Frustrated as Hell

Lost my respect for him. Drastically changed my mind about him. The Selfish and Shameless Younis Khan. No other way of putting it. Selected because of political interference and media pressure. Neither Captain, Coach, Selector wanted him in the team, yet has forced his way in. I have a HUGE HUGE problem with his selection. Now it's better if he fails in Tests too because he's not going to resign himself from ODIs despite being humiliated consistently in major competitions and has been outperformed by youngsters when out of the side. Team man, ideal role model - all nonsense abot YK. 

Given up on this team now. Lost interest. Waste of time. Not going to win a major World Cup game with this kind of selection. 

3 50s in his last 25 innings, one vs Afghanistan 

2 50s in his last 17 innings

1 50 in his last 8 innings

World Cup average of 23

Champions Trophy average of 15

Lowest ODI average by a specialist batter who has played 200 ODIs

Dropped 3 times from the ODI team since 2011

Got low scores in big World Cup games

13 from 32 balls in World Cup semi final

2 50s in 3 World Cups

Averages 15 in Australia where WC is happening

8/11 Scores of 15 or below in ODIs in 2012

When do you give up on a player?

How many chances do you give a player?

How many more times can you say this is his last chance?

When do you draw the line?

When do you say enough is enough?

He's not a better player than he once was.

Isn't it better to struggle with youth than experience?

Shouldn't have been in 30 man probables

Wouldn't get into a Zimbabwean side 

Pak better playing with 10 men

Doesn't look comfortable playing ODIs. Gets out in very casual, soft and half hearted ways. Neither can take pressure or has the range of shots.

India can drop Dravid from ODIs, WI can drop Shiv, Aus can drop Steve Waugh and we can't drop Younis ......

Farhat, Nazir, Shafiq would have been wiser choices, that's how pathetically performing YK has been in ODIs

Afridi, Razzaq would have even been more consistent than him at 3 and Hafeez has been

Can't have so many oldies in the one day team - Misbah, Hafeez, Ajmal, Afridi, Younis - need some balance, YK undeserving selection 

Even Hafeez is a better ODI batter than him, he wouldn't be in the team had it not been for his bowling

Like Nasser Hussain in ODIs, at least Nasser knew it was not for him. 

Ranked number 90 odd on ICC ODI rankings

He has so many blind supporters and backers in the media, but they have the memories of gold fishes.

Basit Ali

Wasim Akram

Ramiz Raja

Aamir Sohail 

Salahuddin 

It's remarkable how much blind support there is from Pakistan fans and Pakistan ex players and Pak media about YK the ODI player. 

Normally a Test player can play any form of the game, but this rule is an exception with Younis the hopeless one day player. 

More World T20 Facts

Winning Captain by year

2007 = Dhoni 
2009 = Younis Khan 
2010 = Paul Collingwood
2012 = Darren Sammy 

Host by year

2007 = South Africa 
2009 = England 
2010 = West Indies 
2012 = Sri Lanka
2014 = Bangladesh 
2016 = India
2020 = Australia
2024 = England 

Misbah vs Younis

Very strange to see Younis Khan complaining about being surprised about not being granted a place in ODIs !

You always get comments from fans 'that if Misbah is in the ODI team then why not Younis.' HERE IS WHY. I have to do this when ever the team is announced for ODIs and have been doing it for a long time. ITS BLINDING OBVIOUS.

Misbah: 11 half centuries in his last 18 ODI innings
Younis: 3 half centuries in his last 18 ODI innings

World Cup Average
Younis : 23
Misbah: 50

Champions Trophy Average
Misbah: 54
Younis: 15

Career Average
Younis: 32
Misbah: 45

Average as ODI Captain
Misbah: 50
Younis: 22

Average in WINS:
Misbah: 57
Younis: 40

This Year:
Younis: No half century in 7 innings (out every time)
Misbah: 11 half centuries in 21 innings with 5 not outs

Anyone who is capable of distinguishing between different formats should be able to reach the conclusion that Younis should not be in the ODI team and his continual exclusion from this format is totally justified. It's disappointing that Younis himself has not retired from ODIs after the 2011 World Cup, 2012 Asia Cup or after the 2012-13 series in India which would have been an appropriate time to go.

https://www.facebook.com/king.MUH/posts/605727259472977

Younis Khan Dropped From 30 Man Probables For CT13 Author: Analyst Maaz; Views: 349; Date: 1-04-2013, 02:15;

