The only way is up from here - everything that could go wrong, went wrong here

[Slog]

Only one warm up game schedule

All days of that warm up game rained off

Incessant rain forcing indoor training

Earthquake disrupting team plans and holding off training for two days and putting the boys in an uncomfortable position

Very green wicket with clouds and humidity

Losing the toss and having to batt first on a green mamba

The team was very under cooked and I think we will bounce back from this.

 

[aloo paratha]

Agreed, good thread, all that needs to work next game is batting, bowling was fine.

 

[abc_to_xyz]

I was about to create this thread. One bad match and everyone is losing their mind. Relax! We are going to fight much better for next one.

 

[Suleiman]

Are you trolling bhai. This exact same thread popped up after we lost to West Indies )

 

[Romali_rotti]

This Pakistan tour has started off very similar to how the Indian tour of NZ in 2001. When the wickets are under prepared and green in NZ it is impossible to score runs off... However I am quite surprised Misbah did poorly, I expected him to hold up, this scenario was tailor made for him...

 

[ExpressPacer]

This Pakistan tour has started off very similar to how the Indian tour of NZ in 2001. When the wickets are under prepared and green in NZ it is impossible to score runs off... However I am quite surprised Misbah did poorly, I expected him to hold up, this scenario was tailor made for him...

Did he really? Sometimes posts on this forum surprise me.. If you actually watched the match, and not just read the scorecards, you would've known that he was our best batsman in this match but he had no support from anyone so when you're batting with a number 10 or 11, you don't take singles, you go for a big shot, and a big shot doesn't always miss the fielder..

 

[angrypathan]

Did he really? Sometimes posts on this forum surprise me.. If you actually watched the match, and not just read the scorecards, you would've known that he was our best batsman in this match but he had no support from anyone so when you're batting with a number 10 or 11, you don't take singles, you go for a big shot, and a big shot doesn't always miss the fielder..

In the 2nd innings, Misbah was batting with Shafiq when he went for the big shot. If you actually watched the match, or in fact, even looked at the scorecard as it was going on, you would've known that his shot was completely uncalled for given that 6 runs had come off the previous 2 deliveries.

 

[Mamoon]

I would like to take a long-term view here.

As I said during the West Indies series, the decline of our Test team has started now.

We peaked in England and had our moment in the sun. Not only did we drew the series, we also got The Mace albeit for 10 seconds.

We drew with WI in the UAE, lost a Test here and will get battered in Australia, and our slide down the rankings will continue.

I think it's very realistic to assume that we will soon be 5th or 6th in the rankings, especially with South Africa regrouping as well.

Misbah will also be dearly missed as the second best batsman in the team after Azhar and of course a great leader in this format.

Fans should cherish the 2014-16 era because we are heading for dark days soon. Hopefully the players will stay united and there will be no groupings/power struggle.

 

[Bilal7]

Ignoring all the wailing aunties in this thread, I say that the OP is right. Besides, I would take a series win in Australia over one in New Zealand any day of the week.

Had this disaster taken place in Australia, it would have been far worse so as long as the team learns from this and ends up winning the series against Australia, no one will even care about this loss. Our team is definitely good enough to win two games in Australia.

 

[sam_ahm]

All of a sudden Pakistan have looked bad in the last two tests, when Pakistan lost two tests in England to go 2-1 down I still had a feeling that they will bounce back, this time the feeling is a little different, it looks more difficult.

You cannot simply go by results when it comes to selection, Inzi needs to look at the players and determine how much do they have left in them, the long term perspective and the current options available. I think it will be very difficult for Younus Khan to perform until the end of Australian tour. Same may be the case with Mishbah, but Misbah may still do a little better.

Pakistan should also have taken Mohammed Asif on this tour, he is still very capable and on the wickets in New Zealand, like the one in the first test, Asif will now allow people to bat. I agree eceryone is doing well, but that doesn't always mean there is no need for change.

I've been following some of the scorecards from Pakistan's domestic season and I see Kamran Akmal in the form of his life, he should be in the reckoning, esp with Asad and YK not doing well. Salman Butt can also be considered although his domestic season so far has been average.

Pakistan's tactics in the second innings were shocking, there is no way you'd bat out 2.5 days, and it is obvious that over a period of time you'd get bowled out, there was so much time left, so it is quite obvious that you'd need runs, else batting is simply waste because you're going nowhere with the lead. Need some people with more intent, that is why I think every player should be on his toes, yes, they've done well but that doesn't mean you sacrifice a series and say this is just a one off, World No.1 / No.2 team cannot think like that.

 

[Belawal2014]

I would like to take a long-term view here.

As I said during the West Indies series, the decline of our Test team has started now.

We peaked in England and had our moment in the sun. Not only did we drew the series, we also got The Mace albeit for 10 seconds.

