PAKISTAN'S UNIQUE FEAT

On Tuesday Pakistan became the only team to feature in the semi finals of all four World Twenty20 tournaments that have taken place thus far.

Pakistan were also the only team to have featured in the semi final line up of the three previous World T20 tournaments.

And they remain the only team to have played two World T20 Finals; however they could be joined by Australia or Sri Lanka if either of them qualify for the finals.

That record is impeccable.

On Thursday, when Pakistan take on Sri Lanka in the 1st Semi Final of the World T20 2012, it will be the 4th consecutive World T20 semi final that Shahid Afridi and Kamran Akmal will play. While it will be the 3rd World T20 semi final for Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Abdul Razzaq, Saeed Ajmal, and Umar Gul.

That is one experienced line up.

If it were not for a Michael Hussey juggernaut in 2010, Pakistan would have played a 3rd straight World T20 final, but it was an unbelievable and an unfortunate day in St. Lucia for the Pakistanis as Hussey produced a whirlwind and shattered Pakistan's hopes.

HISTORICAL ADVANTAGE WITH PAKISTAN

This time, the Greens are up against Sri Lanka, who started this World T20 as one of the favorites. Playing the Sri Lankans on their home ground is never easy, but I believe Pakistan has it in them to go all the way.

Historically, Pakistan has done well against the Sri Lankans, winning 6 out of the 9 T20 internationals that the teams have played against each other.

Out of the three matches they have played in World T20 tournaments, Pakistan have won 2 (including the final of the World T20 2009) and Sri Lanka 1.

BOTH TEAMS PRETTY EVEN IN THIS WORLD T20

Both, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have looked very strong during this World T20, however I feel that Pakistan has been the more dominant team out of the two.

Pakistan completely outplayed New Zealand and Bangladesh during the Group stages, and dominated Australia in their last Super 8 game. They stuttered against South Africa, but came back strongly to win that game narrowly. They have had only 1 bad game in the entire tournament and that was against India where they looked meek and out of sorts.

Sri Lanka, on the other hand, remained unbeaten in the Super 8 stage beating England, West Indies, and New Zealand on their way to the semi finals. While they dominated the West Indies and England, they tied against New Zealand and won in the super over. They annihilated Zimbabwe in the opening match of the World T20 and only lost a shortened 7-over sprint to South Africa in the group stages.

Besides the historical advantage that Pakistan holds, there is very little to choose between the two teams as far as this tournament is concerned.

TOP 3 THE KEY TO BOTH TEAMS' BATTING

As far as the batting is concerned, Pakistan's top 3 of Mohammad Hafeez, Imran Nazir, and Nasir Jamshed are their leading run scorers in this tournament. The top order has traditionally been a worry for Pakistan, but in this tournament it is their top 3 who have done the bulk of the scoring.

Even the middle order comprising of the Akmal brothers, Shoaib Malik, and now Abdul Razzaq looks solid. Razzaq showed some touch during Pakistan's last Super 8 game against Australia, and if he can fire with the bat in the closing overs, it will provide Pakistan with the much needed fire power lower down, which has been missing due to Afridi's bad form with the bat.

For Sri Lanka as well, it is their top 3 of Jayawardene, Dilshan, & Sangakkara who are their leading run scorers in this World T20. Even though their middle order remains largely untested, the likes of Matthews, Thirimanne, Mendis, and the hard hitting Perera can be very dangerous on their day.

BOTH TEAMS HAVE A FORMIDABLE ATTACK

Sri Lanka has two match winning bowlers in their ranks in Lasith Malinga and Ajantha Mendis, both of whom are among the leading wicket takers in this World T20. Mendis had a rare off day in the last Super 8 game against England and Pakistan has traditionally played him well, but he still poses a threat, while Malinga is the sort of bowler who can turn a  match on its head within an over.

For Pakistan, Saeed Ajmal is the key, who is also among the leading wicket takers in this tournament. Even though they possess another two top quality match winning bowlers in Afridi and Umar Gul, both of them have been off color in this World T20. While Afridi has still managed to remain relatively economical, Gul has gone for over 10 runs an over.

