Posts Tagged Younis Khan
TWENTY20 WORLD CUP- PAKISTAN’S PERSPECTIVE
Posted by Sentinel Prime in LS Pakistan on May 27, 2009
The going has not been great for team Pakistan
The warm up matches for the T20 WC start next week. Pakistan will be playing its preliminary matches against England and the Netherlands. The last few years have been disappointing for Pakistan for various reasons. Pakistan’s openers remain as clueless and brittle as ever since the departure of Saeed Anwar and Aamir Sohail. The middle order has not managed to remain consistent with critcism being levied on Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik and Misbah. Pakistan’s best batsman Yousuf has been largely unavailable and so have been three of Pakistan’s key T20 players, Abdul Razzaq, Imran Nazir and Rana Naved. Further, although Pakistan’s fielding standards have improved slightly, they are improving slowly compared to other international sides.
They have destroyed Pakistan's standing in world cricket, yet Pakistanis still worship them
Pakistan’s pace battery is almost totally ineffective, with Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif ruining their careers themselves and Umar Gul being the only fit and world class pacer. If all this isn’t enough, the Pakistan team management seems obsessed with not providing any meaningful chances to promising youngsters such as Fawad Alam.
T20 is not real cricket, because it seems to go against everything cricket is meant to be. Cricket is meant to provide equal footing to both batsmen and bowlers. Test cricket, which is considered as real cricket, is all about patience, intelligence, stamina and mental toughness. T20 is more about luck and excitement, although the qualities needed to play Test cricket can be useful in playing T20, too. Yet, if one attempts to envisage what the founders of cricket must have had in mind, T20 must be a polar opposite.
Shoaib Malik is a domestic T20 specialist
Pakistan has a golden chance to provide some hope to fans, as the Pakistan team is balanced and consists of experienced T20 players. It is crucial to stress that half of these players have played cricket in English conditions, so they know what to expect and also, Pakistani cricketers probably play more domestic T20
Younis has a point to prove in this tournament
than anyone else. So, there should be no excuse for poor performance and claiming lack of familiarisation with English conditions will be unacceptable.
Younis Khan is leading the side although his T20 credentials are doubted. Younis performed commendably in the ongoing RBS T20 Cup where he played 2 aggressive knocks for Peshawar. There were reports after the ODI series against Australia that Younis has decided to relinquish captaincy in favour of Afridi. These reports were obviously untrue, but it does prove that there is a considerable body of opinion that doubts Younis Khan as a T20 player.
Shahzad may be talented but he will struggle in T20 unless he plays more lofted shots
Younis has to show more aggression than what we have seen from him. If Pakistani batsmen play defensively in this Cup, Pakistan will lose. Pakistan should also be mindful that other teams like New Zealand and South Africa have improved their T20 standards and they are capable of beating Pakistan this time round.
In particular the two openers Shahzad and Butt need to play lofted shots if they can’t drive the ball between the gaps. This is particularly important for Shahzad, who has struggled to place the ball in the gaps so far in international cricket. Neither Butt nor Shahzad have been in great form recently and it must be questioned why they have been picked for T20 when they do not appear to be T20 batsmen.
The new kid on the block, Shahzaib Hasan is inexperienced and it is rumoured Younis Khan opted for him over Khalid Latif. It would perhaps be wiser to give Hasan a chance in place of Shahzad, although it seems unlikely. Hasan was impressive in the recent mini series between Chairman’s XI and Patrons’ XI, where he was amongst the top scorers. Nasir Jamshed is returning to form in domestic cricket but his form was mediocre before this RBS Cup, so his exclusion is justified.
Ideally Younis should go with no more than 3 pacers. Spinners are usually more effective in T20 because the focus is
Merit is no qualification to play for Pakistan, so Fawad is hoping for a miracle
also to restrict the runs from the bat. My guess is that whoever is responsible for selection will once again not give a meaningful chance to Fawad Alam, but playing Fawad is undoubtedly an advantage because of his batting and fielding. He can also bowl a couple of overs if need be, although bowling is not his forte. The team management is likely to go with, 1.Butt 2.Shahzad 3.Younis 4. Malik 5. Misbah 6. Afridi 7.Akmal 8. Tanvir 9. Gul 10. Rao 11. Ajmal.
My preferred line-up would be: 1. Hasan 2. Afridi 3. Akmal 4. Younis 5. Malik 6. Misbah 7. Fawad 8. Tanvir 9. Gul 10. Rao 11. Ajmal
Aggression, good team spirit and fair selection can make Pakistan win this World Cup. Bowling wise Pakistan is adequately equipped with Gul, Afridi and Ajmal being world class bowlers. If Younis, Malik and Misbah once again do not show commitment and consistency, it will be a new low for Pakistan cricket and a slap on the PCB’s face.
