Can pakistan qualify for the super-six?

[Gotchya]

Yes, everyone of us seems to be going overboard with this Pakistan slump thing. Very typical of us to do so, but remember one thing that the upheavals are just as unexpected as down slides are when you are talking about Pakistan. Its really dumb talk wether Pakistan will be scrathing for their life against England.

In one dayers, form may be fickle, but it doesn't really change all that much in such a short time.

Really ? remember what Sri Lanka did just a month ago ? there are countless examples of teams getting out of a rut, no doubt Pakistan have made every attempt recently to deprive themselves of a chance to win anything, but its just not very wise to pounce and say that they will be nowhere in contention !

 

[royGilchrist]

Infact the turmoil that Pak cricket is goin through, might be the perfect WC preparation for Pak, I'd look for Pak to do vey well

 

[Anil]

Originally posted by Gotchya
Yes, everyone of us seems to be going overboard with this Pakistan slump thing. Very typical of us to do so, but remember one thing that the upheavals are just as unexpected as down slides are when you are talking about Pakistan. Its really dumb talk wether Pakistan will be scrathing for their life against England.

In one dayers, form may be fickle, but it doesn't really change all that much in such a short time.

Really ? remember what Sri Lanka did just a month ago ? there are countless examples of teams getting out of a rut, no doubt Pakistan have made every attempt recently to deprive themselves of a chance to win anything, but its just not very wise to pounce and say that they will be nowhere in contention !

What I said was that a full-strength Pak team will have a better chance of getting into the super six than England. I never said they were nowhere in contention.

 

[marc71178]

Originally posted by anilramavarma

Originally posted by marc71178

Still won't beat a confident full-strength Pak team.

And the likelihood of meeting them?

Well...Inzi and Youhana could be back from injuries. They will surely bring back Akram and Anwar after the debacle against Australia. If you include Azhar Mehmood, an injury free Abdul Razzaq and keep some of the more promising youngsters in the current team, it is a different team altogether. If both teams play at their best, more than a match for England, I would say.

I meant the confident bit.

 

[Anil]

Originally posted by marc71178

Originally posted by anilramavarma

Originally posted by marc71178

Still won't beat a confident full-strength Pak team.

And the likelihood of meeting them?

Well...Inzi and Youhana could be back from injuries. They will surely bring back Akram and Anwar after the debacle against Australia. If you include Azhar Mehmood, an injury free Abdul Razzaq and keep some of the more promising youngsters in the current team, it is a different team altogether. If both teams play at their best, more than a match for England, I would say.

I meant the confident bit.

Why shouldn't they be confident if they have a full-strength team?

 

[Gotchya]

Why shouldn't they be confident if they have a full-strength team?

Because of what they have been doing for the past two months

 

[Anil]

Originally posted by Gotchya

Why shouldn't they be confident if they have a full-strength team?

Because of what they have been doing for the past two months

Didn't you just quote me the example of how SL resurrected itself from a rut in a month or so? Why shouldn't Pak be able to do that? After all, a full-strength Pak team beat Australia in Australia not so long back.

 

[Gotchya]

Thats what i have been painstakingly pointing out hroughout the thread. Pakistan are in deep waters,seemingly they are down and out, its difficult to improve from such a siuation, BUT its almost probable that they may improve, because it has happened before with Pakistan. People dont call them the 'most unpredictable' for no reason. Thats the whole point. You cannot ever be very sure about them.

[Edited on 17/10/2002 by Gotchya]

 

[marc71178]

Why shouldn't they be confident if they have a full-strength team?

Dissention in the ranks...

 

[Anil]

Originally posted by marc71178

Why shouldn't they be confident if they have a full-strength team?

Dissention in the ranks...

....you hope, right?

 

[howzthat]

Pakistan will definately make it to the super six, infact they will atleast go to the semis.This is what i'm saying after watching the second test match which Pak lost.
In my opinion the result of the match was a blessing in disguise.The way pakistan performed in the first match, an impression was being created as if Taufeeq/Nazir and Faisal were great players, had these players done well thoughout the series, then we would probably had seen forced retirement of senior cric like Anwar/Akram/Inzi? which would have been suicidal for the WC.Already Ejaz Ahmed is the victim for God's know what reason.

