's the next [insert superstar from the past here], Pakistan can beat England, India, Australia.
Player/team plays bad = drop him forever, mediocre player, we deserve this humiliation, etc.

Babar, Shaheen, Rizwan and Naseem is a solid core to build a good team around. The key question is, is if Misbah will drop the dead weight (mainly Asad and Azhar) post series. I'll be shocked if he actually does. Apart from that, Misbah also really needs to properly identify and select the players who are performing in FC to complement the core players (Sami Aslam, Zafar Gohar, Sameen Gul, Imran Butt, Ehsan Adil are the first names that come to mind). These FC players also need to be potential long-term investments and should be given a long rope as well.

Regarding the core players themselves, especially Shaheen and Naseem, it's unrealistic to expect them to blow England batting lineup away. Simply put, you gotta be patient with them as they are gaining valuable experience from this. They're not going to turn into Wasim-Waqar within a test series, give them time. These two are talented, and can do great wonders for Pakistan.

 

[sweep_shot]

Good thread.

Pakistan need to stick with the youngsters. Give them more games so that they get more and more confidence. Dropping quickly doesn't solve anything.

Having said that, it is probably time for Asad, Azhar, and Yasir to retire.

 

[Mesozoic]

7/11 players are over 30.

How is this a young team ?

 

[pratiktc]

Until they start debuting new batsmen this team will never improve.

Stick with Azhar and Asad even though they are finished if you want to but atleast use no.6 spot to blood youngsters instead of going to futureless players like Fawad and Ifthikar

 

[Forward Defensive Push]

Pakistan team can never, I repeat never - play a settled team combination thanks to the fickle fans. There was such a furore to play Fawad in the middle order since last year and suddenly when the poor guy got out in tough conditions against the best swing bowlers, everyone is demanding his oust. Not long ago, Asad scored 2 fifties in Australia in an otherwise ill fated series and everyone wants him out. Show me a single better batsman in domestic? This is the guy who almost won us a match single handed lay in Brisbane. Everyone was going gaga over Shaheen and Naseem and now everyone wants Amir over them after 1 bad day in excellent batting conditions. Everyone wanted Yasir out of the team and now everyone realizes his importance. Once we started losing, people want Shadab to play over specialist batsman like Shafiq or Fawad. Are people out of their minds? This is test match cricket not your typical psl circus. Pakistan team now faces acute shortage of good players coming especially in batting. And if anyone comes and fails, let’s say like Fawad, immediately our eyes shift to a new guy. I mean we give no time to prove their credentials and expect immediate results. Everyone wanted change in management and you got it and now you want the new management to be sacked after 2 failures. Now compare this with England team. Just look at Sibley and Burns - they will surely come good even after so many failures. We need to have patience.. unless you have that, stop watching test cricket for goodness sake.

 

[Energy]

Pakistan team can never, I repeat never - play a settled team combination thanks to the fickle fans. There was such a furore to play Fawad in the middle order since last year and suddenly when the poor guy got out in tough conditions against the best swing bowlers, everyone is demanding his oust. Not long ago, Asad scored 2 fifties in Australia in an otherwise ill fated series and everyone wants him out. Show me a single better batsman in domestic? This is the guy who almost won us a match single handed lay in Brisbane. Everyone was going gaga over Shaheen and Naseem and now everyone wants Amir over them after 1 bad day in excellent batting conditions. Everyone wanted Yasir out of the team and now everyone realizes his importance. Once we started losing, people want Shadab to play over specialist batsman like Shafiq or Fawad. Are people out of their minds? This is test match cricket not your typical psl circus. Pakistan team now faces acute shortage of good players coming especially in batting. And if anyone comes and fails, let’s say like Fawad, immediately our eyes shift to a new guy. I mean we give no time to prove their credentials and expect immediate results. Everyone wanted change in management and you got it and now you want the new management to be sacked after 2 failures. Now compare this with England team. Just look at Sibley and Burns - they will surely come good even after so many failures. We need to have patience.. unless you have that, stop watching test cricket for goodness sake.

So you're saying Sibley and Burns failing is the same as Asad and Fawad? Sibley and Burns will come good after a couple of year under their belt. That is the model the PCB needs to follow for our 'almost' match-winners?

Regarding 'show me a better batsman in domestic', you need to do your research rather than whine. Don't need to look very far, look at the batters who performed in the Q/A trophy and you will get your answers.

 

[Savak]

Pakistan has lost a lot of test matches from winning positions under Misbah and Azhar Ali.

 

[Hasan123]

It's not a young team apart from Shaheen and Naseem. With Misbah as a selector expect the older players to be replaced by similar aged players.

 

[Afhan Ali]

7 out of 11 players are 30+

Only Babar, Rizwan and Shaheen are good players and Naseem is 17 years old Hype.

 

[Robert]

Change your skipper for someone who will keep the pressure on rather than go defensive when counterattacked.

