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Is anyone planning for Pakistan's tour of Australia yet?

saqib.rai said:
The Western Australia government specifically demanded to host Pakistan in Perth instead of the West Indies
But sadly, our own countrymen have made it a hobby mocking the cricket team any chance they get
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That is because there is a greater population of Pakistanis in Perth compared to Carribeans so they will sell more tickets and make more money.

The Perth stadium is the second largest cricket stadium in Australia and it makes no financial and commercial sense to host West Indies rather than Pakistan when Pakistanis will be able to fill more seats.

It has nothing to do with whether Pakistan or West Indies will be more competitive. Both will be equally uncompetitive and Australia would sleep their way to a whitewash even if they play their A team.
 
This will probably be one of the most one sides series ever.

All matches to finish within 3/4 days
 
39 year old Sarfraz likely to be captain, another bad decision by PCB for Test cricket just stick with Babar and focus on resource, what talent pool we have who will be the fast bowlers for Aus tour, bar SSA we have a rookie attack, debutant thrown in for every series
 
GLORY OF '92 said:
Babar, Shaheen and Rizwan have cost Pakistan cricket far more than they have contributed.
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Babar and Rizwan yes.

But you’re being really harsh on Shaheen. He’s been our leading wicket taker in the last 3 x ICC tournaments (2019 WC, 2021 WT20 and 2022 WT20). Take into consideration as well that’s he’s not been fully fit for last year’s WT20 and now in this WC.
 
I expect us to go with a bowling lineup of Shaheen, Hasan, Faheem, Khurram Shahzad and Abrar. Sure will be a long series for Pakistani fans (likely not literally - don’t see any of the tests going beyond day 4). The only thing I am looking forward to (unlikely but one can always hope) is Saim being picked and opening with Abdullah. Even if that happens i think it will be in the last test after Imam fails in the first 2. Otherwise zero interest or hope with the likes of Shan, Hasan, Faheem being likely picks.
 
They are marking all the destinations in Australia nobody is prioritising cricket they all know we get blanked down under
 
It's gonna most likely a 2-0 defeat no matter what we do so it would be best to rest our quick men, especially Shaheen who would be coming of a month long tournament.

Any how my XI would be:
1. Shan
2. Abdullah
3. Saud
4. Babar
5. Agha
6. Rizwan (C)
7. Sarfraz
8. Hasan Ali
9. Abrar
10. Mir Hamza
11. Naseem/ Dhani

Know I now that the bowling looks horrible however with Naseem most likely still being in recovery it would be better that we don't make the same mistake that we made 4 years ago and through a bunch of debutants into the deep end. Unfortunately from our current reserves Hasan Ali, Dahani and Mir Hamza are the best we got.
 
Innings defeat on cards, Shaheen may be rested and Babar might skip it given he is getting the axe
Pakistani might lose 20 wkts in 1 day
 
Kianig89 said:
39 year old Sarfraz likely to be captain, another bad decision by PCB for Test cricket just stick with Babar and focus on resource, what talent pool we have who will be the fast bowlers for Aus tour, bar SSA we have a rookie attack, debutant thrown in for every series
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You mean 36 year old. You’re a liar.
 
Junaids said:
I don’t wish to sound rude, but I am baffled at the absolute obsession with the 50 over World Cup when Pakistan has a Blue Riband Test Tour to Australia that starts almost immediately afterwards.

Pakistan is very well placed in the World Test Championship. They are unbeaten and have already won one of their 3 away series, and are due to tour South Africa in 15 months, which is a very winnable prospect because of South Africa’s lack of any international class batsmen. They have home series against Bangladesh, West Indies and an England team with no spinners.

So the Australian tour holds the key. If Pakistan can win one of the 3 Tests, they are brilliantly placed for the World Test Championship Final.

The same formula always seems to go wrong for Pakistan in Australia.
  • They pick quick bowlers who are neither tall enough nor quick enough for the conditions,
  • They don’t pick batsmen who have done well before in Australia or South Africa.
  • They overbowl a leggie (Abdul Qadir in 83-84, Mushtaq in 99-00, Yasir Shah in 16-17 and 19-20) as a specialist spinner instead of picking a fourth quick, and watch him get tonked.
In 5 Tests in Australia across the last 2 tours, Yasir Shah took 12 wickets at an average of 89.50, with a strike rate of 114 and an economy of 4.19.

In similar conditions in South Africa in 2018-19, Yasir Shah played 2 Tests and Shadab Khan played 1.

Shadab averaged 52 with the bat while Yasir Shah averaged 3.50.

Shadab took 4 wickets in 1 Test at an average of 20.00, while Yasir Shah took 1 wicket in 2 Tests at an average of 123.00.

This time there is no excuse.

