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PCB Announce 20-man squad for T20Is versus South Africa

Probably more chance of hell freezing over than asif butler ali producing any meaningful performance at international level
 
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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Thanks for a detailed explanation of the selections and presser.
 
Honestly khushdil shah is worst off side player ive ever seen play in internationals
 
Out of all the fast bowlers in Pakistan who could be in contention we end up with hasan ali against aamer yamin for the new ball
With a rich culture in t20 cricket from having the likes of Umar gul, we now have no specialist t20 bowlers
Haris rauf is not in form and hasan ali will be back to pyjama cricket before too long
Sharjeel khan and azam khan join ahmed shahzad and umar akmal on the treadmill
While our vegetarian batsmen struggle to hit anything other than leg side hoicks
 
Decent Squad except for M Nawaz and Asif Ali again, he is just a slogger. In addition need to add an attacking opener atleast in the squad so that if Rizwan openining project fails then there is someone in squad for future series, or third T20. Perhaps Waqas M could have been selected as well.
 
The only main issue I have is lack of attacking openers, I think there should have been atleast one alongside Haider in the squad. Wasim mentioned that “Attacking opener who can complement Babar” which is fair point but only Haider is there for that role.

Good to see Aamir Yamin and Amad Butt in the squad. Aamir Yamin is one of the few pacers who can move the new ball consistently and Amad is decent in the middle overs with his accuracy and can utilize reverse with slight sling in his action pretty well. Yamin is a pretty decent lower middle order bat in his day while Amad can hit a few as well in the lower order. So overall both provide decent skillset and combinations for T20 cricket.

Mohammad Nawaz is only spin bowling all rounder after Shadab and Imad so not sure who were some people expecting to be picked. Zafar is there as well after he has done decently in the ongoing Pakistan Cup with both bat and ball.

Zahid Mehmood is a pretty good inclusion in my opinion, was the only one who was able to trouble Hafeez and Malik in National T20 cup this much who probably are still the best players of spin around. Have been consistently among the top wicket takers across the formats in this season of domestic cricket. Has decent control while bowling his leggies and a pretty decent wrong one to go with it.

Danish Aziz has played some freakish knocks this year in white ball cricket and handy with the ball too. Most impressive thing his been his calm and composure at the crease in some difficult situations. Good addition.

Hasan once fit was obviously going to make Pak squad across the formats. He is one of the most impactful bowler we have, yes his form can vary but on his good day he is one of the only ones who can win a match for his side.

Asif Ali is making a come back, I hope he has worked upon his issues of playing against the line when he tries too hard to go big. He can play offside as well as legside but, his short selection and execution at international level wasnt great so if he has improved on that than its fine considering he has done well in white ball cricket this season.
 
Finally a squad without Malik Hafeez and wahab and now all of a sudden everyone’s saying we need them in. This won’t be SA strongest team so good time to experiment
 
silentkiller187 said:
Finally a squad without Malik Hafeez and wahab and now all of a sudden everyone’s saying we need them in. This won’t be SA strongest team so good time to experiment
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Hafeez’s unavailability (not dropping) has been explained, this is a chance for the young guns to show their worth. Aamer Yamin is a great new ball bowler and I remember that while seeing him play for Karachi Kings. Only exclusion I’m baffled by is Zeeshan Malik.
 
Shoaibbtt said:
Hafeez’s unavailability (not dropping) has been explained, this is a chance for the young guns to show their worth. Aamer Yamin is a great new ball bowler and I remember that while seeing him play for Karachi Kings. Only exclusion I’m baffled by is Zeeshan Malik.
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Tbf Hafeez could probably still do a job but like I said this is not SA strongest team so we can afford to test out some new players, I’m sure as series goes on more and more domestic performers will be selected. Just listening to waseem he sounds more clued on then a lot of our previous selectors and that is a start
 
I would go for this XI for 1st T20 Shaheen must take rest...

1) Babar Azam
2) Muhammad Rizwan (WK)
3) Haider Ali
4) Iftikhar Ahmed
5) Danish Aziz
6) Asif Ali
7) Muhammad Nawaz
8) Aamer Yamin
9) Usman Qadir
10) Haris Rauf
11) Muhammad Hasnain
 
He wants an opener that provides explosive starts in the power play but then ignores Sharjeel. Having said that will be interesting to see how some new faces cope
 
ritzy_123 said:
I would go for this XI for 1st T20 Shaheen must take rest...

1) Babar Azam
2) Muhammad Rizwan (WK)
3) Haider Ali
4) Iftikhar Ahmed
5) Danish Aziz
6) Asif Ali
7) Muhammad Nawaz
8) Aamer Yamin
9) Usman Qadir
10) Haris Rauf
11) Muhammad Hasnain
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I would rather watch paint dry
 
shaz619 said:
He wants an opener that provides explosive starts in the power play but then ignores Sharjeel. Having said that will be interesting to see how some new faces cope
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By the comments from Wasim as well as Misbah when he was CS, fitness is only thing currently between Sharjeel and return to international cricket. PSL would be an important gage as per Wasim for both Sharjeel and Azam Khan.
 
