Mohammad Wasim finally rewarding domestic performers

[Sher Khan]

It is commendable to see a Pakistani Chief Selector for once rewarding consistent domestic performers. First in the test squad and now in the t20 squad. The likes of Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Aamer Yamin and Amad Butt have long deserved chances based on their consistent domestic performances.

We have already seen it work in the first test and I am hopeful that these domestic performers will shine in International Cricket.

 

[Rana]

These domestic performers also need to reward the fans with international performances and not shy away on the big occasion.

Uncle Noman smashed it.

Imran Butt has been disappointing.

Pressure now on Saud and Kamran to deliver considering the new boys do not seem to be up to the task or confidently translating their talent into international performance

 

[Omer2002]

I dont mind domestic getting recognition but you need consistency..not just one season and thats it.

 

[mastimasti]

But why was Muhammad Abbas dropped?

 

[bilawal666]

But why was Muhammad Abbas dropped?

He's bowling in the 120s and not taking any wickets.

 

[Titan24]

But why was Muhammad Abbas dropped?

Averaged 44 in 2019, 31 in 2020 and 49 currently in 2021 in one test he played with SR of 92.18, 92.80 and 102 with the ball. Its unfortunate after a tremendous 2018 where he took 38 wickets at an average of 13.76 by the end of which he suffered a shoulder injury and wasnt able to attain full form since. Our pacers dont put the hard yards required for international level fitness and when any sort of injury happens that exploits their lack of fitness further.

 

[moghul]

Selectors job is not just looking at stats and pick the team, he should be watching the players in action , whenever possible . A player who scored 700 runs in a season could have more talent and a brighter future at international level than a player with 900 runs behind him.

But, I'm happy with Waseem giving more importance to domestic cricket performance.

But, I cannot make sense of

1-Harris selected in test squad

2-Sarfraz's continuous presence and ignoring of Rohail.

 

[mastimasti]

Averaged 44 in 2019, 31 in 2020 and 49 currently in 2021 in one test he played with SR of 92.18, 92.80 and 102 with the ball. Its unfortunate after a tremendous 2018 where he took 38 wickets at an average of 13.76 by the end of which he suffered a shoulder injury and wasnt able to attain full form since. Our pacers dont put the hard yards required for international level fitness and when any sort of injury happens that exploits their lack of fitness further.

But his overall average is still a little over 20 and he can still take wickets when needed (how important was that wicket of the great Stokes in England). Everyone has drop off in form but when you have ab owler, still in his prime at 30 and you drop him for a home test series...for whom exactly? Haris Rauf with 1 first class game? A 35 year old medium fast bowler with zero international experience. What is the criteria here?

 

[Mamoon]

Is that why the street cricketer AKA rock thrower Rauf has made it to the Test squad?

 

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

Is that why the street cricketer AKA rock thrower Rauf has made it to the Test squad?

He stated in his press conference that, where domestic options weren't available, he would select on potential. Haris was picked for the 90mph third seamer role, as no one else in domestic met the criteria for that role.

You would know this if you did some cursory homework.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

He stated in his press conference that, where domestic options weren't available, he would select on potential. Haris was picked for the 90mph third seamer role, as no one else in domestic met the criteria for that role.

You would know this if you did some cursory homework..

Why are you trying to reason with him?

 

[Mamoon]

He stated in his press conference that, where domestic options weren't available, he would select on potential. Haris was picked for the 90mph third seamer role, as no one else in domestic met the criteria for that role.

You would know this if you did some cursory homework.

Yes I read this laughable justification the first time, i.e. he picked a 90 mph bowler with no FC experience because there is no experienced who can bowl 90 mph, so he has decided to pick the 90 mph tape ball bowler who throws rocks at 90 mph that go to the boundary at 120 mph.

Besides, I am not interested in what Wasim does or says. Delusional fans are projecting him as the new messiah of Pakistan cricket but this drama will also end in tears and disappointment,

and so will that Northern or whatever that domestic team is called, which is supposedly the latest talent(less) factory for Pakistan cricket who will now supply mediocre players hyped to the moon.

My question was directed at the OP, because the inconsistencies in Wasim’s selections clearly indicated that he is not rewarding domestic performers.

In fact, his selection-process appears to be quite confused at best, and it appears that the main motive here is to win cheap praise from Pakistani fans hype bridge and more importantly, shield him from the criticism of the YouTube army of ex-Pakistan cricketers.

 

[UzmanBeast]

Is that why the street cricketer AKA rock thrower Rauf has made it to the Test squad?

