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[VIDS/PICS] Pakistan announce 20-man initial squad for 2-match Test series vs South Africa

Has Imam been dropped or is it due to his injury? From the sounds of things, he seems to be dropped rather than not selected due to injury. If that is the case, then it is a bit disappointing since he should be given another go since he's been with the squad for a while but hasn't played for ages while we have had struggles with our openers
 
Thunderbolt14 said:
Wasim said that he wanted to give priority to domestic performers in all cases unless the cupboard was bare for a specific role. In particular, there are very few regular openers who performed, so it’s the one area he went based on potential rather than performances.

Similarly, there is no 150kph bowler in domestics who can occupy the enforcer role, and also bowl reverse swing. So Haris makes sense.

I’m sure that neither of them will make it to the final XI, these two have mainly been selections to show the direction that he wants to take and both will be made to play lots of first class cricket this upcoming season keeping this direction in mind.
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If Haris can learn some old ball skills and go into first class cricket and come back with good performances, he could be what we need considering how our old ball skills nowadays are pretty poor to say the least. He should go in and bowl quick spells and be very aggressive.

He doesn't fit into my Test team ATM.
 
Ahmed_99 said:
Has Imam been dropped or is it due to his injury? From the sounds of things, he seems to be dropped rather than not selected due to injury. If that is the case, then it is a bit disappointing since he should be given another go since he's been with the squad for a while but hasn't played for ages while we have had struggles with our openers
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Both. Dropped immediately due to injury but would have been dropped anyways since he has barely played first class cricket.
 
Some very radical selections which are so sudden, I don’t think I’ve ever seen this from any Pakistan selector; hopefully things pan out for Wasim regardless as he seems a level headed bloke who is tries his best to maximise the resources and use statistics as well.

Tabish Khan - ‘Officially’ 36 , can someone explain why he has been selected and the type of pace bowler he is ?

Also, info on the new spinners and what they bring ?
 
Thoughts ? [MENTION=141557]Chief Destroyer[/MENTION] [MENTION=141390]Ellipsism[/MENTION] [MENTION=142670]mak36[/MENTION]
 
In the first test my 11 would be.
1) Abid
2) Azhar
3) Kamran Ghulam
4) Babar
5) Fawad
6) Rizwan
7) M Nawaz/ Agha/ Faheem
8) Hasan
9) Yasir
10) Sajid Or Nauman
11) Shaheen
 
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Follow up plans being made for dropped players by NHPC. Wah. Good stuff. :imam :wa
 
Very pleased to see Tabish Khan. However, i feel Pakistan had a golden opportunity to give him chance vs Zimwabwe recently. Just few ODIs/T20 and retire the domestic stalwart gracefully. I don't think team management will give him debut vs South Africa. I don't know his recent form and fitness. He is 36 on paper which means he is around 39-40 years old.
 
shaz619 said:
Some very radical selections which are so sudden, I don’t think I’ve ever seen this from any Pakistan selector; hopefully things pan out for Wasim regardless as he seems a level headed bloke who is tries his best to maximise the resources and use statistics as well.

Tabish Khan - ‘Officially’ 36 , can someone explain why he has been selected and the type of pace bowler he is ?

Also, info on the new spinners and what they bring ?
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I think selecting guys like Tabish Khan/Nauman Ali was about setting the tone and being firm with his vision. If you perform well in domestic cricket, I am picking you.

Wasim clearly mentioned he prioritized domestic performances and only looked away (i.e. Haris Rauf) when there was no adequate alternative.
 
Great moves from Mohammed Wasim. Very bold moves. I also like the use of stats to justify his reasons and then the fact he kept the dropped players informed about why they were dropped and what they need to do to change things. This shows Wasim is thinking long term and has taken his own experiences on board.

Coming onto the squad. That middle order is something Im looking forward to if both kamran and saud play. Wasim has clearly used his knowledge based on what he has seen in the domestic scene. I love the fact they are pushing the QEA now which is what has been missing for years.

The bowling changes were expected. I'm not surprised to see Haris in there but Tabish Khan is a surprise. However I understand the thinking. He is a workhorse experienced bowler and we may not see much of him beyond this series. Great to see Hasan back as he deserves it and overall Wasim has clearly made a statement. In other words, perform well in domestic and you have a chance to get in. Good message.

Not surprised we have the usual suspects moaning about something. I bet they wake up in the morning and complain the Sun is not at 12:00 yet so its too cold,then when it gets there oh its too hot. Pathetic.
 
