Playing four pacers, no spinner in a Test in Asia - What is Pakistan's management thinking?

[BreadPakoda]

I don't get this.

Regardless of what the playing conditions are how can you not play a spinner?

Mind boggling stuff

 

[Junaids]

What, you think that they actually think?

 

[Chief Destroyer]

Hope, Pakistan gets a serious thrashing.

 

[Forward Defensive Push]

This has to be the dumbest decision in Pakistan test history. Madness!!

 

[Hawkeye]

Brilliant sight. I've waited years to see an all-pace attack. All bowling in tandem, working together, it's invaluable experience for our young attack.

The pitch isn't suitable for the spinners. And SL batters would eat any of our current spinners alive.

It's not the UAE. Calm down.

 

[Shazzam]

This is the revival of our pace factory at its finest.

 

[AFM]

Brilliant sight. I've waited years to see an all-pace attack. All bowling in tandem, working together, it's invaluable experience for our young attack.

The pitch isn't suitable for the spinners. And SL batters would eat any of our current spinners alive.

It's not the UAE. Calm down.

You need a spinner to mange their workload. This will just destroy them.

 

[Shazzam]

You need a spinner to mange their workload. This will just destroy them.

Azhar Ali and Haris can spin,

 

[BreadPakoda]

Brilliant sight. I've waited years to see an all-pace attack. All bowling in tandem, working together, it's invaluable experience for our young attack.

The pitch isn't suitable for the spinners. And SL batters would eat any of our current spinners alive.

It's not the UAE. Calm down.

I agree with that part but what if they eat your pace bowlers alive too? Will Azhar and Haris keep bowling?

 

[Junaids]

Brilliant sight. I've waited years to see an all-pace attack. All bowling in tandem, working together, it's invaluable experience for our young attack.

The pitch isn't suitable for the spinners. And SL batters would eat any of our current spinners alive.

It's not the UAE. Calm down.

Azhar + Haris = 17 lifetime Test wickets
Shaheen = 17 lifetime wickets
Naseem Shah = 2 lifetime wickets
Abbas = 66 lifetime wickets (7 in his last 6 Tests).

That’s a grand total of 102 Test wickets.

It’s an incredible skill to chuck out all the bowlers in their peak years and then assemble a team with so few Test wickets.

 

[marlonbrowndo]

Brilliant sight. I've waited years to see an all-pace attack. All bowling in tandem, working together, it's invaluable experience for our young attack.

The pitch isn't suitable for the spinners. And SL batters would eat any of our current spinners alive.

It's not the UAE. Calm down.

This guy will defend anything it’s hilarious

 

[amvbfm]

Really weird decision this. I was hoping for a 3 pacer attack but never thought they will go with an all pace attack. Don't think Misbah would've ever played 4 seamers when he was captain. But as selector he is trying out some really outlandish strategies.

 

[shah_1]

Abbas is the spinner

 

[JibranAnsari]

if you want to play 4 pacers , at least select one of those who can bat a bit. may be faheem or amir yamin. So far the team management looks high on samad bond.

 

[Smudger]

This guy will defend anything it’s hilarious

He is Misbah in disguise

 

[sharmaji]

I am surprised at the bowling attack of Pakistan. These are strange tactics.

 

[ahmedzee]

I guarantee you at least one of them will be injured by the time the first test is done.

Misbah has been a curse to pakistan cricket. He needs to go! Pakistan won’t progress with him in there.

 

[Junaids]

Really weird decision this. I was hoping for a 3 pacer attack but never thought they will go with an all pace attack. Don't think Misbah would've ever played 4 seamers when he was captain. But as selector he is trying out some really outlandish strategies.

if you want to play 4 pacers , at least select one of those who can bat a bit. may be faheem or amir yamin. So far the team management looks high on samad bond.

It’s one thing when a QUALIFIED chief selector or head coach makes unorthodox decisions which border on madness.

But when you appointed someone with no qualifications or experience, and they keep making crazy choices (Shehzad, Umar Akmal, Iftikhar, Yasir Shah, Imran, Musa Khan, four quicks) and you keep getting humiliated, at what point do you cut your losses and say “ok, we were wrong, this guy doesn’t know what he’s doing”.