1. Pakistan need to pack their batting with all-rounders who shorten the tail.

2. Pakistan need to pick 4 quick bowlers – BUT
a) one of the quicks needs to bat at 8 and average 30 with the bat.
b) one of the quicks needs to bat at 9 and average 20 with the bat.
c) one of the quicks must be very tall and
d) one of the quicks must be very fast.

3. Pakistan need to accept that 2 part-time spinners who can bat will deliver more with both bat and ball than 1 specialist spinner who can’t bat.

(Consider the success of Washington Sundar in Australia. He was the difference between winning or losing the series.)

4. Pakistan also need to accept that Sarfraz Ahmed doesn’t leave enough balls outside off-stump to thrive in Australia.

5. Pakistan need to recognise that the three best batsmen last time they toured Australia were Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shan Masood.

I’m not sure that Naseem Shah will be as big a loss as he would have been elsewhere. Bowlers his height rarely succeed in Australia, and three short right-arm quicks in the team would be too many.

In other words, the team probably needs to look something like:

1. Abdullah Shafique
2. Shan Masood or Imam-ul-Haq
3. Mohammad Rizwan (wk)
4. Babar Azam
5. Saud Shakeel
6. Agha Salman
7. Shadab Khan
8. Faheem Ashraf
9. Hasan Ali or Mohammad Amir (I'd prefer Mohammad Waseem Jr for his height and pace though)
10. Haris Rauf
11. Shaheen Shah Afridi

The idea of this team is for the spinners to only bowl around 3 overs each per session, with the 3 slower quicks (Shaheen, Hasan Ali and Faheem) bowling a 6 over spell every session and Haris Rauf bowling a single, very fast spell of 4 overs per session.

This is a team designed for Australian conditions. The only thing missing is a right-arm quick of at least 6’2 in height, given that Mohammad Waseem jr probably isn't refined enough yet with bat or ball to play tests in Australia.
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How many times have we read this script over the years?

South Africa have no international class batsmen, Australia have no international class batsmen, XYZ team has no international class batsmen or bowlers.

Basically, every team is horseshit with no talent except Pakistan who is brimming with talent.

Yet we all know - and that includes you - that Pakistan will be handed over a severe beating in both Australia and South Africa even if they pick the lineup that you want them to pick.
 
Yeah let’s not bother playing cricket at all eh, because we’re so rubbish and our talent is so over rated, but then that would take away from the usual suspects morandus operandi of criticising the team regardless!
 
With our WC fate sealed and all false dawn gone like vapors, PCB for once needs to get their act right and plan for Australian tour, stick with Babar as captain and most important arrange 2 or 3 warmup games before the start of series
 
who do you think pak should consider for the aus tour?

i see a big humiliation coming our way on this coming Australian tour unfortunately
 
No more random debutants for such an important player, SSA and Hassan Ali are they fully fit is Naseem rehab properly lots of question to consider for PCB has Zaman Khan played any FC
 
Need a factory reset in all facets of our cricket and that includes our test bowling line up. Other than Abrar, the rest have been below international standard and as such the PCB should implement a selection criteria which has players needing to have a minimum of two years first class experience before debuting

Anwways this is who I'd go for

1. Mir Hamza
2. Abrar Ahmed
3. Shahnawaz Dahani
4. Shaheen Afridi/ Mohammad Amir (if he is willing to return)
 
Brace yourself for utter humiliation.

Shaheen
Naseem
Hasan Ali

These bowlers are absolute trash in Tests. We overhype Shaheen and Naseem too much based on T20s, but they’re absolute minnow level in the premier format.

Compare with Ind attack - Bumrah is a legend in Tests, absolutely dismantled Australia in Australia which even our legends like Wasim, Waqar and Akhtar couldn’t do.

We just don’t have the talent for Tests.
 
One thing Pakistan can do is study the Ashes 2023 series very closely. Try and work out a plan for the Australian top 6.

Smith and Labushange are very difficult to get out, the other players will all give you a chance.
 
Hawkeye said:
Brace yourself for utter humiliation.

Shaheen
Naseem
Hasan Ali

These bowlers are absolute trash in Tests. We overhype Shaheen and Naseem too much based on T20s, but they’re absolute minnow level in the premier format.

Compare with Ind attack - Bumrah is a legend in Tests, absolutely dismantled Australia in Australia which even our legends like Wasim, Waqar and Akhtar couldn’t do.

We just don’t have the talent for Tests.
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I'll always have expectations from Shaheen, but with the proviso that he is fully fit.
 
Since the pace bowler thread seems to have been merged I will post again here. I am assuming Naseem, Ihsan and Hasnain will be unavailable (although the last one should not be considered even if fit).

