Feeling Sorry for Younis Khan
So far on this tour of Sri Lanka, Pakistan's bowlers have done outstandingly.
Throughout the test series they strangled Sri Lanka's batsmen; so much so that the Lankans did not get past 300 even once in the 3 tests, till the final innings of the series.
It has been Pakistan's batting that has let them down on more than one occasion on this tour.
They collapsed in heaps in the tests; they couldn't chase an average total in the 1st ODI; and they fell like nine pins in the 2nd ODI.
For the one time that Pakistan's batsmen put up a fight, show some courage and aggression, and knock down a total that should have won them the game...
Their bowlers failed!
I didn't watch the 3rd ODI today but after reading "you really felt they had a chance but some poor field placing, average fielding and indifferent bowling cost them", on Cricinfo's ball-by-ball, I couldn't help but feel helpless!
The one aspect that Pakistan had done well in throughout this tour, the bowling, failed to live up to its potential on the one day that it finally got support from the batting.
I can't even begin to imagine what poor Younis Khan will be going through.
The man who was considered as the one who would take Pakistan cricket out of a crisis, the man who led them to a World Cup title not too long ago, now stands to gain the dubious distinction of going winless on a tour of Sri Lanka.
I highly doubt Pakistan has ever had a worse tour to the island.
His team could not even beat Sri Lanka A in a tour game.
What do you do from here?
There's a champions trophy coming up, followed by tough tours to New Zealand and Australia, and next summer in England.
One would assume that Younis Khan should be the one leading Pakistan on all these tours; after this traumatic experience how does he lift his team and prepare them for tougher assignments?
More importantly, how does he lift himself?
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Well its incredibly difficult to win in Srilanka during this time of the year and to think that they have chance in almost all the encounters so its not an utter disaster.They have found Umar Akmal so one more attractive batsman to the fold . One thing though I am always impressed with Kamran Akmal's technique he always looks to be a class apart hook,pull, drive you name he has it but then he gets out just like that always !!! I wish he can get a grip and and make good scores not against India ofcourse like in Karachi but like against Australia this year that would be really fantastic.
Today, nothing was in favour of Pak bowlers, least of all the pitch. Also, IMHO the umpires made at least 3 terribly bad decisions (2 @ Ajmal's wickets, 1 @ Razzaq's),
which, unluckily, were in favour of SL batsmen. I don't normally blame umpiring decisions for a team's failure, but these were so obviously *wrong* it was frustrating.
But, as M. Haysman said, it wasn't really that Pakistan played badly today, for once they really put up a fight--it was that Sri Lanka played exceptionally well.
Lanka has your number, all the players know it.
by getting rid of fawad alam and brining yousuf back
I somehow appreciate the courage of "annonymous".. and also wonder how can someone have such a broad - day - light - nightmare ... by bringing back MO YO for Fawad ..
There are many ways to lose a match. The bowling as you said was doing fine so far but Younis felt this time the bowlers should share some flak, so he dropped Gul and replaced him with Rana.
Wasim: Gul had a wrist injury so he couldn't play.
They have to bring moyo back, he's our best batsman...so what if he can't field, he's a match winner, who doesnt remember him hitting a 6 (twice) to bring up his century off the last ball, or some of his other spectacular innings?? He deserves a batting spot ahead of shoaib malik at the very least.
I'm also not convinced about k.akmal as an opener in anything other than 20-20s...an opener's job is to get big scores once he's settled, but akmal just seems to get out in the 40s more often that anything else!
Sorry misbah, umar & fawad have got ur number in ODIs...you'll always be remembered dont you worry about being forgotten
Husha
I don't buy that because it was in the papers after the second Odi that Rana will play instead of Gul no reason was given in the papers. I don't think their was a reason to drop Yousaf either.
If anybody needed to be rested it was Misbah, Malik and younis himself.
I know Nasir Jamshed hasn't performed but the openers should be given a longer run to settle down, this musical chair system will never allow us to settle on one opening pair.
Maybe the papers didn't give a reason, but Waqar Younis & Ramiz Raja did. Why would they randomly throw that out there if it wasn't true?
Holy crap wasim finally admitted malik needs a rest, halelujah
Indophile,
I am glad that there r more people out there who r looking at the positives for Pakistan from this series.
Husha,
That's true.. with a 200 run opening stand SL just took the game away.. we batted well though and that is something we should be happy abt considering how the batting has been in recent times.
NC,
They've had it all summer and I don't think Pakistan will take it back. Maybe in the T20.. we r the champions after all!
Anonymous,
U can't be serious. Fawad Alam is our future.. he is here to stay.. I think MoYo will play the next game.. probably instead of Malik..
SMK,
MoYo will probably come back for Malik.. they can't drop Umar or Fawad right now.. both are needed.. as I keep saying they r our future..
I don't mind Kamran as the opener.. having him there gives the team more flexibility and a better balance.. I'd continue with him..
I also did not think that Gul was injured.. there were reports that he would be replaced by Rana.. I didnt want the game so I don't know what Waqar or Rameez said but if Gul was not injured it was an absurd decision.. Rana should not be playing for Pakistan.