If Pakistan is to even compete in Australia then they must address their bowling woes down under

[Markhor]

The last time Pakistan tasted Test victory in Australia was December 1995. The last time Pakistan drew a Test series was March 1979.

Much is said about Pakistani batters struggling with the pace and bounce of Australian wickets. While that's true, it's no accident that Pakistan's horrific 0-14 record since 1995 coincides with a marked deterioration in our bowling.



While Australia generally is a tough place for overseas bowlers to adjust to, Pakistan's bowling outperforms only Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh since that last win in Sydney. Infact after Zimbabwe, our attack leaks run faster than any team.

How do we address this ?

 

[Markhor]

IMO the solutions involve addressing three areas:

1) Fitness. Our pace bowlers struggle with the hard landing areas in Australia. Combined with long hours in the field chasing leather on those huge outfields - they simply cannot sustain their efficacy in later spells. Compounding matters is our spinners like Yasir Shah get mercilessly attacked and in a 4 man attack, our pacers have no respite.

2) Length. The pacers who have succeeded consistently find a good length, hit the pitch hard and operate about minimum 135kph. Too often either we go searching for swing and pitch the ball too full - or bowl too short getting overexcited by the bounce.

3) Style of bowling. This obsession with reverse swing has severely dented the skill of new ball bowling in Pakistan. A whole generation has been brought up on clips of Wasim and Waqar smashing stumps or getting LBWs with a battered ball.

However in Australia wickets from pacers are typically behind the stumps, i.e. catches to keeper or slip, with the new ball being the best time to strike before the Kookaburra goes soft after 15-20 overs. We must be willing to adapt to conditions, not expect conditions to adapt to our cricketing mythologies.

 

[Buffet]

100% agree with the poster here. Pakistan's bowling has been horrible in Aus in the last 25 years. You can't win if you are taking wickets per 50 runs and going around 4 runs per over. Game will get done in 5-6 sessions this way and then Pakistan simply plays catch up in rest of the match. That has been the story more or less.

 

[160KPH]

I know people say this every time, but I believe that the next tour we have against them will probably be the best chance we get at winning a Test match in Australia.

It is unfortunate that most of our up and coming fast bowlers went down with injuries around the same time and that we are recovering from a really bad WC campaign right before this tour.

 

[ElRaja]

ill go beyond that, not naming names but ive heard from one of the proverbial horses mouths "humein wahan pata hi nahin hai kai wicket kaisai leni hai" t: we dont even know how to take wickets in those conditions, i.e. with a red kookaburra on oz pitches.

the team who do well in aus (india) have strong analytical teams who make plans for each player, our lads are left on their own, "jaan lagao, pace charhao, bouncer karo, etc"

our guys have literally zero support in formulating plans, and have far too little test experience, or mental aptitude to work this out on their own. our support staff clearly is not up to scratch, and im pretty sure the zombies at the pcb dont trust data based analytics.

this leads to a lack of discipline searching for what to do, and exacerbates the situation cos the run rate goes out of control. i used to have the same view as @Markhor but changed my mind.

if you take a step back and think about how badly pak have done in aus with the ball, what im saying will make total sense.

 

[160KPH]

Also, it’s important to remember India pulled off a Test series victory in Australia with an absolutely horrible bowling lineup.

Siraj
Natarajan
Thakur
Sundar

This bowling lineup isn’t exactly one that inspires fear in the opposition. The only one who averages below 30 in Tests is Thakur and he’s a completely average bowler. What matters just as much as the bowling attack is having a batting lineup that can attack back and not allow the other team to benefit from massive scoreboard pressure. The tactics and field placements matter just as much as the person who is bowling.

Shaheen Shah Afridi and the others we are taking along are just as good as those bowlers that India took.

 

[ahmadharis1]

Also important: Stop picking test bowlers based on PSL. Mohammad Wasim Jr., Haris Rauf, Aamir Jamal should be nowhere near the test team

 

[Xoib]

Also important: Stop picking test bowlers based on PSL. Mohammad Wasim Jr., Haris Rauf, Aamir Jamal should be nowhere near the test team

Not true this time our main picks are guys who have done well in 4 day cricket . Also Wasim Jr is not a PSL pick he is actually a poor T-20 bowler and bowls better in longer formats with 50 overs his main strength as for Jamal again he’s done well in 4 day cricket and is mainly selected because we are in search of bowlers who can contribute with the willow also.

 

[Buffet]

Also, it’s important to remember India pulled off a Test series victory in Australia with an absolutely horrible bowling lineup.

Siraj
Natarajan
Thakur
Sundar

This bowling lineup isn’t exactly one that inspires fear in the opposition. The only one who averages below 30 in Tests is Thakur and he’s a completely average bowler. What matters just as much as the bowling attack is having a batting lineup that can attack back and not allow the other team to benefit from massive scoreboard pressure. The tactics and field placements matter just as much as the person who is bowling.

Shaheen Shah Afridi and the others we are taking along are just as good as those bowlers that India took.

