34
Get back to what you know best
By Tabrez Janjua for Stani Army in Pakistan Cricket
69 ViewsWith Pakistan’s batting sinking to a new low in the 2nd Test against England, should we abandon this Test batting approach and play like we would in the shorter form, something we are much more comfortable with? There has definitely been some thinking going on in regards to how the Pakistan batsmen were going to go about tackling the swing generated by the English bowlers. It was obvious that their plan this time was to occupy the crease, play defensive and wait for the ball to get old. The plan didn’t work of course. The Duke ball tends to stay newer for longer and once Pakistan began losing early wickets then the plan had effectively been derailed from the off.
Would an ODI batting approach make Pakistan a happier and more productive camp?
From what the Pakistan bowlers have shown, they are clearly capable of restricting England to an ODI total, provided the fielders hold on to the ctaches. And should the Pakistan batsmen set or chase an ODI total themselves – which they are capable of if they go back to what they know – then we may even see a contest between the two sides.
With the backs against the wall, having tried various options, it’s time to fight back with no fear. This does not mean they shoud bat carelessly, but be postive like they are in the shorter form of the game and look to set to a total of 230 to 300, which would give our much suffereing bowlers something to work with. There is simply no point in playing defensive, not scoring and blocking all the way to our batting demise. The Pakistan batsmen have been six down for less than 50 runs three times in a row now. Their attempt at playing anything resembling a Test innings is clearly not working. At the end of the day, there is no point in trying to be something they are quite clearly not. There is only one way to get out of it and that is to play the way they know and give their bowlers something to bowl at.
For all the analysis of what the Pakistan batsmen did wrong, the simple fact is that they are trying to do something they are not used to, or in some cases, simply not made to do, and that’s play a Test innings. Due to the security situation back home and not being able to play Tests for some time, maybe this was to be expected. It is now time to go back to what they are used to, and just accept that these shortcomings will not be addressed over a series or two, but will require time and a big change in mentality and technique from the next generation. Up until then, we will have to make-do and make-do with what we’re good at.
Loading ...
August 8th, 2010 at 12:03 pm
It’s a different idea but I doubt whether it will work.
For one thing, I don’t think a limited overs batting approach can be applied to Tests, definitely not the one of T20s. Pakistan has been great in this format but more because they have good bowling in this area and suitable batting, even though their wickets fall regularly in this format as well. In ODIs, Pakistan hasn’t been the strongest of teams either.
It’s been a pity I’ve been deprived of watching the series live, but on the overall I get the impression Pakistan’s main problem lies in their technique and temperament regarding Test batting. They need to sort this out first I think.
August 8th, 2010 at 8:59 pm
@sunny –
That is my point Sunny, sorting technique and temperament in the middle of a series is near enough impossible. To make a game out of it, shouldn’t they return to their own way and do what they know rather than what they don’t? I think the scores the English have made in this Test proves that if we had a ODI total on the board in the first innings, we would be favourites.
August 9th, 2010 at 2:55 pm
I am unable to understand how guys like Amir, Zulqarnain, Saeed Ajmal and Umar Gul can play more than 100 balls in same condition against old as well as new ball but our top and middle order simply can’t even look like plying it at all. Those tail enders might have some luck and other things but still they looked determined and mostly solid. While top order is simply crap. Azhar Ali could resist but I doubt if he can score freely too. Salman Butt is sinking in after captaincy.
What difference will Yousuf make?
August 9th, 2010 at 4:46 pm
Stani
They are doing what they know best i.e fold without a fight with the bat and drop tons of catches.
August 9th, 2010 at 5:43 pm
@Mudassar @ CricketVibe.com –
I think our top order were being far too careful. There’s being careful and scoring, and then there’s being careful and just waiting for a good ball to get you out. Our top order were doing the second one. They turned up to the crease and they didn’t play the game, they didn’t bat.
Butt is playing with pressure and he needs to forget his captaincy when he is at the crease. He was the only reliable batsmen (just) when he wasn’t captain.
