The squad was released a few days ago. PakPassion has decided to do a little review on Twentt20 squads that was selected. The positives and the negatives of the squad selection have been highlighted. PakPassion also decided to choose an XI out of the players selected.

by kingusama92

25 June 2010

The Pakistani squads (T20 & Test) have been released for the upcoming tour of England. The squad was released after a lengthy meeting between Shahid Afridi, Ijaz Butt, Mohsin Khan, Waqar Younis and Yawar Saeed. There are some interesting selections, some obvious ones and others completely out of nowhere. The squad has been picked – it’s now time to analyze those that have been given a chance to work their magic in England against the Aussies and their roles in the team.

The first squad released was the T20 version. The T20 team squares off against the mighty Aussies in two T20 international matches (July 5th & July 6th).

Twenty20 squad: Salman Butt, Shahzaib Hasan, Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Umar Amin, Kamran Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, Mohammad Aamer, Umar Gul, Shoaib Akhtar, Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rehman, Wahab Riaz, Fawad Alam.

The Pakistani T20 squad was the easier one to select for those responsible behind these decisions. The nation is known for unearthing explosively pugnacious batsmen and hostile bowlers and these qualities are able to be seen in this squad. The team sent to the West Indies under the captaincy of Shahid Afridi squeezed into the semi-finals before getting knocked out by Michael Hussey and Australia. The team had some strong combinations but were lacking in certain areas.

Opening Batsmen

Salman Butt, Shahzaib Hasan and Kamran Akmal will by vying for the two opening slots. If things go according to plan, Salman Butt and Kamran Akmal will walk out to the middle on July 5th. The opening slot seems to select itself based on the form of Akmal/Butt – who have done quite well at the top recently. There is no sensible reason to insert 20 year old Shahzaib Hasan with an average of 19.25, over either batsman at the top, at least not in the first match. Shahzaib’s role should be to provide cover for Akmal and Butt. The selectors have realized this fact and seem to have selected the hard-hitting Hasan for injury purposes and nothing else. Afridi has been tagged as a supporter of the aggressive hitter – due to his ability to tee off at any point in time with ease.

Pakpassion feels, the opening batsman in T20 cricket should complement each other. They should have the ability to smash the ball, but be able to see off the quickies. Salman Butt and ever-present wicketkeeper batsman Kamran Akmal are the best choices, in my opinion. Salman Butt has shown terrific form in the recent T20 world cup and is beginning to assert himself into the opening position, something for which he has been groomed for a while. Kamran Akmal is listed as a "make-shift opener", a slightly dubious claim considering his prowess with the bat in this format. He is a viable option and should be considered as one every time a squad is selected. Plus, balance is crucial and having Akmal at the top allows more depth in the lineup - a must in every team.

PakPassion’s pick: Salman Butt and Kamran Akmal [WK]

 

The middle order is where the flexibility occurs, with Afridi being able to move from the lower order to the top. Initially - Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Umar Amin and Fawad Alam will by fighting over three spots [3,4 & 5]. Umar Akmal and Shoaib Malik will seem as certain selections as they have proven in the past, they are superior middle order batsman in this flashy format. The main battle will occur for the final middle order spot between Umar Amin and Fawad Alam. Umar Amin has shown excellent technical proficiency in the Asia cup, but has not performed. The question mark continues to linger over Amin – he has the backing of the coaches though. Fawad Alam, the batsman who many feel has been treated poorly, will once again be looking to earn a spot. He has a T20 average of 20.62 and he will be looking to improve this. The team might look to select Fawad ahead of Umar Amin just based on Alam’s experience in the format in comparison to Amin. Performances in the tour matches prior to the T20 fixtures will be a big factor in the making of this decision.

In our opinion, the middle order nominees are filled with characters that are young and have room to grow. None can be considered as a batsman that will almost always perform. The bombastic 20 year old, Umar Akmal has been churning out runs these days and he's a sure-shot in any Pakistani final XI - rightly so. Shoaib Malik has been the source of all controversies, at least that's what "they" say. The man is a handy batsman in the middle and the aptitude to chip in with a few overs always adds versatility to the lineup. Fawad Alam - a man we feel has done nothing wrong, perhaps he's another sad story in the making if not given chances. Not the grandest of hitters - but a run accumulator of the highest degree. His fielding is one of the finest at display, usually.

