Noddy Previews Pak v Eng Series

[Saj]

You can now read Noddy bhai's preview of the forthcoming Pakistan v England series. Find out who he thinks will be the star players on either side, his thoughts on Shoaib Akhtar, Sami and the England batting etc

All Noddy bhai's articles can be found here :-

http://www.pakpassion.net/ppforum/forumdisplay.php?f=24

Thanks very much Noddy bhai for taking time out of your hectic schedule and forwarding us your latest article.

[Noddy]

Anytime

[DM]

Good read Noddy, thanks. Noddy, reading your article, you seem to imply that there's no room for Afridi (at least down the order) - what do you think is the likelihood of a start for him - is the word in the camp that there's definitely no room for him? Would you personally play him?

[zorawar]

Noddy I am surprised you did not even mention Shabbir...

At the moment I consider him and Shaoib as automatic selections ahead of Rana and Sami

[shan]

Noddy I am surprised you did not even mention Shabbir...

At the moment I consider him and Shaoib as automatic selections ahead of Rana and Sami


i agree with u about shabir, rana is no where near him infect i consider him our best fast bowler ahead of shoaib at the moment!

[Noddy]

Beera is out of nick, no practice and thats the only reason why I didnt mention him. I would think Rana comes in for him for the 1st test if nothing else.

Regards Afridi, I wouldnt pick him as it seems they will go in with 2 specialist leggies and an offie who can bat and bowl, however, what Malik can do, so can lala. Its a choice that will give the skipper some headaches for sure.

[DM]

Thanks for the replies Noddy.

I personally find it unreasonable to select Mushy over Afridi - Afridi's bowling has vastly improved over the last 2 years, is a wicket taker in his own right, and crucially, unlike Mushy, can field very well and can bat (as we know, with devastating effect - he's one of the potential matchwinners in the series, especially on the subcontinent wickets).

I've nothing against him, but Mushy has come out of the wilderness aged 35 and Afridi is beginning to find his place in the test XI with some good test performances and match-winning contributions of late. The last time Mushy played for Pakistan, in 2003-2004, also on subcontinent wickets in Pakistan, against the team notoriously weaker against leg-spin South Africa, he took 1-100 off about 25 overs in the first test and 1-100 off about 25 overs in the 2nd test.

The selection of Mushy over Afridi would be astonishing to my mind.

[HAFRIDI]

agree with u dm, mushy over afridi, fans wont be happy..

[Noddy]

If you check back in ym posts, you will also see why I dont advocate Mushy either.

[sehsan]

noody bahi, what would be your team for first test?

[Noddy]

not sure really....

I am an advocate of 2 full time openers....Cricket is a 1 ball game, so even if taufeeq is out of form, I would STILL play him regardless. Salman has done nother spectacular either...

Salman Butt
Taufeeq Umar
Younis Khan
Inzamam ul Haq
Mohammad Yousaf
Asim Kamal
Kamran Akmal
Mohammad Sami
Shoaib Akhtar
Danish Kaneria
Rana Naveed
Shahid Afridi

Shahid is in 12th spot as depending on the wicket then he could play if they think there will be turn, otherwise go in with 3 seamers and Danish with Salman to bowl a few somewhere if needed. He could displace Taufeeq in the side. However Shoaib Malik also adds the same dimension to the team as Afridi, so its neither here nor there in that respects. Losing Razzaq is the same issue.

[shan]

Beera is out of nick, no practice and thats the only reason why I didnt mention him. I would think Rana comes in for him for the 1st test if nothing else.

Regards Afridi, I wouldnt pick him as it seems they will go in with 2 specialist leggies and an offie who can bat and bowl, however, what Malik can do, so can lala. Its a choice that will give the skipper some headaches for sure.


beera out of nick? he was our best bowler in last test series that pakistan played.

[Bitman]

A good read

[zorawar]

I don't see why you are lumping Malik with Afridi and Razzaq in the all rounder category just because he can bowl.

