Tag: Rankings

Windies WT20 crown rattles as Pakistan quakes the side with a 3-0 whitewash

Leave a comment

Streak established (4-0), captaincy clicked, and Pakistan fires on all cylinders. Following up to Pakistan being handed the test mace in Lahore for being the World #1 Test squad, Sarfraz Ahmed’s men deliver the green team with a string of W’s by clean sweeping the T20I kings, the West Indies. Imad Wasim’s man of the series performance of consistently picking up scalps will certainly establish the all-rounder’s presence within the squad.

After a poor outing at the World T20 earlier in the year, Pakistan need to work on reestablishing themselves as being contenders for future international competitions. After being world champions in 2009 and strong outings in ICC WT20 Competitions, the green team needs to re-exert itself on the world stage with respect to this limited over format. Pakistani players still hold the top three slots in career T20I wickets with Shahid Afridi,  Umar Gul, and Saeed Ajmal. As Pakistan enters an era beyond such T20I stars, the team will have big boots to fill with respect to the bowling department. The likes of Sohail Tanvir, Mohammad Amir, and Wahab Riaz need to continue to spearhead the pace department. Mohammad Irfan and Junaid Khan are also terrific back up options as well. Part time bowling duties by Shoaib Malik will certainly lend a hand as well. Malik has done well to bounce back into the side as a veteran and his batting abilities empower Pakistan. He fits in perfectly in the T20I squad in the aftermath of Mohammad Hafeez being banned from bowling his overs during the current cricketing season.

252752.jpg

Consistently keeping Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif in the opening slots with Babar Azam at #3 will set a good batting foundation for Pakistan. With Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, and Sarfraz Ahmad, the team seems to have enough batting power to support the opening cast. The future of Pakistan’s T20I looks to be having a fantastic recovery despite fans having a difficult time coping with a post Afridi squad. Hopefully performances in T20I can translate to Pakistan recovering in ODI matches.

Pakistan v West Indies - T20 International

Pakistan rally to pick up a 1-0 T20I victory against England

Leave a comment

Wahab Riaz overcomes his woes and produces his most economical figures in his T20I career by picking up three scalps and not giving up a single boundary. A redemption bowling performance for Pakistan’s spearhead in the bowling department after conceding 100 runs in his 10 over quota during the ODI leg of the tour. After four total series, Pakistan come out of the English summer with two victories, a draw, and a loss. Consolation victories against Ireland (1-0) and a T20I victory against England (1-0) only add more icing to the cake for Pakistan who hold the Test Championship crown in the aftermath of drawing with England (2-2).

251951

Failures by Pakistan’s ODI team adds pessimism to the Pakistani fan’s day. Rumors are that Azhar Ali may just lose out on his captaincy role, especially after Sarfraz Ahmed’s leadership skills led to a 9 wicket win in the T20I matchup against England. Sharjeel and Khalid Latif’s partnership set the tone for Pakistan flexing it’s T20I muscle. A Sarfraz Ahmad led ODI side may just be the right click for the green team to fire on all cylinders and attain qualification for the 2017 Champions trophy and the 2019 World Cup. International ODI competitions without Pakistan are a nightmare that may become a reality if rapid changes are not made. A drought in home matches due to security reasons has certainly demoralized the side to crash in the ICC ODI rankings. Swift changes must be established so that the team can urgently recover in the upcoming months. A string of victories is required for the Pakistan ODI team to be inspired and overcome it’s current situation. Sarfraz Ahmed has to form Pakistan’s fellowship of the ring and take on the role of Frodo Baggins so that his leadership will ultimately help the green team avoid the Mordor of being ousted from ODI competitions.

251873

Consolation “W” for team Pakistan

Leave a comment

After a forgetful series from the Pakistan perspective, finally, the green team secure a consolation “W” in order to avoid a 5-0 whitewash against England. Azhar Ali can breath a sigh a relief as he catches a flight back to Lahore or Karachi. I am quite certain that Pakistan’s T2oI captain, Sarfraz Ahmad has cemented his leadership campaign and that he may be tipped by the PCB to pick up skipper duties in all of Pakistan’s limited over games.

Pakistan can take away a few positives from the series. Imad Wasim has successfully proven his ability to bat low in the order and produce much needed runs and also pick up scalps during bowling duties. It finally seems that Pakistan has selected a good all round option in the post Afridi one day squad. Over the course of the ODI series against Ireland and England, Wasim managed to  pick up nine wickets in five matches. His last five batting outings have also resulted in five not outs that have led to a massive boost in his ODI batting average which stands at 76.66 in a total of 11 career ODI matches.

Sarfraz Ahmed, the highest run getter in the series, is a tremendous positive for Pakistan. The green team has certainly found a great wicketkeeping batsman in him. Finally, the trio of Akmals and their glove work duties have been put to rest and dismissed. I personally think that Sarfraz Ahmed deserves to be promoted up in the order so that he can play more freely as opposed to being put in pressure situations. He is not Misbah. Perhaps an opening role with Sharjeel Khan would cause him to produce even higher scores for Pakistan. However, that may lead to unemployment in the limited over sides for the likes of Captain Azhar Ali and Mohammad Hafeez.