Your bowling attack is very good. Build your side round it and Babar. Get some young batsmen with stickability as ENG are starting to do.

 

[GoUgandaCranes]

I don't mind losing as long as we are going forward and players are putting their 100 percent effort.

The defeat in the first test was bad because it exposed that our team isn't dynamic enough to manage difficult situations. The change in team selection after that was worse as the one player in the team who showed some dynamism or intent was shoved out for someone purely because of outside media pressure. That shows that our management decisions are made with fear in mind and they want scapegoats when things go expectedly wrong.

Players are made captain in our side when it's time for them to retire. The irony dies when the player who is made captain because of his experience continues to claim that his captaincy performance is terrible because he lacks experience in captaincy.

Mickey for all his flaws in Asian conditions was much clearer about player selection for foreign tours; this management has just gone backward.

I don't have any unrealistic hope in them to change because I don't see our cricketing culture develop anytime in the future. The recent selection of coaches for the domestic teams displays our thought process; all those who criticise the PCB, silence them by giving them a cricket related job (job well done, pat yourself in the back of the shoulder mister admin).

That said, I am always hopeful and will always back our team no matter what. Even if they are playing second division, I will still follow my team and won't want to be a fan of any other cricketing nation. If this cricketing ship drowns, I drown with it, but abandoning it, nah man, NEVER.

 

[gazza619]

Good thread.

Pakistan need to stick with the youngsters. Give them more games so that they get more and more confidence. Dropping quickly doesn't solve anything.

Having said that, it is probably time for Asad, Azhar, and Yasir to retire.

I was of the view that Azhar & Yasir should retire before the series started but to be honest both have performed well. Azhar just played the best innings of his life which shows his mental toughness. Yasir didnt only bowl well but also is a genuine number 8 batsman now for Pakistan.

 

[gazza619]

Pakistan has lost a lot of test matches from winning positions under Misbah and Azhar Ali.

Misbah is the real problem I think. His presence around the team means that nobody can think out of the box and take a risk.

 

[gazza619]

This isn’t a young team. Too many dead weights

I agree. Asad Shafiq is the main culprit here. Also I would get rid of Fawad Alam and Naseem Shah from the test team. A bit harsh on Fawad but he is just a blocker on number 6 and we need a dynamic player like a Haider Ali.

Naseem needs to play 2 years of domestic cricket and also groomed for limited overs cricket in the short run.

 

[Corridor of Uncertainty]

Completely disagree with OP.

This is a game of results and Pakistan ain’t delivering for a long time. Have lost 4 away series in SENA and look nothing like winning if do another 4 tours.

What OP is saying is what Misbah will say when back in Pakistan to keep his job.

 

[Minnowbasher]

The problem is we aren't backing the youngsters.
Hafeez, Malik, Imad and Iftikhar are playing instead of Haider, khushdil and Hasnain.
We need our pathetic selection committee to give our youngsters a chance.

 

[Ab Fan]

Need more quality fast bowling options as there is a need for rotation policy.

Need a good all-rounder at 6, bring back Haris Sohail and need a 40+ averaging batsmen at no.3. That should make this side a top 4 and better than NZ.

Azhar did played a brilliant knock but his time is over. That knock came because he had to prove himself under such immense pressure.

Pakistan should drop Shafiq straight away and wait for Azhar to fail again for a few innings before sacking him. If they persist with Shafiq, Azhar will continue as well and the inevitable will be delayed.

Shan
Abid
-------
Babar
Haris
--------
Rizwan(wkt)
Yasir
Shaheen
Abbas
Naseem

One or two good backup fast bowling options required.

 

[ElRaja]

also pak need to play more tests, you cant get young players grooved into test cricket by playing 6 to 7 matches a year, need to play min 10 tests a year. all the top test teams play lots of test cricket.

hardly any young players come test ready, williamson, babar, smith etc had pretty indifferent records for their first 15, 20 tests. its tougher to develop players if their first 15 tests are gonna take 4 years rather than 1.5 years for a young aussie, english or indian player.

 

[shamaan]

Need more quality fast bowling options as there is a need for rotation policy.

Need a good all-rounder at 6, bring back Haris Sohail and need a 40+ averaging batsmen at no.3. That should make this side a top 4 and better than NZ.

Azhar did played a brilliant knock but his time is over. That knock came because he had to prove himself under such immense pressure.

Pakistan should drop Shafiq straight away and wait for Azhar to fail again for a few innings before sacking him. If they persist with Shafiq, Azhar will continue as well and the inevitable will be delayed.

Shan
Abid
-------
Babar
Haris
--------
Rizwan(wkt)
Yasir
Shaheen
Abbas
Naseem

One or two good backup fast bowling options required.

Shan
Abid/imrat butt
Usman saladin/omair bin yousuf
Babar
Saud shakeel/abdullah shaifque
Rizwan
Gohar
Shaheen
Abbas sameen gull
Naseem ehsan adil