-Shaheen will of course be there.
-Wasim. After his WC performances Wasim deserves to get a go. In the absence of Naseem and Ihsan he is our best choice behind Shaheen for the longer format.
-Hasan will be there for experience but has no business being there. He is finished and certainly not the kind of bowler who will flourish in Aus.
-I expect them to pick Khurram Shahzad. But he is similar to Hasan -short and skiddy. I will only pick one of the two if there is no other option.
-Faheem has a great chance for reasons I do not want to mention although his inclusion will be attributed to his performance :p


Others who might get a look in:
-Mir Hamza. He is a decent bowler but similar to Shaheen in that he is primarily a new ball bowler and also doesn’t have much pace. If Shaheen is there, no point picking Mir.
-Arshad. Imo he would be a better choice than Khurram and Hamza. Tall, well built he can bowl heavy deliveries and can maintain decent line and length.
-Dahani -I’m still not convinced by him. And specially not for the longer format. He just doesn’t seem to have progressed.
-Aamer Jamal. I don’t rate him but would still pick him over Fahim (if we must have a pace bowling a/r) who i think is one of the most mediocre players to have played for Pakistan.

If I was to select I would pick Shaheen, Wasim, Arshad and Khurram.
 
I was a vocal supporter of Fakhar in the test XI, back in the day.

Just thinking out loud, what harm will there be if Fakhar plays all 6 innings in Australia. Who knows he might just win us a game.
 
CerebralPatriot said:
Need a factory reset in all facets of our cricket and that includes our test bowling line up. Other than Abrar, the rest have been below international standard and as such the PCB should implement a selection criteria which has players needing to have a minimum of two years first class experience before debuting

Anwways this is who I'd go for

1. Mir Hamza
2. Abrar Ahmed
3. Shahnawaz Dahani
4. Shaheen Afridi/ Mohammad Amir (if he is willing to return)
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These are excellent decisions. Personally, I have been wanting Mir Hamza to play ODIs for a while. He is a beautiful action bowler that bowls excellent Test line & length like Amir. He will be a good addition to add professionalism to our bowling lineup. I really like Mir Hamza’s bowling.


I would like to have Fawad Alam as the new captain or vice captain for one format. He’s a solid batter with good experience. He is intelligent, handsome, and has good speaking skills. Fawad performed as a top batter of domestic and was unjustly ignored for 10+ years by Misbah. He needs to be paid for his efforts.
 
gazza619 said:
I was a vocal supporter of Fakhar in the test XI, back in the day.

Just thinking out loud, what harm will there be if Fakhar plays all 6 innings in Australia. Who knows he might just win us a game.
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I'd open with him or possibly no 6.

Fakhar
Shafique
Babar
Saud
Rizwan
Agha
Jamal
Wasim Jr
Hasan Ali
Shaheen
Ihsanullah

No experience and I'll be 3-0 but our best shot.
 
Shaheen
Wasim
Naseem (if he's fit) otherwise Arshad
Faheem (I think he can be a pick in 4 man pace attack)
Mir Hamza

Anyway we are gonna thrashed. The playing XI should be:

Abdullah
Shan (c)
Babar
Saud
Salman
Rizwan
Faheem
Wasim
Shaheen
Hamza/Arshad
Abrar
 
GLORY OF '92 said:
I'd open with him or possibly no 6.

Fakhar
Shafique
Babar
Saud
Rizwan
Agha
Jamal
Wasim Jr
Hasan Ali
Shaheen
Ihsanullah

No experience and I'll be 3-0 but our best shot.
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Ihsanullah coming back from injury should be eased in through LOIs
 
hur rizvi said:
Ihsanullah coming back from injury should be eased in through LOIs
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He's only going to last 1 or 2 years get the most out of him.

Most of our players are donkeys built to last 2 or 3 years. We don't have any Rolls Royce or Bentleys that we need to maintain in a fastidious manner.
 
Pakistani bowling has gone missing in Aus tours. Batting has done reasonably well there in recent times. I don't remember Pakistan bowling well in entire series in Aus any time.

Now batting can do better and draw some games in Aus by batting big. So they have room to improve as well. Trick in Aus is to not allow Aus batsmen to score freely by searching for magic delivery. Keep bowling in right channels and let them take risk if they want to score fast. If you allow Aus to score freely even for 1 session then match gets done and dusted.
 
Buffet said:
Pakistani bowling has gone missing in Aus tours. Batting has done reasonably well there in recent times. I don't remember Pakistan bowling well in entire series in Aus any time.

Now batting can do better and draw some games in Aus by batting big. So they have room to improve as well. Trick in Aus is to not allow Aus batsmen to score freely by searching for magic delivery. Keep bowling in right channels and let them take risk if they want to score fast. If you allow Aus to score freely even for 1 session then match gets done and dusted.
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Yeah England 2010, India last 2 tours have shown the way.
 
Sher Khan said:
Oh dear, can't wait for this series. Australia will be 600/2 declared at the end of day 2.
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lazy cricketer said:
who do you think pak should consider for the aus tour?

i see a big humiliation coming our way on this coming Australian tour unfortunately
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It doesn't matter even if you lose the series. Playing against top teams will help improve the players' ability. This is where Pakistan needs to focus, play regularly against quality teams rather than playing against minnow teams.
 
