Pakistan to play three Tests in Australia in December-January

[Mamoon]

Didn’t we play them on Boxing Day back in 2016, did you or anyone else credit Shaharyar Khan?

Why aren’t we talking about the 4 day warm up game, can’t Sethi send the players 2-3 weeks before the start of the first test match?

Pakistan have consistently played a 3 match series including the Boxing Day Test in Australia. That trend was bucked in 2019 when Mani and Wasim failed to negotiate a 3 match series.

Not only was Pakistan reduced to 2 Tests, they also lost the Boxing Day Test.

Well done to Sethi (or Ramiz) for upgrading Pakistan to 3 matches and the Boxing Day Test even though Pakistan have done nothing on the pitch to be upgraded.

Thankfully we no longer have weak negotiators and pushovers like Mani and Wasim at the helm anymore.

 

[Saj]

Let's see if Pakistan can prove Ian Chappell wrong.

I have to say, I dread theseTest series down under.

 

[gazza619]

Not surprised to see that no one is crediting Sethi for negotiating a 3 match series and the Boxing Day Test at the G.

If only a fan favorite PCB Chairman had pulled this off some people wouldn’t stop talking about it.

Pakistan does not deserve to play more than 2 Tests in Australia and does not deserve to play the Boxing Day Test. Really well done to Sethi for pulling it off.

One moment, when did Sethi negotiate? i thought this was already in the playing cycle.

Its embarrassing that we dont get offered any ODIs or T20s on top of the tests.

Even a minnow like WI is getting the full package.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

One moment, when did Sethi negotiate? i thought this was already in the playing cycle.

Its embarrassing that we dont get offered any ODIs or T20s on top of the tests.

Even a minnow like WI is getting the full package.

The boxing day test is the full package for the Aussie tours.

The rest is just bolt ons.

 

[gazza619]

The boxing day test is the full package for the Aussie tours.

The rest is just bolt ons.

Think we should just send our T20 boys to play test cricket.

At least we may have a few entertaining sessions to watch

 

[CricVet]

The only way Pak could surprise AU with luck is pink ball test; which I don't see in the schedule.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Let's see if Pakistan can prove Ian Chappell wrong.

I have to say, I dread theseTest series down under.

Aussies ladies team would beat pakistans men in Australia.

Pakistan will be road kill again.

 

[ElRaja]

If I had to take lead on this then, it may sound far fetched and I could be totally wrong, but I think Perth is our best chance.

We have a gun bowling attack and the wicket in Perth is brutal for the batsmen.

If our bowling could truly rip thru the Aussie batting line (twice in the match), and our langri looli batting line could limp to the target - we may just have a slight chance to cross the victory line.

But I guess Chappell must be sharpening his knives.

we dont have a gun test bowling attack tho, shaheen doesnt even have 100 wickets, and his record against top opps in tests ain't great, cos he hasn't really learnt how to bowl with an older ball. we dont have a spinner. nasim is still unproven away from home and the third seamer spot ain't locked down. think aus will pile on big runs in every test and pressure our batsman into getting out.

 

[topspin]

It’s gonna be Bounce Billo in Perth [MENTION=147314]topspin[/MENTION]

Lol imagine if they play this song at Perth Stadium whenever he comes out to bat.

 

[Chip32]

If I had to take lead on this then, it may sound far fetched and I could be totally wrong, but I think Perth is our best chance.

We have a gun bowling attack and the wicket in Perth is brutal for the batsmen.

If our bowling could truly rip thru the Aussie batting line (twice in the match), and our langri looli batting line could limp to the target - we may just have a slight chance to cross the victory line.

But I guess Chappell must be sharpening his knives.

Gun test bowling attack? Our test bowling is genuinely worse than the West Indies. Even our supposed best bowler has a deeply mediocre record against top test sides.

We’re gonna get walloped as per usual

 

[hitthestump]

Ihsanullah in Australia is an interesting prospect.

I'm sure the current lot are not stupid enough to send him in as cannon fodder like Misbah and Waqar did with poor Musa Khan.

Ihsanullah is not a magic man. He is a rookie, has zero test match experience and has never played on Aussie wickets before.

 

[hitthestump]

Imam
Abdullah Technique
Babar
Saud Shakeel
Rizwan
Agha Salman
Faheem
Shaheen
Naseem
Abbas
Abrar Ahmed

Pakistan's best bet might be to have 6 bowlers and hope through sheer variety and persistence they can somehow snag 20 wickets.

Whichever way you look at it this attack is truly awful and this series could be extremely embarassing.

I have selected Abbas but it's possible we go with Hasan Ali or someone equally pathetic.

