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PCB Announce 20-man squad for T20Is versus South Africa

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The national selectors led by chief selector Muhammad Wasim today announced the Pakistan men’s 20-member squad for the three-match T20I series against South Africa which will be played in Lahore. The three matches will be played on February 11, 13 and 14.

The squad along with the officials will enter the bio-secure bubble from Wednesday, February 3, the players taking part in the Test series will join the bubble at the end of the second Test that starts in Rawalpindi on Thursday, 4 February.

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Sharjeel, Azam left out. Imad dropped.

Zahid, Zafar, Nawaz, Danish, Amad, Yamin, Hasan in.
 
Availability issues for some of the players due to Covid and playing in other tournaments it seems.
 
Mohammad Wasim saying Wahab Riaz dropped due to recent non-performances.
 
Wasim saying that whilst Fakhar Zaman has played well in the Pakistan Cup he is still lacking consistency and his performances at international level have not been up to the mark.
 
Asif Ali and Sarfraz Ahmed keep getting selected without performance. Zahid is too old, Talat/Nawaz are not suitable for T20. Rest are good selection
 
Nawaz again looks like he is getting selected in all 3 formats because of Rawalpindi bias.
 
What kind of a nonsensical squad is this?

Fakhar was the leading run-scorer in Domestic T20 Cup and one of the leading run-scorers in PSL. Malik should be in there. And Wahab should not have been dropped because of one bad series.

Not sure what the situation is on Imad and Hafeez.
 
Also, can someone explain how Sarfraz keeps retaining a place in the squad? He has done nothing but carry drinks and fail miserably with the bat in domestic cricket, in the past year.
 
Wasim saying that we have no sway on PSL franchise picks and which players get picked or not picked.

He was also saying that it's untrue that they are picking players in Tests who have performed well in T20Is and that players will get picked for the formats that they have been performed well in.
 
Thankfully fakhar zaman is not picked on misleading stats .He is terrible t20 batsmen
 
Agree with Fakhar not selected he has been awful in international matches for over 2 years now
 
Would be interesting to see Asif Ali back in the squad because he has been doing well in domestic.

Credit to M Wasim for giving Asif confidence.
 
Aamir Yamin
Faheem Ashraf
Hassan Ali
Shaheen Afridi
Haris Rauf
Mohammad Hasnain

Barring Shaheen Afridi, the rest are hit and miss.

When you look at these names, there’s just no masala. It’s like a tasteless chicken tikka.

How have we gone from bowlers that could intimidate any opposition to bowlers who can’t even make the Indian team. That says a lot.
 
Rizwan guaranteed to open with Babar then. Guessing the backup option is Haider moving up to open.

Hafeez's absence provides an opportunity for Talat/Danish/Khushdil to book a spot in the side for #5.
 
YousafTheBeast said:
Aamir Yamin
Faheem Ashraf
Hassan Ali
Shaheen Afridi
Haris Rauf
Mohammad Hasnain

Barring Shaheen Afridi, the rest are hit and miss.

When you look at these names, there’s just no masala. It’s like a tasteless chicken tikka.

How have we gone from bowlers that could intimidate any opposition to bowlers who can’t even make the Indian team. That says a lot.
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Amir Yamin and Faheem are all rounders so its obvious they wont intimidate anyone with their bowling.
Hasnain and Rauf are both fast and capable t20 bowlers. Nothing wrong with their selection.
 
In my opinion
Sarfaraz should be switched to Rohail or Azam
Nawaz, Zafar should be replaced by Asif Afridi , Sajid Khan
Salman Agha instead of Iftikhar
Khurram instead of Asif Ali
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
Also, can someone explain how Sarfraz keeps retaining a place in the squad? He has done nothing but carry drinks and fail miserably with the bat in domestic cricket, in the past year.
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Had you bothered to watch the presser, you'd see that he has tried to explain his selections.

Fakhar has been dropped because he has been struggling at international level. To remind u, he failed in the Zimbabwe T20 and ODI series as well, which is very recent.

Malik was not considered because they want To try other middle order bats that can play in both finisher and consolidator roles. This includes Talat and Danish Aziz.

Wahab was dropped because they wanted to try alternatives for the middle overs bowling position. They already had Hasnain, Rauf for those roles. They now have also recalled Amad Butt and Hasan Ali for these roles to try them. Hence Wahab was dropped.

