Should we feel sorry for Woolmer?

Its probably good for Woolmer that in 3 months he won't have to deal with all the headaches of being a Pakistani coach. In one interview, two newspapers put a fairly different spin on the same comments, putting Woolmer in a bit of a bind when it comes to Imran Nazir. First, The News essentially tried to say that Woolmer was washing his hands off the whole Imran Nazir selection.

Direct Quote: "Imran Nazir was picked by the chairman of selectors and you should ask him why he is here," Woolmer told Pakistani reporters when asked to comment on Imran Nazir failure to find form in recent matches.


Further, The News from an unnamed correspondent goes on to say that Woolmer is unhappy with Nazir, but feels stuck with no other options at the #1/#2 position. Interesting, in another report on the same interview,
Dawn is reporting, that Woolmer stressed to the reporters to try and give Nazir a chance, as Pakistan really has no other options right now with Afridi being suspended. Woolmer even went as far as challenging the reporters and saying that why should they drop Imran after one game.

While I can understand Woolmer's desire to be given some time to settle things down, Imran Nazir hasn't shown himself to be the guy who could do with some more time. I think the time has come for Woolmer to cut his losses, play Kamran Akmal at the #2 position for one game, and then plug Afridi in, as Hafeez's partner. That is the only solution which I think could even conceivably work.

Technorati Tags: pakistan, cricket, world cup, bob woolmer, imran nazir, shahid afridi, kamran akmal

Akmal to open against Ireland?

Interesting thoughts from Woolmer. He appears willing to experiment for the upcoming matches against Ireland and Zimbabwe, in both the opening formats and also the lineup. I think a telling remark is the desire to have eight batsmen and six bowlers in the squad. The squad that played WI on the 13th had 7 batsmen, and 6 bowlers so not as versatile a squad as Woolmer now wants to have.

I must say, these comments sound pretty wishy-washy, "Maybe Imran Nazir will continue to open, maybe Kamran Akmal could open and Hafeez will drop down," Woolmer told reporters. "When Afridi comes back maybe he will open. At this stage one would hope that the batting lineup, which was supposed to be a strength of the side would be on firmer ground, yet that is obviously not the case.

As I have stated in earlier posts, the issue revolves around what happens with Azhar Mahmood/Yasir Arafat and Danish Kaneria and their role in the squad. The batting lineup is thin enough that Imran Nazir and Mohammad Hafeez cannot be dropped willy-nilly at this point in the game. Getting Kamran Akmal to open is a thought, as he has gotten all of his ODI 100s and 50s from the opening spot. I like OH's suggestion to maybe whack Imran Nazir and send him back to Pakistan as injured, and bring back Yasir Hameed to maybe give Pakistan some more options from the batting side.

Kamran Akmal & Mohammad Hafeez to start, with Yousuf, Inzamam and Younis, in that order, gives Pakistan a lot more authority and versatility in the top order, further I just think Hafeez is a lot more reliable than Nazir. After the top 5, Shoaib Malik and Shahid Afridi should be at 6 & 7 in whatever order, with Azhar Mahmood or Yasir Arafat at 8. The bowling can be rounded out with Gul, Rao and Naved or Sami. Keep Sami as far away as possible from this squad, and I really don't see any room for Danish in this squad.

This is not going to be easy for Woolmer.

Technorati Tags: pakistan, cricket, bob woolmer, world cup, kamran akmal, yasir hameed, imran nazir

Pakistan and Foreign Coaches

Rashid Latif makes some interesting points about how the practices of foreign coaches may not be suitable to the needs of subcontinental players. While, in a way it does seem a tad illogical to me, but then this image of Kamran Akmal pops up: doing leg raises with his flip-flop chappals on. Maybe Rashid Latif has a point?

I still continue to feel that aren't players just players? Maybe the Pakistani players are a little bit behind in the fitness game when they start in professional cricket, but do they really have different needs? I'll have to think about that.

Akmal: flash in the pan or here to stay?

Osman Samiuddin has conducted a fairly frank and open interview with Wasim Bari, and despite my musings in a previous post, even he has seen Rashid Latif as an important enough figure to seek out his opinion regarding Kamran Akmal. Anyone wonder what happened to Saleem Yousuf? Rather hear him than Rashid Latif!