To those asking about why Tabish was selected. At 26 minutes in the video i shared, Wasim has explained his selection thought process behind that.
 
Shahzad1985 said:
In the first test my 11 would be.
1) Abid
2) Azhar
3) Kamran Ghulam
4) Babar
5) Fawad
6) Rizwan
7) M Nawaz/ Agha/ Faheem
8) Hasan
9) Yasir
10) Sajid Or Nauman
11) Shaheen
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if sajid plays we potentially bat till 9 in that lineup. I would definitely play two spinners and three fast bowlers. As it will be a workhorse pitch for the first test so will need a allrounder to help share the load.
 
Tabish khan looked toothless in last 8 matches of the tournament , I dont think its a good selection based on his form.

Abdullah and haris rauf ? seriously wasim?

I mean , come on.

Gohar gohar should have been retained , you cant drop a player after 1 match. Not everyone is mohammad asif or imran khan.

Mohammad abbas is our safe option in test matches , i dont think we will even be able to control run rate this time around let alone take wickets.


Good to see kamran , salman and saud in the squad. I dont think any of them will be making debut though.

Good reward for sajid khan , nauman ali and mohammad nawaz. Pakistan should go with yasir shah and sajid khan in the first match.


my 11.

Abid ali
imran
azhar
babar
fawad
rizwan
faheem
yasir
Hasan
shaheen
sajid

when was the last time pakistan played a genuine off spinner in tests?
 
Thunderbolt14 said:
Wasim said that he wanted to give priority to domestic performers in all cases unless the cupboard was bare for a specific role. In particular, there are very few regular openers who performed, so it’s the one area he went based on potential rather than performances.

Similarly, there is no 150kph bowler in domestics who can occupy the enforcer role, and also bowl reverse swing. So Haris makes sense. It’s a different role to Irfanullah for example, as some posters are asking.

I’m sure that neither of them will make it to the final XI, these two have mainly been selections to show the direction that he wants to take and both will be made to play lots of first class cricket this upcoming season keeping this direction in mind.
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I'm not sure there is a need to play an enforcer just for the heck of it. Haris Rauf has pace but has he shown the ability to nail a length and bowl 18 overs a day at the pace. Not too sure about that. Hasan is good with the old ball and can reverse it . So that is pretty much covered I guess.

That said Mo Wasim has got 95% of the selections fairly right apart from this one so its alright.
 
It looks like he wants to ensure a robust domestic set up and encourage players to perform at domestic level to earn a call up.

Fair play.
 
Dropping zafar is a travesty

The bowling looks awful shaheen aside.

I don’t know what Tabish is doing there, 10 years too late
 
pakistanigoneaussie said:
Dropping zafar is a travesty

The bowling looks awful shaheen aside.

I don’t know what Tabish is doing there, 10 years too late
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Shaheen and Hassan aside it looks very average.

Rauf has played 2-3 FC games and doesn’t have the bowing IQ nor the consistency to succeed at test level.

I would’ve preferred Waqas Maqsood over Tabish if they were going for an experienced domestic performer, however, I don’t rate either of them.

Haven’t seen much of Nauman or Sajid, but Nawaz is trash.
 
Nikhil_cric said:
I'm not sure there is a need to play an enforcer just for the heck of it. Haris Rauf has pace but has he shown the ability to nail a length and bowl 18 overs a day at the pace. Not too sure about that. Hasan is good with the old ball and can reverse it . So that is pretty much covered I guess.

That said Mo Wasim has got 95% of the selections fairly right apart from this one so its alright.
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Bhai, you seem quite well informed about the domestic players. Interesting. :ba
 
Pretty decent job Mohammed Wasim
Agree with dropping Shan , Nasim, Musa, Zafar ,sohail
Few things missing are
Usman Salahuddin , Shahnawaz Dhani ,
danish Aziz, irfan , Waqas Maqsood
But I am sure their turn will come
Need a keeper who can stand up to medium pacers
Not sure about Imran butt, Abid Ali, Fahim Ashraf, Abdullah Shafique
 
Sajid Khan alone will eat saffers alive , I am truly impressed with his selection , apart from Haris and Zafar.
 
Slim said:
Bhai, you seem quite well informed about the domestic players. Interesting. :ba
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I try to follow domestics of all top 6 test nations with the exception of England. If you look at the probable XI posted for the 1st test , I mentioned the problems with SA's selections as well :inti
 
We dont have good fast bowlers plus we dont have good openers in domestics. Dire!
 
