Should Naseem Shah be picked for the 1st Test against Australia?

[MenInG]

Seems to be the flavour of the month but is he actually ready to take part in the 1st Test? Could it be too early to play him or is it simply a case of him being the best option?

 

[HappyWarsFan]

If he is in the right mental frame then absolutely should play.

 

[Rana]

He played the warm up like a true champ given the situation he is in.

If you are not going to play him now, all of PCB should be sacked!

 

[Rana]

Who would play if not him?

Imran Khan JR
Mohammad Abbas

Mohammad Hasnain?
Wahab Riaz?
Hassan Ali?

Naseem looks better than all of these blokes

 

[Amjid Javed]

Give him ago, time to brave and move forward with such players.

 

[DoosraTeesra]

Give him the confidence by selecting him. He has the potential to be next big thing.

 

[Abdullah]

Yeah , what the hell coming of 4 5 whitewashes in Aus, just throw the boy in.
Bowled great today

 

[Corridor of Uncertainty]

Like that is even a question. Get him in the team!

It is in keeping with what Pakistan is about.

Pakistan will lose the series and he may go for a few, but he still offers Pakistan their best chance of an upset win.

 

[Saj]

Throw him in.

Nothing to lose.

Fight fire with fire.

 

[Abdullah719]

After he had bowled around 10 balls today, the commentators were saying he should play.

 

[hur rizvi]

Unless we play 4 fast bowlers only one of ABBAS and Imran should play

Nasim and shaheen should definitely play because of pace bounce and intensity

 

[Titan24]

Nothing to loose here. He has all the skills to succeed at this level and even if he doesnt succeed immediately he is gonna succeed eventually.

He will probably be playing for Pakistan for long time if he remains fit irrespective of his performances in this series. While I want say big words that he is once in a generation bowler but he definitely is once in a decade bowler with the skills he has.

The only worry is his back which has recently recovered and 17-18 is the age when these issues are most common as we saw with Cummins, Amir, Archer etc. He looks to be fitter than before so we can hope his back remains in right shape.

 

[The_Odd_One]

Looks very good, should definitely play the first test.

 

[kingusama92]

Yes, he should play.

I would be stunned if Naseem doesn't play after the spell he bowled.

 

[BaankeJi]

Should play in the day night test only. He can benefit in confidence and skill.

Playing in Perth is risky because his confidence can take a hit if he doesn't perform well.

 

[ZamanFan]

Ifthey decide to pick Shah for his first test they seriously need to work with players who would going to field in the slips as well as take a specialized keeper.

Have seen a lot of drop catches behind the stumps on his bowling during U 19 Asia Cup. He was robbed of 3-4 wickets. He does seam the new bowl and is express quick but the Pakistani fielding is shambolic with poor reflexes. It would've been different if Rixon and Arthur were there. With Misbah and Waqar there is'nt much hope.

 

[Prince of Pakistan]

Pick 4 fast bowlers to manage his workload. Also Iftikhar will be there to bowl 10-15 overs in the day.

 

[Danyaalr01]

Not even a question. He was the most impressive bowler in the match, the most impressive bowler in domestic andU19 cricket. His skills and pace are phenomenal. It's not like he has pace and nothing else, this guy has everything. He should be in both tests and against Sri Lanka as well.

 

[The Viper]

I think definitely, especially after today's showing. He can extract something from a flat Gabba pitch.

 

[TeamPak95]

Just watched his spell, and he bowling had venom. Assuming he's in the right frame of mind, then yes Naseem should be picked.

 

[tyron_woodley]

I think definitely, especially after today's showing. He can extract something from a flat Gabba pitch.

there was doubt lol? ofcourse he should. sameem deserves a chance too.

 

[shortbread]

Seeing that spell he must play. The Lefties found him unplayable, can see Warner struggle.

Also he looked so fit, will be capable of delivering long spells. Imran looked gassed out to me during the first innings.

 

[tyron_woodley]

Seeing that spell he must play. The Lefties found him unplayable, can see Warner struggle.

Also he looked so fit, will be capable of delivering long spells. Imran looked gassed out to me during the first innings.

hard to say brother. Australian heat is terrible. it's very suffocating. Let's see. they deserve a chance.

