Pakistan Cricket Board announces cricket squad for New Zealand ODI series - Part 3
To read the previous part of this article, please click
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755.
As we continue to dissect the ODI squad for Pakistan for the tour of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Misbah-ul-Haq-c1972 the next name that comes in the list is Asad Shafiq. The talented right-handed batsman has made many stand up and
take notice in his short career so far. The middle-order batsman from Karachi certainly has a sensible head on his shoulders, which enables him to put his excellent talents to good use. Over the last few years, many young batsmen have been introduced by Pakistan;
Shafiq, though, stands out from the rest. He is not one who has been thrust too quickly in the international arena. That probably is the reason behind his maturity and his approach to the game. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shafiq-c89281 has played in all 3 formats of the game for Pakistan and
in ODIs and Tests has shown that he can take the responsibility and has helped set up platform for later order batsmen while batting in the middle-order. If used properly, he can turn out to be an asset for the team in years to come.
The next man in the list is Umar Akmal: this young right-hander can be termed as someone who blows hot and cold. Younger brother of Kamran Akmal, Umar made his name last year and in all 3 formats of the game for Pakistan. He also
scored a hundred on his Test debut in New Zealand last year. Many at the time said that he was the best batsman to come out of Pakistan after http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Inzamam-ul-Haq-c64383. However, the weight of expectations looks to have burdened him and he has gone off his game lately,
and not been consistent at all. He has been blamed many times for throwing his wicket away, and was also dropped from the first Test to teach him a lesson. All of that put aside, if he gets his head in the right place, like Asad Shafiq he is the future of
Pakistan cricket and can go on to play for the country for the next decade or so.
After Umar is the captain http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-Afridi-c2482. The all-rounder has been in international cricket for more than 14 years and even now when he goes out to bat, the next man in has his pads on and is waiting for the cue to go in right after.
Afridi has probably been the victim of his own world record: he scored the fastest century in ODI cricket when he smashed 11 sixes against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 in 1996 and got to his hundred in 37 balls. That was also his first international innings and his 2nd international
game. He has since been associated with that record and whenever he goes out to bat the crowd expect big hits only. Afridi often plays into the hands of the opposition and follows the chants of the crowd skying one deep. The all-rounder at times has shown
that he has the ability to play according to the situation and guide the team towards a target. His two innings in the T20 World Cup in 2009 that came in the semifinal and final were great examples that if he wants to, he
can play a responsible knock. However, even at the age of 31, he remains an unpredictable batsman and one can only hope that the responsibility of captaincy knocks some sense into him and he plays a bit more responsibly. If he does that, he can be
the most crucial man in the team. Also, because he is an underrated leg spinner, in limited overs cricket he certainly has the ability to not only take wickets but get through his overs quickly. He can also squeeze the opposition in the middle overs.
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