He is much much more of a proper test batsman than both Afridi and Razzaq when you consider technique or temperament. In fact he was acknowledged by everyone as the best player of spin in the side after Inzi before the India tour.

Hasn't he proved you that he deserves selection in the test side just as a specialist batsman from his performances whenever he has been given a chance?

Also Malik deserves a chance at open light years ahead of Taufeeq. Taufeeq seems to have some birthright as a "proper opener". I am sorry to say that Taufeeq has been given so many chances and he has failed so many times that to be fair he should not even be in any A or B side in Pakistan.

[GamBiTT]

Noddy -- is Taufeeq your relative or something?

[GamBiTT]

Noddy -- is Taufeeq your relative or something?

I mean I was a huge fan myself .. bu comeon man ... the guy is hopelessly lacking in confidence right now ... Balaji, Pathan, Hoggard, Harmison, Flintoff have all made him look like headless chicken on the batting pitch ...

Drop it man .. Taufeeq needs a really good domestic season to even be considered for future. Heck I would seriously look into Mohd. Wasim first before I look at Taufeeq again --- apparently Wasim is making some waves starting playing again for Rawalpindi.

and DUDE -- you need to be off of Shabbir's case ... unless you are there in the camp checking Shabbir's progress .. dont even go about making statements like that about him that he is out of touch.. I think most people should be smart enough here to know that he would not be in the squad if he was not ready to go in a test match.. ch ch ..

[Saj]

beera out of nick? he was our best bowler in last test series that pakistan played.

but when was that shan, it wasn't as though it was a few weeks ago was it ?

[Schiller]

atleast noddy can bring us news if nothing else

[Noddy]

Gambitt

Your statements are not cricketing sense to me in terms of yes, he is lacking confidence, but Test Cricket breeds confidence and I personally needed no motivation in Playing for Pakistan. Thats my first argument. Yes, like I said cricket is a 1 ball game, so anyones confidence can go up and down....Pietersen hasnt scored a run so far...What must he be thinking??? Does that make him a bad player in Englands eye's?


M Wasim back is great news, but he has 2 years or eye catching and runs t score ot get re noticed...... know and have seen him at close hand on several occassions, and it was a joke in Pak cricket that dont bowl on the off stump to him and he will get out....He was all leg side......to a point of being nearly falling over trying to play balls from outside of stick...... Being in NZ will have taught him so much, esp the seaming ball and slower wickets..

When did Beera last bowl in a match is what my comments related to...

And DUDE....If you know somethinig that I dont ,about the selectiors, how selections work and so, let me know if I missed something.....bhai....

[Officer Barbrady]

Taufeeq isn't a terrible selection imv. Not for now, he isn't in any sort of form, may be in a while.

[Team Slayer]

good job Noddy bhai. always enjoy reading your articles.

but the q remains...why Taufeeq? honestly, he would be the last person I would pick for an opener.

[sehsan]

noddy bahi: joe player 15 mein nahi hain, we should not even think about them for now. i was asking your XI from current 15. My XI would be
salman butt
afridi(i wish he opens)
younis
inzi
yousuf
hassan(as he is really in good touch and asim form looks very bad for now)
kamran
sami
shabbir
shoaib
danish

what do u say?

[Noddy]

I think in the 1st test of the series, Pak wont gamble and they would go in for asim being left handed will give him an advantage.....

Shabbir is an option in stead of Mushy....But I think Inzi will go wiht him. Your team is fine !

[shan]

but when was that shan, it wasn't as though it was a few weeks ago was it ?


he played when last time pakistan played!
if pakistan haven't played any int cricket in las 4 months is not Shabir fault.

[Amjid Javed]

nice read noddy bhai :19: :14: , not as good as my preview thou :P

[Noddy]

Thats why u r a LIVING LEGEND !!!

[Amjid Javed]

Thats why u r a LIVING LEGEND !!!

:))) thats u noddy bhai not me.

[Waqar's inswinging yorker]

nice article! and i couldnt agree more in regards with taufeeq umar - guy deserves to be backed

[Noddy]

You laugh too much, its not good for you.