I agree, plenty of other options in domestic cricket to choose from who merited a spot on the team.

I'd rather have taken someone as raw as Irfanullah Shah than see Haris Rauf in the squad.

 

[UzmanBeast]

Yes I read this laughable justification the first time, i.e. he picked a 90 mph bowler with no FC experience because there is no experienced who can bowl 90 mph, so he has decided to pick the 90 mph tape ball bowler who throws rocks at 90 mph that go to the boundary at 120 mph.

Besides, I am not interested in what Wasim does or says. Delusional fans are projecting him as the new messiah of Pakistan cricket but this drama will also end in tears and disappointment,

and so will that Northern or whatever that domestic team is called, which is supposedly the latest talent(less) factory for Pakistan cricket who will now supply mediocre players hyped to the moon.

My question was directed at the OP, because the inconsistencies in Wasim’s selections clearly indicated that he is not rewarding domestic performers.

In fact, his selection-process appears to be quite confused at best, and it appears that the main motive here is to win cheap praise from Pakistani fans hype bridge and more importantly, shield him from the criticism of the YouTube army of ex-Pakistan cricketers.

He's picking the names which are blatantly obvious, and dropping the players who are obviously poor in form.

However, he hasn't really made any "tough" decisions yet.

I said a while ago that he was favoring players from Northern (ie. Haris Rauf, Nauman Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, etc.), but people said that it was unlikely.

The inclusion of Haris Rauf clearly justifies the fact that in the absence of one particular type of player, he chose one from his own team despite others who had better statistics.

 

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

Why are you trying to reason with him?

You're right mate, I should have been more restrained than having any exchange with 'Captain credibility' about anything Pakistan cricket related, ever. I can take subjective disagreements, but purely bad faith takes are just pointless.

With regards to Waseem, I just think it's refreshing to have transparency regarding selection decisions now. I don't agree with every decision of his, but I do agree with the vast majority of Waseem's picks. It clearly shows that there is a thought process behind selections, rather than sporadic picks. Thus, It's a very promising start, but the lads on the field now need to do their bit too.

 

[Mamoon]

He's picking the names which are blatantly obvious, and dropping the players who are obviously poor in form.

However, he hasn't really made any "tough" decisions yet.

I said a while ago that he was favoring players from Northern (ie. Haris Rauf, Nauman Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, etc.), but people said that it was unlikely.

The inclusion of Haris Rauf clearly justifies the fact that in the absence of one particular type of player, he chose one from his own team despite others who had better statistics.

There is clearly no valid justification for picking Rauf. This guy is no spring chicken (he is probably 30-31 already), he has pretty much zero FC experience and he is not exactly overflowing with talent.

His international performances have been mediocre so far and most recently, he got thrashed by New Zealand reserves and domestic cricketers.

The Pakistani Test cap is very, very cheap these days when you have tape ball cricketers with 1-2 FC matches under their belts have the honor of calling themselves Test cricketers.

Also, I am not interested in domestic cricket but if it is indeed true that there is not a single 92-93 mph bowler with solid FC experience, we are clearly scraping at the bottom of the barrel in terms of talent.

 

[Mamoon]

Wasim thinks he can get away with fancy PowerPoint presentations and colorful charts. Maybe he can but he needs to answer some tough questions as well.

It seems that he is promoting himself and his nonsense domestic team rather than picking the best available squad for Pakistan.

 

[zarak]

Wasim thinks he can get away with fancy PowerPoint presentations and colorful charts. Maybe he can but he needs to answer some tough questions as well.

It seems that he is promoting himself and his nonsense domestic team rather than picking the best available squad for Pakistan.

Who would you have picked instead. Easy to criticize but you offer no alternative

 

[HappyWarsFan]

Wasim thinks he can get away with fancy PowerPoint presentations and colorful charts. Maybe he can but he needs to answer some tough questions as well.

It seems that he is promoting himself and his nonsense domestic team rather than picking the best available squad for Pakistan.

Calm down. He is mostly selecting well. Rauf and Shafique are bad selections but otherwise he is doing mostly fine

 

[Mamoon]

Who would you have picked instead. Easy to criticize but you offer no alternative

If I am paid to pick the team I would do it. However, I am not, which is why I am free to comment on the selection of the person who is paid to do the job.

 

[Mamoon]

Calm down. He is mostly selecting well. Rauf and Shafique are bad selections but otherwise he is doing mostly fine

Maybe he is doing a good job, but let’s not state that he is rewarding domestic performers; he is rewarding his favorites.

 

[zarak]

If I am paid to pick the team I would do it. However, I am not, which is why I am free to comment on the selection of the person who is paid to do the job.

