We all know that Umar Akmal alone in Pakistan has a proven technique on Aussie wickets which are so similar to South Africa’s.
And now is a desperate moment. The mental disintegration of Imam-ul-Haq, the retirement of Mohammad Hafeez and the injury to Fakhar Zaman have suddenly made Azhar Ali an opener again later this month in South Africa.
So there is a huge gap in the middle order.
None of the young batsmen have played and performed in fast, bouncy conditions.
It’s really Umar Akmal or bust.
But he’s still overweight.
I remember the exact same issue with England’s 1998 football World Cup squad.
Paul Gascoigne had performed wonderfully seven months earlier in Rome to get England to the World Cup, but he turned up to the pre-tournament camp 10 kg overweight, as usual before a big tournament.
And the coach Glenn Hoddle had an alternative - a youngster called David Beckham had just finished his breakthrough season.
So Hoddle took Beckham and left Gazza at home.
And all went well until Beckham got himself sent off in the Quarter Final against Argentina. And with no Beckham, England needed Gazza to keep the ball. And he wasn’t in the squad. An hour later they had been eliminated.
It looks the same to me now.
For perfectly good reasons, Mickey Arthur and Inzamam have decided to move forward without Umar Akmal and Mohammad Asif.
But with no settled opener and with Mohammad Abbas injured, all of a sudden Pakistan needs those players for South Africa - it’s far too late to groom anybody new.
We all know that Asif won’t be picked.
But is Umar Akmal’s fitness a deal-breaker?
Gazza’s was. And the decision to leave him at home was a disaster.
This risks being Mickey Arthur’s Pakistan equivalent of Homeworkgate.
South Africa’s batting is so poor that Pakistan should have won this series had they arrived early enough.
But if the batting fails in the absence of Umar Akmal and they lose 3-0, will Mickey Arthur’s own position be at risk?
And now is a desperate moment. The mental disintegration of Imam-ul-Haq, the retirement of Mohammad Hafeez and the injury to Fakhar Zaman have suddenly made Azhar Ali an opener again later this month in South Africa.
So there is a huge gap in the middle order.
None of the young batsmen have played and performed in fast, bouncy conditions.
It’s really Umar Akmal or bust.
But he’s still overweight.
I remember the exact same issue with England’s 1998 football World Cup squad.
Paul Gascoigne had performed wonderfully seven months earlier in Rome to get England to the World Cup, but he turned up to the pre-tournament camp 10 kg overweight, as usual before a big tournament.
And the coach Glenn Hoddle had an alternative - a youngster called David Beckham had just finished his breakthrough season.
So Hoddle took Beckham and left Gazza at home.
And all went well until Beckham got himself sent off in the Quarter Final against Argentina. And with no Beckham, England needed Gazza to keep the ball. And he wasn’t in the squad. An hour later they had been eliminated.
It looks the same to me now.
For perfectly good reasons, Mickey Arthur and Inzamam have decided to move forward without Umar Akmal and Mohammad Asif.
But with no settled opener and with Mohammad Abbas injured, all of a sudden Pakistan needs those players for South Africa - it’s far too late to groom anybody new.
We all know that Asif won’t be picked.
But is Umar Akmal’s fitness a deal-breaker?
Gazza’s was. And the decision to leave him at home was a disaster.
This risks being Mickey Arthur’s Pakistan equivalent of Homeworkgate.
South Africa’s batting is so poor that Pakistan should have won this series had they arrived early enough.
But if the batting fails in the absence of Umar Akmal and they lose 3-0, will Mickey Arthur’s own position be at risk?
if your really want me to get involved.
