[VIDEO] Pakistan were outclassed, out-fought, out-thought and completely outplayed

[MenInG]

Comments from Saj after the group match spurred India on, Pakistan's gamble to bowl first backfired, India set the match tempo right from the start, Pakistan spinners struggles, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul's brilliance, Pakistan opener's off-track, should Mohammad Rizwan open, additional pressure on Babar Azam due to a lack of support, Pakistani batters clueless against Yadav and more.

 

[emranabbas]

pakistan just had a bad day and when we finally built momentum after 2 wickets the rain started pouring which then gave indian batsmen a chance. At the end of the day it was suppose to be a one day game not a 2 day test.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Yep. I don't like the idea of a reserve day just for the INDO PAK clash. Rules should be the same for each team as it is an Asia Cup. Not a 1 match series to be honest.

pakistan just had a bad day and when we finally built momentum after 2 wickets the rain started pouring which then gave indian batsmen a chance. At the end of the day it was suppose to be a one day game not a 2 day test.

 

[Asad T]

Good analysis, Saj.

Yes, we were totally outclassed. It looked a totally different pitch when India batted vs when we batted. And it all started with Gill's initial positive intent.

What I liked about Gill, was that even though he was a nervous wreck in game 1, he regrouped, spoke humbly at the subsequent press conferences, and came back with a plan to attack our bowlers in game 2. And he set the tone. He knew Shaheen would bowl full and on the pads, and he was ready to take him on. That is the thing with attacking openers, they can put the opposition under pressure from the start. Fakhar used to be able to do that for us. But these days, he has gone into a shell. And because of this, the bowling team is usually able to put us under pressure very quickly.

We just need to do a Gill, (as you say) be humble, and come out with a proper plan the next time. We will probably need to beat Sri Lanka to get to the finals. This is not going to be easy without our premier pacers, but despite that, we still have a good squad

 

[NeVerMind]

It was the complete lack of intent or fight when we came out to bat that was so demoralising. So much for the much vaunted "Pakistan Way" and so called new era of the cricket we play.

Was there any plan when we came out to bat? There was no plan to keep up with the DLS score. No one looking to attack the bowlers.

If the plan was to better the net run rate that was no where to see as we still got bundled out at 120 odd runs in 32 overs.

Would have rather seen us attack and be out on the same score because at least we would know we put up a fight.

This was just a meek surrender. So depressing...

 

[Farah Sohail]

@Saj we need an interview of either Mickey Arthur or Grant bradburn soon…where you ask question about our team’s approach and MOST importantly..some recent selections..where players have been brought..out of the blue..who were not part of plans until recently..like Faheem Ashraf wasnt in NZ series, yet is called..despite poor international record..they called him on basis of domestic T20 league in PSL.
Now..Shahnawaz Dhani..who was benched..even during Emerging Asia cup, and performed poorly, i guess, against Zimbabwe A also…has beencalled up as replacement for Naseem/Rauf..while we have Arshad Iqbal, who was top performer in emerging Asia cup…where Dhani was benched.. Also, Dhani wasnt even part of those players..who were called for a camp in Lahore before Pak team left for Afghanistan series, and Asia cup…….it means he wasnt part of their plans until then and I think arshad Iqbal was called to the camp……

Even Zaman is called for ODIs, based on his T 20 performances…like Faheem Ashraf

So.on what basis are these selections made? What is the criteria? We need to ask these relevant questions to our concerned people..like either Mickey Arthur or Grant Bradburn.. we need to know the thinking process behind such selections..
You had done Mickey Arthur’s interview some time ago..so if arranging another soon, isnt possible..i think you should consider interviewing Grant Bradburn…. infact he can be a better option, as he is physically always present with the team..

 

[Mamoon]

The performance and the hype surrounding the pace attack lulled Pakistan into a false sense of security.

It was a criminal decision to bat first knowing that rain would come into play and the constant interruptions and target revisions can hurt the momentum of the chasing side.

Pakistan need to take a step back and downplay the hype surrounding its pace battery. It is a good attack but it is not an unplayable one.

There is simply too much pressure on Shaheen, Naseem and Rauf at the moment because they are expected to delivery every single time and if they don’t, Pakistan doesn’t have a plan B.

What we witnessed in the first game vs India would be the norm if we don’t sort out our bowling in the middle overs especially the spin department.

Even if the pacers knock off the top-order, the likes of Shadab, Nawaz, Faheem, Salman, Iftikhar will come up short against the middle and lower-order more often than not.

Shadab’s insipid performances have been ignored for far too long and he has had to face no accountability. There needs to be huge question marks over his status as an automatic choice and he needs to be stripped of vice-captaincy with immediate effect.

