Will somebody put their hands up?

[Love and Theft]

in the Pakistan team 'think tank' (more like gadha gaari) and admit they messed up. Playing with two bits and pieces player in a test side (one of them thinks playing cameos is the way to go in test matches and other is clueless against spin), selecting a pace bowler (K) for the squad who makes you wonder if this is international cricket you are watching or some street match - and the list goes on and on.

Will somebody be honest enough to put their hands up and accept responsibilty?

[Geordie Ahmed]

|-K |-K |-K

We are doing far better than anyone expected yet ppl still post threads criticising the team! |-K |-K

[Raz]

|-K |-K |-K |-K |-K |-K |-K

Im wondering that too Geordie!

[Love and Theft]

Huh? what is that supposed to mean?

[Civil]

It's supposed to mean that those bits and pieces were the only ones who got wickets, and got us off to a flyer, and saved the first test.

[GamBiTT]

It is useless to argue with the naysayers! They will always find fault rather than getting behind the team. Sad really!

[Love and Theft]

huh? so you think a quick fire 35/1 is a good start in a test innings? wow....seems many here have either forgotten test cricket or never got to know it in the first place. i am betting these are the pre teen fans

[Love and Theft]

Sorry, I dont get behind anybody

[Geordie Ahmed]

L & T that same bits and pieces player got 3 wickets in the 1st innings! 2 of which were Sehwag and Tendulkar when he broke up 2 partnerships!

[Civil]

Funny Love and Theft how you didn't mention the other parts of my posts, about them being the only ones to get wickets and saving us in mohali.

also even a pre teen such as myself lol |-D

can realize that Afridi's knock had far much more impact than on the scorecard. The bowlers were demoralized, and our runrate stayed very high cause of that.

Just because Pak are in a spot of bother right now you're calling for peoples heads, If that post teen thinking i dont want to grow up!!

[Love and Theft]

my friends, some of us actually like and want the team to win

[pak_all_the_way]

it is a team effort and no need to point blame at any1

thats what messes the team up. as for bits and pieces player i think razzaq and afridi have contributed well to this match.

[Love and Theft]

It is not hard to see why test cricket is in such decline in Pakistan. Even the fans here on this board don't seem to know what is a good contribution in a test match.

Maybe we should just stick to one days

[Love and Theft]

What is badly needed in our cricket is a culture of accountability. The selectors, the coach, captain all need to be held accountable.

[MWH]

One of those " bits and pieces" players was guilty of playing a match-saving innings in Mohali.

In this game, the two accused " bits and pieces" players were joint highest wicket takers in the first innings.

The " bits and pieces" opener scored more than the "specialist" opener at the other end.

The other " bits and pieces" player has taken one of the 3 wickets to fall so far in the second innings.

[Love and Theft]

Lets make up our minds, whether they are bowlers or batsmen. Afridi playing a cameo as n opener is inexcusable. It is not as if he is playing as a specialist bowler and coming in at no 10 to play a cameo like Bhajji.

You dont gift away wickets in a test match.

[KB]

One of those " bits and pieces" players was guilty of playing a match-saving innings in Mohali. In this game, the two accused " bits and pieces" players were joint highest wicket takers in the first innings. The " bits and pieces" opener scored more than the "specialist" opener at the other end. The other " bits and pieces" player has taken one of the 3 wickets to fall so far in the second innings.

Good point, well made.

[Amjid Javed]

I think afridi has contributed pretty ok in this test, although his shot to get out was a joke.

razzaq well he shud be nowhere near test side.. despite his one good knock.

Bobs personal selection khalil shudnt play ever agen...

sami shud retire and save himself further humilation after this test series....

Some off bowlers picked for this tour have been a joke

2ndly what happened to Bob - oh i will keep same openers for this tour....

what a pack of BS lies that was....

[Love and Theft]

Not really.

It has already been countered by me above.