They pulled up one test with this line up. I don't think they could pull a test series victory with this line up specially when playing a long test series. I doubt any team can pull a series victory with ordinary bowling in Aus in 3-5 tests.

 

[Buffet]

ill go beyond that, not naming names but ive heard from one of the proverbial horses mouths "humein wahan pata hi nahin hai kai wicket kaisai leni hai" t: we dont even know how to take wickets in those conditions, i.e. with a red kookaburra on oz pitches.

the team who do well in aus (india) have strong analytical teams who make plans for each player, our lads are left on their own, "jaan lagao, pace charhao, bouncer karo, etc"

our guys have literally zero support in formulating plans, and have far too little test experience, or mental aptitude to work this out on their own. our support staff clearly is not up to scratch, and im pretty sure the zombies at the pcb dont trust data based analytics.

this leads to a lack of discipline searching for what to do, and exacerbates the situation cos the run rate goes out of control. i used to have the same view as @Markhor but changed my mind.

if you take a step back and think about how badly pak have done in aus with the ball, what im saying will make total sense.

Interesting, so your take - main problem for Pakistan in Aus is lack of analytics support? Not that I am disagreeing here, just curious because Pakistan do bowl without planning most of the times.

 

[Savak]

Need to study the Bharat Arun bowling and field placement tactics from the 2021 Indian tour to Australia tour. If the aussie batsmen are not being blasted out then don't go spraying the ball in desperation for wickets, keep a packed leg side field with mid on, square leg, leg slip, deep square leg and ruthlessly bowl at the off - middle stump line for 50-60 plus overs as if your life depends on it but do not offer any cuts or pulls, the goal should be to restrict the scoring rate to 1-2 runs per over. Do not give a single run on a platter, if they want to hit their way out of trouble, let them take their chances but have faith in the process because the strangle hold will eventually result in wickets. Restricting the Australian batting line up to 250-300 is half the battle won because then their bowling attack becomes half.

Also be vary of Nathan Lyon's tactics, on a flat wicket, he tends to go around the wicket to the right hander and bowls ruthessly at the off, middle stump with a fielder in at bat pad on the leg side, leg slip and eventually our batters end up falling for the trap at leg slip or bat pad. Our players need to sweep him out of the attack.

 

[kron]

Masood
Shafique
Ayub
Babar
Rizwan
Shakeel
Aamer jamal
Wasim jnr
 abrar
Shaheen
Hasan ali or hamza

This team will fight and can snare a win.

 

[Savak]

Also need to study Neil Wagners leg side bowling and field placement tactics against the Australian batters in the 2020 series. Beating Australia in Australia is very much possible with smart cricketing tactics, Pakistan needs to do away with their painduish jo hoga dekha jaaye ga approach.

 

[kron]

ill go beyond that, not naming names but ive heard from one of the proverbial horses mouths "humein wahan pata hi nahin hai kai wicket kaisai leni hai" t: we dont even know how to take wickets in those conditions, i.e. with a red kookaburra on oz pitches.

the team who do well in aus (india) have strong analytical teams who make plans for each player, our lads are left on their own, "jaan lagao, pace charhao, bouncer karo, etc"

our guys have literally zero support in formulating plans, and have far too little test experience, or mental aptitude to work this out on their own. our support staff clearly is not up to scratch, and im pretty sure the zombies at the pcb dont trust data based analytics.

this leads to a lack of discipline searching for what to do, and exacerbates the situation cos the run rate goes out of control. i used to have the same view as @Markhor but changed my mind.

if you take a step back and think about how badly pak have done in aus with the ball, what im saying will make total sense.

India is far from analytical under brainless spineless dravid tbh. He picks players out of whim. Under the tutelage of bharat arun they did exceptionally well.

Under paras whoever he is they haven't reached those highs again.

They are just as bad with quota selections. Infact worse.

 

[kron]

Also need to study Neil Wagners leg side bowling and field placement tactics against the Australian batters in the 2020 series. Beating Australia in Australia is very much possible with smart cricketing tactics, Pakistan needs to do away with their painduish jo hoga dekha jaaye ga approach.

Their bowlers only look good cause of Smith Warner and labushagne as their ability to bat long gives their bowlers substantial rest which translates to higher intensity when bowling

 

[ahmadharis1]

Not true this time our main picks are guys who have done well in 4 day cricket . Also Wasim Jr is not a PSL pick he is actually a poor T-20 bowler and bowls better in longer formats with 50 overs his main strength as for Jamal again he’s done well in 4 day cricket and is mainly selected because we are in search of bowlers who can contribute with the willow also.

Khurram Shehzad, Mir Hamza, Nauman Ali, and Abrar Ahmed are the only bowlers who have done well in 4 day domestics. The rest are poor in domestics and are based on PSL and t20s.

Amir Jamal played 2 matches in QEA trophy this year, did nothing amazing, and averages 31 with the ball in domestic which is very poor.

Mohammad Wasim Jr is even worse. Averages 33 in first class cricket from just 9 matches, 2 of which were tests. He has done nothing to merit test selection and is a hack with the bat averaging 15 in first class.