 

[Officer Barbrady]

One moment, when did Sethi negotiate? i thought this was already in the playing cycle.

Its embarrassing that we dont get offered any ODIs or T20s on top of the tests.

Even a minnow like WI is getting the full package.

The odi/t20 leg in Australia is planned for 2024. And yes this was planned out last year when Ramiz was in charge

 

[Bilal7]

Excited as always. We should play this XI in the first test:

1) Abdullah
2) Imam
3) ?
4) Babar
5) Saud
6) Rizwan
7) ?
8) Shaheen
9) Naseem
10) Abbas
11) Haris

Need a #3 and a spin-bowling all-rounder to bat at #7. Maybe Shadab needs another go.

 

[umerz]

This will be the real test of Babar Azam. He is at his peak and needs to play an amazing series to cement himself as one of the champion player. Will be a tough series for Pakistan, Pakistani bowling needs to click, usually we have struggled in Australia

 

[Mamoon]

If I had to take lead on this then, it may sound far fetched and I could be totally wrong, but I think Perth is our best chance.

We have a gun bowling attack and the wicket in Perth is brutal for the batsmen.

If our bowling could truly rip thru the Aussie batting line (twice in the match), and our langri looli batting line could limp to the target - we may just have a slight chance to cross the victory line.

But I guess Chappell must be sharpening his knives.

Gun bowling attack )

Perhaps a water gun, or a children toy gun.

Naseem will average 50 as usual and his fans will say he was unlucky and beat the bat 13 times, Haris is too scared to play Test cricket and Shaheen will be ripped apart if he doesn’t get his pace back by then.

Who are these gun fast bowlers?

 

[CricVet]

Imam will be a walking wicket if Pak plays its tests on a typical Perth or Melbourne wicket. It is an odd thing to say, I believe Babar and... shut your eyes...Shan Masood would do better. These 2 can pull better than any of the Pak batters. Yes... Shan Masood of all - such is Pak test batting standard.

 

[Snowflake]

Why do we even bother playing tests in Aus? And why do we never play any ODIs/T20s?

ODIs/T20s would bring in a lot more crowd and also make for much more competitive viewing.

 

[zaidihusain]

I don't think Pakistani bowlers will be able to take 20 wickets in a test match

 

[indianpanacea]

I guess the problem during last season has been lack of quality spinners...since all Test matches were at home but lack of quality spinners hit them very badly.

No wonder they had to recall 38 year old spinner Nauman in team..I think Pakistan need to search for 2 quality leg spinners (currently need to play Usama and the other mysterwala) but need more badly to search two quality off spinners.

As far as current season is concerned they have to play Australia in Australia and previously bad team selection has always marred them.

The formula for winning at Australia is clear...stroke makers and bowlers who can bend their back and bowl marathon spells.

I would love to see this Test team for Australia as:

Shaan Masood
Abdullah shafiq
Imam ul haq
Babar
Saud shakeel
Sarfaraz
Hassan Ali(As fast bowling allrounder)
Usama Mir(as legspinner)
Shaheen afridi(leader of attack)
Naseem shah
Hamza(ideal for Australian condition,can bowl marathon spells)
Other members of squad
12)Additional.opener. Haider Ali
13)middle order batter...Kamran
14)Additional spinner...zaffar(left arm)
15)fast bowler.. ihsanullah
16) Abrar (mystery legspinner)

 

[CrIc_Mystique]

I'd expect the matches to be closely fought. I detect negativity in some comments. NS and SSA are more experienced than the last time. Aus wickets do tend to favour reverse swing at some point and i think rauf is not too shabby at it, so is the new guy Insanullah. Maybe the spinner Abrar might find the bouncy aus wickets suitable. Feel it will be an exciting series.

 

[heddie19]

I guess the problem during last season has been lack of quality spinners...since all Test matches were at home but lack of quality spinners hit them very badly.

No wonder they had to recall 38 year old spinner Nauman in team..I think Pakistan need to search for 2 quality leg spinners (currently need to play Usama and the other mysterwala) but need more badly to search two quality off spinners.

As far as current season is concerned they have to play Australia in Australia and previously bad team selection has always marred them.

The formula for winning at Australia is clear...stroke makers and bowlers who can bend their back and bowl marathon spells.

I would love to see this Test team for Australia as:

Shaan Masood
Abdullah shafiq
Imam ul haq
Babar
Saud shakeel
Sarfaraz
Hassan Ali(As fast bowling allrounder)
Usama Mir(as legspinner)
Shaheen afridi(leader of attack)
Naseem shah
Hamza(ideal for Australian condition,can bowl marathon spells)
Other members of squad
12)Additional.opener. Haider Ali
13)middle order batter...Kamran
14)Additional spinner...zaffar(left arm)
15)fast bowler.. ihsanullah
16) Abrar (mystery legspinner)

Mohammad Abbas??

