Bizarre squad selection: No off-spinners for a Test match in Asia!

[Sher Khan]

Misbah seems to be getting worse day by day. But his decision not to select any off spinners in the squad is frankly brainless. Atleast, Iftikhar could have provided an off spin option. Furthermore, their are only two specialist spinners in the squad one of who is untested and the other strugging for form.

Surely, Gohar or Bilal Asif should have been included too.

 

[Hawkeye]

How do you know how the pitches will be?

It's not the UAE, where you definitely need two specialist spinners. Misbah knows the spinners strategy better than anyone else. Most of the spinners in QeA trophy got spanked.

I care about the results of this series. It will be mostly flat wickets good for batting.

Matches might be draws.

 

[shah_1]

Misbah said that in his press conference that he wants fast bowling friendly pitches


Most likely play 3 fast bowlers

 

[Mercurial]

Bilal Asif is 34 already. Why not Sajid Khan? And I don't see this hype around Zafar Gohar, he averaged 30 with the ball in the current FC season, which doesn't make him an automatic selection.

 

[Hawkeye]

Misbah said that in his press conference that he wants fast bowling friendly pitches


Most likely play 3 fast bowlers

Yes, it definitely will not be UAE style pitches.

We have to adapt quickly.

 

[Khan12]

Misbah said that in his press conference that he wants fast bowling friendly pitches


Most likely play 3 fast bowlers

The 3 bowlers will most likely be imran, abbas and shinwari while Shaheen and Naseem will warm the bench.

 

[Hawkeye]

The 3 bowlers will most likely be imran, abbas and shinwari while Shaheen and Naseem will warm the bench.

You don't get tired of making up stuff, do you?

Shaheen will be benched? )

Naseem's back is tricky, he has to be managed properly. Has had a major injury already of the back. They know better than you. Don't have to play every Test yet. Body is still developing.

 

[Khan12]

You don't get tired of making up stuff, do you?

Shaheen will be benched? )

Naseem's back is tricky, he has to be managed properly. Has had a major injury already of the back. They know better than you. Don't have to play every Test yet. Body is still developing.

Why is imran retained again please remind us. Since we were playing youngsters who averaged 40 cost us the series that means seniors averaging 115 should be preferred. Why is Naseem is selected then if it's his back tricky? Why did he play in domestics? Why was he the fastest bowler in his first game? Why was he dropped as he said he was fit?

 

[Junaids]

How do you know how the pitches will be?

It's not the UAE, where you definitely need two specialist spinners. Misbah knows the spinners strategy better than anyone else. Most of the spinners in QeA trophy got spanked.

I care about the results of this series. It will be mostly flat wickets good for batting.

Matches might be draws.

My friend, when Mickey and Inzamam messed up with too few spinners in the UAE I called them out for it.

Why are you giving Misbah a free ride?

It is outrageous that Sajid Khan isn’t in the squad.

And it is disgraceful to pick an uncapped 33 year old like Kashif Bhatti to do a job that 24 year old Zafar Gohar has better credentials to perform.

I know what you admire in Misbah. But he has become a careless caricature of himself, stacking his team with mediocre geriatrics.

 

[Hawkeye]

Why is imran retained again please remind us. Since we were playing youngsters who averaged 40 cost us the series that means seniors averaging 115 should be preferred. Why is Naseem is selected then if it's his back tricky? Why did he play in domestics? Why was he the fastest bowler in his first game? Why was he dropped as he said he was fit?

Players are not selected or dropped based on one tour. Remind me again, why are you targeting Imran when he was a MUCH better bowler than your darling Abbas?

Abbas is our worst bowler.

His fans think he needs a chance. Selective bias.

 

[Hawkeye]

My friend, when Mickey and Inzamam messed up with too few spinners in the UAE I called them out for it.

Yes, because we know about the spinners strategy for the UAE pitches.

We don't know how the pitches will be in PAK.

Misbah has said they want them to be for fast bowlers. They traditionally have been good batting tracks. More suitable for fast bowlers.

 

[Junaids]

Players are not selected or dropped based on one tour. Remind me again, why are you targeting Imran when he was a MUCH better bowler than your darling Abbas?

Abbas is our worst bowler.

His fans think he needs a chance. Selective bias.

Players in their thirties can only ever be a series by series proposition.

You can invest in the future with Sami Aslam, Ehsan Adil or Zafar Gohar, because they are young enough to provide several years of service at their peak.

But when you pick players like Azhar Ali, Imran Khan and Kashif Bhatti they are all at an age where their foreign contemporaries have already been forcibly retired forever. One bad series and they have to be replaced with someone who is a decent future investment.

 

[Junaids]

Yes, because we know about the spinners strategy for the UAE pitches.

We don't know how the pitches will be in PAK.

Misbah has said they want them to be for fast bowlers. They traditionally have been good batting tracks. More suitable for fast bowlers.

Still zero acceptable justification for Kashif Bhatti over Zafar Gohar.

 

[hadi123]

No good offies

 

[hitthestump]

Iftikhar was dropped too hastily in my opinion. He struggled down under but that's hardly shock of the century. The 5th bowler option is missing too, everything will depend on Yasir by day 4/5.