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Pakistan batting at slow run rates in Test matches
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leatherface58
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With batting like this, why would anyone watch test cricket? Dull pitches, minnow opposition, glacial batting. Recipe for complete boredom.
A low RR does not mean boredom. And by excitement, I don't mean boundaries galore. Look at England vs Bangladesh or the recent pitches in Sri Lanka. The batsmen had to play slow because the pitches challenged them. Even then, some struck out and got runs which increased the excitement.
Pakistan's approach works for them and it wins them series after series which is good and should be the priority but they are not drawing a dime buddy.
A low RR does not mean boredom. And by excitement, I don't mean boundaries galore. Look at England vs Bangladesh or the recent pitches in Sri Lanka. The batsmen had to play slow because the pitches challenged them. Even then, some struck out and got runs which increased the excitement.
Pakistan's approach works for them and it wins them series after series which is good and should be the priority but they are not drawing a dime buddy.
Dman
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No matter who the opposition is, no matter what the situation is, no matter how the pitch is.
Pakistanis batters will always continue to bat at a constant rate of 2.75-3 rpo.
Pakistanis batters will always continue to bat at a constant rate of 2.75-3 rpo.
Batsmen are not playing slow in the BD-Eng series though. It's because there is more danger of getting out when you are in a defensive mindset on these pitches rather than playing playing positively.
Career strike-rates of Pakistani batsmen:
Sami - 42
Azhar - 42
Asad - 47
Younis - 52
Misbah - 45
Sarfaraz - 74
Says it all.
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I am constantly amazed by the inability of some to understand how Test cricket works
Idea is to win each game and not to please T20 fans
Idea is to win each game and not to please T20 fans
Prince of Pakistan
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For the first time on this tour the WI bowlers are able to put pressure on our bowlers and yet you wonder why we are slow today? Give credit to Sami, YK for fighting it out. That's test cricket!
It's also the only format where there is still some battle left between bat and ball. I feel people should appreciate this instead of mentioning formats which resemble golf, baseball.
It's also the only format where there is still some battle left between bat and ball. I feel people should appreciate this instead of mentioning formats which resemble golf, baseball.
leatherface58
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See this is the blatant elitist attitude that drives fans away. I understand what you are saying and I totally agree with you. But face the facts. Pakistan plays very boring but safe cricket which works for them. It does not mean it draws fans.
Test fans have such a giant chip on their shoulder that any time someone calls out a boring match, that person is called out for being a T20 fan when in fact, he might be a genuine test fan criticizing a particular style. Sorry buddy but that's not gonna bring more eyeballs to the format which is already ailing. Now, it may so happen that Pakistan might trip on a banana peel (like in the first test) and end up making the match close on the 4th/5th day but is it worth sitting through 3 days of sluggish, boring "action" for like 30 minutes of excitement? That's not the "beauty" of test cricket. That's just the teams making a meal out of a simple situation.
Test cricket fans pride themselves for being insightful, intelligent and patient but their reaction to anyone questioning the format suggests otherwise.
This is because of the pitches, not Pakistan. Pakistan does not control the pitches, they are low, slow, sluggish, which does not result in exciting cricket.
Were Pakistan boring in England? they weren't because the pitches were good for cricket.
Boi
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Who cares? Haters just need something to criticise the team for since they're not losing.
leatherface58
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Well fans certainly don't care because no one is coming to the stadium to see these borefests.
Rafay Shafiq
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I think in NZ and Aus, it will be more clear whether Pak slow batting is due to pitches or else. Comparison with other teams will be easier
no matter what you do, tests will never draw fans in the UAE. it doesn't matter if they're borefests or the best matches to have ever been played.
I don't know why people are blaming the Pak cricket team for playing boring cricket. They don't control the pitches, they are going to play according to the pitches, It;s not their fault that they can't play in Pakistan so they are no spectators in the ground. They played good, fun cricket in England where the pitches and atmosphere were great.
shah_1
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It's not about the run rate but quality of two test sides.
Pakistan didn't really play exciting cricket in England recently but the series was thoroughly entertaining because of two evenly matched side.
Pakistan didn't really play exciting cricket in England recently but the series was thoroughly entertaining because of two evenly matched side.
pakistani pride
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Why are you watching? I mean by now it should be clear this is the way you win tests in the uae.