 

[Colorblind Genius]

I guess the problem during last season has been lack of quality spinners...since all Test matches were at home but lack of quality spinners hit them very badly.

No wonder they had to recall 38 year old spinner Nauman in team..I think Pakistan need to search for 2 quality leg spinners (currently need to play Usama and the other mysterwala) but need more badly to search two quality off spinners.

As far as current season is concerned they have to play Australia in Australia and previously bad team selection has always marred them.

The formula for winning at Australia is clear...stroke makers and bowlers who can bend their back and bowl marathon spells.

I would love to see this Test team for Australia as:

Shaan Masood
Abdullah shafiq
Imam ul haq
Babar
Saud shakeel
Sarfaraz
Hassan Ali(As fast bowling allrounder)
Usama Mir(as legspinner)
Shaheen afridi(leader of attack)
Naseem shah
Hamza(ideal for Australian condition,can bowl marathon spells)
Other members of squad
12)Additional.opener. Haider Ali
13)middle order batter...Kamran
14)Additional spinner...zaffar(left arm)
15)fast bowler.. ihsanullah
16) Abrar (mystery legspinner)

Stopped reading after “Shan Masood”.

 

[Saj]

The spin options Pakistan select will be interesting.

Surely Usama Mir would come into the reckoning on those wickets down under.

 

[Markhor]

I don't think Pakistani bowlers will be able to take 20 wickets in a test match

I'll be surprised if they take 10 !

On our last tour of AUS, Pakistan's collective bowling average was 89.92 - our worst ever performance in a Test series.

In the last 25 years (so from May 1998) - the only bowling attacks faring worse in AUS are BAN (87.54), ZIM (77.05) and WI (53.87). PAK average 52.85 per wicket.

Taking wickets isn't the only issue. Our ER is 3.91 which is behind only ZIM. Morne Morkel has a big job on his hands (maybe he should kit up himself).

 

[shamaan]

My squad vs Australia tests

Abdullah Shafique
Imaam Ul haq (he will be tested against the short ball)
Babar Azam (needs to bat at 3)
Saud Shakeel
Kamran Ghulam
Rizwan
Mubasir Khan
Shaheen
Naseem shah
Abbas
Ihsanullah

 

[shamaan]

Excited as always. We should play this XI in the first test:

1) Abdullah
2) Imam
3) ?
4) Babar
5) Saud
6) Rizwan
7) ?
8) Shaheen
9) Naseem
10) Abbas
11) Haris

Need a #3 and a spin-bowling all-rounder to bat at #7. Maybe Shadab needs another go.

Shadab or Mubasir Khan

 

[Mainul]

The spin options Pakistan select will be interesting.

Surely Usama Mir would come into the reckoning on those wickets down under.

It's a heartbreaker for old spectators like me to see that Pakistanis are relying on a spinner who has got 28 wickets !!! in 17 matches @44 average. It's now like a dream that this nation has produced Saqlain, Ajmal,Mustaq,Kaneria,Yasir.

 

[Minnowbasher]

3-0 Australia

Another dead series like 2019 which no one remembers. Just pure minnowbashing because pakistan in tests really are minnows.

 

[Minnowbasher]

Pakistan have consistently played a 3 match series including the Boxing Day Test in Australia. That trend was bucked in 2019 when Mani and Wasim failed to negotiate a 3 match series.

Not only was Pakistan reduced to 2 Tests, they also lost the Boxing Day Test.

Well done to Sethi (or Ramiz) for upgrading Pakistan to 3 matches and the Boxing Day Test even though Pakistan have done nothing on the pitch to be upgraded.

Thankfully we no longer have weak negotiators and pushovers like Mani and Wasim at the helm anymore.

Pakistan don't deserve a boxing day test match. Even touring Australia is a big thing.
Even Australian fans might not watch this series its like when Pakistan play Zimbabwe.
3-0 on the cards again.

 

[YousafTheBeast]

Our pace attack in Test cricket is a joke, probably on par with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Sethi needs to convince Amir to take back his retirement. I couldn’t care less about his drop in pace, he can swing the ball, has good control of line and length and he’s economical. I also couldn’t care less if he’s not proven himself on domestic, you can name me all the bowlers you think that deserve to play ahead of him but none of them will be good enough at the international level.