GLORY OF '92 said:
I'd open with him or possibly no 6.

Fakhar
Shafique
Babar
Saud
Rizwan
Agha
Jamal
Wasim Jr
Hasan Ali
Shaheen
Ihsanullah

No experience and I'll be 3-0 but our best shot.
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Can’t have to short bowlers ( Hassan & Wasim) for an Australian tour. You need tall bowlers that can bend their back and extract appreciable bounce. Short bowlers will never be successful in Australia.
 
chinaman00 said:
Can’t have to short bowlers ( Hassan & Wasim) for an Australian tour. You need tall bowlers that can bend their back and extract appreciable bounce. Short bowlers will never be successful in Australia.
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Where are these mythical 7ft monsters then?

We don't have them.
 
bowlers
naseem = injured
shaheen = doent look fully fit bowling below 135
ihsaanullah = injured
hassan = gone past expiry date bowling below 135
amir = retired and i dont think people should beg him to come back
abbas = koi lift nahi from pcb

batters
main performers highly doubtful vs short balls:
Saud
agha
imam

spinners
the less we talk about them the better

100 baat ki ek baat aur bury din aa rahe hein bhai log
 
Asif321 said:
Mir hamza will be torture on those pitches
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I agree. He is slow and docile but picks up bags of wickets in FC so that is worth something. I don’t know who else to go for. Mo Abbas, who is even slower and shorter?
 
ExpressPacer said:
I agree. He is slow and docile but picks up bags of wickets in FC so that is worth something. I don’t know who else to go for. Mo Abbas, who is even slower and shorter?
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Options are thin. Pick a slow steady bowler who can restrict Aussies at 3 runs an over, or pick a fast inexperienced pacer who would be erratic and will breakdown half way through a test match. I think we need a mix.

I would personally pick M Abbass as one of the pacer.
 
gazza619 said:
Options are thin. Pick a slow steady bowler who can restrict Aussies at 3 runs an over, or pick a fast inexperienced pacer who would be erratic and will breakdown half way through a test match. I think we need a mix.

I would personally pick M Abbass as one of the pacer.
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I also like Mohammad Abbas as he has nothing to lose by having a tough series at this stage of his career and a defensive option makes sense for Australia.

Abdullah
Imam
Shan
Babar
Saud
Agha
Rizwan
Hasan Ali
Shaheen/Naseem (rest and rotate as appropriate)
Abbas
Abrar
 
ExpressPacer said:
I agree. He is slow and docile but picks up bags of wickets in FC so that is worth something. I don’t know who else to go for. Mo Abbas, who is even slower and shorter?
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Mir Hamza dominated FC cricket in an era where even Hammad Azam averaged close to 20 with the ball. The stats in our QeA trophy translate little to international cricket so we need more reason to pick someone.
 
Has to be
Shaheen
Naseem
Hassan
Ihsan
Hasnain
Rauf

Don’t think anyone else can bowl on those pitches .
 
Dhani
Arshad Iqbal
Aamir Jamal

Shaheen is exhausted as we have seen in this ODI WC. He needs to be rested
 
Am expecting blood bath in Perth and it will suck any optimism about the entire series. I am planning for the Sydney opening day and hope to watch shaheen in test matches.
 
lazy cricketer said:
is naseem gonna be fit when the time comes
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If he’s fit expect him to be get a thrashing of his lifetime.

Like his last AUS tour, this time he’ll get punished 2x.

Short, indisciplined bowlers have no place in Australia. Need tall bowlers to take advantage of the bounce.

You need to rely on discipline, seam and to some extent swing when it’s on offer.
 
Asif321 said:
Has to be
Shaheen
Naseem
Hassan
Ihsan
Hasnain
Rauf

Don’t think anyone else can bowl on those pitches .
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On what basis will these bowlers be effective in Australia?

If Rauf and Hasnain play the fielders will be effective at getting the ball from the fence repeatedly.

The idea of sending Ihsanullah in to sacrifice his career for a meaningless cause doesn’t sound great either.
 
We have no options other than Shaheen and Naseem.

These mediocre bowlers fail even at home.

What can you expect them to do in Aus?

They’ll receive a thrashing of their lifetime again and score centuries with the ball. But it’s a punishment that they must endure.

They’ve been our primary bowlers and have not developed any skill to become good in ODIs, let alone Tests. They repeatedly let us down in Tests at home.

Let them get exposed again so their media hype cools down.
 
Hawkeye said:
Brace yourself for utter humiliation.

Shaheen
Naseem
Hasan Ali

These bowlers are absolute trash in Tests. We overhype Shaheen and Naseem too much based on T20s, but they’re absolute minnow level in the premier format.