Right. you're criticizing selection not his cooking skills. If you say Rauf is a bad choice this implies you feel there is a better one. So say it. If not you clearly don't know enough to criticize

 

[sshakir411]

Selection has always been an art and not science. Wasim is no messiah for sure and his selections so far have reasons to be questioned. But what we see from him is...giving chances to proven domestic performers while picking a player or two out of the blue based on his liking. This his is how selection has always been. You will need a mix of both but it’s clear that ignoring a players domestic performance for your liking isn’t the way to go. This has been proven by Fawad Alam. Inzi ignored his stats for his liking and now people question his common sense. Wasim took the job knowing the knives are going to be out for him. I hope he can stick to his gut and continue to do what he’s doing. It’ll take a few tries before things workout.

 

[Mamoon]

Right. you're criticizing selection not his cooking skills. If you say Rauf is a bad choice this implies you feel there is a better one. So say it. If not you clearly don't know enough to criticize

Everyone with decent FC experience is better than Rauf. It doesn’t matter what pace he bowls. This guy is a gully mohala bowler and we have picked him in Test cricket because he can bowl 90 mph. Lol.

Rauf is a nothing bowler who will be 12 T20Is and 10 ODIs merchant for Pakistan before he disappears. He should not even play international limited overs cricket in the first place, let alone Test cricket.

 

[Sher Khan]

Everyone with decent FC experience is better than Rauf. It doesn’t matter what pace he bowls. This guy is a gully mohala bowler and we have picked him in Test cricket because he can bowl 90 mph. Lol.

Rauf is a nothing bowler who will be 12 T20Is and 10 ODIs merchant for Pakistan before he disappears. He should not even play international limited overs cricket in the first place, let alone Test cricket.

I agree that Rauf was a questionable selection in the test squad. But as Wasim explained in his press conference that Rauf was picked for his pace and aggression. He was picked to be different to the other bowlers with his 90 Mph pace.

 

[Corridor of Uncertainty]

Maybe he is doing a good job, but let’s not state that he is rewarding domestic performers; he is rewarding his favorites.

What is your test 11?

 

[Mamoon]

What is your test 11?

A Test XI that I think has the potential to be a top team or a Test XI that I would pick today if I am appointed as selector?

If it is the former, then there is no such team that has the potential to be world beaters.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Yes I read this laughable justification the first time, i.e. he picked a 90 mph bowler with no FC experience because there is no experienced who can bowl 90 mph, so he has decided to pick the 90 mph tape ball bowler who throws rocks at 90 mph that go to the boundary at 120 mph.

Besides, I am not interested in what Wasim does or says. Delusional fans are projecting him as the new messiah of Pakistan cricket but this drama will also end in tears and disappointment,

and so will that Northern or whatever that domestic team is called, which is supposedly the latest talent(less) factory for Pakistan cricket who will now supply mediocre players hyped to the moon.

My question was directed at the OP, because the inconsistencies in Wasim’s selections clearly indicated that he is not rewarding domestic performers.

In fact, his selection-process appears to be quite confused at best, and it appears that the main motive here is to win cheap praise from Pakistani fans hype bridge and more importantly, shield him from the criticism of the YouTube army of ex-Pakistan cricketers.

I saw the QEA stats and the only questionable decision was Rauf's inclusion . Irfanullah Shah should have been given a go instead imo. The 20 selected were primarily on merit - Kamran Ghulam, Agha Salma, Nawaz, Saud etc. had very good domestic season and were rewarded. They have taken a punt with the likes of imran but because there aren't any good opening batsmen in all of your domestic and Butt adds value with his ability as a slipper. Wasnt perfect squad selection but it's the best I've seen from a Pakistani CS in a long time.

 

[Rinnegan Sasuke]

A Test XI that I think has the potential to be a top team or a Test XI that I would pick today if I am appointed as selector?

If it is the former, then there is no such team that has the potential to be world beaters.

What would be your current Test XI? Ignore potential or rankings, who would you pick if you had to select a team today?

 

[Mamoon]

What would be your current Test XI? Ignore potential or rankings, who would you pick if you had to select a team today?

Azhar
Imam
Babar
Shakeel
Ghulam
Rizwan
Faheem
Nawaz/Gohar
Yasir
Shaheen
XXX*

* any domestic pacer in his 20s with good FC experience and good performances

Or Hassan Ali

It is a poor team but it is what I will pick if I am asked to do the job today.

 

[UzmanBeast]

There is clearly no valid justification for picking Rauf. This guy is no spring chicken (he is probably 30-31 already), he has pretty much zero FC experience and he is not exactly overflowing with talent.

