PCB name 16-member squad for ODI Series against Sri Lanka

[Major]

Abid Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Usman Shinwari and Mohammad Hasnain recalled
Karachi hosts one-dayers on 27, 29 September and 2 October

Lahore, 21 September 2019: Pakistan men’s team head coach and chief selector, Misbah-ul-Haq, has named a 16-member squad for three ODIs against Sri Lanka, from 27 September to 2 October, in Karachi.

Abid Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Usman Shinwari and Mohammad Hasnain have earned recalls.

Hasan Ali misses out his place in the side due to a back spasm. He will undergo rehab at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore.

The squad for the three T20Is against Sri Lanka in Lahore will be announced during the one-day series. Until then, the other players in the probables camp will continue to train at the NCA.

Misbah-ul-Haq: “After thorough discussions with the members of the selection committee and meticulous planning, I feel we have put together the best possible squad.

“These are the only 50-over matches we have this season and we want to make their optimum use. Over the course of my cricketing career, I have realised there are no easy games and there are no easy opponents in cricket.

But, a season-opening series is crucial for setting the tone. It is extremely important that we produce solid performances and have favourable results. It will build the confidence of our players and help in carrying the momentum Down Under.

“The five boys, who have been recalled, were straightforward selections. Iftikhar Ahmed is a batsman who can also bowl off-spin, providing the captain with necessary bowling depth as Sri Lanka boasts a few left-handers in their ranks. Mohammad Nawaz has been performing well in domestic matches. Despite their strong performances, Moahmmad Rizwan, Usman Shinwari and Abid Ali were unlucky to miss out the World Cup squad.

“This is, however, a perfect opportunity for these players to prove their mettle in international cricket and cement their place in the one-day side.”

ODI Squad (in alphabetical order, domestic teams in brackets):

1. Sarfaraz Ahmed (captain) (Sindh)

2. Babar Azam (vice-captain) (Central Punjab)

3. Abid Ali (Sindh)

4. Asif Ali (Northern)

5. Fakhar Zaman (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)

6. Haris Sohail (Balochistan)

7. Iftikhar Ahmed (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)

8. Imad Wasim (Northern)

9. Imam-ul-Haq (Balochistan)

10. Mohammad Amir (Northern)

11. Mohammad Hasnain (Sindh)

12. Mohammad Nawaz (Northern)

13. Mohammad Rizwan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)

14. Shadab Khan (Northern)

15. Usman Shinwari (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)

16. Wahab Riaz (Southern Punjab)

Series schedule:

27 Sep – 1st ODI, National Stadium, Karachi

29 Sep – 2nd ODI, National Stadium, Karachi

2 Oct – 3rd ODI, National Stadium, Karachi

5 Oct – 1st T20I, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore

7 Oct – 2nd T20I, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore

9 Oct – 3rd T20I, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore

 

[Danyaalr01]

Thank God Misbah didn't select Akmal or Shehzad. This squad is a lot better than what some were expecting. Basically the same as before. It will take a couple of months to start selecting some new players as the domestic season goes on.

 

[Sunny_majoka]

so malik and hafeez are replaced by nawaz and iftikhar..
i still believe iftikhar does deserve a chance but why nawaz.??
also good to see rizwan in the team

 

[Bilal Ahmad15]

Apart from Mohammad Nawaz, not bad

 

[Danyaalr01]

Apart from Mohammad Nawaz, not bad

Yeah, they already have enough allrounders, should have tried Umer Khan.

 

[Square Drive]

So Fakhar in for ODIs after all.

Nawaz is a useless pick since Shadab and Imad are there already.

I guess Hafeez and Malik have been replaced by Rizwan & Iftikhar. Can't complain; both have been churning out the runs. Eager to see how they go, if played. Doubt Rizwan will play, as I think it's between one of Asif/Iftikhar for the #6 slot.

Shinwari back deservedly so. Good to see Abid back as well.

Rest is fine.

 

[Square Drive]

Oh damn, just noticed Hasan is missing.

Wonder if these back spasms are for real?

