Pakistan's pace attack in Tests going forward

[Square Drive]

I have already named Hassan Ali. He is ready for test cricket. I didn't see Junaid Khan bowl in BPL but if he is bowling as good as 2012, he is another alternative. And then you have M Abbas and Mir Hamza who are of the same pace as Imran Khan. Mir Hamza was highlighted by Wasim and Abbas has topped bowling charts for 2 consecutive years. Atif Jabbar is supposed to be the quickest in domestic. Now granted I haven't seen the domestic performers, 1-2 are bound to be good.

You can't carry fast bowlers averaging 35+, namely Rahat and Sohail, and expect to win test matches. Rahat and Wahab deliver 2 out of 10 times, highly inconsistent. But if I had to drop 2 fast bowlers, it would be Rahat and imran. If 3, sohail because his fitness is not upto intl standards.

There is no quality fast bowling all rounder at the moment. Hammad Adam had a decent season but his pace is slightly better than Yamin. Inzimam rates Fahim Ashraf but I haven't seen him. So no need to force a medicine all rounder to the test team just for the sake of an all rounder. Play 4 regular bowlers.

Again, I really don't think Hasan/Junaid should be inducted in the Test side without even cementing their places in the LOI sides. We've seen enough Talhas, Tanvir Ahmeds, Sohail Khans (1.0), Ehsan Adil (raw) being thrown into the Test side, only to disappoint. If Hasan can keep it up for another few months and if Junaid can make a successful comeback to the ODI side then yes I'm all for it.

Hamza and Abbas I agree seem to be suited more towards Tests (unlike Hasan & Junaid) and they should indeed start international career through Test cricket. Don't know much about Jabbar.

Why on earth would you drop Imran? If you're interested in averages, he has the best averages among pacers in our squad at the moment. Averages 26 after all but one Test in UAE, and you want him dropped just because you think someone can do better? That makes no sense. You judge based on performance, not hypothetical situations.

Open to dropping Rahat (with Asif the replacement) but Sohail has shown something with the bat and there can be a better way to utilize him, which is in a 5-man attack in my opinion. In a 4-man attack, yes, I agree that he should not play.

You can see Pakistan playing with 4 bowlers at the moment and the result is in front of you. They're failing to take 20 wickets and are being run into the ground.

Yamin has shown he has potential with the limited chances he's been given internationally, only to be dropped for no particular reason. What wrong has he done in the first place? He most definitely deserves a recall.

Haven't seen Fahim yet so don't know much about him. Personally like Hammad but he's been out of international action for just so long now.

Like a broken record. But but we can't know for sure that what is coming is any better.
Who can predict the future with 100% certainty? What selection system ever operated
on this logic.

Lots of bowlers doing well in domestics. The last ones who were promoted from the domestic ranks, Sohail and Hasan, have been better than Rahat and Wahab and Amir.

Yet we should be afraid to give more chances to newcomers. Because resting Wahab for 4-5 Tests in favor of someone who averages literally 10 points better than him in domestics is a risk we can't live with.

Because 'doing just about enough to keep their place' is how you believe one produces excellence these days.

Each one of our current pacers can be of great use in the side if utilized properly under a legit captain who has guts, bar maybe Rahat.

Yeah well done for pinpointing Sohail and Hasan while conveniently ignoring Talha, Tanvir, etc. You also seem to forget how everyone was drooling over Rahat when he was performing in domestics, and now you're crying for him to be axed.

I hope through this post I've provided reasons for retaining at least 4/5 of these bowlers.

I fully acknowledge that Wahab is inconsistent, which is why I believe he should not be an automatic selection (see post #64) and should be rotated.

 

[New Yorker]

Again, I really don't think Hasan/Junaid should be inducted in the Test side without even cementing their places in the LOI sides. We've seen enough Talhas, Tanvir Ahmeds, Sohail Khans (1.0), Ehsan Adil (raw) being thrown into the Test side, only to disappoint. If Hasan can keep it up for another few months and if Junaid can make a successful comeback to the ODI side then yes I'm all for it.

Hamza and Abbas I agree seem to be suited more towards Tests (unlike Hasan & Junaid) and they should indeed start international career through Test cricket. Don't know much about Jabbar.

Why on earth would you drop Imran? If you're interested in averages, he has the best averages among pacers in our squad at the moment. Averages 26 after all but one Test in UAE, and you want him dropped just because you think someone can do better? That makes no sense. You judge based on performance, not hypothetical situations.