I salute our bowlers and wicket-keeper Zulquarnain, who showed a fighting spirit and attitude that I think has ended Kamran Akmal’s Test career. What a character to have in the side! He is the type we need to give a go to, not Akmal!
I hope Yousuf can make a difference. You see, with class batsmen, they have the ability to play the ball late. In such swinging conditions, this is a vital quality to have and is the difference between ordinary batsmen and top batsmen. I hope he not only makes runs, but pressures the opposition and brings calm to the rest of our line up just by being there.
August 9th, 2010 at 5:44 pm
@Wasim –
Very good Wasim!
August 10th, 2010 at 10:07 am
But that is the problem Stani, Pakistan will even struggle to put on a decent ODI score. It isn’t just the Test batting, it’s the batting on overall that needs to be assessed and improved.
Well, it may be the middle of a series, but I wouldn’t mind seeing them getting started now, when else will they?
August 10th, 2010 at 6:18 pm
Ramadan Mubarak TJ and co
August 11th, 2010 at 12:52 pm
@sunny –
But they have scored more than 200 in 6 of the 8 ODIs we played this year. If we had scored such totals in the last two Tests, they would have been competitive at least. Whilst I’m sure the ODI batting can be improved, then again, which team’s can’t, it is the Test batting that has nothing going for it at all.
I don’t think they can do such remedial work in a middle of a series. In fact, I think this is exactly what they have tried to do, get started as you put it, and is why they can’t even get an ODI score.
August 11th, 2010 at 12:53 pm
@Maaaaaaaz –
Ramazan Mubarak to you too Maz!
August 11th, 2010 at 2:48 pm
Stani/ Sunny
Every team has it’s strengths and weaknesses batting has rarely been our strength in foreign conditions especially outside Asia.
Pakistan is not playing at home that is why there test record is looking quite bad if you look at India they have won one match against New Zealand and one against SriLanka and two against Bangladesh, SriLanka, West Indies and New Zealand also have very poor record of winning in foreign conditions in last two years, SA, Australia and England have been doing well in foreign conditions. Pakistan if they improve their fielding could win more matches even with this abysmal batting, they lost the series in SriLanka because of reasons we all know, they lost a match in New Zealand because of five dropped catches and they again lost in Sydney due to poor fielding now again in the last match they dropped 13 catches, in short period of time fielding is the only department which they can improve.
Poor fielding is makiing our team look far more worse than it really is.
August 11th, 2010 at 3:48 pm
@Wasim –
Yes, that’s a good point Wasim. If you look at our scores in the Asia cup, we even almost got 400 in an ODI!
We need to learn to play the swinging ball better. PCB needs to be more open to sending our players to county cricket. Just a few years back they actually stopped some from doing so.
August 11th, 2010 at 3:58 pm
Stani
It’s not upto the board to send the players to county cricket, they can facilitate the move but if not to county cricket atleast leagues in England, Azhar Ali is the only one out of the young batsmen who have played league cricket, Farhat also has some experience the rest haven’t played in England.
August 11th, 2010 at 5:28 pm
@Wasim –
Yes, but the PCB did stop our players from playing a while back. They don’t have to get them to play, but they shouldn’t discourage them.
August 11th, 2010 at 5:51 pm
I think they stopped fast bowlers not the batsmen, Counties rarely select our batsmen out of the current crop only a few will get an interest from a county.
August 11th, 2010 at 6:00 pm
@Wasim –
Especially now!
August 11th, 2010 at 8:55 pm
@ Wasim
I never think the dropped catches account for 72,80 and other scores made by our team. Our fielding is almost the same as it was in pasat but we never repeatedly scored 72 or 80…
In last tour, some one wrote Younis and Yousuf had partnership of 300 or so which the current crop can only dream of!!!!
Of the current lot, what difference Azhar Ali had over the rest due to his ENGLISH LEAGUE experience ? He survives 32 or 40 balls before getting out to the same score others get in 1 or 2 balls. Against below average or missfiring Aussie attack, he was satisfactory and when came against a above average attack proved to be SITTING DUCK! England attack has only one quality bowler in ANDERSON rest are average as AJMAL, GUL and specially Haider proved. That’s what our much hyped no.3 palyer had to offer leave about the no.4.