Abdullah Shafique
Imam ul Haq
Babar Azam (c)
Saud Shakeel
Sarfaraz Ahmed +
Mohammad Rizwan
Aamir Jamal
Shadab Khab
Shaheen Afridi
Mohammad Amir
Ihsanullah / Mohammad Abbas

 

[shamaan]

Our pace attack in Test cricket is a joke, probably on par with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Sethi needs to convince Amir to take back his retirement. I couldn’t care less about his drop in pace, he can swing the ball, has good control of line and length and he’s economical. I also couldn’t care less if he’s not proven himself on domestic, you can name me all the bowlers you think that deserve to play ahead of him but none of them will be good enough at the international level.

Abdullah Shafique
Imam ul Haq
Babar Azam (c)
Saud Shakeel
Sarfaraz Ahmed +
Mohammad Rizwan
Aamir Jamal
Shadab Khab
Shaheen Afridi
Mohammad Amir
Ihsanullah / Mohammad Abbas

Amir can he bowl 20 overs a day ?

 

[Firebat]

Our bowling attack has not gotten any better since the last time they were mauled down under.

 

[CadPakFan]

We could've had a decent spinner in Shadab for tests considering he's fared pretty well averaging around 25 with the ball in First Class cricket but sadly it seems like he's not really interested in tests and is just focusing on LOIs and playing in mickey mouse leagues.

 

[CadPakFan]

Our bowling attack has not gotten any better since the last time they were mauled down under.

Okay I mean we aren't that great now but I really don't think they are as bad as last time. Shaheen and Naseem will both have more experience this time around, we won't have Yasir leaking runs for fun anymore, and no more trundlers like Abbas or Imran Khan and I'm sure whatever pacer they pick, they will fare better than how Musa did last tour.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Generally test match pitches in Australia have been flat as pancakes for the last 15 years or so. Contrary to misconception it is not going to be a test for batsmen, it will be a test for bowlers. Onus will be on the bowling to shine on those flat tracks. Even Yasir Shah made a 100. Azhar Ali made 219.

 

[gazza619]

It's a heartbreaker for old spectators like me to see that Pakistanis are relying on a spinner who has got 28 wickets !!! in 17 matches @44 average. It's now like a dream that this nation has produced Saqlain, Ajmal,Mustaq,Kaneria,Yasir.

Fair point

The other option is that we pick 4 fast bowlers in the XI. Agha Salman can do part time spin

 

[Officer Barbrady]

It's a heartbreaker for old spectators like me to see that Pakistanis are relying on a spinner who has got 28 wickets !!! in 17 matches @44 average. It's now like a dream that this nation has produced Saqlain, Ajmal,Mustaq,Kaneria,Yasir.

Abrar should be first choice and he has a decent fc record!

Surprised people aren’t considering Iftikhar for the middle order. He likes Aussie conditions more than most, has a solid fc record, is in form and can help with part time spin as a 5th bowler option.

 

[zaidihusain]

I'll be surprised if they take 10 !

On our last tour of AUS, Pakistan's collective bowling average was 89.92 - our worst ever performance in a Test series.

In the last 25 years (so from May 1998) - the only bowling attacks faring worse in AUS are BAN (87.54), ZIM (77.05) and WI (53.87). PAK average 52.85 per wicket.

Taking wickets isn't the only issue. Our ER is 3.91 which is behind only ZIM. Morne Morkel has a big job on his hands (maybe he should kit up himself).

Yes, Pakistan's test match bowling attack is in shambles, it is evident from the result of last 3 test series at home. You can't win a test match if you're not capable of taking 20 wickets. I am really surprised why team management is not focusing in this particular area. They played Faheem and some other medium pacers as a frontline bowlers in a test series against Eng

 

[CricVet]

Okay I mean we aren't that great now but I really don't think they are as bad as last time. Shaheen and Naseem will both have more experience this time around, we won't have Yasir leaking runs for fun anymore, and no more trundlers like Abbas or Imran Khan and I'm sure whatever pacer they pick, they will fare better than how Musa did last tour.

I agree with you slightly. We are not as thin in bowling vs batting. I am sure that if bowling is DISCIPLINED, we will do much better than last time with Shaheen and Naseem. If the wickets don't turn out to be flat, and AU manages to add juice, it is the batting I am concerned about. Even Ind bowlers know our lack of pulling ability. Let see who is ready to face the chin music if Australia spices up the wickets. We also know that cricket boards around the world want to stretch a test match to maximize the viewership.

 

[CadPakFan]

I agree with you slightly. We are not as thin in bowling vs batting. I am sure that if bowling is DISCIPLINED, we will do much better than last time with Shaheen and Naseem. If the wickets don't turn out to be flat, and AU manages to add juice, it is the batting I am concerned about. Even Ind bowlers know our lack of pulling ability. Let see who is ready to face the chin music if Australia spices up the wickets. We also know that cricket boards around the world want to stretch a test match to maximize the viewership.