One day, you may cry that much!

[ZM]

gr8 read noddy bhai
cheers

[GamBiTT]

Gambitt

Your statements are not cricketing sense to me in terms of yes, he is lacking confidence, but Test Cricket breeds confidence and I personally needed no motivation in Playing for Pakistan. Thats my first argument. Yes, like I said cricket is a 1 ball game, so anyones confidence can go up and down....Pietersen hasnt scored a run so far...What must he be thinking??? Does that make him a bad player in Englands eye's?


M Wasim back is great news, but he has 2 years or eye catching and runs t score ot get re noticed...... know and have seen him at close hand on several occassions, and it was a joke in Pak cricket that dont bowl on the off stump to him and he will get out....He was all leg side......to a point of being nearly falling over trying to play balls from outside of stick...... Being in NZ will have taught him so much, esp the seaming ball and slower wickets..

When did Beera last bowl in a match is what my comments related to...

And DUDE....If you know somethinig that I dont ,about the selectiors, how selections work and so, let me know if I missed something.....bhai....

Noddy: (see in Red) please explain what kind of cricketing sense or sense alone are you talking about when you are correlating confidence with motivation. Where and when the heck did I say the Taufeeq lacks motivation to play for Pakistan. I said he lacks confidence !!!! That is why he keeps giving the opposition slip catch practise in matches. Pietersen scored a magnanimous century in his last test. What were Taufeeq's scores in the last freaking 5 (F I V E) test matches he played for Pakistan. The guy does not even reckon in the probables and you want to open with him. He is obviously replicating his wonderful confidence and motivation in the nets .. and I am glad that our captain and coach have noticed enough absense of it to keep him away from the national squad. I am sure you are his well wisher -- heck so am I ..... tell him to go play some first class matches and play consistently against some quality bowling. If the talent holds true .. I am sure the confidence will come back. If not .. he is a bust man ... let the domestic games decide his fate .. rather than his performance (lack there of) affect Pakistan's chance in a test series negatively.

Mohd. Wasim was mentioned as a cliche example man .. don't take it to heart.

The captain and coach are actually involved in the training of the individuals and see them in action on pretty much a daily basis. I for one am glad they are handling the team professionally.

[sehsan]

definetly there is no place for taufiq at the moment.

[Usman]

[QUOTE=Noddy]I think in the 1st test of the series, Pak wont gamble and they would go in for asim being left handed will give him an advantage.....QUOTE]

Noddy bhai, this is a big disadvantage! We all know that bowlers like Flintoff crave on left handers and espiecially because Asim is out of form he will be Flintoff's bunny when he bowls around the wicket. We have mentioned this time and time again on the fourm!

[Noddy]

Gambitt you need to relax a little!

Now you r saying Wasim was an example...Not THE BEST EXAMPLE TO GIVE AS A CLICHE....

I would nto go into what and how or conversations I have with Taufeeq, and how the team is being handled professionally or not. I am sure its being run ok, but things could eb better.

Its a coaches job to get the bets of their players and help with confidence and technicals issues..... I may be hearing some different vibes....Thast all I am going to say.

Also, you mention confidence...Most definately I agree with you. You were in Taufeeqs room in Kolkata....I can honestly say I have never seen someone as bad as he was...

Every player goes thru a patch...regardless of their name....

KP did score a ton, but dropped as well if you recall. You make your own luck in life and TU didnt...

All I said is that its a one ball game and hence anyone can get a chance...So I went with my choice....In my view I said motivation breeds confidence and for him its that way...

Hope this makes some sense???!!

[Noddy]

Usman we will just have to wait and see.

I think Asim knows he needs runss and has to raise himself...under pressure...He may find himself being 12 th man as Hasan got runs./ Who knows....I stated what I felt.

[Green-Machine]

My opinions :-

1) Afridi is under no circumstances a test player. Under no circumstances. He is a top odi player. Test player - no chance. Please stop this nonsense of including him as opener!!

2) Mushtaq -past it.

3) Razak - see 1) above.