Nikhil_cric said:
I'm not sure there is a need to play an enforcer just for the heck of it. Haris Rauf has pace but has he shown the ability to nail a length and bowl 18 overs a day at the pace. Not too sure about that. Hasan is good with the old ball and can reverse it . So that is pretty much covered I guess.

That said Mo Wasim has got 95% of the selections fairly right apart from this one so its alright.
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I agree there’s no need but also one enforcer in a 20 man squad surely makes sense? Just to show the direction?

Also no need to say not sure about whether he can land a ball on line and length, he can’t. Still has some work to do. I expect him to play a lot of first class cricket in this coming season.
 
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Ahson8 said:
Thoughts ? [MENTION=141557]Chief Destroyer[/MENTION] [MENTION=141390]Ellipsism[/MENTION] [MENTION=142670]mak36[/MENTION]
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Some really odd selections.

Abdullah Shafique? He was exposed technically in NZ during the T20’s, test cricket is only going to exaggerate his faults. I would’ve pushed Azhar up to open and added Usman Salahuddin.

Nawaz over Zafar is incredibly stupid.

Tabish over Waqas Maqsood is weird. I understand they were going for an experienced domestic performer so it would be most logical to pick the bowler who had taken more wickets at a better AVG and SR in the recently concluded season; which is Maqsood.

Rauf has no place in a test squad, although I doubt he’ll make the final 16 so we can let it slide.
 
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Ellipsism said:
Some really odd selections.

Abdullah Shafique? He was exposed technically in NZ during the T20’s, test cricket is only going to exaggerate his faults. I would’ve pushed Azhar up to open and added Usman Salahuddin.

Nawaz over Zafar is incredibly stupid.

Tabish over Waqas Maqsood is weird. I understand they were going for an experienced domestic performer so it would be most logical to pick the bowler who had taken more wickets at a better AVG and SR in the recently concluded season; which is Maqsood.

Rauf has no place in a test squad, although I doubt he’ll make the final 16 so we can let it slide.
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Yeah, Tabish, Rauf and Abdullah are the questionable calls. Harsh on Zafar too, agreed but Nawaz has performed too (I would have preferred Zafar though)

The choice for 3rd pacer is a bit questionable, hopefully Shaheen and Hasan can take up responsibility. Can agree with the rest of the squad IMO
 
Ruthless is the only way to describe this selection. Clearly putting value on domestic performances, and adding extra flavour as needed with Rauf and Shafique

Will be interesting to see what 4 players get cut next week
 
Brought happiness and hope. I was so dejected after NZ series. I hope this is the turnaround for us
 
Ellipsism said:
Some really odd selections.

Abdullah Shafique? He was exposed technically in NZ during the T20’s, test cricket is only going to exaggerate his faults. I would’ve pushed Azhar up to open and added Usman Salahuddin.

Nawaz over Zafar is incredibly stupid.

Tabish over Waqas Maqsood is weird. I understand they were going for an experienced domestic performer so it would be most logical to pick the bowler who had taken more wickets at a better AVG and SR in the recently concluded season; which is Maqsood.

Rauf has no place in a test squad, although I doubt he’ll make the final 16 so we can let it slide.
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Can't disagree with much of this.

I like Nawaz a lot but i wouldn't be picking him over Zafar either until we've seen a bit more of him in test cricket. To drop him after one game on a pitch like that... that's very harsh, and that too after he batted quite well which is what we need from a 2nd spinner.
 
Muhammad Saad said:
Sajid Khan alone will eat saffers alive , I am truly impressed with his selection , apart from Haris and Zafar.
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I'd be quite interested to see how he gets on in tandem with Yasir. Been a while since we had a leggie and offie bowling from different ends. Both can spin the ball the other way too. Just wish Yasir's performances hadn't dipped so dramatically recently, maybe he can improve a bit at home.
 
M Wasim saw in Zafar what I told everyone, he is barely a FC bowler, and should never have been chosen. As I said after seeing him, he is amongst the worst PK spin bowlers I have seen since Nadeem Khan back in the early 90s. I am disappointed that M Nawaz has been chosen because he is just a club bowler who can bat. It will be interesting to Nauman because at least he will give you control.
 
kingusama92 said:
I think selecting guys like Tabish Khan/Nauman Ali was about setting the tone and being firm with his vision. If you perform well in domestic cricket, I am picking you.

