Asif Iqbal:The nucleus of a good side should last until 2007

The nucleus of a good side should last until 2007

From Asif Iqbal

Former Pakistan and Kent cricket captain

LONDON: Although Pakistan lost the Test series in Australia 3-0 and the finals of the VB series in two straight games, there was a tremendous improvement in the performance of the team as it went along, with improvements being registered with each passing day. The start in Perth was very discouraging and it was to the great credit of this young side that it could come back from that and in the end, as the captain of Australia Ricky Ponting himself said, make Australia work hard.

That Australia would win was not unexpected; all that could be reasonably expected of this side was that it should put up a good fight and reaching the VB series finals and restricting the mighty Australians in both the finals to scores below 240 was a tremendous achievement.

Yet, it would be futile to pretend that there are not grave problems and the foremost one is with the top batting order. You simply cannot have a game plan which expects Youhana and Inzamam at four and five to come up every time with partnerships of 120 plus after a start of 30 odd for 3; and you cannot expect Razzaq and Afridi every time to blast 100 of the last ten overs.

Inzamam, Youhana, Razzaq and Afridi all did a great job in the one-dayers but that would not give the planners the right to go back to them again and again. As things turned out, Youhana failed in the first final and Inzamam failed in the second and that was very much that. No one would grudge them these occasional failures for their overall performance in the VB series had been outstanding in its consistency, and no one could reasonably have expected more from them.

It seems as if we simply do not have two openers in the country who can establish themselves in the side; we have had many false starts with one or two good performances being followed with a string of failures and there is not a great deal that can be done about that, given the talent we have at our disposal. But the choice of number three is important and here either Youhana or Inzamam, preferably the former, will have to take the burden.

It will be rather less difficult for Youhana and Inzamam to bat with two down for a very few runs rather than three down for next to nothing and it will give someone less talented than Youhana and Inzamam, a better chance lower down the order to make a more meaningful contribution. If this means that Youhana has more of a chance of being out cheaply at number three, that is, I feel, less of a risk than depending on Youhana and Inzamam every time in a do or die situation; secondly, there is at least an outside chance that one opener may be able to play a rather longer innings under Youhana’s wings and thus give the later batsman a better chance with the shine off the new ball.

I also feel that if Shoaib Malik is to play simply as a batsman, then I would select Younis Khan before him, although again, I would put him down to bat at number five and not at number three. However, if Youhana or Inzamam batting at number three is, for whatever reason, out and beyond the pale of discussion, then perhaps Younis would make a better number three than anyone else.

One hopes that with the new ICC regulations about bowlers Shoaib Malik’s problem would be sorted out very soon which will make it so much easier to balance this Pakistani side. But if Shoaib is in the side as a batsman, he should come at number five rather than six, a requirement which will be automatically fulfilled if Youhana is batting at number three.

To my mind the hero of this one day series has been Rana Naved-ul-Hasan. His commitment and dedication to Pakistan’s cause are so very apparent. That is not a typically Pakistani virtue which makes it a refreshing breadth of fresh air. He is one of those rare cricketers who are never disheartened, who keep coming at you no matter what the odds. He took over the mantle of Pakistan’s spearhead when both Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami had to return home and given the huge billing Shoaib and Sami had got, this would have overawed anyone.

My respect for him was doubled in the second final at Sydney which he must have played under immense pressure, having just heard the sad news of his father’s demise. Fighters like Rana Naveed are worth their weight in gold and I would not contemplate any Pakistani side, Test or one day, without him.

That said, we have to understand that the requirements of a one day bowling side and a Test bowling side are different. In a Test match, I would still say that fitness permitting, Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami, supported by Danish Kaneria and Rana Naved, represent out best chance of getting twenty opposition wickets. The thrust that Shoaib and Sami bring to our attack is the sort of thing that can turn a Test match around in half an hour.

I feel that the decision not to play Danish Kaneria in the one day series was a poor one. Leg-spinners can be expensive, yes, but keep in mind that they bowl with different fields in Test and one day cricket. He troubled the Australians in the Tests and I have no doubt that the extra bounce of Australian wickets would have helped him in the one dayers as well. His absence was felt in the VB series and in India I feel we should not by any means rule him out of the one day series.

This younger Pakistani side has brought about a marked improvement in the fielding which was visible throughout the tour, although the catching still left a bit to be desired. But the ground fielding showed a marked improvement and one hopes that is something that will be carried forward to the Indian tour.