Gul did seem to come back to some sort of rhythm in Pakistan's last game against Australia, but he is still far away from being the dangerous death bowler he once was in T20s.

The rise of Raza Hasan though is a positive sign for Pakistan. The 20 year old did what no other bowler has managed to do in this entire tournament - he tamed the man beast Shane Watson and finally ended his run scoring spree.


What has been remarkable about Raza is that he has opened the bowling for Pakistan in all their three Super 8 games against the batting power houses of Australia, South Africa, and India, and has managed an economy rate of only 4.36 in 11 overs, which is the best economy in this World T20 for any one who has bowled more than 5 overs.

TOO CLOSE TO CALL

Even though Sri Lanka have the home advantage, Pakistan were based in Colombo for their Super 8 games and are well accustomed to the conditions. There is no doubt that both teams are going to attack with spin, and it will possibly come down to which team plays the other's spin better.

It is going to be a cracker of a match. Even though I am stopping short of calling out a sure shot winner, I do believe that the winner of this semi final will lift the trophy on Sunday.

Batting first, the Lahore Lions reached a daunting score of 218 in their allotted 20 overs with openers Ahmed Shehzad and Nasir Jamshed involved in a 128 run partnership in only 10.1 overs.

Shehzad dominated the Stallions throughout his innings scoring 74 off 47 deliveries with 2 sixes and 11 boundaries. Nasir was just as brutal smashing 55 off only 27 deliveries with 3 sixes and 5 fours.

Following the scathing attack by Shehzad and Nasir, Umar Akmal took charge with an unbeaten knock of 43 off 23 deliveries with 2 sixes and 4 fours.

The Lions captain, Mohammad Yousuf could manage only 13, despite a six and a four in his innings.

The target of 219 was too much for the Stallions, even though their opener Imran Nazir gave them a flying start with smashing innings of 44 that included 5 sixes!

The other big names in the Stallions - Shoaib Malik, Shahid Yousuf, and Shehzad Malik - could not manage much with the bat. Only a face saving innings of 67 from former U-19 player Ali Khan enabled the Stallions to reach 173 in 20 overs.

Ali's innings included 6 sixes, which was another strong performance from a young player looking to break into the senior team.

Ali has been around the domestic scene for 4 years now and has an impressive record in List A and T20 games. He has also been a part of a successful Pakistan U-19 team in the past.

Asif, who was banned for a year by the IPL's Drugs Tribunal, will have his ban lifted a day before the Champions Trophy kicks off.

That resulted in Pakistan announcing him first in the 30 probables, and now in their 15-man squad for the event.

Asif has not played any official cricket since the IPL in 2008.

His last international cricket match was an ODI against Bangladesh in April 2008.

During this 17 month lay-off, Asif has not appeared for any domestic team, or played any cricket match whatsoever.

Considering that, his selection raises more than just a few eyebrows.

Is he match-fit?

Is he even fit to begin with?

Is the PCB sure that there is no nandronolone in his body any more?

The Champions Trophy is an ICC event so he will surely be tested, no matter how random the tests are.

For the last week or so, Asif had been training at a camp in Karachi, with an Under-23 squad, that was being over looked by Rashid Latif.

The Pakistan selectors had requested Rashid to send them a fitness report on Asif, following which Iqbal Qasim & Co. gave him the go ahead.

Forget the eyebrows that will be raised due to his selection; think about what else will be raised when one figures that Asif comes into Pakistan's squad at the expense of Abdul Razzaq!

Razzaq made an impressive return to international cricket during the World Twenty20; I reckon he played an instrumental part in Pakistan's victory in the tournament.

And just due to a few lacklustre ODI performances against Sri Lanka, he finds himself dropped.

That too for a bowler who has been found guilty of substance abuse, not once but twice!

If Razzaq has been excluded based on his performance in the ODIs in Sri Lanka, then why are Mohammad Yousuf, Misbah, and Shoaib Malik still in the squad?

There was a lot of speculation around all 3 players due to their recent indifferent ODI form, but all 3 find a place in the plane to South Africa.

Besides Asif, the only change to the ODI squad that played in Sri Lanka is the exclusion of Nasir Jamshed.