What I found interesting in the interview was that neither Wasim Bari nor Rashid Latif feel that this is going to be more than a brief slump for Kamran Akmal. Both seem to favour a break for him, away from the pressure cooker, feeling that might help his confidence and might help to focus him again. I just hope that if that does happen, its not done in a way which makes Kamran feel that his job is up for grabs. He is too good a long-term prospect, and potentially could even be a captain of the squad, such is his presence and place in the squad. I would hate to see him go.

Technorati Tags: pakistan, cricket, wicketkeeping, wasim bari, rashid latif, kamran akmal

No shock and awe, only implosion!

When Pakistan announced their ODI squad for South Africa, most of us were quiet surprised, and perhaps even hopeful. Kamran Abbasi, writing in his blog on CricInfo, thought that this strategy of bringing in Abdul Razzaq, Imran Nazir and Shahid Afridi would pay dividends, by giving the Pakistani batting attack a form of "shock and awe". Well, after the only Twenty20 match against South Africa, I think there was more implosion rather than shock and awe for the Pakistani squad, losing the match by ten wickets. Kamran Akmal and Mohammad Hafeez were the only batsmen that even looked like they were even close to settling in, reaching the 20s, and what about the shock and awe squad?

Abdul Razzaq: 10, Shahid Afridi 7, Imran Nazir: 5. Definitely seems more like implosion folks. Shahid Afridi in this situation, as much of a fan of his I am, needs to be on a short leash. If he does not come good in the next one or two ODIs, I think he should be sent back to Pakistan, and that is definitely when Fawad Alam needs a call up. I hate to sound like a broken record, but that kid looks special to me. Hopefully Pakistan do better in the ODIs than they did in the Twenty20 match.

Kamran Akmal to be rested?

So, after three years of relative stability behind the stumps, it appears that if Wasim Bari has his way, Kamran Akmal will be rested for the series against South Africa. Being a wicket keeper himself, it appears that Bari feels that if Kamran Akmal gets a break, he might help him out a little bit. I'm not sure how I feel about this. He is in a rough patch, and he will sort himself out, but does it help Pakistan to return to a wicket keeping controversy that lasted for ten years prior to Kamran Akmal taking the job? Not sure about this.

Technorati Tags: pakistan, cricket, wasim bari, selectors, kamran akmal,

Pakistan lose Test Series 2 - 1

After injuries and wickets were discussed more than actual performances, the series against South Africa came to an end, with South Africa winning the third test on the 3rd day, and winning the series 2 - 1.

Its interesting that after the third straight series for Pakistan, the positives remain the same, and so do the negatives. Discussing these really does feel like Deja Vu!

Yousuf, Younis and Inzamam demonstrated once again their indispensability to the middle order, and it was interesting that each innings required atleast one of them to fire, and when they did, the results were apparent. However, there were enough instances where none of the three fired, which is why the team lost the series rather than coming out with a winning advantage. Mohammad Asif once again, drug related issues aside, demonstrated why he is one of the leading talents in international cricket. Sending down 125 overs in 6 innings demonstrates his fitness and his commitment to the team. However, one must recognize that this isn't a long-term viable situation, where a fast bowler sends down spinner like overs. Its a recipe for injuries and for disaster.

On the negative side, even though Imran Farhat was just behind the troika in his runs in the series, neither he nor Mohammad Hafeez were able to assert themselves as the key opening duo. This really does leave the doors open for Salman Butt or Imran Nazir, who really just need to assert themselves to gain access to the squad. Yasir Hameed had one good innings, but was again unable to demonstrate a reason to make him a permanent fixture in the squad.

Injuries played a major role in Pakistan's performance in South Africa. Pakistan's two other premiere fast bowlers, Shoaib Akhtar and Umar Gul, were unable to play due to injuries, while Shoaib Malik also missed the bulk of the series. Pakistan surely did miss Abdul Razzaq's middle order contributions with the bat, and then his bowling as well. Its been a long time since Pakistan's most talented bowlers were able to take the field together: Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Asif and Umar Gul. Pakistan has to figure out a better fitness regime, or some other means of ensuring that their players become more resilient, rather than being injured more time than not. While Woolmer has been blaming the schedule, and the itinerary, perhaps he should be blaming his own team for being unable to maintain appropriate levels of fitness and training.

Another area of concern which has arisen over the past few months, has been Kamran Akmal's poor showing behind the stumps. While he remains a key member of the squad in spirit, and has shown himself to be a fighter with the bat, it is his ability with the gloves which he has to fine tune to ensure his position in the squad long term.

