I'm of the opinion that instead of giving opportunities to bowlers like Talha, why can't Pakistan give more and more exposure to Bilawal and Anwar Ali so that they can be groomed properly to play a vital role at No.8 for Pakistan during WC 2015?
Now, from what i have seen of Maqsood, he likes the ball coming on the bat. He is much better against pace than spinners. He gets into position early and is sure of where his off stump is. His main problem is not being able to judge the speed and bounce of the ball, both of these issues creep in when the pitch breaks up a little and the seam become uneven. His style i hence think will work well with the new ball. Plus with the field in, his upish heaves might land in the gap.
Given Afridi's form, changing his position in batting order and sending him earier could disrupt SL's plans!
If Shahid Afridi's innings has taught us anything its simply this. Anything is possible in moments of madness!
The Afridi situation asking for a runner against Bangladesh made me think about whether it's time to revisit the discussion about the substitution rule in cricket.
Shocking as it may sound - even with the bowling riches that Pakistan has now, it would appear that their bowlers are no better than the Afghanistan counterparts!
Starting as a young batsman he always caught the eye of everyone for his excellent all round skills. But some people were quick to label him a bit and pieces player. Even with the added pressure of captaincy, He's starting to prove his temperament and above all a good cricketing brain. Will need more time though before deciding on his captaincy skills.
In the last two series the South African pitches have been very un South African there has been very little seam and conventional swing on offer for the fast bowlers which South Africa is notorious for.