Imad and Hafeez were unable to make the covid bubble deadline on the 3rd, after communication with both players. As they are unavailable, they are not in the squad.

Sharjeel and Azam were not picked based on fitness, but they are definitely I'm consideration as Wasim stated in the press conference. He stated that they will monitor the performances of these lads in the PSL specifically.

Regarding the Sarfaraz selection, he stated that they are using this series as a wider experiment for what batting role the keeper will play in the team.

The implication was that Babar/Misbah wanted an opening keeper option and a middle order keeper option and Rizwan and Sarfaraz are the current incumbents in those two roles respectively. He mentioned that he would specifically monitor batting position wise where Azam and Rohail will play in their PSL teams, and then compare that to Sarfaraz and Rizwan's performances in the PSL. Essentially it looks like Misbah wants to try Rizwan in the opener role for At least two games this series.

Amir Yamin was selected so that we finally have another new ball option other than Shaheen. Asif Ali has been picked because he's been in incredible form for Northern in the domestics. Nawaz is selected as a backup left arm option, if they choose to go with 2 spinners.

20 players were chosen because of covid bubble requirements.

Thus not a nonsensical squad at all, if one looks at it intelligently.
 
Looks like M Wasim has to make Misbah and other parties happy when announcing the squad.
1. Asif is a serial failure
2. Nawaz is not good for international cricket
3. Sarfraz is finished
4. Zahid is too old for long term prospect
5. Talat is not T20 player.
 
South Africa has announced a C-category team. No need to cry for Hafeez, Malik, Fakhar.

Pakistan should show some spine and try some youngsters such as Husain Talat, Danish Aziz, etc
 
YousafTheBeast said:
Aamir Yamin
Faheem Ashraf
Hassan Ali
Shaheen Afridi
Haris Rauf
Mohammad Hasnain

Barring Shaheen Afridi, the rest are hit and miss.

When you look at these names, there’s just no masala. It’s like a tasteless chicken tikka.

How have we gone from bowlers that could intimidate any opposition to bowlers who can’t even make the Indian team. That says a lot.
Click to expand...

Selections are made based on possible team combos.

Amir Yamin is an excellent choice because he has excellent new ball skills. Barring Shaheen we have no other new ball options. This atleast gives us a chance to try something new. Plus he can also bat.

Faheem whilst unspectacular, can keep things tight in the middle overs and currently is in excellent batting form. Think of him as a pace bowling version of Shadab.

Hassan Ali is another that gives you that middle overs option. Plus he can also bat.

Lastly, both Hasnain and Rauf are effectively competing for the position of middle over/death overs quick.

So we can cry about what we used to have or we can develop the players we have. These lot are the best we have and InshAllah they will do well.
 
KingOfPakBreakfast said:
Had you bothered to watch the presser, you'd see that he has tried to explain his selections.

Fakhar has been dropped because he has been struggling at international level. To remind u, he failed in the Zimbabwe T20 and ODI series as well, which is very recent.

Malik was not considered because they want To try other middle order bats that can play in both finisher and consolidator roles. This includes Talat and Danish Aziz.

Wahab was dropped because they wanted to try alternatives for the middle overs bowling position. They already had Hasnain, Rauf for those roles. They now have also recalled Amad Butt and Hasan Ali for these roles to try them. Hence Wahab was dropped.

Imad and Hafeez were unable to make the covid bubble deadline on the 3rd, after communication with both players. As they are unavailable, they are not in the squad.

Sharjeel and Azam were not picked based on fitness, but they are definitely I'm consideration as Wasim stated in the press conference. He stated that they will monitor the performances of these lads in the PSL specifically.

Regarding the Sarfaraz selection, he stated that they are using this series as a wider experiment for what batting role the keeper will play in the team.

The implication was that Babar/Misbah wanted an opening keeper option and a middle order keeper option and Rizwan and Sarfaraz are the current incumbents in those two roles respectively. He mentioned that he would specifically monitor batting position wise where Azam and Rohail will play in their PSL teams, and then compare that to Sarfaraz and Rizwan's performances in the PSL. Essentially it looks like Misbah wants to try Rizwan in the opener role for At least two games this series.

Amir Yamin was selected so that we finally have another new ball option other than Shaheen. Asif Ali has been picked because he's been in incredible form for Northern in the domestics. Nawaz is selected as a backup left arm option, if they choose to go with 2 spinners.