Waqar has finally realised that if he has to win matches, he gotta have seniors in the team.Pak would be playing two test series in the SA and Zimb, so they will get familiar with the condition, that will be an ideal preparation.Inzamam have posponed his surgery and will use steroids to become fit for the WC, while Youhanna is already fit

As for dissentions, that isn't the case atall.Waseem Akram will be playing for the last time in the cup and like any sane individual, he would like to end his career on a happy note, i don't think there is any other individual that have any differences with waqar.

My first choice 11 would be

Anwar
Afridi
Misbah
Inzi
Youhanna
Younus
Razzak
Lateef
Waseem
Waqar
Akhter.

 

[royGilchrist]

Afridi will bowl ten overs??

What if he, or someone else is expensive, what other option will waqar have.

Saqlain should be part o the team I think.

 

[howzthat]

Lately Afridi had been bowling extremely well in onedayers, infact he had been bowling his full quota of ten overs in the recent past.

Obviously Saqi is a much better choice than Afridi , but i would like to see Pak going into the match with 4 specialist mid order batters.Misbah has been a good onedayer find and he can bat at the important one down slot ( much better than having Razzak batting at such a position).
Even though the bowling would be a bit weakened by such a stategy but the batting at the saime would get stronger, which i think is important!

 

[marc71178]

Originally posted by howzthat

Lately Afridi had been bowling extremely well in onedayers, infact he had been bowling his full quota of ten overs in the recent past.

He has had some good spells, but also some bad ones recently - and there is also the fact of the different conditions.

I can't see them seriously challenging if they go in without Saqlain to be honest.

 

[Andre]

We'll, lets just hope the Pakis havnt peaked too early

 

[masterblaster]

Cannot wait for the India v Pakistan clash at the world cup, we (India) should beat them. SHOULD, but crickets a funny game, all in all it will be a blockbuster

 

[marc71178]

Originally posted by masterblaster
Cannot wait for the India v Pakistan clash at the world cup, we (India) should beat them. SHOULD, but crickets a funny game, all in all it will be a blockbuster

IMO the stand-out match of the WC Group stages.

 

[howzthat]

[/quote]

He has had some good spells, but also some bad ones recently - and there is also the fact of the different conditions.

I can't see them seriously challenging if they go in without Saqlain to be honest. [/quote]

If Pak can't get opponents out by having a bowling attack with bowlers like Akhter/Akram/Waqar/Razzak and Afridi THEN even the inclusion of Saqi won't make much a difference.

The only way you can say that Pak attack would be considerably weakened is if Akhter doesn't play! Even in Australia recently, Pak won the trophy with an attack that didn't had Saqi and Razzak!!

 

[royGilchrist]

The thing is in ODI, even if u have top of the line bowlers, there is a chance that they will have off days, and will get hit big time, average of around 8 runs per over type hitting. In ur lineup Razzaq and Afridi are definetely the type of bowlers that are prone to getting hit, and there has to be some sort of a backup plan.

With Saqi in the lineup, u have four quality bowlers, and if Afridi or Mahmood are there, they can share the 10 overs with Razzaq.

I really dont know the merits of dicsussing of discussing this here, but in my opinion it will be much better to have atleast four front line bowlers (Saqi, Akhter, Akram and Waqar) and then Razzaq and another all rounder to finisht he 50 veors.

Although having said that, in 1996 (I think) when Pak won the world series in Aus, Afridi was doing a lot of bowling and bowling really well, and conditions in SA will be similar, so that kinda justifies ur point of view Howzthat.

[Edited on 18/10/2002 by royGilchrist]

 

[marc71178]

The only way you can say that Pak attack would be considerably weakened is if Akhter doesn't play! Even in Australia recently, Pak won the trophy with an attack that didn't had Saqi and Razzak!!

There's a big difference between a meaningless 3 game series, and the World Cup (11 games) - much more scope for weaknesses to be found out and exploited.