Analysis of the Pakistan 2010 Twenty20 Team

[EagleEyes]

Squad: Salman Butt, Mohammad Hafeez, Khalid Latif, Misbah-ul-Haq, Fawad Alam, Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi (Captain), Abdul Razzaq, Yasir Arafat, Hammad Azam, Kamran Akmal (Wicket Keeper), Umar Gul, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Aamer, Saeed Ajmal.

1) Mohammed Hafeez
2) Kamran Akmal
3) Shahid Afridi
4) Umar Akmal
5) Fawad Alam
6) Misbah-ul-Haq
7) Abdul Razzaq
8) Hammad Azam
9) Umar Gul
10) Saeed Ajmal
11) Mohammed Aamer

My playing XI is based on the 2009 T20 World Cup winning playing XI below.

1) Kamran Akmal
2) Shahzaib Hassan
3) Shahid Afridi
4) Shoaib Malik
5) Younis Khan
6) Misbah-ul-haq
7) Fawad Alam
8) Abdul Razzaq
9) Umer Gul
10) Mohammed Aamer
11) Saeed Ajmal

I have tried to make sure that i keep the XI as same as possible, simply because winning combination must not be changed. However, form of players, a few selections, and bans have made it impossible.

Shahzaib Hassan is a good T20 player, and in my opinion should have been selected even though i dont think he is as a complete player a good opener should be. However, since he is not selected by the selectors (BOOOOOO!!) i have included Mohammed Hafeez as the opener. In my opinion Mohammed Hafeez is more of a complete player in T20 and his current form in this format of the game is dangerous..and could be an asset to Pakistan.

One of the reasons i have to go with Mohammed Hafeez is because of the idiotic selections of Salman Butt and Khalid Latif. Salman Butt is simply not a player of T20 format. His fielding is ridiculous and his current form is simply not up to the par. Even with Salman Butt 100% in form, his selection will not be a right selection in the playing XI. No offense to Khalid Latif simply because he has hardly played much of the international cricket i dont see him as a T20 opener either. Even though he would be a better selection than Salman Butt, Khalid Latif has limited shots and is a player that takes sometime to open up on the crease.

Another dimension Mohammed Hafeez brings is leadership and part time spinning in the bowling area. The retirement of Younis Khan and ban on Shoaib Malik means that the team requires maturity and leadership. Mohammed Hafeez brings that. Mohammed Hafeez in my opinion is also a better bowler than Shoaib Malik, and therefore should be a good selection to open up and perform.

The other opener is Kamran Akmal. He is one of the most dangerous openers in the T20 game. Kamran Akmal has the capability to change the game at any moment..no matter if you are setting a target or chasing a huge target. Kamran Akmal brings in a dimension that requires hitting the premium bowlers of the opposite team out of the park in the beginning of the innings. Therefore, his selection in the playing XI was not that hard. Kamran Akmal however needs to be more consistent adding more than just 22.5 runs per game. This will increase the chance of Pakistan winning the game much higher.

The other importance is the #3 position. Shahid Afridi MUST play #3 and show that he is the leader of the team by putting his mark on the weakest position currently in the Pakistani team. Shahid Afridi at #3 bring in a flavor that he never ever did in his career, and that is to show maturity and leadership while taking your team to a great height consistently. Shahid Afridi will HAVE TO play maturely the way he played in the 2009 T20 World Cup while peforming with the ball and captaining his side. Afridi's role will be crucial to the Pakistani team in this years T20 World Cup. Afridi must bring in the energy that he brings in this format of the game to the team. Afridi's support and keeping the team's morale up in the adverse situations will be crucial to the game.

 

[EagleEyes]

I will continue to do my analysis here. Feel free to read up as i go over the Pakistan Dream Team for 2010 Twenty20 World Cup.

 

[pakistantiger]

wel i am affraid why did not imran nazeer is in the squad he is 100% better than salman butt in fieldeing and 100% good hitter of the ball than khalid latif no wonder why he is not in the side even he should be consider as onday international openr with salman butt or kamran akmal he is good T20 player and one of the dabgourse player of the formate

 

[EagleEyes]

Imran Nazir is a great T20 player, but seems to be out of form as of late. Laziness could be the factor because he is not part of ODI's and Tests..so simply doesn't get enough cricket to stay in form. He needs to figure out his priorities and hope to get better. He would be in my XI if he was available..but at least not for the first match.

 

[Kompromat]

You should join PCB Webbie at least we won't go down the drain in Australia.

 

[rangbaaz]

i don't know what Mohsin Khan smoked before selecting this team.
what's salman butt doing in T20?
why do they stick to misbah after continuous failure?
what the hell this yasir arafat doing in the team and sami is sitting out?
my views: shahzaib should have been selected instead of salman butt; sami shouldn't have been ignored like this (though i am hoping that they select him for the eng series); imran nazir should always be in T20 (that's the only format suitable to him - who cares about the avg, look at the strike rate)

 

[EagleEyes]

1) Mohammed Hafeez
2) Kamran Akmal
3) Shahid Afridi
4) Umar Akmal
5) Fawad Alam
6) Misbah-ul-Haq
7) Abdul Razzaq
8) Hammad Azam
9) Umar Gul
10) Saeed Ajmal
11) Mohammed Aamer

The recent news is that Gul and Yasir Arafat might not make it because of their injuries. With that being done..it should certainly boost the line up. Gul is very valuable, but Sami would not be a bad replacement.

