Oh Pakistan!
I expected a lot of things from Pakistan's 2nd test match against Sri Lanka, but I did not expect any of this:
- Pakistan bowled out below 100 for the 10th time in their test history.
- Pakistan bowled out for their 7th lowest test score ever.
- Pakistan bowled out for their lowest ever test score against Sri Lanka!
In fact Pakistan's 117 in the 4th innings of the Galle test was their lowest ever test score against Sri Lanka; it has taken them less than a week to wipe out that record.
Twice in this series; two of their lowest ever scores.
Can it get any worse for Pakistan?
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Unbelievable.
:(
Sometimes I wish I didn't like cricket. I'd be spared all the pain of being a Pakistani fan.
Well they still have bowling left...got to pin our hopes on Umar Gul.
couldn't tear my eyes from the screen.now at uni and glued to cricinfo scorecard as it updates on the defeat.like watching a train wreck.
Q
Ramiz said "wholesale changes" are required in the Pakistan team.
What do you make of that statement?
To me it seems he wants the middle order to be changed. That is where the problems emanate from.
khansahab i am surprised you are not asking solely for Malik's head again!?! ;)
GUL GUL HE'S OUR MAN
IF HE CAN'T DO IT
NO PAKISTANI CAN!
Lib
What do you expect me to say? Malik is an anomaly if you look at the other batsmen- Younis, Yousuf, Misbah and Fawad.
He's the only one who never learned how to play good first class cricket.
While we credit to brilliant performence by srilanka bowlers, but if pakistan has to blame anyone it should be them. Winning a good toss and batting first they should have scored more than what they have.
Pakistan need to think seriously about their batting, if they want to do make some impression in this series.
Meanwhile dont forget to catch all the action from Ashes 2009.
Should the cricketing world heed to Pakistan's desparate plea for helping its cricket and giving it more opportunities to play ?
and to see this brainless performance ?
Aint Pakistan making fun of the chances they are getting to play Test cricket. I suppose they are still in T20 mode.
90 is a disgusting score. Even BD is playing better than Pakistan.
Khansahab,
since when has (especially in Pakistan) being an exceptional first class cricketer the prerequisite to play for Pakistan at test level??
come to think of it what has Misbah ul Haq done or let me rephrase it and say how has he been better than Malik at test or odi or T20 level over the last year or so to warrant a place in the team?
MoYo the less said the better; exceptional cricketer but it ends there..
Fawad Alam, yes i feel for him and he deserves a place in the playin eleven of any format!
Lib
In Pakistan especially I expect there to be no prerequsities. You can ask a monkey to play in the playing XI and then play politics and retain him.
Malik seems to struggle to score more than 40 somehow. Misbah has not shown his potential in Test cricket yet, except one series against India. However, the quality of his shots, technique, shot selection etc was better than Malik when he did.
Those things are learned at first class level first, and then honed at international level. You can't expect someone like Malik, who was a bowler at domestic level, to become a Tendulkar.
Younis and Yousuf are Pakistan's best batsmen but both average over 50 in first class cricket. There is a reason why that is so.
Husha,
Not only Gul, but Rauf, Aamer, Ajmal, all of them will have to stand up and be counted...
Sadly the total is so low that even with a 150 run lead SL will have a match winning one..
Gala,
The train has wrecked!
Khansahab,
I don't agree with Rameez's statement.
For me the problem emanates from the opening position.
If you noticed today the ball stopped swinging after that 10th over and with the ball coming in straight Malik found it very easy to score..
If we had proper specialist openers, whose job was to play out the new ball without any hiccups, Pakistan's batting would never have such problems..
Had Khurram stayed on with Fawad, then the likes of YK, Yousuf, Misbah would not have gotten out the way they did..
You will always be in trouble if ur middle order is exposed to the new ball.
So what Pakistan needs is proper openers..
A middle order of YK, Yousuf, Misbah, Fawad, Akmal works for me.
[a},
I think you should be saying that abt Aamer.
Just another cricket fan,
Welcome to Well Pitched.
Right your are.. Pak should have scored more...
Bamble,
Just because you are not playing good cricket does not mean that you should not be playing cricket. There is no logic to that.
LIB, Khansahab,
Misbah had an amazing series against India in tests, as you both have pointed out.. so then why is Misbah a problem in the middle order?
This is Pakistan's 3rd test since that India series.. 3rd! Is 3 innings all it requires for you to ask for Misbah's head?
In those 3 tests he has scored of 50+ in the first 2 and then a duck today.. is this all the patience we have for him?
His ODI and T20 performance should have no bearing on his position in tests.
The Pakistani innings lacked basic cricketing intelligence.
Malik batted for almost 18 overs with the tail. And added only 23 runs. What was he thinking? No attempt to play aggressive shots or even protect the other batsmen.
Q, Khansahab,
i did not in anyway mean that Misbah should be dropped! all i wanted to imply was the same measuring stick should be used when judging players! everyone has his plus n minuses, so does Misbah and Malik!
but to single out one player each and everytime i say is unfair and uncalled for...
and i dont think any politics are being played in the team...
