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Mohammad Abbas: Has he been found out or is he simply out of form?

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So,

I was wondering how Abbas is more of a length and line kind of bowler. And how he sets up batsmen and work them up to counter their defense, which results him getting wickets as oppose to mindless wayward short pitch or swing bowling.

Now, the only thing which works against his favor, and that I have been saying for ages is, when batsmen choose to come down the track, the line and length doesn't matter. Especially, how easy it is considering his average speed looms around 75-80mph.

If only there were some way to counter that. As it turns out, wicket keepers can stand up to the stumps to negate such tactics by batsmen. And to good effect. I know De Kock did that with Philander. Saifi tried but didn't continue due to lack of confidence? or the skills? or the weight? as you need an athletic body to counter or catch balls at that speed and good reflexes.

So, I would be very curious and am willing to bet my life on it, that Abbas will be more than lethal if only a good wicket keeper can stand close to the stumps. The little movement off the surface and his line & length will make him number 1 bowler again.

When he started to bowl, almost no batsmen did bat outside the crease to counter him. But then during England tour, I remember in the Lords test, during second innings, english batsmen took the guard outside the crease and they continued that in 2nd test. He only picked up 2 wickets. Imagine that. How his effectiveness was turned to null.

And if you were to watch closely, in recent matches when he played, he got more and more less effective as Amla, Du Plessis, Kock & others starting taking guards outside the crease. Now many of you would brush it off by saying he had an injury, well he is fit now. So, what's stopping him from getting that form back then?

It's the crease.
It's the case of batsmen batting outside it.
It's the case of wicket keeper not standing close to the stumps when bowls.


I will try to back it up with evidence. But I think many of us have watched series against South Africa and know what I am talking about. Or would know the england situation as well.

Would be interested to know your thoughts
 
He’s not a LO bowler. If he performs poorly in a few more series you can say he has been found out. But I would reserve judgment yet. He still has done well in tests overall.
 
He is not an ODI bowler but Inzi genius may select him in T20 as well.
 
His list A strike rate suggests he's not a genuine wicket taker in limited overs. Should have given Sadaf Hussain and Rumman an opportunity in this series instead of selecting Amir and UK/Abbas.
Sadaf has a best List A stats in Pakistan for a reason, only Hasan Ali comes close but he's a victim of discrimination and even fans don't mention him. What a tragedy
 
It's not about his limited overs performance. It's about his general performance as a bowler. And where he & the team can help him improve (by team, i mean wicket keeper)

No one has bothered reading past the subject.
 
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The opposition will always target him due to his lack of pace.

Batsmen will use his feet and upset his length and he won't have too many answers.
 
He's great bowler in FC and Test. No need to mix formats, our fans have same issue of our selectors and management.

Some people still think M.Asif was a great ODI bowler when he's average at best.
 
The opposition will always target him due to his lack of pace.

Batsmen will use his feet and upset his length and he won't have too many answers.

Yes, that is why a keeper standing close to the stumps is the answer to his bowling woes.
 
The only games where he'd be of use in England is if there's a green top (unlikely) or an early morning start at Lord's.
 
He's great bowler in FC and Test. No need to mix formats, our fans have same issue of our selectors and management.

Some people still think M.Asif was a great ODI bowler when he's average at best.

The selectors are most baffling Yasir and Abbas are test specialists why select them and why was Hasnain selected just because he bowled over 90mph in the PSL and no experience the 50 over List A tournaments were ignored.
 
The selectors are most baffling Yasir and Abbas are test specialists why select them and why was Hasnain selected just because he bowled over 90mph in the PSL and no experience the 50 over List A tournaments were ignored.

Exactly. It seems to me they do it deliberately. There's no method, no logic. How can you pick Yasir Shah who is trash even in domestic oneday and ignore those spinners who are genuine wicket takers in List A cricket and have done better than Yasir.
 
The selectors are most baffling Yasir and Abbas are test specialists why select them and why was Hasnain selected just because he bowled over 90mph in the PSL and no experience the 50 over List A tournaments were ignored.

Tbh husnain being selected was good. Now he can get groomed like shaheen. If he had played list a tournaments i guarantee his pace would have decreased. Pakistan pitches don't value fast bowlers.
 
