Pakistan's preparations for the upcoming Test season

[samiakh]

We should have a Haddin vs Hick XI type match prior to the SL tour. If the current coaching staff is still there it could be a Flower vs Azhar XI match.

Flower XI
Imam
Abid Ali
Shan Masood
Azhar Ali
Asad Shafiq
Babar Azam
Sarfaraz
Bilal Asif
Zafar Gohar
Hamza
Ilyas

Azhar XI
Ahmed Shezad
Haider Ali (just for experience)
Umer Amin
Haris Sohail
Usman Salahudin
Saad Ali
Mohd Rizwan
Yasir
Hasan Ali
Shaheen
Abbas

The first choice bowlers should bowl to the first choice batters. Thoughts?

 

[Junaids]

There needs to be a clear understanding that the bowling attack should be completely different for the home Sri Lanka and away Australia Tests - literally not a single bowler should play in both series.

 

[Junaids]

In the UAE my bowling attack would be:

7 Iftikhar Ahmed
8 Zafar Gohar
9 Wahab Riaz
10 Yasir Shah
11 Hasan Ali.

But in Australia it would be:

7 Shadab Khan
8 Faheem Ashraf
9 Mohammad Amir (yes, I know)
10 Shaheen Shah Afridi
11 Mohammad Abbas

 

[moghul]

In the UAE my bowling attack would be:

7 Iftikhar Ahmed
8 Zafar Gohar
9 Wahab Riaz
10 Yasir Shah
11 Hasan Ali.

But in Australia it would be:

7 Shadab Khan
8 Faheem Ashraf
9 Mohammad Amir (yes, I know)
10 Shaheen Shah Afridi
11 Mohammad Abbas

Faheem Ashraf as test bowler ? Are you for Pakistan or an Australian team supporter ?

 

[Junaids]

Faheem Ashraf as test bowler ? Are you for Pakistan or an Australian team supporter ?

He is the fifth bowler, and fourth quick.

His job is to keep the three Specialist quick bowlers able to bowl shorter spells.

He was dropped for the first two Tests in South Africa six months ago. When he played the Third Test he did this:

15-2-57-3
0
14-2-42-3
15

How can he not be picked in Australia after doing that in identical conditions in South Africa?

 

[Junaids]

Faheem Ashraf as test bowler ? Are you for Pakistan or an Australian team supporter ?

In that Centurion Test, Faheem took 6-99 (bowling average of 16.50) while the rest of the attack took 14-466 (average 33.29).

So he was literally twice as good as Amir, Abbas and Hasan Ali.

Shadab, by the way, contributed:

10-2-39-1
5
11.3-0-41-3
47 not out

So Shadab in South Africa in one Test did more than Yasir Shah did in 2:

Yasir Shah:
5 and 5
0-79
4 and 0
0-24
1-20

Shadab Khan:
Batting: 52 runs in 2 innings, average 52.
Bowling: 4 wickets in 1 Test, average 20.0.

Yasir Shah:
Batting: 14 runs in 4 innings, average 3.50.
Bowling: 1 wicket in 2 Tests, average 123.0.

It strikes me that in Australia in November, Faheem and Shadab should be automatic selections in the World Test Championship.

 

[Hasan123]

He is the fifth bowler, and fourth quick.

His job is to keep the three Specialist quick bowlers able to bowl shorter spells.

He was dropped for the first two Tests in South Africa six months ago. When he played the Third Test he did this:

15-2-57-3
0
14-2-42-3
15

How can he not be picked in Australia after doing that in identical conditions in South Africa?

Because Steve Smith and David Warner will take him apart on those flat pitches.


Other than England winning games at home your dumb theory doesn’t seem to work. India are top of the rest rankings and it’s due to specialist players doing their job.

Kohli and Pujara are the main 2 batters. Shami and Bumrah in terms of pace bowling. Ashwin and Jadeja make the team on bowling merit first and most of the team do the job.

Your theory is fantasy. Especially when it comes to all rounders, Faheem and Shadab don’t make the test team on batting or bowling merit alone.