If we agree that with 72 and 80 and other scores, if we improve our fiedling, we can still win matches ! AMAZING then there lies no need to play six batters who altogether put these scores as GUL/AJMAL and Haider can out score them. Play 10 bowlers with a WK. Why waste time n energy on playing 6 batters.
Amazing facts Haider outscored all in form young blood and matured AKMALs /Butts /Maliks in only single innings and second on list is GUL. Still we are satisfied that our batting is like this for long and we only need to improve fielding??? AMAZING
World’s greatest bowling line ups when bowling with best fielders still cant defend totals of 80s or 70s in five day games against the weakest of batting sides! We must be well aware of it!
August 11th, 2010 at 10:14 pm
Riaz
I am not syaing that we can all the time defend scores like 70-80 but if we had taken our chances then England wouldn’t have been able to get a lead more than 50-70 runs.
Also I never said that we should continue with the same players if they fail.
The point was that if in the last two years we had taken our catches we could have won at least three matches more which result wise would have brought us at par with England and SA.
The conditions in 2006 tour were much more easier than this tour.
Also you have to be realistic that even if we had Yousaf or Younis they wouldn’t have repeated that performance just because they do not have the same form.
But having said that if PCB has pardoned Yousaf then they should bring in Younis unconditionally.
In the next match we will get to see what difference does Yousaf makes, in Lords the conditions will be much more easier.
I do not agree with you that Anderson is the only quality bowler in English line up.
Ajmal and Farhat have gotten a lot of criticism but they saw off the new ball most of the times too bad they couldn’t build on their good starts but it’s mainly the fault of later batsmen who couldn’t score when the ball was old and the sun was out, when Haider and Ajmal scored the conditions were very easy at that stage Anderson looked toothless, I would say that Malik, Amin and Akmal should have batted longer but they have throughly failed on this tour and should get replaced.
Their replacements will have little effect on Pakistan’s batting unless the conditions become easier in next matches but that doesn’t mean that Pakistan should continue with the players who are failing consistently, Pakistan’s only chance to win a match in this series is if they improve their fielding. The last two tests Pakistan won they didn’t dropped any catches and all the matches we lost we spilled too many chances and at least on three occasions the sole reason for defeat was our poor fielding.
August 12th, 2010 at 9:28 pm
If ever fielding was the cause of defeats, it was not the case in last 2 tests against ENGLAND or Tour of England at all!!!
Against Australia
1St Test !st innings 148
Second innings 289 in a lost cause and never threatening to win
Only Salman Butt Scored 150+
Second test
1st innings 258
Second 180/7
thanks to Shane Watson who let Imran score 60 runs else last 3 would not have scored those
Againat England
1st Test 1st innings 180 (Umer GUl 65 Rest 10 + Extras 97)
Second innings 80 (Umer Gul Failed here)
2nd test 1 st innings 72
second innings 291(Haider and Ajmal 140 Rest 9 scored 150)
What the hell are these top order batsmen doing, do they forgot to take bats along? In all our endeavours with batting where is our fieldings part ?
If fielding is the cause, then again my friend, what the hell are these youngsters / fresh blood / so much talked and hyped are doing if they cant score and worse of it cant catch any thing! Why are they paid for ? Not scoring and not fiedling either but still liked to placed under so many carpets that these are our future? WE DONT WANT THIS FUTURE / OUR NATION is not that a bad or ill talented that they deseve this FUTURE! Better leave watching cricket / applausing our team if this will be our future! Can any one come up and justify the role of our captain in test team ? On merit, he too not deserves the place in test Xi
August 12th, 2010 at 10:53 pm
Riaz
Rome wasn’t built in one day, a lot of hue and cry is being made for the non inclusion of Younis and Yousaf and also about Khurram, Fawad, Faisal, Latif, Kaneria and Sami.
