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Pakistan's Biggest Wasted Talent XI

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The Googly

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Pakistan has produced some astonishing talent in its cricketing history. Many all time greats have come from Pakistan. Name such as Imran, Javed , Wasim, Waqar , Inzi, Moyo, Zaheer and many others are legends. Pioneers such as Sarfraz and Saqlain should also not be discounted.

However, due to a variety of reasons, several players did not join the true legends list that their talent warranted.

Here is my PAKISTAN WASTED TALENT 11 :

1. Younis Ahmed : A top draw player. Hugely successful career with Surrey. He had the talent to be a top international player but due to a mixture of bad luck and bad attitude, he never made the grade.

2. Shoab Mohammed : A gutsy, gritty opening bat. He performed well overseas in UK and Windies. However, due to bad luck mainly, he never made the impression he promised.


3. Hasan Raza : The child prodigy. Was considered a genius. But only played a handful of tests and disappeared from the scene quickly.

4. Basit Ali : A wonderful talent. Miandad Mark 2. Just look at his 100 on Youtube v Ambrose and co. Tore them apart. But faded away for unknown reasons.


5. Umar Akmal : A wonderful talent when he was young. Wasted it due to stupidity and lack of discipline and effort.

6. Kamran Akmal : In 2006, we all thought we had a wonderful keeper batsman. Played som great knocks - especially against India in Karachi. Then he went downhill. I blame him totally. Lack of hard work, discipline and a dodgy person. All cost him dearly.


7. Wasim Raja : Should have been considered an all time great all rounder.Tore the Windies apart in Windies. Failed to reach the heights his talent deserved.

8. Zahid : A wonderful talent. Injury cost him dearly.


9. Asif : A wonderful bowler and a very dodgy and stupid person. Hence, a prime candidate for this list.

10. Shoaib : Another wonderful bowler. But did he reach his full potential? I think not.


11. Mohammed Akram : Very unlucky to be around at the same time as the two Ws. He had everything. Just could not play enough games.
 
How are you guys forgetting Fawad Alam? His first class record is second to none, average is above 50, bizarre that he is not picked
 
hadi123 said:
How are you guys forgetting Fawad Alam? His first class record is second to none, average is above 50, bizarre that he is not picked
Click to expand...

A true shining talent?

Yes. Also think Azhar Mahmood was wasted, he's been a useful player for many T20 teams
 
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Nice thread

Sharjeel
Asif
Amir
Raza
Riaz

in last 10 years. These guys destroyed themselves.
There are countless who are destroyed by system including some popular names like Afaq, Sadaf etc
 
My username Haris, Babar, and Sarfraz's 5 years each were also wasted but still hope they have successful careers.
 
Fawad Alam, obviously. More talented than any other current Pakistani player. Unlike most of the others on the list, he did not waste his own talent - the PCB wasted it.
 
Asif could truly have been a world beater... he is the one I feel worst about. Him and obviously also the unjust mishandling of FAWAD ALAM.

I would also say that Shahid Afridi never lived up to his talent either. Ought to have been much better.

Azhar Mahmood was mishandled. Could have had a much longer career.

Danish Kaneria, another fixer, never achieved greatness because of.... Kamran Akmal :)

Shabbir Ahmed, 50+ wkts in 10 tests, but lost out due to injury.

Aizaz Cheema, although I don't know what his stats were like at his peak age, but we played Mohammad Sami for so many years when I am sure Cheema would have been better - fast and way more accurate than Sami, but Pakistani selectors have their own special 'genius' when it comes to decisions... Same 'geniuses' who played Kamran Akmal for so many years.

Taufeeq Umar was never given a fair chance... deserved more, but we kept playing Farhat.........!

Writing this post is making me angry so I will stop here.
 