His international performances have been mediocre so far and most recently, he got thrashed by New Zealand reserves and domestic cricketers.

The Pakistani Test cap is very, very cheap these days when you have tape ball cricketers with 1-2 FC matches under their belts have the honor of calling themselves Test cricketers.

Also, I am not interested in domestic cricket but if it is indeed true that there is not a single 92-93 mph bowler with solid FC experience, we are clearly scraping at the bottom of the barrel in terms of talent.

There's no speed guns in domestic cricket, so you have to look at the basis of visuals and that's incredibly difficult.

It's like Hasnain, the speed gun says that he bowls 90mph but it doesn't look like it. Whereas you look at Shoaib Akhtar bowling, and you pretty much know that it's really fast even without the speed gun.

Our domestic system doesn't have 90mph bowlers anymore, except for Shaheen who can touch about 142kph in test cricket regularly.

I had ambitions for Hasan Ali, because he used to bowl fairly quickly in white-ball cricket, but he doesn't hit more than about 138kph in test cricket.

The problem with Wasim selecting Haris Rauf is that it's a clear injustice to the other players who are in the domestic system.

Call it whatever you want, making a like-for-like replacement for Naseem by picking someone who has even less first class experience is not a good decision, it's a poor one to say the least.

It doesn't reflect well that Haris Rauf is also part of Northern.

I like to keep a benchmark of about 25-30 FC games before I can fight for someone's case about selection, and very rarely will I fight for the selection of someone who does not have that many games. The fact of the matter is that there were alternative options we could have looked for, even on a younger side if we wanted to.

Personally, I think we should look to bring Irfanullah Shah to the team after the next FC season, where he'll have about 30ish games under his belt. Pretty tall bowler, gets uneven bounce, and has commendable bowling performances with an average of 20. Pace does not matter, it's your skills which do. Rabada operating at 84mph versus Nortje operating at 92mph, Rabada looked 10x more threatening than Nortje.

 

[UzmanBeast]

Azhar
Imam
Babar
Shakeel
Ghulam
Rizwan
Faheem
Nawaz/Gohar
Yasir
Shaheen
XXX*

* any domestic pacer in his 20s with good FC experience and good performances

Or Hassan Ali

It is a poor team but it is what I will pick if I am asked to do the job today.

Hassan Ali is probably the only good fast bowler we have in the domestic system who doesn't trundle like the others.

He has experience and wickets, but he has to start performing in test cricket.

IMO we should give the new ball to Faheem Ashraf seeing as he's pretty accurate and can keep one end tight whilst Shaheen tries to take wickets from the other end. Hasan should bowl with the old ball, try to get reverse swing and threaten batsmen in a different manner.

All he has to figure out is his length. In Karachi, he did not settle into a good length, and when the ball is reversing, the length is crucial. He was far too full sometimes, and far too short other times, really wasting the reverse swing.

 

[Mamoon]

There's no speed guns in domestic cricket, so you have to look at the basis of visuals and that's incredibly difficult.

It's like Hasnain, the speed gun says that he bowls 90mph but it doesn't look like it. Whereas you look at Shoaib Akhtar bowling, and you pretty much know that it's really fast even without the speed gun.

Our domestic system doesn't have 90mph bowlers anymore, except for Shaheen who can touch about 142kph in test cricket regularly.

I had ambitions for Hasan Ali, because he used to bowl fairly quickly in white-ball cricket, but he doesn't hit more than about 138kph in test cricket.

The problem with Wasim selecting Haris Rauf is that it's a clear injustice to the other players who are in the domestic system.

Call it whatever you want, making a like-for-like replacement for Naseem by picking someone who has even less first class experience is not a good decision, it's a poor one to say the least.

It doesn't reflect well that Haris Rauf is also part of Northern.

I like to keep a benchmark of about 25-30 FC games before I can fight for someone's case about selection, and very rarely will I fight for the selection of someone who does not have that many games. The fact of the matter is that there were alternative options we could have looked for, even on a younger side if we wanted to.

Personally, I think we should look to bring Irfanullah Shah to the team after the next FC season, where he'll have about 30ish games under his belt. Pretty tall bowler, gets uneven bounce, and has commendable bowling performances with an average of 20. Pace does not matter, it's your skills which do. Rabada operating at 84mph versus Nortje operating at 92mph, Rabada looked 10x more threatening than Nortje.

There are no speed guns in domestic cricket? Really?

This professional and competent regime has been in power for 3 years and we still don’t have speed guns in domestic cricket?

