What's new

Pakistan secure a tense 5 wicket victory in the historic one-off Test match against Ireland

Mamoon said:
I think the issue runs deeper than the inability to handle pressure; it is more of an issue of lack of skill and technique. We did well in England in 2016 because they conditions were helpful. The ball barely swung.

We will probably get similar conditions in the England series, and our batsmen will have no chance at all against a master like Anderson as well as the likes of Broad and Woakes.

Anything less than a whitewash would be a big achievement for this team.
Click to expand...

I'm not disputing the lack of skills and technique aspect of this Pakistan batting lineup and even the bowling attack. The fact that nobody expects Pakistan to win in England makes the job of these players a lot easier. They can relax knowing that they won't come under scrutiny for getting whitewashed. To be honest, Pakistan may even spring a surprise or two as England have massive problems of their own. Broad is nowhere near the bowler he used to be and their batting is low on confidence.

In 2016, while the conditions were dry and they largely played a part in us winning two matches, one cannot be blind to the captaincy of Misbah. People discount Misbah's captaincy so much so that it's borderline disrespectful. The problem is that Pakistani fans have grown up to a distinct style of cricket and that is flair. They have grown up hearing magical tales about Imran Khan and the "aggressive" approach that he had irrespective of the fact that most of the people here have never seen Imran captain. So when a guy like Misbah comes and wins matches with his non aggressive yet practical approach, people still don't warm up to his achievements. If I could use a footballing analogy, Misbah is United's Mourinho. United fans can't accept Mourinho's style because they have been brought up on Alex Ferguson's aggression. So it wasn't all conditions in 2016. It was good captaincy from Misbah as well.

Unfortunately now we don't have a captain who can soak up the pressure and lead the team from the front. His own batting is terrible and his keeping is NOT better than Kamran Akmal's. He is impatient in his decision making when it comes to Tests and does not have the ability to remain calm and composed when the going gets tough. Yesterday when the Irish were putting on the 100 partnership, every misfield was admonished by Sarfraz. This shows his impatient nature. His ebullient nature is fine for ODIs and perfect for T20s but not for Tests.

If Pakistan wants to get back to the Top 4 rankings, they really need to make the bold decision and look past Sarfraz in Test matches. If not completely as a player, then at least as a captain. Imam to me looks much more confident and composed as an individual. Not suggesting that he should be made captain because his performances are not noteworthy at the moment but at least his interviews exude confidence and projects some mental thinking. And this is not because Imam can speak English. Sarfraz even in Urdu can't go beyond the usual ratta stuff like "natural game", "positive approach" and "confidence from coach".
 
Love it when Imam goes Sangakkara on full-pitched deliveries outside the off stump. That cover drive on on knee is straight from the manual of the latter.
 
IMMY69 said:
Wonder how so many people here will react if we some how manage to win this game and then give a good account of ourselves in England...
Click to expand...


Take your pick

  • This is the worst England team ever, Ireland would have beaten them 5-0 in a 2 test series.
  • Jimmy and Broad are old and would have demolished this team in their peak
  • The weather was warmer than usual for May/June
  • Pitches were flatter than the ones India had to play on
  • They are lucky Leach was injured otherwise he would have destroyed them worse than Herath ever did
  • etc. etc.
 
shariqnoor said:
I'm not disputing the lack of skills and technique aspect of this Pakistan batting lineup and even the bowling attack. The fact that nobody expects Pakistan to win in England makes the job of these players a lot easier. They can relax knowing that they won't come under scrutiny for getting whitewashed. To be honest, Pakistan may even spring a surprise or two as England have massive problems of their own. Broad is nowhere near the bowler he used to be and their batting is low on confidence.

