Mohammad Wasim to announce an initial 20-man Test squad on 15 Jan for series against South Africa

[Omer2002]

Rohail did play today so i am sure he wont be picked

 

[Square Drive]

Rohail isn’t ready yet. I would pick Sarfaraz and let Rohail play domestic cricket. The alternative is Sarfaraz hogging the keeper spot for Sindh instead of Azam Khan.

For all our criticisms of Sarfaraz, he’s still capable enough to serve as backup wicket keeper in Test cricket. And much better right now than Rohail purely because of his experience — note that this is the backup wicket keeper position, why make Rohail sit on the bench when he can be playing List A cricket?

Well the Pakistan Cup ends on January 28th anyway, so for the majority of the SA series, Rohail won't be playing competitive cricket anyway in the case that he is not selected for the national side.

As we both know, Rohail is a product of the U19 system and has had considerable experience playing for Emerging and Shaheens sides - including games away from home. Also, with Rizwan playing all 3 formats, an injury (God forbid - I hope this does not happen but I'm speaking realistically here) is not entirely out of the equation. In such a case, Rohail is the only WK out of Azam/Sarfraz/Rohail who I would feel comfortable putting into the XI in any format he is required in due to a hypothetical Rizwan injury.

Also, even purely as a batsman, from our young prospects, Rohail is up there as he showed recently for the Shaheens. He's batted at 3 before and has taken great responsibility. So one way or another, Rohail will get a chance in the side soon I feel and I think now's the time to include him in the squad, and keep him there in the long-run (especially when you consider the Pakistan Cup ends soon anyway).

 

[Junaids]

I really hope that Wasim recognises that Pakistan needs Mohammad Rizwan more as a batsman - where the cupboard is almost bare - than as a wicketkeeper, where I think Rohail Nazir could already do the job.

Now that Shan Masood has missed the captaincy boat, this would be my squad if I were the new Chief selector:

OPENERS:
Imam-ul-Haq
Sami Aslam - not a misprint. Up to him whether he accepts the invitation.
Azhar Ali (yes, I'd give him a last chance after the relative improvement recently)

CAREERS TERMINATED:
Shan Masood
Abid Ali

MIDDLE-ORDER BATSMEN
Babar Azam
Mohammad Rizwan
Haider Ali
Saud Shakeel
Kamran Ghulam
Mohammad Nawaz

Careers Terminated:
Haris Sohail
Fawad Alam
Asad Shafiq

WICKETKEEPER CAPABLE OF BATTING AT NUMBER 6 IN TESTS:
Rohail Nazir

Career terminated: Sarfraz Ahmed

ALL-ROUNDERS CAPABLE OF BATTING AT NUMBER 7:
Shadab Khan
Aamer Yamin

BOWLING ALL-ROUNDERS CAPABLE OF BATTING AT NUMBER 8:
Zafar Gohar
Amad Butt
Faheem Ashraf

BOWLERS CAPABLE OF BATTING AT NUMBER 9:
Hasan Ali
Mohammad Amir
Ehsan Adil
Sajid Khan

Career terminated:
Yasir Shah

BOWLERS WHO CANNOT BAT ABOVE NUMBER 10:
Shaheen Shah Afridi
Naseem Shah

Career terminated:
Mohammad Abbas

 

[Prince of Pakistan]

I expect a lot of good from M Wasim, but he can't go a different course from day 1.

I guess after the PSL and maybe a change in the team management we will see more strategical changes.

Just don't expect many changes for the SA series. This is just the start.

 

[shamaan]

So its going to be something different tomorrow as while announcing the 20 member squad for South Africa series Chief Selector Muhammad Wasim will show data & performances of all selected players on projector Screen with proper explaination

[MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] [MENTION=79064]MMHS[/MENTION] [MENTION=9]Saj[/MENTION] [MENTION=149054]shamaan[/MENTION] [MENTION=151892]Thunderbolt14[/MENTION] [MENTION=2501]Savak[/MENTION]

Thats excellent news should give better undertanding to the players who have missed out as to why.great stuff will keep an eye out and thankyou

 

[shamaan]

Do you not agree that perhaps Shaheen could use a rest? Maybe retain Abbas to put the squeeze on him to lead the attack for once?