 

[gazza619]

Concerned that we don't overbowl him. Need our fifth bowler to really fire so can Naseem can bowl in short bursts.

 

[Danyaalr01]

hard to say brother. Australian heat is terrible. it's very suffocating. Let's see. they deserve a chance.

Yep, it's probably worse than Pakistan due to the terrible sun.

 

[arehaan]

I think it will be more clear after the practice game starting tomorrow.

At the moment its a no brainer going into the test without Naseem Shah especially with the hype that has been created around him. I am sure there will be good crowd in to see him bowl

 

[Danyaalr01]

I think it will be more clear after the practice game starting tomorrow.

At the moment its a no brainer going into the test without Naseem Shah especially with the hype that has been created around him. I am sure there will be good crowd in to see him bowl

Cricket Australia are also hyping him up in an attempt to draw in bigger crowds. I'm sure there will be a good amount of people who want to see a 16 year old pace sensation bowling and potentially challenging Smith and Warner.

Pakistan Dominating Australia A will also help draw in crowds. The crowd don't want to see a boring one sided game. The want to see more of the Gabba test in 2016 where Pakistan almost pulled off an impossible chase. They want to be engaged and on the edge of their seats all the time.

 

[MenInG]

If he bowls the same way he did vs Aus A then no reason to ignore him.

 

[FreePalestine]

Should be Abbas, Shaheen, Naseem and Yasir.

 

[Boiz Played Well]

Should be Abbas, Shaheen, Naseem and Yasir.

Personally I want to see Abbas bowl in the second game before I make up my mind. Naseem and Shaheen offer a similar pace and bounce option. Imran Khan SR on the other hand was very successful pitching it up and the Aussies weren't expecting that. What will Abbas bring?

 

[FreePalestine]

66 wickets at 18.86 in 14 test matches.

Should not ignore that kind of performance as it creates uncertainty for a player

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

First Pakistan pace bowler in a while to make me sit up and take notice. He seems to have that ability real fast bowlers have of hurrying the batsman. I haven't seen enough of him to say whether he should play, but he looks like he could be a real find.

 

[topspin]

Abbas and Shaheen should open the bowling. First change should be Naseem Shah.

I would play Kashif instead of Yasir Shah as the main spin weapon of the side. Iftikhar should be the 5th bowler.

Imran Khan will get walloped by Warner and Finch.

 

[Jeetlodil]

no way. should start with t20 or odi. test cricket cap has to be earned

 

[Abdullah719]

no way. should start with t20 or odi. test cricket cap has to be earned

That doesn't make sense. He has struggled in the shorter format domestically but is the highest wicket-taking pacer in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy this season, despite having played fewer matches than the others.

 

[Jeetlodil]

That doesn't make sense. He has struggled in the shorter format domestically but is the highest wicket-taking pacer in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy this season, despite having played fewer matches than the others.

fair point. then should play 3 - 4 years of domestic test cricket. The burden needs to be understood. test cricket isn't a walk in game. what is the hurry

 

[Abdullah719]

fair point. then should play 3 - 4 years of domestic test cricket. The burden needs to be understood. test cricket isn't a walk in game. what is the hurry

We don't have many good options for Test cricket. If not a youngster like Naseem, they would've probably gone with someone like Rahat Ali.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Abbas and Shaheen should open the bowling. First change should be Naseem Shah.

I would play Kashif instead of Yasir Shah as the main spin weapon of the side. Iftikhar should be the 5th bowler.

Imran Khan will get walloped by Warner and Finch.

I think Imran is better than people give him credit for. He's not an easy bowler to wallop because he bowls good lines very consistently.

 

[topspin]

I think Imran is better than people give him credit for. He's not an easy bowler to wallop because he bowls good lines very consistently.

Do you remember what happened to him in the last tour?

His bowling was so hopeless, it allowed Warner to build momentum and score that ton before lunch on the first day of that test match. A feat that has been accomplished fix times in the history of the game. Let that sink in for a second.

 

[Jeetlodil]

We don't have many good options for Test cricket. If not a youngster like Naseem, they would've probably gone with someone like Rahat Ali.

as long as he gets to play test cricket for 3 4 years. it will help immensely. right now it can be a flash in the pan followed by injuries

 

[MenInG]

No wickets so far and most expensive bowler in this innings - we still want him playing in the 1st Test?