There is also a strong case for bringing Saud Shakeel into the mix. He deserves an extended run at 4 with Rizwan slotting in at 5.

It is time for Pakistan to stop believing in its own self-created hype and go back to basics. You cannot expect to be a serious contender for the World Cup when you have zero penetration with the ball in the middle-overs and are one proper batsman short in the middle-order.

Fakhar is a proven match-winner but at some point, he will have to sit out too. It might be worth considering dropping him for the remaining Asia Cup games and bringing him back for the World Cup.

Questions must be asked about Mickey’s role too. He has spent a lot of time coaching in Sri Lanka and he should have realized that bowling first in Colombo was not the best option.

Pakistan needed this reality check. There was too much talk of the ranking and best bowling this and that. The reality is that Pakistan is far from the best ODI team and the bowling attack is far from the best around.

You cannot have the best bowling attack when your premier spinner is probably worse than the ones you will find playing for associate nations.

Pakistan needs to reassess its strategy, its expectations and how they approach games. There are serious strategic and tactical flaws that will not always be covered by individual brilliance.

 

[Omer2002]

I am afraid it wasnt a bad day obviously they would say that. I would say it was a reality check!!.

Our batting is non existent all our lives we have hidden behind our bowling and clearly you cant do that.

 

[Savak]

I think it's too late for Pakistan to fix their flaws. You drop Fakhar but for whom? Fakhars role was to take advantage of the powerplay and to provide Pakistan with quick starts, who replaces him for the same role? Shan Masood, Sharjeel Khan? Can these individuals be expected to perform and deliver immediately bw now and during the WC?

Who is the replacement for Shadab Khan and Faheem Ashraf? Are the selectors prepared to go in with a raw rookie Aamir Jamal? Are they now prepared to recall Mohd Wasim Jr? Will they now go back to Nawaz who has been as bad as Shadab in the middle overs? Are they prepared to gamble with Abrar? Can Abrar realistically make an impact bw now and the WC?

Honestly this is all a result of Babars stubbornness of sticking with a winning combination and putting all the eggs in one basket vs trying the bench strength like India has done against weak teams, C/D level bowling attacks.

 

[Ahmed216]

Honestly this is all a result of Babars stubbornness of sticking with a winning combination and putting all the eggs in one basket vs trying the bench strength like India has done against weak teams, C/D level bowling attacks.

Exactly what I think

 

[Pakhs]

Pakistan had a very bad day at the office, one of those days when nothing clicks and opposition has a bumper day. Not a single chance was created on Monday. When Pakistan came to bat the ball was moving square. One of those days every team has every now and then.

Look at today this is more like the usual match between two international sides.

 

[Markhor]

@Saj we need an interview of either Mickey Arthur or Grant bradburn soon…where you ask question about our team’s approach and MOST importantly..some recent selections..where players have been brought..out of the blue..who were not part of plans until recently..like Faheem Ashraf wasnt in NZ series, yet is called..despite poor international record..they called him on basis of domestic T20 league in PSL.
Now..Shahnawaz Dhani..who was benched..even during Emerging Asia cup, and performed poorly, i guess, against Zimbabwe A also…has beencalled up as replacement for Naseem/Rauf..while we have Arshad Iqbal, who was top performer in emerging Asia cup…where Dhani was benched.. Also, Dhani wasnt even part of those players..who were called for a camp in Lahore before Pak team left for Afghanistan series, and Asia cup…….it means he wasnt part of their plans until then and I think arshad Iqbal was called to the camp……

Even Zaman is called for ODIs, based on his T 20 performances…like Faheem Ashraf

So.on what basis are these selections made? What is the criteria? We need to ask these relevant questions to our concerned people..like either Mickey Arthur or Grant Bradburn.. we need to know the thinking process behind such selections..
You had done Mickey Arthur’s interview some time ago..so if arranging another soon, isnt possible..i think you should consider interviewing Grant Bradburn…. infact he can be a better option, as he is physically always present with the team..

I thought it was strange not to call up Arshad Iqbal, but just checked - he's currently playing for Faisalabad against Multan in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.

That match concludes tomorrow and the SL game is the next day so obviously not enough time to draft him.

You could argue he should've been pulled out of the QEA Trophy and placed in the reserves though.

 

[Saj]

I don't mind a team losing, but when there is no fight, no plan B, no effort to win, that is not good enough.

They hype of bowling India out in the previous match got to them and came back to bite them.

A much-needed wake-up call.

 

[Major]

I thought it was strange not to call up Arshad Iqbal, but just checked - he's currently playing for Faisalabad against Multan in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.