Pretty weak squad on the batting front.

It's either Babar or bust.

I understand Wasim's motives but a very risky move as people will bash him if they lose against SA.

Will guys like Haider, Ifti and Khushdil finally step up? That's the main question here.
 
Could of maybe picked that kpk guy sahibzada farhan as an opener seems to be in the form of his life.
 
It's worrying at the lack of batsmen. Shaheen should have been given a rest, can't keep playing him every single match in every single format.

Very unbalanced squad, relying on the all rounders too much.
 
Prince of Pakistan said:
Pretty weak squad on the batting front.

It's either Babar or bust.

I understand Wasim's motives but a very risky move as people will bash him if they lose against SA.

Will guys like Haider, Ifti and Khushdil finally step up? That's the main question here.
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I believe the T20 SA squad is pretty weak regardless, I think a few of our guys should be rested especially Shaheen who is being beaten like a government mule by the PCB
 
Titan24 said:
By the comments from Wasim as well as Misbah when he was CS, fitness is only thing currently between Sharjeel and return to international cricket. PSL would be an important gage as per Wasim for both Sharjeel and Azam Khan.
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Sharjeel seems to have lost a bit of weight and done well in FC cricket recently to, Azam shouldn’t be in contention regardless right now but his body type is a bit deceiving
 
This appears to be very much an experimental squad helped by SA already announcing they'll be sending their C team.

The batting is weak for this series but by the time the WC comes around Hafeez will be back so the rest are fighting for the other available spaces.

Bowling looks very raw without Shaheen who hopefully gets a rest. Hopefully giving more experience to Rauf, Hasnain and Qadir is the point though and i hope all 3 play every game.

Would like to see Nawaz and Asif Ali play too. Both have kicked on their abilities recently.
 
shaz619 said:
Sharjeel seems to have lost a bit of weight and done well in FC cricket recently to, Azam shouldn’t be in contention regardless right now but his body type is a bit deceiving
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Sharjeel and Azam are lucky that the selector even bothered to mention them. I would have ignored them entirely after their decision to go and play the most utterly pointless league that exists and skip the OD cup finals.
 
I'm just here laughing, so funny to see people getting worked up over a useless T20I squad.
 
I think this series will be make or break for Asif Ali, if he has not shown improvement in technical areas and shot selection then I think his international career is over. It’s best to find out now rather than just before the World Cup. If he has sorted himself out he’s an ideal player T20 lower hitter for us, but that’s a big IF.
 
Imad Wasim has not been picked in the squad due to family reasons.
 
Pretty disappointed that neither of Rohail Nazir, Sharjeel or Azam Khan were selected. I expected all three in the squad, especially with Hafeez not being there.

Instead we get a comeback from Asif Ali, who's been given an extended T20 and ODI run, but has still been a total disaster.

This squad is just very bowler heavy. They will have difficult time crossing 150, even with Babar doing well
 
Ayubhbaloch said:
Good Team Finally Aamir Yamin is in
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I am not pleased just to see him in the twenty man squad I want to see him in the main playing 11. Both in the T20 and ODIs. And he should be given in long run in the team. He should have been picked a few years ago.
 
CricketZ said:
Its a real shame Bangladesh couldn't show some "spine" against West Indies Z-category team..:mw1
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What a terrible reply, and definitely one that betrays the massive insecurity of our fans. He's right. It's South Africa C and we should be trying out new combinations.
 
Amirforpresident said:
What is Sarfraz doing in a t20 lineup? Should have been Rohail Nazir.
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Absolutely, that is my only objection , but a strong one , to this squad. Its ridiculous to keep Sarfraz, who should have been dropped 4 years ago, in the squad. Rohail has done more than enough to be the 2nd keeper, if not ahead of Rizwan. Haris should be in line behind Rohail .
 
Muhammad Kaleem said:
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.
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Really? It's T20. Azam Khan, even with all that poundage, is a much better T20 batsman than Rohail Nazir. Rohail Nazir should be aiming for a test spot at the moment, or really work on his power hitting if he's interested in T20s.
 
This squad selection kinda shows that Wasim agrees with Misbah that Rizwan should be opening with Babar....That’s super disappointing.
 
Not a bad squad except Sarfraz's inclusion, very annoying and makes no sense.

I'm also OK to try Rizwan as opener, that's the only position he can be useful.
 
KingOfPakBreakfast said:
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.
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Asif Ali probably won't get any game time, because the likes of Iftikhar Ahmed have already jumped on the opportunity for that finisher role.

The problem with Asif Ali has been his decision-making in T20 cricket, because trying to muscle every delivery is not going to work. You also have to hit it in the right place, which is something he doesn't do that often. A ball wider outside the off stump should not be hit on the leg side, that's one example I'll mention.

The COVID reasons are fine, but only one of Aamir Yamin or Amad Butt is going to get a chance to play. Unfortunately from what I saw, Butt's returns in the A games vs New Zealand A weren't that outstanding, so Yamin might get a chance if Faheem is rested.

