Before selecting players, I think first PCB needs to fix their strategy, in terms of what they want to achieve, what team combination is required, how the squad will be rotated and proper phasing out of senior players. Right now, I see a chaos in PCT management in every aspect from poor selection/combination to squad rotation. Before naming players, I think PCB must consider the following factors -
1. Team must be built considering the next WC in India, 2023. I have seen too many times PCB "rebuilds" the squad after a failure, basically exchanging some recent failure with players dropped sometimes back for the then failure; but this time the focus must be a point of time 4 years later. 45 months before next WC is probably the best time if you are to start rebuilding an ODI team.
2. WC will be hosted by IND, therefore team combination must have to considering Indian ODI context. For every different venues, we need a special skill set, and better teams do build reserves as well for that condition. For PAK, strategy must be for a long term goal of winning 2023 WC, rather than series by series approach, something that hasn't
3. There has to be a proper phasing out players. Often, we have seen successful teams stuck with a set of players and that eventually creates a generation gap. Unfortunately, PAK is the only team which is stuck with a massive generation gap, but team is also border line minnow with same set of players for years. This can only happen when one keeps backing sell by date players based on their past performance in to wrong side of age. Next "rebuild" must have to be done considering players' potential in 2022-23, not 2019. Players not expected to last 4 years at peak, shouldn't be invested heavily; for smooth transition, some of the seniors should be part of the team, but there must be a fall back strategy, so that if the senior pro suffers a loss of form or fitness, there is ready made back up.
4. First 3 points, must be backed up by proper Squad rotation, so that a bunch of 23-25 players are ready for WC and competing at least 2 for each spot. This squad rotation includes Captaincy as well, so that there is a continuation of the thought process. Recently, we have seen a sort of squad rotation, 3 months before WC after playing full squad to bash ZIM reserves, don’t think this will work.
First, PCT (every team, this not for PAK only) needs to fix their combination, targeting the WC 2023 in India. I think, teams that will do well for that WC, should have an ideal combination like this –
- Dynamic Top 3 - couple of ODI openers, preferably left-right combo and a No. 3. Modern top order needs to be sound enough to survive the ball and skilled enough to take advantage of every loose ball in power play; at the same time must be complete enough to convert starts. Ideally, your best 3 batsmen or 3 of the best 4 batsmen must bat in top 3. The best top 3 for Indian WC is undoubtedly the Indian top 3.
- 2 flexible middle order who are busy and great rotators. For a WC in IND, these 2 have to be good players of spin. Again, a lefti in middle order in handy to unsettle the spinners.
- A WK, must be good enough to make the XI on batting merit. For Indian WC, WK must be good against spin with ball & gloves.
- 2 Genuine spinners – this is elementary for a WC in India. If the spin pair can contribute with bat, it’s added advantage, but otherwise both of them must be backed even if they bat at No. 10 & 11. In India, spinners are attacking weapon, just like fast bowlers in SENA countries. In UK/AUS/SAF, they try to knock couple of early wickets with new ball; in India success lies is knocking regular wickets between over No. 15-40 – this can only be done by proper wicket taking spinners.
- Couple of fast bowlers, again making the team on pure bowling merit. ODIs are heading to a run feast and I think the key is to success is your wicket taking ability. For 220 per games, 15-20 runs from bits & pieces all-rounders become often handy, but for 300+ context, I think it’s about knock top order for cheap - high scoring games are hardly won by contribution across the line up, rather it’s done by a BIG innings among the top 1-3 wickets.
- 1 All-rounder. This is based on combination – if couple of the batsmen can bowl a bit, for Indian game I don’t mind 6th batsman picked and lst 10 overs shared by part-timers.
In that regard,
- From the 1st day of next WC cycle, each and every player picked should be U29, so that by 2023, they are still in their peak period; may be for fast bowlers this cap should be U25.
- I would like to see a pool of around 20 players rotating across the year. This rotation should be made using a mathematical model. If PAK plays 25 games in a year, that’s 275 spots – I would like to see something like 5 players playing 20 games, next 5, around 15; last 10 around 10-12 games. For each spot, there will be at least one back-up and those back-up will be given enough games.
I won’t go for names this time, rather this is my combination for 2023 WC – I can see only about half the players (out of a pool of 23) available now, so in 4 years PCB has to find another half.
Not sure whom to pick, but I’ll definitely not plan next WC for these players – Hafeez (he hasn’t retired yet), Sarfraz, Amir, Imad, Abid, Faheem, JK, Fakhar, Haris. And, among new faces, I would like to see these names – Saud, Gohar, Umer Khan, Usama, Nasim, Arshad, Amad, Zeshan, Badar, Ghulam, Talat…. And, I’ll start opening with Babar.
My Captain will be Babar for sure, so that he gets full 4 years, tough to call on his deputy, may be Shadab.