Wasim clearly mentioned he prioritized domestic performances and only looked away (i.e. Haris Rauf) when there was no adequate alternative.
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Yeah, definitely not ideal selecting uncapped players in their mid-30's, but the message is clear: focus on First Class

I do expect both Tabish and Nauman will be axed when the cut the squad to 16. Tabish's performance dipped last season, and there are 2-3 other spinners so Nauman is a little redundant
 
The Zafar drop was harsh, but Wasim mentioned that he's considering him for the white ball teams, which should be a boost for Zafar. Zafar ideally should've played this year's QeA tournament which would've given us a good look at his form.

As for Abdullah, he's been selected for the right format, but way too soon. I don't know what the thinking was there, but I don't think he should play in the final XI. The goal for him should be to play all of next year's QeA trophy.
 
It is utterly unfair on Zafar Gowhar. Really really poor decision. Pakistan may well win the series but this is a very decision. You can’t simply drop a bowler after 1 innings , mind you he was bowling in on a pitch where opposition chose not to play a spinner. This is really hard on Zafar. I guess it will take another 5 years for him to get another look in. Shouldn’t they be dropping the selectors after a poor series?
 
Misbah took revenge from zafar. It was in misbah tenure he missed tour to Aus. Then Misbah kept him Islamabad team without giving ample opportunities and now after keeping in whole nz tour played most seam friendly wicket on earth. As a result zafar misses domestic plus gets dropped on bad performance. Hopefully this is the last of Misbah I see
 
hitthestump said:
Haris throws stones.

Any foray into long format cricket will end the same way the Musa experiment in Australia did.
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But the longer formats may suit him because batsman attack less, and we have seen that he can swing the ball. Tbh none of the pacers are any good so this left field choice isn't the worst.
 
Tabishbeigh said:
It is utterly unfair on Zafar Gowhar. Really really poor decision. Pakistan may well win the series but this is a very decision. You can’t simply drop a bowler after 1 innings , mind you he was bowling in on a pitch where opposition chose not to play a spinner. This is really hard on Zafar. I guess it will take another 5 years for him to get another look in. Shouldn’t they be dropping the selectors after a poor series?
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He should never have been chosen. Its the problem with choosing someone that isn't good enough, because you keep digging a hole.
 
Bold and brave selections, TTFS removed.

PPer need to be realistic and supportive of new players in sqaud and give them time to try and perform in the team now.
 
Great to see a selector who values QEA trophy performances and not just hype.

Tabish getting a chance is great but once again too late (similar to Fawad). Saud has also been knocking on the door for a while so 2 long awaited callups. Dropping Zafar is a bit harsh while I can understand that the patience with Shan has run out due to consecutive ducks.

Haris seems like a long term selection and injury cover. He's not accurate or consistent enough for a spot in the XI.

Most likely lineup:

Abid Ali
Azhar Ali
Babar Azam
Saud Shakeel
Fawad Alam
Mohammad Rizwan
Faheem Ashraf
Hasan Ali
Yasir Shah
Shaheen Afridi
Tabish Khan
 
Hadi Rizvi said:
Great to see a selector who values QEA trophy performances and not just hype.

Tabish getting a chance is great but once again too late (similar to Fawad). Saud has also been knocking on the door for a while so 2 long awaited callups. Dropping Zafar is a bit harsh while I can understand that the patience with Shan has run out due to consecutive ducks.

Haris seems like a long term selection and injury cover. He's not accurate or consistent enough for a spot in the XI.

Most likely lineup:

Abid Ali
Azhar Ali
Babar Azam
Saud Shakeel
Fawad Alam
Mohammad Rizwan
Faheem Ashraf
Hasan Ali
Yasir Shah
Shaheen Afridi
Tabish Khan
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They won't go in with just the one spinner. Sajid over Tabish or Nawaz over Faheem.
 
1. Azhar Ali
2. Imran Butt
3. Saud Shakeel
4. Babar Azam
5. Fawad Alam
6. Rizwan
7. Faheem
8. Hassan Ali
9. Sajid Khan
10. Yasir Shah
11. Shaheen
 
Decent squad though there's always a few surprises with every CS.

Haris Rauf and Abdullah Shafiq have no business in a Test squad with 3 and 1 FC matches respectively. I understand giving recognition to Tabish Khan but what can he offer at age 36 ? Would've preferred Waqas Maqsood if we're picking a veteran seamer.

Mohammed Nawaz is a nothing bowler unless it's a square turner. And I worry about Imran Butt's technique vs seam, he's just had one good domestic season in the last few years.

Nevertheless this squad will be whittled down to 16 so best to reserve judgment then.
 
I like Abdullah Shafique. I think he's a great talent who could have a long career for Pakistan. But selecting him after he's played only 1 First Class game, and that too over a year ago?