Younis Khan averages lower than 30 in World Cups and Champions Trophies

His last ODI 100 was in 2008

He has scored 2 half centuries in his last 17 ODI innings

Squad: Nasir Jamshed, Mohammad Hafeez, Imran Farhat, Ahmed Shehzad, Misbah-ul-Haq, Haris Sohail, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Umer Amin, Sohail Tanvir, Hammad Azam, Azhar Ali, Shahid Afridi, Asad Ali, Anwar Ali, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan, Wahab Riaz, Umar Gul, Rahat Ali, Ehsan Adil, Imran Khan, Aizaz Cheema, Yasir Arafat, Saeed Ajmal, Abdul Rehman, Zulfiqar Babar, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Rizwan

Younis Khan After 80 Tests Author: Analyst Maaz; Views: 1710; Date: 9-02-2013, 04:56;

Final Key Battle - Key Partnership 3rd Wicket Stand Author: Analyst Maaz; Views: 374; Date: 31-01-2013, 08:12;

The 3^rd wicket partnership stand for both sides is a highly significant one. Amla and Kallis are South Africa’s best players and Azhar and Younis are Pakistan’s best players as the batting goes, specifically with regards to technique in defence and accumulating runs. Both number 3 and 4 batsmen respectively have an outstanding partnership record together and have a thorough understanding in the middle in developing partnerships. Azhar and Younis will always be remembered for piling on over 200 in just over 2 sessions against England in Dubai around this time last year. 22 wickets had fallen in the space of 4 sessions, however these two then got together to set out their stall, rein themselves in, churn out the runs, wear the Number 1s down and prolong the duration of the innings to make the process mentally and physically draining for Strauss and company as well as allowing their match winning bowlers some rest up in the pavilion. Younis was the main scorer, however Azhar came into his own by holding up an end, spending time in the middle and not giving a sniff of a chance to England’s bowler to dislodge him while Younis was beginning to flow fluently at the other end. To bat 2 FULL sessions without losing a wicket in a series where ball had dominated bat and wickets had fallen in clusters was a remarkable occurrence. Despite the skill and personnel of both bowling groups, these two partnerships know how to grind, wear and frustrate bowling attacks with methodical and determined play and both sets of bowling groups will be hoping they don’t have to find each in the middle at the same time often during the series, if at all ever. I expect a 100+ partnership stand between the Azhar and Younis during the course of the series when they will find themselves in the middle together at 2 down. I expect at least 1 FULL session  during the course of the 3 tests where they go unharmed without losing a wicket to grind away the South Africans with some resolute application. Kallis and Amla best showed their powers during the test at the Kia Oval in July last year where they made England look like Zimbabwe with a 600 odd for 2 score line. Also, during the opening day of their tour of Australia they stamped their mark and set the tone for the series in Brisbane on November 9th, only 2 down at stumps. 

Misbah ul Haq vs Younis Khan Final Next Month Author: Analyst Maaz; Views: 1042; Date: 19-12-2012, 04:56;

The 2012-13 Presidents Trophy final will be contested at the Gadaffi Stadium Lahore on the 15^th-19^th January. League leaders SNGPL will be led by current national team skipper, Misbah ul Haq while HBL will led by former national team skipper, Younis Khan. The competition round stages concluded in November, but the final was postponed due to the Faysal Bank Twenty20 and the Indian tour. Strangely, the final will be taking place while the next first class competition of the season is taking place in the Quaid E Azam trophy and round matches are also scheduled to take place while the final is in progress. The current domestic structure is a newly introduced one for this season as PCB officials have voiced an interest in re-structuring the domestic set up.

The final is likely to compromise of names including Mohammad Hafeez, Azhar Ali, Umar Akmal, Ehsan Adil, Taufeeq Umar, Asad Shafiq, Ahmed Shehzad, Imran Farhat, Umar Gul, Asad Ali (called up for Indian T20s) and Yasir Shah. In the previous 2 seasons, the final has been held under lights with an orange ball and has been televised. HBL won it in 2010 and PIA won it in 2011 with both finals held at the National Stadium Karachi.

This final will be useful preparation to the national players and there are many of them on show, to get them back into the groove with the longer format after they return from the Indian trip with an eye on the 1^st test in South Africa commencing on the 1^st of the following month from Johannesburg.

Currently, as I post this article, the under-19 departmental 3 day competition final is being played from Rawalpindi between Port Qasim led by Pakistan U19 wicket keeper Saifullah Khan Bangash and ZTBL who have Zafar Gohar in their side. Zafar is a left arm spinner who played for Pakistan in the televised under 19 World Cup quarter final in August against India from the Tony Ireland Stadium in Townsville.

HBLs Ehsan Adil is the leading wicket taker by a seamer in this competition in debut season of first class games for the 6’4 seam bowling all-rounder. He will be in action for HBL in the final. Before that, the Quaid E Azam trophy gets under way on the 26^th. Many international players will be absent for this due to international commitments in India and later in South Africa. However, this gives others an opportunity to stand up and perhaps put their name in the reckoning for the tour of West Indies later in 2013.