 

[UzmanBeast]

There are no speed guns in domestic cricket? Really?

This professional and competent regime has been in power for 3 years and we still don’t have speed guns in domestic cricket?

I've watched FC highlights and they aren't presented to the viewers.

It's an abomination not to have speed guns in FC Cricket, because it can sort trundlers from pacers who actually put their back into their bowling.

If the naked eye could detect speeds, we wouldn't need a speed gun, and it shows why the domestic circuit is lacking in this regard.

Judging a fast bowler without a speed gun is like trying to sort Skittles whilst being colorblind, it's tedious and practically pointless.

There are some players who I suspect are actually bowling in the low 130kph and are being hyped unecessarily, and a speed gun will show us precisely who that is and why they are getting success at those paces.

Like I said earlier, I think that there's a few good pacers of good heights like Shahnawaz Dhani and Irfanullah Shah who we should keep a close eye on, particularly the latter, who's averaging about 20 with 18 games under the belt and 77 wickets. Pitches are flatter nowadays in the QEA Trophy, and he did well in this edition, but still needs to prove himself in the next season that he is a consistent performer in FC Cricket.

 

[Titan24]

But his overall average is still a little over 20 and he can still take wickets when needed (how important was that wicket of the great Stokes in England). Everyone has drop off in form but when you have ab owler, still in his prime at 30 and you drop him for a home test series...for whom exactly? Haris Rauf with 1 first class game? A 35 year old medium fast bowler with zero international experience. What is the criteria here?

Problem hasnt been his overall career average rather his recent form coinciding with the struggles of Pak’s test team and bowling. He can now with his current pace can only be handy in very particular kind of surfaces and will struggle on majority of other ones. It is time for him to put in extra work on his fitness and bowling muscle strength to get back 5-6 kph he has lost since shoulder injury.

Rauf is only selected due to dearth of genuine pace bowlers with FC experience and that is to add some variety otherwise there are many options who can bowl similar pace as some already in the squad. Other options with high average pace also lack experience and need further development in the form of Hasnain, Musa, Naseem. This is unfortunately we have currently when it comes to high average pace bowling to have some variation than normal line, length bowling. Another line and length bowler in Tabish is also in the squad if Pak team needs that. Having Abbas over Rauf would have served more purpose and would have only increase monotony and it wasn’t like Abbas was in great form either. There are obviously polar opinions about this but, i am just trying to explain the reasoning.

 

[Corridor of Uncertainty]

Azhar
Imam
Babar
Shakeel
Ghulam
Rizwan
Faheem
Nawaz/Gohar
Yasir
Shaheen
XXX*

* any domestic pacer in his 20s with good FC experience and good performances

Or Hassan Ali

It is a poor team but it is what I will pick if I am asked to do the job today.

I like this XI very much:

Positives:
Azhar and Imam at the top of the order
Two new proven domestic performers in
Twin spin attack - with allrounder potential to boot
A relatively secure tail
Good in home conditions. Away to SENA always a gamble


Some concerns:
Imam is injured or I think he'd be in today
Ghulam and Shakeel debuting together may be a bit hard - but what are the alternatives. Imam is injured or I think he'd be in.
Fawad Alam is undroppable based on recent stats - as you said, he set up the test with his 100 in the first innings. But sure not a long term solution

But this is nitpicking. I'd take this eleven to battle - given what we have.

 

[mastimasti]

Problem hasnt been his overall career average rather his recent form coinciding with the struggles of Pak’s test team and bowling. He can now with his current pace can only be handy in very particular kind of surfaces and will struggle on majority of other ones. It is time for him to put in extra work on his fitness and bowling muscle strength to get back 5-6 kph he has lost since shoulder injury.

Rauf is only selected due to dearth of genuine pace bowlers with FC experience and that is to add some variety otherwise there are many options who can bowl similar pace as some already in the squad. Other options with high average pace also lack experience and need further development in the form of Hasnain, Musa, Naseem. This is unfortunately we have currently when it comes to high average pace bowling to have some variation than normal line, length bowling. Another line and length bowler in Tabish is also in the squad if Pak team needs that. Having Abbas over Rauf would have served more purpose and would have only increase monotony and it wasn’t like Abbas was in great form either. There are obviously polar opinions about this but, i am just trying to explain the reasoning.

So how is this consistent with selection based on first class performances....

Plus no intelligent selector would drop their best bowler after a few games. It is why Pakistan is so far behind India, Australia and England in building successful, long term teams.

 

[Titan24]

So how is this consistent with selection based on first class performances....