Nawaz over Gohar is a poor selection.

Haris Rauf's selection is strange as well, not only does he not have FC experience behind him, but he barely has any experience behind him at all considering he didn't really come through the system.

The rest is fair enough and the middle order selections are fantastic.
 
Folks here who have the technical cricketing know-how wouldn't immediately jump at "ZOMG AMAZING selections".
[MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] has rightly pointed out our woes. Haris Rauf with no First Class record, no stamina, and is selected to bowl in Test matches, against SA.

Zafar Gohar, the most hyped kid on this forum, got dropped after just one bad series.

Trust me, if Zafar Gohar was dropped by Misbah (who initially selected him), all hell would've broken loose here.

Haris Rauf being selected sadly isn't the fault of Wasim or Misbah or Babar. We just don't have any bowlers who can bowl at the international level.

That's why we're pinning hopes on a 4-overs/T20 specialist, who gets smashed even there too.

THE POSITIVES:

Shan "dad's dream" Masood - not even a club quality cricket - getting dropped.
Abbas, another hype machine, getting dropped
Nauman & Sajid getting selected

THE BAD:
-Nawaz selected over Gohar :)))
-Too many focus on spin, PAK pitches ARE NOT DUSTBOWLS like UAE! We need strong pacers.
-Haris Rauf in Tests
-Imam ul Haq (much better than Shan) getting dropped
-Sheer lack of half-decent bowlers
 
Markhor said:
Decent squad though there's always a few surprises with every CS.

Haris Rauf and Abdullah Shafiq have no business in a Test squad with 3 and 1 FC matches respectively. I understand giving recognition to Tabish Khan but what can he offer at age 36 ? Would've preferred Waqas Maqsood if we're picking a veteran seamer.

Mohammed Nawaz is a nothing bowler unless it's a square turner. And I worry about Imran Butt's technique vs seam, he's just had one good domestic season in the last few years.

Nevertheless this squad will be whittled down to 16 so best to reserve judgment then.
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The 4 not making the final cut are:

1. Harris Rauf
2. Sajid Khan
3. Imran Butt
4. Mohammad Nawaz

Thats my feeling. I could be horribly wrong
 
Bold selection strategies. Some good ones, some head scratchers that won't pay off in my opinion, but overall I'm happy because it's at least something different, a change from the crop of players that have let us down so badly in the last year or so.

There seems to be only one batting place up for grabs (opener / #3 if Azhar opens) which is a shame, but you can only make so many changes. The bowling changes are fantastic to see, a mini revamp to our horrible and woeful current bowling attack who have been battered in every series.

Overall, the new guys surely can't do much worse.
 
A few suprises, but in general rocking selections from M Wasim. This guy is awesome and you can see in his selections that there is a vision behind selecting certain players.

The selections of Abdullah Shafique and Haris Rauf are surprising and I did not see them coming. But I understand selectors picking Abdullah considering his enormous potential. Just hope he proves the selectors right and doesn't turn out to be another Asad Shafiq as someone who is just there because of his aesthetically pleasing shots.
Haris Rauf's selection is risky considering he might not be Test match fit, but M Wasim is right that there aren't many genuine fast bowlers in Pakistan.

With the selections of Tabish, Sajid, Saud and Nauman the chief selector has shown that from now on domestic 'consistent' performances will be rewarded. From now on it's clear: be the best performer in QeT for 2/3 seasons and then expect to be selected instead of needing a 'parchi' or other kind of popularity.

Also the selections of Agha Salman, Kamran Ghulam, M Nawaz instead of Usman Salahuddin show that M Wasim wants our batsmen to play according to modern day run rate requirements instead of just blocking and waiting for things to get easier.

Not totally perfect but a good start and things seem to go to the right direction. Let's keep our fingers crossed.
 
Mamoon said:
It Pakistan cannot find a better bowler than a rock thrower with only 3 FC matches and 7 wickets, then the situation is even more deplorable than what I think.
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This is the initial 20 man squad. I think dropping zafar gohar is a bit unfair, but his stats in red ball cricket in terms of bowling compared to nauman ali who was selected as a left arm spinner is not good.

Tabish Khan , Nauman ali , haris rauf and abdullah shafique are indeed a shaky call.
I would have picked Sameen gul and Hasnain in place of Tabish and Haris rauf.. But anyways haris rauf in tests is a gamble..

But will give him the credit for picking players who perform in domestic FC games and dropping players who performed badly Shan, haris, Abbas...
 