That match concludes tomorrow and the SL game is the next day so obviously not enough time to draft him.

You could argue he should've been pulled out of the QEA Trophy and placed in the reserves though.

they can pull him out in between games, not an issue.

But its a risk playing either him or Zaman Khan

Ihsanullah was probably first choice followed by Hasnian, but both are injured. Dhani is alright, but I believe they should had gone for Hassan Ali maybe.

 

[PakLFC]

As I said when we don't get early wickets then a team like India will slaughter our pace bowlers. As Sri Lanka have just shown the Indian batting line up is not invincible. Just that if our pacers are having an off day we do not have the spinners to back them up. Shadab is a nothing spinner....he does not seem to have anything up his sleeve to trouble top class batsmen. Why not bat first when we know chasing is always a struggle for us?. We are most effective when defending a total. I will continue to insist that Babar is overrated and not a patch on Kohli especially when playing under pressure. The rest of our batsmen are also very average.

 

[PakLFC]

Babar batted first because he does not believe our early batters are capable of even handling a bit of swing. The Indian batsmen had no problems playing the so called swing on offer from our out of this world pacers. Rauf probably said i'll just pretend to be injured here to save myself a bashing

 

[owenhcricket]

So much negativity after the worst performance for Pakistan in almost a year. They are still a very good ODI side, top 2 or 3...with India and possibly England being the other two. It's like the madness we witnessed when Pakistan annihilated India in 2017 and then in the t20 world cup. Both sets of fans need a bit of balance.

Pakistan certainly had a horror game set off by Babar's crazy toss decision which needs to be review and the whole team and backroom need to look at how to assess such conditions (which fans at home did easily). But there was an injury to Shaheen very early on on his bowling hand which clearly affected him, there was an injury to Haris taking out the tournaments best bowler and then a horror injury to Agha. None of those can be planned for or accommodated. Add to that vastly different conditions with 2 new balls under lights and you have a recipe for disaster.

Is there room for improvement in the build to the world cup? Most definitely! Does it automatically mean everything is terrible? No.

Typical mad cap south asian reaction.

I mean just look at how the pitch has reacted in the same ground in the Ind/SL match. Even the guys batting first are finding it difficult on what I think is a used pitch and even if its not, the continuous multiple days of rain will not have helped.

Balance guys, balance!

 

[Saj]

No excuses for such a thrashing irrespective of whether the match was 1 day, 2 days or spread across a week.

It was a humiliating loss.

Not one facet of Pakistan's performance was acceptable and if these players want the plaudits for when they do well, then they have to be prepared for criticism after such a thrashing.

 

[MenInG]

Saj the eternal optimist!

==

I'm sure Pakistan will bounce back.

We know what they're like.

They're up 1 minute, down the next.

So, Sri Lanka next. Hopefully they'll win that. And who knows, India versus Pakistan final.

Let's see.

 

[PakLFC]

Even bouncing back with a win over Sri Lanka may not be enough for a place in the final. After the bashing by India our run rate got tanked too.

 

[TeamPak95]

If there is anything I have taken from this game is that Pakistan seriously needs to not only be tactically more sharp but also needs to make the most out of all the players at their disposal, play them at their appropriate roles, and not overestimate their skillset.

Pakistan may not have the consistent power-hitting that India, England, Australia do, but at the very least they can bring in Saud at #4 (his prominent position), and put Rizwan at #5 to solidify the batting more. Mohammad Rizwan on his own as a batsman is good but Pakistan, as well as Rizwan himself, overestimate him. For a guy of his play style, he is perfectly suited for the #5 position so I don't wanna hear this 'I prefer to bat at #4 and not #5' nonsense (however way he said it). You need more of a proper batsman for #4 and Saud fits the bill better than Rizwan does. Plus Saud is a very good player of spin.

From the spinning department, maybe, MAYBE, there can still be a shout for bringing in Abrar Ahmed. In general, the guy has tasted international success (albeit not in ODIs), knows what its like to bowl to international level batsmen and, in terms of game prep, can use the warm up games vs NZ, AUS, to get himself ready for the actual WC matches. I know he didn't perform vs Afghanistan, but you could probably have Usama Mir go through this process as well. A spin duo of Shadab-Abrar/Usama comparatively gives me more optimism than a spin duo of Shadab-Nawaz.