20 players were chosen because of covid bubble requirements.

Thus not a nonsensical squad at all, if one looks at it intelligently.
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finally comments based on what was said at the press conference ... lol sooooo many "boongiyan" in posts here lol

cannot believe people still want Fakhar and Wahab.... lllolll
 
Shafi said:
Looks like M Wasim has to make Misbah and other parties happy when announcing the squad.
1. Asif is a serial failure
2. Nawaz is not good for international cricket
3. Sarfraz is finished
4. Zahid is too old for long term prospect
5. Talat is not T20 player.
Click to expand...

Selections are made after discussing strategy with captain and coach. This actually happens in every other country too.

1. Asif has been in incredible form in domestic cricket.
2. Nawaz is a backup left armer who most likely will not play a game.
3. Sarfaraz is a backup middle order keeper who most likely will not play a game.
4. We need players who can perform in this and next year's t20 world cup. Thus currently "too old" does not matter as an excuse yo leave Zahid out, if he performs NOW.
5. Talat was incredible for the Shaheens in t20 games in the NZ tour. So he's definitely a t20 player.
 
Good thing is useless hack like Fakhar and Wahab dropped. Hopefully that's the end of them.
 
SARJ_BD said:
South Africa has announced a C-category team. No need to cry for Hafeez, Malik, Fakhar.

Pakistan should show some spine and try some youngsters such as Husain Talat, Danish Aziz, etc
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Its a real shame Bangladesh couldn't show some "spine" against West Indies Z-category team..:mw1
 
KingOfPakBreakfast said:
Selections are made after discussing strategy with captain and coach. This actually happens in every other country too.

1. Asif has been in incredible form in domestic cricket.
2. Nawaz is a backup left armer who most likely will not play a game.
3. Sarfaraz is a backup middle order keeper who most likely will not play a game.
4. We need players who can perform in this and next year's t20 world cup. Thus currently "too old" does not matter as an excuse yo leave Zahid out, if he performs NOW.
5. Talat was incredible for the Shaheens in t20 games in the NZ tour. So he's definitely a t20 player.
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Rohail has better shot range ability than Sarfraz. Sarfraz was struggling to hit few 4s last time I have seen.
 
CricketZ said:
Its a real shame Bangladesh couldn't show some "spine" against West Indies Z-category team..:mw1
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Don't think WI main teams are that good either. Last time BD destroyed them in World Cup. WI players cannot play spin at all.
Also, Hafeez may be ok but Malik, Sarfraz, Wahab and Fakhar are finished and we should invest on younger players.
 
Shafi said:
Rohail has better shot range ability than Sarfraz. Sarfraz was struggling to hit few 4s last time I have seen.
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Rohail IS in consideration, along with Azam. The team management will use this series to iron out where they want the wicket keeper to bat. They will then look at PSL performances of all players and then select the best options, including Rohail.

This squad is still a work in progress squad. The PSL will be used to separate the good from the bad, including Sarfaraz vs Rohail.
 
KingOfPakBreakfast said:
Selections are made after discussing strategy with captain and coach. This actually happens in every other country too.

1. Asif has been in incredible form in domestic cricket.
2. Nawaz is a backup left armer who most likely will not play a game.
3. Sarfaraz is a backup middle order keeper who most likely will not play a game.
4. We need players who can perform in this and next year's t20 world cup. Thus currently "too old" does not matter as an excuse yo leave Zahid out, if he performs NOW.
5. Talat was incredible for the Shaheens in t20 games in the NZ tour. So he's definitely a t20 player.
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Sohaib Maqsood in much beeter form than Asif since national T20. Asif being Misbah's favorite is no more a secret
 
It was a decent squad selection IMO, there was some stuff that could have been improved upon.

Firstly, only one of Amad Butt or Aamir Yamin should have been selected because both are almost identical. I'd personally go with Aamir Yamin because he's pretty established, but Amad is a good option if you're considering the future.

The same applies with Mohammad Nawaz and Zafar Gohar, both are essentially the same and relatively the same age as well, so only one should have made the squad leave less of a headache for the team selection.