Clearly some of us dont know what it takes to win test matches. Specialists with clearly defined roles

[KB]

Love and Theft sounds a lot like Faisal used to on PP when we were part of Sportsnetwork.

[Geordie Ahmed]

i agree GGM

[sajjad]

this is the 'im so frustrated that (a very inexperienced) pakistan side is getting hit by (arguably the best indian team ever) the indian side. ill just blame everything on the **** players by random just to make myself feel happy' thread.

take it easy guys, its cricket. ur not supposed to win all the team. esp. when ur such underdogs. we shud be proud we have given india such brave competition at home. Inshallah we will go on to win, but be happy we've got so far rather than contionuouly lamenting on what we missed

[Civil]

exactly sajjad bhai

once again the indian media and cricindfo make it seem like Pakistan has sent its full strength team, we're competing with our C team attack

[Mercenary]

Originally Posted by Love and Theft in the Pakistan team 'think tank' (more like gadha gaari) and admit they messed up. Playing with two bits and pieces player in a test side (one of them thinks playing cameos is the way to go in test matches and other is clueless against spin), selecting a pace bowler (K) for the squad who makes you wonder if this is international cricket you are watching or some street match - and the list goes on and on. Will somebody be honest enough to put their hands up and accept responsibilty?

We'd all love to play Waqar, Wasim, Imran and Saqlain as our bowling attack for evey game with 6 specialist bats and Moin/Latif in top form as the wicket keeper but this isnt fantasy land. This is reality and reality isnt always the way we want it to be.

By calling Razzaq and Afridi 'bits and pieces players' you're doing an injustice to two players who put in their heart and soul on the field for Pakistan. If this criticism came on the back of apalling performances from both of them then i could understand it but they have actually played decently and its the so-called 'specialists' who have let us down.

Razzaq has been our best seamer as well as our second highest wicket taker with 5 wickets in 3 innings including a match saving knock of 71 in one out of 3 innings. I wouldnt call that bits and pieces considering the fact that last time vs India Shoaib and Sami took 7 wickets a piece over 6 innings!!!

Afridi has taken 3 wickets in 24 overs at a S/R of 48 balls per wicket which is better than the next lowest strike rate (Razzaq @ 64.4 balls per wicket) by a whole [/b]16.4 balls[/b] per wicket. Afridi takes 3 overs less than Razzaq/Kaneria to take a wicket and nearly 11 overs less than Sami. On top of that he was our joint third top scorer (give or take a run) in the first innings despite him throwing his wicket away in less than 4 overs!!

We would all love to have top class specialists playing for Pakistan but some of us can face the reality that we dont have any available. Kotha is a liability, Shabbir/Gul/Saqi are injured and the future is more hype than substance. It wasnt so long ago that Riaz, Rao and Khalil were the pace attack of the future but once we saw them on the big stage we were disappointed. There is no guarantee that Irshaad, Rauf and Nazir will be any better and if they were then i'm sure at least one of them would have made it through.

Lets face facts!

We dont have any specialists good enough to replace Razzaq and Afridi in the line-up. Also if these two boys carry on playing like this then why should we replace them?

Rather than looking at the specialists that are already in the team and seeing that they are failing, all certain people do is say they are the 'wrong specialist' and we need a 'different specialist' who will surely come in and save the day!! I just saw a line that aptly describes these people who are living in some fantasy land full of match-winning specialists being denied a place in the playing XI. Here it is...

Originally Posted by Love and Theft i am betting these are the pre teen fans

|-A

[Da Sultan of Multan]

these guys are gonna make go bald before we see are grandchildren one minute brilliant the next a shambles,

[Mercenary]

too late for rana

[MIG]

OT: I hate this |-A smiley - makes the other guy feel so inadequate....I say we ban this and replace all smileys with the inane :oD ?

Sorry , pls continue your discussion ....

[Mercenary]

|-A

[Oxy]

Love & Theft...why should be concerned how Pak are doing?

After all, your team is comfortably on top!