This is going to end up either spectacularly or is going to cut M Wasim into pieces. Bold bold calls. Ballsy moves. Have to say that.
 
Karachi Test playing XI
1. Abid Ali
2. Azhar Ali
3. Saud Shakeel
4. Babar Azam
5. Kamran Ghulam
6. Fawad Alam
7. Mohammad Rizwan (wk)
8. Hassan Ali
9. Yasir Shah
10. Sajid Khan
11. Shaheen Afridi

Pindi Test playing XI
1. Abid Ali
2. Azhar Ali
3. Saud Shakeel
4. Babar Azam
5. Fawad Alam
6. Mohammad Rizwan (wk)
7. Faheem Ashraf
8. Hassan Ali
9. Yasir Shah
10. Tabish Khan
11. Shaheen Afridi
 
Overall, this is a bizarre looking squad. And it does not inspire much hope for me.

On one hand you have to appreciate the selections of Saud Shakeel and Kamran Ghulam. Normally I wouldn't support the selection of a player who just had one good season but Ghulam had an extraordinary one. On the other hand, the exclusion of Usman Salahuddin is unfair and Salman Ali Agha should not have got the nod over him.

Abdullah Shafique is another strange selection. And the bowling attack somehow looks even more toothless with the inclusions of 36 year old Tabish Khan and Haris who has a total of 3 FC matches behind him.

And what is the long-term strategy behind selecting Tabish? How many matches is he expected to play at the young age of 36?
 
The day when the selectors have the least amount of job to do and just replace injured players is when a test team is known to have arrived. Our test ranking is clearly visible in the number of changes we made. CRAZY!
 
Hawkeye said:
Folks here who have the technical cricketing know-how wouldn't immediately jump at "ZOMG AMAZING selections".
[MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] has rightly pointed out our woes. Haris Rauf with no First Class record, no stamina, and is selected to bowl in Test matches, against SA.

Zafar Gohar, the most hyped kid on this forum, got dropped after just one bad series.

Trust me, if Zafar Gohar was dropped by Misbah (who initially selected him), all hell would've broken loose here.

Haris Rauf being selected sadly isn't the fault of Wasim or Misbah or Babar. We just don't have any bowlers who can bowl at the international level.

That's why we're pinning hopes on a 4-overs/T20 specialist, who gets smashed even there too.

THE POSITIVES:

Shan "dad's dream" Masood - not even a club quality cricket - getting dropped.
Abbas, another hype machine, getting dropped
Nauman & Sajid getting selected

THE BAD:
-Nawaz selected over Gohar :)))
-Too many focus on spin, PAK pitches ARE NOT DUSTBOWLS like UAE! We need strong pacers.
-Haris Rauf in Tests
-Imam ul Haq (much better than Shan) getting dropped
-Sheer lack of half-decent bowlers
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I think Imam is ruled out of SA series due to injury i think.

But also for the amount chances he got he hasn't scored enough runs to showcase, but definitely a future prospect.. And Im sure he will comeback soon.
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
Overall, this is a bizarre looking squad. And it does not inspire much hope for me.

On one hand you have to appreciate the selections of Saud Shakeel and Kamran Ghulam. Normally I wouldn't support the selection of a player who just had one good season but Ghulam had an extraordinary one. On the other hand, the exclusion of Usman Salahuddin is unfair and Salman Ali Agha should not have got the nod over him.

Abdullah Shafique is another strange selection. And the bowling attack somehow looks even more toothless with the inclusions of 36 year old Tabish Khan and Haris who has a total of 3 FC matches behind him.

And what is the long-term strategy behind selecting Tabish? How many matches is he expected to play at the young age of 36?
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Tabish is there to perform the 'Abbas role' considering his expertise on these wickets and his reputation for a consistent line and length. So it's like a temperament solution till Abbas finds his own solution to his problem or someone else stands up.
 
Third Man said:
The Zafar drop was harsh, but Wasim mentioned that he's considering him for the white ball teams, which should be a boost for Zafar. Zafar ideally should've played this year's QeA tournament which would've given us a good look at his form.

As for Abdullah, he's been selected for the right format, but way too soon. I don't know what the thinking was there, but I don't think he should play in the final XI. The goal for him should be to play all of next year's QeA trophy.
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Not sure how getting picked for the ODI/T20I squad is a boost for Zafar. He is not going to get into the playing XI any time soon because of Imad and Shadab.

Establishing himself as the second spinner in Test cricket in Asian conditions was the only window of opportunity for him to establish himself in international cricket.
 
Best squad I’ve seen selected in a looong time. Kudos.
 