Plus no intelligent selector would drop their best bowler after a few games. It is why Pakistan is so far behind India, Australia and England in building successful, long term teams.

As explained there is no one who can constantly ball at 140 kph plus (That is what is supposedly expected of Rauf) who has decent amount of experience in domestic cricket and this very point has been explained by Wasim as well that he had to compromise on domestic experience with regards to role where there are no experienced options available. This is the thinking behind it, yes people can disgaree with it.

Abbas was the best bowler in 2018 without a doubt, his record was extraordinary that year and up til that year but, since his shoulder injury he wasnt the best bowler and that too in a bowling attack in which everyone else was also not performing that well. He couldnt deliver in the key moments when Pak needed him to and in my opinion he was rightly dropped based upon the stats of last two years but, again opinions can very.

 

[wajid]

Azhar
Imam
Babar
Shakeel
Ghulam
Rizwan
Faheem
Nawaz/Gohar
Yasir
Shaheen
XXX*

* any domestic pacer in his 20s with good FC experience and good performances

Or Hassan Ali

It is a poor team but it is what I will pick if I am asked to do the job today.

Tough call to drop in form Fawad in favor of debutants. Otherwise a reasonable team given resources available .

 

[mastimasti]

As explained there is no one who can constantly ball at 140 kph plus (That is what is supposedly expected of Rauf) who has decent amount of experience in domestic cricket and this very point has been explained by Wasim as well that he had to compromise on domestic experience with regards to role where there are no experienced options available. This is the thinking behind it, yes people can disgaree with it.

Abbas was the best bowler in 2018 without a doubt, his record was extraordinary that year and up til that year but, since his shoulder injury he wasnt the best bowler and that too in a bowling attack in which everyone else was also not performing that well. He couldnt deliver in the key moments when Pak needed him to and in my opinion he was rightly dropped based upon the stats of last two years but, again opinions can very.

You can't say "rightly dropped" and in your first post talk about "selection based on domestic performances" then in the same breath say it is ok for Rauf to be picked above Abbas. Rauf ha no test or FC experience. Abbas has both.

I'm sorry but I think you are beating a drum for no reason other than *********. For Pakistan cricket to succeed, one must be fair and understanding of how cricket works. My final post on the matter.

 

[Titan24]

You can't say "rightly dropped" and in your first post talk about "selection based on domestic performances" then in the same breath say it is ok for Rauf to be picked above Abbas. Rauf ha no test or FC experience. Abbas has both.

I'm sorry but I think you are beating a drum for no reason other than *********. For Pakistan cricket to succeed, one must be fair and understanding of how cricket works. My final post on the matter.

You are being repetitive at completely ignoring the point being made. I think we can both agree to disagree here.

 

[Markhor]

As always Pakistani selectors say one thing and do another.

Mohammad Wasim's reasoning is weak. Is it mandatory to have a 140kph pacer in the squad ? And what evidence is there that Haris Rauf can maintain 140kph across 20+ overs of a FC match ?

 

[Bewal Express]

As always Pakistani selectors say one thing and do another.

Mohammad Wasim's reasoning is weak. Is it mandatory to have a 140kph pacer in the squad ? And what evidence is there that Haris Rauf can maintain 140kph across 20+ overs of a FC match ?

Let's see when and if he plays. At this point I am trusting MW, WY and Misbah to make the right decision. Remember their careers on the line if they get it wrong, for us all that happens is that we just avoid the thread to avoid the ribbing.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

As always Pakistani selectors say one thing and do another.

Mohammad Wasim's reasoning is weak. Is it mandatory to have a 140kph pacer in the squad ? And what evidence is there that Haris Rauf can maintain 140kph across 20+ overs of a FC match ?

Are you satisfied with the fast bowling lineup in its previous state? The way it conceded 610 runs per innings? You wrote a lot of posts about that and how horribly ineffective we’ve been. In addition to Hasan Ali’s induction, a 20 man squad allows room for further picks except there’s pretty much no one available in domestic cricket available for induction.

At that point, neither you nor I really have any good suggestions so we should be fine with Wasim doing whatever he wants as far as “thinking outside the box” is concerned. If Haris is used in 4 over bursts and done so sparingly, with his speeds maintained at 145+, then he can make good use of reverse swing which let’s be honest no one in Pakistan can really do and especially not at pace.

Yes Haris is a completely left field pick, but he’s one who if developed properly can become a fairly decent Asian option from next year onwards (and he’s bowling 13 overs a day right now according to Misbah, instead of bowling 4 hit and giggle overs in the BBL which I’m completely fine with).