I personally wouldn't include the likes of Afridi, Imran Nazir, Azhar Mahmood or anyone who got quite a lot of chances. Sure, they were talented but if they were genuinely THAT good, they would've shone. Anyway, I really like your list. However, instead of Hasan Raza, I'd include Yasir Hameed. The guy hit tons for fun and had a phenomenal debut match. Raza was good but was never really did anything that would include him into the list of potential greats.

Another player for this list is Fawad Alam.
 
Looking at Fawad Alam bat - he looks such an unstylish player and one feels that top bowlers would have had a field day with that stance (yes, Chanderpaul, Smith etc proved differently).

Shahid Afridi I agree. He SHOULD have achiievdd more. Imran Nazir also belongs here.

I'm also thinking Abdur Razzak. At one point, he looked a world beater. Didn't achieve what he should. Same for Azhar Mahmood - but i blame the selectors/management in is case.
 
I would also add Mohammad Sami to the XI - he was a fine talent. Imran Khan said out of all the players he's worked with Sami was the only who didn't live up to his expectations.
 
Remember watching Yasir Hameed's centuries on debut and thought he'd be our opener for the next five years. Looked such a classy player.

His downfall was his poor judgement of his off-stump and I think he struggled against Kumble a few times.

Another was Asim Kamal. He may not have been the most naturally talented batsman but he was gritty and scored against some good attacks.
 
imran nazir
azhar mahmood
misbah ulhaq (could we have benefited in having him introduced earlier)
imran tahir (before he left for sa)
fawad alam
asif
 
The likes of Yasir Hameed, Imran Nazir and now Umar Akmal had all the potential in the world but unfortunately had very little between their ears that's why they're massive wastes of talent.

The bowling equivalent of them would be Sami.
 
ExpressPacer said:
I personally wouldn't include the likes of Afridi, Imran Nazir, Azhar Mahmood or anyone who got quite a lot of chances. Sure, they were talented but if they were genuinely THAT good, they would've shone. Anyway, I really like your list. However, instead of Hasan Raza, I'd include Yasir Hameed. The guy hit tons for fun and had a phenomenal debut match. Raza was good but was never really did anything that would include him into the list of potential greats.

Another player for this list is Fawad Alam.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I think there is a difference between underachieving and being a wasted talent. Those who had long careers cant be afforded the title of wasted talent.

For me, the top ones are Mohammad Asif, Shoaib Akthar, and Mohammad Wasim that I have seen in my time.

We all know Asif's story. Shoaib has mostly himself to blame but having friction with captains like Wasim and Inzi certainly spoiled his potential.

Mohammad Wasim I have a soft spot for. When he came, he seemed world class, and he seemed to do well under Wasim's captaincy. He had a complete straight bat and excellent shot selection. But he wasnt given a long run in the team, and even when he was played, he was constantly shifted in the batting lineup and ended up put as opener which was a waste.

Asim Kamal was another. He was not the most talented but had guts and played well in Australia, India and West Indies. He seemed a perfect no.6, consistent and reliable. But he had one poor test against England and was out of the side.

Mohammad Zahid I am not so enamored with. He had extreme pace but was not so accurate, and if you see him bowling alongside Shoaib in the early days, it was clear Shoaib was a more dangerous bowler.
 
Forgot to also mention Umar Akmal. Really tragic to see what has happened to him after his first series in NZ-Australia.
 
Markhor said:
Remember watching Yasir Hameed's centuries on debut and thought he'd be our opener for the next five years. Looked such a classy player.

His downfall was his poor judgement of his off-stump and I think he struggled against Kumble a few times.

Another was Asim Kamal. He may not have been the most naturally talented batsman but he was gritty and scored against some good attacks.
Click to expand...

That game against NZ where he and Imran Farhat scored twin centuries and we made 280 odd to win, I was like hell yeah we have good openers again. Think it was right after the 2003 WC, so after a lot of turmoil they looked like a beacon of hope.

100 different opening pairs later...
 
Suleiman said:
That game against NZ where he and Imran Farhat scored twin centuries and we made 280 odd to win, I was like hell yeah we have good openers again. Think it was right after the 2003 WC, so after a lot of turmoil they looked like a beacon of hope.