Asif Ali was a mind boggling selection for me, because he's been tried across ODIs and T20Is and hasn't produced the desired results. I agree that his recent performances might seem excellent, but the bowling quality in the Pakistan Cup was utterly pathetic to say the least. I watched fast bowlers bowl on the 6th stump and then get swatted around, there was no controlled bowling which I saw, and it bloats the batting stats of the batsmen who participated in the tournament.

Azam Khan should have really been selected, he showed some good performances at high strike rates and it is clear that he has the ability to smash the ball well, however, his fitness remains a major concern. If he could improve on his fitness, he'd convert the 20-30 scores he makes into 40s and 50s, which would be incredible for our team.

Sharjeel Khan was another omission which struck me as confusing, because other than Fakhar, he is really the only attacking opening batsman that I have seen in domestic cricket, albeit Haider Ali is also contending for the same slot. Even Sharjeel isn't an ideal player, but there's something I think we should look for in an opening batsman. You see, Babar is a right-hander who prefers the off-side with cuts and drives. If we can find either a RHB who is strong on the leg side, or a LHB who's strong on the off-side, that would be the best combination IMO, but nobody from domestic really stands out right now.

I'd give the squad selection a 7.5/10, because it considered some good players but had some notable omissions.

I think I can sense what Mohammad Wasim is going to do with Asif Ali, he's going to make him open the batting alongside Babar, which could work potentially.

I'd go into the first T20 with:

Babar Azam (c)
Mohammad Rizwan
Haider Ali
Hussain Talat
Danish Aziz
Iftikhar Ahmed/Asif Ali
Zafar Gohar/Mohammad Nawaz
Faheem Ashraf
Usman Qadir
Haris Rauf
Shaheen Shah Afridi

I'd take Nawaz over Zafar purely because Nawaz can bowl in the powerplay, so Imad's presence won't be missed entirely.

Haris should bowl more in the middle overs IMO, whereas Faheem bowls in the PP where he can keep it tight.

Usman bowls completely in the middle overs.
 
YousafTheBeast said:
Aamir Yamin
Faheem Ashraf
Hassan Ali
Shaheen Afridi
Haris Rauf
Mohammad Hasnain

Barring Shaheen Afridi, the rest are hit and miss.

When you look at these names, there’s just no masala. It’s like a tasteless chicken tikka.

How have we gone from bowlers that could intimidate any opposition to bowlers who can’t even make the Indian team. That says a lot.
Click to expand...

Aamir Yamin and Faheem Ashraf are pretty decent IMO. They're reliable all-rounders, and can bowl both in the powerplay and the MO.

Hasan Ali leaks a lot of runs, and so does Haris Rauf. But Haris has a much better T20 arsenal and better form than Hasan Ali, so I'd go with him.

Shaheen is an exceptional bowler for our standards.

Hasnain is pretty good, he's changed his action and has produced some good results in recent times with the control he's shown. I think that he should definitely get some game time.

In truth, all of these bowlers (except for Aamir Yamin because he's old) have potential, but the issue lies in player development. India can take a bowler as raw as Musa Khan and turn him into an amazing bowler through player development, whereas we'll probably let him rot in the domestic system.

However, we are lucky that most of our bowlers have the skillset to succeed in T20 cricket. Almost everyone has a banging yorker, and can target the stumps nicely. Some can reverse the ball, and we have some good death over options too.

They're all young, so let's give them some time to show what they can.
 
Good luck making a half-decent XI out of that. Sharjeel should've been picked.
 
Mohammed Hafeez and Imad Wasim being unavailable because they can't make the Covid bubble in time is inexcusable. This series has been planned for a long time and so neither player can argue that they were caught off guard. If either player wanted to play for Pakistan ahead of some stupid T10 league, they would have ensured their availability.

Mohammed Hafeez in particular acts all high and mighty when he talks about Mohammed Amir and how Amir doesn't have the desire to play for Pakistan and would rather play leagues. What a hypocrite.
 
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UzmanBeast said:
It was a decent squad selection IMO, there was some stuff that could have been improved upon.

Firstly, only one of Amad Butt or Aamir Yamin should have been selected because both are almost identical. I'd personally go with Aamir Yamin because he's pretty established, but Amad is a good option if you're considering the future.

The same applies with Mohammad Nawaz and Zafar Gohar, both are essentially the same and relatively the same age as well, so only one should have made the squad leave less of a headache for the team selection.