Compare with Ind attack - Bumrah is a legend in Tests, absolutely dismantled Australia in Australia which even our legends like Wasim, Waqar and Akhtar couldn’t do.

We just don’t have the talent for Tests.
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Naseem is out of the tour I guess.

Problem won't be Naseem and Shaheen, who at their best are good enough for Australian wickets. It's what comes after that . You need a good 3rd quick, a good spinner and preferably a good 5th bowling option as well to keep the pressure on.

PAK lack those and that's why they'll lose.
 
Nikhil_cric said:
Naseem is out of the tour I guess.

Problem won't be Naseem and Shaheen, who at their best are good enough for Australian wickets. It's what comes after that . You need a good 3rd quick, a good spinner and preferably a good 5th bowling option as well to keep the pressure on.

PAK lack those and that's why they'll lose.
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When we don’t have proper strike bowlers, what can you expect from the support bowlers.

Both Shaheen and Naseem are 2nd tier in Tests, not at Bumrah level.

For support I guess Wasim jr can be an option due to his disciplined bowling. Then we have nobody else.

Hasan Ali is absolutely useless. Mir Hamza is a harmless trundler and so is Abbas (only helpful on green mambas of England).

Basically we’re doomed in Tests and a thrashing awaits us again in Australia — no spinner either to win us in spinning conditions. Forget about AUS.

I know I’m painting a gloomy picture but that’s the truth when it comes to our Test team.

This is no longer Misbahs team who would at least be competitive at home and away in England.
 
hitthestump said:
On what basis will these bowlers be effective in Australia?

If Rauf and Hasnain play the fielders will be effective at getting the ball from the fence repeatedly.

The idea of sending Ihsanullah in to sacrifice his career for a meaningless cause doesn’t sound great either.
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These are options not saying all of them should go . Their isn’t any other who can go Australia
 
I don't know who should go but I know who shouldn't go, it is Haris Rauf. The guy is unfit and don't think he can bowl 15-16 overs a day. Also Australia love pace and he does not have any control. He will go over 5 runs an over similar to Varun Aaron for India in 2015 where he bowled quick and picked a few wickets but did not provide any control.
 
giri26 said:
I don't know who should go but I know who shouldn't go, it is Haris Rauf. The guy is unfit and don't think he can bowl 15-16 overs a day. Also Australia love pace and he does not have any control. He will go over 5 runs an over similar to Varun Aaron for India in 2015 where he bowled quick and picked a few wickets but did not provide any control.
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Rauf is a brainless spray gun.
 
castortroy said:
This series is going to be a bloodbath.

I can't see pak bowling out Australia in any of the test.

Expect someone like Smith or Khawaja to hit a triple century
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Abdullah
Imam/Hurraira
Shan/Kamran Ghulam
Babar
Saud
Rizwan/Sarfaraz
Salman Agha/Mubashir Khan
Abrar/Nouman
Shaheen
Wasim jnr/Khurram Shahzad
Hasan Ali/Arshad Iqbal

The names written first are first priority. Go in with this team and you might actually win ONE TEST MATCH. Looks a good squad atleast on paper

Ihsanullah is 100% ruled out. And I don't see PCB taking a risk with Naseem
 
Much of this thread seems to have been twisted by people failing to understand the difference between white and red ball cricket.

India won their last two series in Australia by the volume of runs that they scored. How else do you explain Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar being victorious?

But that's OK. Pakistan hasn't taken to Australia a batting line up with so many competent batsmen (Babar, Rizwan, Abdullah Shafique, Saud Shakeel and Agha Salman) for at least 45 years. If the tail can be shortened with additional all-rounders, Pakistan should make scores of 350+ which make it hard to lose.

Bowling in Australia requires extreme height or pace. Batsmen are not going to attack Shaheen Shah Afridi or Haris Rauf with a slip cordon in place, and both really have to play. (If Naseem Shah was fit, Haris Rauf wouldn't be in the team).

The other bowlers are only there to strangle the scoring rate. Faheem has to bat at 8 and a part-time spinner has to bat at 7 - ideally Shadab Khan but Mubasir Khan would do. That leaves a place for a further quick bowler who can bat at Number 9.

The loss of Naseem Shah is a huge handicap. But at least Haris Rauf offers much more pace from a slightly greater height.
 
Just follow Bharat Arun off middle stump ruthless bowling plan with a stacked leg side field and you will be fine. Restrict the Australian scoring rate
 
Junaids said:
Much of this thread seems to have been twisted by people failing to understand the difference between white and red ball cricket.

India won their last two series in Australia by the volume of runs that they scored. How else do you explain Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar being victorious?

But that's OK. Pakistan hasn't taken to Australia a batting line up with so many competent batsmen (Babar, Rizwan, Abdullah Shafique, Saud Shakeel and Agha Salman) for at least 45 years. If the tail can be shortened with additional all-rounders, Pakistan should make scores of 350+ which make it hard to lose.

