Containment! Pakistani bowling in unfamiliar territory

[Corridor of Uncertainty]

Winning in modern cricket is all about attack from the get go - in batting, bowling and fielding.

You have got to attack from ball 1 while batting - and keep the tempo up throughout. You have got to look for wickets, attack the stumps, ball fast and furious and rattle. In fielding, you keep the slips as long as you can and look to close the batsman out.

Fortunately, this is all in Pakistan cricket's DNA.

Unfortunately, Pakistan's current think tank is in an opposite world. It is defensive, scared and playing not to lose, rather than looking to win.

Pakistan's bowling today is pure containment. Bowlers are constantly short of length to conserve runs, a strategy that will never get wickets. They are bowling far lower speeds for fear of getting hit. Look at speed deceleration in Hasnain in a short time - who was all about speed. Their body language is shamefully defensive.

The funny thing is, all of Pakistan's marquee wins have come when they have attacked.

This is sad to watch. The rot is truly in.

 

[khan_aa]

I agree with you.

Look how happy they are when it started to rain because they dont have to bowl. Absolutely ridiculous attitude. Seems like their heart is not in it.

I am not sure whats going on.

 

[Saj]

Opening with Faheem Ashraf puts Pakistan on the back foot straight away.

A strange option with the new ball.

 

[Stewie]

Actually bowling in modern day cricket has been defensive for a while. But I agree it’s not the Pakistani way. We always win when our bowlers bowl aggressively with aggressive field settings and this defensive strategy is just mind boggling to me considering how not too long ago we won the champions trophy on the back of aggressive strategies. I am not sure what the captain and coaching staff are smoking these days but whatever it is they need to pay off it quick before the World Cup!

 

[topspin]

Opening with Faheem Ashraf puts Pakistan on the back foot straight away.

A strange option with the new ball.

Couldn't agree more. He doesn't do much with the ball anyway.

 

[khan_aa]

Faheem Ashraf and Yasir Shah will neither get wickets nor contain. Even a difference of 20-30 runs is enough for you to lose.

I look at India, ENG, Australia - the balance of their teams is far superior than pakistan.

 

[xricket]

Yeah, i blame the coach. The recent collapse in bowling form has been so ****** that i dont have any standard to compare

 

[Stewie]

i don’t think it’s faheem. It’s the lengths all our pacers were bowling. In absence of swing they immediately reverted to short of length bowling which means easy ones and twos. We know faheem is limited but he is not a bad option

 

[Corridor of Uncertainty]

Opening with Faheem Ashraf puts Pakistan on the back foot straight away.

A strange option with the new ball.

He is the option defensive Pakistan captains have always prized - limited talent but willing to sacrifice himself for the cause by bowling up the order and limiting damage. This is the only way he can keep himself in the team. Then the good bowlers come in and bundle teams out. Everyone is happy.

Except the script is not playing out as Pakistan want it to. In fact the opposite.

 

[Stewie]

Skipper drops a catch

 

[Savak]

You don't pick up early wickets, 9 times out of 10 you will not win games. If Pakistan's bowling does not deliver, any chances of a respectable showing in the WC will be doomed

 

[Corridor of Uncertainty]

You don't pick up early wickets, 9 times out of 10 you will not win games. If Pakistan's bowling does not deliver, any chances of a respectable showing in the WC will be doomed

No chance of early wickets when everything is short of length. Even Amir is short of length when he bowls.

No single Pakistani bowler pitches up. Has to be coaching.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

No chance of early wickets when everything is short of length. Even Amir is short of length when he bowls.

No single Pakistani bowler pitches up. Has to be coaching.

Or maybe they are all useless with the new ball. Can't say I've been impressed with any of them in the last couple of years. Junaid has sometimes produced, but then he is cannon fodder in the death overs because he is medium pace.

 

[Stewie]

No chance of early wickets when everything is short of length. Even Amir is short of length when he bowls.

No single Pakistani bowler pitches up. Has to be coaching.

It wasn’t a pitch it up sort of wicket.. no seam.. and no swing.. but England used wide Yorkers and shorter balls very well at the death. Pakistani coaching staff can learn from them. Quite honestly it was just a belter... there was no choice but to contain ... but we failed in that too..

 

[samiakh]

I am still amazed that we have no shinwari. Him and Hasan best option to open the bowling. Shaheen can be first change.

 

[NauV]

Opening with Faheem Ashraf puts Pakistan on the back foot straight away.

A strange option with the new ball.

Spot on! It says so much abotu the thinking . . deepen the batting line up at teh expense of bowling (even though Faheem doesn't even do that) . .

Mickey and Sarfaraz keep on saying . . oh we need to strike with the new ball . . Sure! Good strategy! And then you give the ball to Faheem?!?! What do you expect?

 

[Corridor of Uncertainty]

Or maybe they are all useless with the new ball. Can't say I've been impressed with any of them in the last couple of years. Junaid has sometimes produced, but then he is cannon fodder in the death overs because he is medium pace.

Chicken and egg probably. They have probably been told to bowl defensive lines and opt for control over speed. Hence useless with new ball.

All Pakistan fast bowlers lose speed when they join the national team. Should be the other way round.

 

[Savak]

When the Big 5 teams don't get early wickets and if the pitch is super flat, they have tactics, field placings and bowling strategies to reduce the run rate as much as possible.

Unfortunately Pakistani bowlers are completely outdated in this regard on the modern art of defensive bowling

 

[asifp]

Junaid and Amir are your best bets in England. Fahim and Shaheen Shah are just not ready. Our obsessions with all rounders is going to cost us.

Fahim and Malik should be out of the world up squad with Asif and Amir in.