Cricket Update: Pakistan Team in shambles, as Salman Butt takes the reigns of Captaincy
Almost 24 hours after the shocking decision of retirement from Test Cricket, by Pakistan skipper, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-Afridi-c2482, some semblance of normalcy returns in Pakistani cricket. As anticipated, Vice Captain, Salman Butt is appointed the captain of the team for the remainder of the test matches in England.
Afridi decided to quit test cricket after having been appointed test captain less than two months ago, the all-rounder featured in a solitary test, as the man in charge before deciding that the longest format was simply not meant for him. He simply did not want to burden the team with his presence as a mere non-performing leader.
While the critics of the game are still wondering what hit Afridi, one needs to dissect his performance in the test, as well as the lone preceding first class match before the Aussie series and it does not need rocket science to figure out that Afridi’s mind was some where else.
He rested from most part of the first class match after, falling for a duck in the first innings before going back to the pavilion citing a side strain.
He did not feature in the two day match on the eve of the opening test and went straight into his first test in four years greatly under done.
The fizz was missing from his bowling in the first innings where he was smashed for 25 runs in just three overs.
With the bat, he struck a 31 for 15 before holing out to mid-off after he had hit a huge six over long off a ball earlier off Shane http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Watson-c96326.
In the second innings he bowled 14 overs conceding 44 runs and took the wicket of Tim Paine, yet he was simply ambling in as one felt that there was something definitely wrong fitness wise both physical and more importantly mental.
With the team still in with a semblance of a chance, he left them high and dry with-in four balls, as he attempted to launch Marcus North into the stands and holed out to Mike Hussey at deep mid-wicket, which was not a captain is expected to do.
Perhaps on his way back to the pavilion he made his mind that, his fling with test cricket was over as he simply has no patience left for the rigorous demands of the game.
Meanwhile the appointment of Butt is a positive decision, as he looked like the only batsman who was willing to put a price against his wicket top scoring with two classy half-centuries in the match.
In the first innings, he scored 63 runs in tough conditions for batting, and was desperately unlucky to miss out on a hundred in the second dig falling for a superb 92 off 173 balls, in which he struck 16 delightful boundaries.
His dismissal to the first ball bowled by Marcus North turned the match decisively in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746’s favour as the innocuous off-spinner suddenly looked like the most destructive spinner ever, against the spineless Pakistani batting line-up snaring six wickets in all.
As the second test match draws closer and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 bids to some how end their most embarrassing run of now 13 consecutive test defeats at the hands of Australia, Salman Butt remains crucial to their chances.
He is expected to lead in the second test, if Afridi fails to recover from his side strain that relapsed at Lords.
The Lahore born 25 year old has a huge responsibility on his shoulders; there is no doubt that he has the talent and the determination to succeed. However, the question is what he can deliver with an extremely inexperienced middle order that is set to be as severely tested in the rest of the English summer.
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