If we're being real, chances are, nothing is gonna change much as the WC is around the corner so any sort of chopping and changing would be unrealistic for us fans to speculate. For me, moving forward, I would go with this XI:

1. Imam
2. Fakhar
3. Babar
4. Saud
5. Rizwan
6. Agha/Iftikhar
7. Shadab
8. Shaheen
9. Abrar/Usama
10. Naseem
11. Rauf

 

[Farabi]

If there is anything I have taken from this game is that Pakistan seriously needs to not only be tactically more sharp but also needs to make the most out of all the players at their disposal, play them at their appropriate roles, and not overestimate their skillset.

Pakistan may not have the consistent power-hitting that India, England, Australia do, but at the very least they can bring in Saud at #4 (his prominent position), and put Rizwan at #5 to solidify the batting more. Mohammad Rizwan on his own as a batsman is good but Pakistan, as well as Rizwan himself, overestimate him. For a guy of his play style, he is perfectly suited for the #5 position so I don't wanna hear this 'I prefer to bat at #4 and not #5' nonsense (however way he said it). You need more of a proper batsman for #4 and Saud fits the bill better than Rizwan does. Plus Saud is a very good player of spin.

From the spinning department, maybe, MAYBE, there can still be a shout for bringing in Abrar Ahmed. In general, the guy has tasted international success (albeit not in ODIs), knows what its like to bowl to international level batsmen and, in terms of game prep, can use the warm up games vs NZ, AUS, to get himself ready for the actual WC matches. I know he didn't perform vs Afghanistan, but you could probably have Usama Mir go through this process as well. A spin duo of Shadab-Abrar/Usama comparatively gives me more optimism than a spin duo of Shadab-Nawaz.

If we're being real, chances are, nothing is gonna change much as the WC is around the corner so any sort of chopping and changing would be unrealistic for us fans to speculate. For me, moving forward, I would go with this XI:

1. Imam
2. Fakhar
3. Babar
4. Saud
5. Rizwan
6. Agha/Iftikhar
7. Shadab
8. Shaheen
9. Abrar/Usama
10. Naseem
11. Rauf

A very sound and reasonable post. Only thing I didn’t agree with is Agha vs Ifti. Ifti has already achieved a lot more than Agha. Agha, billed for his ability to play spin, hasn’t looked the part so far against top teams.

 

[Savak]

Even bouncing back with a win over Sri Lanka may not be enough for a place in the final. After the bashing by India our run rate got tanked too.

Sri Lanka will be with 2 points. Pakistan if they beat SL will be at 4 points. The India Bang match is inconsequential.

 

[Saj]

India has qualified for the final of the Asia Cup.

Their opponent will be the winner of the Sri Lanka versus Pakistan match.

So nrr goes out the window if Pakistan can beat Sri Lanka.

Pakistan has a point to prove, they should be smarting from that huge loss to India. If you cannot bounce back after such humiliation then you shouldn't be wearing the green shirt.

 

[MenInG]

Pakistan has a point to prove, they should be smarting from that huge loss to India. If you cannot bounce back after such humiliation then you shouldn't be wearing the green shirt.

Too right.

 

[TeamPak95]

A very sound and reasonable post. Only thing I didn’t agree with is Agha vs Ifti. Ifti has already achieved a lot more than Agha. Agha, billed for his ability to play spin, hasn’t looked the part so far against top teams.

I'm honestly fine with either or. Iftikhar has the reputation of when set, he'll explode on you and as you said Agha, although having not looked the part vs big teams so far, is known for his ability to play spin and can hit a few as well. If I had to pick, I'd lean towards Agha for the purposes of longevity.

 

[Firebat]

It's so important to bounce back against SL and prove this match was just an anomaly. Every single player in that team aside from Naseem Shah put in Hall of Shame performances, I cannot remember the last game we failed so badly in every aspect.

 

[PakLFC]

Sri Lanka will be with 2 points. Pakistan if they beat SL will be at 4 points. The India Bang match is inconsequential.

What if the Pak-Lanka match is rained off?. That is what I am worried about.

 

[kumjsr]

Pakistan may win the game against any team, but pattern is up there for everyone to see.

Team wins when their plan A works, falls flat if it doens't. There is no fall back option.

 

[adi_62941]

Other teams should focus on targeting Pakistan's strengths, which lie in their fast bowling and Babar's batting. If they can successfully attack the bowlers or dismiss Babar early in the innings, the Pakistan team might crumble, as the rest of the players are relatively inexperienced.

I was astonished to see in the last match against India that none of the batsmen managed to play a single promising shot. They seemed extremely intimidated by the Indian bowling attack. Perhaps in their minds, they had elevated Babar's class to such an extent that they believed if Babar got out, they wouldn't be able to perform. They have made Babar's batting a benchmark for their own performances.