In 2016, while the conditions were dry and they largely played a part in us winning two matches, one cannot be blind to the captaincy of Misbah. People discount Misbah's captaincy so much so that it's borderline disrespectful. The problem is that Pakistani fans have grown up to a distinct style of cricket and that is flair. They have grown up hearing magical tales about Imran Khan and the "aggressive" approach that he had irrespective of the fact that most of the people here have never seen Imran captain. So when a guy like Misbah comes and wins matches with his non aggressive yet practical approach, people still don't warm up to his achievements. If I could use a footballing analogy, Misbah is United's Mourinho. United fans can't accept Mourinho's style because they have been brought up on Alex Ferguson's aggression. So it wasn't all conditions in 2016. It was good captaincy from Misbah as well.

Unfortunately now we don't have a captain who can soak up the pressure and lead the team from the front. His own batting is terrible and his keeping is NOT better than Kamran Akmal's. He is impatient in his decision making when it comes to Tests and does not have the ability to remain calm and composed when the going gets tough. Yesterday when the Irish were putting on the 100 partnership, every misfield was admonished by Sarfraz. This shows his impatient nature. His ebullient nature is fine for ODIs and perfect for T20s but not for Tests.

If Pakistan wants to get back to the Top 4 rankings, they really need to make the bold decision and look past Sarfraz in Test matches. If not completely as a player, then at least as a captain. Imam to me looks much more confident and composed as an individual. Not suggesting that he should be made captain because his performances are not noteworthy at the moment but at least his interviews exude confidence and projects some mental thinking. And this is not because Imam can speak English. Sarfraz even in Urdu can't go beyond the usual ratta stuff like "natural game", "positive approach" and "confidence from coach".
Click to expand...

I largely agree with this. Sarfraz has been riding on the LOI success and so far exhibited on traits of a successful Test captain. However, who are the alternatives?

Azhar is a poor tactician and he appears to be on his last legs as a batsman, Shafiq is as timid as a debutant, Babar and Haris are yet to cement their positions in the team. A bowling captain is out of question as well.

Imam is an interesting choice but a massive gamble to say the least. However, as a batsman, he clearly appears to be more accomplished than Sami and Masood.
 
Imam is oozing class so far. Taking it to the opposition and showing no pressure what so ever. Looks like he has inherited his uncle's DNA when it comes to 2nd inning chases.
 
Big Mac said:
Take your pick

  • This is the worst England team ever, Ireland would have beaten them 5-0 in a 2 test series.
  • Jimmy and Broad are old and would have demolished this team in their peak
  • The weather was warmer than usual for May/June
  • Pitches were flatter than the ones India had to play on
  • They are lucky Leach was injured otherwise he would have destroyed them worse than Herath ever did
  • etc. etc.
Click to expand...

I suspect 50% if not more will have selective amnesia :)
 
Not watching due to work. :(

Really want to see Imam but alas... Only time I saw him is in one innings against SL. No domestic matches too.
 
IMMY69 said:
I suspect 50% if not more will have selective amnesia :)
Click to expand...

Even if we lose the match we need to persist with these youngsters. They will become better.
Chopping and changing will never work.

Shafiq and Rahat should be dropped for forever though.
 
Mamoon said:
I largely agree with this. Sarfraz has been riding on the LOI success and so far exhibited on traits of a successful Test captain. However, who are the alternatives?

Azhar is a poor tactician and he appears to be on his last legs as a batsman, Shafiq is as timid as a debutant, Babar and Haris are yet to cement their positions in the team. A bowling captain is out of question as well.

Imam is an interesting choice but a massive gamble to say the least. However, as a batsman, he clearly appears to be more accomplished than Sami and Masood.
Click to expand...

To me whenever you are choosing a captain, the first point should be:

Does this guy have the ability to analyze match situations?

Yes individual performances are necessary to look as well but if you can't analyze match situations, you are going to be a pathetic captain. Biggest case in point: Mohammad Yousuf.