After Abdul Qadir's statement regarding Malik, he will be well awair that lot of eyes will be on him and he'd want to prove a point or two to justify his place in the team and also to show the haters he is a team man;
and dont forget Younas had said that Malik was deeply effected by Qadir's statement, i doubt if a schemer that he is portrayed to be would be effected by such allegations! and also Younas is a straightforward man, he would just not defend someone to be politically correct! remember how he had given MoYo a stick for leaving team Pakistan in a recent interview..
i reiterate i dont want Misbah dropped.. but i strongly believe Misbah and Malik dono aik hi thali k chattay battay hain (translate that if you can.. ) ;)
Commeth the hour, commeth the Boom Boom.
Seriously though, I think the team is just still reeling from the last day of the previous test. I'd be surprised if they don't put in a much better performance in the second dig.
It is surprising for me still Malik's head is at stake there wasn't a word about Younis Khan's failure in three innings, not a single word about Khurram Manzoors failure in three innings, and what about the Bradman from Karachi, I don't know what to say about him, on one hand I feel sorry for him as YK did great injustice with him but then I think it was a blessing in disguise for him as he got a perfect excuse for failure. But I hope and pray he scores a 100 in the next innings as I hate to see a young rookie destroyed like this.
I haven't heard a single word about Umar Gul's bowling in the first match. But looks like we only come here to criticize Malik, Misbah and Akmal.
Jingoism is going to kill Pakistan cricket.
RGB,
I don't think they lack cricket intelligence.. maybe they r short on confidence..
Ur right abt Malik.. he should have farmed the strike and tried to play a bit more aggressively with the tail.. but then he's no Inzi..
LIB,
My comment was more for Khansahab than it was for you.. Khansahab said that "Misbah has not shown his potential in test cricket yet besides the knocks against India" - how can you say that when this is his 3rd test after those India knocks?
And I agree with you regarding Malik.. I don't think he is playing any politics in the team.
Darren,
Boom Boom needed to be here.. Pakistan needs in him in all forms of the game!
Wasim,
I don't think there is any jingoism anywhere.. no one has criticized Akmal.. I have spoken abt Umar Gul's lacklustre performance.. I have defended Misbah.. and I think the criticism Malik is getting for his test performances is fair.. a better batsman at 6 would have kept the tail away from the strike and would have been more aggressive near the end...
You know I have never regarded Malik as a test player.. ODI and T20 yes.. not a test one..
Q
My comment was not directed toward you, I know you are not jingoistic and are a pure Pakistani cricket fan.
LOL
Until the Choudharys keep supporting second grade players like Malik, Pakistan cricket will definitely be killed.
Jingoism is why the Bradman from Karachi as sent in as opener by the way, when he has never opened in his life. He still did a better job than what Buttock Butt would have done.
I wonder why the Tendulkar of Sialkot can't score over 40?
Giyareen science will not understand this- but the openers have always been unreliable. Younis and Yousuf are world class so indispensable. The problem is the nothing Sialkot Tendulkar, who can't do anything important in Tests.
10 year olds will understand this, but 9 year olds will struggle.
Fawad outplayed Younis, Yousuf, Manzoor, Misbah in the first innings. But Choudharys will always criticise someone who is not their own Giyareen. Let's see what Cricinfo said about Fawad:
"Ironically, the batsman who survived this bowling onslaught was a debutant, opening the innings for the first time in first-class cricket. Fawad Alam came into the team for Salman Butt, and quite surprisingly, walked out to bat first up after Younis won the toss. His pronounced shuffle ultimately cost him his wicket, but there were still positives for him from his debut innings – he played straight, and he left deliveries well outside off."
What did Cricinfo say about Malik?
"Malik looked solid in the middle but soon started to run out of partners. But there was no conspicuous attempt to push the scoring rate or farm the strike before the tailenders eventually got out."
What else do you expect from Malik? He played like a Meesna and did not take strike from the tailenders.
Giyareenbandi ko khatam karney ki karo Mansoobabandi
Mulk bacho, Giyareenbandi ko hatao
Only a three year old with a jhunjuna in his hand will fail to realize that his own girayeen sent him to open and tried to make him a sacrificial goat.
And only a mental retard will fail to realize that a player who leads his team to victory in 90% of the domestic tournaments since last three or four years and topped all batting charts last year in the domestic circuit cannot be regarded as a third rate player but you can't expect from a three year old mental retard to understand this he is too busy amusing himself with his JhunJhuna.
Choudhary saab
Malik averages 29.54 in first class cricket. Bradman averages 56.75.
Fawad Alam- giyareenbandi ka dushman
Chaudhary ho ga tera baap.
If you are stupid enough not understand statistics it is not my fault. It all depends who playes how many matches domestically and who gets a chance to make a killing in the domestic season while the key players are gone on national duty.
Just Last year in every tournament except one Malik averaged better than Fawad. Go figure out.
Choudhary nahi toh Mian saab?
Mian Wasim Saab?
Lets not get to each other's fathers please.. lets stick to each other...
Wasim jal gaya.....Burnol lagaiye
Wasim kat gaya.......Burnol lagaiye