Even if the wickets are flat, I'm sure our bowling will be much better than last time and I see us having a chance to maybe draw one test. A lot of the bowlers from our last tour were just outright poor and having trundlers alongside run-machine Yasir was always going to be a recipe for disaster in those conditions. Like Abbas, Musa and these other guys will be nowhere near our setup so Shaheen and Naseem will have much better support and whatever happens, we won't be seeing any more T20-style fifties from Warner again.

Batting will be an issue I suspect, and Abdullah and Imam will definitely be tested with the short ball but now we will be seeing much more experienced and matured Babar and Rizwan in Australia again as well as hopefully exciting talent like Saud Shakeel so I definitely see a lot more optimism.

 

[SpiritOf1903]

Wallabies love the game.

This is a throwback to cricket's zenith in 70s & 80s

 

[CricVet]

Even if the wickets are flat, I'm sure our bowling will be much better than last time and I see us having a chance to maybe draw one test. A lot of the bowlers from our last tour were just outright poor and having trundlers alongside run-machine Yasir was always going to be a recipe for disaster in those conditions. Like Abbas, Musa and these other guys will be nowhere near our setup so Shaheen and Naseem will have much better support and whatever happens, we won't be seeing any more T20-style fifties from Warner again.

Batting will be an issue I suspect, and Abdullah and Imam will definitely be tested with the short ball but now we will be seeing much more experienced and matured Babar and Rizwan in Australia again as well as hopefully exciting talent like Saud Shakeel so I definitely see a lot more optimism.

The less we talk about Rizwan in tests, the better. Don't pin your hopes on Rizwan. Babar alone cannot make much difference. Pak will need 2-3 bats consistency performing against AU. Saud Shakeel in AU is a question mark just as Abdullah. Imam will be a walking wicket against short balls - he is the weakest link. I would rather have Shan Masood over Imam in AU.

If you look at Indians visiting AU, they only were competing when the middle order started to attack AU. Pak must score as in ODI to compete with AU. If they go in a shell without being aggressive, that will only bring failures.

 

[YousafTheBeast]

Amir can he bowl 20 overs a day ?

No, but I’d rather have a bowler who can bowl less than 20 overs and do more damage than a bowler who bowls 30 overs in a day and doesn’t take any wickets. Naseem needs to stick to the white ball format.

 

[Speedster1]

Ihsanullah in Australia is an interesting prospect.

Definitely something to look forward to, also think Naseem Shah will do well, he bowled well for debut tour last time I remember

 

[gazza619]

Just thinking out of the box, how about we play our white ball batters in this test series? I am referring of the likes of Fakhar, M Haris & Saim Ayub.

I mean we have nothing to loose as we are expected to get whacked.

 

[Colorblind Genius]

Just thinking out of the box, how about we play our white ball batters in this test series? I am referring of the likes of Fakhar, M Haris & Saim Ayub.

I mean we have nothing to loose as we are expected to get whacked.

Yep, I am open to this idea and have talked about this a couple of times in the past.

The goal is to put runs on the board.
And IMO, there is a higher probability that Pak batters can score more by playing quick n fast in ODI T20 style batting. We can probably score 280 to 330.

We don’t seem to have a few solid test level batsmen who can play long innings to put runs on the board at a slower rate..
With our current batting line, if we tried to bat in conventional Test cricket style batting, then we may end up with putting 180 to 220 on the board.

Test cricket has paced up - many games wrap up in the days so why not play it like ODIs?

 

[Mainul]

Abrar should be first choice and he has a decent fc record!

Surprised people aren’t considering Iftikhar for the middle order. He likes Aussie conditions more than most, has a solid fc record, is in form and can help with part time spin as a 5th bowler option.

Sorry to say, Abrar is too raw to be considered for international cricket. He will be cut into pieces by the Aussies, too much expensive for test cricket. Hasn't learnt to control his line and length on consistent basis.

Iftikhar looks like a better version of Misbah. Yes he should definitely be considered for the middle order.

 

[Mainul]

Fair point

The other option is that we pick 4 fast bowlers in the XI. Agha Salman can do part time spin

Pakistan hasn't got such brigade of pacers from which you can take 4 in one playing 11. Pakistani test bowling attack never looked such pale and toothless to me . Infact I don't even think of any spinner who can play on Aussie soil.

It will be very difficult to take 10 wickets in an innings, even if they take they won't take before conceding 500 runs I reckon.

 

[gazza619]

Pakistan hasn't got such brigade of pacers from which you can take 4 in one playing 11. Pakistani test bowling attack never looked such pale and toothless to me . Infact I don't even think of any spinner who can play on Aussie soil.