That leaves Imran Nazir as the only specialist opener in the 15-man squad.

Sometimes I wonder what these Pakistan selectors smoke.

Even 7 men could not sit down and bring up the courage to drop a couple of senior batsmen who are way past their best; nor did they have the balls to name a few promising youngsters; nor a back up opener!

What they did though was bring back a doper and dropped an allrounder who was just finding his feet again in international cricket.

They never cease to amaze me.

Pakistan's Champions Trophy Squad: Younis Khan, Misbah Ul Haq, Mohammad Yousuf, Shoaib Malik, Imran Nazir, Umar Akmal, Fawad Alam, Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Aamer, Umar Gul, Rana Naved, Saeed Ajmal, Rao Iftikhar Anjum

Why!?

The PCB feels that the Pakistani batsmen who struggled against the swing in Sri Lanka need help.

Sure they need help, but a batting advisor is not going to do them any good whatsoever.

How can the PCB actually think that Miandad can help these batsmen out and overnight turn them into good players of swing with solid techniques?

Some of these batsmen have been around for more than a decade and their techniques haven't changed.

During this last decade Pakistan have had Zaheer Abbas as a batting coach; they have had the likes of Mudassir Nazar, Bob Woolmer, and Richard Pybus as head coaches; they have asked Geoff Boycott to come down to Pakistan for 2 weeks to help batsmen; even Miandad has coached Pakistan not once but thrice during the last 10 years.

On top of that, world-class batsman such as Inzamam Ul Haq and Mohammad Yousuf have been around the team all this while.

If all these men have not been able to improve the techniques and temprament of Pakistan's batsmen, then what will a Miandad do in a few days at a training camp?

Not much I'm afraid.

Take the example of Imran Nazir.

He made his debut in 1999; during the last 10 years, I have not seen even a slight change in the way he bats.

His technique, his temprament, the kind of shots he plays, the way he gets out, it has all been the same during this last decade.

All the coaches mentioned above have worked with Nazir, and yet there has been no improvement.

So is it really batting coaches or consultants that Pakistan needs?

Absolutely not!

The problem is that the thinking is too short term.

No one in the PCB has the long term vision to try and solve the basic problem that batsmen in Pakistan face.

To produce quality batsmen with solid techniques and good temprament, they need to be up against quality bowling at the domestic level; and to produce quality bowlers, Pakistan needs conducive pitches that will motivate youngsters to take up pace bowling.

Till Pakistan's batsmen are tested in domestic competitions, till they learn to fight and grind it out at the first-class level at home, they will not be able to cope with seam and swing in foreign conditions.

A Javed Miandad, or for that matter any batting advisor, cannot help the current lot of Pakistan batsmen.

The batsmen of the future, however, can be helped.

Only if the PCB starts thinking long term and starts thinking now.

Finally!

The game had been played out while I was in mid-air so I had no idea what went down till I checked the scorecard.

321. Brilliant!

Umar Akmal century. Aswesome!

Off only 70 odd deliveries. That's how he plays. Must have been one hell of an innings to watch.

Mohammad Yousuf and Misbah returned to the middle order. Why in the world?

Imran Nazir returned to the international fold. Finally!

Fawad Alam dropped. WHY!?

Rao Iftikhar took 5 wickets. You got to be kidding me!

The series has been lost so this was nothing more than a face-saving win for Pakistan but atleast they opened their account in what has been their worst tour to Sri Lanka in history.

Besides that, it was also good that Pakistan managed to win convincingly.

The biggest plus point though was that Pakistan won on the back of Umar Akmal's innings.

There are very few things more heartening than witnessing a young promising cricketer making his mark in international cricket.

I've been saying for some time now that Umar is Pakistan's future. Pakistan have blooded him at the perfect time and it will do them a lot of good if they continue to persist with him in the middle order.

After this innings, he is surely here to stay.

Now if only Pakistan can ask Misbah to leave his ODI colors and play Fawad Alam consistently in the middle order.

The win might have come too late in the tour, but I do believe that Pakistan is moving in the right direction.

Time is all they need, time is all that I have asked for.

Even Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal are part of that when they are not opening.