 

[minamino]

Even Fahim would have been more useful than Abbas

 

[Mainul]

Ridiculous decision all throughout . Fawad has been excluded

 

[BaankeJi]

By God's grace, they kept Babar in the team.

 

[Bleedgreen4ever]

Brilliant sight. I've waited years to see an all-pace attack. All bowling in tandem, working together, it's invaluable experience for our young attack.

The pitch isn't suitable for the spinners. And SL batters would eat any of our current spinners alive.

It's not the UAE. Calm down.

Can you for once stop defending Tuk Tuks decisions?

You are clearly biased against Sarfraz and have unusual acceptance of whatever decisions this chicken hearted coach and captain make

 

[Savak]

Waqar is not dehati for no reason

 

[Bleedgreen4ever]

No Fawad
No spinner in Pakistan
Have we forgotten how AQ and Kaneria used to dominate other team's?
No sense whatsoever Misbah and Waqar need to go before we become Associates

 

[Bleedgreen4ever]

Waqar is not dehati for no reason

Good point

I want Wasim Akram to be Head of Cricket Comittee so he can counter foil these people

 

[Mercurial]

Azhar Ali and Haris can spin,

Both are part timers! You can't rely on part timers in Test cricket.

 

[ARK Rafay]

Pakistani management thinks? I thought they are incapable of that

 

[Mercurial]

Good point

I want Wasim Akram to be Head of Cricket Comittee so he can counter foil these people

Wasim is no better.

 

[Junaids]

Waqar is not dehati for no reason

I learned last week when I spoke with Waqar in Adelaide that he has no knowledge of anything, he just wings it without preparation.

It was bad enough that he thought - lazily and wrongly - that Imran Khan had been succeeding in domestic cricket.

But Waqar couldn’t even remember huge details of his own career.

I think he had a gift for bowling and a charming manner, and has spent his life winging it, making no effort to strengthen his weaknesses, just turning up unprepared and unashamed.

 

[Hyperion66]

Brilliant sight. I've waited years to see an all-pace attack. All bowling in tandem, working together, it's invaluable experience for our young attack.

The pitch isn't suitable for the spinners. And SL batters would eat any of our current spinners alive.

It's not the UAE. Calm down.

At least one specialist spinner should have been picked bro, you are playing in Pindi not Perth.

 

[aukhan]

Misbah has destroyed this decade of Pakistan cricket.

 

[AFM]

I learned last week when I spoke with Waqar in Adelaide that he has no knowledge of anything, he just wings it without preparation.

It was bad enough that he thought - lazily and wrongly - that Imran Khan had been succeeding in domestic cricket.

But Waqar couldn’t even remember huge details of his own career.

I think he had a gift for bowling and a charming manner, and has spent his life winging it, making no effort to strengthen his weaknesses, just turning up unprepared and unashamed.

Did you correct him about Imran Khan? And if so, what was his response?

 

[IAJ]

This is like a big lie, you keep lying to cover up the first one.

Ever since the trashing by SL in T20s Misbah and co have been covering up with one blunder after another.

 

[aukhan]

Brilliant sight. I've waited years to see an all-pace attack. All bowling in tandem, working together, it's invaluable experience for our young attack.

The pitch isn't suitable for the spinners. And SL batters would eat any of our current spinners alive.

It's not the UAE. Calm down.

Look at this cheerleader. He was bashing Mickey for not playing 2 spinners in UAE and now he will call this move revolutionary.

 

[Shafi]

At least one specialist spinner should have been picked bro, you are playing in Pindi not Perth.

Not point to suggest this guy. He will defend Misbah's decision in close eyes.

 

[BreadPakoda]

Part timer Haris already brought in - before lunch on day 1.

 

[Shafi]

Look at this cheerleader. He was bashing Mickey for not playing 2 spinners in UAE and now he will call this move revolutionary.

Not sure is he really that delusional or just mocking us.

 

[AFM]

Part timer Haris already brought in - before lunch on day 1.