Further positives include Pakistan’s wagging tail and heroics of Mohammad Amir and Yasir Shah. The presence of Amir and Shah bolster Pakistan’s bowling unit. It will be exciting to see where these two go with their careers, respectively. I must add that although Wahab Riaz was hammered for three figures for his 10 over quota in the third ODI, he is still Pakistan’s spearhead bowler.

Nevertheless, I am still enjoying 2016 as being a monumental time in Pakistan cricket history. 1992 was legendary for Imran Khan and Wasim Akram’s heroics in leading Pakistan to it’s sole World Cup title. 2009 was memorable for Afridi’s charisma in leading Pakistan to their sole World T20 Championship crown. The present day shows Pakistan as Test #1 in the World and that still seems surreal thanks to Misbah Ul Haq’s commitment in being a giant for securing such a prestigious honor for team Pakistan in world cricket.

ODI woes for Pakistan in the English summer

Leave a comment

The Pakistan cricket team does not seem to be doing too well in its colored ODI kits. Perhaps the management should bring in Pakistan’s Gandalf, Misbah Ul Haq to lead the side in future encounters against world class sides. The bearded fellow has done great for Pakistan cricket and maybe he can brew up a spell to bring back some of Pakistan’s ODI magic.

Pakistan being 0-4 in the series against England means its ICC ODI rankings will crash further. Azhar Ali better get his act together and try to get his unit to avoid a complete wash out against the English Lions. Certainly a fair showing by Sarfraz Ahmed’s T20I leg of the series may tip him into taking over the ODI reigns from Azhar Ali.

251501

It is quite disappointing for Pakistani fans to learn that their bowling unit got thrashed and ultimately amassed the most runs ever to have been conceded by a team in ODI cricket history. Although a fair showing was made in the third ODI from Sharjeel Khan, Pakistan’s opener and Mohammad Amir, Pakistan’s 11th man, the green team’s performance in chasing 445 was lethargic and disgraceful. Perhaps Mohammad Amir should partner up and open with Sharjeel Khan so that more can runs can be amassed by Pakistan’s first three batting slots. Nevertheless, shout out to Mohammad Amir for doing the batsman’s duty and hitting a superb knock of 58 runs, a world record for the last man to bat in an ODI line up.

I think Mohammad Irfan should always be embedded in Pakistan’s limited series from the forefront rather than being left to close a series off  in order to avoid sheer embarrassment. Where is Junaid Khan? It seems the England bowling attack is keen to recruit him to play for the lions. Why doesn’t left arm quick, Sohail Tanvir pick up a recall or Sohail Khan be brought back into the ODI attack? These are some of the questions that the PCB must face. The plummeting of the Pakistan ODI rankings can only be prevented if major interventions are made. Pakistan should not be relying on its bowlers to hold down both ends of the game. Although Pakistan is in a transitional phase and is in a post Afridi, Ajmal, and Misbah era, I certainly miss their presence in steering the squad in the right direction.

 

 

Yasir Shah – the embodiment of Pakistan’s cricketing future

Leave a comment

Yasir Shah plopping onto the international cricketing scene is truly a sensation at the world stage. Often proclaimed by Shane Warne, Australian leg-spin legend, as the next big thing. In a post Saeed Ajmal era for Pakistan, the green team was in search for a strike spin bowling attach option and Yasir Shah delivered. His enthusiasm, charisma, and passion seems to bolster Pakistani spirits both in the stands and in the Pakistan dugout. His 10 wicket haul at Lords and being ranked as the World # 1 Test bowler demonstrates his accomplishments, especially in the five day format. Picking up 95 scalps in 16 test matches is a monumental feat in a short span by Shah.

Pakistan has had a rich culture of spin bowling in it’s contemporary cricketing history. Saqlain Mushtaq was the founder of the “doosra” and was at one time the quickest bowler to bag 100,150,200, and 250 ODI wickets. Shahid Afridi’s leg-spin bowling led to a colossal career total of 395 ODI wickets , making him the 5th highest wicket-taker in ODI History. With Saeed Ajmal sidelined due to his new action being in effective and Mohammad Hafeez being banned from bowling, Yasir Shah could not have appeared at a better time for Pakistan bowling. At one point, Pakistan’s spin attack of Hafeez, Ajmal, and Afridi was a stranglehold on world class teams. It is now time to watch Yasir Shah blossom into a leg spin giant for the green team.

 

 

Pakistan acquiring World # 1 Test Cricket Ranking for the first time

Leave a comment

It was quite amazing to witness Pakistan becoming the first ranked team in the world. According to the ICC Test Cricket ranking, Pakistan hold off India to lead the world’s cricketing giants in the oldest format of the game. The heavens opening up and causing a wash out of the final test between the West Indies and India in Trinidad and Tobago ultimately pushed Pakistan into first place in the aftermath of a 2-2 draw against England.

To attain a world #1 ranking without playing a single test match at home since 2009 has made this journey a unique one for Pakistan. Misbah ul Haq’s leadership and charisma ultimately inspired the green team to surpass all expectations and achieve top rank. The resiliency of the unit to overcome the spot fixing scandal in 2010 speaks volumes. Rather than having Pakistan crash further, Misbah, uplifted the spirits of the unit. With Yasir Shah commanding Pakistan’s bowling and Younis Khan taking care of the team’s batting stands, the cornered tigers were able to unleash their potential and attain the most prestigious honor of making Pakistan the King of Test Cricket.