Tag: SarfrazAhmed

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

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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.

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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

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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).

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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.

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Consolation “W” for team Pakistan

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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

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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.

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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.

 

 

Reflections on the inaugural launch of the Pakistan Super League

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Finally, after years of agonizing patience and coping with isolation from the international cricketing world, the PSL emerges to bat for Pakistan cricket. Seeing the reality of Pieterson, Watson, and Gayle boasting in Quetta, Islamabad, and Lahore kits is almost like a dream that seemed too distant to accomplish. Even though the inaugural event is taking place across the beaches of Karachi and beyond the Arabian Sea in the Emirates, the hearts of the Pakistani people are captivated by the quenching of thirst that has occurred by the PSL bursting onto the scene. The stadiums of Lahore and Karachi may be empty and even though the drought continues for the reemergence of international cricket in Pakistan, the PSL has sparked a positive light that has begun a new chapter for Pakistan cricket.

Majority of fans seemed to have fully supported the Peshawar Zalmi because of the city’s resiliency and courage in facing the challenges of war and conflict. In the aftermath of the Army Public School attacks in 2014, I think it was an amazing gesture by International T20 and Peshawar Zalmi Captain, Shahid Afridi, to sponsor youths of KP province to witness the inaugural and mega event in the UAE. The stadiums of Dubai and Sharjah have been the extended home grounds of Pakistan cricket and it was the right move by the PCB to launch this event in the UAE as opposed to Qatar. To see the involvement of legends like Vivian Richards, Imran Khan, and Wasim Akram actively supporting the new clubs is a great motivation for Pakistan’s future cricket. Even the ability for players to sit in dugouts with the likes of Sangakarra, Tait, and Sammy provides the next generation of Pakistani cricketers with the opportunity to mingle with cricketing giants in order to attain inspiration.

Seeing the aggression of the cricketing clubs as they clash in the desert of the Emirates to win the first trophy has been a joy for cricketing fans across the world. Apart from witnessing sixes being smashed and stumps being rocked, the most important aspect of the PSL is it being a new era for Pakistani fans to have faith in their country’s cricket and future. Although, Islamabad United became champions, the real victor of the PSL was Pakistan itself.