I just feel Shaheen has lots of cricket in a short amount of time that he could injure himself potentially.

Personally yes he needs a rest but am not sure that will be tbe case as they cant offord to loose the series hence why i would play a 5 man attack and not a 4 man attack with shaheen in the team am afriad

 

[shamaan]

For that we need people who can spin the ball. Dont think I have seen many balls spin from Yasir (apart from one I remember in the last series)

Thats true but you got to look at the strength of the south africa line up and its defonitely the fast bowlers nigi rada norteje will be a hard full if it starts swinging whilst thier spinners aint that threatening.pakistan strength is the spinners play 2 spinners pluss you will have a part time spinner playing not sure who thou

 

[NoBallZombie]

Anyone know this 20-man announcement is happening?

 

[Mercurial]

If he doesn't select Kamran Ghulam and Sajid Khan, doesn't drop Shan Masood, then he will be yet another rubbish selector in my books, the hype around him will go down the drain! There is no justification for not selecting these two and not dropping him.

 

[MenInG]

Anyone know this 20-man announcement is happening?

3:30pm Pak time today.

 

[aloo paratha]

If he doesn't select Kamran Ghulam and Sajid Khan, doesn't drop Shan Masood, then he will be yet another rubbish selector in my books, the hype around him will go down the drain! There is no justification for not selecting these two and not dropping him.

Yep pretty obvious selections. Leading run scorers and wicket takers. Shan coming off a pair.

 

[hur rizvi]

If he doesn't select Kamran Ghulam and Sajid Khan, doesn't drop Shan Masood, then he will be yet another rubbish selector in my books, the hype around him will go down the drain! There is no justification for not selecting these two and not dropping him.

I agree but having seen him bowl I am not sure about Sajid khan. Zafar is already there and Yasir is better than all available options for Asian tests so I don't see Sajid as a big miss

 

[NoBallZombie]

I agree but having seen him bowl I am not sure about Sajid khan. Zafar is already there and Yasir is better than all available options for Asian tests so I don't see Sajid as a big miss

We at least need to groom an offie. Even if Sajid doesnt get a game, I think he has shown enough promise to be part of the squad. We need a few options to replace Yasir gradually either ways.

 

[Amjid Javed]

New selector needs to be brave here, get rid off the TTF and blood new players, we should be good enough to win test matches at home against most test sides, its when we tour away where team will find it harder but its time to groom new players in the side going forward.

Shan, Yasir, Haris to name a few need to go.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

So its going to be something different tomorrow as while announcing the 20 member squad for South Africa series Chief Selector Muhammad Wasim will show data & performances of all selected players on projector Screen with proper explaination

[MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] [MENTION=79064]MMHS[/MENTION] [MENTION=9]Saj[/MENTION] [MENTION=149054]shamaan[/MENTION] [MENTION=151892]Thunderbolt14[/MENTION] [MENTION=2501]Savak[/MENTION]

Interesting. I hope it’s telecasted live and transparent, otherwise who is he presenting it for.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

Imam ul Haq and Shadab are out due to injuries

Shan Masood needs to be dropped.. Abid Ali doesn’t promise much , but can be given another chance.

In the middle order ,I expect Fawad to score in every inns at the age of 36 to stay in the team or else waste of space. Haris is not serious about cricket as it looks to be , struggling to score overseas and scores a random 50 at no.5 in home conditions. Mickey believed him to be the mainstay in tests and gave him the chance to bat at no.3 and he failed. So only Babar and Azhar Ali are the sure shot to be in the 11 so far.

