The problem is simple.
Misbah has thrown out an entire generation of 20-something bowlers and replaced them with recycled failed 30-somethings and kids.
It’s not a talent issue. The 20-somethings took 45 wickets for 1300 runs in South Africa ten months ago.
The problem is that a guy who was useless at captaining outside Asia is now using the same failed tactics as Chief Selector and Head Coach.
I'm sorry but it very much is a talent issue and the problem is not simple.
45/1300 looks ok on paper, but that was in bowling-friendly conditions against a side that subsequently lost to SL in the same conditions. We lost that series 3-0 comfortably for a reason.
On their last tour of Australia, Pakistan fielded the same quicks everyone keeps talking about right now and got absolutely demolished - couldn't take 20 wickets to save their life. Wahab and Amir both average comfortably above 30 in test cricket whilst Hasan Ali - who got hit for a 100 in 10 overs last time he bowled in Adelaide - showed his true class in South Africa where even Duane Olivier looked terrifying.
Pakistan is ranked below SL in test cricket.
They have lost to NZL and SL at home in the last 18 months.
They are the only side in the top 8 that loses at home consistently.
Their 1st innings, 1st day bowling performances (which are a true indicator of a team's bowling firepower) in this series have yielded 2 wickets.
When was the last time Pakistan even won a test match? When was the last time Pakistan's bowling won them a test series, or even a test MATCH?
I'll tell you what their problem is - it isn't arbritary factors like height, age, etc, its a simple lack of genuine skill. They lack the ability to consistently hit the seam, their actions aren't repeatable and as a result their lines and lengths are absolute rubbish (only 3 balls in the first session hit the stumps), not to mention pace, acumen and stamina. We are the only team in the world that opens LOI bowling with spinners, because our bowlers lack the ability to swing the cricket ball in basically any format these days. This is all backed up by a fielding unit that may as well not even be there and a captain who's idea of a win would be to take the game to the 4th day.
The worst part is that the bowlers on this tour are probably the best we can do right now. All the other domestic legends are products of an absolutely atrocious system where bowlers like Imran Khan, Abbas, Sohail Khan, etc take bucket loads of wickets. Everyone is talking about the ages of these bowlers but fails to identify that Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah have been the most threatening bowlers on the entire tour. Nobody mentions Yasir Shah's (30+) shameless performance and selection, Iftikhar's (30+) role as a 5th bowler or Abbas and Imran's (30+) toothless bowling. These kids are the only ounce of hope we have and our deluded media and fanbase will make them scapegoats and just like many before them, they will be lost before they even got a chance learn.
I have been following Pakistan cricket religiously for over 10 years now. I have watched or followed almost every series they have played in this time, be it against Ireland or Australia. I understand that there are people on this forum that have watched the game a lot longer and have way more nous but trust me when I say this, Pakistan cricket is in a serious predicament and if we pretend that the solutions are "simple" or just down to a "few wrong selections", we will never get out of this rut.