Although this President’s Trophy competition is 4 days long, the final will be held across 5 days.

Misbah ul Haq’s side will depart on the 22^nd of January for South Africa ahead of their only warm up on the 25^th of January. The tour will last for 60 days.

Pakistan - England Test Series | Numbers 4-7 Reviewed Author: Maaz; Views: 472; Date: 12-02-2012, 07:35;

Younis Khan 7/10 - Younis was short of runs in this series for the most part, but in his final innings hedemonstrated his class and calibre to become the 1st batsmen of the series to reach 3 figures. It was an exhibition of efficient technique to eliminate DRS, aggressive running between the wickets, manoeuvring the ball into the gaps, making it count once he was set, guiding Azhar Ali, accelerating and stamping his authority on the English attack. It was a masterpiece of an innings and England can and would have taken plenty of lessons from it, particularly on how to handle spin and overcome being paranoid as a result of DRS. It was Younis's 20th century in his glittering high achieving test career. The series couldn't go through without a Younis century and we finally got it. Younis would be the first to admit that he didn't have the best of times in this series, but he made up for it and it was only a matter of time before he delivered.

MUH - 8/10 - We saw two crucial dogged, sturdy, determined test match innings in his first 2 innings of the series in the first 4 days of the series. Alongside Azhar Ali, MUH was the only batsmen to reach above 50 twice in the series as he continued his sensationally consistent batting record as captain. All 5 times MUH was dismissed LBW and 4 times he reviewed unsuccessfully. MUH also put on a 50+ stand for the 4th wicket with Azhar Ali on the penultimate day of the series as the solid and dependable middle order batsmen killed time with tight defence and powers of patience allowing the pitch to deteriorate further. Surprisingly no catches came his way. MUH has now featured in 99 wins in a Pakistan shirt and will want to get to the 100th one in the 1st ODI at Abu Dhabi on Monday. MUH deserves the plaudits for captaining his side to their first whitewash outside home. Throughout the tour he extracted the best from his players and guided the likes of Adnan and Shafiq a great deal. Also, he ensured the team did not get in hot water and kept everything in check with his respectable stature and stabilising presence which has been a rarity in previous Pakistan - England contests.

Asad Shafiq 8/10 - Most catches by a non wicket keeper in the series as Shafiq held on to 6 of them which came his way. Shafiq continued to show why he was preferred ahead of the exciting and exuberant Umar Akmal with some vital knocks throughout the series, particularly in the Abu Dhabi test match and the first innings of the final test in Dubai where he top scored and allowed Pakistan to reach respectability when they were disastrously placed at 21/5 at one stage as the elegant stroke maker reached the 40s before being a victim of Monty's arm ball.

Adnan Akmal 6/10 - One half century in the opening test and he was even a contender for the player of the match award with 7 catches and a vital half century to provide Pakistan with an important lead. It's never easy to keeping to the likes of Saeed Ajmal and Adnan was reasonably sound in the keeping department with the odd slight error. Adnan Akmal has played 13 tests for Pakistan and Pakistan have never lost any of thosewith 8 wins along the way. He's clearly a lucky charm for the team with his excitable appealing, tidy glove work and entertaining batting. He's got areas to work on, but this whitewash is an experience he shall never forget as he was part of it by keeping the energy levels high behind the stumps.

Player ratings | Last 3 Tests Author: Maaz; Views: 636; Date: 24-01-2012, 08:07;

Taufeeq Umar 9/10: The latter stages of the Sri Lankan test series turned out to be pretty disappointing for him after that marathon double ton in Abu Dhabi which was the 2nd highest by a Pakistani opener after the little master’s Bridgetown epic in the 1950s, but Taufeeq bounced back hard in Bangladesh with a noteworthy score at Chittagong and Dhaka to end 2011 as Pakistan’s leading test run scorer with over 800 runs at average just above 45. Taufeeq was expected to be batsmen who will struggle against England with his technical deficiencies against spin and his unhealthy habit of being trapped LBW frequently when planting down the front pad early, but with his guts and persistence some felt he will be able to get through and he did by being one of the 4 half centurions in Pakistan’s innings which gave them an invaluable lead of 146. Taufeeq was looking solid throughout and drove fluently when the opportunities was there, but received a close to unplayable delivery from Broad which he had no answer to as it shaped in from around the wicket and straightened to disturb the top of the off stump bail.

Mohammad Hafeez 8/10: scored a century in Chittagong with his pleasing to the eye timing and placement all around the wagon wheel, unfortunately he had a poor test match at Dhaka and failed to make any constructive impact there, but much to his credit he came back hard in the first test of the series at the DSC where he claimed the wicket of ICC test cricketer of the year and the first wicket of the test series, coming into the attack in just the 6th over before going on to register a crafty 88 and knock off the required runs in the 4th innings unharmed as Pakistan cruised to victory.

