What happened to Junaid Zia?

[fair_play]

Good to see Hafeez with the team - talent needs to be persevered with.

But where is Junaid? We need some good new ball bowlers.

Reckon they should also be groomed for future captaincy, becaause they are considered thoughtful and intelligent cricketers.

Maybe Noddy can shed some light.

[Sharif]

Aamer Sohail is what happened to him he was only in the team because he was Tauqir Zia's son and now that he's gon Junaid Zia's gone and his actions a bit dodgy also.

[Officer Barbrady]

There are plans to secretly fly him in for the final one-day (if the outcome depends on that) and unleash him on the surprised Indians. Reports from the domestic front suggest his 'ghoori' (glare) is enough to destroy batsmen and their careers let alone his bowling.

[B-Man]

junaid zia is the $hittest bowler ive eva seen

[DM]

The ICC banned him on the grounds he was too fast for current human reactions.

[MIG]

He has some good points - cricket isnt one of them.

Note to self: Must write immediate email to BW, asking for Junaids inclusion for next ODI....

[Officer Barbrady]

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/images/23_11_2003_Junaid%20Zia22.jpg

Killer ghoori and aerodynamic head...

[MIG]

He does have a mean look about him -personally I think Rana should also shave his head and try out that look.

[Hussain]

nice hair cut Junaid
Perhaps an ideal of MIG

[Nauman]

I havent seen much of Junaid Zia in Patrons trophy or ABN Amro cup either. As far as what happened to him well his father left the office so he also left the field of cricket because that is the only way he could ge in the team. Aamir Sohail was sacked as a coach and could not select him. To be honest we have two crappy players to have played international cricket since WC debacle namely Hafeez and Junaid Zia and surprisingly both have been selected and preffered by Aamir Sohail.

[Mercenary]

we're really missing quality players like Junaid Zia, Bazid Khan and Faisal Iqbal in this series :D

[Noddy]

JZ is recovering after a quite serious ankle injury.

By the way Aamir was never sacked....

[Officer Barbrady]

JZ is recovering after a quite serious ankle injury.

By the way Aamir was never sacked....

He was removed then?

[Noddy]

I dont know the full facts

I heard about what happened, asked him and he said go to my website and see the letter from the Chairman. So I did.

[Officer Barbrady]

Yes I saw that letter and it basically said Shereyar wanted someone else for the job. I guess that would be removal or sacking...

[Lahoria]

His domestic record wasn't too bad but he clearly didn't have enough talent to make the team. Faisal and Bazid on the other hand were good enough but Faisal played too many matches because of his uncle.

[Noddy]

Personally, I dont know whether Bazid will make the grade either. But after a recent good A tour, you never know.

As we all know he was given 2 ODI v Zimbabwe, and didnt perform.

[Nauman]

I dont know the full facts

I heard about what happened, asked him and he said go to my website and see the letter from the Chairman. So I did.

What is the address of his site?

Secondly I was not saying that from my own back, I read that in news papers and thought he was sacked, asking to be removed is a polite way of saying sacked though.

[fair_play]

Personally, I dont know whether Bazid will make the grade either. But after a recent good A tour, you never know.

As we all know he was given 2 ODI v Zimbabwe, and didnt perform.

True. 2 ODI's and one which ended with a dodgy lbw. In both games, Hameed made ducks as well, and in the first Pakistan were 1-3 at one stage.

But I agree that I dont see Bazid making the grade at all - at the moment he barely gets a game for Pakistan A (though last year he was one of the best scorers in the A squad).

I reckon we should persist with Hafeez. Noddy one of these days, as you and MIG suspect, he is going to surprise us with a hundred. Maybe in 2007, maybe earlier but its gonna happen.

An ODI average of 17 with the bat, a first class average of 29 will improve. I say just give Hafeez a bit of time!

[Officer Barbrady]

One obviously cannot judge on the basis of two short innings (one of which was not out). If that was the standard Saeed Anwar wouldn't have played for Pakistan after his first test.

I think who ever is tried out should be given a solid 10 inning run before making judgments and deciding futures. Of course that also requires that the selectors select players who have the potential to make the grade.

[Noddy]

No that is true, but the times then and now have changed....and are different.

One thing I would say is that an opener batting at no 6/7 is not going to work when u are used to opening all your career. Thats is a point I made to him the other day....

He though said I am happy to play anywhere....

[Officer Barbrady]

Hafeez failed as an opener for a while. Even in Australia he was tried at number 3 but didn't do well - too slow and would get out after wasting balls. Doesn't have the talent for this level as a batsman in my opinion.
He was then basically played as a bowler who could bat a bit in the middle order since the top order plan clearly wasn't working.

[Jahangir Khan]

Is it a coincidence that during his spell as chief selector, Aamir Sohail selected Junaid Zia, Yasir Ali and Hafeez. All 3 of these had question marks about their actions although Hafeez has been cleared now and I've heard that Yasir also has a clean action now.

[fair_play]

No that is true, but the times then and now have changed....and are different.

One thing I would say is that an opener batting at no 6/7 is not going to work when u are used to opening all your career. Thats is a point I made to him the other day....

He though said I am happy to play anywhere....

Very gracious of him.

I think most players would be happy to play anywhere, if their average is 17, scored at a pitiful rate.

To be fair to him, I have only ever seen him look methodical but ordinary, so must really wait to see him on a good day before passing overall judgement.

One things Hafeez, and Noddy, cant complain off is that he hasnt had chances. If 2 innings inculding one dodgy lbw for Bazid means that he has had his chances, then by the same token, Hafeez has had a career of chances.

An openor who failed over a stretch, now a late middle order who cant perform at his best, cause he is really an openor.....