4) Sami - see 1 above.

5) Hasan instead of Kamal please.

6) A specialist opener please. Taufeeq to be given a run of 10 tests with Butt.

Taufeeq
Butt
Younis
Inzi
Yousaf
Hasan
Akmal
Naveed ul Hasan
Shoaib (very reluctantly abnd because of BWs good report)
Kaneria
Najaf (have seen him play - we need a left armer)

[Saj]

he played when last time pakistan played!
if pakistan haven't played any int cricket in las 4 months is not Shabir fault.

Shan, the man has hardly bowled a ball for months, his career was in jeopardy, his action has been changed - I'm more worried about his mental state than anything else. I have always said he was our best seamer in the Windies but there's been a lot of water under the bridge since that series.

Anyway I'd be really pleased to see him back and bowling even better.

[Noddy]

Also if you didnt know if Shabbir gets reported again, he gets banned from Int Cricket...

That's a big noose round your neck, first game back, first game in a test series, first game against england....

[DM]

1) Afridi is under no circumstances a test player. Under no circumstances. He is a top odi player. Test player - no chance. Please stop this nonsense of including him as opener!!

It's your opinion I understand, but i think it's unfair to dismiss him as a test match player, especially after having been one of our best test match players in the past few series - with crucial contributions with both bat and ball. How many other players in our team can you say the same for? As it is, Shahid Afridi would be one of the first players down in my test XI.

[Noddy]

Shabbir last played for Pak in June when they were in WI we all know that
He has since had 4 games which include a 20/20 game..
Going into a test match with 21 ov 1m 2/84 isnt great preparation either....

Also, in Pakistan no umpire is going to call him or his action suspect in the games....where there are no cameras around.
Its a big ask for the lanky pacer.

[Pathan007]

It's your opinion I understand, but i think it's unfair to dismiss him as a test match player, especially after having been one of our best test match players in the past few series - with crucial contributions with both bat and ball. How many other players in our team can you say the same for? As it is, Shahid Afridi would be one of the first players down in my test XI.he won us the match against India. remeber the 3rd test. where he bowled 17overs for 11runs and picking up 3HUGE wickets. Tenda, Ganguky, Laxman :D

[Waqar's inswinging yorker]

noddy if u do speak to taufeeq again - can u plz let him know he still has some loyal fans! and to keep his chin up as his class will shine through in the end and he has shown what he is capable of and inshallah he will recapture his form before too long

[zorawar]

I saw the clips of Shabbir's action in the 20/20 clip and the slo-motion replays as well..

His action is totally clean and I don't see how he can be left out of the squad just based on a fear that he will be reported again.

Also the ball he bowled Afridi with was a thing of beauty. We just need a few of those from him in the test match :)

[shan]

Shan, the man has hardly bowled a ball for months, his career was in jeopardy, his action has been changed - I'm more worried about his mental state than anything else. I have always said he was our best seamer in the Windies but there's been a lot of water under the bridge since that series.

Anyway I'd be really pleased to see him back and bowling even better.

if this is the truth why Bob always say that he is now bowling even better or like before with changed action

i think Bob is in better positon to judge how Beera is doing then any other person



10219: WAQAR_AHMAD, (07 NOV 2005, 20H20:43)

hey bob
questions for u

1. I am a big fan of shabbir because of the amount of bounce, swing and seam he generates both ways. To me, he is a much better bowler than Mohammad Sami and shoaib. After remodelling his action, is he still getting the bounce, swing and seam that he used to.

2. What about his control. IS he having any problems with control. And is he bowling with same pace or has his pace further gone down after remodelling.

3. Shabbir was really good in the West Indies where he was the main fast bowler for us. He has shown so many times what he is capable of. Then y isnt he given the new ball. Y do u give the new ball to Mohammad Sami and shoaib, even when shabbir gets much more bounce and movement than either of the two. Is it just coz he is not as quick as both of the other guys are.

waqar

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
REPLY BY: BOB, (08 Nov 2005, 07h37:11)
Hi waqar_ahmad,
2. No he is fine I am unable to check the pace as i do not have a machine available however he looks as though he is about the same.
3. We will decide who take sthe new ball as Sami, Rana and Shabbir all swing the new ball.
bob

[sehsan]

shan: one reason can be that B.W always backs his player. I remember lot of people said to him about shabbir action when he was palying in westindies, he keeps saying, "HIS ACTION is fine" Indeed if it was fine then why he got banned?

