The cases of Azhar Ali and FAF du Plessis really sum up eloquently everything that is wrong about Pakistan cricket's absurd and self-destructive deference towards age.
In less than a month both men will be 35 years old.
Both men averaged 46 in Test cricket until age caught up with them two years ago.
Both men average 27 in the last two years, at the ages of 33, 34 and 35.
Next week FAF du Plessis' Test career will be ended. While Azhar Ali is the "new" Pakistan captain.
And here is the detail which proves my point:
Until 2 years ago:
FAF du Plessis: 47 Tests, 7 hundreds and 17 fifties, 3012 runs at 46.33.
Azhar Ali: 15 Tests, 14 hundreds and 27 fifties, 5129 runs at 46.62.
In the last 2 years:
FAF du Plessis: 17 Tests, 2 hundreds and 4 fifties, 851 runs at 27.45
Azhar Ali: 15 Tests, 2 hundreds and 4 fifties, 756 runs at 27.00
In the last two years:
FAF du Plessis has averaged 18.88 less than he did previously.
Azhar Ali has averaged 19.62 less than he did previously.
It's a stark, stark contrast in cricketing cultures.
And it shows how difficult it is for Pakistan to punch its weight in international cricket.
It's not as if Pakistan's thirty-somethings were some sort of golden generation which needs to be kept together. Yet the new Chief Selector has just convened a 19 man squad in which 11 players are in their thirties (and three more have only just finished school).
And the back-up players appear to be Fawad Alam, Salman Butt, Kashif Bhatti and Imran Khan!
In less than a month both men will be 35 years old.
Both men averaged 46 in Test cricket until age caught up with them two years ago.
Both men average 27 in the last two years, at the ages of 33, 34 and 35.
Next week FAF du Plessis' Test career will be ended. While Azhar Ali is the "new" Pakistan captain.
And here is the detail which proves my point:
Until 2 years ago:
FAF du Plessis: 47 Tests, 7 hundreds and 17 fifties, 3012 runs at 46.33.
Azhar Ali: 15 Tests, 14 hundreds and 27 fifties, 5129 runs at 46.62.
In the last 2 years:
FAF du Plessis: 17 Tests, 2 hundreds and 4 fifties, 851 runs at 27.45
Azhar Ali: 15 Tests, 2 hundreds and 4 fifties, 756 runs at 27.00
In the last two years:
FAF du Plessis has averaged 18.88 less than he did previously.
Azhar Ali has averaged 19.62 less than he did previously.
It's a stark, stark contrast in cricketing cultures.
And it shows how difficult it is for Pakistan to punch its weight in international cricket.
It's not as if Pakistan's thirty-somethings were some sort of golden generation which needs to be kept together. Yet the new Chief Selector has just convened a 19 man squad in which 11 players are in their thirties (and three more have only just finished school).
And the back-up players appear to be Fawad Alam, Salman Butt, Kashif Bhatti and Imran Khan!