 

[Tintin_FTW]

No wickets so far and most expensive bowler in this innings - we still want him playing in the 1st Test?

Yes. At least the rolling commentary seemed to suggest that at least 3-4 of the fours were between the slips. Also without to much footage, it's hard to say how hard he was bowling. He might have been told to save some gas for next week.

 

[Saj]

It's between Naseem and Imran, unless Pakistan go with 4 seamers and Ifthi.

 

[Usman]

No wickets so far and most expensive bowler in this innings - we still want him playing in the 1st Test?

I don't think he will play.

One thing we know about Pakistan is that Yasir Shah will always play, irrespective of performance. That means that there are three fast bowling spots. After the last game, Imran Khan and Shaheen have secured their spots. That leaves one spot for Abbas or Naseem. Abbas has been Pakistan's best test bowler for a while and, even though his performances seem to have dropped off a cliff, I feel the management were always going to back him. In order for Naseem to overcome this, he had to perform better in the head to head dual in this match and unfortunately he did not.

If I was in charge, I would select Naseem in place of Yasir and have Ifti as the sole spinner. I expect Yasir to be milked all series.

 

[GLORY OF '92]

I don't think he will play.

One thing we know about Pakistan is that Yasir Shah will always play, irrespective of performance. That means that there are three fast bowling spots. After the last game, Imran Khan and Shaheen have secured their spots. That leaves one spot for Abbas or Naseem. Abbas has been Pakistan's best test bowler for a while and, even though his performances seem to have dropped off a cliff, I feel the management were always going to back him. In order for Naseem to overcome this, he had to perform better in the head to head dual in this match and unfortunately he did not.

If I was in charge, I would select Naseem in place of Yasir and have Ifti as the sole spinner. I expect Yasir to be milked all series.

Spot on. Yasir should only play in Asia or England. Otherwise a total liability.

 

[Corridor of Uncertainty]

Here is the attack that will play. Yasir, Imran (because Misbah loves them), Shaheen and Abbas (because merit they predates Misbah). He will not take a chance on Naseem (Young and promising.)

 

[kingusama92]

Abbas and Imran are similar to each other. They should only pick one.

I would keep Abbas for the new ball with Shaheen while using Naseem for quick attacking bursts.

Shaheen
Abbas
Naseem
Yasir

That should be the bowling attack.

Let's see what Misbah does but it's going to be an absolute whooping if they pick Imran & Abbas and then go wicketless with the new ball.

Once that ball gets old and you start rolling out Abbas, Imran, and Yasir in front of Warner and Smith... oh boy.

 

[Xoib]

We have to gamble with naseem for the first test if he has a shocker we can look at Imran or Musa for the second test but Naseem has to play

 

[Usman Chadda]

I don't think he will play.

One thing we know about Pakistan is that Yasir Shah will always play, irrespective of performance. That means that there are three fast bowling spots. After the last game, Imran Khan and Shaheen have secured their spots. That leaves one spot for Abbas or Naseem. Abbas has been Pakistan's best test bowler for a while and, even though his performances seem to have dropped off a cliff, I feel the management were always going to back him. In order for Naseem to overcome this, he had to perform better in the head to head dual in this match and unfortunately he did not.

If I was in charge, I would select Naseem in place of Yasir and have Ifti as the sole spinner. I expect Yasir to be milked all series.

No way will Misbah be daft enough to play both Abbas and Imran in the same line-up, that too in Australia. For all the talk of pace and aggression, such a u-turn will be a massive muck-up even by Misbah's standards.

Naseem is more or less all set to make a debut on the 21st.

 

[Saj]

The other issue is that if they play 4 pacers that will be a very very long tail.

 

[Titan24]

The other issue is that if they play 4 pacers that will be a very very long tail.

Thats true but that only makes a difference if Kashif Bhatti is being considered as Yasir has rarely done anything of note with the bat in tests.

 

[Titan24]

To be honest its a bit of a confusing scenario for the management (Though options are a good thing). Imran took an impressive fifer and then Naseem impressing everyone in just 8 overs of first warm up match. Shaheen with his height and skills is an obvious while Abbas is the most experienced bowler in the lineup and look like he was bowling his usual channel in the 2day match with pretty tight bowling. Not to forget Musa bowled pretty accurately and took 2 wickets in the 2 day match.