My team would be

Openers
Umer Amin
Abid Ali
Azhar Ali
Abdullah Shafique

Middle order
Babar Azam
Kamran Ghulam
Usman Salahuddin
Saud Shakeel
Haider Ali

Wicket keepers
Rizwan
Rohail Nazir

Spinners
Yasir shah
Zafar gohar
Sajid Khan

Fast bowlers
Shaheen Shah Afridi
Hasan Ali
Hasnain
Sameen gul

Allrounders
Faheem Ashraf
Aamer Yamin

 

[ameemlutfi]

Openers:
Imran Butt
Abid Ali
Azhar Ali
Sharjeel

Middle Order:
Fawad Alam
Babar Azam
Saud Shakeel
Hussain Talat
Kamran Ghulam

Wicket-keeper:
Rizwan
Sarfaraz

AR:
Faheem Ashraf
Salman Ali Agha
Aamir Yamin

Spin:
Yasir
Sajid
Zafar

Pacers:
Tabish
Hasan
Shaheen
Waqas Masood

 

[MenInG]

Some pointers for Wasim.....

 

[Thunderbolt14]

Some pointers for Wasim.....

View attachment 106130

I don’t think this is a good metric. Instead of number of runs, average over both seasons is a better figure to look at. Saud wasn’t given many chances last season and Kamran was given none.

 

[the Great Khan]

Im actually excited for the first time in a long time for the test selections just to see if we get some new faces. The next five years will be interesting for Pakistan cricket.

 

[naseem]

When will the squad will b announced.....Saud hasan Kamran Usman Sajid...may make it

 

[Baigel]

He reminds me of Paul Stirling

 

[Rana]

why such a delay still?

 

[Thunderbolt14]

why such a delay still?

It’s scheduled in 3 minutes

 

[ChTab]

Shaheen should rather skip PSL or Zimbabve series rather than missing the all important South Africa series.

It would be stupid to drop your best fast bowler for an important series, he will definitely play PSL as well but we can rest him in Zimbabwe series.

 

[ChTab]

Squad announced, few interesting picks from Muhammad Waseem.

 

[Greenstorm]

Good squad by M Waseem as expected. Dropped non performers like Abbas, Shan and brought in Harris Rauf !

 

[Angrez Pakistani]

Big call to drop Abbas.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

Good squad by Mohammed Wasim.. Great job , good to see him not being laid off as it is the first series and team to selected.

Brave and required calls on dropping players who are part of the team simply for no reason.

Very big call to drop Abbas and Imam , didn’t expect that. Also didn’t expect him to pick Tabish Khan.

 

[bilawal666]

I thought it was very professionally conducted process Mohammad Wasim.

 

[shamaan]

Rohail isn’t ready yet. I would pick Sarfaraz and let Rohail play domestic cricket. The alternative is Sarfaraz hogging the keeper spot for Sindh instead of Azam Khan.

For all our criticisms of Sarfaraz, he’s still capable enough to serve as backup wicket keeper in Test cricket. And much better right now than Rohail purely because of his experience — note that this is the backup wicket keeper position, why make Rohail sit on the bench when he can be playing List A cricket?

good decision by wasim not to include rohail as we know rizwan is going to be first keeper so rohail would be sitting on tbe bench.now rohail can play domestic for nothern and actually gain more experience .top notch move

 

[shamaan]

If he doesn't select Kamran Ghulam and Sajid Khan, doesn't drop Shan Masood, then he will be yet another rubbish selector in my books, the hype around him will go down the drain! There is no justification for not selecting these two and not dropping him.

happy with the selection then ?

 

[shamaan]

Big call to drop Abbas.

i did think that tabish may get in the squad for abbas.i gave salman agha an outside chance of getting in the bigger squad

 

[shamaan]

Good squad by Mohammed Wasim.. Great job , good to see him not being laid off as it is the first series and team to selected.

Brave and required calls on dropping players who are part of the team simply for no reason.

Very big call to drop Abbas and Imam , didn’t expect that. Also didn’t expect him to pick Tabish Khan.

the tabish decision was like for like pluss he has the stats to back it up.imaam was ruled out due to injuires

 

[shamaan]

Overall very happy with the squad and good explanations on the players hes picked.surpise picks are abdullah shafique,salman agha and nawaz