There is little evidence about Rauf’s stamina, but the little evidence there is, Wasim has observed very closely first hand and he must genuinely believe Rauf has the stamina, or at least the potential of stamina to bowl 20+ overs in a match.

The truth is, Tabish Khan was the real pick that needs to be criticized - I am a huge fan of his but even I am unsure he still has it in him at this age, when Waqas Maqsood is a much better new ball bowler.

But none of these options really threaten, so Wasim’s argument is logically consistent - if we are conceding 600 runs per innings spearheaded by the guy (Abbas) who averages 19 in FC cricket, and keeping in mind Pakistan conditions and the potential for reverse swing, it’s fair enough to bring someone like Rauf in as a gamble that may or may not pay off, but is at least one that is worth trying.

I don’t personally think Rauf has the accuracy, but if he can reverse the ball at pace, then there are a few basic ways to set up a batsman that he can easily learn while Babar uses him in short bursts, once per session. A couple outswingers followed by a dangerous inswinger will always be effective. A couple bouncers followed by a short ball, and then an inswinger that hones in on middle stump.

If Rauf can be effective in this manner, then I don’t mind him being a bit expensive (which he will be). Besides, this is again the 20 man squad and not the playing XI - no issue developing someone who might have more potential than anyone else really in FC cricket.

 

[Markhor]

Are you satisfied with the fast bowling lineup in its previous state? The way it conceded 610 runs per innings? You wrote a lot of posts about that and how horribly ineffective we’ve been. In addition to Hasan Ali’s induction, a 20 man squad allows room for further picks except there’s pretty much no one available in domestic cricket available for induction.

At that point, neither you nor I really have any good suggestions so we should be fine with Wasim doing whatever he wants as far as “thinking outside the box” is concerned. If Haris is used in 4 over bursts and done so sparingly, with his speeds maintained at 145+, then he can make good use of reverse swing which let’s be honest no one in Pakistan can really do and especially not at pace.

Yes Haris is a completely left field pick, but he’s one who if developed properly can become a fairly decent Asian option from next year onwards (and he’s bowling 13 overs a day right now according to Misbah, instead of bowling 4 hit and giggle overs in the BBL which I’m completely fine with).

There is little evidence about Rauf’s stamina, but the little evidence there is, Wasim has observed very closely first hand and he must genuinely believe Rauf has the stamina, or at least the potential of stamina to bowl 20+ overs in a match.

The truth is, Tabish Khan was the real pick that needs to be criticized - I am a huge fan of his but even I am unsure he still has it in him at this age, when Waqas Maqsood is a much better new ball bowler.

But none of these options really threaten, so Wasim’s argument is logically consistent - if we are conceding 600 runs per innings spearheaded by the guy (Abbas) who averages 19 in FC cricket, and keeping in mind Pakistan conditions and the potential for reverse swing, it’s fair enough to bring someone like Rauf in as a gamble that may or may not pay off, but is at least one that is worth trying.

I don’t personally think Rauf has the accuracy, but if he can reverse the ball at pace, then there are a few basic ways to set up a batsman that he can easily learn while Babar uses him in short bursts, once per session. A couple outswingers followed by a dangerous inswinger will always be effective. A couple bouncers followed by a short ball, and then an inswinger that hones in on middle stump.

If Rauf can be effective in this manner, then I don’t mind him being a bit expensive (which he will be). Besides, this is again the 20 man squad and not the playing XI - no issue developing someone who might have more potential than anyone else really in FC cricket.

I'm all for thinking outside the box, but not for devaluing the Pakistani Test cap and the entire cricketing pathway by plucking a T20 specialist and throwing him into Test cricket on back of 3 FC matches no matter how limited options are.

As for Haris Rauf's stamina, 3 FC matches are not enough to determine one's endurance and conditioning, but let's assess those matches he played under Mohammad Wasim:

1-70 (16)
3-73 (23)
2-58 (12)
1-52 (16)
0-22 (7)

So only once has Haris Rauf bowled 20+ overs with the red ball in a FC match, and the returns aren't earth shattering either.

Misbah's boasting that he bowled 12-13 overs in the nets, but you and I know bowling 12-13 overs in nets is no way comparable to bowling 12-13 in the heat of a Test match.

I agree Waqas Maqsood should've been in the squad given he can swing the new ball both ways, and would've been a good on-field mentor for Shaheen, yet he was ignored for Tabish Khan whose inclusion seemed like a sop to Karachi media as much as I respect his hard work. At age 36 that was another illogical selection.