We drew with WI in the UAE, lost a Test here and will get battered in Australia, and our slide down the rankings will continue.

I think it's very realistic to assume that we will soon be 5th or 6th in the rankings, especially with South Africa regrouping as well.

Misbah will also be dearly missed as the second best batsman in the team after Azhar and of course a great leader in this format.

Fans should cherish the 2014-16 era because we are heading for dark days soon. Hopefully the players will stay united and there will be no groupings/power struggle.

We drew with WI in the UAE? I'm pretty sure we won 2-1.

 

[Junaids]

Did he really? Sometimes posts on this forum surprise me.. If you actually watched the match, and not just read the scorecards, you would've known that he was our best batsman in this match but he had no support from anyone so when you're batting with a number 10 or 11, you don't take singles, you go for a big shot, and a big shot doesn't always miss the fielder..

Seriously?

Misbah was out slogging in both innings.

The first innings slog was acceptable, because there were only two wickets left.

But Misbah's second innings slog would probably have caused an England or Australia captain to be sacked. The team was 93-3, just 27 runs ahead, but Misbah reduced that to 93-4 and really killed the match.

 

[ExpressPacer]

Seriously?

Misbah was out slogging in both innings.

The first innings slog was acceptable, because there were only two wickets left.

But Misbah's second innings slog would probably have caused an England or Australia captain to be sacked. The team was 93-3, just 27 runs ahead, but Misbah reduced that to 93-4 and really killed the match.

Yes, I would agree, the second innings slog was uncalled for with not too many overs left in the day but I think it's safe to say that he looked the most comfortable batsman in the match. I don't buy that Misbah was one of reasons that we lost this match. Bigger criminals in the side like Azhar, Shafiq..

 

[Xoib]

We have been below par since the windies series.I was expecting this mauling we are missing a leader of the attack as Amir has not been able to fill the role if we are to compete here Yk,amir,wahab and azhar will have to life their game

 

[Mamoon]

We drew with WI in the UAE? I'm pretty sure we won 2-1.

Yes sorry, I meant we lost a Test. The performance was so poor throughout and the loss in the third Test stands out so much that it's easy to forget (at least for me) that we won the series 2-1.

 

[LordJames]

Only one warm up game schedule

All days of that warm up game rained off

Incessant rain forcing indoor training

Earthquake disrupting team plans and holding off training for two days and putting the boys in an uncomfortable position

Very green wicket with clouds and humidity

Losing the toss and having to batt first on a green mamba

The team was very under cooked and I think we will bounce back from this.

Agreed.

 

[Junaids]

Yes, I would agree, the second innings slog was uncalled for with not too many overs left in the day but I think it's safe to say that he looked the most comfortable batsman in the match. I don't buy that Misbah was one of reasons that we lost this match. Bigger criminals in the side like Azhar, Shafiq..

Azhar and Shafiq are both quite limited players - although better than the alternatives - and between them have the combined leadership skills of a paper bag.

They are followers, not leaders.

I think that Misbah sometimes forgets who, or to be precise what, he is. He is a journeyman cricketer who was never quite Test class and was never going to displace better batsmen like Inzy, Younis, Yousuf or even Razzaq from the team.

But with hard work, superb physical training and sensible use of his superior brain, he has made himself a decent Test batsman on slow or flat tracks or against mediocre bowling.

He's an outstanding leader and an almost-international class batsman, a bit like Mike Brearley or FAF du Plessis.

But he needs to use that superior brain. Imran Khan would have refused to accept the NZ and Australia itineraries with their inadequate preparation, and he'd have insisted on having Asif in the squad.

Misbah didn't do the pre-tour leadership tasks at all, and he needs to ensure that he stops giving away his wicket with reckless strokes.

If he can do that when he gets back, he can hopefully retire on a high.

 

[Pete Rose]

I am looking forward to Azhar Ali's captaincy next match

 

[sam_ahm]

Azhar and Shafiq are both quite limited players - although better than the alternatives - and between them have the combined leadership skills of a paper bag.

They are followers, not leaders.

I think that Misbah sometimes forgets who, or to be precise what, he is. He is a journeyman cricketer who was never quite Test class and was never going to displace better batsmen like Inzy, Younis, Yousuf or even Razzaq from the team.

But with hard work, superb physical training and sensible use of his superior brain, he has made himself a decent Test batsman on slow or flat tracks or against mediocre bowling.

He's an outstanding leader and an almost-international class batsman, a bit like Mike Brearley or FAF du Plessis.

But he needs to use that superior brain. Imran Khan would have refused to accept the NZ and Australia itineraries with their inadequate preparation, and he'd have insisted on having Asif in the squad.

Misbah didn't do the pre-tour leadership tasks at all, and he needs to ensure that he stops giving away his wicket with reckless strokes.

If he can do that when he gets back, he can hopefully retire on a high.

Good post that. Agreed.