The decision between Nawaz and Gohar will come from what Babar wants. Does he want another economical LA spinner to be a like-for-like replacement for Imad (Mohammad Nawaz), or does he want a wicket-taking spinner who could go for runs but will look to attack (Zafar Gohar)? Zafar has better stats but he doesn't play a lot of PSL, and Nawaz has generally performed well in the PSL.

After this series, we only have the England T20s coming up I think, so I think we're gonna have to figure out a solid squad through the PSL performances of such players.

Rizwan and Babar isn't a good opening T20 combination, someone like Zeeshan Ashraf would have worked better. Mohammad Wasim would contradict himself if he lets Rizwan open, because we need an attacking opener at the top to make use of the powerplay, and Rizwan isn't really the definition of an attacking keeper.
 
moghul said:
Not a bad squad except Sarfraz's inclusion, very annoying and makes no sense.

I'm also OK to try Rizwan as opener, that's the only position he can be useful.
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At this point, Sarfraz's lack of match practice alone should be a concern. The last match he played was early November, almost 3 months ago

Only reason I can think of for carrying Sarfraz is that he's providing some sort of dressing room presence.
 
silentkiller187 said:
Tbf Hafeez could probably still do a job but like I said this is not SA strongest team so we can afford to test out some new players, I’m sure as series goes on more and more domestic performers will be selected. Just listening to waseem he sounds more clued on then a lot of our previous selectors and that is a start
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Yep, definitely a selector who is taking the job seriously and i have no reason to believe he's lying about any of the exclusions/unavailability of players. He made a great first selection for the SA test series and i have no doubt he's selected a carefully thought out t20 squad.
 
Pretty uninteresting squad as a whole. Abdullah Shafiq, Wahab Riaz and Musa Khan's axing is fine. Musa never really should have been dropped earlier. You get a shot at international cricket, you know what you're lacking in. Go back to domestic and nets and work on that. Wahab was atrocious in NZ.

Considering a no name opposition squad, Hafeez's dropping is okay if its temporary.

If t10 bubble is the reason for Hafeez and Shadab's unavailability, then Asif Ali shouldn't have been picked either.

Danish Aziz's selection is good. Hussain Talat's retention is wise as he can be an able no.4 and can provide a bowling option. Haider Ali should be a lock in for no.3.

When they wanted an opening wicketkeeper or a middle order wicketkeeper option, why go to Sarfraz who hasn't been able to do either. Should have picked Rohail considering he can on paper fulfill both roles.

Aamer Yamin is fine but subjectively I wouldn't want opening overs to be bowled by a gentle medium pacer.

Amad Butt has been just there in the squad without getting a game. He's only going to be there in the squad again. Aamer Yamin and Fahim Ashraf will probably be preferred over him again.

Asif Ali has been a known quantity. Even if he performs against an underwhelming opposition, it wouldn't be an upgrade. So should have just picked someone new to know what he "can" offer.

Khushdil has good stats but awfully lacks offside gameplay which is going to be exploited by every good opposition.

For once we could have just tried the English formula of assembling an eleven with only attacking players and allrounders going down till no 10 or even 11. Dont know if the options in the current squad can provide that.
 
I haven't seen much of him but this guy Sohail Akhtar seems to be a big hitter of the ball, why can't he get a look in, considering T20 WC in India this year?

Remember what a 33 Yr old Misbah did in 2007 T20 WC.
 
sam_ahm said:
I haven't seen much of him but this guy Sohail Akhtar seems to be a big hitter of the ball, why can't he get a look in, considering T20 WC in India this year?

Remember what a 33 Yr old Misbah did in 2007 T20 WC.
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Really poor player.
 
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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I don't need to waste my time watching the presser when I know perfectly well how these players have been performing recently in domestic and international cricket.

The argument that Fakhar has been failing at the international level becomes redundant when you select players like Asif Ali and Nawaz, who have consistently failed at the international level.

Not picking Malik is simply unforgivable in my book because that gives the indication that they actually think they can have any decent chance at the T20 WC without him in the side.

Putting gloves on the trainer would be better than picking Sarfraz as the back-up keeper.

Amad Butt is not international material, neither is Aamer Yameen. Amad Butt in particular shouldn't even be in a squad of 50, let alone 20.

I'm not going to knock on Danish Aziz and Husain Talat. Because I think they have earned their spot in the side.

The only truly great decision here is not selecting Sharjeel Khan and Azam Khan.
 
Like the fact that zafar zahid and usman picked they will get a chance to see what they can do cant always go with shadab and imad and moving forward we do need a proper spinner
 
Sharjeel and Azam need to prove themselves in PSL .pretty decent.squad but the 11 will pick themselves...Nawaz has improved and has has a good domestic season thus in squad i would actually have him in the 11 too

I agree ammad and yamin dont look internatiomal material to me and i dont think they will make the 11 as well
 
Hafeez - I am playing the t10 league and was available but nobody chose me so I can't make the deadline.
Asif - I am playing the t10 league, was available and will make the deadline.
Amad Butt - I am also in the t10 league and will make the deadline lekin mujhe koi ghaans hi nahi daal raha hai. :ssmith
 
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.
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These are the same people who complain that we play full strength teams against other countries’ C teams. Now we’re playing our bench and that’s an issue too :)))

I think fantastic squad all round. The goal is not to win this bilateral series but to develop a good set of players for the T20 world cup. Hafeez’s unavailability is a blessing, as it means we have the liberty of trying one extra middle order option per game and our middle order is our biggest issue right now.