It will be very difficult to take 10 wickets in an innings, even if they take they won't take before conceding 500 runs I reckon.

Well our spin tank who cant even pick wickets on home soil will struggle down under.

I was thinking of this 5 man attack:
1. M Abbass (give him the target to bowl at economy of 2.5)
2. Shaheen Afridi (our main hope of taking wickets)
3. Naseem Shah (has improved a bit and is clearly our 2nd best seamer)
4. Haris Rauf (not had any success in red ball but he has experience playing in Australia)
5. Agha Salman can be the spinner, along with Haris Sohail if he is fit.

 

[hitthestump]

Just thinking out of the box, how about we play our white ball batters in this test series? I am referring of the likes of Fakhar, M Haris & Saim Ayub.

I mean we have nothing to loose as we are expected to get whacked.

Last time we went with the zero risk approach with Shan and Azhar blocking out everything which wasn't a meaty half volley and like you say the result was the same. If we actually go down swinging we might win some hearts.

But additionally a 2 day test could be very humiliating too. Haris and Saim are probably sitting ducks on Australian pitches. A failed test series of multiple single digit scores would shatter their confidence.

 

[Mainul]

Well our spin tank who cant even pick wickets on home soil will struggle down under.

I was thinking of this 5 man attack:
1. M Abbass (give him the target to bowl at economy of 2.5)
2. Shaheen Afridi (our main hope of taking wickets)
3. Naseem Shah (has improved a bit and is clearly our 2nd best seamer)
4. Haris Rauf (not had any success in red ball but he has experience playing in Australia)
5. Agha Salman can be the spinner, along with Haris Sohail if he is fit.

I was also thinking of Abbas. McGrath type bowler. Better option than hit the deck type bowler. Nasim was a total failure in last tour looked very very ordinary. May improve this time, has some experience and some wickets now besides his name. Afridi is vulnerable, out of form. Haris is not a good test bowler, he has to play a lot of first class cricket before being considered, rather take any pacer like Mir Hamza, or any other 250 plus FC wickets taking bowler with averaging around 20-22 in FC cricket.

 

[CadPakFan]

The less we talk about Rizwan in tests, the better. Don't pin your hopes on Rizwan. Babar alone cannot make much difference. Pak will need 2-3 bats consistency performing against AU. Saud Shakeel in AU is a question mark just as Abdullah. Imam will be a walking wicket against short balls - he is the weakest link. I would rather have Shan Masood over Imam in AU.

If you look at Indians visiting AU, they only were competing when the middle order started to attack AU. Pak must score as in ODI to compete with AU. If they go in a shell without being aggressive, that will only bring failures.

Okay, I know Rizwan has been a major disappointment and the fact he couldn't even score on these roads against a second-string NZ/ENG was really worrying. But, he has done better in SENA than other places, he averages 44 in Australia, 43 in New Zealand and 40 in England. These aren't earth-shattering numbers by any margin and yes some of his performances did come in dead rubbers but still doesn't change the fact he does have ability and averages higher away from home.

Saud and Abdullah are big question marks but they have shown the ability and temperament to bat for long periods of time and that's what we need in Australia, especially on the flat decks. Even then I'm not saying we'll do amazing but I'm still fairly confident that they will do better than the likes of Azhar Ali or Iftikhar.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Shaheen has potential to be successful there. But it comes down to sustaining line and length for long periods. That is how Cummins rolls there. He just does the same thing over and over for long period until you lose the patience. So is Hazlewood. You need stamina, patience, perseverence. One thing i have noticed is Pak bowlers lack patience even from the past. They always go for glory balls and get cartered around.

 

[CricVet]

Okay, I know Rizwan has been a major disappointment and the fact he couldn't even score on these roads against a second-string NZ/ENG was really worrying. But, he has done better in SENA than other places, he averages 44 in Australia, 43 in New Zealand and 40 in England. These aren't earth-shattering numbers by any margin and yes some of his performances did come in dead rubbers but still doesn't change the fact he does have ability and averages higher away from home.

Saud and Abdullah are big question marks but they have shown the ability and temperament to bat for long periods of time and that's what we need in Australia, especially on the flat decks. Even then I'm not saying we'll do amazing but I'm still fairly confident that they will do better than the likes of Azhar Ali or Iftikhar.

So let's forget about Rizwan. We will see how it goes. There are no other options available in Babar's book I guess.

If you believe that batsmen who spend more time at the crease will succeed, look no further than Azhar Ali failures and Indian middle order slogging in AU. What does it tell you? If you have a defensive mindset, get ready to fail. One must utilize the time wisely while at the crease. You can't just keep blocking ball after ball to to stretch a test match. The dynamics are changed. Play each inning as an odi and succeed. That is what Eng, Au, and NZ have been doing with success.

