Pakistan getting close to drawing 1st NZ Test hurts us in the long run...

[Slog]

This will be same aftermath as that after Brisbane 2016 and whole host of other near misses in last 4-5years ...

The team management will keep singing praises about “fight back”, “bravery”, “heart” and whole host of other cliched terms. No one will focus on the fact that for 4 out of the 5 days we were clearly the second best team by a country mile. The team management will give excuse that they are building the team and have fighting spirit now. Misbah and cow will keep jobs..

And nothing will change... I’ve seen this movie before.

A humiliating defeat would have atleast ensured that they would have been under severe pressure and there would have been sacrificial lambs..

 

[Varun]

A humiliating defeat would have atleast ensured that they would have been under severe pressure and there would have been sacrificial lambs..

Basically no blessing in disguise on offer.

 

[Slog]

I hate the unlimited number of silver linings we always find. Our page is colored silver

 

[Suleiman]

Even if we lose, how much do you think will honestly change?

Shan will be dropped and then back again after a series or two after his dad sends his goons to have a “chat” with Misbah or whoever.

Naseem will be replaced with Rabat Ali or Wahab Riaz because everyone knows the solution to a youngster failing is to replace him with a tried and tested failure.

So we’ll take whatever win or draw we can get

 

[aloo paratha]

I understand the premise but nobody who needs the boot actually performed. It was mainly Fawad and Rizwan. Azhar did okay, and I actually wouldn't mind him staying in the team as an opener.

 

[James Steven]

I agree. It means players like Fawad, Azhar, Abid will be given a long run

 

[waleed88]

This will be same aftermath as that after Brisbane 2016 and whole host of other near misses in last 4-5years ...

The team management will keep singing praises about “fight back”, “bravery”, “heart” and whole host of other cliched terms. No one will focus on the fact that for 4 out of the 5 days we were clearly the second best team by a country mile. The team management will give excuse that they are building the team and have fighting spirit now. Misbah and cow will keep jobs..

And nothing will change... I’ve seen this movie before.

A humiliating defeat would have atleast ensured that they would have been under severe pressure and there would have been sacrificial lambs..

Summary of the false bravado notion that is carried first and foremost by our former cricketing great and current PM, who's philosophy and bravado has taken the nation out of many perils in both cricket and politics. Same is the state of our cricketing team. Its a history that dates back to 1992 when we fought like 'cornered tigers'.. I'll stop here

 

[Forum363]

Have to agree. A larger loss would have continued the pressure on Misbah who started the year with 5 jobs and has ended with just one.

The recent Amir retirement and subsequent revelations he made, it has put Misbah/ Waqas somewhat into the spotlight too.

This is the worst possible result because ultimately we still lost and the management will talk about the ‘fight’ and how close the match was.

 

[Energy]

Have been hearing this since a decade. Taken them 10 years to realise that a 37 avg pure batsman is not fit for test cricket. They will wait for Azhar batting average to drop to 30s, while Yasir bowling to rise to 40 before taking the emotional 'daddy' decision.

 

[kingusama92]

Keeping guys that performed is okay.

But you have to get rid of guys that are consistently trending in the wrong direction like Azhar Ali, Yasir Shah, Abid Ali, Haris Sohail, and Mohammad Abbas.

They should do it all at once, but even splitting it across two series is fine for a smoother transition. Just running the same team out there all the time is a waste.

 

[Savak]

Keeping guys that performed is okay.

But you have to get rid of guys that are consistently trending in the wrong direction like Azhar Ali, Yasir Shah, Abid Ali, Haris Sohail, and Mohammad Abbas.

They should do it all at once, but even splitting it across two series is fine for a smoother transition. Just running the same team out there all the time is a waste.

Misbah selected the squad for this tour. Not sure if we have replacements on tour who can do any better. I am hoping that Mohd Wasim makes the decisions necessary to take Pakistan Cricket forward

 

[Slog]

Deadwood such as Sami and Haris got another chance for no reason. Let’s see how Naseem does

 

[Mamoon]

Nothing hurts or benefits us in the long run. It is a poor side and it will remain a poor side.

 

[DandyFellow]

I do not know what do the fans mean when they say it will hurt us in the long run. Team effort has to be always lauded because individual efforts are not enough to put you through. The next decade could be Babar Azam averaging 50+ in all formats and yet we might lose most of the matches.
The truth is that even during the fightback, half of the team responded and the rest has been absent. Haris Sohail's test career is coming to an end. Shan Masood and Abid Ali are under threat too to lose their places. But sadly there is no proper opener who can beat them convincingly such are the sad affairs of Pakistan cricket.
While Azhar has overall declined, his current form is better than Haris, Shan and Abid. And with Saud Shakeel who has scored runs for few domestics seasons and Usman Salahuddin none of the other domestic players have shown consistency. While you can drop Haris for Saud and bring Usman in too while dropping one of the openers and settle Azhar as the opener, there is a place for Azhar Ali on merit and he does not deserve to be the first person to be booted out.
Lastly, it was better to take Asad than Haris given that Haris did not tour England, has fitness issues and has no temperament for test cricket. Such are the sad affairs of our cricket.
Truth hurts but in the long run the newer crop is worse than the current lot and it would be proved sooner rather than later.