The love for TTFs that is shown by the management and selectors, is just like salt in the wounds

[Citizen4]

So, several reputable journalists have reported that Umar Akmal and Azhar Ali will be part of the Champions trophy squad.

First they selected Hafeez, who have disturbed the balance of the batting line up, and Kamran who failed to score even one fifty against a weak team like West Indies, they refuse to drop Wahab who have a horrible record in the last 2 years.

Now they are recalling these 2 who have not even played enough international cricket recently to go into CT with some practice let alone batting form.

I just don't know what is the reasoning behind this. Inzamam already said that, "Umar Akmal could not pass the fitness test although all other players passed it", now he is recalling Umar to play in the CT. Umar have a horrible record in the past few years everyone knows that, I don't even wanna bring up the numbers because everything is obvious. His fitness is awful, his mentality is ridiculous, he would never accept his own faults, he always just comes up with lame excuses in a failed attempt to defend himself.

Azhar is not ODI material, we already have so many accumulators in our side, adding another one is just nonsense.

I feel like it is just gonna be a repeat of the last Champions trophy, where we selected TTFs and failed miserably. We were so terrible that only 3 fifties were scored in the 3 matches that we played, 2 by Misbah and 1 by Nasir Jamshed, Everyone else failed.

Here are the scorecards of the matches we played.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc-cham...ch/578615.html
http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc-cham...ch/578623.html
http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc-cham...ch/578618.html

Here are the stats from the tournament.

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/icc-ch...ype=tournament

Our batting was just outright pathetic. Bowlers did well except Wahab and Junaid.

Now Mickey and Inzamam, who are strong and stubborn characters, are just heading towards a dead end by giving chances to TTFs again and again, instead of giving chances to other talented and deserving guys.

I'll just quote Mr. Musharraf in the end here, "Pakistan ka Allah hi hafiz".

[cricketInsight]

You are assuming that this will happen on rumors!

[AamirWarraich]

Relax. There is no way Azhar or Umar Akmal are going to make the Champion's Trophy squad. Both of them were dropped and haven't done anything to justify returning to the team.

[msb314]

I highly doubt either will return.

Shehzad scored a half century and Kammy batted at a fast SR.

Plus - we just beat WI in the ODI and T20 series. The team will likely remain unchanged...

[Citizen4]

I highly doubt either will return.

Shehzad scored a half century and Kammy batted at a fast SR.

Plus - we just beat WI in the ODI and T20 series. The team will likely remain unchanged...

well, Mr. Reese, I'm afraid you're in for a shocker. Get ready for a wild ride. The machine has given us numbers, and it' the management and selectors who are the perpetrators, you were right.

[Speedster777]

Disgusting if true. PCB always selects the worst squads for ICC events and embarass everyone with TTFs pathetic performances. Akmals, Hafeez, Azhar are permanent failures in any big event. there's no way we have any chance of passing even group stage with these pathetic players.

[Rafay Shafiq]

List has been sent to ICC as per journalists. Only two changes from current ODI squad, Kamran and Asghar out, umar and azhar in

[msb314]

well, Mr. Reese, I'm afraid you're in for a shocker. Get ready for a wild ride. The machine has given us numbers, and it' the management and selectors who are the perpetrators, you were right.

lol if you say so...

Mickey Arthur could well turn out to be as big of a perpetrator as the selectors!

[MMHS]

List has been sent to ICC as per journalists. Only two changes from current ODI squad, Kamran and Asghar out, umar and azhar in

I think, it's the provisional team & they do have a final cut off day. No way Inzi is going to keep Fahim in the squad - he is young & haven't built the "trust" with Inzi yet. There is no reason to carry JK either, who shouldn't make even the Punjab XI. I have seen pacers bowling trash & I have seen pacers chucking - but first time I see someone doing both together. If this is what PAK has best to offer, then this CT deserves to be worse than 2013.

Azhar & Umar will make the squad for sure, but I do belive Yamin will make it as well. Only problem I see is that Malik is playing his best cricket & Sarfu is Captain - there are 4 spots left & 4 of Inzi's trusted men are to fight it out - Azhar, Kamran, Umar & MoHa, therefore I am not sure how they are going to fit in Babar - may be they'll drop one of Yamin, Imad/Shadab & play 7 batsmen, considering MoHa is "all-rounder".

[Citizen4]

lol if you say so...

Mickey Arthur could well turn out to be as big of a perpetrator as the selectors!

yes, that's why I put both the management and selectors in the title.
Mickey likes to have veto power in the dressing room, he's very stubborn, he shows clear favoritism.
The negatives outweigh the positives heavily.