Here’s my team for the first game:

1. Mohammad Rizwan (wk)
2. Babar Azam (c)
3. Haider Ali
4. Hussain Talat
5. Iftikhar Ahmed
6. Khushdil Shah
7. Danish Aziz
8. Usman Qadir
9. Aamer Yamin
10. Faheem Ashraf
11. Haris Rauf

Shaheen rested.
 
Shafi said:
Need some thought from brother [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION], [MENTION=79064]MMHS[/MENTION], [MENTION=291]junaid[/MENTION] @ Thunderbolt
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Relax :rauf

We are unlikely to win the T20 WC in 2021 or in 2022. Make peace with this. Once you have done so, look at the squad from a critical point of view - how do we increase our chances from 1% to 5%. Also, how can we focus on developing players for the 2023 WC. In the grand scheme of things, that matters much more, and so does Test cricket.

Anyhow, we will not increase these chances by playing our A team against South Africa’s C team. This is a good series to test the bench, and it is a blessing that Hafeez, Imad, and Shadab are unavailable for selection.

Rizwan’s trajectory has been on the upward for a long time now and it’s no issue trying him in the opening spot where he played a blinder against Zimbabwe. I still think he is not perfect to accelerate from ball 1 but I really don’t see any better alternative available. Sharjeel is not a good alternative as there are two question marks on him. The first question mark is replicating his domestic bullying in international cricket against top class bowlers, and the second question mark is his fitness. You select him and you know for a fact that you will need to hide one more person in the field.

Now, when making up a squad, the keeper is always one of the first names on the team sheet. Our available options are not very illustrious, and Wasim has talked about Azam Khan being in consideration. Until then, Rizwan deserves a run as opener. If it works, great, if it doesn’t, it helps develop him as an opener for ODI cricket. So there are no question marks on this from my perspective.

Not sure what other issues people have with the squad. Some people are talking about Asif Ali etc but I’m really not sure who else they wanted for that middle order spot. We have to accept there just isn’t much stock in the barrel and we’re also choosing a 20 man squad, with 5 of our top players out of the picture. It’s pretty much guaranteed that there’s going to be a couple of less than stellar options.

Our wc team will look like this:

1.
2. Babar Azam (c)
3. Haider Ali
4. Mohammad Hafeez
5.
6.
7. Shadab Khan
8.
9.
10.
11. Shaheen Afridi

These are the guaranteed picks I guess. There are no outright clear options for the remaining spots. Once we figure out where the keeper is playing, the rest of the selections will fall into place.

I also believe Aamer Yamin and Amad Butt haven’t just been selected as all rounders - they’ve been selected as new ball bowlers too as we don’t have anyone to partner Shaheen. So hopefully this falls into place by the end of this series too.

Generally speaking, don’t overthink it, apni blood pressure high karnay ki zaroorat nahi hai. Chill and enjoy the show.
 
Titan24 said:
By the comments from Wasim as well as Misbah when he was CS, fitness is only thing currently between Sharjeel and return to international cricket. PSL would be an important gage as per Wasim for both Sharjeel and Azam Khan.
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From the press conference it appears he has given specific goals and targets in terms of fitness for both sharjeel and azam. If after PSL they meet these standards I don't think any body would like to stop their selection.
 
Thunderbolt14 said:
These are the same people who complain that we play full strength teams against other countries’ C teams. Now we’re playing our bench and that’s an issue too :)))

I think fantastic squad all round. The goal is not to win this bilateral series but to develop a good set of players for the T20 world cup. Hafeez’s unavailability is a blessing, as it means we have the liberty of trying one extra middle order option per game and our middle order is our biggest issue right now.

Here’s my team for the first game:

1. Mohammad Rizwan (wk)
2. Babar Azam (c)
3. Haider Ali
4. Hussain Talat
5. Iftikhar Ahmed
6. Khushdil Shah
7. Danish Aziz
8. Usman Qadir
9. Aamer Yamin
10. Faheem Ashraf
11. Haris Rauf

Shaheen rested.
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Excellent team according to existing resources.
 
Good team by Bhi Thunder except Shaheen will play in place of either Danish or Aamer Yameen.
 
When you have batsmen like talat and danish aziz, you know you've got a poor batting unit.
 
20 man squad is an overkill for 3 t20s

15/16 squad was more than enough

Even with the covid bubble
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
I don't need to waste my time watching the presser when I know perfectly well how these players have been performing recently in domestic and international cricket.

The argument that Fakhar has been failing at the international level becomes redundant when you select players like Asif Ali and Nawaz, who have consistently failed at the international level.