1) Mohammed Hafeez
2) Shahzaib Hasan
3) Kamran Akmal
4) Shahid Afridi
5) Umar Akmal
6) Fawad Alam
7) Abdul Razzaq
8) Hammad Azam
9) Mohammed Sami
10) Saeed Ajmal
11) Mohammed Aamer

Just imagine this line up for playing XI. Our chances increase by 30%.

 

[Moin91]

^^ Where is Muhammad Asif ???

My Playing XI would be:
1)Muhammad Hafeez.
2)Kamran Akmal.
3)Shahid Afridi.
4)Umar Akmal.
5)Misbah-ul-Haq.
6)Abdul Razzaq
7)Fawad Alam
8)Umer Gul
9)Saeed Ajmal
10)Muhammad Asif
11)Muhammad Aamer.


Webby bhai: Just imagine this line up for playing XI. Our chances increase by 60%.

 

[Moin91]

 

[EagleEyes]

^^ Where is Muhammad Asif ???

My Playing XI would be:
1)Muhammad Hafeez.
2)Kamran Akmal.
3)Shahid Afridi.
4)Umar Akmal.
5)Misbah-ul-Haq.
6)Abdul Razzaq
7)Fawad Alam
8)Umer Gul
9)Saeed Ajmal
10)Muhammad Asif
11)Muhammad Aamer.


Webby bhai: Just imagine this line up for playing XI. Our chances increase by 60%.

Fawad is going to be wasted at 7.

I am not high on Asif, he is a good test player. But in T20 he is not good enough to be XI.

But i think Afridi will make him play. Which will be a big mistake.

 

[Hyde]

Fawad is going to be wasted at 7.

I am not high on Asif, he is a good test player. But in T20 he is not good enough to be XI.

But i think Afridi will make him play. Which will be a big mistake.

If Mohammad Sami can play....... then Asif can prove to be a better bowler anyday. That is because Asif is a clever bowler who use his brain while bowling. He is like Glenn Mcgrath where Sami is not even close to him. Sami gives away too many runs under pressure and he was very unsuccesful to obtain wickets that lead to further pressure on bowling side.

 

[Areesh]

Worst thing is that Umar Gul is injured and doubtful for his participation in the World Cup.

Umar Gul Injured

He is the most successful bowler in this version of the game and now he is injured.

 

[rangbaaz]

that's okay if Gul isn't going to be in the playing side. He has been off colours lately. Would like to see Sami back in action with his raw pace and deadly line.

 

[Moin91]

Injured Gul bowls in World Twenty20 camp

Osman Samiuddin
April 13, 2010

Pakistan's ongoing preparations for the ICC World Twenty20 received a boost in Lahore, where Umar Gul bowled his first overs in a week as he began his recovery from an injury that had threatened to - and still might ultimately - rule him out of the tournament in the West Indies.

Gul hurt his shoulder last week during a fielding drill at the camp when he landed awkwardly and had not bowled since then. Pakistan's management was understood to be seriously concerned over the blow to their leading bowler in the format and a vital contributor in their triumph last year in England.

But the injury may not have been as serious as was initially assessed, and Gul felt hopeful enough after a light bowl that he would be fit in time for the tournament, due to begin on April 30.

"The shoulder is better and I bowled three overs today at the camp off a short run," Gul told Cricinfo. "Thankfully there was no fracture or ligament damage and, though I felt a little stiff after the bowl, it feels a lot better now. I will start bowling off my full run in the next day or so and I am hopeful that I will be fine for the World Twenty20. There are still three to four days to go in the camp so there is time yet."

A member of Pakistan's training set-up was also pleased with the progress Gul had made over the last couple of days. "He [Gul] is improving day by day," he told Cricinfo. "He made very good improvements yesterday and today and we'll keep an eye on how he pulls up this afternoon after practice."

Though Gul has undergone a dip in form across all three formats since Pakistan's title-winning run last year, he remains a key component of the side. New coach Waqar Younis has ironed out a body alignment issue that was preventing Gul from getting the swing he usually does, and the belief in the camp is that it will help him return to the form of the first half of last year. Gul was Pakistan's leading wicket-taker in both World Twenty20s, usually coming on in the death overs and bowling a mix of reverse-swinging yorkers, bouncers and back of length deliveries straight through to the end. He is the format's leading wicket-taker around the world, with 43 scalps.

Injured Gul bowls in Pakistan's World Twenty20 camp | Cricket News | ICC World Twenty20 2010 | Cricinfo.com

 

[EagleEyes]

If Mohammad Sami can play....... then Asif can prove to be a better bowler anyday. That is because Asif is a clever bowler who use his brain while bowling. He is like Glenn Mcgrath where Sami is not even close to him. Sami gives away too many runs under pressure and he was very unsuccesful to obtain wickets that lead to further pressure on bowling side.

Trust me mate, 4 overs.. you dont get to use a lot of brain there. Asif was getting beat just by everyone in the domestic tournament. Sami was much smarter and better. Sami also has more T20 experience.

Over all, Asif is a better bowler..but Sami is doing better in T20 these days. Anyways..Waqar can check both of them..depends on the West Indies pitches.