In this Test team, Imam seems to be the only one who has shown at least some modicum of cognitive ability. I have listened to some of his interviews and he thinks about his game rather than answering with a blanket "natural game". And if he can guide Pakistan home here, then to me he's your best choice for captain. The fact that he's going at 80 SR in gloomy conditions with wickets falling around him shows that he possesses some mental cricketing know-how. He realized that counter attacking will be the only way to deflate these Irishmen. And he's done it with hardly any slogs, leaving many balls outside his off stump, while capitalizing on the poor ones. All of his runs have come like a proper batsman. I can bet Sami and Masood would've tried to block their way to lunch and in the process lost their wicket as well.

Pakistan cannot keep Sarfraz as their captain in Tests. That's for sure. With regards to Imam being a gamble as a captain, you have to look at it like this: Can Pakistan's performances in Tests deteriorate further under Imam than they are under Sarfraz at the moment? I'm sure the answer would be no. Then is it a gamble?
 
Wow Ireland on verge of history. It will be a great thing for them if they win and as a Pakistan fan this loss will hurt greatly for a long time
 
shariqnoor said:
To me whenever you are choosing a captain, the first point should be:

Does this guy have the ability to analyze match situations?

Yes individual performances are necessary to look as well but if you can't analyze match situations, you are going to be a pathetic captain. Biggest case in point: Mohammad Yousuf.

In this Test team, Imam seems to be the only one who has shown at least some modicum of cognitive ability. I have listened to some of his interviews and he thinks about his game rather than answering with a blanket "natural game". And if he can guide Pakistan home here, then to me he's your best choice for captain. The fact that he's going at 80 SR in gloomy conditions with wickets falling around him shows that he possesses some mental cricketing know-how. He realized that counter attacking will be the only way to deflate these Irishmen. And he's done it with hardly any slogs, leaving many balls outside his off stump, while capitalizing on the poor ones. All of his runs have come like a proper batsman. I can bet Sami and Masood would've tried to block their way to lunch and in the process lost their wicket as well.

Pakistan cannot keep Sarfraz as their captain in Tests. That's for sure. With regards to Imam being a gamble as a captain, you have to look at it like this: Can Pakistan's performances in Tests deteriorate further under Imam than they are under Sarfraz at the moment? I'm sure the answer would be no. Then is it a gamble?
Click to expand...

But Imam's performance may deteriorate if given captaincy when he is trying to emerge from the shadow of his uncle (a large one both literally and figuratively speaking). We finally have a promising opener so I would give him time to mature before even discussing him as a potential captain.

Is there anyone in the domestic architecture renowned for their captaincy but not in the current squad? I remember Misbah was rushed into test captaincy even though he wasn't part of the main squad...
 
shariqnoor said:
To me whenever you are choosing a captain, the first point should be:

Does this guy have the ability to analyze match situations?

Yes individual performances are necessary to look as well but if you can't analyze match situations, you are going to be a pathetic captain. Biggest case in point: Mohammad Yousuf.

In this Test team, Imam seems to be the only one who has shown at least some modicum of cognitive ability. I have listened to some of his interviews and he thinks about his game rather than answering with a blanket "natural game". And if he can guide Pakistan home here, then to me he's your best choice for captain. The fact that he's going at 80 SR in gloomy conditions with wickets falling around him shows that he possesses some mental cricketing know-how. He realized that counter attacking will be the only way to deflate these Irishmen. And he's done it with hardly any slogs, leaving many balls outside his off stump, while capitalizing on the poor ones. All of his runs have come like a proper batsman. I can bet Sami and Masood would've tried to block their way to lunch and in the process lost their wicket as well.

Pakistan cannot keep Sarfraz as their captain in Tests. That's for sure. With regards to Imam being a gamble as a captain, you have to look at it like this: Can Pakistan's performances in Tests deteriorate further under Imam than they are under Sarfraz at the moment? I'm sure the answer would be no. Then is it a gamble?
Click to expand...

In terms of results we have already hit rock bottom, but I wonder the impact captaincy would have on his batting at this stage. Yes he is two innings old only, but he looks better than Sami and Masood. The pressure of captaincy when he is still a rookie player might be too much for him to handle.