[MENTION=134608]Hawkeye[/MENTION] is loving it

 

[Hyperion66]

Not point to suggest this guy. He will defend Misbah's decision in close eyes.

He is a genuinely good poster, he is allowed to have one bad Day on the internet I guess. I respect Misbah a lot but gotta admit this seems like a foolish decision.

 

[Ellipsism]

Played a useless spinner in Australia but goes with 4 pacers in Pindi.

: : :

 

[Shafi]

He is a genuinely good poster, he is allowed to have one bad Day on the internet I guess. I respect Misbah a lot but gotta admit this seems like a foolish decision.

Not in Pakistan matches for sure. He used to criticize Micky and Inzi (I am not fond of them either) non-stop but praising Misbah non-stop for worse thing.

 

[omairsiddiqui]

Was this Waqar's recommendation?

Reminding me of Pak v Ind 2016 World T20 Bangalore.

 

[MenInG]

Played a useless spinner in Australia but goes with 4 pacers in Pindi.

: : :

And if he had played that useless spinner here then we would be complaining again.

 

[Hawkeye]

At least one specialist spinner should have been picked bro, you are playing in Pindi not Perth.

On logic, that makes sense. It definitely would have been a preferred option, even if the pitch is pacer-friendly.

We would have gone with Yasir, if we ignore what Lankans would do to him, then on merit a spinner's place is definitely warranted. 3 pacers - 1 spinner.

Results aren't good as of now, so this decision will get a lot of fair criticism.

On here though, Misbah would have been hated for playing a spinner as well, people don't like Yasir Shah.

 

[Junaids]

And if he had played that useless spinner here then we would be complaining again.

I don’t think so.

I’ve argued at length that Shadab Khan should replace Yasir Shah OUTSIDE Asia, but I don’t understand the idea of dropping him in Asia.

Look at the leading QEA wicket takers - they are all spinners. Going in without a spinner at all is really speculative and risky.

 

[Shafi]

Since Misbah has no one to answer he can get away with anything. He can even play 4 spinners in bouncy pitch. Thanks to incompetent Mani and mr. professional Wasim Khan.

 

[D12og]

90 % of PPers wouldnt pick yasir anywhere. But since its Misbah-bashing season they dont want to miss out on some brownie points knowing that pitch will stay hard throughout the test.
Mickey was Greatest Strategist in the sports history when he was picking 3 pacers in soul-less abu dhabi as per these same people

 

[iRfaN_LA]

Watch SL spinners destroying our batting line up on this pitch. Misbah and azhar are clueless. SL will pile up runs against this sub par bowling unit.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Even if this pitch is seamer friendly, Pakistan don't have the depth or quality to field 4 fast bowlers anywhere. Heck, they even struggle to field even 3 decent ones but Misbah sees windies quartet in this average lot. No excuses for this. Misbah is 100% at fault here.

 

[iRfaN_LA]

90 % of PPers wouldnt pick yasir anywhere. But since its Misbah-bashing season they dont want to miss out on some brownie points knowing that pitch will stay hard throughout the test.
Mickey was Greatest Strategist in the sports history when he was picking 3 pacers in soul-less abu dhabi as per these same people

I don’t know who these PPers are but playing yasir is a no brainer in asia.

 

[D12og]

I don’t think so.

I’ve argued at length that Shadab Khan should replace Yasir Shah OUTSIDE Asia, but I don’t understand the idea of dropping him in Asia.

Look at the leading QEA wicket takers - they are all spinners. Going in without a spinner at all is really speculative and risky.

And Why should Shadab be first choice spinner What does he have that makes him so Special, he has hardly played FC so what are his credentials ?

 

[AFM]

90 % of PPers wouldnt pick yasir anywhere. But since its Misbah-bashing season they dont want to miss out on some brownie points knowing that pitch will stay hard throughout the test.
Mickey was Greatest Strategist in the sports history when he was picking 3 pacers in soul-less abu dhabi as per these same people

Yasir shouldn't be in the squad. But since he was, he should have played.

 

[Maliq_Mudasir]

Was this Waqar's recommendation?