Bowling in Australia requires extreme height or pace. Batsmen are not going to attack Shaheen Shah Afridi or Haris Rauf with a slip cordon in place, and both really have to play. (If Naseem Shah was fit, Haris Rauf wouldn't be in the team).

The other bowlers are only there to strangle the scoring rate. Faheem has to bat at 8 and a part-time spinner has to bat at 7 - ideally Shadab Khan but Mubasir Khan would do. That leaves a place for a further quick bowler who can bat at Number 9.

The loss of Naseem Shah is a huge handicap. But at least Haris Rauf offers much more pace from a slightly greater height.
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I agree with your point about the all rounders to put up big scores on those types of pitches. But, why do you think Haris Rauf would find any success in Australia? The extra dimension he adds with pace is great, but I could see him being absolutely destroyed on those pitches because he is not going to be able to take full advantage of the bounce on offer with his height. Maybe if you use him strictly as an enforcer who comes in for 2-3 over spells to rough the batsmen up, but that still doesn’t answer the question of the other bowlers who will be able to get us to 20 wickets. Having an enforcer seems like a luxury and only useful if you have others who do the basics.
 
The first Test against Australia in Perth will be known as the West Test as per the following announcement by CA:

Australia vs Pakistan, 1st Test

Pakistan tour of Australia, 2023-24

Perth Stadium, Perth

Cricket Australia and WA Cricket today announced the Perth Test will now be known as ‘The West Test’.

‘The West Test Hill’ presented by NRMA Insurance will also be introduced at Perth Stadium this summer as a new in-stadium experience for fans, which is inspired by Test cricket’s rich history at the WACA Ground.

Australian and WA cricket legends Adam Gilchrist and Justin Langer, Cricket Australia General Manager, Events & Operations Joel Morrison, WA Cricket CEO Christina Matthews, and Perth Stadium CEO Mike McKenna spoke to media today.​
 
ExpressPacer said:
I agree. He is slow and docile but picks up bags of wickets in FC so that is worth something. I don’t know who else to go for. Mo Abbas, who is even slower and shorter?
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Mir is a decent bowler, was perhaps even a bit better a year or two ago. But I don't see anything that goes in his favor:
- He is primarily a new ball swing bowler. You already have Shaheen for that role and angle.
- He doesn't have a lot of pace. There are many faster bowlers - Waseem, Arshad even Khurram would outpace Mir.
- As for FC numbers, if that's the main criteria then Khurram might get the nod over Mir.
- Mir is now 31. It would be better to invest in a younger player.
Mir could be useful in specific conditions but then Abbas would be a much better option in those conditions. For Australian conditions I don't think he is a great option.

Imo, as I posted above, Wasim and Arshad, even Khurram would be better options.
 
160KPH said:
I agree with your point about the all rounders to put up big scores on those types of pitches. But, why do you think Haris Rauf would find any success in Australia? The extra dimension he adds with pace is great, but I could see him being absolutely destroyed on those pitches because he is not going to be able to take full advantage of the bounce on offer with his height. Maybe if you use him strictly as an enforcer who comes in for 2-3 over spells to rough the batsmen up, but that still doesn’t answer the question of the other bowlers who will be able to get us to 20 wickets. Having an enforcer seems like a luxury and only useful if you have others who do the basics.
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Haris Rauf is just 1 inch shorter than Jofra Archer. He's 1 inch shorter than Imran Khan, who had huge success in Australia.

Batsmen can't attack him like they do in ODIs because they will get caught in the slips. Also, the ability to bowl 2 bouncers per over will discourage them from committing to the front foot.

Australia don't play Bazball. They always struggled with the extra pace of Wahab Riaz and Haris Rauf is much quicker than he was.
 
Given the issues with injuries, don’t think Sameen Gul would be a bad option. FC bowling average of 23.30 after 47 games and is a tall lad
 
I wonder what OP thinks about Pakistan tours of OZ, why should CA host PCB in major test centres when they can barely compete in OZ. From memorty OP posted something about BCCI when India was due to tour in 2014, suggesting they shold be hosted at Hobart, Cairns and some other outposts.

Be pretty hypocritical of OP not to suggest otherwise for his beloved PCT :willis
 
Junaids said:
Much of this thread seems to have been twisted by people failing to understand the difference between white and red ball cricket.

India won their last two series in Australia by the volume of runs that they scored. How else do you explain Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar being victorious?

But that's OK. Pakistan hasn't taken to Australia a batting line up with so many competent batsmen (Babar, Rizwan, Abdullah Shafique, Saud Shakeel and Agha Salman) for at least 45 years. If the tail can be shortened with additional all-rounders, Pakistan should make scores of 350+ which make it hard to lose.

