Pakistan's World Test Championship pathway is opening up!

[Minnowbasher]

India just beat full strength Australia in Australia without Kohli and 10 journeyman. Hope you enjoyed it.

Australia didnt have warner...
Jokes you humiliated Australia congrats but dont get ahead of yourself there are still 2 tests to play.
I still remember australian fans going crazy when they humiliated a full strength india in the 1st test in india in 2017 and yet they ended up losing the series which pretty much killed any excitement from that first test.

 

[YousafTheBeast]

What's the MO of Pakistani wickets?

How are they different to the UAE ones if at all they are? Do they have more pace, bounce and movement? If they do, then New Zealand has a much better bowling attack that can take advantage. Their batters too are more accustomed to play in those type of conditions.

And if you're implying that there are absolute flatbed batting paradises , then there's no "home advantage" there too as New Zealand has comfortably the better batting lineup.

And at last if you're implying that they assist spinners a lot more, then we saw how Pak capitulated to Ajaz Patel and Somerville last time around in the UAE so not much hope there as well. And arguably, NZ have better players of spin (Williamson, Taylor, Watling etc) than Pakistan.

Point is....NZ are a much better test team than Pakistan and have all bases covered. So it wouldn't matter where they're playing. Home advantage works when the opposition has glaring weakness in one area (Ban Vs Eng/Aus , SL Vs Aus/RSA) or if the two teams concerned are almost evenly matched (Ind Vs Aus, Eng Vs Ind, Pak Vs SL etc).....

So no. Pakistan wouldn't make New Zealand look anything like Pak in Australia.

The UAE pitches are completely dead, very slow and has low bounce, much harder to play down the line which is why most of the runs come from cut shots and sweep shots. Pindi wicket for example will have more bounce, the ball comes on to the bat better, offers more for the bowlers. UAE is a batsman’s paradise until day 5, win the toss bat first and you’ll win 99% of the times regardless of the opposition.


You’re absolutely right, NZ have all bases covered, getting out for 90 and 8 of those wickets coming from spin would suggest that they’re really good at playing spin.

I’m gonna save this and we’ll come back to it when NZ tour Pak, hopefully next year

 

[Rajdeep]

Australia didnt have warner...
Jokes you humiliated Australia congrats but dont get ahead of yourself there are still 2 tests to play.
I still remember australian fans going crazy when they humiliated a full strength india in the 1st test in india in 2017 and yet they ended up losing the series which pretty much killed any excitement from that first test.

The joke is actually on OP who claimed that apart from Kohli & Bumrah rest of Indian players are journeyman. Now we just beat full strength Australia team at their home without Kohli and 10 journeyman. So its obvious at times like these people will remind him for these absurd posts.

Indian bowling attack is actually very sharp and not sure if Warner would have made much difference here.

 

[Mamoon]

We seem to be on track.

 

[MMHS]

You know as well as I do that Inzamam bequeathed Misbah a team in which EIGHT of the starting eleven in his final Test were aged 20-29.

Now Misbah has discarded akmost all the players at their peak, and NOT A SINGLE SPECIALIST BATSMAN is aged under 30.

This is not an international team. It is one incompetent buffoon's fantasy of turning the national team into a Nursing Home for Ailing Seniors.

You didn’t share your “thoughts” for bowling .....

 

[Nikhil_cric]

[MENTION=132916]Junaids[/MENTION], Pakistan are playing 6'6" Shaheen, the next gen Fred Trueman, a quality fast bowling all rounder in faheem and a spinner who can bat in Zafar. What ails the bowling attack now? Is Abbas holding them back?

 

[Junaids]

You didn’t share your “thoughts” for bowling .....

Yes, I did.

I consider underage raw cricketers to be just as poor a selection as geriatric has-beens.

Naseem Shah has all the potential in the world but he’s rather short, and whereas Shaheen was ready at 19, Naseem is not.

I’ve told you before: I’d have ensured that Mohammad Amir agreed to play SENA Tests and I’d have had the following attack:

7. Shadab Khan (Zafar is ok as a deputy)
8. Faheem Ashraf
9. Mohammad Amir
10. Hasan Ali
11. Shaheen Shah Afridi

[MENTION=132916]Junaids[/MENTION], Pakistan are playing 6'6" Shaheen, the next gen Fred Trueman, a quality fast bowling all rounder in faheem and a spinner who can bat in Zafar. What ails the bowling attack now? Is Abbas holding them back?

Naseem is not ready, he’s a work on progress.

Shaheen and Faheem are fine.

I’d have had Mohammad Amir and Hasan Ali instead of Abbas.

 

[Varun]

Naseem is not ready, he’s a work on progress.

Yourself, a few months ago:

For anyone who is excited by Naseem Shah - and I am - half the excitement is that he has many of the attributes that Fred Trueman had.