Not picking Malik is simply unforgivable in my book because that gives the indication that they actually think they can have any decent chance at the T20 WC without him in the side.

Putting gloves on the trainer would be better than picking Sarfraz as the back-up keeper.

Amad Butt is not international material, neither is Aamer Yameen. Amad Butt in particular shouldn't even be in a squad of 50, let alone 20.

I'm not going to knock on Danish Aziz and Husain Talat. Because I think they have earned their spot in the side.

The only truly great decision here is not selecting Sharjeel Khan and Azam Khan.
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Perhaps you do need to waste your precious time watching a press conference yo understand the context behind selections, rather than looking at it through your one dimensional all knowing POV. Congrats on the domestic knowledge btw.

Your point on Fakhar is classic what aboutism. Except that Fakhar was failing against Zimbabwe 60 days, whilst the faikured of Asif and Nawaz has been more historic. Since this time Asif Ali and Nawaz have gone away and done well in the domestics. If they fail against SA C team, they'll be binned permanently.

Similarly, picking Malik for SA C team is pointless, when you'd rather give young lads like Danish and Talat a go.

Also, you may not be aware of this, but there's a pandemic ongoing and this selectors are picking extra large squads to have readymade, interchangeable replacements within a covid bubble. Thus, if God forbid, any of the assumed first choice finisher lads get covid, Asif Ali would serve as a back up. Similar for Zafar/Nawaz and Qadir/Zahid.

Nice to see your confidence in Amad Butt's ability, as well as your fortune telling skills in predicting his future success. Again, you may not have heard of this, but it's actually possible for players to improve from their skills base. That includes Amad for sure.

As regards Yamin, I'm curious to know about any other effective new bowl bowlers who can also bat well? Know any? No? Ok, next.

Sarfaraz is clearly an interim pick, because it's very likely that Rizwan will be given three goes as an opener. Waseem stated that both Rohail and Azam will be looked at during the PSL, and fitness and performances permitting, they'll be picked for future series.
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
I don't need to waste my time watching the presser when I know perfectly well how these players have been performing recently in domestic and international cricket.

The argument that Fakhar has been failing at the international level becomes redundant when you select players like Asif Ali and Nawaz, who have consistently failed at the international level.

Not picking Malik is simply unforgivable in my book because that gives the indication that they actually think they can have any decent chance at the T20 WC without him in the side.

Putting gloves on the trainer would be better than picking Sarfraz as the back-up keeper.

Amad Butt is not international material, neither is Aamer Yameen. Amad Butt in particular shouldn't even be in a squad of 50, let alone 20.

I'm not going to knock on Danish Aziz and Husain Talat. Because I think they have earned their spot in the side.

The only truly great decision here is not selecting Sharjeel Khan and Azam Khan.
Click to expand...

Okay. What’s your 20 man squad then? Seriously, are there 20 “international material” options in the country after you take out Hafeez, Shadab, Imad?
 
Thunderbolt14 said:
These are the same people who complain that we play full strength teams against other countries’ C teams. Now we’re playing our bench and that’s an issue too :)))

I think fantastic squad all round. The goal is not to win this bilateral series but to develop a good set of players for the T20 world cup. Hafeez’s unavailability is a blessing, as it means we have the liberty of trying one extra middle order option per game and our middle order is our biggest issue right now.

Here’s my team for the first game:

1. Mohammad Rizwan (wk)
2. Babar Azam (c)
3. Haider Ali
4. Hussain Talat
5. Iftikhar Ahmed
6. Khushdil Shah
7. Danish Aziz
8. Usman Qadir
9. Aamer Yamin
10. Faheem Ashraf
11. Haris Rauf

Shaheen rested.
Click to expand...

Excellent but I think somewhere there I would want Hasnain
 
Thunderbolt14 said:
1. Mohammad Rizwan (wk)
2. Babar Azam (c)
3. Haider Ali
4. Hussain Talat
5. Iftikhar Ahmed
6. Khushdil Shah
7. Danish Aziz
8. Usman Qadir
9. Aamer Yamin
10. Faheem Ashraf
11. Haris Rauf

Shaheen rested.
Click to expand...

Who bowls the spare 4 overs? Talat and Ifti could go for plenty.

I prefer to drop a batsman and play Hasnain if we're having Faheem as low as 9.
 
Thunderbolt14 said:
These are the same people who complain that we play full strength teams against other countries’ C teams. Now we’re playing our bench and that’s an issue too :)))

I think fantastic squad all round. The goal is not to win this bilateral series but to develop a good set of players for the T20 world cup. Hafeez’s unavailability is a blessing, as it means we have the liberty of trying one extra middle order option per game and our middle order is our biggest issue right now.

Here’s my team for the first game:

1. Mohammad Rizwan (wk)
2. Babar Azam (c)
3. Haider Ali
4. Hussain Talat
5. Iftikhar Ahmed
6. Khushdil Shah
7. Danish Aziz
8. Usman Qadir
9. Aamer Yamin
10. Faheem Ashraf
11. Haris Rauf

Shaheen rested.
Click to expand...


