- Joined
- Oct 2, 2004
- Runs
- 216,741
Many thanks to [MENTION=151892]Thunderbolt14[/MENTION] for taking the time to answer questions from our members!
PakPassion.net: What brings you to PakPassion.net?
Thunderbolt14: I have always been an avid fan of Pakistan cricket, spending hours on hours a day years on end following cricket news from various sources. As years passed, I found PakPassion to be the best hub to both receive and discuss news at all levels of Pakistan cricket. I enjoy the in-depth discussions and a community that is just as crazy about cricket as I am. I’m glad to say that in the short time I’ve been on this forum, I’ve quickly found a home here and enjoy the well-meaning conversations towards the betterment of Pakistan cricket that this platform makes possible.
PakPassion.net: Tell us about yourself – what does Thunderbolt14 do in real life – what other interests do you have apart from cricket?
Thunderbolt14: True to my hometown of Lahore, I’m a huge foodie - I am always available to be bribed with good biryani or a kebab roll, and you will often find me dabbling in new cuisines or restaurants on the hunt for new tastes. I love the outdoors, and some of my favorite memories are hiking, rafting, and glacier climbing in Hunza, KPK, and Kashmir. In music, I have a soft spot for Pakistan’s golden era of the 90’s and 00’s, particularly Strings, Atif Aslam, and Call. Professionally speaking, I’m a 3rd year undergrad student in the United States, studying on scholarship here after my A Levels in Lahore.
PakPassion.net: Your thoughts on the upcoming Pakistani batsmen? (e.g. Haider Ali, Abdullah Shafique etc.)
Thunderbolt14: I’ve been following Haider and Abdullah both for 2-3 years now since their days in age group cricket, before they broke through to mainstream fans. I immediately knew that both of them were very special - big things are in store for both of them if they are managed properly. I am afraid, however, that this might not happen as the management in Pakistan cricket is always an unknown variable. I don’t believe, though, that the solution is to sit and watch it happen - as fans, we have power with our voices to collectively raise concerns and call out injustices. Both Abdullah and Haider should be protected, nurtured, groomed in First Class cricket, and provided with extended ropes in the national team to develop into themselves - the way Babar was.
PakPassion.net: Where do you see Pakistan cricket team in 3-5 years?
Thunderbolt14: In terms of overall management, the PCB has showed progress over the last year, and we must, must believe: the future is bright. I do not think Pakistan cricket will be immensely different in 3-5 years, but I do think we can cultivate a group of match winners who gel as a unit. This requires foresight and the willingness to back the exact players who are part of future plans. Okay, we want to win the 2023 World Cup. What players do we imagine to be part of the squad? Who won’t be part of the squad? How do we develop the lads into impact players? These are short-term questions that must be addressed.
PakPassion.net: Will Naseem Shah live upto his reputation he has gained or will he disappear?
Thunderbolt14: Tough question. I do believe he is special, but he was fast-tracked far too early, similar to Abdullah Shafique in fact. Both should have been allowed at least one more season of First Class cricket to develop. Naseem has already been frequently susceptible to injury, and requires oversight from a bowling coach in the know. No one knows the perils of careers wasted due to injury better than Mohammad Zahid, who now works at the NHPC, and our bowling coach Waqar Younis himself had injury problems throughout his career. I hope they are able to draw on that experience and back Naseem Shah adequately.
PakPassion.net: Is fitness a must in T20s or should selection be based upon skill and then fitness?
Thunderbolt14: Skill differences are marginal in T20, where there is not much difference in the impact Sharjeel Khan, for example, brings to the Pakistan team compared to Fakhar Zaman, even if Fakhar is going through a rough patch. However, Fakhar is a gun fielder and regularly takes difficult catches and causes run-outs which often turn out to be game-changing, while Sharjeel’s failures in the field sometimes cost the match. If you are unfit in fielding terms (I could not care less for your physique), then you have to be truly special. Otherwise T20 is not the format for you.
PakPassion.net: Do you see Ahmed Shehzad making a comeback to the Pakistan team, whatever the format(s)?
Thunderbolt14: No!
PakPassion.net: What are your expectations from Pakistan cricket over the coming years in all formats of the game?