Bowling in Australia requires extreme height or pace. Batsmen are not going to attack Shaheen Shah Afridi or Haris Rauf with a slip cordon in place, and both really have to play. (If Naseem Shah was fit, Haris Rauf wouldn't be in the team).

The other bowlers are only there to strangle the scoring rate. Faheem has to bat at 8 and a part-time spinner has to bat at 7 - ideally Shadab Khan but Mubasir Khan would do. That leaves a place for a further quick bowler who can bat at Number 9.

The loss of Naseem Shah is a huge handicap. But at least Haris Rauf offers much more pace from a slightly greater height.
Click to expand...

@Junaids good to see you, however, it seems clear that you haven’t been following much cricket.

Haris Rauf is absolutely brainless. It’s like saying take a poor man’s Wahab Riaz to Australia and expect miracles in Tests. Wahab himself was poor.

Faheem Ashraf is mediocre both with bat and ball, not part of the team for a good time now after consistent failures. He has never been able to pay off the trust put in him.

Shadab is way way worse than Yasir Shah who himself was clueless in Australia. Shadab can’t do anything even in ODIs bowling Absolute trash.

All the options you suggested - Rauf, Shadab and Faheem are certified failures and more so for Australia.
 
Junaids said:
Haris Rauf is just 1 inch shorter than Jofra Archer. He's 1 inch shorter than Imran Khan, who had huge success in Australia.

Batsmen can't attack him like they do in ODIs because they will get caught in the slips. Also, the ability to bowl 2 bouncers per over will discourage them from committing to the front foot.

Australia don't play Bazball. They always struggled with the extra pace of Wahab Riaz and Haris Rauf is much quicker than he was.
Click to expand...
Haris Rauf, Really.
Guy cannot put/pitch a ball at single line and length, has not wrist position to seam or swing the ball and you are saying he will trouble the Australians in there Den with pace. A local Domestic Grade 4 batter of Australia will not be troubled by his pace, let alone David Warner and co.
 
Savak said:
Just follow Bharat Arun off middle stump ruthless bowling plan with a stacked leg side field and you will be fine. Restrict the Australian scoring rate
Click to expand...
You need to practice and hone that skill over and over in first class cricket or do it for a couple of months in the nets.
You really think someone in PCB has a thinking like that.
 
Junaids said:
Much of this thread seems to have been twisted by people failing to understand the difference between white and red ball cricket.

India won their last two series in Australia by the volume of runs that they scored. How else do you explain Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar being victorious?

But that's OK. Pakistan hasn't taken to Australia a batting line up with so many competent batsmen (Babar, Rizwan, Abdullah Shafique, Saud Shakeel and Agha Salman) for at least 45 years. If the tail can be shortened with additional all-rounders, Pakistan should make scores of 350+ which make it hard to lose.

Bowling in Australia requires extreme height or pace. Batsmen are not going to attack Shaheen Shah Afridi or Haris Rauf with a slip cordon in place, and both really have to play. (If Naseem Shah was fit, Haris Rauf wouldn't be in the team).

The other bowlers are only there to strangle the scoring rate. Faheem has to bat at 8 and a part-time spinner has to bat at 7 - ideally Shadab Khan but Mubasir Khan would do. That leaves a place for a further quick bowler who can bat at Number 9.

The loss of Naseem Shah is a huge handicap. But at least Haris Rauf offers much more pace from a slightly greater height.
Click to expand...
How do you explain India winning at Gabba against an ATG Ozzie bowling attack, it wasnty the weight of first innings runs was it doc?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I think we are in for another hammering. We had an opportunity to prepare a good bowling attack but that all fell apart.

I want to talk about our bowling. Particularly our pacers. Tour begins in about a month.

Naseem Shah got injured and it's unlikely he'll be back in time. Even he does, we don't know what his rhythm will be like. Do remember that he is perhaps our best Test match bowler and would be great in Australian conditions.

Shaheen Shah Afridi is our spearhead pacer. He has been on and off with his pace and rhythm throughout this year. Even if he is ready and fully fit. He will need a partner on the other end.

Hasan Ali has comeback well into the Pakistan's test side and has bowled really well in the past 2 years in FC Cricket. I would've wanted him to play a Test match in Sri Lanka because his pace is a bit down. He really needs to be right on the money to be effective in Australian conditions.

Haris Rauf raised his hands up from Test Cricket. Doesn't have a lot of experience and with the way he's bowling in ODI Cricket even right now with no good control of line and length, I think he will get thrashed in Australia.

Wasim Junior is another option. He really bowls good reverse swing and will be very useful. But he doesn't have a lot of FC experience and has only played a couple test matches. He should've been groomed.

Faheem Ashraf has a really good all round Test record. His batting record is decent as well and can be a good 4th seamer option. He has been in the setup and we have already invested years in him. If there's any format where Faheem has genuinely proven his ability as a bowling All Rounder, it is Test Cricket.