[Arsalan Pro]

Our selectors and management are known for selecting TTFs over youngsters and this is a major reason why we are unable to find many talented new players.

[Arsalan Pro]

List has been sent to ICC as per journalists. Only two changes from current ODI squad, Kamran and Asghar out, umar and azhar in

Asif Zakir will also be dropped.

[Abdullah]

im ok with azhar for CT only. i think he will be needed against bhuveneshwar kumar. that guy could ruin us before the game is 30 minutes old. especially if its overcast

[MRSN]

im ok with azhar for CT only. i think he will be needed against bhuveneshwar kumar. that guy could ruin us before the game is 30 minutes old. especially if its overcast

Lmao when teams should be looking for 90 runs in first 10 overa we will be playing for survival. This kind of cricket is dead and only Pakistan plays out of top nations. In ODIs these days you have to keep your intentions for 350 odd total.

[amvbfm]

Lmao when teams should be looking for 90 runs in first 10 overa we will be playing for survival. This kind of cricket is dead and only Pakistan plays out of top nations. In ODIs these days you have to keep your intentions for 350 odd total.

There is a reason that Pakistan plays that kind of cricket: we don't have the kind of batsmen who can score 90 in the first 10 against top quality bowlers. Wouldn't it then be better to be 40/1 in 10 than 50/4?

[MRSN]

There is a reason that Pakistan plays that kind of cricket: we don't have the kind of batsmen who can score 90 in the first 10 against top quality bowlers. Wouldn't it then be better to be 40/1 in 10 than 50/4?

doesn't matter when 250s will be chased by top oppositions with few overs to spare despite having them for 5 down within 100. What is our rankings again? With this type of cricket we will not break into top five. Times changed brother. Either you go hard and set the trend at top or you have to have quality bowling to defend 250 totals. CT is in England not on turning square pitches of India or Bangladesh. There is only hope for Pakistan if we don't play timid cricket that we have been playing since the dawn of Misbah.

[amvbfm]

doesn't matter when 250s will be chased by top oppositions with few overs to spare despite having them for 5 down within 100. What is our rankings again? With this type of cricket we will not break into top five. Times changed brother. Either you go hard and set the trend at top or you have to have quality bowling to defend 250 totals. CT is in England not on turning square pitches of India or Bangladesh. There is only hope for Pakistan if we don't play timid cricket that we have been playing since the dawn of Misbah.

Not just about timid cricket, its also about the resources we have and using them efficiently. What are the odds of Shahzad, Hafeez and Kamran getting 90 in 10 by going hard against Bhuveneshwar, Rabada and Steyn? Its just mindless and suicidal imo. Wouldn't it be better to get a platform and then try and hit out in the last 10-15 and then try and defend with our bowling (which I concede isn't as strong as we assume it to be). Don't think you will agree with me but just my two cents.

[MRSN]

Not just about timid cricket, its also about the resources we have and using them efficiently. What are the odds of Shahzad, Hafeez and Kamran getting 90 in 10 by going hard against Bhuveneshwar, Rabada and Steyn? Its just mindless and suicidal imo. Wouldn't it be better to get a platform and then try and hit out in the last 10-15 and then try and defend with our bowling (which I concede isn't as strong as we assume it to be). Don't think you will agree with me but just my two cents.

the problem is the bowlers come hard in the death overs and use all sorts of variations to minimize the chances of getting attacked. Also with spread field it would mean our batsmen are capable of launching those big sixes against fast bowlers..do you really think our batsmen have this ability? Even the best batsmen struggles to find boundaries in the late overs these days because bowling quality in the last 10 overs has really improved. So we have to make full use of available resources. Have to be much more attacking up front than on the defensive side in the first 15 overs.

[Shafi]

Looks like Inzamam been exposed as being so-called honest person. He is the same level as Sethi, Shahriar, Arshal co. Unless we find honest person as chief selector and a chairman we will never go forward.

[Shafi]

Don't mind Asif Zakir omission (rubbish batsman) but both Azhar and Umar should not make into the squad. If Azhar retained the squad why Inzi dropped him for ODI squad for WI tour? Amer Yamin looks good so as some young batsmen

[Naseef]

Even if Azhar is in the squad, I doubt he'll be in the final XI!! Fakhar Zaman deserved to play the WI ODIs as an opener but that's history now. Aamer Yamin needs to be in the final XI since he's in good form. Pakistan can't take chances. They have the rankings to worry about too and I don't think losing all 3 matches in the CT is something they can afford atm!!