So definitely some tough calls are to be made.

 

[Titan24]

If Naseem’s mental and emotional state is fine then he should play irrespective of the 2 day match. He is coming off QAE trophy in good rythm and hot form which needs a to be used.

 

[Boi]

Naseem has to play. Should’ve sent him home to be with his family if you’re not going to play him.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

This confusion is primarily because of that pink ball warmup. Should have played 2 red ball warmups and then selected the best 3 quicks(assuming that spinner is a given) from the two matches.

 

[hitthestump]

No wickets so far and most expensive bowler in this innings - we still want him playing in the 1st Test?

Yes. Took a phainty today but if he bowls in tandem with Abbas or Imran then they will help take the pressure off him. We are going to lose anyway so it makes no sense not to gamble with Naseem.

 

[Usman]

No way will Misbah be daft enough to play both Abbas and Imran in the same line-up, that too in Australia. For all the talk of pace and aggression, such a u-turn will be a massive muck-up even by Misbah's standards.

Naseem is more or less all set to make a debut on the 21st.

This the man who played Umer Akmal and Ahmed Shehzad in the same match, having brought them back from obscurity. Don't underestimate Misbah

 

[Relic]

Yes. Took a phainty today but if he bowls in tandem with Abbas or Imran then they will help take the pressure off him. We are going to lose anyway so it makes no sense not to gamble with Naseem.

I saw the commentary and apparently he was bowling back of a length too much
What may be the reason?

 

[Junaids]

The other issue is that if they play 4 pacers that will be a very very long tail.

Which is a Misbah hallmark.

That’s why Pakistan played Shadab and Faheem as the fourth and fifth bowlers outside Asia under Mickey after Misbah retired.

I don’t have a problem with Iftikhar at 7, but number 8 needs to be able to bat.

340-6 should always become 450 all out. At least. But under Misbah the team is already carrying Azhar Ali as a captain and ex-batsman, meaning that 340-6 may well become 300-6. And with this Misbah tail, 300-6 means 310 all out.

 

[Saj]

Which is a Misbah hallmark.

That’s why Pakistan played Shadab and Faheem as the fourth and fifth bowlers outside Asia under Mickey after Misbah retired.

I don’t have a problem with Iftikhar at 7, but number 8 needs to be able to bat.

340-6 should always become 450 all out. At least. But under Misbah the team is already carrying Azhar Ali as a captain and ex-batsman, meaning that 340-6 may well become 300-6. And with this Misbah tail, 300-6 means 310 all out.

But with Shaheen, Naseem, Abbas and Imran you have 4 number 11s. But with Yasir he can at least score 10 to 15 runs and hang around.

 

[Relic]

But with Shaheen, Naseem, Abbas and Imran you have 4 number 11s. But with Yasir he can at least score 10 to 15 runs and hang around.

Our problem in the last tour was that we didn't take enough wickets. So we have to take this risk if we are to take 20 wickets in a match.
We can't have pseudo all-rounders anymore

 

[Saj]

If Naseem’s mental and emotional state is fine then he should play irrespective of the 2 day match. He is coming off QAE trophy in good rythm and hot form which needs a to be used.

He seems ok from what I have seen. He's had to accept it. On the outside he seems alright, but it's difficult to know exactly how much it has affected him mentally.

 

[Relic]

He seems ok from what I have seen. He's had to accept it. On the outside he seems alright, but it's difficult to know exactly how much it has affected him mentally.

Any news about whether he'll playing or not on Thursday?

 

[Saj]

Any news about whether he'll playing or not on Thursday?

No clues as yet.

Pakistan management keeping their cards close to their chest. Some tough decisions to make.

 

[majiz]

as hes been picked for this tour it would be ridiculous to not play him 1st test match
you pick players as part of a playing squad and because you might play them
going in with imran khan and abbas would be a massive error of judgement
im pretty sure he will play

 

[Danyaalr01]

Misbah has been talking about fighting fire with fire and unleashing his young quicks. It would be kind of embarassing now if he didn't.