Azhar Ali 6/10: missed out in Chittagong where he was caught behind looking to drive a full and wide delivery, but registered a resilient half century in Dhaka and played a crucial accelerating hand in the 4th innings chase in the fading light with limited time where he expressed him, was willing to gamble and looked assertive in his strokes to ensure Pakistan got over the line. He missed out at the DSC where he was caught behind fishing at a delivery outside the off stump to nick off after just 8 deliveries. We have been used to better from him, but I’m sure he’ll come back hard and bounce back. Azhar has featured in 9 wins, 5 draws and 5 losses in the 19 consecutive test matches he has represented Pakistan.

Younis 7/10: scored a double century in Chittagong and an unbeaten one too, he fell one short of getting to the 50 mark in Dhaka where he edged behind to a sharp turning delivery in the early minutes of day 4, but ensured he got the team over the line with Misbah batting 2nd time around. Younis only managed 37 in a total of 338 at the DSC in the first test against the Poms before getting trapped in front to the part timer Jonathan Trott who got one to nip back sharply off the seam. However, after 11 tests since Younis has resumed his career Pakistan are yet to lose with 6 victories.

Misbah ul Haq 7/10: also missed out in Chittagong when he was trapped in front for 20, but made a 70 odd in the first innings in Dhaka with some sublime strokes down the ground against the pacers and swept to the fence authoritatively, either reversed or dealt with in orthodox fashion against the spinners before getting an edge to slip which was taken as he attempted to sweep extravagantly towards mid wicket. The unstoppable stopper, irremovable barrier, electric fence and successful national captain concluded 2011 with a humungous 2nd ball mighty six over long off against the slow left arm orthodox spin of Sunny to end 2011 as Pakistan’s 2nd joint leading run scorer with fellow middle order batsmen in Younis Khan. Misbah started 2012 just as he finished 2011 by notching up a patient, disciplined, preserving, resilient, determined, resolute half century which means that he has now got 50+ scores against ALL test playing nations raging from Australia right down to Bangladesh as he delivered the goods in his first test against England in the Gulf. Misbah has now featured in 10 test wins for Pakistan and 10 defeats in 32 tests and as a captain he has 7 wins in 13 tests with only 1 narrow defeat and had been undefeated for 8 tests in a row, winning 6 of them. Misbah is eyeing a 4th consecutive test series win for Pakistan now with Pakistan 1-0 up in the series against England after seizing the initiative and putting England on the trailing button in Dubai in emphatic fashion. Misbah needs 4 more international wins for 100 wins as Pakistan player overall across all 3 formats combined in less than 150 internationals which is a reflection of the calm influence his presence has in the side.

Shafiq 8/10: scored his maiden test century in Pakistan’s run feast in Chittagong and made a 40 odd in the next innings he got. As often has been the case in the 16 months he has been in the side he was dismissed out side the off stump whilst looking to hang the bat out there as Anderson’s outswinger gobbled him up in the first over with the 2nd new ball. Nevertheless as always he brings confidence and reliability in the field with his top notch catching credentials and athleticism in general which was evident in the 2 catches he held on to as England were rolled over in no time in the 3rd innings as Misbah ul Haq’s side tasted an overwhelming result.

Adnan 9/10: Adnan did not really get a chance to bat properly in Chittagong when Misbah ul Haq decided enough was enough with a lead of over 400, but made a half century, his first one at test level in Dhaka to provide the bowlers with a lead of 132 in a test match which they went on to win relatively comprehensively. Adnan played a vital role in Pakistan’s 10 wicket triumph over the world number 1 ranked test side at the Dubai Sports City when he compiled a crucial 60 odd. Adnan came into bat when the England bowlers had their tail up, were applying the pressure and really bending their backs as they smelled blood to reduce the Pakistani deficit to a minimal and manageable one, but he hung in there and toughed it out to overcome the 2nd new ball. The following morning Pakistan had a lead of 96 with 3 wickets in hand and Adnan was left with the tail. Studio experts such as Butcher and Willis were backing England to restrict the lead to 110-120 maximum, but Adnan spent valuable time at the middle and stretched the Pakistani lead to 146. His presence and stay at the crease resulted in frustration for the English batsmen who would have been looking forward to getting back in the pavilion and just focussing on batting better 2nd time around. His innings must have disturbed their mindset. Adnan held on to 7 catches behind the stumps and hardly put a foot wrong with the gloves.

