[VIDEO] "It wasn't the best Pakistan team I have ever seen": Michael Atherton

[MenInG]

Mike Atherton speaks about his delight at returning to Pakistan to watch Test cricket once again, the warm welcome he received from the people of Pakistan, his thoughts on the current Pakistan Test side, Babar Azam’s captaincy, which Pakistani players impressed him and whether he would fancy the job of Pakistan Batting coach in future.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GSGa9MHbfQ0" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>​

 

[Bewal Express]

Athers is one of the commies whose opinion i value and listen to. Always calm and considered with his opinions.

 

[Bewal Express]

Mike Atherton speaks about his delight at returning to Pakistan to watch Test cricket once again, the warm welcome he received from the people of Pakistan, his thoughts on the current Pakistan Test side, Babar Azam’s captaincy, which Pakistani players impressed him and whether he would fancy the job of Pakistan Batting coach in future.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GSGa9MHbfQ0" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>​

Athers and his opinions on coaches- has he been reading my posts.lol

 

[James]

One of the finest pundits that English cricket has produced. His knowledge is fairly comprehensive, and his way of expressing his views is always calm and direct.

I found it interesting to discover that Atherton when he played a Test series in Pakistan under Hussain’s captaincy, as a Test veteran at the relative end of his career, was playing one of his first games of any kind in the subcontinent, whereas players from England now (just 20 years later) will likely play dozens of games in the subcontinent before they even make their Test match debut.

 

[Robert]

One of the finest pundits that English cricket has produced. His knowledge is fairly comprehensive, and his way of expressing his views is always calm and direct.

I found it interesting to discover that Atherton when he played a Test series in Pakistan under Hussain’s captaincy, as a Test veteran at the relative end of his career, was playing one of his first games of any kind in the subcontinent, whereas players from England now (just 20 years later) will likely play dozens of games in the subcontinent before they even make their Test match debut.

He played a big role on n Basset’s win there. His average had been dropping for a long while due to chronic back problems, which the top quicks learned to exploit. Yet he enjoyed his swan song in Pakistan, like a star flaring before it goes out.

 

[Markhor]

A typically thoughtful and calm analysis from Athers. The quality of our Test bowling has plummeted alarmingly to the point where our numbers are comparable with likes of Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.

 

[WengerOut]

Athers is class, unlike Nasser "Playing to the gallery" Hussain.

 

[daytrader]

Spot on with his comments on Babar's captaincy. Not the best team we fielded and certainly not a bowling attack that could be compared to any teams of the past

 

[JibranAnsari]

pakistans bowling was bad but so was babars capataincy. Overuse of abrar and not making good bowling changes numerous times and poor field settings. Team selection was another blunder after blunder.

 

[Bewal Express]

pakistans bowling was bad but so was babars capataincy. Overuse of abrar and not making good bowling changes numerous times and poor field settings. Team selection was another blunder after blunder.

His point is that no matter how good the captain, he is powerless without good bowlers. Look at any decent team and you have bowlers that offer something. I take your point Babar being pretty average but we will see if he is any good when he gets SSA, Naseem and Rauf on the field at the same time

 

[Saj]

I think Mike was being polite when it came to comments about the Pakistan Test side, particularly the bowling.

This lot have to be amongst the weakest Test bowling line up ever in Pakistan's history.

In the past we've at least had a couple of good pacers and one to back them up, but as things stand there is hardly anyone out there apart from Shaheen and Naseem who unfortunately look like they could get injured at any time.

Absolute shambles we are these days.

 

[Robert]

He played a big role on n Basset’s win there.

Nasser not “Basset”, obvo.

 

[SpiritOf1903]

He's utterly tremendous. He makes buying the Times very tempting

 

[Loralai]

It was the worst Pakistan team he (or indeed, I) have ever seen. I have been following Pak cricket for decades and this is one of the worst bowling attacks we have put together.

This side was even worse than the side that was humiliated in 2010.

 

[Saj]

It was the worst Pakistan team he (or indeed, I) have ever seen. I have been following Pak cricket for decades and this is one of the worst bowling attacks we have put together.

This side was even worse than the side that was humiliated in 2010.

No doubt one of the weakest Pakistan Test sides ever.

And this will continue.

 

[TheSultan]

Polite gentleman - he went a bit easy in bbar but liked his question about whether babar has any say in pitch preparation and how much control he has over selection.

Sounds like he knows the score but too polite to say

 

[Technics 1210]

First of all, great interview Saj! Well done!

While I admire Atherton, I exchanged a few messages with him when he was a columnist at the Daily Telegraph, however he hasn't said anything we the fans didn't know, he has simply endorsed what we have been saying for some time.

This is where I miss Shane Warne's punditry. If he was asked the same questions, he would provide more insight into what has gone wrong with the Pakistan team, whilst being polite and respectful, in particular with the captaincy of Babar Azam.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

It was a better Pakistan team than the one England beat in 2000 for sure. That team was only good on paper. Problem is teams like England are much stronger than they used to be.

 

[KyoOne]

His point is that no matter how good the captain, he is powerless without good bowlers. Look at any decent team and you have bowlers that offer something. I take your point Babar being pretty average but we will see if he is any good when he gets SSA, Naseem and Rauf on the field at the same time

Faheem was very decent in second test of Australia series, Babar dropped Faheem next test and not Hasan Ali who was atrocious all series. Faheem then plays last test of England series and only gets 1 over from Babar, on a Karachi pitch which was aiding reverse (during M Wasim's spell).

And it's Babar's job to select good bowlers (he had the veto power over selections and pitches under Ramiz).

Babar could also have gone for tearaway pacer like Hasnain or have allowed the pitch to have a bit more life in it if he was going to select trundlers.

 

[KyoOne]

It was a better Pakistan team than the one England beat in 2000 for sure. That team was only good on paper. Problem is teams like England are much stronger than they used to be.

it was our worst test team for ages.

Bowling lineup of Faheem+M Wasim+Nauman+Abrar is worst in our history.

Batting has not been tested properly on flat home pitches since 2022 so we cannot call the likes of Imam, Abdullah, Salman Agha who all have made careers out of flat wickets in 2022 are actually good enough. Same Imam and Salman average in 30s in domestics where bowlers like M Ali run amok, and Abdullah Shafiq has not even played one full season in domestics.

 

[Bewal Express]

Faheem was very decent in second test of Australia series, Babar dropped Faheem next test and not Hasan Ali who was atrocious all series. Faheem then plays last test of England series and only gets 1 over from Babar, on a Karachi pitch which was aiding reverse (during M Wasim's spell).

And it's Babar's job to select good bowlers (he had the veto power over selections and pitches under Ramiz).

Babar could also have gone for tearaway pacer like Hasnain or have allowed the pitch to have a bit more life in it if he was going to select trundlers.

Faheem and Hasan are both terrible bowlers and on which planet is Hasnain a tearaway. This is just shuffling a poor hand

 

[Saj]

No surprise that this very mediocre Pakistan Test side sits in 7th place in the Test rankings at the moment.

 

[PakLFC]

Always good to listen to Nas and Athers. They are generally good people who speak fairly about Pak.

 

[shaz619]

No surprise that this very mediocre Pakistan Test side sits in 7th place in the Test rankings at the moment.

Accurate reflection indeed