All in all, except for the very visible problem at the top of the order, this has the nucleus of a side that will hopefully serve Pakistan for sometime to come. The seam bowling attack has shown that there is definitely life even after Shoaib and Sami and there is an excellent support seamer and fine leg spinner to back them up. Razzaq and Afridi are genuine assets to any one day side, although we should be careful and not be carried away by Shahid’s one day success and put him up the order again. His rightful place is at number seven or eight and he has great contributions to make as a quick leg spinner and excellent fielder. Also, young Kamran Akmal has, in my opinion, done enough to settle the wicket keeping argument for good, much of which was in any case motivated by reasons beyond cricket.

If we could have two reliable opening batsmen, I would say that things would be going according to plan for 2007.

Agree about the openers part, disagree that Younis Khan should be ahead of Shoaib Malik in ODI's

Our team is almost complete this is the template i think they should go with.

1.Salman Butt
2. (opener)
3. YoYo
4. Shoaib Mali
5. Inzi
6. (Batsman or Bits and Peices Player)
7. Razzaq
8. Afridi
9. Kamran
10. Rana
11.(Seamer)

I have always rated him as a superior cricketer ( soft on the outside though )



About sums the tour and shows great promise for the future - notice he isnt asking for anyones head ( he should know, his head was put on the block after the Indian tour )

malik for 3

One definitely agrees with Mr Iqbal. A great cricketing mind indeed.
One clearly feels that Youhana & Inzamam should indeed bat at the number 3 & 4 position & one believes that until Shoaib Malik has been cleared & proves that he can still bowl with a new action that Younis Khan should take his position but bat at number 5. Razzaq, Akmal, Afridi should be 6, 7 & 8.
One is particularly surprised however that there is no mention of Yasir Hameed. I feel this young man is a very good player & should be continued with as an opener.

you cant take malik out of the side !

asif iqbal has just said whet i did on my thoughts on current odi team!

so you feel that younis shud come in ?

And there it is....the Hare has spoken!

? what?

PakPride - if one has heard asif iqbal talk, one will certainly understand what one is on about......no doubt about it!

One particular area where one has a problem is why is everything to do with 2007? Surely the idea is to focus on winning each series by series.

I found this on Bob Woolmer's site....some plonker pretending to be Asif Iqbal....what fool would wanna do a thing like that!

Hi Robert ,

And there it is....Vest Indies have won the cup. One can only appreciate it as a spectacle....Bob, if u vuld like to read commentary on the match....

Brian Lara (wot a player he is..)...i mean a great leader....wot can one say...he led the team from the front...at the Oval...Veyrsus England....they played the final....what a game it was....and there it was...a great spectacle of cricket....Marcus Trescothik batted superbly..and there it was....a great century...but unforchunately, certainly not enough......one must feel for this chap...

Lara's team's was all able to hanging on to there catches....england showing signs of inexperiaaance.....it was a joy for one to watch...

And then there it is...england bowled out for 217...a fighting score ably helped by trescothic's century...

...and he did it, Andrew Flintoff bowled superbly...one can only sit and admire ...west indies were in trouble and there it was Chanderpaul got out...and one certainly felt at that time that england would have won.....but courtney browne and his friend....what a performance...one cannot put into words their effort a very cricketing partnership....the way they danced after winning....in pakistan we call it the bhangra dance....

It was a pleasure to follow this game and certainly I will commentate on future games....one cannot help but keep this brief...

I wanted to know (as my favourite player is Asif Iqbal...) do we hav any players in Asif Iqbals mould....one can only believe that he could have saved us against the west indies....

Secondly, do the pakistani players take any inspiration from it....one can see the west indies never gave up and one wishes that our players can follow this example....Normally, one feels pakistan start playing badly....and there it is...they have accepted defeat...

Anyway Good Luck on finding the next Asif Iqbal....It could have been me...I have learnt to talk like him....just not play like him!!

Really Amjid? I have never heard you once suggest bringing in Younis ahead of Malik.

Junaid.......odis is about 2007. tests u should pick the team to win u the test.

I disgaree. I think it's about winning each series upon series otherwise all you'll be doing is experimenting for 4 years.
Surely if you play to win every series you participate in with the best players you have available then the team will naturally develop.

one feels that there is a certain oneness in this team, and one definately has to be optimistic that this oneness can take this team to the number one one-day team in the world in the near future. absolutely fantastic. by the way, asif uncle's brother-in-law was my family doctor for a while .... long live HYDERABAD!!

classic gasherbrum!

Things dont always work out though. I remember During the 2001 Natwest trophy, the commentators were saying we have an ideal team for 2003. Young, but experienced too. COme 2003, most of the players were still there, but we bombed so badly. We need to get into a winning habit, and that includes finals and other key games

well done gasher, one gets the feeling that one became extremely influenced at the Dr surgery, one hopes it doesn't remain for life or one could only be called a spectacle, there is no doubt about it! Char Minar Zindabad!