[Shafi]

Since Inzi and PCB are not interested to do well in this trophy why not select Gul, MD Sami, Zulfiqarm Azhar, Rahman, Anwar Ali, Afridi.... along with current bunch of TTFs ( Drop Babar, Amir co.) and give them 3 matches farewell

[amvbfm]

the problem is the bowlers come hard in the death overs and use all sorts of variations to minimize the chances of getting attacked. Also with spread field it would mean our batsmen are capable of launching those big sixes against fast bowlers..do you really think our batsmen have this ability? Even the best batsmen struggles to find boundaries in the late overs these days because bowling quality in the last 10 overs has really improved. So we have to make full use of available resources. Have to be much more attacking up front than on the defensive side in the first 15 overs.

and so in your opinion we would be better off trying for 90 even if it leaves us being 50/4 in the first 15 (more likely than our getting to 90) rather than starting steady and trying to get them in the last 10? Also I disagree with the bowling bit. Almost all teams give the new ball to their best bowlers, add to that the English conditions and imo that is a sure recipe for disaster given our opening batting talent.

[asma_cricfan]

Since its a big ICC event, atleast one akmal has to play in order to accommodate fixing mafia demands unless inzi/tauseef/mickey stand firm against these corrupt players.

As we see clearly yesterday when umar akmal wasn't given out on a plumb lbw appeal just to make sure he make few runs.

If they score I don't mind their inclusion but both akmals have been a big failures plus they both are unfit. Kamran can't catch, can't field, can't run. Umar can't even pass a basic fitness test.

[ask_analyse_act]

Anyhow they are going to retain kamran, shehzad , wahab, hafeez, ... so adding two more names in UA and Azhar for asif and zaman may be...the squad pretty much will be like this

Azhar, kamran, shehzad, hafeez, babar, UA, Malik, Sarfraz, imad , shadab, wahab, amir, hasan ali, junaid khan, asghar

what can we expect from MICKEY and INZI...just say all the best and sign off..

[Citizen4]

the reports turned out to be true after all.

Inzi with yet another ridiculous team combination.

Seems like Umar called the Prime Minister again and now he's back, and Azhar who is the darling of Sheryar Khan is back as well. Both of them don't merit their selections. Any sensible person wouldn't have selected those 2 again.

Politics, politics everywhere.

It's gonna be repeat of CT13.

All Hail Inzi and Mickey.

[Syed1]

the reports turned out to be true after all.

Inzi with yet another ridiculous team combination.

Seems like Umar called the Prime Minister again and now he's back, and Azhar who is the darling of Sheryar Khan is back as well. Both of them don't merit their selections. Any sensible person wouldn't have selected those 2 again.

Politics, politics everywhere.

It's gonna be repeat of CT13.

All Hail Inzi and Mickey.

What's worse is Inzi tried to present himself as some sort of saviour, but the reality is he is from the same incompetent and useless tola that has preceded him.

[Citizen4]

What's worse is Inzi tried to present himself as some sort of saviour, but the reality is he is from the same incompetent and useless tola that has preceded him.

the Inzi apologists have no excuses left now, it was a shocker from Inzi. Mickey is also reluctant to give new players a chance. I'd bet my bottom dollar that Yamin and Sohail will score more runs with much better strike rate than Umar and Azhar in the CT.

I guess we must get ready to see Faisal Iqbal back in the team.

[Big Mac]

We're still blaming Misbah though yeah?

[Citizen4]

We're still blaming Misbah though yeah?

Sarfraz is the new Misbah now, he is causing all this chaos by shouting from behind the stumps
Inzi and Mikey are terrorised by his scolding, and they made baffling choices for CT

[Citizen4]

Sack Inzi, bring justice to Pakistan cricket

#InziOut

[the Great Khan]

Surprised Haris the saviour isn't there.
The squad is the best we can muster for now...I see a lot of whingeing but it's not Inzi''s fault that sharjeel and Co sold us down a river...if we win a match I'll be surprised. .

[TalentSpotterPk]

Even if Azhar is in the squad, I doubt he'll be in the final XI!! Fakhar Zaman deserved to play the WI ODIs as an opener but that's history now. Aamer Yamin needs to be in the final XI since he's in good form. Pakistan can't take chances. They have the rankings to worry about too and I don't think losing all 3 matches in the CT is something they can afford atm!!

Former Captain, senior player would never ever be benched unless he is injured.

Azhar & Shehzad will open.