Amir Jamal is another one that has been dubbed as a bowling All Rounder. Has been performing well in FC Cricket and bowls a hard and mean ball at 140 clicks and above. He was with the team but hasn't debuted in Test Cricket yet and we don't know how good of a batter he is really, unlike Faheem in Test Cricket.

Overall, except for Shaheen right now. We don't have any fast bowler that is ready to represent Pakistan good in the Australian Test tour. Hasan maybe can do okay. But with his low pace, I don't think he will trouble the Australian batters.

Our spin department is alright. Abrar has been really a revelation for Pakistan in Test Cricket after Yasir Shah. He has been carrying our spin attack for over a year now. It would be a challenge for him first time playing in Australia, just like many others would be. But I expect good performance from this lad. Plus we have Nauman Ali who can good a spinner on his day and I don't think we will really be needing more than 2 Frontline spinners in Australia. Maybe just 1 in most or all games.

Now if we look at options outside for pacers. There are a few if we look at Quaid e Azam trophy top performers (wicket takers).

Mir Hamza has been performing for a long time in domestic Cricket. He's another talented left arm pacer that has proven himself in the domestic circuit. I'm talking about 100+ matches and 400+ wickets. Unfortunately, he got only 3 chances to represent the team in Test matches that too on separate occasions and he couldn't deliver the goods. But he continues to impress in FC Cricket and I'd like to think even with his low to mid 130s pace. Right now he is the 2nd highest wicket taker in Quaid e Azam Trophy with 32 wickets at an average of 20.8. He can really come good in international cricket.

Khurram Shahzad had been the top wicket taker in Quaid e Azam Trophy this year. Taking 36 wickets at an average of 20.3. He's right arm pace bowler with a bit of skiddy nature. Played for Peshawar Zalmi this year in PSL. Bowls a good hard length and has really impressed in FC.

Mohammad Ali is the 3rd highest wicket taker, taking 25 wickets at an average of 25.3. He has already made debut for Pakistan in Test Cricket at home. Playing 2 matches and picking up 4 wickets. He's also 30+ in age, a bit like Mir Hamza, bowls at a similar pace as well but doesn't have as much experience and variety as Mir Hamza.

Mohammad Abbas is another lost one. He also lost his pace. Has become a legend in the county Cricket even with a mid to high 120 pace. Troubling the batters as always. 25 Test matches and 90 wickets. His record speaks enough but should be recalled? Can he come good with his low pace in Australian conditions? I'm not sure. But then again we don't have a lot of options.

These are primarily our options in pace bowling. Correct me if I'm missing any prominent pacer here. I'd like to think we need at least 5 pacers (including a bowling All Rounder) for the Australia Test tour.

1. Shaheen picks himself.
2. Hasan Ali as well.
3. Faheem Ashraf should be that bowling all rounder.
4. Wasim Junior with his pace and reverse swing can be a good option. But here on end. We don't really know who should be selected.

Even Faheem's place is under danger if we take into account of Amir Jamal's domestic performances recently. Maybe we can have both options because we also need a pacer who bowls fast.

Naseem, Shaheen and Hasan would've been good trio pacers with Jamal, Faheem or maybe even Wasim being that 4th seam option but the absence of Naseem, a few other injuries and little FC experience for our other prodigies has really shaken up the plans, if there were any in the first place.
 
Some of our past and current players have pointed out that Pakistan always struggles in Australia due to the unfamiliar conditions. According to them, the grounds are composed of fine-grained sand or something similar, which makes fielding very challenging. This places significant stress on the knees and joints, causing fatigue more rapidly. I wonder how Indian players manage this, and is it just an excuse?
 
adi_62941 said:
Some of our past and current players have pointed out that Pakistan always struggles in Australia due to the unfamiliar conditions. According to them, the grounds are composed of fine-grained sand or something similar, which makes fielding very challenging. This places significant stress on the knees and joints, causing fatigue more rapidly. I wonder how Indian players manage this, and is it just an excuse?
Click to expand...
Two things. India plays more in Australia than Pakistan. I'd like to think even their A team makes tours. And they manage their players better than Pakistan.
 
RidiculousMan said:
Two things. India plays more in Australia than Pakistan. I'd like to think even their A team makes tours. And they manage their players better than Pakistan.
Click to expand...
This is merely an excuse. By this logic, England and Australia would have never won Test series in Pakistan, as their players have zero experience playing in Pakistan. That's why I believe that our players lack professionalism.
 
Given the options. Assuming Naseem can't make a comeback. I'd go with this XI

1. Shan
2. Abdullah
3. Saud
4. Babar (c)
5. Salman
6. Rizwan
7. Faheem
8. Jamal
9. Hasan
10. Shaheen
11. Abrar
 
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