Tbh husnain being selected was good. Now he can get groomed like shaheen. If he had played list a tournaments i guarantee his pace would have decreased. Pakistan pitches don't value fast bowlers.

Him being selected is fine as he's shown potential but a important match of the series with no previous matches when was the last time that happened at least he could've played 5-10 matches before selection.
 
The opposition will always target him due to his lack of pace.

Batsmen will use his feet and upset his length and he won't have too many answers.

Hmm, the keeper can try coming up to the stumps. The South Africans do it for Phillander.
 
Can't move the ball away and Finch is greatest player of indipper


What are you talking about? The same finch couldn't by a run against Buveneshwar Kumar and was getting out lbw or bowled through the gate repeatedly by the indipper. Pakistani bowlers are over rated and very easy to counter in comparison.
 
I think the conditions have to suit him, on pitches in SA or England he will get some swing early on in the game which could help him however as a bowler you have to adapt to all conditions. He doesn't have the pace or grit to fight it out on a dead UAE pitch so no he's not good enough in limited over formats.
 
His bowling doesn't suit ODis. He has still done well compared to other bowlers in terms of economy rate but that's his ceiling. He's not a wicket taking bowler in ODis the best he could is restricting the opposition.
 
His bowling doesn't suit ODis. He has still done well compared to other bowlers in terms of economy rate but that's his ceiling. He's not a wicket taking bowler in ODis the best he could is restricting the opposition.

He will become effective when he has support. If he doesn't, then the opposition will see him out
 
What are you talking about? The same finch couldn't by a run against Buveneshwar Kumar and was getting out lbw or bowled through the gate repeatedly by the indipper. Pakistani bowlers are over rated and very easy to counter in comparison.

There is a thing called improvement which Pak players and fans are not aware of , clearly Finch has work on his weakness and has now converted it in to this strength , didnt see any one playing the indipper with so ease like Finch these days.
 
Changing home Venue to England or permanently Pakistan will solve 99% of our problems. UAE is just Killing our cricket.
 
Capture.jpg

Abbas got Finch several times in Test series, when Pak played against Australia. But see how batsmen are not batting outside the crease which negates his line and length of Abbas, taking LBW and bowled out of the equation which got Abbas more wickets.
 
The ease with which Abbas was negated by New Zealand and South Africa was worrying. Yes it is a different format, but the Australians have also done their homework. I am afraid the Australian Test series was the highlight of his career. I expect him to fade away.
 
The ease with which Abbas was negated by New Zealand and South Africa was worrying. Yes it is a different format, but the Australians have also done their homework. I am afraid the Australian Test series was the highlight of his career. I expect him to fade away.

If we have a wicket keeper who can keep close to the stumps while Abbas bowls, you would see him picking up wickets again. Batsmen have started to bat outside crease, negating his line and length and taking LBW & Bowler out of the equation as Abbas's full lengths are turned into half volley and new full length is too short to pick any wicket
 
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View attachment 89940

Abbas got Finch several times in Test series, when Pak played against Australia. But see how batsmen are not batting outside the crease which negates his line and length of Abbas, taking LBW and bowled out of the equation which got Abbas more wickets.

This says a lot about Abbas because Junaid is a trundler himself.
 
View attachment 89940

Abbas got Finch several times in Test series, when Pak played against Australia. But see how batsmen are not batting outside the crease which negates his line and length of Abbas, taking LBW and bowled out of the equation which got Abbas more wickets.

Picture says it all.

Abbas is a walk in the park for batsmen in ODIs and where the ball is not moving around.
 
Picture says it all.

Abbas is a walk in the park for batsmen in ODIs and where the ball is not moving around.

Just play Abbas with keeper keeping close to stumps for one game, and see him being a different bowler. He would be more lethal than anyone we have right now. I know it's a big statement, but that's how big the factor he carries with his precise line and length.

The only thing that works against him is that batsmen have started playing outside the crease, which makes his full deliveries half vollies as they play drives easily off the bounce. When he tries to bowl his usual ball back of the length, he has to pitch it more short to account for difference of batsmen batting outside their crease, which makes lbw and bowled out of the equation. I just don't know why the coach or any management doesn't understand this stuff
 
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