salman85
International Debutant
So our WC is over.It was a great run TBF. Definitely the most enjoyable WC of my life from a Pakistani perspective.I was too young during 1992 so i don't have a lot of memories from that time,we reached the 1999 final but everyone expected us to be do that since we were in great form going into the tournament.Our performance this time was pleasantly surprising against the backdrop of spot fixing,no home matches,political turmoil in the country etc.
So,where do we go from there?Our performance in the WC kind of reminds me of Germany in the 2006 football WC.Went in as underdogs,no huge superstars in the side,the nation went into a frenzy following some great wins,and then they bowed out fighting.
Captaincy
In an ideal word,i would want Afridi to stay as captain.I hope that happens.Make Hafeez his deputy.
Batting and Wicketkeeping
Younis and Kamran should be given the boot permanently.I have my doubts over Razzaq's usefulness to the side too.He will go ballistic with the bat every now and then,but his bowling and fielding doesn't complement that and i'm not sure if it's worth having him in the side anymore.I think Misbah should go on for a year or two.In Test Matches atleast.Also,in order to replace Younis,i think Asad Ali should be given a shot as an ODI player.There is also Umar Amin.And then you also have Ahmed Shahzad who should given a few more opportunities to improve and prove himself.He's young and he can get better.So in a crux :
Younis OUT.Asad Ali IN.
Kamran OUT.Adnan Akmal IN.
Razzaq OUT.Umar Amin IN.
Bowling
With Shoaib out,Wahab will be a permanent fixture in the side for a while now.Junaid Khan can also be tested.All in all,the bowling department looks promising.I think the team should experiment with Gul-Wahab opening the bowling.It could prove to be very uself.Gul will obviously spearhead the attack now.I'm not convinced by Rehman,who seems to nothing more than a run containing measure.Kick him out,and put Ajmal in every game.The difference in class was obvious during the WC.Ajmal is 33,but he's a spinner and thus he would be able to play for another 4 years.He's comparatively young at the international arena,so his body has not taken a lot of strain.So in a crux :
Rehman OUT.Ajmal IN.
Shoaib OUT.Wahab IN.
Overall
I think the side could take various shapes in the future.The following players could well form a part of the team in the future :
Muhammad Hafeez
Ahmed Shahzad
Asad Shafique
Azhar Ali
Umar Akmal
Adnan Akmal (wk)
Shahid Afridi
Wahab Riaz
Umar Gul
Saeed Ajmal
Junaid Khan
Misbah Ul Haq
Umar Amin
Sarfraz Ahmed (wk)
Plus Pakistan has always had the knack of producing quality fast bowlers out of nowhere.We might some new talent unearthed.All in all,exciting times for Pakistan cricket IMO.We have a strong foundation right now,which needs to be utilized.If things go in the right direction,we could be serious title challengers in 2015.
So,where do we go from there?Our performance in the WC kind of reminds me of Germany in the 2006 football WC.Went in as underdogs,no huge superstars in the side,the nation went into a frenzy following some great wins,and then they bowed out fighting.
Captaincy
In an ideal word,i would want Afridi to stay as captain.I hope that happens.Make Hafeez his deputy.
Batting and Wicketkeeping
Younis and Kamran should be given the boot permanently.I have my doubts over Razzaq's usefulness to the side too.He will go ballistic with the bat every now and then,but his bowling and fielding doesn't complement that and i'm not sure if it's worth having him in the side anymore.I think Misbah should go on for a year or two.In Test Matches atleast.Also,in order to replace Younis,i think Asad Ali should be given a shot as an ODI player.There is also Umar Amin.And then you also have Ahmed Shahzad who should given a few more opportunities to improve and prove himself.He's young and he can get better.So in a crux :
Younis OUT.Asad Ali IN.
Kamran OUT.Adnan Akmal IN.
Razzaq OUT.Umar Amin IN.
Bowling
With Shoaib out,Wahab will be a permanent fixture in the side for a while now.Junaid Khan can also be tested.All in all,the bowling department looks promising.I think the team should experiment with Gul-Wahab opening the bowling.It could prove to be very uself.Gul will obviously spearhead the attack now.I'm not convinced by Rehman,who seems to nothing more than a run containing measure.Kick him out,and put Ajmal in every game.The difference in class was obvious during the WC.Ajmal is 33,but he's a spinner and thus he would be able to play for another 4 years.He's comparatively young at the international arena,so his body has not taken a lot of strain.So in a crux :
Rehman OUT.Ajmal IN.
Shoaib OUT.Wahab IN.
Overall
I think the side could take various shapes in the future.The following players could well form a part of the team in the future :
Muhammad Hafeez
Ahmed Shahzad
Asad Shafique
Azhar Ali
Umar Akmal
Adnan Akmal (wk)
Shahid Afridi
Wahab Riaz
Umar Gul
Saeed Ajmal
Junaid Khan
Misbah Ul Haq
Umar Amin
Sarfraz Ahmed (wk)
Plus Pakistan has always had the knack of producing quality fast bowlers out of nowhere.We might some new talent unearthed.All in all,exciting times for Pakistan cricket IMO.We have a strong foundation right now,which needs to be utilized.If things go in the right direction,we could be serious title challengers in 2015.
