Loud Thinking

Archive for October, 2019

Pakistani Test squad selected for the Australian series starting from 21 November 2019 – Comments and proposals

Test Squad:
Test squad-Azhar Ali (captain), Abid Ali, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Imam-ul-Haq, Imran Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed , Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Musa Khan, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, Yasir Shah

1. Azhar Ali He is the first Pakistani batsman to hit a double-hundreds in Test in Australia and he is the first visiting opener who made a double-hundred at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. We pray and hope that Azhar Ali will lead the team with even better examples of his performances in the four Test match innings. In any team game there is no better tonic for its members than outstanding performance of its leader.

2. Abid Ali He has proved his mettle in the ODI version. Now PCB has reposed confidence in his abilities for the Test matches. It is hoped that he will come out with flying colours from the toughest test of his life which will automatically catapult him to overnight stardom. Not selecting Abid Ali for the T20 matches squad is another proof of the failure of the chief selector, immaturity and lack of acumen of the new T20 captain, absolute oversight failure of the highly paid CEO PCB and total collapse of command of the exalted office of the chairman PCB.

3. Asad Shafiq An automatic choice for selection in the Test squad.

4. Babar Azam He is the only cricketer in Pakistan who can get automatic selection in any team of the world.

5. Haris Sohail In recent times he has successfully worked hard to improve his game and has earned permanent selection in the Test team. Mind it he is NOT T2O material where he has been selected without any understanding of the game by the PCB stalwarts.

6. Imam ul Haq Either Fawad Alam or Sami Aslam should have selected in place of Imam ul Haq who also needs a lot of improvement in his fielding abilities. But the biggest tragedy has been his selection in the T20 squad.

7. Imran Khan He has been recalled after a long absence and is a shining example of the chief selectors poor judgement. PCB must repeat must intervene immediately to correct this grave selection blunder and replace him with Haris Rauf.

8. Iftikhar Ahmad Absolutely wrong choice of the chief selector keeping in view of the availability of better options viz. Muhammad Nawaz and Omar Khan.

9. Kashif Bhatti There was hardly any justification for including an uncapped player who is in his 34th year. This investment is highly unjustified considering that 29 years accomplished player Junaid Khan has been ignored.

10. Muhammad Abbas Fit selection, however, our bowling coach should teach him to increase his speed to at least 135 KMPH and batting coach should work with him to improve his below average batting abilities.

11. Muhammad Rizwan He has earned his selection and now must prove his abilities as wicket keeper cum batsman in the Test arena.

12. Musa Khan Correct selection and now onus is on the bowling coach to fine tune his skills to destroy the batting line up of the Australian team with his speed and in the air movement specially in the day night pink ball Test match.

13. Naseem Shah He is youngest player in the squad at the age of 16+ years (DoB 15 February 2003). However, not considering for selection Haris Rauf and Junaid Khan is unpardonable act of the chief selector and CEO PCB who must be made answerable for these unexplainable selection blunders.

14. Shaheen Shah Afridi Right selection of a very deserving player.

15. Shan Masood Either of three batsmen viz. Umar Amin/Ehsan Ali/Khurram Manzoor should have been preferred over selection of Shan Masood.

16. Yasir Shah Automatic choice of the ace spinner of Pakistan.
Syed Nayyar Uddin Ahmad

Comments and proposals for selection of our T20 squad selected for the Australian series starting from 3 November 2019

T20 Squad:

1. Babar Azam (Captain) Too docile and shy personality who should have been given the experience to lead against the Sri Lankan team to gain some mastery over the leadership job to perform better in Australia. Here, the head of think tank (cricket committee) Mr. Waseem Khan failed pathetically to prove his mettle as visionary leader of an huge organisation of the country. CEO is not there to just hire and fire people but to set the objectives/goals of an organisation and determine how to meet it.

2. Fakhar Zaman A product of expired shelf life. Abid Ali, Awais Zia, Umar Amin or Imran Farhat are still much better choice than risking to open the innings with FZ.

3. Haris Suhail A fit player for Test team and not a T20 material at world stage.

4. Iftikhar Doesn’t possess the calibre of a player who should be in the world # 1 ranked team.

5. Imad Wasim Looks out of form and not fully fit.

6. Imam ul Haq He is not at all the batsman for T20 format plus a below standard fielder. His selection is the biggest blunder of the selection committee. He may be a huge liability for our team in Australia.

7. Khushdil Shah Before selecting him for the Australian tour he should have been tested against the Sri Lankan team, which proves haphazard and unplanned way of PCB’s working style.

8. Muhammad Amir He has finished his shelf life for performing at world level and bowling as if he has been forced to do his job.

9. Muhammad Husnain When the chief selector says he is physically unfit nothing more needs to be said about this talented future prospect. But then why he was allowed to burn further in the CPL for which the entire cricket committee must provide satisfactory answer.

10. Muhammad Irfan The entire selection and cricket committee members needs to be sacked by the chairman PCB for recall of a 37 years fast bowler who also can can not properly field, as well. Young upcoming high speed extremely talented fast bowler Haris Rauf was in fact an automatic choice for selection in the squad.

11. Muhammad Rizwan He was an automatic choice for selection.

12. Musa Khan Again an automatic choice for selection and should have been played in the T20 series vs the Sri Lankan team in Lahore.

13. Shadab Khan Not to play him is a risk but to play him is a bigger risk.

14. Usman Qadir Young Omar Khan was a better future prospect.

15. Wahab Riaz Fresh legs of Shaheen Shah Afridi/Usman Shinwari are 100 times better to include them in the squad vs a bowler who was discarded from scheme of things for the last two years before the CWC 2019 and passed his prime after 2015 World Cup memorable performance vs the Australian team.

16. Asif Ali Ehsan Ali/Umar Amin/ Zeeshan Ashraf are 100 times better material for selection into the squad for the T20 series to be played in Australia.
Syed Nayyar Uddin Ahmad