So at the end of the series, we are left where we were at the start, with no areas being clarified, and only further muddling. And for the next few months, any discussion for the test squad will be put aside to concentrate on the all important World Cup. But I'm sure we'll hear more about that.

Whatever Rashid Latif!

I find this amusing beyond belief! In making comments about Kamran Akmal's wicketkeeping during the second test, Rashid Latif says the most hilarious thing!

Anyone who has watched Pakistan play in the last year has noted that while Kamran Akmal is definitely one of the most talented young wicketkeepers in the game, he has repeatedly struggled behind the wickets, often dropping what should be fairly regulation catches. Further, his other strength, his batting has also suffered, and it was just a few weeks ago that many nay-sayers were asking for him to be dropped from the team all together, and for who? Zulqarnain Haider, heard of him recently?

Well, the comment from Latif I found hilarious was this one: "When I and Moin had problems we used to take a break from international cricket. We preferred to play domestic cricket and worked on basics to overcome technical flaws. We tried to get back concentration and confidence to stage a comeback." Anyone who watched cricket during the 90's and the early part of the decade knows without a shadow of a doubt, that the only reason either one of Rashid Latif or Moin Khan took a break was because the settlers were too busy being their usual crazy selves. Neither one of Moin Khan nor Rashid Latif was given any kind of a run, because each one of them spent their entire careers falling in and out of favour. For Rashid Latif to dress it up into some kind of personal quest for perfection is hilarious!

By the way, would someone tell me why reporters are interviewing Rashid Latif of all people?!

PCB to look for help for Akmal

The PCB will be working over the next few weeks to find
help for Kamran Akmal, who seems to be having some
troubles in the English climate.

Alec Stewart comments about Akmal

They say in Urdu, Ghar ki murghi daal barabar.

Concern regarding Kamran Akmal

It appears that Kamran Akmal is being singled out for criticism by the team. Lets be clear about this. You play a kid out of position, the first time he is playing in an English environment where pace, bounce and swing are all different from anywhere else in the world, and then you expect him to score and keep wicket infallibly? Lets give it a rest! He is a highly talented and strong cricketer who needs time and needs to be treated with consistency, not with the vagaries of the PCB.

Kamran Akmal acknowledges his predecessors

Kamran Akmal in a press-conference, acknowledges the support he has receieved from Adam Gilchrist, and speaks to his predecessors, Moin Khan and Rashid Latif, as mentors for his career.

Nice article, from a polite, well-spoken man.

Inzamam and Kamran get PCB awards

The PCB has named some awards. Inzamam has been named the Pakistani cricketer of the year for 2005, and Kamran Akmal was named the emerging cricketer of the year.

“Inzamam was picked not only because of his performances but also due to the impact he has had on the team as captain,”

Pakistani fight back!

What a comeback! Or as perhaps LL Cool J would say, don't call it a comeback, they've been doing it for years! or atleast the last few months!

Pakistan began the day at 173 for 2, and looking towards setting a total of greater than 350 for the Indians, and did they do that or what! Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf went on to 158 for the third wicket, never really looking threatened by the Indian bowlers who were unable to get the wicket to do anything. Finally, Kumble, more by guile than any actual response from the wicket, was able to remove Younis Khan, and 38 runs later, Mohammad Yousuf, unluckily I would say, for 97.

Pakistan at this point were fairly safe with a lead of 324, and were perhaps looking for another 80 odd runs for satisfaction. Shahid Afridi came in for one of his usual cameos, and after a fairly restrained 32 off 35 deliveries, exploded after tea and scored 60 off 46 deliveries when he decided to let loose. Dismissed at 402, one could have said that Pakistan was sufficiently in a good position, and perhaps only needed to bat out the day.

Faisal Iqbal and Abdul Razzaq continued, however, to take the Indians to the sword and went on to add 109 off the next 31 overs. Even though I was one of the first to say Faisal Iqbal should not have been picked, he has repayed the faith of the selectors by a key century in the second innings.

I hate to sound like a homer, but the Pakistani squad has fought back since being 39 for 6, and has never really looked like they have lost their control of the match. Now, India will have to show their mettle with two days to go, and reach a world record score in the second innings to win. Go Pakistan!

Interesting comments from Bari

Wasim Bari is making some interesting comments. While he may be right to criticize Akmal for missing the Kumble catch, lets just remember it was on the leg side off a right handed bowler, and he even did well just to get his glove on it and save the four. But Wasim will do what he does!

