Aamer and Asif

Looking at pakistans current new ball pairing i think going forward
the team has some solid bowling foundations to build on and with the
right back up could form a formidable test bowling attack. Many PPers or
Cricket fans will look at Asif and say that the lad lacks a yard of pace,
but he has the skill to make the ball move boths ways and bowl with
intelligence and also bowl good line and Length. Aamer well what can you say the kid is a thinking cricketer, he bowls with his intelligence (Unlike Muhammed Sami and few other failures down the years) is willing to learn new tricks and is willing to bowl to a play to take wickets.

These two are not a wasim/Waqar like combo but in their own way i think they can form a bowling attack that Pakistan could profit from for many years to come!

Asif currently averages 22.52 with an SR of 44.8, and mind you there are still 2 more wickets left to be taken.

Until one/both of them come down with injury over the next couple of months because Inzi (i mean MoYo) has worked them to death.

Asif is something special.

No doubt about that. Aamer is special as well and these two will make an excellent pair for the future.

Hoping that injuries/hashish permitting I get to see these two opening in England next Summer.

Could be a watershed tour for the two if they play all Summer.

why are indians so obsessed with averages,records, stats

Don't blame him. We are just as obsessed.

Look at our jinx threads on Saeed Anwar's record and Shahid Afridi's record. Plus he was praising Asif.. so no need to jump on his back.

Now if only we could find some decent batsmen to support Umar Akmal. We might have a good team soon.

Looking good for Pakistan. InshaALLAH these guys stay fit.

Asif is a serious cricketer (once on the field and provided clean of any drug controversies)

He is not Razzaq or Sami who finds excuses, he will keep going at it constantly trying to think a batsman out or do his job. I can just say I am impressed with his work ethic thus far.

Aamer is just plain talent and flair. I think they make a good pair. Asif is bound to be less injury prone than Aamer. Now only if Gul can find his mojo. I am starting to get concerned with his form.
We have a good bowling unit. I feel we might be lacking one good fast bowling all rounder though, not too impressed with Razzaq or Arafat in the test team.

If Aamer continues to improve with the bat we can probably look to bring one more genuine pacer in the team.

IMO people are way too harsh on Arafat. He has taken whatever chances he's been offered and performed reasonably well, and is the only part-time bowler capable of bowling in the 140s

If his batting potential could go up a couple notches he would be a very useful addition, and I don't think it's out of his reach.

Yaar I have seen him bowl. He is not very good. His performances in the tests are way below average.

Didn't he take a 5 wicket haul in his last test match.

AAG Attack Is Finally Here

I just noticed. 3 tests and 9 wickets with an average of 48. Out of those 9 he took 5 in one innings.

You could be right but my observation is from watching him bowl. I think he can be a good bowler but needs improvement.
If Pakistan does decide to go in with only 3 seamers then I dont think he can find a place in the team.

Good post AJ.

The left arm / right arm combination is a good one, as well as the differing styles of the bowlers. You have the raw pace of Aamer and the nagging accuracy of Asif.

The one that I worry about though is Umar Gul. He really needs to start converting his T20 form to test cricket.

Stamina problem.......
In that match Yasir started really good but was soon huffing and puffing a lot. Clearly for a test match player he is short of stamina.
This is more important for him as if he is chosen as a third seamer, he is expected to bowl long spells.

I only pray both of these stay injury free.
This could be the start of very lethal bowling attack.
ALLAH nazir-e-bad say bachaey :-)

All we need to do is find a good third seamer and our test bowling attach looks pretty potent.

I really hope that Talha can step up.

Wasim and Waqar had an able deputy in Aaqib who could come on and even if he did not take wickets he would at least restrict runs.

Aamer and Asif have the inadequate and hopelessly out of form Gul. There are guys such as Wahab Riaz who performed marvellously, recently, in Australian backyard matching the likes of Bollinger and he needs to be given a go !

Please let me raise this question too:

1. We know Gul is good for 20/20.
But it seems that in ODIs, we again have to choose one of them i.e. either Asif or Gul

It is due to the reason that in ODIs we need a "Bowling All Rounder" i.e. either Razzaq or Rana to strengthen our batting. Therefore, this question is again going to be raised when we play the next ODI or even the WC 2011.

A very tough question when it comes to ODI. It would not be an easy question as it happened in TEST where Asif won easily. In ODIs, Asif is not as effective as he is in the TESTS.

Where do you dig up all these fast bowlers from ?

we cant reveal that secret to our indian friends

on flat tracks?right?

I am hoping Gul who now has some support will forge his own role in this attack. He has a lot of qualities also which he is not fully utilising.

No wonder .. i've been having it roasted.

He's bowled well in spell's but just hasn't kept up his discipline all the way trough the game. Also the only time he looks like picking up a wicket is with the yorker.

He's doesn't quite get the rub of the green either. Gul's just being made out to be really bad when in actual fact he's a more than decent bowler.

If only....

was around 23 years old!

would have been great!

the possibility of that happening is zero..thus the possibility of him returning to the team is zero!

I agree with you. Gul is a much better bowler than what most PPers make him seem.

He is average. Not in a bad way but he is an average Test match bowler so far. Fair or not, Pakistan really needs better than that to cover for the batting weakness.

And Pakistan have a greater advantage in bowling than any other team so maybe 32 runs per wicket is not good enough.

RA:

Bowling is the smaller problem. Its really not broken while our batting is a shambles.

You're right, he isn't as incisive as Asif and Aamir, but the way some PPers bash the crap out of Gul, you'd think there are replacements waiting readily. Gul has performed fairly well in the past, and has always been there when the superstars were going from one controversy to the next. I think he deserves a little more support when he's going through a bad patch.

And, it's not like he bowled terribly in the match either.

In the 2nd test just like the 1st indeed pakistans opening pair has shown they are able to compliment each other. Aamers ability to take wickets in his 1st over of a game is uncanny. Also good to see Asif back in the groove, its like hes never been away!

Pakistan have always been blessed with talented fast bowlers and i guess having previous idols such as imran, wasim, waqar as role models is inspiration enough to any pakistani to become a talented fast bowler.

I agree. Not penetrative enough or alternatively economical enough to play as third seamer. Pak needs to look beyond him for Aus - Wahab or Talha must be tried.

Don't agree at all. Gul showed today that he is good Test-bowler as well. They way he set up Fulton was amazing. He may not be that economical, but he gets wickets. He bowls good bouncers and yorkers, it's just a matter of time before he gets that rewerse swing going...

nah hes a good third seamer. you dont want someone too tight, you still wasnt somoene who can take wickets

Gul did an ideal job in 2nd inns of last test and in 1st inns of this test to show hes more than able to produce the goods as a 3rd seamer for pakistan.

Remember it was Gul who got rid of the danger man Taylor and Fulton. Just as NZ were getting away he came and took out the middle-order. Gul is miles ahead of our 4th best fast-bowler in Tests, whoever that is...

shhhh...its a secret (we kidnap them from across the border)

Gul is excellent....so are Amir and Asif! Infact Asif is quite amazing me....i didnt expect him to start performing so well after his year ban! Gul has lots of talent and ability....and when these 3, amir, asif, and gul are bowling their best, then we can call them one of the best trio of pacemen!

Time to bump this thread for obvious reasons, can't be bothered worrying about the batting

For me either asif or umar going to take man of series unless something dramatic happens in last test

Aamer has taken a 5 for in Australia just like a young wasim akram did at start of his career.

Also great to see him show grit and application with bat as a night watchmen.