Abdur Rehman 8/10: Underappreciated, underrated. Rehman was the leading wicket taker in Pakistan’s tour of Bangladesh with 11 scalps in 2 tests as his slow arm spin troubled the Bangladeshis on the slow and low wickets. His presence enables Ajmal to attack more and also pushes him to strive for that extra mile knowing that he has another performing and dependable spinner in the team. Rehman produced some peaches with his left arm spinners in the 1st test at the DSC, particularly referring to the dismissal of Swann in the first innings which turned marginally to beat the bat and disturb the stumps.

Umar Gul 7/10: Gul collected 7 wickets in 2 tests in Bangladesh, but during the 3rd innings of the 2nd test the pacer claimed 2 wickets in successive deliveries in a short burst on day 4 just before tea as he removed Tamim with a bouncer and had Nafees LBW first up with one pitched up. In the first innings he produced anunplayable bouncer to Nafees in the same test which totally stunned him and denied him what would have been a well deserved 3 figure score. Although Gul went wicket less in the first innings at the DSC and was ineffective in his 2nd spell, his first 4 overs were rather tidy and he didn’t give much away. In the 3rd innings at the DSC the experienced seamer was on the money to strangle Cook and Strauss down the leg side, catch KP in a trap bowling short and provide the breakthrough of Trott just before he got to 50.

Aizaz Cheema 7/10: Cheema was extremely impressive in Dhaka where he troubled the Bangladeshis with swing and seam in overcast conditions and went on to pick up 6 in the match and 10 in the series with his fast medium pacers. Cheema strangled Trott down the leg side at the DSC and although he didn’t get any 2nd time around he looked threatening particularly to Strauss when sending down some probing lengths drawing the left hander into the stroke. With 21 wickets in 5 tests and a handful of more in LOIs Cheema has been a superb find as a late bloomer in the Pakistan ranks.

Saeed Ajmal 9/10: The 2011 New Road overseas star performer ended 2011 as the leading wicket taker in tests and got to exactly 50 scalps after picking up 9 in Bangladesh where he bowled well in patches, but wasn’t ruthless as he could have been, but fair play to the Bangladeshis who picked him reasonably well and also didn’t allow him to settle. Where do we start at the DSC? Ajmal was all over England like a rash to claim a match winning 10 for as the England batsmen were bowled out under 200 not once, but twice on a surface which aided batsmen. The hype he had generated was well justified as he spun webs around the English batsmen who were clueless and answerless to his variations in trajectories, lengths, flight, pace, angle, revs and turn. Saeed was named in the ESPN cricinfo team of the year for both ODIs and tests in 2011 and was the only one to feature in both teams which was a testimony to his performances and consistency for Pakistan in a magical 2011 where he bagged 89 international scalps for the green shirts. He started 2012 just where he finished 2011 and showed why he is regarded as the most threatening and best spinner in the world at the moment, in fact the best bowler in the world at the moment. Saeed has not only won fans like no tomorrow with his talent and game changing bowling displays, but with his comical interviews and million dollar smile. England will need to negotiate with him considerably better to stand any chance in this series as they didn’t see that one coming. Ajmal dominated and ripped England out and it wouldn’t surprise anyone whatsoever to see him going on to be MOTS here and also the leading series wicket taker. Saeed was simply in a different league to everyone else.

Team Misbah Means Business Author: Maaz; Views: 722; Comments: 10; Date: 20-01-2012, 09:59;

This surely has to be right up there with some of the very best Pakistan test sides we have seen ......

0-0 vs South Africa DRAW

1-0 vs New Zealand away WIN

1-1 vs West Indies away DRAW

1-0 vs Zimbabwe away WIN

1-0 vs Sri Lanka UAE WIN

2-0 vs Bangladesh away WIN

1-0 up vs England UAE (2 to play)

The current Pakistan test team has an uncanny resemblance with its greatest ever test team of the 80s which was their most consistent period in test cricket and towards the end of it they also reached the number 1 spot on the test rankings for a short while. This test team have only lost 1 in 13 tests since the infamous Lords test in 2010 and won 7 tests in between that time including 2 emphatic wins inside 3 days by margins as high as 10 wickets when a tough test was expected.A draw in Abu Dhabi will give Pakistan their 2nd longest undefeated test series streak of 7 series without losing one and ofcourse they will have the chance to extend that even further. The highest was by the team captained by Imran in the 80s who went 10 test series without losing any. Therefore, it wouldn’t be wrong to conclude that the team of the 80s and the current test team are the two of the best Pakistan have ever had in the 5 day arena. The team of the 90s had out and out match winners and record breakers, they were probably the most entertaining, but as a unit they were less consistent and stable in their performances, although they had their moments of spark in between. Below, I look at some of the current players with those of the 80s and early 90s and see where the similarities are. 