 

[hussain.r97]

Not bad, though it's looking like we're going to be carrying Wahab for the next few series

 

[Rellu_Katta]

could not have had a better squad of 16 of tht 20... thank God Umar Akmal wasnt picked ... on dead wicket and mediocre bowling attack, he would have score ugly 30z and then cried for eternity how the whole universe is against him

Hassan ali needs to go... and go for good.. the most 2nd most useless cricketer in tht list of 20.. and going above Ahmad Shahzad is some achievement

 

[zain7077]

Disgusting how so many ppers are pleased with this squad??? So many mediocre cricketers seriously. Iftikhar??? Asif Ali?? Shinwari who bottles it under pressure. Nawaz relatively okay but still.

Where is Zafar? Umer Khan?? Saud Shakeel?

Surely Haris rauf and Naseem shah are in our future plans

 

[angrypathan]

Nawaz probably the only questionable pick

 

[Theo_14]

Oh damn, just noticed Hasan is missing.

Wonder if these back spasms are for real?

Well he was picking up his Mrs in Dubai during photoshoot and he seemed fine.

 

[Bilal Ahmad15]

Where is Shaheen Shah Afridi?

 

[Arham_PakFan]

Oh damn, just noticed Hasan is missing.

Wonder if these back spasms are for real?

Misbah said he has confidence in Hassan Ali and Waqar Younis will work with Hassan on the sidelines. He will be back once fully fit.

 

[Arham_PakFan]

Where is Shaheen Shah Afridi?

Hasn't fully recovered from dengue fever.

 

[Arham_PakFan]

Apart from Nawaz, as decent a squad as can be expected.

I'm not a big fan of Iftikhar but he deserved to get another chance.

 

[Maliq_Mudasir]

Nawaz is a useless pick, when you have other talented spinners like Umer Khan, Usama Mir, Mohammad Asghar and Zafar Gohar. Otherwise squad looks good. Need to find a replacement for Iftikhaar as I don't see him giving any service in 2023 WC.

 

[Bilal Ahmad15]

Honestly, useless Asif Ali should be gone by now, Wahab and Imad also. As I said a few minutes ago, Mohammad Nawaz is also usless, but hopefully and probably these players will be gone after a few series after the young talented players (naseem shah etc.) arrive

 

[Mueez]

Decent squad.

Well done Misbah, much better.

 

[in_cutter]

Imam haters can no longer label him par-chi since he’s uncle is not there anymore.

 

[Saj]

No surprises really given the provisional squad that was picked.

Mainly tried and tested players.

 

[Asif321]

Copy paste inzi pool of players
The statement by Misbah that their are no easy opponents in cricket reflects his vision even against Nepal we will send same bunch of players won’t be trying any new players the same what Misbah did when he was captain

 

[SARJ_BD]

Disappointed with:

1. Wahab Riaz - Wahab should had been only in t20s. Do not think he will make 2023 WC than when will we wake up and look for alternatives?

2. Asif Ali - Another t20 player been inducted in ODI. Need to groom someone with higher potential than Asif.

3. M Nawaz - I think Raza Hasan or Umer Khan would have been a better choice.

 

[Square Drive]

We've made 5 changes from the WC squad. Gotten rid of Hafeez and Malik. Are grooming a youngster in Babar to be the next skipper.

I don't know what else people want.

 

[PAF]

Good decent squad. Good to see Abid Ali, Hasnain and Rizwan back in the squad.

 

[SARJ_BD]

A further discussion is required to identify the batting position of Sarfraz.

1. Rizwan is best in playing at #4. Playing him at #5 is not ideal but ok for him. If Rizwan and Sarfraz play together then Sarfraz need to play at #6, Rizwan at #5 and Haris at #4.

2. If Iftikhar is selected instead of Rizwan, then you can play Sarfraz at #5 and Iftikhar at #6. By this, you are leaving out a deserving candidate (Rizwan) who performed well in both domestic and international (vs Australia).

 

[szundercover]

Apart from nawaz a very good selection by Misbah.

 

[Markhor]

Phew, no Akmal and Shehzad.

Only name I'd query is Mohammed Nawaz. Tired of these peudo all rounders when we need to be grooming specialist spinners for 2023 WC.

 

[kingusama92]

WC is in 2023.

Iftikhar will be 33
Abid Ali will be 35
Wahab will be 38
Sarfraz will be 36

Asif Ali isn't even good enough to warrant a spot.

No specialist spinner in sight despite the WC being hosted in India (Nawaz isn't going to cut it). Once again, they're preparing to take all-rounders as spinners.

