Savak
World Star
- Joined
- Feb 16, 2006
- Runs
- 50,784
- Post of the Week
- 3
Pakistan has still not recovered from the loss of a pre-15 degree Ajmal, Hafeez and a prime Afridi as a bowler in the middle overs. These bowlers even if not picking an extra ordinary amount of wickets in the middle, would not go for more than 3-4 runs per over in their alloted 10 or 4 overs.
This created wicket taking opportunities for themselves or for the other bowlers as the batsmen in order to break the shackles fancied their chances against lesser perceived threats. When these guys were playing, it was almost a given that Pakistan would not concede more than 230 runs in an ODI or 140 runs in a T-20 game.
Ever since these bowlers were lost to Pakistan, we have started conceeding 300-350 runs quite comfortably in ODI's and 170-200 runs plus in T-20 cricket.
In our bowling attack, only Imad Wasim comes close to playing the role that the likes of Ajmal, Hafeez used to play and he blows hot and cold in that role. The issue with Shadab is that he is an attacking wicket taking bowler who will bowl 1-2 bad balls every over or he will take heaps of wickets, but when he is not picking up wickets in the middle he is going to go for plenty which is not surprising considering he is a leg spinner.
Iftikhar might be a useful partnership breaker but i doubt if he can be relied to consistently bowl 4-10 effective overs. For starters our selectors need to identify some run choking spinners in domestic cricket who can be relied upon to bowl 10 economical overs for 40 runs in ODI cricket and 4 economical overs for 25-30 runs max.
Cricket has now changed, you need variety in the bowling attack, you can't play all 3-4 attacking bowlers and expect them to easily pick up wickets in flat pitches. The entire world especially the Big 4 have mastered the art of defensive economical disciplined bowling where the objective is to minimize the run rate or choke the runs in order to pressurize the batsmen into throwing away their wickets whereas we have a Waqar Younis who instructs bowlers to pray, turn up and just look to attack the batsmen blindly forgetting the fact that cricket and pitches have changed so much since his playing days.
Our ranking reflect the fact that our coaching staff and players have not fundamentally embraced the fact that cricket has changed and are still operating as if its the 90's.
This created wicket taking opportunities for themselves or for the other bowlers as the batsmen in order to break the shackles fancied their chances against lesser perceived threats. When these guys were playing, it was almost a given that Pakistan would not concede more than 230 runs in an ODI or 140 runs in a T-20 game.
Ever since these bowlers were lost to Pakistan, we have started conceeding 300-350 runs quite comfortably in ODI's and 170-200 runs plus in T-20 cricket.
In our bowling attack, only Imad Wasim comes close to playing the role that the likes of Ajmal, Hafeez used to play and he blows hot and cold in that role. The issue with Shadab is that he is an attacking wicket taking bowler who will bowl 1-2 bad balls every over or he will take heaps of wickets, but when he is not picking up wickets in the middle he is going to go for plenty which is not surprising considering he is a leg spinner.
Iftikhar might be a useful partnership breaker but i doubt if he can be relied to consistently bowl 4-10 effective overs. For starters our selectors need to identify some run choking spinners in domestic cricket who can be relied upon to bowl 10 economical overs for 40 runs in ODI cricket and 4 economical overs for 25-30 runs max.
Cricket has now changed, you need variety in the bowling attack, you can't play all 3-4 attacking bowlers and expect them to easily pick up wickets in flat pitches. The entire world especially the Big 4 have mastered the art of defensive economical disciplined bowling where the objective is to minimize the run rate or choke the runs in order to pressurize the batsmen into throwing away their wickets whereas we have a Waqar Younis who instructs bowlers to pray, turn up and just look to attack the batsmen blindly forgetting the fact that cricket and pitches have changed so much since his playing days.
Our ranking reflect the fact that our coaching staff and players have not fundamentally embraced the fact that cricket has changed and are still operating as if its the 90's.
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