Misbah ul Haq may not have the charismatic and talisman vibe of Imran Khan, but his own performance levels as a captain are definitely comparable where the added responsibility of leadership has positively affected his individual contributions – having the highest average by a Pakistan captain of all time with 11 50s and 1 century in 13 tests as captain including 4 unbeaten 50+ scores in that package. In terms of educations levels, he is up there and has been able to command the respect of the players as a result. Misbah ul Haq has always been renowned as one of the smarter men in the team and has been identified as genuine captaincy material throughout his career at the first class level and even in the Pakistan team where he was promoted to the post of vice captaincy just a few months after his comeback and went on to captain Pakistan when previously he did not even have a place in the side, giving clear indications of a captain who is strategically astute. Both Imran and Misbah have played their part in changing the face of Pakistan Cricket when they were totally up against it either through unbearable controversies or lack of firepower in comparison to opponents. Both have provided vast stability and continuity with their presence and acted as the father figure to the team who exceeded expectations and made the team believe in themselves. Statistically, with results under his leadership Misbah’s record is about as great as it gets. Both captained in their late 30s when most would be considering packing up and calling it a day.

Abdur Rehman can be compared to Iqbal Qasim, the slow arm orthodox bowler, who will plug away at the batsmen economically and accurately with tremendous control, building pressure, racking up the maidens and enticing mistakes from the batsmen, enabling the more superior spinner to attack and experiment more in shorter bursts as they already have a reliable, but touch defensive persevering spinner holding an end up to keep proceedings tidy with nagging craft.

Saeed Ajmal’s psychological tactics to send jitters down the throat of batsmen and give the sleepless nights with his hard-to-negotiate unorthodox variations can only be comparable to Abdul Qadir’s mixture of leg breaks, googlies and flippers which got him 236 test scalps, famously bamboozling England in his home city. Only had he been playing in an era of DRS where batsmen could not use their pad as a second line of defence, he would have had countless more wickets to add to that record. Both have been revolutionising the art of spin, although the obvious difference between an off spinner and leg spinner stands, but both are seen as strike weapons by Imran/Miandad and Misbah who had great faith in their abilities.

Azhar Ali as the firm and steady stodgy accumulator who prizes his wicket head and shoulders above anything else, preciously, can only be compared to the immaculate resistance of Mudassar Nazar who based his game around crease occupation for lengthy periods with a high level of discipline, unfazed character and application. Both have the capabilities to play a dogged innings with regularity, basing their batting around workman like values, making batting seem as survival of the fittest in trench warfare, although the approach will be labelled inevitability as pedestrian and sedate from the critics.

Adnan Akmal can be compared to Wasim Bari who is a safe bet behind the stumps with his neat and efficient glove work. As a batsmen his FC record is a misleading reflection of his talent with the bat as he has demonstrated in some busy, invaluable lower order contributions he has notched up for the team although Bari was no great batsmen in his day, but a very reliable and technically sound wicket keeper who will not be in the headlines, indicating he was getting the job done and dusted without any fuss.

Younis Khan can be compared to Miandad  at the time – a worthy street fighter with the bat who will make the most of what he has got and a sharp cricketing mind to pick up on aspects quicker than others and really apply this in match scenarios. Both Miandad and Younis average in excess of 50 for Pakistan at test match level and were/are the influential middle order batsmen who played  spin expertly. Their mental toughness and spirited nature cannot be doubted. Additionally, a comparison can be drawn from their catching and fielding in general where both are amongst the best around if not the best.

Aamir Sohail can be compared to Mohammad Hafeez – a smart and knowledgeable cricketer who opens the innings with consistency and can attack classily or defend stoutly, playing according to the situation. Also,both can turn their arm over when required for more than handy finger spin.

The 4 Keys to Success Author: Maaz; Views: 2983; Date: 10-01-2012, 06:30;

You look at capped and  experienced members to stand up in important series such as this one. Younis Khan was recently ranked in the top 5 on the ICC rankings for test batsmen and averaged above 80 in the 2011 test calendar year with a century, double century and 4 half centuries. A lot will be expected from him and he’ll be the key wicket England will be looking for. He’s enjoying his duties and role in the current team. Younis is hungrier and fitter than ever.


There is a high chance of him going on to be MOTS should the hosts have a successful series. His work ethic, sportsmanship sprit, fighting spirit, quick learning credentials and sharp mind are the stand out attributes of the accomplished middle order batsmen. The forward prod against spinners is dead batted like a genius where even the good length deliveries are quickly dealt with right down to the ground with soft hands with an air of conviction, the adjusted higher bat lift where he looks to get off side of the ball and work back in the V or respectfully greet should it not quite be there and sweep to irritate the length of the bowler. Against pacers, it’s the textbook cover drive which stands out, the run down to third man, the neat flick off the pads when placing the ball fine and the death touch utilising the pace, angle and vacancy or the controlled edge steered away past gully where he watches it onto the blade carefully, dabs it late and doesn’t chase after the line to pick up a boundary from a defensive stroke.

