Pakistan Tour of England: Pakistan give youngsters Umar Amin, Azhar Ali and Wahab Riaz a chance
Some new faces will get a chance to represent Pakistan in the upcoming test series against Australia and England. Pakistan will be facing some competitive cricket without the experience of their senior players Mohammad Yousuf, Younis Khan and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Misbah-ul-Haq-c1972. The absence of these senior players has given youngsters a chance to exercise their talent and prove their worth to the Pakistan team in the upcoming tour of England.
In order to strengthen their batting line up, Pakistan has opted to exercise fresh talent. Umar Amin and Azhar Ali have been called in for international duty. Both players are completely new in test cricket; Umar Amin has only played three ODIs, and 25 year old Azhar Ali will make his test debut at Lord’s (he was previously in the reserves for the Asia Cup). Only time will tell if they can make a debut in this series. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Yasir-Hameed-c2811 and Wahab Riaz have also been given another chance to prove their mettle. For Yasir Hameed, it’s a do or die situation since he made his debut in 2003 and has now reached the age of 32. Yasir Hameed has a decent track record, but will have to improve in order to compete with Younis Khan for the number three position. In 23 Test matches, Yasir has managed to score 1450 runs at an average of 34.52.
Azhar Ali and Umar Amin will fancy their chances for making a debut at Lord’s. Azhar Ali feels confident and is hopeful for a good start. Both youngsters feel proud of the fact that they are part of national squad. "I have always dreamt of making my debut for Pakistan at Lord's and as luck would have it, our opening Test is at Lord's," Azhar told Pakpassion.net. "I really hope that I am given the opportunity to debut at Lord's, as it's a ground steeped in tradition and history."
Azhar Ali comes into the squad with solid performance in the domestic tournaments of Pakistan. Azhar has a formidable average of 46.30 in Level A cricket, while a good average of 40.42 in First-class Cricket. Umar Amin, on the other hand, has an average of 41.81 in First-class cricket. Azhar Ali got the attention of selectors in the Quaid-e-Azam trophy after scoring 445 runs in ten matches.
Pakistan’s first task will be to play two test matches against Australia, followed by three test matches against England. Pakistan will take on Australia from July 13th. Pakistan is desperate to perform well in Test cricket. Pakistan’s recent performances in T20 and ODIs have impressed many, but they have failed miserably in the longer format of the game. Pakistan played its last test series against Australia, where the side was thrashed by some quality cricket of the Australians. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 white-washed Pakistan comprehensively.
Wahab Riaz is a left arm medium/fast bowler. Coach Waqar Younis talks very highly of his consistency. Wahab is yet to make a debut in test cricket. He played 5 ODIs for Pakistan. In just five matches, he was able to get 10 wickets. His brisk pace creates problems for batsmen.
Pakistan will be full of confidence following their superb victories against Australia in the recent two-Twenty20 series. The Coach and Captain are aware of the fact that test cricket is a completely different ball game compared to Twenty20. Afridi has shown his eagerness to replicate the side’s T20 performance in the test format as well. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-Afridi-c2482 said, "There is a difference and we have to be aware of this. But the good thing is that a win is a win in any form of the game and this series win should serve as a confidence booster for us ahead of the Tests."
He admitted that his team will miss the experience of Younis Khan and Muhammad Yousuf, but is confident that the new faces will stand up to the challenge. It will be a litmus test for new cricketers. Pakistan’s recent youth adventures are paying off dividends in the form of Mohammad Aamer and Umar Akmal.
Cricketing Legend Javed Miandad was behind the selection of Azhar Ali. Miandad saw him playing in domestic cricket and was quick to recognize his talent. Ali, while to talking to the media, thanked http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Javed-Miandad-c66580 for his advice. He said, "I think he liked what he saw in my batting and I will always be grateful for the advice he gave me".
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