Pakistan's Latest Achilles' Heel Author: Maaz; Views: 583; Date: 20-02-2012, 08:12;

What's been going wrong?

Why 2 new balls don’t suit the Green Shirts:-

1)  Vulnerable sub continental openers to the moving & seaming ball often losing wickets early. Therefore, putting the team on the back foot early in the piece

2) Openers unsure whether to stick or twist.Indecisive in their methods. Should they use the batting power play & play with the freedom? Should they just sit in for a while and overcome the new ball without any casualty?

3) Ineffective, inexperienced seam attack with a heavy over reliance on Gul at the top to utilise the new ball

4)  No genuine swing bowler to open the innings who can bowl a consistent channel outside the off stumps with movement off the seam or movement in the air ala Mohammad Asif. Even Gul is a hit the deck bowler who prefers to bang it in with the occasional change up

5) Limited reverse swing available as the ball hardly fades as the innings progresses

In the 3 one day matches the Greens have recently lost, they have lost 7 wickets in the first 10 (P1) in all 3 games combined. In contrast England hasn’t lost any wickets in the first 10 (P1) in all 3 games combined. This clearly shows the struggles the Greens have had with adjusting to the new ball and playing conditions up front. They have come unstuck when they were up against a non Asian team with these new regulations in place for the first time.

However that aside, as for the immediate future tomorrow they will be looking to avoid a whitewash. A win is needed with the tussle against their neighbourhood rivals less than a month away or in other terms 3 matches away with 1 against Bangladesh pencilled in the middle. They will know they have to get things right sooner than later. This is their last one day international before the Asia Cup and a win will be useful in lifting the morale. Umar Gul has been a disappointment in this series & has gone wicket less in all 3 matches. Either he needs to be rested or politely dropped for Wahab. Hammad Azam should also be given a go somehow or the other.  Some fresh changes might turn the fortunes. Last match they only played 5 regular bowlers and they need a suitable 6^th bowling option rather than a rank part timer. The composition was not right.