Not sure how good was the selection but definitely a popular one - lots of new faces.

I think, Wasim is a smart guy - picked 20 players with lots of new faces and few popular choices (& few unpopular exclusions), but in playing XI I don’t think there’ll be much surprise.

PAK will play in a 3+2 combinations with two specialist spinners picked. That makes the most predictable XI is like

1. Abid
2. Azhar/Abdullah/Butt
3. Azhar/Saud
4. Babar
5. Fawad
6. Rizwan
7. Faheem
8. Sajid/Nauman
9. Yasir
10. Hasan
11. Shaheen

Almost certainly we will see one spinner debuting - I go for the SLAO one because SAF is a bit suspect against that type of spin & depending on Azhar opening or batting at 3, we should see one more debutante in top 3.

There is an out side chance of Nawaz picked up at no 7 at Karachi, but that’ll be unfair for Faheem - if it’s really a turner, then may be they can drop Hasan & play both finger spinners.

Predictable playing XI, but definitely praise worthy staff with the reserves.
 
Weird selections with some inconsistent inclusions. Suggest all of this could just eyewash.

Preference supposedly given to FC Cricket. But then what of A Shafique, Haris Rauf.

Tabish in place of Abbas is a strange stop gap. For all we know, Abbas could have just been kept as a first change and bowled alongside a spinner from the other end to maintain pressure.

Would have picked Usman Salahuddin if the idea is to have experienced people hit the ground running. If he’s around 30 and in good shape, could play for a few years.

Zafar Gohar seemed composed with the bat. Is Wasim saying his skills with the ball are so poor to not even get selected on tractable pitches? If so, his FC footage of last few seasons needs to be reviewed.

Nawaz has played FC but unless he has morphed into a tremendous bowler or batsman, he just does not seem cut out for Tests. His proficiency with both aspects was barely acceptable for T20s.

On a side note, how long has Naseem been carrying the ‘niggle’? Is that what caused the run-up and bowling changes?


All in all, nothing new. PAK are used to fielding their best combination after losing a few games or risking exit from tournaments. Until then, Farcical XIs will be all the rage.
 
Last edited:
RedwoodOriginal said:
Overall, this is a bizarre looking squad. And it does not inspire much hope for me.

On one hand you have to appreciate the selections of Saud Shakeel and Kamran Ghulam. Normally I wouldn't support the selection of a player who just had one good season but Ghulam had an extraordinary one. On the other hand, the exclusion of Usman Salahuddin is unfair and Salman Ali Agha should not have got the nod over him.

Abdullah Shafique is another strange selection. And the bowling attack somehow looks even more toothless with the inclusions of 36 year old Tabish Khan and Haris who has a total of 3 FC matches behind him.

And what is the long-term strategy behind selecting Tabish? How many matches is he expected to play at the young age of 36?
Click to expand...

watch the full press conference, he gives some pretty good explanations there. All of the questions many on pp have were asked.

now lets get down to the most contentious ones:

the three middle order bats deserve to be there. lets not mince words. PPErs love to moan like dihait aurtain so I expect some disgruntled "old aunty" comments. However some are just down right stupid.

Why has Tabish khan been selected? watch the video. Its a direct replacement for Abbas if the team management want to avail the opportunity.

Why Rauf? again watch the video, he gives us something different if we need it. Doesnt mean he'll make the eleven but the option is there for the cuptaan

the allrounders. They have looked at the domestic season and I know some on here hate nawaz but he is a hard worker and deserves to be in a squad of twenty. Whether he makes the final one is debateable

They have used statistics and have observed every player in the ground. thats more than any PP aunty can claim. You see alot on the ground when watching matches that you may not see on youtube clips or live matches.

Finally i will say this is a nice change and some bold selections. I for one am happy with this squad.
 
Abdullah Shafique, Haris Rauf and Tabish Khan are horrible selections. Tabish has been selected due to Karachi media mafia otherwise Waqas Masood deserved ahead of him. What do you expect from a 37 year old, another Tanvir Ahmed waiting to happen.
 
Expected drops from 20 for final 16 member squad will be as follows:

1) Abdullah Shafiq / Abid Ali / Imran Butt ( one or two of them will be dropped )
2) Harris Rauf / Tabish Khan ( one of them will be dropped for sure )
3) Agha Salman / Mohammed Nawaz ( one of them will be dropped or both may be dropped to accomodate one of the front line spinner)
4) Sajid / Nauman / Yasir Shah ( one of them will be dropped )

Coming back to dropping of Zafer Gohar was very clear, he is more of a batsman than a spinner. He cannot be called front line spinner. Best advise for Zaffer gohar to do is work hard on batting and become like Mohammed Nawaz.