Not to forget the full blooded cut and pull which he nails getting into position quickly for slamming hard and neat workings into the leg side to keep ticking over and accumulating. The forward push against the quicker men is kept/seen out tightly where he lines up the delivery and covers the movement, sign of a good player. It’s not just where his batting will have a crucial part to play, but with his advice and suggestions in the field, his top notch catching where the former Pakistan captain is a handful. Younis will be influential.

Misbah ul Haq has the 2nd highest average by a captain after Sir Don with a remarkable batting average of 75 after 12 tests with the skipper’s arm band. Misbah has scored 10 50s (3 being unbeaten) and 1 unbeaten century in 17 innings as captain (excluding single figure not out scores). He leads from the front, relishes responsibilities and the burden of captaincy doesn’t affect his performance. The added responsibility is an area where he thrives. Also, a fine fielder who claimed 30 international catches in 2011. The world underestimated him when he was appointed captain in October 2010 and now it’s safe to say that the appointment was a master stroke.The captain is a resistant player of spin and medium pacers, who can defend stoutly, apply himself at the wicket, handle proceedings with purpose and measure, summarise situations efficiently, price tag his wicket as the toffee apple who the opposition will savour more than the rest, improvise innovatively, nudge away and get stuck under the opposition’s noses and act as the ‘glue’ to the innings. Spirited resilience, stamina and cunningness are some of the many characteristics he possesses. The trade mark stroke is the push into the on side through mid wicket and mid on when a pacer strays in line and as for the spinners it has be the one knee special slog sweep and paddle sweeps. Every now and again Misbah is willing to bring his one day game into it by backing away, exposing his stumps, reverse sweeping, chancing his arms. In short, amazingly consistent, yet unpredictable in his approach as he has a range of gears, but the resoluteness is what is required more often than not where the skipper can be repetitively rock solid with those forward pushes, keen prods, watchful traps, backfoot taps and harmless leaves. 

Undoubtedly, the best find for the hosts in tests over the last few years is someone who will absorb the pressure, grind in for the long vigil and stabilise the innings and ensure his resilience, resistance and endurance is evident to one and all. Azhar Ali is a classical and technically efficient old school stylist who will demonstrate spirit, guts, determination in abundance.

If you value mental toughness, discipline, gutsiness, steadiness and an unflappable temperament you will enjoy watching his approach. I expect Geoff Boycott to sing his praises and really rate him in a high regard during his radio stints with TMS.

It’s his style of operation, trust yourself, vow not to make the slightest mistakes and risky freely look to overcome passages and graft away unfazed with a tidy defence along with controlled shot selection being the forte. If you don’t get him early, you have your work cut out as he will not get frustrated by being bogged down and eventually will gradually squeeze the oxygen out the bowling attack by wearing out the attack, building lengthy partnerships and closing an end down shut up stop.

England will inevitably have some flat days in the field, should Azhar get going as he has come on in leaps and bounds make no mistake about that. Azhar greets the ball on merit, switches off well in between balls, goes through the repetitive processes, maintains strict discipline and is happy to play the unexcitable 2nd fiddle roles. The cat and mouse battle between him and Swann should be interesting as he will not get sucked in and will inevitably firmly stand by his concentration and patience even if this means blocking out the maidens, picking the different trajectories and waiting until the rank bad ball arrives.

In the bowling department it can be none other than that mysterious, wizardry and unorthodox finger spinner. It’s as self explanatory as it gets. His ‘doosra’ or the other one can be unpickable, a variation disguised, controlled and executed expertly which turns, dips, cuts, jumps and bounces on the batsmen. Ajmal can also bowl the one skidding and shooting through out of the hand and a top spinner with revs, bite and bounce which he utilises a lot, especially when bowling from around the wicket to a typical right hander.

Like any offie, the off break is the bread and butter delivery turning back into the right hander and going away from the left hander. Ajmal has top control over his off break which enables him to set up batsmen and insert pressure. He can also change his arm action and point of release either darting them in, slanting them in or holding them back.

Ajmal also varies his grip and seam position to get a little extra on the ball and change his pace. It’s difficult to sweep and use your feet against him. Just occasionally he drops short and gets impatient, but by and large England would need to have done their home work to combat the threat of Ajmal and his magical kink. There is every chance he will be the series leading wicket taker. England will have his match winning spell at the Oval at the back of their minds where he bowled unchanged and tore the England batting apart with the disgraced Mohammad Amir and exploited their vulnerabilities against spin by gating the batsmen between bad and pad as if they were puzzled.

