Pakistan turn up the pace...but how?

[mastimasti]

Pakistan's pacers have the second best bowling average in all test cricket this year so far, 21.92 vs South Africa's 20.17 and yet they have spent the majority of the year playing test cricket in Bangladesh, Pakistan and the West Indies, none of which have pitches or atmosphere for fats bowling with swing and seam.

So how did they do it? Especially with such an inexperienced bowling line up?

 

[hoshiarpurexpress]

Pakistan's pacers have the second best bowling average in all test cricket this year so far, 21.92 vs South Africa's 20.17 and yet they have spent the majority of the year playing test cricket in Bangladesh, Pakistan and the West Indies, none of which have pitches or atmosphere for fats bowling with swing and seam.

So how did they do it? Especially with such an inexperienced bowling line up?

Barring SA, the quality of batters of BD and West Indies was poor.

 

[mastimasti]

Barring SA, the quality of batters of BD and West Indies was poor.

That is not an explanation but a cop out. if the quality of batters is poor than Pakistan has fielded pace bowlers with little FC experience, both cancel each other out. Not to mention Hasan Ali coming back from injury, ditto Abbas.

To also do this in extremely unfavorable conditions, in particular Pakistan and Bangladesh is no joke.

It goes to show how far Hasan Ali has come and just how exceptional Afridi is, just at 21 years of age. The fact that a team like England for instance with infinitely more resources can't produce the same is a question worth dissecting, or even India, averaging 27, while having a chance to play for tests in a wet, cool summer in England.

 

[Pakhs]

That is not an explanation but a cop out. if the quality of batters is poor than Pakistan has fielded pace bowlers with little FC experience, both cancel each other out. Not to mention Hasan Ali coming back from injury, ditto Abbas.

To also do this in extremely unfavorable conditions, in particular Pakistan and Bangladesh is no joke.

It goes to show how far Hasan Ali has come and just how exceptional Afridi is, just at 21 years of age. The fact that a team like England for instance with infinitely more resources can't produce the same is a question worth dissecting, or even India, averaging 27, while having a chance to play for tests in a wet, cool summer in England.

These averages will shoot up massively once they tour Australia.

 

[street cricketer]

Subcontinent conditions are not exactly "extremely unfavourable bowling conditions" for fast bowlers. You always have the reverse swing to work with. Otherwise Shami and Yadav wouldn't be averaging 14 and 16 at home for the last 3 years. UAE can be terrible, but usually you can work with the subcontinent conditions, even as a fast bowler.

Extremely unfavourable bowling conditions are the wickets you saw in the 2014 Indian tour of Australia or the one where Cook batted till the cows came home and scored a double century in the last boxing day Ashes test on a complete road. When the ball neither swings (because kookaburra), neither there is swing on offer, the wicket is a road and the outfield is lush (so no chance of reverse swing), that is a nightmare for fast bowlers. In India, you have the SG ball which almost has a seam of the same size that the Dukes have, the outfield is often dry and the abrasive wickets aid the quicks in producing reverse swing.

 

[Savak]

Shaheen and Hassan are very good bowlers. They were not necessarily bowling on flat pancakes in Zimbabwe, West Indies and Bangladesh. Even the Pakistani wickets have something in it for the pacers with the new ball.

I will be curious if both the pacers are capable of replicating the performance in the UAE

 

[mastimasti]

Shaheen and Hassan are very good bowlers. They were not necessarily bowling on flat pancakes in Zimbabwe, West Indies and Bangladesh. Even the Pakistani wickets have something in it for the pacers with the new ball.

I will be curious if both the pacers are capable of replicating the performance in the UAE

The Zimbabwe pitches were flat, but thats a weak line up. The Windies pitches are crap these days (used to have some juice in the 80s and early to mid 90s).

I can imagine the averages will rise when they play Aus for example, flat pitches there but also decent enough batsmen but considering how inexperienced the line up is (7 bowlers tried) I just thought it was remarkable coming second to SA and above Eng, NZ, Ind and Aus, all more experienced line ups, often bowling in better conditions and let's be honest, sometimes against weaker sides too.

 

[Mamoon]

Shaheen has come off age this year. Until now he didn’t perform against the stronger lineups in Tests but I believe he will do much better from now onwards.

He looks a better bowler now and his first spells are as good as Wasim Akram’s.

I don’t rate Hassan much anymore. To me it seems like he is waiting to get exposed by good batting lineups just like he was exposed in the shorter formats.

 

[mastimasti]

Shaheen has come off age this year. Until now he didn’t perform against the stronger lineups in Tests but I believe he will do much better from now onwards.

He looks a better bowler now and his first spells are as good as Wasim Akram’s.

I don’t rate Hassan much anymore. To me it seems like he is waiting to get exposed by good batting lineups just like he was exposed in the shorter formats.

Yep . he did not turn up when he was playing his first first class game or 2 as a teenager

 

[Mamoon]

Yep . he did not turn up when he was playing his first first class game or 2 as a teenager

No need of posting smileys. Learn to understand the point first. Shaheen was already doing very well in white ball cricket at the time but he wasn’t bowling well in Tests.

So clearly there was something missing in his Test bowling and he was found that spark this year. He looks more confident and in control now.

 

[mastimasti]

No need of posting smileys. Learn to understand the point first. Shaheen was already doing very well in white ball cricket at the time but he wasn’t bowling well in Tests.

So clearly there was something missing in his Test bowling and he was found that spark this year. He looks more confident and in control now.

Yes, but speaking about a teenager not doing well or being up to scratch is a joke...because you know, it's a teenager. He still showed signs of skill.

In all honesty, I'm just waiting for your posts about how crap the attack i after one bad performance