Didn’t we tried Khurram, Latif, Fawad, Faisal and Sami in the previous series how many matches did we won? Weren’t these guys dropped for a reason.
Only the poor performance of the new players is making them suddenly look better but if they failed in easier conditions than the English ones then I guess one doesn’t have to be a genius to deduct that they would have definitely failed over here.
All this hue and cry is nothing but bull crap.
It’s a joke that they are saying Kaneria and Sami have been victimized.
Except Younis Khan and to some extent Sarfraz Ahmed nobody else has a genuine case.
When the selectors select the team they don’t know if a player will live up to his domestic reputation or not the only way to know is to give them a chance.
They picked Azhar and Umar Amin because of their domestic reputation wasn’t it Miandad who was praising both of these players when they were selected and wasn’t it Afridi who was the captain of the team back then?
We dropped 5-6 catches against New Zealand in the test we lost, we again dropped multiple catches against Australia in Sydney and now again in the last test we dropped 13 catches.
While improving the batting is absolutely essential but we could have still won those three matches if we had taken our catches.
Pakistan won’t be able to win any match even if they have both Younis and Yousaf in the team in full form if we continued to drop 6-7 catches on average in every test match.
Yousaf is going to play in the next match and very soon Younis will also be back in the team I wish he had played the last two matches so that every body should have realized that there is a difference between past performances and current form.
August 14th, 2010 at 12:09 pm
From the above discussions, one sarcastic comment that I can make based on the Pakistan teams performances is that the squad in the next test should have 5 bowlers, 1 keeper (read who can catch the ball) and 5 fielders …. I am quite sure these fielders will score more runs then the current top 6 batsmen in the team.
As for the players in the team, I guess we have a case for the following players to be in the squad Younis Khan, Fawad Alam, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Asad Shafiq and Mohammad Sami and why they have been dropped from the team could be because of the bias in the team, selectors and its management. Why Yasir Hameed hasnt played a single test is also mind boggling when we know all our batsmen have failed in the last 8 test innings. I dont think I have to justify Younis’s presence in the test squad, he is only out of the team beacuse of personal grudge of Ijaz Butt and Yawar Saeed (one who initiated the oath taking process by players to under perform under Younis captaincy), as for Fawad Alam read the following blog (http://blog.dawn.com/2010/08/13/the-curious-case-of-fawad-alam/) and I am quite sure he is a much much better fielder then any player playing in the team. Why Sarfaraz Ahmed was not selected in the team is big question mark because he is the best glovemen in the country and I do know Zulqarnain scored runs but then he too dropped the catches and thats not what wicket keepers are supposed to do consistently. As for Sami, he played in the series against Australia and he performed really well against them, and I am quite sure he is better then Wahab Riaz who in the domestic circuit could take only 14 wickets in 6 games, so when started to perform he has been dropped from the squad, and please I am in no way suggesting that he is better then Amir, Asif and Gul but he is way better then Wahab Riaz. Whereas Asad Shafiq and Aamer Sajjad were the two inform players of domestic cricket in the last season. Asad Shafiq scored 1000+ runs this season at an average of 60+ whereas the one selected in the squad (Azhar Ali) scored 442 at an average of 27 ?!?! Umer Amin too had same scores this season and the less I talk about Imran Farhat the better, who consistently keeps on dropping catches and only noteable score in the series was in the second innings in the second test and for that too he should be thankful to Shane Watson as he dropped a sitter ….. it just makes me wish I also had father in law at the same position like he has
August 14th, 2010 at 12:10 pm
Oh forgot to say Happy Independence day to everyone !!!
August 14th, 2010 at 1:11 pm
@Asim –
To be honest, the manner in which our batsmen have been batting I don’t think there would have been much difference if we had 11 bowlers in the line up.
Then the bowlers will drop the catches!