I think this is the best team selection by Mohammed Wasim. Series against SA will be the last chance to Abid Ali / Fawad Alam / Yasir Shah

My eleven for the first test will be:

1. Azhar Ali
2. Abid Ali
3. Babar
4. Fawad
5. Rizwan
6. Saud
7. Faheem
8. Hassan Ali
9. Nauman Ali
10. Yasir Shah
11. Shaheen Shah

12. Kamran Gulam
 
Last edited:
Rana said:
The 4 not making the final cut are:

1. Harris Rauf
2. Sajid Khan
3. Imran Butt
4. Mohammad Nawaz

Thats my feeling. I could be horribly wrong
Click to expand...

I think the final 4 not making the cut could be

Tabish Khan
Nawaz
Agha Salman
Imran butt
 
A strong batting squad, except perhaps openers, and able spinners except Nawaz, but pace bowling does not promise much. Good to see no Abbas though. You do not win test matches by just controlling run rate. He was no longer wicket taking option in his version 2 and with batsmen batting against him with plan.
 
Aur option hi kya hai "Mitroon". He is a good bowler, not a leader of attack at this hour but can supplement yasir Shah well. It's fine to pick horses for courses but there has to be a core of players , not the ones who are expandable to conditions. Should have picked guys who are capable of playing for 5-10 years . Nouman Ali is another Zufliqar babar . If you are telling me that he is 34, then Inzi bhai should be 20.
 
b.lesner said:
Very good team first time I'm happy.

Im disappointed with Jernalists Nobody asked about Usman Salahuddin

And Wasim Said Abdullah Shafiq is selected as opener so wouldn't it be better to go with regular opener like Sami Aslam, Israrullah or Zain Abbas.
Otherwise good squad
Click to expand...

Your love for awful player is surprising. Israrullah, zain abbas are awful and then yoy want zahid ans bismillah khan too.
 
Khan12 said:
Your love for awful player is surprising. Israrullah, zain abbas are awful and then yoy want zahid ans bismillah khan too.
Click to expand...

How many years of domestic cricket have you watched?
 
Haris Rauf, Agha Saman, and Nawaz will be dropped for sure and the fourth would be one of the other spinner Nauaman or Sajid.
 
Mamoon said:
Not sure how getting picked for the ODI/T20I squad is a boost for Zafar. He is not going to get into the playing XI any time soon because of Imad and Shadab.

Establishing himself as the second spinner in Test cricket in Asian conditions was the only window of opportunity for him to establish himself in international cricket.
Click to expand...

Do you think Tabish will get opportunity vs South Africa? I felt Pak missed the trick vs Zim. They could have played him in 1 ODI match and given him farewell. It would have been best for everyone.
 
the Great Khan said:
watch the full press conference, he gives some pretty good explanations there. All of the questions many on pp have were asked.

now lets get down to the most contentious ones:

the three middle order bats deserve to be there. lets not mince words. PPErs love to moan like dihait aurtain so I expect some disgruntled "old aunty" comments. However some are just down right stupid.

Why has Tabish khan been selected? watch the video. Its a direct replacement for Abbas if the team management want to avail the opportunity.

Why Rauf? again watch the video, he gives us something different if we need it. Doesnt mean he'll make the eleven but the option is there for the cuptaan

the allrounders. They have looked at the domestic season and I know some on here hate nawaz but he is a hard worker and deserves to be in a squad of twenty. Whether he makes the final one is debateable

They have used statistics and have observed every player in the ground. thats more than any PP aunty can claim. You see alot on the ground when watching matches that you may not see on youtube clips or live matches.

Finally i will say this is a nice change and some bold selections. I for one am happy with this squad.
Click to expand...

There is absolutely no logical explanation he can give for selecting Tabish Khan. There are other pacers who have done well in QeA Trophy like Waqas Maqsood who are not 36.
 
Anyone got any vids of Nauman? I would like to see him..i may already have but cant remember..lol

also any vids of agha salman?
 
b.lesner said:
How many years of domestic cricket have you watched?
Click to expand...

I have been wavthing for the last 14 years or so. No one will select the likes of Israrullah bismillah khan etc they are awful to say the least. Both of them cant play anything over 120k and their techniques are awful. What has watching domestics cricket got to do with it? As awful as shan is hes still far better batsmen then these 2 which says something about them.
 
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