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*Official* Pakistan in Sri Lanka 2014

Jassy

Banned
By ordinary I meant his temperament. Has squandered so many opportunities.
I see where you are coming from but it is a bit of an exaggeration IMO. I would be more worried about Manzoor and Shahzad if I were a Pak fan. This line up without YK is atrocious, shudder to think what will happen once YK retires which can't be more than a year away now.
 

smash84

The Tiger King
I see where you are coming from but it is a bit of an exaggeration IMO. I would be more worried about Manzoor and Shahzad if I were a Pak fan. This line up without YK is atrocious, shudder to think what will happen once YK retires which can't be more than a year away now.
Of course shahzad is a joke. Manzoor has had relatively less chances. However that does not detract from the fact that despite so many opportunities Shafiq hasn't really performed anywhere near where he should have.
 

Fusion

Global Moderator
**** google for scaring the **** out of me this morning

I need some explanation about what this "Twilight: Paused, touch to resume" notification on your phone is all about. If you were watching that damn movie or listening to its soundtrack, you have lost ALL credibility with me. In fact, I would suggest you just self-ban yourself as punishment.
 

viriya

International Captain
Just read that SL didn't review a plumb lbw vs Younis Khan when he was at 21.. what a ****-up..
 

Agent Nationaux

International Coach
Wow, I missed this. Too busy in Off-Topic. :p

Younis showing his class as always. Disappointed at the rest except Shafiq, but they haven't played in a while so it's not too bad.
 

SOPL

Cricket Spectator
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to catch any of yesterday's play live (due to waking up late) and it seems that will be the same case for today too; 5 AM is simply too early to wake up and begin watching a Test match. However, I've just managed to catch the highlights of yesterday's play and was impressed by a number of proceedings.

Younus Khan is absolutely class, overtaking Moyo as the 3rd highest run scorer of Pakistan cricket in the process of scoring his 24th Test century. Let us hope that Younus manages to become the leading run scorer and century maker in Tests, which is surely possible with at least two more years of Test cricket within him.

His second century on Sri Lankan soil (his first being way back in 2000, the year of his Test debut) has provided him with a conversion rate of just a tad over 46% (fifties-to-hundreds), placing him in very esteemed company.

This conversion rate of fifties-to-hundreds is the highest amongst any Pakistani batsman and also 9th in the all-time list (ahead of more appreciated players such as Tendulkar, Kallis and Dravid etc) - my criteria including players with at least 20 centuries and having played at least 40 Tests - re-emphasising the point that once well-set Younus scores big for Pakistan and isn't one to throw his wicket away loosely.

A major servant of Pakistan cricket, we are all aware of his tremendous record in the 4th innings and his fabulous achievement in producing 100-run partnerships but yet still he remains criminally underrated and invariably forgotten. Perhaps it is a testament to the quiet, somewhat reticent but always honourable - man who prefers to let his blade do the major talking - a man who has performed throughout his career without much rumours of initiating controversy nor causing dressing room politics (despite having politics played against him in 2009/2010).



I noticed this picture which you posted and I absolutely loved it. Personally, I believe it portrays across the various nature of Younis Khan exquisitely and succinctly; the image of a wizard summoning magical performances in times of need (such as the 19/2 we found ourselves in today), the depiction of Lord Voldemort for the opposition (the wicket the opposition most desperately seek to attain) and finally - perhaps the most apt - the impression of an honest and humble man, performing when Pakistan undoubtedly need him to play a masterful innings, yet always underrated by students and fans of the game and his record and name never mentioned alongside the premier batsmen of today, instead lost in the dark clouds.

The second point which I wished to address was the admirable innings played by Asad Shafiq. I've always confided trust in Shafiq's ability to perform well (due to having the semblance of a batsman with that ever-rare quality, the capability to perform in a crisis which he displayed with his two centuries against South Africa) and have always disagreed with how the knives would quickly be out for him at every single opportunity.

Even after the Cape Town innings, there were quite a few people who declared that his innings wasn't that remarkable - particularly the self-deprecating sort who seem to have an ambition to undermine every Pakistani players' performances and only begrudgingly accept their worth, instead gushing over the supposed talent of other countries' players (reminding me of the obsequious and submissive attitude that was displayed by some of the Indian princes and first Indian Test cricketers to their erstwhile Colonial masters) - the typical snide remark being "the wicket had gone flat" or "it was more like a sub-continent pitch rather than a real South African one".

Finally, Pakistan need to acquire victory in the Galle Test because with the second Test being played upon the notoriously docile SSC pitch - especially pertinent given this is Jayawardene's farewell series (and all of the strings attached with that) - the second contest is likely to be a dull draw. I realise the wicket at the SSC has recently been relaid, but - understandably considering the nature of matches at the SSC (12 draws in 35 Tests, the second highest amount of draws in any Test cricket ground since 1990, the first being Lord's with two more draws in 10 more Tests) - I don't have much hope for a result in Colombo.

Even though this wicket is turning (that delivery to Azhar Ali was an absolute peach, flighted on the middle stump, dipping and drifting and then ripping away viciously), I'd still have preferred Wahab Riaz playing ahead of Mohammed Talha at least, because of the fact that it is monsoon season in Sri Lanka and the intermittent spells of rain are likely to liven up this pitch for the seamers. The early morning new-ball spell from Dhammika Prasad and his in-cutters/in-seamers were evidence of the assistance available for seamers. From what I've seen of him, Mohammed Talha possesses no bowling qualities apart from pace - and even then, in no stretch of the imagination is it express. Despite being erratic, the pace that Riaz possesses meant that he could have been a menace on this pitch.
 

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