Two injuries to Hasan Ali and Shaheen and one of their replacements is Wahab against the juggernaut that is Sri Lanka Z. It'll be even more embarassing if he plays all three ODIs. Why not pick someone with a reasonable chance of making a claim for 2023?

For the positives, they've kept Malik/Hafeez/Akmal/Shahzad out. That's a good decision and it should stay that way.

I'm calling it right now. At least half of this squad won't be there in 2023 because Pakistan is going to be scrambling as usual. Then we'll go through this all over again in 2027.

I realize we get stuck on the names but where's the planning?

 

[Shafi]

Sarfraz shouldn't even be in the squad let alone be a captain. Overall a decent squad. Hafeez will be back in next series which is a matter of concern.

 

[Khan12]

Good to see no shehzad, umer, hasan and faheem.

 

[Shafi]

We've made 5 changes from the WC squad. Gotten rid of Hafeez and Malik. Are grooming a youngster in Babar to be the next skipper.

I don't know what else people want.

Hafeez is not dropped. He skipped the series due to commitment with CPL.

 

[Shafi]

No surprises really given the provisional squad that was picked.

Mainly tried and tested players.

You should ask Misbah about that. If nobody tells him anything than he will keep selecting same players again and again

 

[IAJ]

Did anyone ask Misbah if he had WC 2023 in my mind when he selected the squad.

Or is he still thinking like he did when he was captain: only selecting experienced players for his short term results. He is not bold enough to take chances. He has not selected a single new player...

 

[Khan12]

Did anyone ask Misbah if he had WC 2023 in my mind when he selected the squad.

Or is he still thinking like he did when he was captain: only selecting experienced players for his short term results. He is not bold enough to take chances. He has not selected a single new player...

He said Pakistan team is not a laboratory where we test players. He only wants players who are experience meaning old.

 

[Markhor]

WC is in 2023.

Iftikhar will be 33
Abid Ali will be 35
Wahab will be 38
Sarfraz will be 36

It's a fair point and I won't quibble over Sarfraz and Wahab who need moving on. However age cannot be the only criteria for selection especially when there are gaps in the team that urgently need filling like the opening spot and #6 position.

Abid Ali has been fantastic in domestic and A team cricket for the last few years, and deserves a long run in both Tests and ODIs. He was hard done by the selectors who ignored him for the World Cup where Fakhar and Imam disappointed.

Iftikhar hasn't impressed me in international cricket but his domestic numbers are excellent and looked good in PSL.

 

[Muhammad Saad]

Could have picked couple of uncapped players but knowing it's misbah so can't make complain, however Asif Ali, Iftikhar and Nawaz shouldn't be there. I would still prefer Umar idiot Akmal over Asif Ali any day of the year

 

[Rana]

Honestly speaking, Pakistan cricket is genuinely the most boring brand in the world. Nothing exciting to look forward to in this squad.

How is Sarfaraz still captain of this side??

 

[JibranAnsari]

where is khushdil shah?

 

[Pakpak]

WC is in 2023.

Iftikhar will be 33
Abid Ali will be 35
Wahab will be 38
Sarfraz will be 36

Asif Ali isn't even good enough to warrant a spot.

No specialist spinner in sight despite the WC being hosted in India (Nawaz isn't going to cut it). Once again, they're preparing to take all-rounders as spinners.

Two injuries to Hasan Ali and Shaheen and one of their replacements is Wahab against the juggernaut that is Sri Lanka Z. It'll be even more embarassing if he plays all three ODIs. Why not pick someone with a reasonable chance of making a claim for 2023?

For the positives, they've kept Malik/Hafeez/Akmal/Shahzad out. That's a good decision and it should stay that way.

I'm calling it right now. At least half of this squad won't be there in 2023 because Pakistan is going to be scrambling as usual. Then we'll go through this all over again in 2027.

I realize we get stuck on the names but where's the planning?

Spot on. Right now we should be building towards 2023, I am irritated by peoples' constant obsession with Abid Ali. Get a young opener in who will be there for the next WC. Instead of filling our squad with old players, yet again.

 

[JibranAnsari]

in the squad there is not one match changing player at all , you need to take some risks to find some match winners. The squad is as bland as it gets.

 

[Rana]

WC is in 2023.

Iftikhar will be 33
Abid Ali will be 35
Wahab will be 38
Sarfraz will be 36

Asif Ali isn't even good enough to warrant a spot.