 

[shaz619]

I'm all for thinking outside the box, but not for devaluing the Pakistani Test cap and the entire cricketing pathway by plucking a T20 specialist and throwing him into Test cricket on back of 3 FC matches no matter how limited options are.

As for Haris Rauf's stamina, 3 FC matches are not enough to determine one's endurance and conditioning, but let's assess those matches he played under Mohammad Wasim:

1-70 (16)
3-73 (23)
2-58 (12)
1-52 (16)
0-22 (7)

So only once has Haris Rauf bowled 20+ overs with the red ball in a FC match, and the returns aren't earth shattering either.

Misbah's boasting that he bowled 12-13 overs in the nets, but you and I know bowling 12-13 overs in nets is no way comparable to bowling 12-13 in the heat of a Test match.

I agree Waqas Maqsood should've been in the squad given he can swing the new ball both ways, and would've been a good on-field mentor for Shaheen, yet he was ignored for Tabish Khan whose inclusion seemed like a sop to Karachi media as much as I respect his hard work. At age 36 that was another illogical selection.

I think Wasim picked Rauf also for the Pindi bias, he knew what the Pindi Express is capable off, why not invest in a Pindi Rickshaw for the bants

 

[Thunderbolt14]

I'm all for thinking outside the box, but not for devaluing the Pakistani Test cap and the entire cricketing pathway by plucking a T20 specialist and throwing him into Test cricket on back of 3 FC matches no matter how limited options are.

As for Haris Rauf's stamina, 3 FC matches are not enough to determine one's endurance and conditioning, but let's assess those matches he played under Mohammad Wasim:

1-70 (16)
3-73 (23)
2-58 (12)
1-52 (16)
0-22 (7)

So only once has Haris Rauf bowled 20+ overs with the red ball in a FC match, and the returns aren't earth shattering either.

Misbah's boasting that he bowled 12-13 overs in the nets, but you and I know bowling 12-13 overs in nets is no way comparable to bowling 12-13 in the heat of a Test match.

I agree Waqas Maqsood should've been in the squad given he can swing the new ball both ways, and would've been a good on-field mentor for Shaheen, yet he was ignored for Tabish Khan whose inclusion seemed like a sop to Karachi media as much as I respect his hard work. At age 36 that was another illogical selection.

Are we devaluing the test cap if we don’t debut him? As long as he doesn’t actually debut in Pindi (I would be against that), I see no harm in keeping him around the squad.

And 13 overs are definitely not the same in the nets versus in the actual match, but it’s better than 4 overs in the big bash. Haris Rauf strikes me as more of a “developmental” pick - to that end, I’m fine with him beginning to build up his stamina this way and appreciate the pick as long as he doesn’t actually debut until he’s ready.

Hopefully, by the time he does debut, he’ll have a full season of FC behind him.

 

[MachoKhan]

Sohail tanvir recently stated that he will make a comeback, eyeing world cup. This guy is really close with M Wasim. Could maybe see favouritism in future from wasim.

 

[shamaan]

He's picking the names which are blatantly obvious, and dropping the players who are obviously poor in form.

However, he hasn't really made any "tough" decisions yet.

I said a while ago that he was favoring players from Northern (ie. Haris Rauf, Nauman Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, etc.), but people said that it was unlikely.

The inclusion of Haris Rauf clearly justifies the fact that in the absence of one particular type of player, he chose one from his own team despite others who had better statistics.

if thats the case then rohail should be in the squad if he is favouring nothern players

 

[UzmanBeast]

if thats the case then rohail should be in the squad if he is favouring nothern players

He won't make it so obvious, but it will be interesting to see what Mohammad Wasim does with Rohail Nazir.

 

[Mr Crickekter]

Whosoever gets included in squad doesn't matter...
Because we all know what playing eleven will be... Playing eleven will be same..... So better to announce a squad of only 14 to 15 players and not the squad of 20 players..

Mohammad Wasim alone can do nothing. Becoz finally its upto coach and management.. And i bet if pakistani coach Misbah, waqar will be given a mixture of gold and stones, they will choose stones.

 

[shamaan]

He won't make it so obvious, but it will be interesting to see what Mohammad Wasim does with Rohail Nazir.

Rohail deserves to be the test back up keeper

 

[UzmanBeast]

Rohail deserves to be the test back up keeper

True.

 

[Shafi]

M Wasim failed to judge I Butt as a batsman. I would rather have another bowler over this hack. Abid is another tail ender. Not sure how good is Bismillah Khan. No point to select players who is top in the chart. Otherwise players like K Akmal, Shehzad will keep coming back again and again.