Thunderbolt14: I do not expect us to go too far in either of the upcoming T20 World Cups. However, in 2023 the conditions favor us and it is a timeframe that our young players will begin to peak. With the right planning, we can do something special. Of course, “planning” is not a term you find often in Pakistan cricket. In Tests, I do not see us going higher than the number 3 or 4 ranking anytime soon.
PakPassion.net: Which team do you support the most after Pakistan?
Thunderbolt14: I have an immense love for Team India. What match-winners! Yuvraj Singh is my favorite non-Pakistani player, and I have lots of respect for Dhoni and Dada. Indians in general always have my deep love and respect, and often some of my closest friends in real life have been Indians - at the end, we love the same language, music, food, and of course, sport. When Pakistan is not playing, Indian cricketers always have my blessing.
PakPassion.net: Which 4-5 seamers do you think should form the core of our Test attack going forward?
Thunderbolt14: Mohammad Abbas, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Hasan Ali.
PakPassion.net: Who do you think is best among Archer, Bumrah, Rabada and Cummins?
Thunderbolt14: Bumrah.
PakPassion.net: Why do you rate Shadab Khan so highly?
Thunderbolt14: I had actually written him off completely, one year ago today. I wasn’t the only one, but just as everyone began criticizing him, he came back with renewed confidence in knowing what his value to the team is.
He brings 4 attributes to the table that make him a gun utility player: bowling, batting, fielding, and leadership. Fielding, I don’t need to explain. In bowling, he has a knack of picking crucial wickets and breakthroughs. As batsman, he has excellent hand-eye coordination, knows his game at the crease very well, backs himself in tough situations, and uplifts his batting partner to play positive cricket. This translates as captain: we are witness to the energy he brings on the field to Islamabad and Northern. Remember Musa Khan’s improbable chase against the Lahore Qalandars this year? He actually credits that to Shadab!
PakPassion.net: When will Pakistan win a Test match in Australia?
Thunderbolt14: One can always hope, but not anytime soon. Our limited overs fortunes are on the rise but do not look particularly optimistic in Test cricket. However, as true Pakistan fans, we inadvertently always find ourselves hoping beyond hope, the knowledge that this team can achieve the unachievable at any moment. Assuming we become serious about developing world class batsmen (who are absolutely essential for Australia), I’ll say this: Jab tak hai dam mey dam, ho gi kabhi himmat na kam.
PakPassion.net: What brings you to PakPassion.net?
Thunderbolt14: I have always been an avid fan of Pakistan cricket, spending hours on hours a day years on end following cricket news from various sources. As years passed, I found PakPassion to be the best hub to both receive and discuss news at all levels of Pakistan cricket. I enjoy the in-depth discussions and a community that is just as crazy about cricket as I am. I’m glad to say that in the short time I’ve been on this forum, I’ve quickly found a home here and enjoy the well-meaning conversations towards the betterment of Pakistan cricket that this platform makes possible.
PakPassion.net: Tell us about yourself – what does Thunderbolt14 do in real life – what other interests do you have apart from cricket?
Thunderbolt14: True to my hometown of Lahore, I’m a huge foodie - I am always available to be bribed with good biryani or a kebab roll, and you will often find me dabbling in new cuisines or restaurants on the hunt for new tastes. I love the outdoors, and some of my favorite memories are hiking, rafting, and glacier climbing in Hunza, KPK, and Kashmir. In music, I have a soft spot for Pakistan’s golden era of the 90’s and 00’s, particularly Strings, Atif Aslam, and Call. Professionally speaking, I’m a 3rd year undergrad student in the United States, studying on scholarship here after my A Levels in Lahore.
PakPassion.net: Your thoughts on the upcoming Pakistani batsmen? (e.g. Haider Ali, Abdullah Shafique etc.)
Thunderbolt14: I’ve been following Haider and Abdullah both for 2-3 years now since their days in age group cricket, before they broke through to mainstream fans. I immediately knew that both of them were very special - big things are in store for both of them if they are managed properly. I am afraid, however, that this might not happen as the management in Pakistan cricket is always an unknown variable. I don’t believe, though, that the solution is to sit and watch it happen - as fans, we have power with our voices to collectively raise concerns and call out injustices. Both Abdullah and Haider should be protected, nurtured, groomed in First Class cricket, and provided with extended ropes in the national team to develop into themselves - the way Babar was.
PakPassion.net: Where do you see Pakistan cricket team in 3-5 years?