Hmmm.......I hope he blasts a Laraesque ton soon.

[Noddy]

Yasir Ali has never been accused, reported for any suspect action at FC level, or in the 1 Test he played, U23 tour, Academy tour.

His action has been clean as such. There was a slight jerk noticed, but it is fine. AlsoMr Aaqib did well to worsen his action not long back, its all sorted now.

[fair_play]

Yasir Ali has never been accused, reported for any suspect action at FC level, or in the 1 Test he played, U23 tour, Academy tour.

His action has been clean as such. There was a slight jerk noticed, but it is fine. AlsoMr Aaqib did well to worsen his action not long back, its all sorted now.

If we are going to get some watta bowlers then lets make sure they are at least good at the watta.

I completely fail to see the point of an ineffective watta.

[Noddy]

There are some bowlers playing int cricket now who are suspect
there were stories being spread round that Courtney Walsh action was suspect, by that time he had taken over 400 odd test wickets !

I would say there is a sri lankan seamer, a sth african seamer when he bowls a quicker one/bouncer , an aussie seamer right now

[fair_play]

Well mate, there have been a few chuckers in international cricket.

The ICC 15 degree chucking law is a step in the right direction because cricket is always very slow to wake up to reality.

I think at some point perhaps chucking should be legalised completely. First of all, cricket is far too much a batsman's game now than it was, say in the 60's and 70's. A number of people are making runs in the scripted format - with all the protective gear, covered pitches, bouncer restrictions and heavy bats. Skill has regressed.

What I would do is allow chucking, but perhaps from a distance of 23 yards. Yo then add an extra crease and the bowler (chucker) can inform the umpire before hand.

At the moment, batsmen have it too easy.

[Noddy]

crcket is a batters game right now
chucking or not chucking

[KB]

The 90s was a excellent decade of cricket because the balance between the bat and ball was ideal. At the moment bowling standards are a lot poorer, and the balance is too far towards batsman.

Run gluts can actually lead to quite drab cricket.

[Noddy]

the loss of the readers and dukes ball has something to do with that

also more and more cameras in the grounds covering games...means that average bowlers cant mess abt with the ball ! LOL

[fair_play]

the loss of the readers and dukes ball has something to do with that

also more and more cameras in the grounds covering games...means that average bowlers cant mess abt with the ball ! LOL

Its known to every Pakistan cricketer who has ever played the game that the close scrutiny on the ball makes it harder to achieve reverse swing. Also umpires are known to keep an extra vigil on Pakistan.

Lack of skill and pace is also a factor - though perhaps tad secondary.

But overall lack of skill is a problem as well. Waqar, for example, taught himself to bowl away swing with the new ball in later years, after his speed and reverse swing were not as effective. In fact, he was a better new ball bowler than old ball specialist in his last few years - showing how he though about his game.

The ability to make the ball hold its own, or to move away is a huge asset, which both Shoaib and Sami have struggled with over the past couple of years. Shoiab is mostly an arm bowler, so that is not surprising, and Sami had become the modern open chested bowler who finds it difficult to move the ball away.

In the last two tests though someone has been working on him, and there has been a noticable improvement. He will have to learn to be more side on, and hopefully this does not result in injuries etc.

Rana is a bit of a throw back, and in some ways his coiled action has a bit of Ian Botham in it. He has surprised many with his big outswingers over the past year or so, without getting many wickets.

There is a reason for that. His line is generally off stump, and his length is just a fraction short. So either batsmen adjust or they manage to swing their arms at a widish and shortish outswinger.

If he can bowl fuller and start his outswinger on a leg and middle line, he could have batsmen in real trouble. He got Sehwag the other day, because the line started around leg stump and Sehwag could not generate power properly, even though the ball was short. Virendar was initially touch squared on by the delivery (most unlike him) and then adjusted as it swung away. If the ball had been fuller, it wuld have been more difficult to play.

Australia took Shane Warne's prodigious turn and introduced round the wicket bowling that had batsmen playing across the spin or trying to leave the ball. Even though, Rana is fast medium, because he bowls such prodgious outswingers, I think a plan of action would be to help him learn to bowl a fuller leg and middle stump line with his action. No one is going to like it. At the moment his freak skill is being wasted.

Saying is easier than done, because of subtle issues with feeling comfortable with the coil, run-up and release. If he can manage this, then we will have a very fine new ball bowler in the line up. Its a pity that many batsmen have had a detailed look at him now, without this much needed fine tuning. Let's hope somebody else has noticed as well.

[Saqlain_doosra]

Yasir Ali has never been accused, reported for any suspect action at FC level, or in the 1 Test he played, U23 tour, Academy tour.

His action has been clean as such. There was a slight jerk noticed, but it is fine. AlsoMr Aaqib did well to worsen his action not long back, its all sorted now.

I heared he's bowling up to 90. Can't wait to see him playing for pakistan again. Looks good talent

[Waqar's inswinging yorker]

thanks to noddy bhai for helping to sort out yasir ali after aquib left another mess

[Jahangir Khan]

When I said Yasir Ali was suspect I was only going by what I saw in the one test he played in against Bangladesh. I am happy to hear that he has sorted out the 'kink' and hope that he continues to improve to the benefit of the pakistan team.

I don't know whether he was reported but Junaid Zia always looked suspect to me.

[Jahangir Khan]

When I said Yasir Ali was suspect I was only going by what I saw in the one test he played in against Bangladesh. I am happy to hear that he has sorted out the 'kink' and hope that he continues to improve to the benefit of the pakistan team.

I don't know whether he was reported but Junaid Zia always looked suspect to me.

[Nawazb]

y ali has really come along this season and with the reports from monsee etc he looks to have upped his pace significantly and definetly looks like one for the future.