PakPassion’s pick: Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik and Fawad Alam.

 

The lower order will be full of rambunctious talents, who are willing to tear the leather off the ball. They will be expected to insert their authority on the games and the names are known for such ventures of brilliance. Flexibility will come into play again, some of these batsmen might get pushed up the order considering the starts given by the top order batsmen. The lower order selections are already guaranteed as Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq and Mohammad Aamer. The young Mohammad Aamer might not be a hard-hitting batsman but he has the ability to hold the bat and squeeze runs out of the opposition bowlers. His performances with the new ball will be of more importance then his exploits with the willow in hand. Shahid Afridi, the skipper will have a huge role to play with the bat and later on with the ball. One of the finest T20 players going around, his experience and abilities will be counted on by his teammates and his form might well determine the outcome of both T20 matches. Abdul Razzaq is a selection based on his ability to smash the ball and to chip in with a few overs in the middle. He has shown his expertise in the past and he will be relied upon to perform by the team. They might select themselves, but performances from them will be imperative otherwise more losses will be on the way for the men in green.

In our opinion, there will always be claims for the removal of Abdul Razzaq, claiming he is worn out. After watching Razzaq struggle against high quality opposition in the recent T20 World Cup, there is some merit to that arguement. However if he can find his form he has the tools to destroy the opposition and that is always one asset any team would like to have. Yes, we do feel Hammad Azam/Anwar Ali deserve chances to prove their worth, but neither are part of the squad, so Razzaq is a definite selection. Shahid Afridi, the boisterous batsman - the one man wrecking crew is not to be messed with, but will he perform? The previous world cup displayed that he is human in this format after all - the bowling was poor and the batting was iffy at best and his leadership was woeful. The journey has just begun for the leader, but results will be asked for especially in this format.

PakPassion’s pick: Shahid Afridi [C], Abdul Razzaq & Mohammad Aamer

 

There are a plethora of bowlers in the squad. The English pitches will ask for some quality fast bowling and the team seems to be equipped with some of those. Umar Gul has entered into the team after recovering from his injury – he will be relied upon to get the ball reverse swinging in the death overs. Saeed Ajmal’s mastery of spin will be vital for the success of the team – he will be looking to remove those awful Hussey memories from his mind and an excellent performance against the Aussies will assist. His bowling partnership with Afridi in the middle overs is always the foundation for the team to stop other teams in their footsteps.

Those two will be certainties but the final bowling spot will be an interesting one. Shoaib Akhtar will be considered - 4 overs of intense pace will always excite Shahid Afridi and might push him to hand over the new ball to Akhtar. Others aiming for the bowler’s spot will by Wahab Riaz and Abdur Rehman. The pitches will not be conducive to having three spinners, thus Rehman’s inclusion seems unlikely. Wahab Riaz will be considered, but he has not played international cricket for a while and this will make Afridi hesitant to put him over Akhtar. Wahab's role might be similar to Shahzaib Hasan's, he will most likely be sitting and watching.

In our opinion, pace is always Pakistan's ace component. The team is renowned for it's quickies and there is no lack of talent in this squad. Akhtar and Umar Gul along side Mohammad Aamer will surely produce magic and shattered stumps. A mouthwatering prospect awaits everyone in terms of the pace bowling - England might have to cope with proper levels of heat in the middle when these pacers get going. Ajmal, the spinner that has even the best befuddled at times will surely be in the team. Yes, a poor outing last time but one can expect him to be back at his roaring best in the upcoming matches. A good bowling attack will await the Aussies.

PakPassion’s Pick: Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal and Shoaib Akhtar

PakPassion’s final XI: Salman Butt, Kamran Akmal [WK], Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Fawad Alam, Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, Mohammad Aamer, Umar Gul, Shoaib Akhtar, Saeed Ajmal