Asif Ali was a mind boggling selection for me, because he's been tried across ODIs and T20Is and hasn't produced the desired results. I agree that his recent performances might seem excellent, but the bowling quality in the Pakistan Cup was utterly pathetic to say the least. I watched fast bowlers bowl on the 6th stump and then get swatted around, there was no controlled bowling which I saw, and it bloats the batting stats of the batsmen who participated in the tournament.

Azam Khan should have really been selected, he showed some good performances at high strike rates and it is clear that he has the ability to smash the ball well, however, his fitness remains a major concern. If he could improve on his fitness, he'd convert the 20-30 scores he makes into 40s and 50s, which would be incredible for our team.

Sharjeel Khan was another omission which struck me as confusing, because other than Fakhar, he is really the only attacking opening batsman that I have seen in domestic cricket, albeit Haider Ali is also contending for the same slot. Even Sharjeel isn't an ideal player, but there's something I think we should look for in an opening batsman. You see, Babar is a right-hander who prefers the off-side with cuts and drives. If we can find either a RHB who is strong on the leg side, or a LHB who's strong on the off-side, that would be the best combination IMO, but nobody from domestic really stands out right now.

I'd give the squad selection a 7.5/10, because it considered some good players but had some notable omissions.

I think I can sense what Mohammad Wasim is going to do with Asif Ali, he's going to make him open the batting alongside Babar, which could work potentially.

I'd go into the first T20 with:

Babar Azam (c)
Mohammad Rizwan
Haider Ali
Hussain Talat
Danish Aziz
Iftikhar Ahmed/Asif Ali
Zafar Gohar/Mohammad Nawaz
Faheem Ashraf
Usman Qadir
Haris Rauf
Shaheen Shah Afridi

I'd take Nawaz over Zafar purely because Nawaz can bowl in the powerplay, so Imad's presence won't be missed entirely.

Haris should bowl more in the middle overs IMO, whereas Faheem bowls in the PP where he can keep it tight.

Usman bowls completely in the middle overs.
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Mate, I appreciate the measured analysis here, but I'll point to a couple of things:

1) You are right that there seem to be identical selections in the squad ( I.e. Butt/Yamin and Nawaz/Gohar). However because they've picked a larger 20 man squad because of covid reasons, some of the components are interchangeable.

2) You are right in that Asif Ali is a failure given his previous international outings. However, he's maybe made some technical adjustments to be more effective? I think his performances will give us the final answer on that.

3) Waseem mentioned that Sharjeel and Azam were not picked currently based on fitness, but will be looked at again during the PSL. Azam was specifically mentioned by Wasim a couple of times. I think there's also thinking that they may give Rizwan the while series as an opener to see how he does.
 
I would like to see Danish Aziz selected for playing XI and see how he fares against an international team. He has been hyped by Karachiites and advertised as a power-hitter and match-finisher after he made 20-runs in a over against highly-ineffective medium version of Iftikhar Ahmad in national t-20. In the ongoing Pakistan cup I saw him again hitting sixes on spinner version of Iftikhar Ahmad in a match.

Disappointed to see that son of Moin Khan is seriously considered by selectors as a direct competition of Rohail Nazir for same spot of Wicket-keeper. Now Azam Khan is masqueraded as wicket-keeper so that he is easily adjusted in t20 and ODI. The same people who wanted return of Kamran Akmal as wicket-keeper to t20 squad of national team, will now cheer for Azam Khan. I feel bad for Rohail Nazir and other proper wicketkeepers who made entry through proper channels.
 
Markhor said:
Good luck making a half-decent XI out of that. Sharjeel should've been picked.
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Agreed. This is a rubbish squad. Looks like we've put all our eggs in one basket - Barbar.

Sharjeel and Fakhar should both be in the squad. As I've said in my previous post, Hafeez and Imad should be in the squad too and the fact that both are unavailable because they are playing leagues and so won't make the Covid bubble in time, well, both should hang their heads in shame. Clear case of prioritising leagues over national duty.
 
Markhor said:
Good luck making a half-decent XI out of that. Sharjeel should've been picked.
Click to expand...

Sharjeel was left out for fitness reasons like Azam. However, Waseem stated that they'll still keep an eye on Sharjeel during the PSL. Do the door there is definitely ajar for Sharjs.

This series will give a good opportunity for middle order bats like Talat and Aziz to establish themselves.

