Fully-fit Gul Raring to Go

[fawad_wellwisher]

Fully-fit Gul raring to go
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
From Khalid Hussain
LONDON: Umar Gul has almost regained full fitness and is itching to feature in the final Test at Lord’s next week but the Pakistan team management is more interested in conserving him for the limited-overs series against England to be played next month.

The injured pacer hasn’t missed a training session in recent days and has told the team management that he can play in the fourth and final Test at Lord’s where Pakistan will be looking to square the series 2-2 after beating England in the previous Test at The Oval by four wickets.

“Gul is getting fitter each day,” Yawar Saeed, the Pakistan manager, told ‘The News’ here on Monday. “In fact he has told us that he wants to play (at Lord’s) but we aren’t sure about it. We will decide about it in the next two days,” he added.
Yawar said that Gul is too important a team member for Pakistan to be risked by fielding him in the fourth Test which begins from Thursday.
“We have two Twenty20 Internationals and five one-dayers coming up next month and would want to have him (Gul) fully fit for them,” said Yawar. “He is such a key player for us in both Tests and one-dayers and we don’t want to risk him.”
Pakistan will play back-to-back Twenty20 Internationals in Cardiff on September 5 and 7 followed by the five-match ODI series that will conclude on September 22.
Gul, 26, suffered from a hamstring injury during Pakistan’s second Test against England in Birmingham. He was forced to sit out of the third Test at The Oval where debutant Wahab Riaz replaced him and took a five-wicket haul as Pakistan won by four wickets.
The Peshawar-born Gul has taken 108 wickets from 30 Tests but its in limited-overs cricket where he has made a bigger impact. He has collected 103 wickets from 69 One-day Internationals and is one of the most successful bowlers in Twenty20 cricket with 46 wickets from 28 games.
He has had a frustrating year so far, having missed two of Pakistan’s major limited-overs assignments of 2010 — the ICC World Twenty20 championship in the West Indies and the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka — because of fitness problems.

Meanwhile, Gul and his teammates moved out of their Kensington High Street hotel for a check-in at The Marriot closer to Lord’s ahead of the fourth Test.
They will begin warming up for the Test series finale with a training session this (Tuesday) morning at Lord’s. “We will train for around three hours tomorrow and will have a similar session on Wednesday,” said Yawar.
The team manager said that his players were all charged up following their memorable win at The Oval and will go all out for a series-equalling win at Lord’s. “Their morale is really up. The boys have been working really hard during this entire tour and are now once again looking forward to giving their best in the final Test at Lord’s.”

http://www.thenews.com.pk/24-08-2010/sports/


So who do you play?
Wahab or Gul.

I think Gul should come back for the 4th test as Wahab struggled in the 2nd innings. He may struggle with his line and length in the 4th and final test.

[Sledger]

I would bench Gul for the next game, why change a winning combination anyway? It's about managing your resources, and he'll be better for the ODIs and especially the T20s.

[Maula Jutt]

Rest him for 4th test. Bring him back in for limited overs cricket. However, it will still be a price to pay because he is better than Wahab in batting in this series, and we need all the bats we can get!

[fawad_wellwisher]

It will be a tough call. I would like Gul as I have a gut feeling he will reverse the ball on the LOrd's pitch.

[khan_a]

think in oval gul would have performed well with the reverse swing. think in lords he'll be more useful then wahab.
saying that no need to change a winning combination. and it gives more rest time for gul, comeing back form the minor injury.
so id go with wahab. better safe then sorry.

[Sledger]

Gul has a no ball problem at the best of times and he struggled with the Lord's slope in the game against Aus iirc. England don't seem to like Wahab's angle.. plus, you can't drop a guy who's taken a 5 wicket haul - Riaz will play.

[Decipher]

Good to see him fit. Cricket is following the footsteps of baseball .... we must have a cluster of bowlers (pitchers) to be rotated in order to meet astronomical amount of game being played. This will not only increase the life span of a fast bowler but increase our chances to have fresh and well rested arms ready to rumble in every game.

[iZeeshan]

I'd like to try out Wahab for another game, so no.

Maybe rest Amir.

[Gollum]

Play Wahab, he's earned his place in the next Test. Gul can use the rest for the ODIs.

[ads101]

no let riaz play.

Gul is needed in ODIs and T20s soon, so it wouldn't hurt resting him.

[waqar_ahmad]

Play Wahab. WE need two more bowlers who can be used for rotation purposes. And Wahab can be groomed into one

[bluffmasterv2]

We have to play Asif/Aamer cause its not some dead rubber match. Besides cant drop some one who just had a 5'er. Good problem to have though ! :)

[Genghis]

Good to finally see some real competition for spots. Wahab did little wrong in the last test match to be discarded for Lords, but if Gul is 100% fit then I would select him. Important that we play our strongest team and give ourselves the best chance of levelling the series.

[Maula Jutt]

I'd like to try out Wahab for another game, so no.

Maybe rest Amir.


In his interview with Saj, Amir has said a big fat "no" to being rested when he feels he is fit to play. So I dont think anyone will be resting him until he himself asks for it.

[godzilla]

i dont think theres much to choose between them, i dont think either are particularly good at the test level at least. but after riaz had a hugs hand in winning us the last game, it would be really unfair on him to replace him with an almost fit gul.

[octavian]

No thank you. Should stick with Riaz. the guy just took a 5fer for God's sake

[sali]

Let's make gul more strong and hungry for ODIs

[PerfectionPersonified]

Gul may be a secret weapon with his reverse swing but i would play Wahab

[Saqs]

People here are forgetting he was our 2nd top run-scorer upon his exit.

[Dare2Dream]

That's nice and dandy but Wahab deserves the next test match, no justification for cutting a performer on debut knowing Gul has struggled to take many wickets.

[Noork85]

I think resting Gul is a better idea, i dont wanna see him going off the field grabbing his leg and limping and subsequently being ruled out of the ODI's, too much at risk.
It is a better idea to groom Wahab and he needs alot of practice, i thought his bowling in the second innings was sort of ugly.

and plus, i wanna know if hes been found out by England or if he's got tricks up his sleeves.

[Noork85]

That's nice and dandy but Wahab deserves the next test match, no justification for cutting a performer on debut knowing Gul has struggled to take many wickets.

zulqernain was replaced rather easily after his 88. no one even intended to keep him for the 3rd test, the injury was a gift sent from heaven for ******* Sr, nice excuse to bring him back.

[sakss]

id play wahab ..and rest gul for the limited overs ..dont wana injure him again after recovering

[ballack13]

rest gul for odi n t20 wahab should get another chance because of his 5 wicket haul

[kingusama92]

Wahab has earned his spot for the next match.

Gul should not be rushed back. He can play in the ODI series.

It would be quite sad if Wahab was pushed out of the way for Gul. Umar Gul's performances in this test series has not been consistent and he was not threatening. Yes, there were a few spells, where he got the batsman wafting away, but it was a rarity. Plus, his recent injury [which I bet is still lingering] does not bode well.

Wahab is the way to go for now.

[fawad_wellwisher]

Gul wasn't dropped because of performance issues. Why should he take a back seat to Wahab when he is fit and raring to go?

There is no guarantee Wahab will perform better than Gul. His performance in the 2nd innings was quite ordinary TBH.

[Eagle_Eye]

Gul is largely poor and ineffective in ODI and test matches... Lets not kid ourselves the guy is a T20 king and thats the format he should stick to.

There is no way Wahab should be dropped from the team after his performance at Oval. I hope that has got him a long stint in the team.