What's new

Pakistan’s emerging Test talent is exceptional

Pakistan has already failed to win in the West Indies in the 2021-23 World Test Championship cycle, so it's time to retire the guys who will be too old for the 2023-25 cycle (Abid Ali, Azhar Alid Fawad Alam) and replace them with youngsters who can use the rest of this cycle to acquire experience for the next one.

OPENERS
Abdullah Shafique
Mohammad Huraira
Usman Salahuddin

MIDDLE-ORDER
Babar Azam
Mohammad Rizwan
Saud Shakeel
Mohammad Nawaz

ALL-ROUNDERS
Mubasir Khan
Shadab Khan
Faheem Ashraf

WICKETKEEPER
Rohail Nazir

SPECIALIST SPINNERS FOR ASIA ONLY
Sajid Khan
Zafar Gohar

QUICK BOWLERS
Shaheen Shah Afridi
Hasan Ali
Sameen Gul
Haris Rauf
Naseem Shah
Mohammad Wasim

Rohail Nazir seems to be not in favour for whatever reason anymore.
 
I’d say we are a long way off being a number 1 test team currently capable of winning matches at home but losing most away after the next round of SENA fixtures 6-7 in the rankings is the likely result that’s around 2025 maybe no chance with current batting lineup.

In the future beyond that it’s tough to gauge the batting line up new batsmen will come in with a few most likely averaging over 40.

I don’t think Abdullah will be a great opener Hurraira will be tested by better fast bowling away again will need technical improvements to succeed outside Asia to call them Moyo and Inzi is hyberbole opening is a tough job outside Asia.

Haider is a decent strokemaker but could be given the Umar Akmal treatment in tests and not be given chances in easier conditions in Asia young players will need time as it is to succeed.

Towards the end of the decade is the only hope for away test series wins in SENA if the young players match up well to the other teams.

I don't usually hype players and I agree with you that Shafique is untested and time will tell as to how he develops. The only player I'm hopeful that will make a decent test player is Kamran Ghulam. This guy have mental application much greater than other Pakistani counterparts and although he is not the most elegant bat but he is a gritty individual who has the mental game to put decent scores in home and SENA conditions.

For other batters like Hurraira, Shafique, Saud Shakeel and even Haider Ali I don't want to be the one hyping them as they are untested and only time will tell. Each Pakistani player has the skills to succeed but the reason they fail is due to pressure and mental collapse whereby they cannot concentrate on their game. So anyone of these who has a strong mental game will have a decent career else they will be forgotten like many others.

I'm concerned about bowling though as we haven't seen many good test match fast bowlers coming through to be excited about. I hope this situation changes soon though.
 
Back
Top