Younis and Misbah must bat in top 4 in ODIs Author: Maaz; Views: 636; Date: 10-11-2011, 07:27

I much prefer to see YK and skipper batting at 3 and 4 in ODIs as opposed to #4 and #5. Gives them greater time to build the innings and greater responsibility which they deserve and are capable of fulfilling consistently. They are the most “complete” and “accomplished” batsmen in the side. They are the senior figures. They are dependable. They can carry the innings, bat for long periods of time, play a big knock & hold an end up.

They are technically and temperamentally solid to cope with higher quality of bowling, deal with better conditions & handle stronger intensity with their well renowned successful reputations in the 5 day game. They are the workhorses and backbone of the team. 

As they are both in the ODI set up they should be utilised to their maximum advantage and where they mean business. I am in the view, that they have been under utilised to some extent. YK had an alright World Cup in all fairness. He failed in Mohali and in some preliminary group fixtures against Canada and New Zealand; however he did start the campaign with an 80 odd against England in the warm up fixture follow by back to back 50s against Kenya and Sri Lanka as well as valuable hand in a low scoring win against Australia.

Misbah on the other hand had a superb campaign in his first WC scoring 3 50s and a valuable 37 in 6 innings at an average of 50 which helped Pakistan reach the WC semis for the first time in the 21st century with his batting and vice captaincy presence playing a key under-appreciated part to the team success. There were a lot of people calling for their departures in a bit of a knee jerk  fashion following Mohali, nonetheless I was always in the view that Misbah should carry on until retirement in all formats with his hunger, proven credentials, captaincy, stabilising presence and stupendous run of form whereas I would not mind Younis if he is used properly to carry on, although I feel we could have coped without him. I firmly believe had Misbah been batting in the top 4 in the WC and others batted better around him his innings in Mohali would have been a match winning effort. His role and style is more suited for this role as opposed to having to do a rescue or re-establishing job continuously in the middle order.

If a proper genuine test class winner is brought into the shorter formats and is given a defined role and utilised in a favoured position there is little reason why they should not perform. The principles of cricket remain.

Let these old timers set a platform properly, set up a chase by seeing off the bowlers, coming to terms with the pitch and conditions, preserve wickets the good old Pakistan formula way by being solid, steady & watchful to start with & give themselves a chance to get set and really go hard & give them maximum opportunity to play the anchor sheet.

For example in a chase of 265. If these two get together at 50-2 after 12. They can at least take the game to 38 overs and be 170/2 after 38 and with both of them set and the BPP still available they will be on track rather than having to come to the wicket at 70/3 after 19 overs and get stuck. Your best players in top 4 are key. Alternatively batting first these two can take the innings up to 35 over mark at 160/2 & then challenge 270/280 scenario. Or when chasing under 200/220 they will be able to close the game down in no time by simply staying at the wicket & playing solid sensible cricket. There will inevitably be more gaps in the field due to the oppo being more attacking and therefore they can finish the job off with clinical purpose and efficiency. 

Since Misbah has batted at 4 after the WC he had made scores of: 76*, 43*, 62* and 54. He is usually a productive player at the crease when it comes to the batting powerplay as well. A mixture of brutal force and intelligence.

Younis Khan ODI Stat

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Stand Up For The Champions

I was proud to have the opportunity to witness it. The climate was scorching, the venue was first class, the line ups were an idealist script for this unique occasion especially when taking into consideration all the troublesome times the county has faced, the teams arrival in the final had brought back a spark of patriotism and unity.

Anyhow let’s progress to the match and moments of the day itself. The atmosphere was electrifying. The crowd was largely populated by energetic Pakistani supporters, here with a determined desire of getting across the line and repeating that magical day in 1992. “ Afridi Afridi” they chanted away and oh boy he didn’t fail to live up to the expectations as Pakistan clinched glory to the pleasure of the entire nation. This is a cause of celebration and acknowledgement. The reaction back home has been fulfilled with happiness. Certainly this is a moment one shall cherish for a long time to come.

A few reasons why we emerged as champions !

Captaincy determination – He looked so strict in the field towards the latter half of the competition. This showed desire and fighting spirit. We could see that this was a pumped up unit.

Effective combinations – We found the winning formula in the New Zealand match such as when to turn to Gul and when to utilise Afridi in the batting line up. We were able to maintain this winning strategy from that game onwards.

Spinners – Enable to apply or restrict a “squeeze” on the opposition with their guile in the middle period. They consistently performed, claiming a handful of wickets and bowling economically

Akmal’s cameo - Set the tone and momentum for further consolidation. Utilised the fielding restrictions and played freely. Really put the opposition on the back foot frequently.

A good blend of experience and youth - Builds a good team morale.