No way that the team management is going to bench Hasan, Hasnain and Shaheen. At least 2 of them will play every match.
 
Last edited:
KingOfPakBreakfast said:
Perhaps you do need to waste your precious time watching a press conference yo understand the context behind selections, rather than looking at it through your one dimensional all knowing POV. Congrats on the domestic knowledge btw.

Your point on Fakhar is classic what aboutism. Except that Fakhar was failing against Zimbabwe 60 days, whilst the faikured of Asif and Nawaz has been more historic. Since this time Asif Ali and Nawaz have gone away and done well in the domestics. If they fail against SA C team, they'll be binned permanently.

Similarly, picking Malik for SA C team is pointless, when you'd rather give young lads like Danish and Talat a go.

Also, you may not be aware of this, but there's a pandemic ongoing and this selectors are picking extra large squads to have readymade, interchangeable replacements within a covid bubble. Thus, if God forbid, any of the assumed first choice finisher lads get covid, Asif Ali would serve as a back up. Similar for Zafar/Nawaz and Qadir/Zahid.

Nice to see your confidence in Amad Butt's ability, as well as your fortune telling skills in predicting his future success. Again, you may not have heard of this, but it's actually possible for players to improve from their skills base. That includes Amad for sure.

As regards Yamin, I'm curious to know about any other effective new bowl bowlers who can also bat well? Know any? No? Ok, next.

Sarfaraz is clearly an interim pick, because it's very likely that Rizwan will be given three goes as an opener. Waseem stated that both Rohail and Azam will be looked at during the PSL, and fitness and performances permitting, they'll be picked for future series.
Click to expand...

Perhaps you do need to waste your precious time watching a press conference yo understand the context behind selections, rather than looking at it through your one dimensional all knowing POV. Congrats on the domestic knowledge btw.

No thanks. If I wanted to see a guy in a suit pretend to act like he knows what he is doing, I would just watch re-runs of The Office.

Your point on Fakhar is classic what aboutism. Except that Fakhar was failing against Zimbabwe 60 days, whilst the faikured of Asif and Nawaz has been more historic. Since this time Asif Ali and Nawaz have gone away and done well in the domestics. If they fail against SA C team, they'll be binned permanently.

LOL. You are essentially saying that I don't care if these guys failed in international cricket before (which is the exact same thing you accuse Fakhar of) because I like them and they failed a long time ago. Thing is you cannot use the domestic argument here because Fakhar has done well in Domestic T20 and PSL to merit a place in the side. The thing you are forgetting though is that unlike these guys who have NEVER succeeded at the international level, Fakhar actually has, numerous times.

There is no logical explanation to dropping someone who is doing well in domestic cricket. There is literally nothing else he can do to win his place back than perform in domestic which he is already doing.

Similarly, picking Malik for SA C team is pointless, when you'd rather give young lads like Danish and Talat a go.

It's this kind of overconfidence that got us whitewashed 5-0 against Australia in UAE. If Malik has retired from all formats except T20 why wouldn't you select him for T20s?

Nice to see your confidence in Amad Butt's ability, as well as your fortune telling skills in predicting his future success. Again, you may not have heard of this, but it's actually possible for players to improve from their skills base. That includes Amad for sure.

You can't actually be serious? Amad Butt's stats are right there infront of you. Batting average of 11, bowling economy rate of 8.95. That literally means he doesn't score any runs and gets smashed when he comes on to bowl.

I'm not going to bother responding to any of your other condescending remarks. Maybe if you ask them in a more civil manner, I'll address them.
 
Thunderbolt14 said:
Okay. What’s your 20 man squad then? Seriously, are there 20 “international material” options in the country after you take out Hafeez, Shadab, Imad?
Click to expand...

IN:
Fakhar Zaman
Zeeshan Malik
Shoaib Malik
Wahab Riaz
Rohail Nazir

OUT:
Asif Ali
Amad Butt
Sarfraz Ahmed
Zafar Gohar
Aamer Yameen

Don't like Nawaz being in there either but I can understand it with Shadab and Imad being out.
 
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...

I think the jury may be out on Talat. He looked remarkably good in the Domestic T20 Cup. Granted, domestic performances can be misleading at times. But the way he was batting was a genuine treat to watch which is why he should get another chance to prove himself on the international level.

Agree with everything else though.
 
Apart from Rizwan, Babar and Shaheen it was pretty much the same team that got smashed against nobodies in NZ.

On Hussain Talat: High quality against spin but he is very limited against good pace, not to many shots for him. Because of his game against pace, I don't see much poteintal in him, he might play sometime because of the batting talent scarcity in Pakistan.
 
LAHORE, Jan 31 (APP): Pakistan cricket team chief selector Muhammad Wasim said on Sunday that the players, who were not available to join the bio-secure bubble on February 3, were considered unavailable for the selection for Pak T20 squad to play South Africa in a three match series.

“Unfortunately, the scenario is as such that every player has to join the bio-bubble on February 3, and if a player can’t do so, it means he is unavailable. Same was the case with Muhammad Hafeez as he was not available for the bio-secure bubble, that’s why he was dropped. There’s no question on his performance”, he told media men at a news conference here.