[shan]

shan: one reason can be that B.W always backs his player. I remember lot of people said to him about shabbir action when he was palying in westindies, he keeps saying, "HIS ACTION is fine" Indeed if it was fine then why he got banned?

fisrt of all if he was not ready to play test why he was picked ahead of bowlers like Gul and others?

[Raz]

Great Noddy bhai, thanks for the article. I believe that Pakistan will need Afridi in the final XI, more for his bowling than anything else. It has been penetrative, sometimes even more so than any other bowler's in the Test matches he played in India and in the West Indies. Add to that his batting and fielding, two extra bonuses which Pakistan cannot afford to miss.

[Wasim_bhai_fan]

well i am just think one thing that why only shabbir is single out for not playing? the whole pak team has not played international cricket since june! shoaib is not play since jan, sami since india tour, only rana bhai has played for county. So why you fellows are insisit on droppping shabbir? should ask for sami or shoaib to be dropped before him. care to explain those who feel this way? Noddy and Saj?


Shabbir last played for Pak in June when they were in WI we all know that
He has since had 4 games which include a 20/20 game..
Going into a test match with 21 ov 1m 2/84 isnt great preparation either....

Also, in Pakistan no umpire is going to call him or his action suspect in the games....where there are no cameras around.
Its a big ask for the lanky pacer.

[Jonty]

Good stuff Noddy.. keep it up!

[Blistering Barnacle]

I don't know why some people are so surprised at the inclusion of Taufeeq in Noddy's team. Imran Khan for example has mentioned in the past that Taufeeq is Pakistan's best opener. Taufeeq has I believe the best record of all of our openers too, and has made some high scores against opposition such as Australia and South Africa away from home. He was also named man of the series in the second series he played against SA at home, meaning he played a pivotal role in Pakistan's historic first test series victory against SA. How many openers can say they've been man of the series in Pakistan?

Taufeeq did have a poor series against India in Pakistan, but since when does having a poor series mean that you should be kicked out of the team for more than a year, only to be brought back for another high pressure series against the same opposition and then dropped again 2 tests later. It's not as if he performed horribly in those two tests either, or any worse than any other openers we've had, as he had scores of 44, 4, 18, 35.

Inzamam has had a worse run of poor form than Taufeeq in the past, and unless Imran had backed him, Inzamam probably would have been dropped from the team way back and not become the batsman he is today.

[Officer Barbrady]

I don't know why some people are so surprised at the inclusion of Taufeeq in Noddy's team. Imran Khan for example has mentioned in the past that Taufeeq is Pakistan's best opener. Taufeeq has I believe the best record of all of our openers too, and has made some high scores against opposition such as Australia and South Africa away from home. He was also named man of the series in the second series he played against SA at home, meaning he played a pivotal role in Pakistan's historic first test series victory against SA. How many openers can say they've been man of the series in Pakistan?

Taufeeq did have a poor series against India in Pakistan, but since when does having a poor series mean that you should be kicked out of the team for more than a year, only to be brought back for another high pressure series against the same opposition and then dropped again 2 tests later. It's not as if he performed horribly in those two tests either, or any worse than any other openers we've had, as he had scores of 44, 4, 18, 35.

Inzamam has had a worse run of poor form than Taufeeq in the past, and unless Imran had backed him, Inzamam probably would have been dropped from the team way back and not become the batsman he is today.
:14:

[Waqar's inswinging yorker]

I don't know why some people are so surprised at the inclusion of Taufeeq in Noddy's team. Imran Khan for example has mentioned in the past that Taufeeq is Pakistan's best opener. Taufeeq has I believe the best record of all of our openers too, and has made some high scores against opposition such as Australia and South Africa away from home. He was also named man of the series in the second series he played against SA at home, meaning he played a pivotal role in Pakistan's historic first test series victory against SA. How many openers can say they've been man of the series in Pakistan?