No specialist spinner in sight despite the WC being hosted in India (Nawaz isn't going to cut it). Once again, they're preparing to take all-rounders as spinners.

Two injuries to Hasan Ali and Shaheen and one of their replacements is Wahab against the juggernaut that is Sri Lanka Z. It'll be even more embarassing if he plays all three ODIs. Why not pick someone with a reasonable chance of making a claim for 2023?

For the positives, they've kept Malik/Hafeez/Akmal/Shahzad out. That's a good decision and it should stay that way.

I'm calling it right now. At least half of this squad won't be there in 2023 because Pakistan is going to be scrambling as usual. Then we'll go through this all over again in 2027.

I realize we get stuck on the names but where's the planning?

I think they are looking at the T20 wc and match practice for that first. However it would be more sensible to draft in and build up players 1-2 years before the wc instead of trying them out for 4 years where they will go through a roller-coaster of being picked, dropped, injured and discarded eventually, forgotten and then re-emerging through PSL.

 

[Hawkeye]

No Umar Akmal.

That's a bummer. He's our best domestic batsman for a couple of years now.

Should be there in series against other teams going forward.

 

[Khan12]

No Umar Akmal.

That's a bummer. He's our best domestic batsman for a couple of years now.

Should be there in series against other teams going forward.

Was given a chance against Australia and failed as usual.

 

[Titan24]

Good squad. Asif Ali over Umer Akmal is a bit debatable (If Umer was fit enough). Other than that its a good squad.

So atlast we have 3 decent spin options in the squad.

Before judging Nawaz one should look at the record of Mitchel Santner in any format even after playing so many games for comparison but NZ management knows how valuable he is and can be. Also one can easily look at the record of Ravindra JadejaÂ’s first 50 to 100 ODI matches and Nawaz havent even played that much. I am not saying Nawaz will become a great or not but he offers enough considering the modern era of cricket to be sticked with.

Though one can argue that with Imad and Shadab already there, management could have gone with a genuine spinner. However, as there is no pace bowling all rounder the genuine spinner could have only played over Shadab making the batting pretty thin with tail starting from no 8 (not good enough for LOI cricket) so if Shadab or Imad anyone having a poor form or fitness Nawaz is a decent replacement who doesnt weaken the batting lineup.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

We've made 5 changes from the WC squad. Gotten rid of Hafeez and Malik. Are grooming a youngster in Babar to be the next skipper.

I don't know what else people want.

People want new players to be tried not the TTFs. This is B team of Srilanka why not try out new. Will go to Australia and try new players so that the same old TTFs come back with a bang without improving anything.

Ifthikar, Asif Ali, Nawaz shud not be there. Instead Saud shakeel, Umer Khan or Raza Hasan, Khushdil shah or Nasir nawaz shud have been selected.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

Good squad. Asif Ali over Umer Akmal is a bit debatable (If Umer was fit enough). Other than that its a good squad.

So atlast we have 3 decent spin options in the squad.

Before judging Nawaz one should look at the record of Mitchel Santner in any format even after playing so many games for comparison but NZ management knows how valuable he is and can be. Also one can easily look at the record of Ravindra JadejaÂ’s first 50 to 100 ODI matches and Nawaz havent even played that much. I am not saying Nawaz will become a great or not but he offers enough considering the modern era of cricket to be sticked with.

Though one can argue that with Imad and Shadab already there, management could have gone with a genuine spinner. However, as there is no pace bowling all rounder the genuine spinner could have only played over Shadab making the batting pretty thin with tail starting from no 8 (not good enough for LOI cricket) so if Shadab or Imad anyone having a poor form or fitness Nawaz is a decent replacement who doesnt weaken the batting lineup.

Get a proper frontline spinner like Raza Hasan, Umer Khan, Usama Mir, Abraar, Ibtisam Sheikh instead of bits and pieces. Yes Ravindra jadeja but he played along side Ashwin and when now kuldeep and chahal are there jadeja is not their regular option. Have proper batsman and bowlers instead of having 3 -4 bits and pieces , this is why Mickey failed in tests miserably

 

[mak36]

Here's an idea. Instead of selecting a pseudo all-rounder like Nawaz, you pick an actual spinner.

 

[SARJ_BD]

WC is in 2023.