 

[adi_62941]

I was astonished to see how shameless Rizwan was engaging in friendly banter with Kohli while Kohli was dominating and smashing our bowlers. There are no words to describe this childish and amateurish act by the drama king of the team

 

[MenInG]

Shoaib Akhtar on same subject:

"Wellalage, a 20-year-old kid, is showing fight. He is batting and bowling, doing all he can. Our players (Pakistan) couldn't show this fight. Our fast bowlers don't play. When was the last they played 25-30 ODIs at a stretch? Then we expect Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah to deliver 10 overs and not get injured. I want the fight back from Pakistan. This was humiliating,"

 

[Jazx]

The performance and the hype surrounding the pace attack lulled Pakistan into a false sense of security.

It was a criminal decision to bat first knowing that rain would come into play and the constant interruptions and target revisions can hurt the momentum of the chasing side.

Pakistan need to take a step back and downplay the hype surrounding its pace battery. It is a good attack but it is not an unplayable one.

There is simply too much pressure on Shaheen, Naseem and Rauf at the moment because they are expected to delivery every single time and if they don’t, Pakistan doesn’t have a plan B.

What we witnessed in the first game vs India would be the norm if we don’t sort out our bowling in the middle overs especially the spin department.

Even if the pacers knock off the top-order, the likes of Shadab, Nawaz, Faheem, Salman, Iftikhar will come up short against the middle and lower-order more often than not.

Shadab’s insipid performances have been ignored for far too long and he has had to face no accountability. There needs to be huge question marks over his status as an automatic choice and he needs to be stripped of vice-captaincy with immediate effect.

There is also a strong case for bringing Saud Shakeel into the mix. He deserves an extended run at 4 with Rizwan slotting in at 5.

It is time for Pakistan to stop believing in its own self-created hype and go back to basics. You cannot expect to be a serious contender for the World Cup when you have zero penetration with the ball in the middle-overs and are one proper batsman short in the middle-order.

Fakhar is a proven match-winner but at some point, he will have to sit out too. It might be worth considering dropping him for the remaining Asia Cup games and bringing him back for the World Cup.

Questions must be asked about Mickey’s role too. He has spent a lot of time coaching in Sri Lanka and he should have realized that bowling first in Colombo was not the best option.

Pakistan needed this reality check. There was too much talk of the ranking and best bowling this and that. The reality is that Pakistan is far from the best ODI team and the bowling attack is far from the best around.

You cannot have the best bowling attack when your premier spinner is probably worse than the ones you will find playing for associate nations.

Pakistan needs to reassess its strategy, its expectations and how they approach games. There are serious strategic and tactical flaws that will not always be covered by individual brilliance.

They are actually relying on part timers in the name of spinners.

 

[Hitman]

Both Indian and Pakistani players have been acting to nice and kind to each other since the last several years. Not that I don’t like it though. I just wonder whether it’s genuine.

 

[hoshiarpurexpress]

I am getting Champions Trophy vibes here. Pakistan will smash Srl and India and win the Asia cup...and then the celebrations will happen.

 

[Marooned]

Honestly, I've kind of lost interest in this cup with this weird defeat and fast bowler injuries. We fielded for 2 days in wet conditions, injured all 3 fast bowlers and were badly defeated. My appetite is gone.

 

[Farah Sohail]

I am getting Champions Trophy vibes here. Pakistan will smash Srl and India and win the Asia cup...and then the celebrations will happen.

Not possible this time around.. In champions trophy, that was the first match Pak played against Ind....Pak had the full tournament, to re group, re strategise before they face India again… here, they only have one game, plus a heavily depleted fast nowling unit, which is our strength, and Pak spinners, are nothing more than runs leaking machine…Pak batsmen cant play spin

 

[Rana]

Weakest team in the history of Pakistan to enter a World Cup

 

[MenInG]

Kamran Akmal with similar comments:

“If you want a good performance in the World Cup, if you want to play in the Asia Cup final, and if you have this approach, you will struggle to even beat the Netherlands. What is the management doing? Who told you to bowl first? At least tell players to stay on the crease. Your run rate has suffered badly. You chased 190-odd runs in 40-odd overs against Bangladesh"

“Send messages. The way Shadab, Iftikhar, and Salman got out. You had to tell them to play the full overs, take the score to at least 260-280. They know that PCB won’t ask them tough questions. There’s no game plan, no approach. Everyone has gone for holiday. I’m sorry to say, you’ve performed like school boys against a top team,”

 

[MenInG]

Pakistan spinners did slightly better - or at least one did! Iftikhar Ahmed but the fast bowlers not able to make an impact until much later and when the game was pretty much gone