Look at eng in bangla. They cant play this sort of cricket and then you will struggle.
Look at eng in bangla. They cant play this sort of cricket and then you will struggle.
We went at nearly 4 RPO at The Oval so we're not completely incapable of stepping up a gear.
The pitches in UAE are so sluggish, produce low bounce and with slow outfields, batsmen don't get value for their shots and lead to a boring brand of cricket.
The pitches in UAE are so sluggish, produce low bounce and with slow outfields, batsmen don't get value for their shots and lead to a boring brand of cricket.
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IAJ
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Seems like Misbah and Sarfraz are playing on different pitches.
The wicket is very flat so Misnah needs to up the anty here.
The wicket is very flat so Misnah needs to up the anty here.
Maybe if you tried thinking before you type people would be less likely to call you names?
Australia, England, Sri Lanka Safrica, Windies all bat at 2.7 to 2.9 RPO in the UAE. Guess they are all boring, defensive teams as well.
But Sri Lanka have scored more quickly than South Africa over the last five years, and the Windies have an almost identical RPO to the Saffers (3.08 to 3.09)?
ethan hunt
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Lol its not the teams that make the contest boring its the level of competition .
This same westindian side can provide thrillers against bangladesh .
Pakistan vs england in england for example was the series of the year . Two good sides under suitable conditions will provide good cricket .
Bangladesh vs pakistan or india in test will be just as boring if not more .
That's what you get when you let some forty plus FTBs with defensive mindset prolong their career on road like wickets. Its contagious and younger ( relatively in case of Azhar ) players follow them. Players with positive mindset, Babar and Umar Akmal are not encouraged in this culture.
90MPH
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Why are you getting so defensive and seemingly upset ??
This thread was started by an Indian poster for obvious trolling reasons I suspect , now the run rate is 3 which is not slow by any standards I bet he will disappear again.
In any case tell me 1 team that has scored at lightning speeds in the UAE ?? Or at least 4 an over ?
The fact is you need to understand the conditions here in the UAE do not dictate fast scoring just to please some disgruntled fans. It's attritional cricket and it requires brains not just firepower to win matches.
If Pakistan have been grinding the opposition for the past 6 years why is that such a problem ?? It's a formula that is working and if the opposition have the stomach for a fight they can get a result in their favour like Sri Lanka have on a few occasions.
At least the pitches are not Bunsen burners where winning the toss and batting first means almost certainly winning the match.
Buffet
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Spot on here. We have a long data set for Aus in recent years and it will be very easy to compare and come to conclusion.
Buffet
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Also, Pakistan plays differently and I think it's fine. As far as crowd is concerned, Pakistan hardly used to get big crowd in the test format even in Pakistan.
leatherface58
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I don't understand why people are so damn triggered when I said Pakistan are playing boring cricket. Boring does not mean bad. In fact, Pakistan are a very good test side. But hell I wouldn't waste 7 hours of my life watching them play in UAE. And apparently fans there agree too so I am not some pioneer in this school of thought.
Pakistan were much more exciting in England and that's down to the conditions ultimately.
Pakistan were much more exciting in England and that's down to the conditions ultimately.
AlphaFighter
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The Game on Hai analysts criticized the team and said that when you have good form, when you are on top, leading all the series, you should challenge yourself and play a little faster and go for the kill against the opposition.
marlonbrowndo
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Amazing stuff man. How do you do this?
sunnykhan
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I agree with [MENTION=95766]leatherface58[/MENTION]. We are overly defensive side.
I think, Misbah do adopt safety first approach, but yesterday a RR of just 3+ is quite aggressive actually. UAE venues are never good for stroke play, on top of that the out field is extremely heavy, batsmen are not getting any value for their shots. Add to that, WI bowled 7 overs less in a day.
In recent times, PAK bated at a decent rate in ENG & chased 377 at almost 4/over, which suggests the capability & intention is there. We are stuck with the myth that UAE wickets are blessings for PAK, which partially true because wickets in PAK are even more pathetic (add to that 5 hours of playing light in winter & this over rate by WI; instead of 2-0, same Series in PAK could have been 0-0 still).