Naseem has to play. Every player has a bad game, and this warm up will be a learning curve for Naseem and I am sure he will never make the same mistakes again. He seems like a smart guy and he has probably figured where to bowl on a flatter bouncy track and won't do the same at the Gabba.

 

[The Viper]

Misbah has been talking about fighting fire with fire and unleashing his young quicks. It would be kind of embarassing now if he didn't.

Naseem has to play. Every player has a bad game, and this warm up will be a learning curve for Naseem and I am sure he will never make the same mistakes again. He seems like a smart guy and he has probably figured where to bowl on a flatter bouncy track and won't do the same at the Gabba.

Yep theses statements would mean nothing if Abbas and Imran Khan play...

 

[barah_admi]

I don't think so but then again, I didn't think he should be in the squad either and neither should at least two other selections.

Abbad and Shaheen are a must now, who that 3rd seamer is could be anyone's guess and I personally think it doesn't matter. What does is that Pakistan must pile k 400+ scores on these dead aussie pitches.

 

[Nasty Naz]

Of course. Imran Khan isn't winning you any matches and I don't have much faith Musa will do anything either considering his poor FC record so far.

Chances are, Pakistan are going to lose and the only way they can win is if they get some special performances from their bowlers. Naseem could do that. Musa and Imran Khan are guaranteed to not do so.

 

[161]

Should be

Abbas
Naseem
SSA

IK is a nothing bowler and Musa is too short for Ozzie pitches

 

[Muhammad Saad]

Misbah has been talking about fighting fire with fire and unleashing his young quicks. It would be kind of embarassing now if he didn't.

Naseem has to play. Every player has a bad game, and this warm up will be a learning curve for Naseem and I am sure he will never make the same mistakes again. He seems like a smart guy and he has probably figured where to bowl on a flatter bouncy track and won't do the same at the Gabba.

Misbah can easily get away by saying he is not fit mentally for a test match currently.

 

[PerfectionPersonified]

He should 100%

 

[Saj]

Misbah is a big admirer of Imran Khan......which could be a problem for Naseem.

 

[Omer2002]

i agree with Saj completely...Misbah is very old school...even though he CLEARLY stated that imran khan is going as a back up but thats not going to happen unfortunately...especially when he has an execuse that imran khan took 5 wickets...

Him not playing last game means he is definately guaranteed which would be the biggest mistake...we need speeed even if they go for runs..

 

[Canistani Hero]

Abbas and Shaheen should open the bowling. First change should be Naseem Shah.

I would play Kashif instead of Yasir Shah as the main spin weapon of the side. Iftikhar should be the 5th bowler.

Imran Khan will get walloped by Warner and Finch.

Finch?

 

[Rellu_Katta]

dont know how effective will be yasir on these pitches... i think Yasir has lost it .. he was outbowled by pretty much all spinners in domestic ....shld take a bold decision and play 4 seamers with Iffi Chacha as the spinner

 

[topspin]

Finch?

Thanks for pointing this out. I've checked Australia's test squad and realised Finch isn't even in the squad lol.

I find that a bit surprising given that he was playing against Pakistan in the UAE series, this time last year. Also other than Warner, Smith and Labuschagne there is a lack of quality in this Australian batting order.

The point still stands in relation to Imran Khan. Warner wrecked him so badly, it allowed the opener to reach his ton prior to lunch. This is a feat that has only been achieved six times in the history of the sport. Says all you need to know about Imran Khan.

 

[cricketjoshila]

Imran Khan will play based on his practice match performance.

SSA will play ofcourse.

That leaves one spot, it will be between Abbas and Naseem shah.

I would choose a teenaged 90mph relatively accurate bowler over Abbas, but will Misbah?

 

[MenInG]

Good point by Azhar Mahmood saying Abbas and Imran Khan Jr are too similar in styles - Naseem is a must.

 

[Relic]

Imran Khan will play based on his practice match performance.

SSA will play ofcourse.

That leaves one spot, it will be between Abbas and Naseem shah.

I would choose a teenaged 90mph relatively accurate bowler over Abbas, but will Misbah?

If I was Misbah, I would choose Abbas over Imran. We all saw how badly Imran was thrashed all over the place in his last tour.
Abbas is our highest ranked test bowler for crying out loud. There's no way a mentally stable Misbah would not choose Abbas