Pakistan has found a perfect balance to their team after the loss against New Zealand and eventually defeated Australia quite convincingly. The did strike the balance between aggression and stability by dropping Ahmad Shahzad and retaining Asad Shafique for the Australia game. Pakistan is the most versatile team in this tournament and the only thing they needed to do is to use their resources judiciously.
There is still one issue that the Pakistan team management needs to address. The needed to rethink the batting position of Yunis and Misbah. Yunis and Misbah coming to bat after each other would not work in most of the situations, especially while chasing the target. If both of them are at the wickets together, they will find it difficult to rotate the strike, and would give up their wickets as they have done in the game against New Zealand and Australia. The role of Yunis and Misbah would be stay at the wicket rather than up the ante. So there has to be one of them at the wicket with some aggressive bat, while the other one is waiting in the dressing room to take charge if there is further batting collapse.
Yunis Khan should be followed by Shahid Afridi and Umar Akmal. While Yunis Khan play the game at his own pace scoring on easy balls, the batsmen like Shahid Afridi and Umar Akmal can take a few risk. That would also mean that Pakistan have a proper batsman in Misbah-Ul-Haq down the order, and there is Abdul Razzak who can score briskly at the other end if needed.
The bottom-line is that Yunis and Misbah should be separated by Shahid Afridi and Umar Akmal. Misbah can be quite handy down the order as he can bat according to the situation.
1. Kamran Akmal
2. Mohammad Hafeez
3. Asad Shafique
4. Yunis Khan
5. Shahid Afridi/Umar Akmal
6. Shahid Afridi/Umar Akmal
7. Misbah
8. Abdul Razzak
9. Umar Gul
10. Rehman/Wahab Riaz/Shoib Akhtar given that he does not bowl short balls and full tosses
11. Saeed Ajmal
Shoib Akhtar can be given a chance if he gives the assurance that he will not bowl full tosses and short stuff. Whenever he has bowled short and full tosses, he has been hit for a lot of runs. If Shoib Akhtar can bowl straight on the wickets and hit unplayable spots, he could provide Pakistan extra edge in Semi-Final and Final and help Pakistan in their mission to win the World Cup.
There is still one issue that the Pakistan team management needs to address. The needed to rethink the batting position of Yunis and Misbah. Yunis and Misbah coming to bat after each other would not work in most of the situations, especially while chasing the target. If both of them are at the wickets together, they will find it difficult to rotate the strike, and would give up their wickets as they have done in the game against New Zealand and Australia. The role of Yunis and Misbah would be stay at the wicket rather than up the ante. So there has to be one of them at the wicket with some aggressive bat, while the other one is waiting in the dressing room to take charge if there is further batting collapse.
Yunis Khan should be followed by Shahid Afridi and Umar Akmal. While Yunis Khan play the game at his own pace scoring on easy balls, the batsmen like Shahid Afridi and Umar Akmal can take a few risk. That would also mean that Pakistan have a proper batsman in Misbah-Ul-Haq down the order, and there is Abdul Razzak who can score briskly at the other end if needed.
The bottom-line is that Yunis and Misbah should be separated by Shahid Afridi and Umar Akmal. Misbah can be quite handy down the order as he can bat according to the situation.
1. Kamran Akmal
2. Mohammad Hafeez
3. Asad Shafique
4. Yunis Khan
5. Shahid Afridi/Umar Akmal
6. Shahid Afridi/Umar Akmal
7. Misbah
8. Abdul Razzak
9. Umar Gul
10. Rehman/Wahab Riaz/Shoib Akhtar given that he does not bowl short balls and full tosses
11. Saeed Ajmal
Shoib Akhtar can be given a chance if he gives the assurance that he will not bowl full tosses and short stuff. Whenever he has bowled short and full tosses, he has been hit for a lot of runs. If Shoib Akhtar can bowl straight on the wickets and hit unplayable spots, he could provide Pakistan extra edge in Semi-Final and Final and help Pakistan in their mission to win the World Cup.
1 comment:
Mr. Nayeem, you seem to be writing some good articles about cricket. Please do write some reviews about Indian team too.
Paul
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