Regarding absence of Shadab Khan and Imad Wasim from the squad, the chief selector said: “Shadab Khan is injured that’s why he couldn’t join the bio-secure bubble while Imad Wasim wanted to spend time with family, that’s why he showed unavailability for the bio-secure bubble and that’s why he too fell in the category for dropped players. Abdullah Shafiq and Muhammad Musa are two players, who were dropped from the team. Both need to play more domestic cricket and further improve their skills and game to cement the place in the national team,” he added.

Opening batsman Fakhar Zaman and left-arm pacer Wahab Riaz have also been dropped for the series while the likes of Hasan Ali, Asif Ali and Aamer Yamin have been recalled. Four uncapped players – Zafar Gohar, Danish Aziz, Zahid Mehmood and Amad Butt- have also been included into the squad with the T20 World Cup set to be played later this year in India.

“Opening batsman Fakhar Zaman is not fully fit and also not in a good form as well. When we see his last performances, we will see he is not going well and his performance chart is consecutively declining. Same is the case with Wahab Riaz, whose last performances are also not satisfactory.

“Danish Ali, Asif Ali and Aamer Yamin were included in the national side. For new bowl, we have best option in shape of Aamer Yamin and Amad Butt, as they play new ball very well while Amad also plays well in dead overs. Zafar Gohar also bats when the need arises so these all youngsters are very good and there is a need to give them confidence and they can emerge as future stars for Pakistan cricket,” he said.

“In bowling department, we have included Hasan Ali for his brilliant all-round performances in domestic cricket as he proved his mettle for his side and also knocked our (selectors) doors well, that’s why he was included in the side. We have also included Zahid Mehmood and Muhammad Nawaz and these new inclusions will surely help in strengthening our bowling department and hopefully it will deliver against the strong side like South Africa,” the chief selector said.

All the three matches will be played at the Gaddafi Stadium with the squad alongside officials entering bio-secure bubble on February 3. Those who are also part of the second Test against South Africa will link up with the T20 team once the contest finishes.

Pakistan T2-I Squad for South Africa series: Babar Azam (c), Aamer Yamin, Amad Butt, Asif Ali, Danish Aziz, Faheem Ashraf, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hussain Talat, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Qadir, Zafar Gohar and Zahid Mehmood.

https://www.app.com.pk/sports/weve-...e-for-bio-secure-bubble-chief-selector-wasim/
 
Shadab Khan is still recovering from Injury, M Hafeez is dropped because he is playing T10. What About Imad Wasim is he in Big Bash?
& why oh why is Asif Ali back?
 
Tbh I like this T20I Squad, all the selection make sense according to his presser. I personally would have liked Shaheen and Hasan Ali rested specially since they are likely to play a lot of PSL games.
 
cricketAXEpert said:
Shadab Khan is still recovering from Injury, M Hafeez is dropped because he is playing T10. What About Imad Wasim is he in Big Bash?
& why oh why is Asif Ali back?
Click to expand...

Imad is out due to personal reasons from what i gathered during the presser.
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
IN:
Fakhar Zaman
Zeeshan Malik
Shoaib Malik
Wahab Riaz
Rohail Nazir

OUT:
Asif Ali
Amad Butt
Sarfraz Ahmed
Zafar Gohar
Aamer Yameen

Don't like Nawaz being in there either but I can understand it with Shadab and Imad being out.
Click to expand...

Fakhar- he's not performed on the intl stage
Zeeshan Malik- agree he should be in
Shoaib Malik- nothing player and hasn't really proved himself
Wahab Riaz- dropping him was probably right cause his performances aren't consistent enough
Rohail Nazir- agree he should be in
Asif Ali- not sold on him either and i agree with you on him being out, but i wouldn't mind trialing him as an opener
Ammad Butt- he's a decent bowler but just don't see how we can fit him in
Sarfraz Ahmed- only there due to the concussion rule
Zafar Gohar- not sold on him being a bowler but batting wise he's decent
Aamer Yamin- he can be a crucial new ball player, look at his performances when he bowled with the new bowl in his stint last year with KK plus he's a very underrated batsman.
 
Shoaibbtt said:
Fakhar- he's not performed on the intl stage
Zeeshan Malik- agree he should be in
Shoaib Malik- nothing player and hasn't really proved himself
Wahab Riaz- dropping him was probably right cause his performances aren't consistent enough
Rohail Nazir- agree he should be in
Asif Ali- not sold on him either and i agree with you on him being out, but i wouldn't mind trialing him as an opener
Ammad Butt- he's a decent bowler but just don't see how we can fit him in
Sarfraz Ahmed- only there due to the concussion rule
Zafar Gohar- not sold on him being a bowler but batting wise he's decent
Aamer Yamin- he can be a crucial new ball player, look at his performances when he bowled with the new bowl in his stint last year with KK plus he's a very underrated batsman.
Click to expand...