Then how does a new and upcoming promising batsman like Umar Akmal make his way into the side?

It is not easy but at times tough decisions need to be taken.

The names mentioned above are big ones; most of them senior and experienced cricketers who have served Pakistan for a long time.

But when things are not going right, something has got to give. Pakistan cannot keep hanging on to these tried and tested players just for the sake of seniority.

Misbah's ODI form has been patchy for a long time now; Mohammad Yousuf's brief absence actually gave Pakistan a much better balanced ODI outfit.

Then why is Pakistan hell bent on continuing with these batsmen?

Particularly when someone like Umar Akmal is waiting for his chance.

Umar has been in awesome form and this is the best time to give him a taste of international cricket.

In his last 6 first class and List A games against Australia A and Sri Lanka A, Umar has smashed 4 centuries.

Form like that cannot be ignored; moreover his exuberance and aggression can do Pakistan a lot of good, especially when the current middle order is failing to fire.

Come to think of it, it should not even be such a hard decision to take.

If Younis Khan is thinking 2011 then he should not be thinking of Yousuf and Misbah as a part of those plans. I believe it is time for Yousuf and Misbah to concentrate on test cricket and be told that there was no longer a place for them in the ODI team.

That way Umar Akmal can come into the middle order; as can Shoaib Malik with either one of Nasir Jamshed or Imran Nazir partnering Kamran Akmal at the top.

Pakistan should not repeat the same mistake they did with Fawad Alam by keeping Umar on the bench for two years before giving him a proper chance.

Umar Akmal has got to play tomorrow!

The problem I'm talking about is the one regarding the selection of the playing XI for the upcoming ODIs against Sri Lanka.

With the return of the ICL rebels into the international fold, Pakistan's 16 man squad looks very strong on paper.

I believe the squad provides Younis Khan with a lot of options; he and the team management have a lot of thinking to do.

Will it be the specialists, Imran Nazir and Nasir Jamshed? Will it be Kamran Akmal who had a great impact in the position during the World T20? Or will Fawad Alam continue in his new found role?

With Yousuf's return, the middle order seems packed with him, Younis, Misbah, Malik, Afridi, Akmal, Razzaq; will Fawad continue to be ignored?

Will he continue in the lower order where he has batted in ODIs for the last 3 years? Will he be used as a floater? Or will he come up the order where he rediscovered his batting form during the World T20?

With Yousuf out, Pakistan had the luxury to play with 6 bowling options; with Yousuf back, will they revert to using Malik as the 5th bowler? Or will Misbah or Malik make way for Yousuf?

Razzaq has not played an ODI for over two years now; does he still have a place in the team? If specialist openers are used with Malik, Afridi, and Akmal in the lower order then where does Razzaq fit in?

There are just some of the questions that Younis Khan and Co. should be looking to answer.

They better be thinking about it.

I surely am and I have still not been able to figure out what the best XI should be.

I always prefer to have 6 bowling options in ODIs; 5 is too big a risk in my view.

At the same time, I am extremely excited about watching a potentially explosive opening pair in Imran Nazir & Nasir Jamshed.

However, if that happens it would leave only 5 bowling options considering that Younis, Yousuf, Misbah, Malik, Afridi, and Akmal are almost garanteed a spot in the XI.

Unless Younis considers himself as the 6th option, which he should going by the way he bowled in the tests.

3 pacers? Or Saeed Ajmal and 2 pacers? If Ajmal plays then does Razzaq still make the team as the 2nd pacer?

See the problem I'm talking about. I think it has been a while since Pakistan faced so many options with the selection of an XI.

This is the XI I would look to play.

Q's XI: 1. Imran Nazir 2. Nasir Jamshed 3. Shahid Afridi 4. Younis Khan 5. Shoaib Malik 6. Fawad Alam 7. Abdul Razzaq 8. Kamran Akmal 9. Umar Gul 10. Mohammad Aamer 11. Saeed Ajmal.

Though I don't think that will happen. There is no way Younis Khan will drop Yousuf and / or Misbah.

I believe he should.

It has been brought to my notice that you have announced the Pakistan squad for the ODIs against Sri Lanka.