But, PAK team can play far better cricket on more sporting wickets with a bit of pace & bounce (but not much grass) & faster out field. Watching Test matches in UAE is like cricket in 60s.
In recent times, PAK bated at a decent rate in ENG & chased 377 at almost 4/over, which suggests the capability & intention is there. We are stuck with the myth that UAE wickets are blessings for PAK, which partially true because wickets in PAK are even more pathetic (add to that 5 hours of playing light in winter & this over rate by WI; instead of 2-0, same Series in PAK could have been 0-0 still).
But, PAK team can play far better cricket on more sporting wickets with a bit of pace & bounce (but not much grass) & faster out field. Watching Test matches in UAE is like cricket in 60s.
Hasan123
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MMHS has summed it up well. Uae pitches aren't helpful to stroke making. But I don't think it's a major problem to worry about. If you can occupy the crease in Australia you will score runs more than likely.
hafeezrocks
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Pakistan would have had a lead of another 60 + runs if not for the slow batting.
shah_1
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Really poor approach
No one is asking them to play flashy cricket but that was shambolics batting from our top 7
No one is asking them to play flashy cricket but that was shambolics batting from our top 7
Pete Rose
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I think the batting confidence is down slightly and it's something that's been going on from the West Indies series also I don't agree with babar Azam playing ahead of sharjeel and putting him up at number 3 that too in New Zealand
Yes, to the first point at least.
They are down on confidence and don't trust their judgment of which balls to hit.
Even one extra single per over for a rate of 2.7 per over would leave them now 200-7 instead of 130-7. And they'd still be in this match.
A proper schedule of preparation matches would have sorted this out!
Ashraful_Rox
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I think even the highlights will put someone to sleep 
leatherface58
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Yes. Please justify this approach. I would love to hear your views, so-called test experts. It's one thing to play slow. But you up a gear after you have settled and rotate the strike if you cannot score runs quickly. Not only are Pakistan boring as a test side, they go completely into their security blanket which works fine in the desert because bowlers tire on a flat pitch. But they do not get this luxury on a pitch with some juice in it.
It's staggering that these "experts" are blaming Sarfraz even a bit. He got an unplayable ball first up. It swung in and then moved away a bit. No way to play that. Same goes for YK. Azhar and Misbah deserve much of the blame. Misbah totally gave it away. Azhar played one of the worst innings I have seen. He came and left having done nothing for 30 odd overs.
All in all, Pakistan still have the chance to make a match out of it if they somehow take this lead to 150. But they are the ones to blame for not even putting the bad balls away for whatever reason.
It's staggering that these "experts" are blaming Sarfraz even a bit. He got an unplayable ball first up. It swung in and then moved away a bit. No way to play that. Same goes for YK. Azhar and Misbah deserve much of the blame. Misbah totally gave it away. Azhar played one of the worst innings I have seen. He came and left having done nothing for 30 odd overs.
All in all, Pakistan still have the chance to make a match out of it if they somehow take this lead to 150. But they are the ones to blame for not even putting the bad balls away for whatever reason.
Slog
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It's a pretty stupid approach and kind of shows the limitations of Misbahs captaincy and the team management
The plan seemed to be to see out the new ball and tire out the bowlers.
Surprise that didn't happen and the ball still had shine and it's shape after 50 overs and the bowlers were still running in. This isn't the desert heat.
It's ridiculous Azhar was still 'seeing off' the new ball when it was 50+ overs old and another one due on 20 or so overs
I agree, except the Younis delivery was absolutely nothing special: a bog standard bouncer that he is too old and has too slow reflexes to get out of the way of.
Buffet
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Pakistan is trying to play like they play in UAE. Tire out bowlers and wait for spinners. Not scoring anything and still trying to see off ball after 50 overs in low scoring game is not the way to go. No need to play like Afridi, but don't try to beat Boycott as well. I think some blame goes to batting limitation due to lack of skill set, but majority of blame goes to Pakistan deciding that this mindset is the best way to go. You can't be looking to play 100 overs just by surviving. Game is won by scoring runs and taking wickets. Spending time in middle is very good thing, but you do that to score some runs.
Pakistan can still make a match out of it by adding some runs here, but it was a poor approach to play cricket.
GLORY OF '92
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Cape Town 2013 and Christchurch 2016, failure to learn?