100 different opening pairs later...
Click to expand...

I started following cricket sometime around the period where the Farhat - Hameed opening pair was going great guns.

I remember they put on five consecutive hundred partnerships (or something like that) against NZ and I recall thinking 'Wow we have world-beater openers'... :srt
 
asim kamal was a poor player and his pathetic first class record proves that

he played a few good innings at the start of his career but then started to struggle due to which he got dropped

because of his short career people have developed sympathy for him but the fact is that he was not international material and not even prolific enough for domestic cricket
 
Leo23 said:
asim kamal was a poor player and his pathetic first class record proves that

he played a few good innings at the start of his career but then started to struggle due to which he got dropped

because of his short career people have developed sympathy for him but the fact is that he was not international material and not even prolific enough for domestic cricket
Click to expand...

Asim Kamal played innings under pressure in Australia, India and West Indies. Then he had one poor test at home against England and was dropped. Seems unfair and should have been given a long run. Was a potentially solid no.6.
 
subshakerz said:
Asim Kamal played innings under pressure in Australia, India and West Indies. Then he had one poor test at home against England and was dropped. Seems unfair and should have been given a long run. Was a potentially solid no.6.
Click to expand...

he had mediocre records in both domestic and international cricket. a batsman who averaged in the 30s in first class cricket and has an average of 37 in test cricket is the definition of mediocrity
 
Leo23 said:
he had mediocre records in both domestic and international cricket. a batsman who averaged in the 30s in first class cricket and has an average of 37 in test cricket is the definition of mediocrity
Click to expand...

After Asim Kamal was dropped, the likes of Faisal Iqbal batted in the middle order... So yeah I would have preferred if Asim got a longer run.
 
I don't think Shoaib Akhtar should be in there. He did his part whenever he played and I don't think his career could be stretched more. Injuries prevented him.

ASIF is definitely # 1 in the list when it comes to WASTED TALENT
 
In the last decade

Nasir Jamshed (unfit)
Umar Akmal (lack of motivation)
Mohamed Irfan (debuted too late and injuries)
Raza Hasan (Looked like a very talented spinner before drug abuse)
Ahmed Shahzad (Ego)
Haris Sohail (injuries)
Mohamed Asif (fixing)
Sohaib Maqsood (thought Pak discovered one more Inzi)
 
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Maqsood is a very good shout. Fawad has been unfairly treated by the board for reasons only known to themselves, we all feel favouritism has played its part but the actual truth will all be revealed once Fawad has retired.
 
Shoaib did pretty well didn't have a world class career but is definitely one of the best bowlers from sub continent.. His career could have been better but he still did enough compared to the likes of Zahid and Asif
 
Surprised Taufeeq Umar hasn't been mentioned more- especially given he was around when PCT desperately needed a decent opener.
 
Imran Nazir had everything except for the eye and endurance.

He was the most sehwag-esque player we have ever had. Crispy shots with brute force, sweetening sound off the blade for every shot in the textbook. He had it all. But never had the brain to harness his potential. Everytime, a little pressure would mount, he would throw his wicket away by awkwardly nicking behind for a half hearted shot.
Later in his career, he was always moving towards the leg while facing fast bowlers, whether a hint of horror or lack of patience to restrict his arm swing.
If coached well, and if he had been serious about his career himself, he could have been atleast 70% of Sehwag. Sadly, he developed osteoarthritis, which means we might not be able to see him playing domestic cricket of any kind again.
 
Arshad Khan if, had been born a decade laer would have been an ideal spinner in this era. Bowled a good probing line with a few big turners. Would have been ideal for lefties of this era.
 
How akmal are wasted talent. Both failures played more than 200 international games and made a fortune.

As compare to genuine talents like
Asim Kamal
Imran Nazir
Hammad Azam
etc
these cheaters played a lot.
 