 

[CadPakFan]

So let's forget about Rizwan. We will see how it goes. There are no other options available in Babar's book I guess.

If you believe that batsmen who spend more time at the crease will succeed, look no further than Azhar Ali failures and Indian middle order slogging in AU. What does it tell you? If you have a defensive mindset, get ready to fail. One must utilize the time wisely while at the crease. You can't just keep blocking ball after ball to to stretch a test match. The dynamics are changed. Play each inning as an odi and succeed. That is what Eng, Au, and NZ have been doing with success.

Okay Azhar should've retired from tests after 2018, his failures in the last tour weren't really a fault in his approach but just the fact that his reflexes weren't the same and he wasn't as good as he used to be, his approach worked fine in 2016 when he got a double hundred against Australia in Australia. Even India needed someone like Pujara to play a "anchor role" in their tours and try to frustrate the bowlers. I feel like we can have Saud play that role for Pakistan.

That being said, I do agree we need to try a more aggressive approach, I'm really shocked to see how slow of a strike rate Abdullah plays at in test cricket. I think the management or someone is influencing him to do this, so we have the mindset of just trying to draw the game or he's trying to bat slower to have a higher average from the fear of being dropped. In first-class cricket, he has quite an aggressive strike rate of around 60 and his highest score was 232(262) coming at a strike rate of almost 90. So, if we can instill in their minds that he just needs to play his natural game and will be given chances for the whole series without the fear of being dropped then we can be in for some exciting cricket.

 

[castortroy]

This will be a good series.

I think we can nick a test match but we have to play the right side.

Funniest comment I have seen here

 

[castortroy]

Seriously why are pak even touring Australia.

No game will go past 3 days

 

[BaankeJi]

About lack of warm ups, now a days warm ups are useless. No country wants to give visitors a good warm up. Either they will field rookie players or pitch will be different from the actual series. There is absolutely no point.

Better play against your own players. Your players are bonafide internationals. Organize a few games within your own team. That will serve you much better.

Cancel that warm up game that you have and do as suggested above.

 

[Justcrazy]

In Australia you need bowlers who can execute the bowling plans properly , To be honest I see Aussies getting 400 plus totals in all innings.

 

[Bilal7]

1) Abdullah
2) Imam
3) Hurairah
4) Babar (c)
5) Shakeel
6) Salman
7) Sarfaraz/Rizwan (wk)
8) Shaheen
9) Naseem
10) Abbas
11) Abrar

12) Haris

This team can win a test and draw another. Especially if we get a pink ball test and Shaheen and Abbas are up for it.

 

[gazza619]

1) Abdullah
2) Imam
3) Hurairah
4) Babar (c)
5) Shakeel
6) Salman
7) Sarfaraz/Rizwan (wk)
8) Shaheen
9) Naseem
10) Abbas
11) Abrar

12) Haris

This team can win a test and draw another. Especially if we get a pink ball test and Shaheen and Abbas are up for it.

There is no chance in a million years that Pakistan will draw a test match in Australia. Unless of course it rains for 2 days.

I will give the team the target to take the game to 5th day and not loose an innings.

My XI:

1. Fakhar Zaman
2. Imam ul Haq
3. Babar Azam
4. Haris Sohail (he will need to give oath to forfeit his citizenship if he gets unfit)
5. Muhammad Rizwan
6. Agha Salman
7. Muhammad Haris
8. Shaheen Afridi
9. Haris Rauf
10. Naseem Shah
11. Muhammad Abbass

 

[CadPakFan]

There is no chance in a million years that Pakistan will draw a test match in Australia. Unless of course it rains for 2 days.

I will give the team the target to take the game to 5th day and not loose an innings.

My XI:

1. Fakhar Zaman
2. Imam ul Haq
3. Babar Azam
4. Haris Sohail (he will need to give oath to forfeit his citizenship if he gets unfit)
5. Muhammad Rizwan
6. Agha Salman
7. Muhammad Haris
8. Shaheen Afridi
9. Haris Rauf
10. Naseem Shah
11. Muhammad Abbass

On what basis would you pick Fakhar? He hasn't had a particularly good FC season from what I can recall and Muhammad Haris has played a total of 5 first-class games, that's just a disaster waiting to happen like what happened with Musa Khan in the last tour. Then Haris Rauf and Abbas?? I doubt Rauf has much experience in FC cricket and it's unlikely he's even willing to play tests after how he got taken apart by England. Abbas has shown some good form in country cricket but is unlikely to make much of an impact on the Australian flat tracks since he isn't tall and doesn't have much pace.