Both times a pathetic 3rd innings cost us big time.
You cannot go at 1rpo and win a game.
Will we improve in Hamilton?
Both times a pathetic 3rd innings cost us big time.
You cannot go at 1rpo and win a game.
Will we improve in Hamilton?
Buffet
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Pakistan will go Afridi in the 2nd test and then lose. Then claim can be made about approach being right in the first test. Just kidding here.
Nil Dhumrojal
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Excuse me. In Bangladesh Eng series run rate was not that slow at all. You may be didn't see those matches.
Nil Dhumrojal
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Rafay Shafiq
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Its clear now. Epic "kut" of Pakistan bowlers while pakistan batsmen played slow
MRSN
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and then people wonder why we have long list of people who despise Misbah's personality and can't wait before he is out of the team and out of influencing the youngsters more.
MRSN
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To be honest Pakistan has not evolved with the modern day cricket..and we are still behind the other top test playing nations..and Misbah does have a large portion of blame to share..because he was captain and leader of ODI,test teams all these years and neither he himself improved his game nor asked juniors instead he was too happy with his defensive approach.
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Just a few people who have some personal issues with Misbah in the media. Pls dont generalize.
MRSN
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Misbah himself bats at no.5 in test matches and his strike rate is 45. Tell me any player in the top test teams with such a pathetic strike rate batting at 5?
Syed1
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I remember there was a time where Misbah lovers led us to believe that as soon as Misbah leaves we will struggle to cross 200 in ODIs.
I would like someone to pull up the numbers and show what our average scores have been after Misbah's departure. From from I've observed is that we have done considerably better in the batting department it is our bowling and Misbah 2.0 captaincy that has let us down.
MRSN
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not everyone has a personal agenda against him. Those people you are talking about I'm well aware of them but there is genuine hate for Misbah amongst Pakistani fans including me.
There is a strong argument about Misbah's captaincy and his skills as a batsman and the kind of influence he has passed to the junior players during his stay in ODIs and tests. Ever since Misbah has left the ODI side things have started looking improved,with our team scoring 260+ on regular basis. Plus the captain who is thought to be the most defensive player himself leads from the front and bats at a strike rate of 80+. Imagine Misbah's strike rate batting at no.5 in the 60s during his captaincy. same is the case with the test team. Pakistan need to move on from defensive mindset and I don't think it's possible under Misbah.
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Think that comes through every other post from you on PP which is a bit boring and repetitive
There's a quite a few if one actually looks the facts. Since the start of the decade, the batsmen who've played more than 10 Tests at #5 and have batted at a lower SR than Misbah include Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis, Marlon Samuels, Shiv Chanderpaul and Thilan Samaraweera.
http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/en...0;spanval2=span;template=results;type=batting
It is true Misbah's SR is towards the lower end but bear in mind the openers we've had over the last six years - Hafeez (walking wicket against swing/seam), Shan Masood, Khurrum Manzoor, Imran Farhat etc. Often at 5 he's had to do rebuilding job. Now its true other teams will counterattack even if they lose early wickets, but Misbah knows his limitations and works around them. Look at what's happened in this series when Misbah has tried to take the attack to the bowler.
We'll been bailed out many times from poor starts by Younis-Misbah partnership even though their methods may seem ugly or attritional. Since the start of 2010, the Younis-Misbah partnership average 75 with 14 century stands so you can argue about style but the results are clear unless you want to dispute fact. And please don't give argument about flat tracks as if no other Test batsman has batted on flat tracks before. The number of runs they've scored as a partnership is 3205 which's higher than any other pairing in Pakistan Test history.
If you think there are a bunch of fluent strokemakers sitting in domestic cricket and its only Misbah guilty of tuk tuk then you don't watch domestic cricket. Sadly, with crappy damp pitches and the FC season being played during Oct-Jan which is most favourable time for seamers due to overhead conditions, especially in Northern Pakistan - you see batsmen doing nothing but tuk tuk.
Constructive criticism fine but anti-Misbah lobby really goes overboard. I cannot understand why you use the words "hatred" and "despise" for Misbah - as if you're describing a spot or match fixer like Salman Butt or Salim Malik. We've had far worse captains in the past. How many captains can match Misbah's W/L record as captain ?