Yasir Hameed, Mo Asif, Asim Kamal, Mo Zahid, Mo Irfan, Qasim Umar, Tasleem Arif, Aamir Malik, Aamir Nazir, Danny Kaneria and Basit Ali come to mind. Did not see all of them play but have heard that they were class whose career ended due to all the internal politics within the PCB.
 
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Here is the self destructed/discarded/ignored for non cricketing reasons team that could probably beat Pakistan current team. I am not including current 15 players because they are still selectable.

- Sharjeel
- Khalid Lateef or Nasir Jamshed
- Salman Butt
- Fawad Alam
- Umer Akmal
- Abdur Razzaq
- Adnan Akmal
- Mohd Sami
- Mohd Asif
- Danish Kaneria
- Mohd Irfan
 
Asim Kamal comes the first person in mind what a fine batsmen he was.. He made such an impact in the few matches he played
Azhar Memood:- pakistan lost on a genuine allrounder due to foolishness of Aamir sohail the selector.
Saqlain Mushtaq:- Again was on top of his game when he was discarded by foolish selectors Couldnt get into rhythm after that.
Imran Nazir:- One of the best talent but didnt do justice to his talent he is the one to blame for it.
Aqib Javed :- should have achieved way more then what he actually did. Pakistan had just wonderful bowling line up those days that he could make into playing 11.
 
The great Imran Farhat!!!:)) Faisal Iqbal could have been given some more chances. He was better then many, not as bad as many of his critics think. Bazid Khan as well.
 
From what I have seen

Imran Nazir
Ahmed Shehzad
Asim Kamal
Umar Akmal
Fawad Alam
Kamran Akmal ( a bit harsh but i felt he could have done a lot better with the bat )
Anwar Ali
Mohammad Zahid
Mohammad Asif
Shoaib Akhtar (misused horribly)
Mohammad Sami (why oh why did no one teach him how to swing a ball)
 
sali said:
Here is the self destructed/discarded/ignored for non cricketing reasons team that could probably beat Pakistan current team. I am not including current 15 players because they are still selectable.

- Sharjeel
- Khalid Lateef or Nasir Jamshed
- Salman Butt
- Fawad Alam
- Umer Akmal
- Abdur Razzaq
- Adnan Akmal
- Mohd Sami
- Mohd Asif
- Danish Kaneria
- Mohd Irfan
Click to expand...

There is nothing against Adnan Akmal. He is probably the most sensible out of all 3 Akmals, hasn't made any stupid comments to the media compared to the other 2. He was in the team, got injured, Sarfraz replaced him and at the time we all thought Sarfraz was rubbish as his international career didn't start well and now he is our captain in all 3 formats.
 
Nazir would be up there for me.

Afridi as well if the guy didnt degrade himself to become a circua clown and just try to smash every ball for 6 for the lulz he could have become a world class LOI batsman. Those odd occasions when he played sensibly. he proved himself to be a very good rotator of strike and ofc he always had that amazing power to clear the ropes. Should have ended with a 35 avg rather than 23.

Umar Akmal enough said.

Akhtar n Asif for obvious reasons.

i think Sami had everything but he just buckled under pressure wasnt mentally strong enough at the top level.
Hameed also was another one who had a lot of talent.
 
The very stylish Wasim Raja should have represented Pak far more then he did as IK says in his autobiography. He did not do justice to his incredible talent. Others that come to mind are Ashraf Ali, Aizaz Cheema, Sohail Khan, Fazl-e-Akber, Tauseef Ahmed, Tahir Naqqash, Ijaz Faqih, Manzoor Elahi, Mohsin Kamal and Jalal-ud-Din.
 
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Saleem Jaffer as well. Very good left arm pacer who should have played more.
 
Asif Mujtaba. He was a good and solid left hander who played a good many matches. Don't remember much of him other then he was another wasted talent who we just seem to have thrown out of the team for no good reason. Batted at number three for a while scoring good runs.
 
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