Defining Talent: Are Pakistan's junior-level selectors missing the mark?

[Muhammad Saad]

I mean it’s not rocket science to see whether a player is talented or not, for fast bowler it’s dead simple , if he is tall or got zip off the surface or got extra bounce or can seam the ball on flat track or can swing the ball extravagantly or simply just got the high speed.
For spinner it is also simple if the bowler has got high revs and can spin the ball and is fairly accurate.
For a batsman it is slightly tricky but one long innings of 40/50 balls under challenging conditions and against good bowlers is all required to see where the batsman stands in terms of International level cricket , things like bat under pressure and score consistently and putting value over his wicket is something which can be judge over a whole season but the basic talent can be seen just from one long innings.

So why the selectors are not selecting the talented players at junior level and then fast tracking them to International Cricket where they can learn on job and improve in couple of years time.

Even Afg , BD and Srilanka has got those younger players who fit the definition of talent and it’s nearly impossible to believe that we have no talent left in Pak at junior level who fit the above mentioned criteria.

Where is the real problem? Selection or youth just not interested in cricket anymore?

 

[Muhammad Saad]

All the players we tried in last 5 years are simply not talented enough for International cricket and most of them even if they play for couple of years without questioning their place in the team will still not develop in to international cricketers , so where is the talent?

 

[jamie smith fan]

I mean it’s not rocket science to see whether a player is talented or not, for fast bowler it’s dead simple , if he is tall or got zip off the surface or got extra bounce or can seam the ball on flat track or can swing the ball extravagantly or simply just got the high speed.
For spinner it is also simple if the bowler has got high revs and can spin the ball and is fairly accurate.
For a batsman it is slightly tricky but one long innings of 40/50 balls under challenging conditions and against good bowlers is all required to see where the batsman stands in terms of International level cricket , things like bat under pressure and score consistently and putting value over his wicket is something which can be judge over a whole season but the basic talent can be seen just from one long innings.

So why the selectors are not selecting the talented players at junior level and then fast tracking them to International Cricket where they can learn on job and improve in couple of years time.

Even Afg , BD and Srilanka has got those younger players who fit the definition of talent and it’s nearly impossible to believe that we have no talent left in Pak at junior level who fit the above mentioned criteria.

Where is the real problem? Selection or youth just not interested in cricket anymore?

Can u make a list of talented youngsters in pak cricket,so we could get to know who are doing well in domestics.

My list would be

Maaz
Azan
Shehzad
Abdul Faseeh
Ubaid Shah
Mohsin Riaz
Abdul Subhan
Mohammad Azab
Arshad ullah
Mohammad Ammar
Uzair mumtaz
Saad masood

 

[Muhammad Saad]

If we looked at U19 team then 3/4 players from the last batch of 2024 did had that talent so why not fast track them?
Admittedly the batch of 2020 and 2022 we simply didn’t have talented players at U19 level but 2024 batch did have talent so why not fast track them and develop them in to international cricketers instead of trying washed up domestic cricketers.

 

[Muhammad Saad]

Can u make a list of talented youngsters in pak cricket,so we could get to know who are doing well in domestics.

My list would be

Maaz
Azan
Shehzad
Abdul Faseeh
Ubaid Shah
Mohsin Riaz
Abdul Subhan
Mohammad Azab
Arshad ullah
Mohammad Ammar
Uzair mumtaz
Saad masood

Good list except for Abdul Faseeh and Arshadullah , both are good domestic players but not International material , Mohisn Riaz has some potential as he is very quick on his feet against pace and bounce and Uzair can play swing very well , Saad is not a good batter but his bowling got some potential especially his googlies are excellent.
All the pacers you mentioned are decent and if properly taken care of can become International level pacers.

Brother you do have good eye for talent then PCB selectors.

 

[Ahmed216]

Can u make a list of talented youngsters in pak cricket,so we could get to know who are doing well in domestics.

My list would be

Maaz
Azan
Shehzad
Abdul Faseeh
Ubaid Shah
Mohsin Riaz
Abdul Subhan
Mohammad Azab
Arshad ullah
Mohammad Ammar
Uzair mumtaz
Saad masood

Riazullah
Haroon Arshad

 

[jamie smith fan]

Riazullah is good but haroon arshad is scrap.

Few more players to the list

Rizwan mehmood
Saad Baig
Ghazi Ghori
Ubaid Shahid
Tayyab Arif
Shawaiz Irfan

Riazullah
Haroon Arsha

 

[Muhammad Saad]

Haroon has improved significantly this season but I don’t think he can become International batter and Riazullah just didn’t develop at all since the last worldcup.

 

[Muhammad Saad]

Shamyl has that extra time against extreme pace and has got the flair and power as well and can play spin as well , definitely got potential to become International batter if groomed with Shaheen tours.

 

[Ahmed216]

Riazullah is good but haroon arshad is scrap.

Few more players to the list

Rizwan mehmood
Saad Baig
Ghazi Ghori
Ubaid Shahid
Tayyab Arif
Shawaiz Irfan

Hows this boy Farhan Yousuf his fielding was electric in semi final of national T20

 

[jamie smith fan]

Hows this boy Farhan Yousuf his fielding was electric in semi final of national T20

He is an excellent glenn Phillips level fielder but batting needs to improve massively if he wants to even make a good domestic career.
Surely not up there yet.

 

[Muhammad Saad]

Riazullah is good but haroon arshad is scrap.

Few more players to the list

Rizwan mehmood
Saad Baig
Ghazi Ghori
Ubaid Shahid
Tayyab Arif
Shawaiz Irfan

Shahwaiz and Rizwan are excellent talent and both of them got flair and power against very quick deliveries.

 

[jamie smith fan]

Shahwaiz and Rizwan are excellent talent and both of them got flair and power against very quick deliveries.

Where is shawaiz these days??
Is he involved with any domestic team.

 

[Muhammad Saad]

Where is shawaiz these days??
Is he involved with any domestic team.

Played 2 games this season on underprepared pitch where none of the batter scored even a 50, he didn’t score either and then never selected again.

 

[Muhammad Saad]

Shahwaiz is not a technically correct player who can play swing or bounce but he is more of a dasher in Sahibzada Farhan style and can do well on flat tracks with low bounce.

 

[jamie smith fan]

Wbat happened to that Basit Ali guy??
Saw hii name recently in pcbs strike force initiative.

Shahwaiz is not a technically correct player who can play swing or bounce but he is more of a dasher in Sahibzada Farhan style and can do well on flat tracks with low bounce.

 

[Muhammad Saad]

Wbat happened to that Basit Ali guy??
Saw hii name recently in pcbs strike force initiative.

He played this T20 tournament

 

[Bewal Express]

Haroon has improved significantly this season but I don’t think he can become International batter and Riazullah just didn’t develop at all since the last worldcup.

He looked much better in the innings i saw a few days ago. What's really disappointing is the plateaueing of Tayyab Arif. For me he is the only one that looked to have real potential. Hopefully he comes back and fulfils the potential