Iftikhar will be 33
Abid Ali will be 35
Wahab will be 38
Sarfraz will be 36

Asif Ali isn't even good enough to warrant a spot.

No specialist spinner in sight despite the WC being hosted in India (Nawaz isn't going to cut it). Once again, they're preparing to take all-rounders as spinners.

Two injuries to Hasan Ali and Shaheen and one of their replacements is Wahab against the juggernaut that is Sri Lanka Z. It'll be even more embarassing if he plays all three ODIs. Why not pick someone with a reasonable chance of making a claim for 2023?

For the positives, they've kept Malik/Hafeez/Akmal/Shahzad out. That's a good decision and it should stay that way.

I'm calling it right now. At least half of this squad won't be there in 2023 because Pakistan is going to be scrambling as usual. Then we'll go through this all over again in 2027.

I realize we get stuck on the names but where's the planning?

I this being 33 or 35 is not a problem at all. Rohit Sharma, Dhawan and Hasim Amla played WC 2019 at the age of 32, 33 and 36 respectively

 

[Hamza_]

Why would you select Iftikhar?

 

[Hawkeye]

It's a good squad overall.

You can expect some people who don't really know much cricket to demand a complete shuffle in 1 month. However, you can't shut everyone up or suddenly make them understand how things work.


My reservations are:

1. No Umar Akmal
2. Nawaz (he's really, really mediocre!)

Hope Malik stays away.

 

[Square Drive]

People want new players to be tried not the TTFs. This is B team of Srilanka why not try out new. Will go to Australia and try new players so that the same old TTFs come back with a bang without improving anything.

Ifthikar, Asif Ali, Nawaz shud not be there. Instead Saud shakeel, Umer Khan or Raza Hasan, Khushdil shah or Nasir nawaz shud have been selected.

Iftikhar and Nawaz are TTFs? I know you don't like them, but how about you go take a look at how many games they've played for the country?

Asif is the type of player you have to invest in, give confidence to. Whether it's Asif or Umar or Khushdil, their role is to pinch hit and they are not gonna be the most consistent.

Hafeez is not dropped. He skipped the series due to commitment with CPL.

Same difference. If they needed him, they'd call him up from the CPL, like they did with Hasnain.

 

[MenInG]

Get a proper frontline spinner like Raza Hasan, Umer Khan, Usama Mir, Abraar, Ibtisam Sheikh instead of bits and pieces. Yes Ravindra jadeja but he played along side Ashwin and when now kuldeep and chahal are there jadeja is not their regular option. Have proper batsman and bowlers instead of having 3 -4 bits and pieces , this is why Mickey failed in tests miserably

Umer Khan would have been good, especially after how well he did in PSL

 

[Hasan123]

Still no specialist spinner. Nawaz isn’t the answer. Wahab is a questionable selection. He won’t be around for the next WC. Amir and Shaheen are our left arm opitions, Shinwari is also in the squad so why not select a younger right handed bowler?

It’s a decent squad, but it’s not very creative. Glad Rizwan has got a chance.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

Iftikhar and Nawaz are TTFs? I know you don't like them, but how about you go take a look at how many games they've played for the country?

Asif is the type of player you have to invest in, give confidence to. Whether it's Asif or Umar or Khushdil, their role is to pinch hit and they are not gonna be the most consistent.





Same difference. If they needed him, they'd call him up from the CPL, like they did with Hasnain.

Asif Ali doesn’t bring anything to an ODI team. His 10 ball 14 with boundaries here and there is not gonna help. Instead they need a part time bowler who can also hit. In that case I will take Iftikhar ahead of him. But right now Imad is already doing that. So they shud take some one like Nasir nawaz or aamer Yamin for that sake 10 ball 14 can also scored by hitting 4s. Moreover Asif Ali’s fielding i don’t have to explain u shud have seen lol.

 

[aloo paratha]

Imam
Fakhar
Babar
Haris
Sarfraz
Iftikhar
Imad
Shadab
Wahab
Amir
Hasnain

That's a pretty solid team, would've been better to have Haris Rauf in place of Wahab though.

 

[nextover666666]

Considering this is a weak Sri Lanka squad I think all 16 players should get atleast one game

 

[from_da_lost_dim3nsion]

Disgusting how so many ppers are pleased with this squad??? So many mediocre cricketers seriously. Iftikhar??? Asif Ali?? Shinwari who bottles it under pressure. Nawaz relatively okay but still.