I'd say Abdullah or Hurraira would be better in the place of Fakhar and then maybe Sarfraz (he has a decent record in AUS) or Shadab in the place of Muhammad Haris. Then, Hassan Ali in the place of Rauf and Ihsanullah in the place of Abbas.

 

[gazza619]

On what basis would you pick Fakhar? He hasn't had a particularly good FC season from what I can recall and Muhammad Haris has played a total of 5 first-class games, that's just a disaster waiting to happen like what happened with Musa Khan in the last tour. Then Haris Rauf and Abbas?? I doubt Rauf has much experience in FC cricket and it's unlikely he's even willing to play tests after how he got taken apart by England. Abbas has shown some good form in country cricket but is unlikely to make much of an impact on the Australian flat tracks since he isn't tall and doesn't have much pace.

I'd say Abdullah or Hurraira would be better in the place of Fakhar and then maybe Sarfraz (he has a decent record in AUS) or Shadab in the place of Muhammad Haris. Then, Hassan Ali in the place of Rauf and Ihsanullah in the place of Abbas.

The only chance of us being competitive in Australia is to pick attacking players. Hence my wild card picks in Fakhar & M Haris. Abdullah Shafique is hugely inconsistent and slow and we do not want his 100 ball 20 up the order.

Our spinners are mostly rubbish on home soil, never mind down under. Hence I have an all pace attack. In a 4 man pace attack you need at least one bowler who can bow long and economical spells, hence I have picked Abbass.

Shadab is not interested in test cricket and Hassan Ali has lost it I am afraid.

 

[Saj]

You have to fight fire with fire in Australia.

Play to draw and you will more often than not get beat.

Attacking options could be useful, but they have to have the skills to play Test cricket.

 

[Bilal7]

There is no chance in a million years that Pakistan will draw a test match in Australia. Unless of course it rains for 2 days.

I will give the team the target to take the game to 5th day and not loose an innings.

My XI:

1. Fakhar Zaman
2. Imam ul Haq
3. Babar Azam
4. Haris Sohail (he will need to give oath to forfeit his citizenship if he gets unfit)
5. Muhammad Rizwan
6. Agha Salman
7. Muhammad Haris
8. Shaheen Afridi
9. Haris Rauf
10. Naseem Shah
11. Muhammad Abbass

Muhammad Haris in a test match?

I was going to call you out for making Fakhar open the innings but then you go and make an even funnier blunder.

 

[Bilal7]

People forget that we're likelier to score 500 in Australia than take 20 wickets. Our test batting is far stronger than our bowling.

 

[CadPakFan]

The only chance of us being competitive in Australia is to pick attacking players. Hence my wild card picks in Fakhar & M Haris. Abdullah Shafique is hugely inconsistent and slow and we do not want his 100 ball 20 up the order.

Our spinners are mostly rubbish on home soil, never mind down under. Hence I have an all pace attack. In a 4 man pace attack you need at least one bowler who can bow long and economical spells, hence I have picked Abbass.

Shadab is not interested in test cricket and Hassan Ali has lost it I am afraid.

Hmm, I think Abdullah Shafique playing slow was just the result of the management trying to get us to draw games. In first-class cricket, he has quite an aggressive strike rate of around 60 and his highest score was 232(262) coming at a strike rate of almost 90 so he definitely has the ability to accelerate and that combined with his solid technique make him a decent pick imo. Even then, I can see why you would want Fakhar to go in but having him ahead of Hurraira?? Have you seen his FC stats, it's absolutely criminal that they've been keeping him outside the team for so long he has an avg of nearly 70 and SR of nearly 70 in FC cricket.

Okay yeah, you make a fair point about Abbas, he's probably the only one who can play that 'workhorse' role in the bowling attack.

 

[Arsalan Pro]

Playing X1:

Abdullah Shafique
Imam Ul Haq
Babar Azam (C)
Saud Shakeel
Sarfraz Ahmed (Wk)
Iftikhar Ahmed
Agha Salman
Shaheen Afridi
Naseem Shah
Abrar Ahmed
Haris Rauf

 

[gazza619]

Muhammad Haris in a test match?

I was going to call you out for making Fakhar open the innings but then you go and make an even funnier blunder.

Our test specialists havent been breaking any records off late. Our record in Australia is beyond poor.

Dont pick a midget but a player who has half a chance of playing a Rishabh Pant like innings.

 

[Saj]

You have to have a sound technique to succeed as a batter in Australia.

T20 specialists will not work in Test matches out there.

I'd like to think that the likes of Abdullah Shafique can go there and score some decent runs.