 

[ElRaja]

Interesting, so your take - main problem for Pakistan in Aus is lack of analytics support? Not that I am disagreeing here, just curious because Pakistan do bowl without planning most of the times.

yes, another telling fact is that this can work for spinners, because they usually have to bowl a very similar length regardless of conditions, just vary the line based on how much spin they get, and paks most successful test bowlers have been spinners over the past two decades

but fast bowlers have too many options, and paks most impressive looking quick in recent tests, naseem, is pbly also one of the most consistent around the good length, although even he, i doubt, is being given information of player specific plans.

 

[uppercut]

ill go beyond that, not naming names but ive heard from one of the proverbial horses mouths "humein wahan pata hi nahin hai kai wicket kaisai leni hai" t: we dont even know how to take wickets in those conditions, i.e. with a red kookaburra on oz pitches.

the team who do well in aus (india) have strong analytical teams who make plans for each player, our lads are left on their own, "jaan lagao, pace charhao, bouncer karo, etc"

our guys have literally zero support in formulating plans, and have far too little test experience, or mental aptitude to work this out on their own. our support staff clearly is not up to scratch, and im pretty sure the zombies at the pcb dont trust data based analytics.

this leads to a lack of discipline searching for what to do, and exacerbates the situation cos the run rate goes out of control. i used to have the same view as @Markhor but changed my mind.

if you take a step back and think about how badly pak have done in aus with the ball, what im saying will make total sense.

Wow very interesting!! So Even Mickey Arthur and other foreign coaches dont help with strategy and planning? Sounds like Pakistan play pretty much like minnows these days.

 

[ElRaja]

Wow very interesting!! So Even Mickey Arthur and other foreign coaches dont help with strategy and planning? Sounds like Pakistan play pretty much like minnows these days.

even if they come up with the plans, they need to have some merits and be communicated effectively.

also, paks had so many bowling coaches, i dont even know if anyone has ever won, or even drawn a test series in aus in a coaching capacity.

i hope the fact that shaheen has some experience means he can start formulating some strategies, cos our current bowling coach averaged 50+ for 5 wickets in aus.

 

[Justcrazy]

Masood
Shafique
Ayub
Babar
Rizwan
Shakeel
Aamer jamal
Wasim jnr
 abrar
Shaheen
Hasan ali or hamza

This team will fight and can snare a win.

That is not going to happen.

Last 5 will not be able to score 23 runs , yes you read right , 25 . The bowling will look toothless because Shaheen is not 100 % fit and do not know how long will he last , rest will pose no threat.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

ill go beyond that, not naming names but ive heard from one of the proverbial horses mouths "humein wahan pata hi nahin hai kai wicket kaisai leni hai" t: we dont even know how to take wickets in those conditions, i.e. with a red kookaburra on oz pitches.

the team who do well in aus (india) have strong analytical teams who make plans for each player, our lads are left on their own, "jaan lagao, pace charhao, bouncer karo, etc"

our guys have literally zero support in formulating plans, and have far too little test experience, or mental aptitude to work this out on their own. our support staff clearly is not up to scratch, and im pretty sure the zombies at the pcb dont trust data based analytics.

this leads to a lack of discipline searching for what to do, and exacerbates the situation cos the run rate goes out of control. i used to have the same view as @Markhor but changed my mind.

if you take a step back and think about how badly pak have done in aus with the ball, what im saying will make total sense.

It's still Test cricket . The skillsets required don't vary all too much.

There was an analysis after 2021 tour which said that India had the 2nd fastest Test attack to tour Australia over a time period and that it was probably around 2nd most accurate as well.

The individual match ups only work if you have a base to work from.

The Pakistani seamers who have pace are poor in terms of direction and the accurate ones were trundlers like Asif and Abbas.

Australian "true" wickets and conditions expose such shortcomings more than any other place.

 

[hur rizvi]

Exactly Bowling is the main worry.

Pakistan need to make sure they have 4 fast bowlers and 1 spinner in the team.

Shaheen, Hasan and Khurram should be main 3 and 4th has to be Faheem for first test.

Abrar needs to keep it tight as much as possible and don't go at 5 RPO+ like Yasir

 

[kron]

Exactly Bowling is the main worry.

Pakistan need to make sure they have 4 fast bowlers and 1 spinner in the team.

Shaheen, Hasan and Khurram should be main 3 and 4th has to be Faheem for first test.

Abrar needs to keep it tight as much as possible and don't go at 5 RPO+ like Yasir

No 4 is not enough. I would take 2 more fast bowlers. Need to rotate for game 2 and 3.

 

[hur rizvi]

Imam
Abdullah
Shan
Babar
Saud
Rizwan
Faheem
Hasan
Shaheen
Khurram
Abrar

No 4 is not enough. I would take 2 more fast bowlers. Need to rotate for game 2 and 3.

I think 4 fast bowlers+ 1 spinner would be enough. More than that would weaken the batting a lot.
Key is that we need 5 bowlers who can bowl long spells with discipline

 

[BouncerGuy]

Pakistan's bowling performance in Australia is even worse than West Indies. And we are still hoping that this bowling line will do anything different.