This would be reminiscent of what CSA did with Graeme Smith.
 
shariqnoor said:
Pakistan cannot keep Sarfraz as their captain in Tests. That's for sure. With regards to Imam being a gamble as a captain, you have to look at it like this: Can Pakistan's performances in Tests deteriorate further under Imam than they are under Sarfraz at the moment? I'm sure the answer would be no. Then is it a gamble?
Click to expand...

Wow, just wow. Internet posters never do cease to amaze

Imam is literally playing his first Test, he's only gotten to 33* and we're talking about him being captain

I wonder what we'll think of for Imam once he gets to a half-century
 
SarfiBabarHaris said:
Even if we lose the match we need to persist with these youngsters. They will become better.
Chopping and changing will never work.

Shafiq and Rahat should be dropped for forever though.
Click to expand...

I have absolutely no idea why Rahat was selected for the tour let alone why is playing this match!
Hasan Ali is head and shoulders above him even if he is largely untried in Tests.
Even Junaid Khan or Wahab would have been better selections.

There is a strong correlation between our selection problem and recent performances in tests.
The failure of our first class system and heavy reliance on the PSL to select players for the longer format is a recipe for disaster. Rahat did reasonably well in the PSL, but how does T20 cricket compare with Test Cricket?
 
Mamoon said:
In terms of results we have already hit rock bottom, but I wonder the impact captaincy would have on his batting at this stage. Yes he is two innings old only, but he looks better than Sami and Masood. The pressure of captaincy when he is still a rookie player might be too much for him to handle.

This would be reminiscent of what CSA did with Graeme Smith.
Click to expand...

Do you think Imam has any potential? Is Haris really made for test?
 
Shafi said:
Do you think Imam has any potential? Is Haris really made for test?
Click to expand...

Imam certainly seems to have more potential than Sami and Masood, and I think Haris is a very good batsman who needs to instill some discipline in his batting. It is pretty obvious that he handles swing and pace better than our other batsmen, and he also has the skill to score quickly.

I am happy to see him bat at number 3 in the long-term. A more worthy investment than stroke-less wonder Azhar and timid Shafiq.
 
Babar needs to get 'injured' and replaced

even Ahmed Shahzad would be a better option
 
These two need to get about 30-40 more runs then Ireland's heads will start to drop.
 
I think a separate management all together is needed for Tests.

Captain and coach are wonderful for LOI but are too haste and lack critical thinking in Test cricket.

Furthermore, a complete over-haul of the top 7 is needed to ensure that this team does not continue down this road.

I would suggest John Buchanan or some other hard-nosed coach to get the best out of our players.

New Team:

Imam-ul-Haq
Usman Salahuddin
Haris Sohail
Babar Azam
Fakhar Zaman (c)
Talat Hussain
Muhammad Hasan (wk)
Shadab Khan
Hasan Ali
Shaheen Shah Afridi
Mohammad Abbas
 
coy0607 said:
Wow, just wow. Internet posters never do cease to amaze

Imam is literally playing his first Test, he's only gotten to 33* and we're talking about him being captain

I wonder what we'll think of for Imam once he gets to a half-century
Click to expand...

Have you even read my previous posts?
 
ManFan said:
I think a separate management all together is needed for Tests.

Captain and coach are wonderful for LOI but are too haste and lack critical thinking in Test cricket.

Furthermore, a complete over-haul of the top 7 is needed to ensure that this team does not continue down this road.

I would suggest John Buchanan or some other hard-nosed coach to get the best out of our players.

New Team:

Imam-ul-Haq
Usman Salahuddin
Haris Sohail
Babar Azam
Fakhar Zaman (c)
Talat Hussain
Muhammad Hasan (wk)
Shadab Khan
Hasan Ali
Shaheen Shah Afridi
Mohammad Abbas
Click to expand...