I think we should stick with Zulquarnain for a while in Tests and bring in Sarfraz as number two. I think his two dropped catches were very difficult ones so I give him the benefit of the doubt. They were big deflections and Ajmal bowls faster than other spinners so they were always going to be difficult. I’ll reserve judgement on him. Akmal shouldn’t be in the Test squads from now on unless he dramatically improves his batting and is chosen as a specialist batsman.
I’m beginning to get suspicious of this Yawar Saeed. I think he’s causing factions in the squad and he needs to be removed. He seems to side with some players, like Afridi, who speaks highly of him, and badmouth others.
I think they’ve given up on Sami. I completely agree with you on Farhat.
Happy Independence day Asim.
August 15th, 2010 at 1:33 pm
Zulqarnain’s injury is sad news. The man scored 88 on debut and impressed with his fighting spirit especially as the team were down and out. Its a shame we couldn’t see more of him and instead we go back to the woefulness of Kamran Akmal.
I am looking forward to seeing a new debutant in action in the 3rd test. Fresh changes are always refreshing ones. If Raza gets the opportunity to operate in tandem with Ajmal I will be extremely pleased, but I doubt the PCB will go down this route although the Oval pitch is renowned to be conducive to spin bowling as it is a dry surface.
August 16th, 2010 at 6:15 am
@Maaaaaaaz –
Is he definitely out though Maz? If it’s hairline, and depending on where it is on the finger, then there is a chance he could play with injections. I hope he gets another chance somewhere down the line if he is ruled out.
How bloody luck is Kamran Akmal? Unbelievable.
With Gul out too, maybe their hand will be forced into playing two spinners? Plus Swann is the only spinner England have so by picking two spinners, we can try something they cant really counter in doing like-wise. Could give them something to think about, especially facing someone they haven’t faced before.
August 18th, 2010 at 12:48 pm
Those who raised the question Wahab who? Must know him by now he is the guy who is bowling 100 times better than Umar Gul did in last 2 test matches.
August 18th, 2010 at 8:56 pm
@Wasim: No doubt, he bowled well in this game and got the wickets, who deserved to play in this game?
…… and you never know as Naser Husain and Holding said, this is cricket and had Tanvir played, he may have taken more then 5 wickets 
But one point is clear, Yasir Hameed is much much better then Imran Farhat and he proved it today and showed why all of us call Imran Farhat a big parchy and he should be dropped from the team asap !!
August 18th, 2010 at 8:58 pm
what I meant about Wahab and Tanvir was …. based on merit who do you think deserved to play in this game?….. if domestic cricket performance is of no use then why bother have domestic tournaments and scrap them because players who perform are not selected in the team (Tanvir, Aamer Sajjad and Asad Shafiq are case in point).
August 19th, 2010 at 5:25 am
Asim
Have you seen Tanvir bowl? I doubt it because if you had seen him bowl then you wouldn’t be backing him up, I don’t think his domestic record counts for much because a few seasons ago Sohail Khan also performed a similar feat and we all know what happened to him afterwards Tanvir is inferior to Sohail Khan in my opinion. The number of wickets a bowlers takes depend on the teams he plays against in domestic cricket and also the team he plays for because if there are three other bowlers in his team who can also take wickets then he won’t be able to take a lot of wickets. Secondly it also depends on the number of matches he plays.
A lot of fuss was made about his 14 wickets but nobody noticed that toped the bowling charts on Pakistan’s A tours.
A bowler who can bowl @90m and swing the ball both ways is always better than a medium pacer and I think Waqar did great to ignore the record.
It takes only one ball for a batsman to get out, Hameed culd have lost his wicket at least on three occasions but he was lucky, Imran Farhat looked good but got out on the first mistake he made.
August 19th, 2010 at 7:02 am
@Wasim – @Asim –
I haven’t seen Tanvir’s record but it’s much better than Wahab’s apparently. I think the decision rested on who wanted it more. If you look back at the last two Tests, whenever there was a sub fielder required, who was out there? Yes, it was Wahab. I think this showed his attitude and must have made an impression on the captain and coaching staff. Little things like walking out there as nightwatchman yesterday, shows how much it means to him to take this chance. Though he did say that it came down to a net session before the game as to who was going to get in, him or Tanvir, I think it was decided before that.