Where is Zafar? Umer Khan?? Saud Shakeel?

Surely Haris rauf and Naseem shah are in our future plans

Misbae prioritizes experience over trying out new players .

 

[Officer Barbrady]

Abid, Rizwan and Iftikhar must play all 3 games

 

[coy0607]

I though we would be done with Asif Ali for a while after the WC .. disappointing to see such a mediocre batsman selected again

 

[The Viper]

Nawaz doesn’t really fit Misbah’s criteria as I don’t think he makes the team on bowling merit alone.

Misbah cannot make the same mistake and that is to not pick a specialist spinner in the squad.

Let’s hope this changes in the future.

 

[Titan24]

Get a proper frontline spinner like Raza Hasan, Umer Khan, Usama Mir, Abraar, Ibtisam Sheikh instead of bits and pieces. Yes Ravindra jadeja but he played along side Ashwin and when now kuldeep and chahal are there jadeja is not their regular option. Have proper batsman and bowlers instead of having 3 -4 bits and pieces , this is why Mickey failed in tests miserably

There arent many teams in the world that play with tail starting from no 6 and that was the reason Jadeja played WC over any other specialist spinner especially when the other spinner is not a Warne, Saqlain or Murali. Just giving a tag of specialist spinner to someone doesnt give him any extra ability, if he is that much better than an all rounder than thats another matter however, none of the names you have mentioned have set the world on fire even in domestics recently. I like Umer Khan and even made a thread over him however I dont mind him playing atleast one full domestic season to learn more about his game.

 

[Chief Destroyer]

It's beyond me why Rauf wasn't in the 20 and has not been selected yet. He's shown real good poise and skill. He doesn't have age on his side we gotta use him while we can. As usual, these idiots are always years late to recognize.

 

[Titan24]

It's beyond me why Rauf wasn't in the 20 and has not been selected yet. He's shown real good poise and skill. He doesn't have age on his side we gotta use him while we can. As usual, these idiots are always years late to recognize.

Agreed. In my opinion he should have been selected in ODI series against Aus in UAE when management was experimenting before WC. As he isnt someone like Hasnain, Musa etc in his teenage rather with mature head and control over his skills.

I wont be surprised if he plays next year’s T20 WC unless he doesnt get injured or performs really poorly leading upto it.

 

[moghul]

Yeah, they already have enough allrounders, should have tried Umer Khan.

Nawaz is basically a bowler, an ordinary one, he is picked for his two 50s on dead wickets.
" young" Iftikhar has force his way into the team, he can prove a very useful # 6 batsman and can bowl 5-6 cheep overs in ODI. Umar could have been preferred over Asif, both are equally unpredictable.

 

[Maher96]

So from the model that is presented in terms of the new structure we have to believe that as meticulous as planning has been the bunch of players picked are the ‘creme de la creme’ of our Domestic One Day Circuit. Doubts still there to why we are unable to unearth youngsters with great potential as to counterparts such as the likes of Pandya,Pant, West Indies upcoming batters, as you knos koi ‘hatta katta’ Batsmen like our own betameez admi Sharjeel Khan,no offence with all selected they must merit in terms of stats and figures over the last years.
however what modern day foresight as good as they are in their Humble capacity Iftikhar and Rizwan show to chief commander in charge, Baba-e- is beyond me.

 

[hitthestump]

Disappointed in Shinwari.

He is good, but not good enough. If you're going to drop a guy before a WC then you are saying he isn't up to scratch. Maybe in a few seasons he can come back but i don't see the point in his selection now.

Musa or Rauf should have been given a game instead.

 

[aloo paratha]

So from the model that is presented in terms of the new structure we have to believe that as meticulous as planning has been the bunch of players picked are the ‘creme de la creme’ of our Domestic One Day Circuit. Doubts still there to why we are unable to unearth youngsters with great potential as to counterparts such as the likes of Pandya,Pant, West Indies upcoming batters, as you knos koi ‘hatta katta’ Batsmen like our own betameez admi Sharjeel Khan,no offence with all selected they must merit in terms of stats and figures over the last years.
however what modern day foresight as good as they are in their Humble capacity Iftikhar and Rizwan show to chief commander in charge, Baba-e- is beyond me.

The system has been in place for a grand total of one week, give it time. What wrong have Rizwan and Iftikhar done? They've both been selected on merit.