Reminding me of Pak v Ind 2016 World T20 Bangalore.

It was in Eden Garden

 

[D12og]

I don’t know who these PPers are but playing yasir is a no brainer in asia.

You would be one of them, Just like playing abbas was no brainer in Aus lol

 

[JibranAnsari]

So guess what , after humiliation in this test yasir shah will be back and team management will say that people were criticizing us for playing yasir see what happens when he doesnt play.

 

[Junaids]

And Why should Shadab be first choice spinner What does he have that makes him so Special, he has hardly played FC so what are his credentials ?

Outside Asia I want a spinning all-rounder, not a specialist spinner.

His job is to average 35 batting at 7, and to be able to bowl 10 economical overs per day on Days 1-4. On Day 5 he needs to spin the team to victory, but probably only 3 or 4 times in his career.

 

[D12og]

Yasir shouldn't be in the squad. But since he was, he should have played.

Hard to wrap ones head around the logic, Just because you have committed one blunder you want to top that by making one more... And making to a squad doesn't guarantee you playing

 

[kingusama92]

Shocking decision.

Ideal = Zafar Gohar as the specialist spinner or anyone else doing well in domestic cricket
Average = Yasir Shah
Horrific = All-Out Pace Attack

Of course, Misbah goes for the "Horrific" option.

 

[RainStopsPlay]

Forget about Spinners coming in the later half of the game. What are the pacers upto? Wasted the new ball with some trundling deliveries. No pace, no swing, no line & length. You have no right to blame the management if your main pacers are going wicketless in your backyard against a hopeless team like Srilanka.

 

[sharmaji]

I also feel that Pak went with only 4 genuine bowlers, that is definitely 1 short. Haris Sohail or Azhar Ali do not give confidence as the 5th bowler at all.

 

[Caved12]

It is like Misbah is playing a video game on playstation and making these changes just for fun.

 

[BreadPakoda]

Maybe Misbah believes that Azhar needs a few years to learn how to use his spin bowlers effectively. The way Misbah used to use Ajmal and Rehman.

Pakistan really missing Misbah the captain here.

 

[Hawkeye]

90 % of PPers wouldnt pick yasir anywhere. But since its Misbah-bashing season they dont want to miss out on some brownie points knowing that pitch will stay hard throughout the test.
Mickey was Greatest Strategist in the sports history when he was picking 3 pacers in soul-less abu dhabi as per these same people

Exactly this.

He would have been bashed for playing Yasir as well.

But those who comment on cricket here with balanced views, if they say a spinner was needed, that wouldn't be wrong.

It's only logical to play a spinner. It's a different story what would SL do to him. Mgmt can be criticized here for not playing a spinner.

I think they looked at the pitch and the conditions and thought pacers would strike early.

Sadly the actual bowling on the field has been toothless, not taking advantage of the conditions.

 

[amvbfm]

90 % of PPers wouldnt pick yasir anywhere. But since its Misbah-bashing season they dont want to miss out on some brownie points knowing that pitch will stay hard throughout the test.
Mickey was Greatest Strategist in the sports history when he was picking 3 pacers in soul-less abu dhabi as per these same people

Mickey was no genius but 4 pacers is quite appalling and there are too many reasons for it not to be a good decision:

- Yasir's record in Asia
- The dominance of spinners in QEA trophy
- The pitch - the ball isn't carrying to the keeper and slips on day 1
- Inexperience of the pace contingent
- Workload management - this excuse was used to bench Naseem in Australia but on the dead wickets of Pakistan you don't mind running him into the ground
- For the sake of variety

I don't think this decision was made with any specific plans or logic in mind but was based on the conditions in the morning and the weather forecast.

Also i think team Pakistan has failed miserably at reading the pitch. Its a totally flat deck that will keep getting slower and lower. SL on the other hand spotted that and had no qualms in batting first.

 

[Abdullah]

Brilliant sight. I've waited years to see an all-pace attack. All bowling in tandem, working together, it's invaluable experience for our young attack.

The pitch isn't suitable for the spinners. And SL batters would eat any of our current spinners alive.