As for his performance; It was very good but I do hope it is not ‘beginner’s luck’ and he was only effective because England have not seen him before. I have seen him look pretty ordinary in past ODIs so there is that question mark. But, he bowled a hostile pace which is how he got his wickets even though he did not move the ball a lot. We need to reserve judgement until the next Test but so far so good and we can’t complain about that. Certainly, as Wasim touched upon, even 5mph extra pace makes a big difference because it rushes batsmen, unless you are in the class of Mohammed Asif of course.
As for Farhat, he looked all at sea again in my opinion. He cannot play the type of game he is trying to because it’s not in his make-up. You can see him clearly struggle and then eventually get dismissed for a joke of a shot in the last over of the day to a ball so far outside off stump that he did well to cut back onto his stumps. Many of the commentators were asking the question where has Hameed been, and certainly we called for him to be in the side after the first Test against Australia. On watching Hameed, David Lloyd actually said that Pakistan haven’t been picking their best team, and if you think of Kaneria, Farhat and maybe Malik, we’d have to agree with that.
August 19th, 2010 at 12:39 pm
I dont think there is any point in debating about Imran Farhat ….. he is in the squad just because of his father-in-law ……. nothing else !! If Wasim, you still think that he is the right person in the team then I guess that clearly shows there is no point in debating with you as you dont have any (no offence) cricketing sense.
My Playing eleven would have been Salman, Yasir, Younis, Yousuf, Umer Akmal, Fawad Alam, Sarfaraz/Zulqarnain, Aamir, Umer Gul, Saeed and Asif. ….. This squad would have given a good fight against English team.
August 19th, 2010 at 1:41 pm
@Asim, liked your team speciallly inclusion of Fawad Alam, I still think he is much better than Umar Amin and Azhar Ali. Not sure about Umar Gul as he has lost how to bowl in tests, he used to be a good test bowler but too much T20 and his success has probably limited his approach in test matches. So I would like someone more attacking and wicket taking bowler instead of him ( may be Wahab may be someone else?)
August 19th, 2010 at 1:48 pm
Asim
I don’t need a certificate from you about my cricketing knowledge but we have to be fair here the strategy of Azhar Ali and Imran Farhat has been right they have been trying to see off the new ball and spend time on the wicket it is only unfortunate that they haven’t been able to score a big innings and that should be considered as a failure. I think he failed against England but which batsman hasn’t so far?
What has Umar Gul done in test matches to deserve a place? Don’t take me wrong here he is my favorite Pakistani player but unfortunately he has faded in test matches still an excellent limited over bowler.
August 20th, 2010 at 8:23 am
@Mudasar: you are right about Umer Gul and from what we have seen so far from Wahab he looks to be a better replacement, I was specially impressed with his batting technique and some of our top order batsmen can be replaced by him (Imran Farhat) …. as atleast he knows how to take singles and rotate the strike, even while blocking and seeing off the bowlers.
In my squad there are some positions which are open for debate …. like Yasir Hameed, he is still not the right choice but from the options that are currently available he is better then the rest (scores runs and also surprisingly catches the ball too
). Salman Butt should be removed from captaincy asap, as he is unable to play under pressure …. he has a test batting average of 30.xx ….. in top cricket teams of the world he maynot be in the squad but we know he can play and has good batting temprament for test cricket so he should be persisted. Azhar Ali was quite impressive yesterday so he can be a good replacement for any of the two. Then we have Umer Gul and Saeed Ajmal, they both are little bit debatable and depending upon the conditions they have players fighting for their spot like Wahab, Raza Hasan, Irfan, Sami, Tanvir and Danish and then wicketkeeper selection in my opinion should be based on keeping not his batting ability ….. if Kamran can somehow improve his keeping he is the best choice but rightnow chances should be given to Sarfaraz and Zulqarnain.
@Wasim: are you related to Imran Farhat or his father-in-law?