Cricket Test Series Update: What should be Pakistan’s final XI against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746?
They won the twenty20 series by conquering the Australians in an emphatic fashion, but Shahid Afridi’s men will have to be work harder if they want to achieve similar results in the test series. Test cricket is a different ball game, and the management of the Pakistan side will have to test their bench strength in absence of Mohammed Yousuf and Younis Khan, if they are to challenge Ricky Ponting’s men in the two-matches this month.
Pakistan will have to use either http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 for quite some time. Imran Farhat is a moody sort of a batsman, who can devastate opponents bowling one day and do nothing the other. Therefore, the management as well as the fans will have to pray that Salman Butt doesn’t get out and Imran Farhat is in best of form when Pakistani batsmen go out to bat.
Without Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf, Pakistan team is short of experienced players. The recently axed Faisal Iqbal batted at number 3 during the last England tour and failed miserably, therefore Pakistan will have to either send Shoaib Malik at that position or use Yasir Hameed or Imran Farhat for the position, provided the other one is opening the batting.
Skipper Shahid Afridi spent the last 4 years as a former Test cricketer due to the abundance of limited overs cricket, but he is now in the side as a leg-spinning all-rounder and will have to bat in the middle order to strengthen the side. He might bat at one-down but considering he hasn’t donned the whites for some time, it’s safe to assume he will not come at number 3, but somewhere between number 4 and number 7.
England bowlers must devise a tactic to control Umar Akmal, who has been in tremendous nick for his country and will try to emulate all those batsmen who have done well in England. His batting will be the key to Pakistan’s success or failure, and if his willow starts taking, there will be very little that the English would be able to do.
Then there is Azhar Ali and Umar Amin, who have not yet donned the whites for Pakistan. They have done well domestically and proven their mettle to grab a chance to shine in the absence of senior cricketers. Kamran Akmal will be the wicket keeper in the side, and after missing the third Test last year due to sloppy work, he will try to prove that he shouldn’t have been dropped in the first place. He is by far the best batsmen in the side and a lot will depend on how he performs with the willow, as well as with the gloves.
As for the bowling department, Pakistan might and might not use http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-Afridi-c2482 in the side as well as the fact that all English players know how to handle him.
Pakistan have Mohammad Aamir as their premier strike bowler alongside Mohammad Asif and Umar Gul who are faster, more accurate and better bowlers than they were four years back. They will try to match their English opponents, and if need be, newcomer Tanvir Ahmed and left-armer Wahab Riaz might get Test caps, if one of the main players get injured, or the management decides to go with 4 bowlers.
Pakistan last won a Test match against Australia in 1995-96, and has lost every series since. Then, they had never defeated the Aussies in a Twenty 20 series before either, like their recent triumph. The young players in the Pakistan side must join hands with the seniors to win the series or at least a Test match, and prove to the world that their recent winning habit is anything but fluke.
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