I wouldn't change too much except the captain (two drops and many edges going through a vacant second slip cost us many runs) Azhar, who also had a drop which cost us big time and Rahat who hasn't done anything this match. For Sarfraz, bring in anyone who can keep well and give captaincy to Fakhar and Hasan for Rahat.

I'm sure these changes will take the team a long way.
 
so anybody who score runs should be made captain? :))) wah Pakistani fans wah
 
srh said:
so anybody who score runs should be made captain? :))) wah Pakistani fans wah
Click to expand...

There's nothing wrong with thinking of replacements of a captain who is a burden on the team. Now, it shouldn't be someone who just started their international career but we still need to think of replacements. Also, there are very few options so such names will come up.
 
world cup captain said:
There's nothing wrong with thinking of replacements of a captain who is a burden on the team. Now, it shouldn't be someone who just started their international career but we still need to think of replacements. Also, there are very few options so such names will come up.
Click to expand...

No harm in grooming the next captain. But you atleast should have some first class captaincy experience. Which i doubt any of these Imam, Fakhar etc have.. Plus you need to understand there is lot of seniority culture in Pak. You cant just make someone captain who has no test experience, it will not go well with others. This is not SA / Aus.

First groom someone in domestic for example like they are grooming Saud Shakeel by giving him PTV captaincy. Usman Salhuddin is captain of Lahore for 5-7 years. Something like that should be done with Imam, Fakhar etc first.
 
Last edited:
Excellent running by Imam

He should immediate be made captain and chief selector. Need young blood
 
SarfiBabarHaris said:
No harm in grooming the next captain. But you atleast should have some first class captaincy experience. Which i doubt any of these Imam, Fakhar etc have.. Plus you need to understand there is lot of seniority culture in Pak. You cant just make someone captain who has no test experience, it will not go well with others. This is not SA / Aus.

First groom someone in domestic for example like they are grooming Saud Shakeel by giving him PTV captaincy. Usman Salhuddin is captain of Lahore for 5-7 years. Something like that should be done with Imam, Fakhar etc first.
Click to expand...

The issue with our system is that we don't exactly give chances to players to captain at the domestic level until they are at the latter parts of their career. FGS, the likes of Hafeez and Misbah are still captaining at the domestic level which is why we have to give them V.C. and let them take over for smaller series.
 
Fahim also scored runs he is my pick for captain.... God forbid if Babar also scores runs..... we will have too many options for captaincy
 
Syed1 said:
Fahim also scored runs he is my pick for captain.... God forbid if Babar also scores runs..... we will have too many options for captaincy
Click to expand...

Knowing that this is a sarcastic post, I will still go through and explain the thinking behind this. I was all for Sarfraz back in 2014-2015 when he was performing; however, now he is very unfit (as before) and also not keeping well along with his non existent batting and ultra defensive captaincy he has become a burden on the test team. He has to be replaced by a better player who also understands the game well which is very rare in Pakistan. At the moment, there are not many like these so anyone who performs in tough situations will be looked as a candidate.
 
Imam should do victory lap of the ground for his fifty and get mike from announcer and give a five page speech dedicating the fifty to mamoo
 
How can people blame the state of 14-3 on debutants?

Both of them have scored 50’s.

It’s the usual culprits.
 
We need at least 1 change in our squad. Rahat should go and bring Sadaf in the squad at least
 
For the English tests we need another bat in the lineup. Rahat is the obvious person to be dropped but the problem is Fahim isn't good enough to be the third pacer.
 
Shafi said:
We need at least 1 change in our squad. Rahat should go and bring Sadaf in the squad at least
Click to expand...

Dude. let it go. Sadaf is not even in the larger squad so not gonna happen. More likely someone from the preliminary camp will be asked to come in but only if there is an injury. So Rahat should do an 'Escape to Victory' thing and break his arm so we can fly a bowler from Pakistan.
 