Thunderbolt14: In terms of overall management, the PCB has showed progress over the last year, and we must, must believe: the future is bright. I do not think Pakistan cricket will be immensely different in 3-5 years, but I do think we can cultivate a group of match winners who gel as a unit. This requires foresight and the willingness to back the exact players who are part of future plans. Okay, we want to win the 2023 World Cup. What players do we imagine to be part of the squad? Who won’t be part of the squad? How do we develop the lads into impact players? These are short-term questions that must be addressed.
PakPassion.net: Will Naseem Shah live upto his reputation he has gained or will he disappear?
Thunderbolt14: Tough question. I do believe he is special, but he was fast-tracked far too early, similar to Abdullah Shafique in fact. Both should have been allowed at least one more season of First Class cricket to develop. Naseem has already been frequently susceptible to injury, and requires oversight from a bowling coach in the know. No one knows the perils of careers wasted due to injury better than Mohammad Zahid, who now works at the NHPC, and our bowling coach Waqar Younis himself had injury problems throughout his career. I hope they are able to draw on that experience and back Naseem Shah adequately.
PakPassion.net: Is fitness a must in T20s or should selection be based upon skill and then fitness?
Thunderbolt14: Skill differences are marginal in T20, where there is not much difference in the impact Sharjeel Khan, for example, brings to the Pakistan team compared to Fakhar Zaman, even if Fakhar is going through a rough patch. However, Fakhar is a gun fielder and regularly takes difficult catches and causes run-outs which often turn out to be game-changing, while Sharjeel’s failures in the field sometimes cost the match. If you are unfit in fielding terms (I could not care less for your physique), then you have to be truly special. Otherwise T20 is not the format for you.
PakPassion.net: Do you see Ahmed Shehzad making a comeback to the Pakistan team, whatever the format(s)?
Thunderbolt14: No!
PakPassion.net: What are your expectations from Pakistan cricket over the coming years in all formats of the game?
Thunderbolt14: I do not expect us to go too far in either of the upcoming T20 World Cups. However, in 2023 the conditions favor us and it is a timeframe that our young players will begin to peak. With the right planning, we can do something special. Of course, “planning” is not a term you find often in Pakistan cricket. In Tests, I do not see us going higher than the number 3 or 4 ranking anytime soon.
PakPassion.net: Which team do you support the most after Pakistan?
Thunderbolt14: I have an immense love for Team India. What match-winners! Yuvraj Singh is my favorite non-Pakistani player, and I have lots of respect for Dhoni and Dada. Indians in general always have my deep love and respect, and often some of my closest friends in real life have been Indians - at the end, we love the same language, music, food, and of course, sport. When Pakistan is not playing, Indian cricketers always have my blessing.
PakPassion.net: Which 4-5 seamers do you think should form the core of our Test attack going forward?
Thunderbolt14: Mohammad Abbas, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Hasan Ali.
PakPassion.net: Who do you think is best among Archer, Bumrah, Rabada and Cummins?
Thunderbolt14: Bumrah.
PakPassion.net: Why do you rate Shadab Khan so highly?
Thunderbolt14: I had actually written him off completely, one year ago today. I wasn’t the only one, but just as everyone began criticizing him, he came back with renewed confidence in knowing what his value to the team is.
He brings 4 attributes to the table that make him a gun utility player: bowling, batting, fielding, and leadership. Fielding, I don’t need to explain. In bowling, he has a knack of picking crucial wickets and breakthroughs. As batsman, he has excellent hand-eye coordination, knows his game at the crease very well, backs himself in tough situations, and uplifts his batting partner to play positive cricket. This translates as captain: we are witness to the energy he brings on the field to Islamabad and Northern. Remember Musa Khan’s improbable chase against the Lahore Qalandars this year? He actually credits that to Shadab!
PakPassion.net: When will Pakistan win a Test match in Australia?
Thunderbolt14: One can always hope, but not anytime soon. Our limited overs fortunes are on the rise but do not look particularly optimistic in Test cricket. However, as true Pakistan fans, we inadvertently always find ourselves hoping beyond hope, the knowledge that this team can achieve the unachievable at any moment. Assuming we become serious about developing world class batsmen (who are absolutely essential for Australia), I’ll say this: Jab tak hai dam mey dam, ho gi kabhi himmat na kam.
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