Stani Army

Coming in to this Test series, there was concern regarding the two rookie batsmen that Pakistan were about to chuck into the deep end in their first Test at Lord’s. The irony is that the more established batsmen were the ones that let Pakistan down. Not only did Umar Amin and Azhar Ali impress with their ability, but it was clear that they have the temperament and cognitive capacity that the likes of captain at the time, Shahid Afridi, lack. So which players were a success and which a failure in the first Test?

Imran Farhat - FAILURE

Probably the one player on the edge of selection that does not divide opinion amongst fans. It is clear, from his second innings stroke if not from anything else, that Farhat is not suited to the Test arena. He’s been around for quite some time so had to step up and contribute in an already weak batting line up. Though he did take two good catches, he failed miserably with the bat with scores of 4 and 24. Expect him to be dropped for the next Test.

Salman Butt - SUCCESS

Recognised his importance and responsibility and was one of only three batsmen to pass 50 in the whole Test. Loss of concentration led to his downfall on both occasions but was unfortunate not to get the only century of the game when he was stumped for 92 in the second innings. We would have been embarrassed had it not been for his contributions of 63 and 92 in this Test.

Azhar Ali – SUCCESS

Showed good temperament and sound technique. Was dismissed by good balls on both occasions from Ben Hilfenhaus. Contributed 16 and 42, a decent showing in his first Test. Very able in the field also. Must look to pick up more singles off his defensive shots though.

Umar Amin – SUCCESS

Could have scored more with the bat but looks a decent prospect. Took a excellent catch to dismiss Ponting in the first innings. Confident with lots of smiles and didn’t feel overly pressured in his first game so gave himself the best chance to perform.

Umar Akmal – FAILURE

A lot depended on this young man and he failed to deliver. It is clear he has talent but a lot of hard work needs to be done. Nervous and stuck in the crease in the first innings, he gifted his wicked to Shane Watson. His stroke in the second innings in the over before lunch off of the part-time bowling of Marcus North was thoughtless. Needs to seriously improve his shot selection.

Kamran Akmal – FAILURE

Dismissed in a similar manner to his younger brother in the first innings and looked just as nervous. Froze on the crease with no foot movement and was an LBW waiting to happen. Did well with the gloves but as an experienced member of the team, needs to be more reliable with the bat.

Shahid Afridi – FAILURE

An eye-catching quick-fire 31 in the first innings was simply not enough from the captain. The shot he played in his second innings was criminal. There is a difference between aggression and stupidity, and unfortunately, Afridi doesn’t realise it. Rushed his bowling and seemed a shadow of what he is with the ball in the one day game. His captaincy also left a lot to be desired as his strange approach to field settings allowed the Australian tail to wag on both occasions, effectively ending up making the difference.

Mohammed Aamer – SUCCESS

Stand-out performer in the first innings yet it was obvious the youngster began to tire. He must be handled carefully to prevent injury and should have some days off pencilled in for the up and coming one day games against England.

Umar Gul – SUCCESS

Tried hard and got some big wickets and important breakthroughs with excellent economy. Unlucky not to get a deserved 5-for in the second innings.

Danish Kaneria – FAILURE

Many would argue he performed well, yet Danish is very ineffective with the top order and is milked for runs when the pacers are taken off and a breakthrough is required from him. Didn’t use his googly nearly enough. Would we have been better served going in with the off-spin of Saeed Ajmal? Certainly the part-timer Marcus North seemed to extract something from the rough, and along with some silly Pakistani shots, managed to pick up six wickets.

Mohammed Asif – SUCCESS
Some high class bowling with mesmeric seam control. Tried hard but tired in the second innings as the Australian tail wagged.

It’s obvious it was our batsmen that underperformed once again. This was to be expected though as we had scored over 300 in just 11 of our last 30 Test innings – 32 now. You can imagine what the opposition captain must be thinking at the start of a series armed with a stat like that!

Changes for the second Test?
Farhat will have to make way for either Yasir Hameed or Shoaib Malik. Saying that, with the captaincy change, Farhat may be given one more shot at it. Kaneria’s place should also be under serious consideration. With Afridi carrying a side strain and having decided to retire from Tests, it may be worthwhile replacing him with Malik whether Afridi passes a fitness test or not. The added benefit is that Malik can bowl off-spin too and as Australia and North demonstrated to our detriment, it’s handy having such an option in the side.

UPDATE: Afridi spoke to cricinfo saying he will not be playing in the second Test due to his side strain. Not much of an honourable manner in which to go out.