He's a little bit shorter, but he has that beautiful side-on action which creates the possibility of both generating away swing but also bringing the ball back into the right-hander. And he is a similar pace to Trueman too.

 

[Junaids]

Yourself, a few months ago:

Yes!

He has the ATTRIBUTES that Fred Trueman had.

But Trueman made his Test debut aged 21, having played three full years of county cricket in which he took 31, 31 and 90 wickets.

You have to learn to bowl. And BOTH Shaheen and Naseem are still learning, and I’ve come to the conclusion that only one of them can be picked at a time.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Yes, I did.

I consider underage raw cricketers to be just as poor a selection as geriatric has-beens.

Naseem Shah has all the potential in the world but he’s rather short, and whereas Shaheen was ready at 19, Naseem is not.

I’ve told you before: I’d have ensured that Mohammad Amir agreed to play SENA Tests and I’d have had the following attack:

7. Shadab Khan (Zafar is ok as a deputy)
8. Faheem Ashraf
9. Mohammad Amir
10. Hasan Ali
11. Shaheen Shah Afridi



Naseem is not ready, he’s a work on progress.

Shaheen and Faheem are fine.

I’d have had Mohammad Amir and Hasan Ali instead of Abbas.

Aamir is not a realistic option. His average speed was barely 132 kph in South Africa , he's two years older now and is 5'11". Hasan is only 5'8". The great short fast bowlers of the past were at least 5'10" - Harris, Steyn, Marshall etc. And Hasan is no where near as quick as those guys! I'm surprised you, of all people are calling for his selection. Pakistan's fast bowling stocks maybe at its lowest point then!

 

[globalcitizen]

Is pathway still open?!

 

[UzmanBeast]

Is pathway still open?!

No, Pakistan cannot qualify by any means.

 

[UzmanBeast]

Aamir is not a realistic option. His average speed was barely 132 kph in South Africa , he's two years older now and is 5'11". Hasan is only 5'8". The great short fast bowlers of the past were at least 5'10" - Harris, Steyn, Marshall etc. And Hasan is no where near as quick as those guys! I'm surprised you, of all people are calling for his selection. Pakistan's fast bowling stocks maybe at its lowest point then!

I disagree. Look at Hasan Ali and what he has done on flat pitches in this FC season. It's quite remarkable.

He has bowled well for us in the past, and he should be given an opportunity in test matches. After the likes of Amir and Shaheen, the only talented bowler who comes to mind was Hasan Ali. The guy was a beast in 2017-2018, but injuries came in the way of that progress. Now he's back and he's fit, and he's still one of our best.

 

[Mamoon]

Luckily there is no relegation system in this Test Championship. We would be fighting for survival now.

 

[Varun]

Junaids should be given honorary Pakistani citizenship for his mere enthusiasm, just like Darren Sammy was.

Still counting on him to bump this thread up with some niche scenario that Pakistan can qualify with Afghanistan whitewashing New Zealand at Dunedin or some such.

 

[MenInG]

Aint happening as per ICC release today:

The remaining teams – Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the West Indies and Bangladesh – will not be able to reach the final even if they win all their remaining fixtures.

 

[MenInG]

With India's defeat to South Africa - Is there a glimmer of hope for Pakistan to proceed to the finals?

 

[Napa]

With India's defeat to South Africa - Is there a glimmer of hope for Pakistan to proceed to the finals?

More than a glimmer, it is blazing wildfire. To get to the final, Pakistan's biggest challenge now would be to beat Australia in Pakistan, which should not be difficult.

If the final is played in England, Pakistan has a pretty good chance of winning it all as it usually does well in English conditions.

 

[Sarwar89]

More than a glimmer, it is blazing wildfire. To get to the final, Pakistan's biggest challenge now would be to beat Australia in Pakistan, which should not be difficult.

If the final is played in England, Pakistan has a pretty good chance of winning it all as it usually does well in English conditions.

I think Pakistan will see of Australia 2-0
Away Sri lanka probably 1-0 as well
Current England and current New zealand are not good in Asian conditions anymore.

So it is all for taking.

 

[gazza619]

Pakistan's biggest challenge now would be to beat Australia in Pakistan, which should not be difficult.

Thanks for possibly jinxing Pakistan’s chances mate.

 

[Napa]

Thanks for possibly jinxing Pakistan’s chances mate.

I try...

Jokes apart, I fully expect Pakistan to reach the WTC final.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Pakistan are favourites to win the WTC now. India are struggling and Pakistan's route is the easiest of all teams. Should be a cakewalk.

 

[Maher96]

Pakistan are favourites to win the WTC now. India are struggling and Pakistan's route is the easiest of all teams. Should be a cakewalk.

Stranger things have happened before. We could well play the perfect host in upcoming Series vs AUS or later ENG . I think its still everything than a Cakewalk as we are talking about Pakistan.