Pakistan Cricketers

[Anna]

Hi guys, I have a bit of a favour to ask.

I am putting together an e-flier for the Pakistan matches at Edgbaston next year & could do with knowing who the most popular/successful current Pakistan players are atm. Apart from Afridi and Umar Gul, I really don't have a clue.

Your help will be greatly appreciated!

Thank you

 

[subshakerz]

You could start with Younis Khan, their captain, then Mohummad Yousuf. their best batsman.

 

[Xuhaib]

Shoaib Akhtar.

 

[Fusion]

Shoaib Akhtar.

Aside from Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousaf, Shahid Afridi, and Umar Gul, I would add Mohammad Aamer's name to the current "popular/successful" list.

 

[Athlai]

What about Umar Akmal?

 

[Richard]

You could start with Younis Khan, their captain, then Mohummad Yousuf. their best batsman.

In Tests Younis Khan is miles better than Mohammad Yousuf AFAIC.

Afridi meanwhile is hopeless, though obviously you don't want to be saying that in an e-flier. Mohammad Aamer and Umar Akmal both look hugely promising as things currently stand but this is Pakistan we're talking about - players do this then drop off the radar in months with considerable regularity.

 

[Black_Warrior]

^ with the bat yes definitely...but I wouldnt call him hopeless with the ball because he has been their most consistent bowler in ODIs.

 

[zaremba]

In Tests Younis Khan is miles better than Mohammad Yousuf AFAIC.

Afridi meanwhile is hopeless, though obviously you don't want to be saying that in an e-flier.

Anna, Richard's analysis nothwithstanding, I think everyone here would agree that Mohammad Yousuf and Shahid Afridi are among the biggest names in Pakistan cricket. I am not a Pakistan supporter but I am confident that the they are also among the most popular players.

 

[Richard]

Oh they're among the biggest names no doubt - Mohammad Yousuf may not be anywhere near as good as his career average suggests but he's still one of Pakistan's best batsmen of all-time; Afridi's general hopelessness and occasional absolute superlativeness (and of course the fact he's actually a reasonable-if-not-outstanding bowler) possibly endears him more than outlaws him.

 

[PhoenixFire]

Yeah but Anna didn't ask for the best players did she? Popular and successful =! good.

 

[Richard]

Well successful = most of what constitutes "good" TBH, but fair enough - I hadn't actually spotted the particular stipulation of "popular" there.

As for Mohammad Yousuf's popularity, think he's generally perceived as a middling batsman and fairly bland and nothing-much-too-him isn't he? Quite the anthesis of the classical Pakistani volatile-but-spasmodically-brilliant hero. And he went to the ICL, thus forsaking Pakistan - which fortunately for him proved possible to reverse.

 

[SaeedAnwar]

Mohammad Yousuf is more talented then Younis, just watch the way he bats and he is more consistent then Younis in both tests and odi's

 

[Faisal1985]

Afridi is all you need darling......................may be add the touch of Aamir and Gul....


Don't even think about Younis Khan!!!! We hate him right now for dropping that catch....and no Mo YO either.......soaked up too many balls in the semi...

Look at it this way......whoever did not make a mess of the Semi against NZ put their names down.....Gul is exception.........

 

[SaeedAnwar]

^ typical pakistani attitude, if they win make them kings, if they lose insult them beyond death.

 

[zaremba]

As for Mohammad Yousuf's popularity, think he's generally perceived as a middling batsman

Really? I think you're confusing your opinion with others' perceptions. I'd hazard a fairly confident guess that among Pakistan followers, and indeed among cricket followers around the world, he's generally perceived as an outstanding batsman. The fact that the odd cognoscento here or there may have dissected his record to expose some arguable weaknesses won't begin to change that fact.

 

[Richard]

Look around Pakistanis - there's a very common and obvious consensus that Yousuf does the easy work very well and usually goes missing when he's most needed.

Only people who make the mistake of looking purely at a career average without examining it properly would consider Yousuf an outstanding batsman. And yes, there are such souls around.

 

[Black_Warrior]

In Tests Younis Khan is miles better than Mohammad Yousuf AFAIC.

You know I agree with you about Mohammad Yousuf and I wrote in some other topic why he falls shy of being truly hailed as a great batsman of his era but I wouldnt really rate Younis miles ahead of Yousuf either.. I mean my criticism was Yousuf's average record against Australia and South Africa (the two best teams of his era) and its not like Younis does a lot better than him against them.

 

[brackenNY]

Oh they're among the biggest names no doubt - Mohammad Yousuf may not be anywhere near as good as his career average suggests but he's still one of Pakistan's best batsmen of all-time; Afridi's general hopelessness and occasional absolute superlativeness (and of course the fact he's actually a reasonable-if-not-outstanding bowler) possibly endears him more than outlaws him.

Yeah, but what does that have to do with the OP's question?

 

[Xuhaib]

You know I agree with you about Mohammad Yousuf and I wrote in some other topic why he falls shy of being truly hailed as a great batsman of his era but I wouldnt really rate Younis miles ahead of Yousuf either.. I mean my criticism was Yousuf's average record against Australia and South Africa (the two best teams of his era) and its not like Younis does a lot better than him against them.

but since his improvement which was early 2005 Younis has not faced Aus while he's had a good time against SA, tour later this year to Down Under will settle this arguement I feel.

 

[DingDong]

Shahid Afridi
Shoaib Akthar
Hasan Raza