Syed1 said:
Imam should do victory lap of the ground for his fifty and get mike from announcer and give a five page speech dedicating the fifty to mamoo
Click to expand...

Won't be a 5 page speeech. "Boyzz played well" :inzi
 
Shafi said:
We need at least 1 change in our squad. Rahat should go and bring Sadaf in the squad at least
Click to expand...

Exactly. Remember the criticism Abbas got last year that he is a trundler etc and see how he is performing now. These are ideal conditions for Sadaf and Abbas. You dont need extra pace rather ability to move the ball both ways with good control.

Sadaf would have been as good as Abbas imo. Both played for KRL for few seasons and did well despite Sadaf coming from an injury.
 
Last 50 runs left.


Well played Ireland a worthy addition to test cricket.



[MENTION=136108]Donal Cozzie[/MENTION] you are the moral victors :uakmal
 
If we could spice things up a little with a couple of quick wickets that would be fun :yk :yk
 
So Imam serving humble pies to many yet? Kudos to the kid who played under pressure, lots of criticism about his position and he is showing his batting here.

Doesn't matter who the opposition is 14-3, ready to face humiliation and the kid stands tall.
 
I would have backed the following team for the first test against england...

Fakhar, Imam, Sohail, Shafiq, Babar, Fahim, Safraz, Shadab, Amir, Hasan, Abbas.
 
Plumb said:
So Imam serving humble pies to many yet? Kudos to the kid who played under pressure, lots of criticism about his position and he is showing his batting here.

Doesn't matter who the opposition is 14-3, ready to face humiliation and the kid stands tall.
Click to expand...

He's a good player. i dont understand why people hate on him. Some of the kiddy brigade really need to buckle down and watch more cricket..
 
By the way I really want to see azhar in the middle order. For me he will always be a makeshift opener. As he gets older he has to play in the middle order. Need to give someone else a chance up top..
 
SarfiBabarHaris said:
Exactly. Remember the criticism Abbas got last year that he is a trundler etc and see how he is performing now. These are ideal conditions for Sadaf and Abbas. You dont need extra pace rather ability to move the ball both ways with good control.

Sadaf would have been as good as Abbas imo. Both played for KRL for few seasons and did well despite Sadaf coming from an injury.
Click to expand...

Extremely impressed with your perseverance in regards to Sadaf. You bring him in discussion every time we talk about cricket. While general opinion is that he is a slower version of Rahat but you present him like a much faster and deadlier version of Wasim Akram, good for you.
 
Plumb said:
So Imam serving humble pies to many yet? Kudos to the kid who played under pressure, lots of criticism about his position and he is showing his batting here.

Doesn't matter who the opposition is 14-3, ready to face humiliation and the kid stands tall.
Click to expand...

I will gladly eat the humble pie as Imam has proven that he is not Imran Farhat V2.0. Apologies to his Uncle as well as criticised him when he picked his nephew.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

BouncerGuy
  • Poll Poll
Can Pakistan defend 251 runs and secure a 1-0 lead in the 2-Match series against West Indies?
Replies
6
Views
256
shah9425
shah9425
BouncerGuy
South Africa (128/7) secure a thrilling 3-wicket victory against India (124/6) to level the 4-match series at 1-1
Replies
70
Views
2K
Devadwal
Devadwal
BouncerGuy
  • Poll Poll
Pakistan (195/3) secure a 7-wicket victory over Ireland (193/7) in the 2nd T20 to level the series at 1-1
9 10 11
Replies
811
Views
15K
Shoaib Akhtar 100 MPH
S
The Bald Eagle
Pakistan (201/7) secure a convincing 37-run victory against Bangladesh (164) in the 1st T20I
4 5 6
Replies
470
Views
12K
light
L
FearlessRoar
  • Poll Poll
India Women (108/4) secure a hard-fought 6-wicket victory over Pakistan Women (105/8) in the 7th match of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024
2 3
Replies
162
Views
3K
The Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle
Back
Top