Open to dropping Rahat (with Asif the replacement) but Sohail has shown something with the bat and there can be a better way to utilize him, which is in a 5-man attack in my opinion. In a 4-man attack, yes, I agree that he should not play.

You can see Pakistan playing with 4 bowlers at the moment and the result is in front of you. They're failing to take 20 wickets and are being run into the ground.

Yamin has shown he has potential with the limited chances he's been given internationally, only to be dropped for no particular reason. What wrong has he done in the first place? He most definitely deserves a recall.

Haven't seen Fahim yet so don't know much about him. Personally like Hammad but he's been out of international action for just so long now.



Each one of our current pacers can be of great use in the side if utilized properly under a legit captain who has guts, bar maybe Rahat.

Yeah well done for pinpointing Sohail and Hasan while conveniently ignoring Talha, Tanvir, etc. You also seem to forget how everyone was drooling over Rahat when he was performing in domestics, and now you're crying for him to be axed.

I hope through this post I've provided reasons for retaining at least 4/5 of these bowlers.

I fully acknowledge that Wahab is inconsistent, which is why I believe he should not be an automatic selection (see post #64) and should be rotated.

I don't think we are really that much in disagreement. What would have been the point of Talha and Tanvir? That sometimes selections don't come off? And with this information one does what, stop inducting new players?

I was responding A. to the manifestly false contention that everyone who has been given a cap in recent times has been a dud. B. to the intimation that one can run a selections policy without taking risks.

As for Rahat, I certainly wasn't drooling over him. If he would be an example of anything it is A. that its probably a good bet most of the time to pay attention to domestic performance B. one should cut one's losses sooner rather than later.

 

[AliMurtaza]

It's early but Imran Khan getting exposed now. Best opportunity to prove himself otherwise can't complain being dropped for WI.

I hope Inzimam and co have the guts to chop dead wood in form of Rahat, Sohail and Imran for WI. Wahab should be next if he doesn't improve in WI and Bangladesh.

 

[New Yorker]

It's early but Imran Khan getting exposed now. Best opportunity to prove himself otherwise can't complain being dropped for WI.

I hope Inzimam and co have the guts to chop dead wood in form of Rahat, Sohail and Imran for WI. Wahab should be next if he doesn't improve in WI and Bangladesh.

He can if he's dropped ahead of Wahab, who is older, more expensive, less penetrative, has a worse domestic record, and has had 23 Tests to come good, compared to Imran's 9.

 

[The_KING]

Amir should be the first one dropped. He is a garbage bowler

 

[Syed1]

Completely demolishing and resurrecting of the bowling line up is in order. Amir should be sent to the bench for his lack of penetration. Sohail, Imran and Rahat need to be sent into forced retirement. I'd still keep Wahab around since he is the only one who is showing some semblance of coming good. Yasir has shown that he is completely useless anywhere outside UAE (yes he came good in 2 tests in England, but those pitches were more like Dubai and Sharjah than like Lords or Old Trafford)

My bowlers in the squad:

1. Muhammad Asif (quite sad that even after six years we haven't found a single bowler who can even polish Asif's shoes, he needs to be brought back)

2. Muhammad Abbas (I've seen him bowl and think he is a run-of-the-mill type domestic bowler, but you have to reward good performance and he has been doing really well in domestics)

3. Wahab Riaz (enforcer)

4. Any 20-25 year pacer who has fire in his belly and pace in his shoulders (PP'ers rave about Ghulam Mudassir, well lets give him a chance and see what he is made off)

5. Asghar (should be our premier bowler from here on)

6./7. Amir and Yasir (if you must)

 

[Rayyman]

People calling for Amir to be dropped and for domestic performances to be rewarded are deluded. Amir will absolutely rip apart sides in domestics. Especially with the green pitches so far this season.

 

[Indiafan]

People calling for Amir to be dropped and for domestic performances to be rewarded are deluded. Amir will absolutely rip apart sides in domestics. Especially with the green pitches so far this season.

Maybe he will get some of his confidence back after ripping those sides?

 

[Brilliance]

For subcontinent pitches and WI I will have.

1 Wahab.
2 Amir.
3 Abbas.
4 Irfan ( Lahore Qalender ).

For places like SA, AUS, ENG, NZ I will have.

1 Wahab.
2 Amir.
3 Irfan ( Lahore Qalender).
4 Ehsan.
5 Abbas.
6 Yamin.

 

[Bewal Express]

And just to think that the guys in domestic cricket are even worse than shambles that are in Australia. The good thing to come out of this will be the total disappearance of IK, just not good enough. I got the feeling that he was being played, like Guli in the ODI's to sink or swim and it was sink.