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BTW I accept his on-field tactics have been poor, in this series they've been atrocious. But I'm sick of PPers who go overboard with their criticism and lose all sense of perspective and nuance, forgetting the years of service and performance Misbah has put in.
Criticism of Misbah is for different reason - he is bullying everyone to prolong his career, which is been exposed now. If he retires after SCG, everything will be forgotten & people will remember him for his great contribution - now frustration is coming out of every angle.
What will you do, if he accepts SK's request for one more tour in WI & averages 25 as specialist bat at No. 5?
Abdullah719
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Unacceptable.
But I think Markhor's post was aimed at a) the usual suspects in the media and b) a few posters who failed to give him credit when the team was doing well but have suddenly appeared now that we're losing and are making slightly OTT arguments.
Every thing will change - even from our old friend Savak or WL; if he retires after SCG. Media is a bit different issue - they need to sell their product as well & people love to read critics more.
Chokli
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too bad all of you who are obsessed with strike rates don't know that strike rate is the last thing to worry about in test cricket....
t20s and odis, complain about strike rate all you want but in tests the main goal is to survive.
pretty sure if our batsmen took their time and played at a strike rate of 30 or 40 we wouldn't be in the positions we have been in this current series
t20s and odis, complain about strike rate all you want but in tests the main goal is to survive.
pretty sure if our batsmen took their time and played at a strike rate of 30 or 40 we wouldn't be in the positions we have been in this current series
Etherealistic
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South African pitches are more spicy than Australian pitches but less spicy than English pitches, so the dismal batting is understandable.
First innings total of 250-300 is generally a match winning score on these South African pitches.
First innings total of 250-300 is generally a match winning score on these South African pitches.
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Kroll
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Its always the same, match after match - batting at 2 rpo, I’m frankly sick of it.
I’m not just referring to this inns as I appreciate its early doors.
But we have guys like Azhar Ali who offer no impact whatsoever and less said about Imam the better.
Deadwood need to be booted and proper batsmen in their prime need to be picked.
I’m not just referring to this inns as I appreciate its early doors.
But we have guys like Azhar Ali who offer no impact whatsoever and less said about Imam the better.
Deadwood need to be booted and proper batsmen in their prime need to be picked.
SpiritOf1903
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Sack them all!
Kianig89
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Players with limited abilities are unable to score freely thats the reason
what s the difference b/w Ponting and YK, Bell and Misbah etc etc, Warner and Azhar range of shots
what s the difference b/w Ponting and YK, Bell and Misbah etc etc, Warner and Azhar range of shots
I think that is a very convenient assessment and not one that I agree with.
I think this team just does not know how to play test matches. Our players think that test matches are all about staying at the crease for as long as possible. There is no session by session planning. There is no strategy. Test cricket, unlike ODIs and T20s, requires strong tactical thinking which our players, especially the captain, do not posses.
We've seen Azhar Ali play this brand of cricket since his first test match. Has he always been under the pump for his place? Same case with Asad Shafique; till he was part of the team... and now we're seeing the same with Abdullah, Imam, and sometimes Babar.
Point is, there is lack of guidance and strategy when it comes to how to play test cricket. Batsmen believe that they need to show "discipline" at the crease and runs are secondary.
Also, we're seeing a clear lack of strategy when it comes to our bowling too. Shaheen, who in my opinion is more skilled than Cummins, has no idea about test match bowling. He looks for a wicket on every single ball which results in 6 different deliveries being bowled in each over. There is no plan to set up batsmen, challenge their temperament or bowl to your field.
and I think the biggest blame for the above goes to Babar. The captain is in-charge of providing the vision and strategy for the team. Just the way Kohli did for India.
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hoshiarpurexpress
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Cummins is champion bowler.. World no. 1 who has won 50 over WC, 20 Over WC and a lot of test matches for his team, home and abroad. He is much more skilful, talented than Shaheen.
Batting wicket - bat slow, accumulate individual runs
Seaming wicket - get annihilated
Turning wicket - get annihilated
End of the year the batters will have an average of around 40 to show for their work. And cakes will be cut.
Seaming wicket - get annihilated
Turning wicket - get annihilated
End of the year the batters will have an average of around 40 to show for their work. And cakes will be cut.
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