Yamin can bowl well with the new ball but his batting ability is extremely limited. With the ball he can be taken apart aswell. Faheem is the best among all 3 and I would much rather prefer him than Butt or Yamin.

Wahab Riaz for me had one bad series. His pace, experience and ability to nail those yorkers are something Pakistan will need at the T20 WC, especially with Amir now gone.

I would argue Fakhar is one of the few Pakistani openers who ahs actually performed on the international level in the last decade. Such players need to be persisted with because the benefit they bring to the team when they are on-song outweights all else.

Malik is one of the best players of spin and is an absolutely necessary selection with the T20 WC in India this year. Furthermore, he has done very well in T20Is for a couple of years now and since he ahs already retired from all formats except T20, I just don't see why you wouldn't select him.

Team should have a mix of youth and experience. Pakistan can't expect to win the T20 WC in India next year without two of the very best players of spin (Malik and Hafeez) and the experienced hand of Wahab in the bowling attack. One of the few guys who can nail yorkers at will and bowl with considerable pace.
 
I will. use this opportunity to give the likes of Faheem or Ifthikar promotion up the order. My 11 for the 1st game would be.

Haidar
Babar
Faheem
Rizwan
Iftikar
Khushdil
Amer Yamin
Amad Butt
Hasan Ali
Qadir
Rauf
 
Ultimately Mohammad Wasim's done his job, the real test is for Babar and Misbah to find a logical combination. Just like Misbah's ODI captaincy tenure, the chopping and changing in every match means nobody has a clearly defined role.

We should revisit Mickey's formula where we had a hard hitting opener paired with Babar, a dynamic #3, two seasoned pros at #4 and #5 strong against spin, some all-round depth, and a bowling attack given license to attack and take wickets.

My provisional XI for the World Cup would be: Sharjeel, Babar, Haider, Hafeez, Iftikhar, Rizwan, Faheem, Gohar, Qadir, Rauf (unless Amir can be coaxed back), Shaheen.

I've lost patience with the Imad-Shadab spin combo. Imad's glorified medium paced inswingers won't run through top batting lineups and his fitness is atrocious, while Shadab's bowling has regressed since the 2018 Asia Cup. Gohar and Qadir deserve a run but I'm not hellbent on those two - I just want to see new spinners developed.
 
CricLegend said:
I will. use this opportunity to give the likes of Faheem or Ifthikar promotion up the order. My 11 for the 1st game would be.

Haidar
Babar
Faheem
Rizwan
Iftikar
Khushdil
Amer Yamin
Amad Butt
Hasan Ali
Qadir
Rauf
Click to expand...

That’s actually not a half bad playing XI. However, I’d be tempted to have Talat in there in place of Amad.
 
Markhor said:
Ultimately Mohammad Wasim's done his job, the real test is for Babar and Misbah to find a logical combination. Just like Misbah's ODI captaincy tenure, the chopping and changing in every match means nobody has a clearly defined role.

We should revisit Mickey's formula where we had a hard hitting opener paired with Babar, a dynamic #3, two seasoned pros at #4 and #5 strong against spin, some all-round depth, and a bowling attack given license to attack and take wickets.

My provisional XI for the World Cup would be: Sharjeel, Babar, Haider, Hafeez, Iftikhar, Rizwan, Faheem, Gohar, Qadir, Rauf (unless Amir can be coaxed back), Shaheen.

I've lost patience with the Imad-Shadab spin combo. Imad's glorified medium paced inswingers won't run through top batting lineups and his fitness is atrocious, while Shadab's bowling has regressed since the 2018 Asia Cup. Gohar and Qadir deserve a run but I'm not hellbent on those two - I just want to see new spinners developed.
Click to expand...

I think you’re writing off Shadab too early. He’s one of the rare Pakistani cricketers who has ability in all three facets of the game. Yea his bowling has regressed but hes still young and contributes enough in the other two areas that he’s worth persisting with. I would agree that Qadir should be included since he’s a genuine wicket taking threat unlike Imad (who he would replace) but Gohar seems like an inferior version of Shadab to me.
 
I would personally aim for this XI for the World Cup:

1.Babar Azam
2.Sharjeel Khan (Contingent on Fitness)
3.Haider Ali
4.Mohammad Hafeez
5.Shadab Khan
6.Iftikhar Ahmed
7.Azam Khan (Contingent on Fitness)
8.Faheem Ashraf
9.Usman Qadir
10.Mohammad Amir
11.Shaheen Afridi
 
[from youtube comment section]:

I am reminded of a joke,
where an old man and his young son were walking with their donkey, some passerby taunted them that you guys are idiots of highest order, why don’t you ride on it?When they rode over the donkey another passer by commented that you people r merciless to ride the poor animal. So the son dismounted while the father still rode the donkey. A few miles later someone taunted the father for riding over the donkey while his young son was on foot. Same happened to the son, when he rode over the donkey and father walked.Perturbed with people’s comments they carried the donkey over their shoulders. Still people didn’t spare them and taunted them for carrying the beast of burden over their shoulders rather riding over it.

Whatever squad any Pakistani selector picks, People are never happy.
 
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