 

[Shazzam]

No surprises, Misbah playing it safe. Looks like these will be boring 3 years by him. So far so typical Misbah. This guy is no different than our past selectors. Don’t expect any long term planning.

 

[Nasty Naz]

For the most part, this squad is fine. I'd think Saud/Khushdil will need to have a really big season in domestic to make it right now. As much as I'd have loved to seen those guys picked, I think for their development, its certainly not a bad idea to play domestic this season, especially with it being pretty competitive and dominate there. Sri Lanka is sending their B squad anyways.

I don't love the Iftikhar pick but at least Misbah looked at his stats and domestic track record to justify the pick. Already an upgrade over the predecesor. He does have a good FC and List A average so its possible he might be just fine. But I hope he is not utilized as an all-rounder because he is just not. His 62.64 bowling average in List A suggests he is a nothing bowler.

Don't really get the Nawaz selection but I'm guessing they probably want a backup option for Imad if there's ever an injury. But I think for his development, he would have been better off playing in domestic and working on his batting there.

Nice to see Faheem dropped. He might still be ok but I think he needs to go back to domestic and work on his batting & bowling. More importantly, he needs to play bunch of FC games to develop his skills.

 

[Square Drive]

Asif Ali doesn’t bring anything to an ODI team. His 10 ball 14 with boundaries here and there is not gonna help. Instead they need a part time bowler who can also hit. In that case I will take Iftikhar ahead of him. But right now Imad is already doing that. So they shud take some one like Nasir nawaz or aamer Yamin for that sake 10 ball 14 can also scored by hitting 4s. Moreover Asif Ali’s fielding i don’t have to explain u shud have seen lol.

I wouldn't have retained Asif but I can still live with his selection, especially aftee his knock in the previous FC game. I would take Yamin or even Umar over him, though, but we've given others a lot more chances than we've given Asif.

 

[Square Drive]

Imam
Fakhar
Babar
Haris
Sarfraz
Iftikhar
Imad
Shadab
Wahab
Amir
Hasnain

That's a pretty solid team, would've been better to have Haris Rauf in place of Wahab though.

With Misbah's recent comments regarding Iftikhar's bowling, we may even see Asif in at 7, replacing one of Imad/Shadab with Haris and Iftikhar making up the 5th bowler's quota.

But let's see.

 

[silent ischemia]

It would have been better had we gone for a fringe XI with Babar as the captain. With about 7-8 regulars for SL not coming it was a good chance to test the bench strength.

 

[moghul]

A further discussion is required to identify the batting position of Sarfraz.

1. Rizwan is best in playing at #4. Playing him at #5 is not ideal but ok for him. If Rizwan and Sarfraz play together then Sarfraz need to play at #6, Rizwan at #5 and Haris at #4.

2. If Iftikhar is selected instead of Rizwan, then you can play Sarfraz at #5 and Iftikhar at #6. By this, you are leaving out a deserving candidate (Rizwan) who performed well in both domestic and international (vs Australia).

Sarfraz is the problem, don;t know why he had to be in the team in the first place. Had Rizwan be there as wicketkeepr batsman, team balance would have been better.

 

[aloo paratha]

With Misbah's recent comments regarding Iftikhar's bowling, we may even see Asif in at 7, replacing one of Imad/Shadab with Haris and Iftikhar making up the 5th bowler's quota.

But let's see.

I wouldn't be in favour of that, Imad and Iftikhar can both be the fifth bowling option, because honestly neither of them are really good enough for a whole 10 overs.

 

[Square Drive]

I wouldn't be in favour of that, Imad and Iftikhar can both be the fifth bowling option, because honestly neither of them are really good enough for a whole 10 overs.

I think Imad will always bowl his 10 due to his miserly economy rate, especially with Hafeez gone now.

Let's see how economical Iftikhar turns out to be.

 

[aloo paratha]

I think Imad will always bowl his 10 due to his miserly economy rate, especially with Hafeez gone now.

Let's see how economical Iftikhar turns out to be.

Yeah but Iftikhar is probably a better wicket taking option. Also, if there are 1 or 2 left handers at the crease Iftikhar should bowl because Imad seriously struggles against left handed batsmen.

 

[silent ischemia]

Tbh Iftikhar is very ordinary as a bowler. Haris is a better bet than him