As always, you have surprised me; both pleasantly as well as otherwise.

Firstly, I would like to congratulate you on finally putting Salman Butt out of his misery. You have done yourselves proud and I am sure that the entire country is unanimously happy with this decision of yours.

Even moreso because this brings Imran Nazir back into the fold!

We all just love him, don't we?

Although I feel that he is more of a T20 batsman, but anyone instead of Salman Butt is a welcome change.

You have also done well in maintaining your faith in Nasir Jamshed.

I understand that it is not your fault that he has had several injury problems in recent times; it is clear to me that he is your first choice ODI opener and I am glad to see this continuity.

But where is Ahmed Shehzad?

He had a good debut ODI series against Australia and now he is off the radar and doesn't even find himself a place as a reserve opener?

Why?

But coming back to the good things, I was pleased to see Umar Akmal's name in the 16-man squad that you announced.

That really made me feel good.

I had been talking about Umar's outstanding performances for Pakistan A during their tour to Australia; I had also mentioned that his inclusion in the Pakistan team was not far off.

This time you exceeded my expectations by inducting him in the senior side so quickly.

Great work!

But then where you guys display great decisions, you also display some strange ones.

Why is Rana Naveed back in the team?

When he was dropped two years ago he was clearly out of form and not even close to the kind of bowler he was during that India tour in 2005-06.

His bowling had become wayward, he had lost his swing, he had lost his hair, and he looked more like a club bowler.

So what has changed since then? Why are we going back to him?

Where is Sohail Tanvir? Where is Sohail Khan? Where is Mohammad Talha? Where is Anwar Ali?

Why didn't you guys look to blood a promising, young, upcoming fast bowler instead of Rana?

Overall, however, I believe you have given Younis Khan a very good squad. It is up to him now to find the best XI and take them on to the field.

I feel it will be a difficult task chosing an XI from the squad, but that is something for another post.

Yours Faithfully,

Q.

- Former Pakistan Captain Inzamam Ul Haq who led the Lahore Badshahs in the ICL Edelweiss 20s Challenge and is leading the ICL Pakistanis in the ICL 20s World Series.

Moin Khan, who is coaching the teams captained by Inzamam, is also the ICL agent for Pakistan. He gets a neat commission from the ICL for every Pakistani player he signs on and has been instrumental in getting together an international looking Pakistan side for the league.

The presence of big names like Inzamam have led a number of Pakistani cricketers to jump ship. Ignorance on part of the PCB is another factor leading players like Imran Nazir, Imran Farhat, Taufeeq Umar, Mohammad Sami joining the ICL bandwagon.

You can't blame the cricketers - for apart from being ignored for national duty, they earn more from the ICL than from playing domestic cricket and maybe even earn more than their IPL counterparts.

The PCB here failed on several accounts.

Where does all this leave Pakistan cricket?

Not in very good shape unfortunately.

The domestic competitions this year, despite having the first choice internationals, lacked subtance due to 18 of the countries' top cricketers playing in the ICL.

If another dozen or 2 dozen cricketers join the ICL it would leave the domestic structure in tatters with only 2nd and 3rd grade cricketers participating in it. Or rather only those whom the ICL are not interested in.

So what should the PCB do about this?

Its quite simple honestly.

Let the cricketers earn their livelihood by playing in the ICL and allow them to play domestic cricket in Pakistan. Its not that these cricketers don't want to play for their regional teams or departments - they do, the PCB has banned them.

Imran Farhat and Taufeeq Umar have a case filed with the High Court to overturn the bans. Abdul Razzak has filed one as well.

The sooner the PCB realises that the ban is unfair, and its only going to hurt them, the better.

But then if the bans are overturned the PCB will come into the bad books of the BCCI. They can't afford to do that.

Someone then needs to knock some sense into the BCCI. Who can do that? The ICC? CA?

All the national cricket boards need to come together and stand up to the BCCI. They need to let the BCCI know that they are at a loss since they are not getting a share of IPL revenues and at the same time they are losing cricketers to the ICL because of their support to the BCCI.

I hope that sanity prevails and the boards don't go for a cut in IPL revenues as opposed to having their domestic cricketers back.