Thus it doesn't have to be a half decent eleven, as long as we get some positives out of the series.
 
Shafi said:
Looks like M Wasim has to make Misbah and other parties happy when announcing the squad.
1. Asif is a serial failure
2. Nawaz is not good for international cricket
3. Sarfraz is finished
4. Zahid is too old for long term prospect
5. Talat is not T20 player.
Click to expand...

Agree with point 1 to 3. Age does not matter, fitness and capability does. As for Talat he is kind of player wer need to finish the match, he is very good bat and can hit long easily. He can also chip in with bowling.
 
I do not want Shaheen Afridi playing a single game of this series. Should be rested against a South Africa C team but that's shows our desperation I guess.

If he does, and then plays a full programme of PSL matches, Misbah and Waqar will have blood on their hands.
 
Looks more like a PSL local Gold and silver category list than a national squad list
 
Where is Dilbar Hussain? The only decent T20 bowler in Pakistan?
 
I missed part of the press conference but heard Mohammad Wasim talking about covid protocols and players who are playing in the T10 not available. But then Asif Ali has been picked who is playing in the T10.
 
Usman said:
Agreed. This is a rubbish squad. Looks like we've put all our eggs in one basket - Barbar.

Sharjeel and Fakhar should both be in the squad. As I've said in my previous post, Hafeez and Imad should be in the squad too and the fact that both are unavailable because they are playing leagues and so won't make the Covid bubble in time, well, both should hang their heads in shame. Clear case of prioritising leagues over national duty.
Click to expand...

This is an excellent squad.

Fakhar, last seen, was struggling against *Zimbabwe* in white ball cricket. Sharjeel' s fitness is dire, yet Waseem explicitly stated that he will be focussed and considered during the PSL.

Imad asked for some family time as he has been in repeated covid bubbles since August. Given that players aren't bloody machines, this is a fair request.

Hafeez couldn't make it in time to join the squad on the 3rd of Feb, when the new covid bubble begins.

This squad actually allows for new middle order and new ball options to be experimented on. So, again, it's an excellent squad, if you can put your whinging and wrist slitting aside.
 
Why are we crying for fatties like Sharjeel and Azam? They need to get their act together and sort out their fitness before being considered for the national team. It’s an ok squad where the best available options have been picked imo other than Asif and Nawaz.
 
Saj said:
I missed part of the press conference but heard Mohammad Wasim talking about covid protocols and players who are playing in the T10 not available. But then Asif Ali has been picked who is playing in the T10.
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Essentially Asif could join by the third of Feb but Hafeez couldn't. That's why one was picked and not the other.
 
Rana said:
Where is Dilbar Hussain? The only decent T20 bowler in Pakistan?
Click to expand...

He's an actual PSL gold/silver category member innit. I think he'll be considered if he has a good PSL. Unfortunately he's at the back of the middle overs bowling que behind Haris, Hasnain, Hasan and Wahab
 
KingOfPakBreakfast said:
He's an actual PSL gold/silver category member innit. I think he'll be considered if he has a good PSL. Unfortunately he's at the back of the middle overs bowling que behind Haris, Hasnain, Hasan and Wahab
Click to expand...

He matched Shaheen Afridi in the last PSL. Also he is a crucial middle overs bowler+key wicket taker
 
Rana said:
Hassan trundler Ali picked and Dilbar Hussain left out?
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Also, trundler has been incredible in the domestics with both bat and bowl, whilst Starboy Dilber blew out his hammies playing BBL. Wish him well though, hopes he recovers and smashes it for LQ in the PSL.
 
Rana said:
He matched Shaheen Afridi in the last PSL. Also he is a crucial middle overs bowler+key wicket taker
Click to expand...

I'd argue that that's debatable. He had more eye catching dismissals, but was also expensive, had a no ball issue and is an atrocious fielder, even by Pakistani standards.

I'd love for Dilber to progress, but he ain't it mate, not at this moment.
 
Such an underwhelming squad. Expect SA to clean sweep us if they bat second in all games.
 
KingOfPakBreakfast said:
Had you bothered to watch the presser, you'd see that he has tried to explain his selections.

Fakhar has been dropped because he has been struggling at international level. To remind u, he failed in the Zimbabwe T20 and ODI series as well, which is very recent.