It's not the UAE. Calm down.

If you were going to do this anywhere it would have been our last series where our spinner pre tour was averaging 95!
Still hoping we can get through the test

 

[Junaids]

If you were going to do this anywhere it would have been our last series where our spinner pre your was averaging 95!
Still hoping we can get through the test

Why are you hoping to survive?

The Chief Selector and Head Coach are the same person, and that person is an unqualified, incompetent buffoon.

Pakistan cricket is dead unless they continue suffering appalling defeats and Ehsan Mani and Wasim Khan realise that they have to get rid of this con-man/cretin.

 

[Shafi]

Exactly this.

He would have been bashed for playing Yasir as well.

But those who comment on cricket here with balanced views, if they say a spinner was needed, that wouldn't be wrong.

It's only logical to play a spinner. It's a different story what would SL do to him. Mgmt can be criticized here for not playing a spinner.

I think they looked at the pitch and the conditions and thought pacers would strike early.

Sadly the actual bowling on the field has been toothless, not taking advantage of the conditions.

Following and liking someone ok but overlook/deny their idol's/superstar's mistake or supporting their wrong doing is really disappointing.

 

[Shafi]

Why are you hoping to survive?

The Chief Selector and Head Coach are the same person, and that person is an unqualified, incompetent buffoon.

Pakistan cricket is dead unless they continue suffering appalling defeats and Ehsan Mani and Wasim Khan realise that they have to get rid of this con-man/cretin.

Unfortunately we have to deal with them at least 3 years if not more.

 

[Abdullah]

Why are you hoping to survive?

The Chief Selector and Head Coach are the same person, and that person is an unqualified, incompetent buffoon.

Pakistan cricket is dead unless they continue suffering appalling defeats and Ehsan Mani and Wasim Khan realise that they have to get rid of this con-man/cretin.

I see naseem Shaheen Babar Rizwan and to some degree (medium term) Shan imam and haris as the future of this side.
It's not good to get spanked consistently for your pshycy Especially as there is no real leader amongst them emerging

I want to win every game

 

[Faiz1978]

Hilarious by Misbah/Waqar

 

[Shazzam]

Both are part timers! You can't rely on part timers in Test cricket.

As if Yasir is not a part time spinner these days. :

 

[Hawkeye]

Loving this. Full passion from our pacers. On top now after a bad start.

Hope, Pakistan gets a serious thrashing.

Shows how clueless you are. Blinded by hate.

 

[Shafi]

Loving this. Full passion from our pacers. On top now after a bad start.



Shows how clueless you are. Blinded by hate.

Off course you will love it. You have more love to Misbah than our cricket. He might be blindly hate Misbah but you are blindly obsess with him which is even worse.

 

[gazza619]

We may end up getting SL out cheaply but I think it is stupid to not play a full time spinner.

I know our 3 pacers are not very reliable hence they should have played a 5th bowler.

More i follow pakistan cricket, more i feel helpless...

 

[Mercurial]

As if Yasir is not a part time spinner these days. :

Not in Asia, mate.

 

[Minnowbasher]

IQ of team management has reached alarming levels. If only we could call the ambulance for such brain failures.

 

[in_cutter]

Hilarious team selection!!

 

[Markhor]

The "think tank" seem to have forgotten the ICC docks points for slow over rates in the WTC.

 

[Kroll]

I don’t think so.

I’ve argued at length that Shadab Khan should replace Yasir Shah OUTSIDE Asia, but I don’t understand the idea of dropping him in Asia.

Look at the leading QEA wicket takers - they are all spinners. Going in without a spinner at all is really speculative and risky.

Good that he's been dropped, so should have Shafiq.

 

[emranabbas]

Mickey had a good combination different story our players weren't that good

Batsman
Batsman
Batsmen
Batsmen
Batsmen
Batsmen
Pace bowling all rounder
Spin bowling all rounder
Bowler
Bowler
Bowler

Haris and Azhar are NOT part time bowlers they are only being used because we are short of bowlers

Mickey's combination was the best for us if we had used quality players but misbah won't use that combination it will hurt his ego