Taufeeq did have a poor series against India in Pakistan, but since when does having a poor series mean that you should be kicked out of the team for more than a year, only to be brought back for another high pressure series against the same opposition and then dropped again 2 tests later. It's not as if he performed horribly in those two tests either, or any worse than any other openers we've had, as he had scores of 44, 4, 18, 35.

Inzamam has had a worse run of poor form than Taufeeq in the past, and unless Imran had backed him, Inzamam probably would have been dropped from the team way back and not become the batsman he is today.


excellent point bb!! taufeeq deserves to be backed as he has the credentials to be a top player! - im glad to see there are more taufeeq fans out there!

[sehsan]

yarr he is a good player BUT you guys have to realize that he need to score in domestic so he can gain some confidence

[zorawar]

You guys saying Taufeeq had ONE bad series have got to be kidding me....

These are Taufeeq's scores in the last 3 THREE TEST SERIES he has played in:

27, 16, 34, 23, 9, 24, 14, 9, 13, 44, 4, 18, 35

And that innings of 44 was one of the most unimpressive innings I have seen to say the least.

so 7 Tests, 13 innings without a single fifty to his credit...

To top it off, he has failed pathetically in the domestic and practice games as well.

To argue or justify Taufeeq's inclusion after this makes one wonder if we have cases of memory disorder here or some serious bias on display...

[Officer Barbrady]

Just before that sequence of scores he had: 75, 111, 34, 21*, 39, 39, 135, 67, 34, 4, 75, 4, 111, 63, 68, 71. ;)

He has two 100s against a genuine opposition like South Africa. Perhaps that suggests it's a loss of form rather than lack of ability. ;)

The other option re Yasir Hameed has never managed a hundred after his incredible feat against the Bangalis. ;)

Now I am not suggesting Taufeeq should be playing this series but he remains an option for the future. He will regain form and then hopefully be in contention again. Till then we shall agree to disagree.

[akpower]

I don't know why some people are so surprised at the inclusion of Taufeeq in Noddy's team. Imran Khan for example has mentioned in the past that Taufeeq is Pakistan's best opener. Taufeeq has I believe the best record of all of our openers too, and has made some high scores against opposition such as Australia and South Africa away from home. He was also named man of the series in the second series he played against SA at home, meaning he played a pivotal role in Pakistan's historic first test series victory against SA. How many openers can say they've been man of the series in Pakistan?

Taufeeq did have a poor series against India in Pakistan, but since when does having a poor series mean that you should be kicked out of the team for more than a year, only to be brought back for another high pressure series against the same opposition and then dropped again 2 tests later. It's not as if he performed horribly in those two tests either, or any worse than any other openers we've had, as he had scores of 44, 4, 18, 35.

Inzamam has had a worse run of poor form than Taufeeq in the past, and unless Imran had backed him, Inzamam probably would have been dropped from the team way back and not become the batsman he is today.

its not as much how many runs he got, its how he got them. in all of his knocks he hardly ever looked comfortable. he was shaky all the way through, and in all those 4 innings i think he played two genuinely good confident strokes. he looked real solid early in his career, also scored a century in australia and i thought played decent in the world cup in whatever little time he spent in the middle.

however in any sport mental toughness is probably more important then natural talent, and they way we all saw him in his return matches, the way noddy is describing his confidence in calcutta, its really hard to pick him again netime soon. i have never seen a batsman as nervous as taufeeq was. i mean, if u cant handle the pressure then i'm sorry u dont have a place at the intl level.

even farhat looked a tad more confident then taufeeq, although he was also suffering a wretched run of form which eventually caused his demise.

bottomline is taufeeq could have become our permanent opener if he had the mental toughness and i honestly dont believe he is coming back anytime soon, and rightly so.