Malik was not considered because they want To try other middle order bats that can play in both finisher and consolidator roles. This includes Talat and Danish Aziz.

Wahab was dropped because they wanted to try alternatives for the middle overs bowling position. They already had Hasnain, Rauf for those roles. They now have also recalled Amad Butt and Hasan Ali for these roles to try them. Hence Wahab was dropped.

Imad and Hafeez were unable to make the covid bubble deadline on the 3rd, after communication with both players. As they are unavailable, they are not in the squad.

Sharjeel and Azam were not picked based on fitness, but they are definitely I'm consideration as Wasim stated in the press conference. He stated that they will monitor the performances of these lads in the PSL specifically.

Regarding the Sarfaraz selection, he stated that they are using this series as a wider experiment for what batting role the keeper will play in the team.

The implication was that Babar/Misbah wanted an opening keeper option and a middle order keeper option and Rizwan and Sarfaraz are the current incumbents in those two roles respectively. He mentioned that he would specifically monitor batting position wise where Azam and Rohail will play in their PSL teams, and then compare that to Sarfaraz and Rizwan's performances in the PSL. Essentially it looks like Misbah wants to try Rizwan in the opener role for At least two games this series.

Amir Yamin was selected so that we finally have another new ball option other than Shaheen. Asif Ali has been picked because he's been in incredible form for Northern in the domestics. Nawaz is selected as a backup left arm option, if they choose to go with 2 spinners.

20 players were chosen because of covid bubble requirements.

Thus not a nonsensical squad at all, if one looks at it intelligently.
Click to expand...

Thank you! This was very helpful
 
KingOfPakBreakfast said:
Had you bothered to watch the presser, you'd see that he has tried to explain his selections.

Fakhar has been dropped because he has been struggling at international level. To remind u, he failed in the Zimbabwe T20 and ODI series as well, which is very recent.

Malik was not considered because they want To try other middle order bats that can play in both finisher and consolidator roles. This includes Talat and Danish Aziz.

Wahab was dropped because they wanted to try alternatives for the middle overs bowling position. They already had Hasnain, Rauf for those roles. They now have also recalled Amad Butt and Hasan Ali for these roles to try them. Hence Wahab was dropped.

Imad and Hafeez were unable to make the covid bubble deadline on the 3rd, after communication with both players. As they are unavailable, they are not in the squad.

Sharjeel and Azam were not picked based on fitness, but they are definitely I'm consideration as Wasim stated in the press conference. He stated that they will monitor the performances of these lads in the PSL specifically.

Regarding the Sarfaraz selection, he stated that they are using this series as a wider experiment for what batting role the keeper will play in the team.

The implication was that Babar/Misbah wanted an opening keeper option and a middle order keeper option and Rizwan and Sarfaraz are the current incumbents in those two roles respectively. He mentioned that he would specifically monitor batting position wise where Azam and Rohail will play in their PSL teams, and then compare that to Sarfaraz and Rizwan's performances in the PSL. Essentially it looks like Misbah wants to try Rizwan in the opener role for At least two games this series.

Amir Yamin was selected so that we finally have another new ball option other than Shaheen. Asif Ali has been picked because he's been in incredible form for Northern in the domestics. Nawaz is selected as a backup left arm option, if they choose to go with 2 spinners.

20 players were chosen because of covid bubble requirements.

Thus not a nonsensical squad at all, if one looks at it intelligently.
Click to expand...

Good post. Well explained and it's fair to say that it's a good squad when all things are considered.

Also I've been very impressed by Mohammad Wasim so far. He seems a very intelligent selector, who aims to build a squad and not just pick players because they are popular or flavour of the month like previous selectors.
 
KingOfPakBreakfast said:
This is an excellent squad.

Fakhar, last seen, was struggling against *Zimbabwe* in white ball cricket. Sharjeel' s fitness is dire, yet Waseem explicitly stated that he will be focussed and considered during the PSL.

Imad asked for some family time as he has been in repeated covid bubbles since August. Given that players aren't bloody machines, this is a fair request.

Hafeez couldn't make it in time to join the squad on the 3rd of Feb, when the new covid bubble begins.

This squad actually allows for new middle order and new ball options to be experimented on. So, again, it's an excellent squad, if you can put your whinging and wrist slitting aside.
Click to expand...

