Cricket: Pakistan struggle against Australia in Lords Test, fighting spirit gives hope
Pakistan started the test match on a high note by restricting Australia to a score of 253. Pakistani Captain Shahid Afridi, after winning the toss, opted to bowl first in cloudy conditions. His bowlers made full use of overcast conditions and picked up early wickets.
Pakistan looked in good rhythm when they were bowling but their main concern was their weak batting. Over the years Pakistan has produced some great bowlers who have the potential of ripping apart any batting line up but has failed to produce test batman. Players in green are fit for shorter formats of the game and seem to lack patience and technique for the longer format of the game. Some of the great Pakistani batsmen have performed superbly in T20 and ODI’s but have failed to impress in test cricket.
Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan are currently the two best test players Pakistan has. Both are currently out of team because of disciple issues. There is no doubt that Pakistan missed the consistency and class of senior players but the young guns showed unity and spirit.
Pakistan was bowled out for a miserable score of 148. Most teams would have given up after such a poor batting display but Pakistani bowlers showed courage and heart to bounce back. Late strikes by Umar Gul have given Pakistan yet another chance to compete in this game. Chances are that once again the net result will depend on the performance of batsmen.
Pakistan has thrown too much responsibility on debutants. The number 3 and 4 slots are reserved for team’s best batsman and Pakistan gave these two slots to the inexperienced Umar Amin and Azhar Ali. No matter how talented an individual may be, he requires a helping hand from senior players. Pakistans’ current batting line up has no established test player.
Shahid Afridi was seen playing a risky T20 type innings in a test match, setting a bad example for youngsters. Lord’s is a difficult place to play when it is cloudy and there is ample swing. Azhar Ali was seen punching his pad a few times in frustration after his edge fell short of slip cordon. Salman Butt as senior batsman whispered something in his ear which surely must have helped. This is the kind of support youngsters require from experienced players who have been there before and know the art of dealing with swing bowling.
Youngsters are already under a lot of pressure and it doesn’t help if the team starts to completely depend on them. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 Manager Yawar Saeed was confident of playing new batsman, he was so confident that he predicted Umar Amin as a “future of Viv Richards”. Similarly Azhar Ali received complete support from captain and coach when he was chosen in place of the more experienced Shoaib Malik. The current management wants to turn the pages by giving youngsters a chance, which is a good thing, provided it is done in the right fashion.
In form Yasir Hameed was also left on the bench for the first test in favour of the disastrous Imran Farhat. Umar Akmal is without doubt very talented and has all the necessary ingredients for a test player but he is still too young to build an innings around him or to provide a helping hand to youngsters. Pakistan needs Shoaib Malik in the team not because of his technique but for his test temperament and experience.
It is never easy to play against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-Afridi-c2482 needs to understand the difference between test and T20 cricket. The Captain is a player who sets the tone for the team. “Boom Boom” needs to change gears from T20 to Test cricket.
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