Pakistan all out for 245.

Pakistan are all out for 245, eight overs after tea. Kamran Akmal and Shoaib Akhtar fought well, but were dismissed for 113 and 45 respectively. Now lets see what the Pakistan bowlers can do in the 20 odd overs remaining today.

Kamran Akmal is a superstar

What an innings by Kamran Akmal. After Pakistan were left reeling at 39 for 6, Kamran Akmal, Abdul Razzaq and Shoaib Akhtar have not only restored respectability to the Pakistani squad, but highlighted the shortcomings of the new entrants in the upper order.

At tea, Pakistan are at 218 for 7, with Akmal at a 101, and Shoaib Akhtar at 31. Akmal and Razzaq put on a solid 115 for the seventh wicket, and they batted with sensibility. Bad balls were dispatched, and good balls were treated with respect. There were some beautiful boundaries and some respectable running between the wickets. Finally, at 154, Abdul Razzaq was unlucky to be dismissed LBW by RP Singh. Since that point, Shoaib Akhtar, with some judiciously cavalier batting, has helped put on 64 for the 8th wicket, and watched Akmal score a century.

Akmal, Razzaq and Akhtar have done what Faisal Iqbal and Imran Farhat could not. Salman Butt, Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf were unlucky to be bowled out by superior bowling by Pathan. Faisal Iqbal one could concede was unlucky to be given LBW, but should have offered a shot and treated the delivery with the respect it deserved. Imran Farhat was just reckless, at a stage where he needed to be respectful and cautious.

All in all, a solid fightback for Pakistan. Any score in excess of 200 is better than they would have been hoping for earlier, and any score of 250 will give them a psychological advantage in the field.

Kamran Akmal - fastest century by a wicketkeeper!

While Afridi was demolishing the Indian bowling, what got lost in the mix, was that Kamran Akmal was being equally as devestating. In a matter of 81 balls, Kamran Akmal scored the fastest hundred by a wicket keeper in test cricket, exlipsing Adam Gilchrist's old mark. Way to go Kamran! I sound like a cheerleader, but hey! I am!

Lahore Test Day 2: Pakistan wreck havoc on India in every way!

It is almost unbelievable. A good weather day in Lahore, was an awesome day for Pakistan.

Starting Day 2 at 326 for 2, with Younis at 147 and Yousuf at 95, one would think that India would come out charging and hoping for a breakthrough. India tried, but both Younis and Yousuf appeared to have other plans. Over the course of the next 25 overs, Yousuf and Younis smashed, cajoled, caressed and bashed their way to 455, adding another 120-odd chanceless runs at almost 5 an over. As Younis and Yousuf progressively picked up the pace, Yousuf danced out to smash Kumble down the wicket, but was beaten and comprehensively stumped by Dhoni at 173 off 199 deliveries.

Inzamam-ul-Haq came in for a short stay, and was gone for just 1, bowled lbw by Kumble. Shahid Afridi came in, and was almost immediately the source of drama. A bashed pull shot caught Laxman in the knee and still ran for 4. And then, the Younis Khan tragedy. Run out by a mixup, Younis became the sixth batsmen dismissed for 199. As a dismayed Younis walked back to the pavilion, one could sense that Afridi was in a position where he had to redeem himself.

Redeem himself, Afridi did. With Kamran Akmal, Afridi literally demolished the Indian bowling for 170 runs off 21 overs. The two hit 9 sixes on their way to 647, before Afridi was caught by Harbhajan off Agarkar for 103, perhaps due revenge for suffering heavy punishment from Afridi. The only issue left at this stage was when Pakistan would declare, and they did so after Kamran Akmal reached 102 off a gloriously pulled 4, taking Pakistan to 679 for 7.

Pakistan really have a stranglehold on India now, and if India are to lose any wickets, Pakistan will have them by the jugular.

DNA - Sport - ‘I’m no competition for Mahendra Singh Dhoni’ - Daily News & Analysis

The mind games continue don't they! After Inzamam invariably appoints India as the favorites for the upcoming series, Kamran Akmal sings the virtues of Mahendra Dhoni and appoints him as the better wicketkeeper batsman.

While there might be a case for that, so far the two are in a reasonable statistical dead heat. Only history will be able to judge who is better. My money though will remain on Kamran Akmal. He is the better batsman, while Dhoni has something of Afridi in him, rendering him as mercurial as Afridi.