1. Both Fakhar and Sharjeel have performed well domestically and better than everyone else. If that isn't the basis of selection then what is?

2. I don't blame Imad for wanting some family time BUT he only plays in limited over matches for Pakistan unlike Barbar, Rizwaan, Shaheen etc. So the fact that he's been in Covid bubbles since August is because he chose to play leagues when not on Pakistan duty. This series has been planned for a long time and if Imad really wanted to play for Pakistan, he would have missed some league between now and the end of the limited overs leg of the NZ tour to be with his family. Playing all the leagues and then missing Pakistan duty to be with family is inexcusable.

3. Hafeez again has known about this series for a long time. He should have made sure that he was back in time to join the Covid bubble. The fact that he is not is a CHOICE he has made, to prioritise league cricket over international duty. After all the high and might talk Hafeez has given to the media regarding Amir all these years, this really us shameful behaviour from Hafeez. If it is impossible to join the Covid bubble in time, then how is Asif doing it despite playing in the same league as Hafeez?

4.I'm all for trying new talent, but most of the guys in this squad are very average ability cricketers. We didn't become the number 1 T20 side in the world based on average ability. We had the bowling attack to choke the best batting line up in the world 9 times out of 10. This bowling line up is quite the opposite.
 
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Shaka81 said:
Good post. Well explained and it's fair to say that it's a good squad when all things are considered.

Also I've been very impressed by Mohammad Wasim so far. He seems a very intelligent selector, who aims to build a squad and not just pick players because they are popular or flavour of the month like previous selectors.
Click to expand...

That's it mate. The most refreshing thing is, he's been very transparent about his selections and non selections. Thus there's little avenue for controversy and for the press to make a story out of things
 
KingOfPakBreakfast said:
Sharjeel was left out for fitness reasons like Azam. However, Waseem stated that they'll still keep an eye on Sharjeel during the PSL. Do the door there is definitely ajar for Sharjs.

This series will give a good opportunity for middle order bats like Talat and Aziz to establish themselves.

Thus it doesn't have to be a half decent eleven, as long as we get some positives out of the series.
Click to expand...

I don't think it's a bad squad and in many ways reflects the limited talent depth in Pakistan. Hussain Talat, Danish Aziz, Aamer Yamin and Amad Butt are rewarded for National T20 performances. I'm not a fan of the toothless Imad-Shadab spin duo so happy to see plenty of spin options with Zafar Gohar, Usman Qadir, Zahid Mahmood and Mohammed Nawaz.

MW has "dropped well" too. No Musa Khan and Abdullah Shafique never should've debuted so soon. Wahab Riaz cannot complain about his axing.

However the batting still has all the flaws from New Zealand. Yes Hafeez's unavailability made things difficult, but the opening partnership is too one dimensional with Babar and Rizwan both lacking a power game yet no backup opener is selected. Khushdil is a leg-side hack and Asif Ali cannot concentrate for longer than 10 balls.
 
Need some thought from brother [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION], [MENTION=79064]MMHS[/MENTION], [MENTION=291]junaid[/MENTION] @ Thunderbolt
 
Abdullah Shafique plays 3 T20I's and now dropped from all international squads and unpicked in PSL. What a mess.

And can they please please rest Shaheen? He does not need to be playing this series, he's looking lost.
 
I guess Sharjeel and Azam are also unavailable due to T10. Talk about priorities :facepalm.

Still M Waseem could have done better. Rohail could have been selected in place of Sarfraz (only there because of Karachi media). He mentions that an attacking opener is required to complement Babar and than selects no one for that role. Zeeshan Malik/Ali Imran/Nasir Nawaz or some other attacking opener should have been selected. M Wasim jr of KP could have been looked. Its not a bad squad but expected better from M Wasim.
 
Firebat said:
Abdullah Shafique plays 3 T20I's and now dropped from all international squads and unpicked in PSL. What a mess.

And can they please please rest Shaheen? He does not need to be playing this series, he's looking lost.
Click to expand...

I missed that, what is Shaheen doing in T20s :mw1.
 
Shafi said:
Need some thought from brother [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION], [MENTION=79064]MMHS[/MENTION], [MENTION=291]junaid[/MENTION] @ Thunderbolt
Click to expand...

I think it’s a very decent squad. And I’m loving the fact that - unlike Misbah - every decision is justified publically.
 
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