I DON’T WANT A DUMMY CAPTAIN
Posted by JAVED A. KHAN in LS Pakistan on May 2, 2009
I don't know why we are loosing but I am happy
Younus Khan refused to captain the Pakistan side twice by saying: “I don’t want to be a dummy captain.” On paper and in theory it sounded very impressive that this man has the guts to say that he does not like to be under someone’s thumb.
Now, what made him change from refusing to be a dummy and acting like a dummy? It is very obvious from his statements to the media, pre and post match comments that he wants to keep the whole world happy. He has clearly mentioned that he cannot drop Misbah and Malik despite the fact they are not performing well, especially Misbah simply because one is a former captain and the other is a vice captain and if he does that, the media will be after him. It means he is scared of the media and not doing justice with team selection.
By now even a school kid who plays cricket can say with authority that the UAE pitches are favouring spin bowling. Australia’s weakness is spin bowling, Pakistan’s weakness is its batting. Pakistan has the advantage of strengthening its batting and spin bowling department by including Fawad Alam in the team. He has been in the squad only to sit on the bench or we saw him as a 12th man in the 4th ODI.
Australian batsmen are used to playing fast bowlers, as they have one of the best fast bowling battery in their team and they are not afraid of fast bowling. But, they are finding it extremely difficult to handle Afridi and Ajmal, even Malik bowled well in the 3rd ODI. So, any dummy captain would notice this weakness and take advantage of the situation. But, Younus Khan in his pursuit to keep the whole world happy is blinded by his goody, goody nature.
He has become a laughing stock among the commentators and cricket fans that you ask Younus Khan, ‘how are you?’ He would reply. ” I am happy, I am always happy, no matter what I am happy.” It is good that you are a happy go lucky (rather unlucky so far) person, but on the ground you have to be firm and tolerate no nonsense from any player who under performs or play below par.
Just because Shoaib Akhtar is a senior player and carries a lot of clout behind him and in the 4th ODI he took two wickets in his first two overs, he got a free hand after that, he was clearly out of breath and couldn’t maintain his line and length and in the fielding department he was making a mess of the situation and Younus Khan was seen laughing at his pathetic fielding. This is not what you expect from a good captain. If you can’t admonish him on the field, take action against him later and drop him from the playing XI.
Misbah out of form
Mishab is totally out of form like he was for the rest of his life prior to the T20 WC stint. In the 4th ODI, he was out first ball, but umpire Aleem Dar said, he couldn’t hear the nick and did not give him out. Despite a life Misbah continued his poor form, played a very slow innings and scored 30 odd runs.
Younus Khan’s own batting form is simply pathetic he has not been able to score in any match during this series and yet he has the audacity and the cheek to say, ‘we are learning.’ Learning how to loose? This is pathetic. Malik was heavily criticized for saying the same thing after loosing a match, ‘we are learning’ and the irony is they also call themselves as professionals.
I am so happy that I don't mind throwing away my wicket
Professionals don’t learn at this level, the deliver and the Pakistani captains consider these international matches as a learning place? It is indeed very pathetic.
During this series Shahid Afridi not only performed well with ball and bat, but he was seen encouraging, cheering, bucking up every single player. In fact he took the lead role which Younus Khan and Misbah are supposed to do. He was going with the bowlers before their run up and talking to them. He was seen congratulating Ajmal, Malik, Akhtar and even Akmal whenever they took a wicket or a catch. He was also seen very upset at Shoaib Akhtar’s lazy running in fetching the ball and clearly gave him the message that he is not happy with his fielding.
shahid-afridi-dama-dum-mast-qalandar
This is how a captain must be leading from the front and not just laughing, smiling and saying I am happy. May be you are trying to cover your embarrassment or may be you are really happy but the Pakistani public and fans are not happy upon loosing 3 matches in a row. The second ODI was given away to the Australians in a platter. After a 95 run opening partnership the team collapsed like a house of cards. Its a shame that none of the batsmen played well.
The question is, is Pakistan going to look for another captain? Or, are they will keep Younus Khan who says he is not a dummy captain, but certainly acting like one. Or, if they decide to replace him, who would be the new captain? There is no one better than Shahid Afridi not just because of his seniority but because of his temperament and his ability to lead from the front and his proven domestic record speaks in volumes. Therefore, it is about time for Pakistan to give Shahid Afridi a chance to lead the team Pakistan in the forth coming T20 World Cup. And Younus Khan is definitely a misfit for T20 and so is Salman Butt. May be Younus Khan should lead the test side but, if that is going to effect his batting then he should better not lead the test team as well.
What are your views on Younus Khan’s Captaincy, please go ahead and speak your heart out. For sure, my vote is for Afridi.
PAKISTAN’S CHANCE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Posted by Sentinel Prime in LS Pakistan on April 22, 2009
The next few days bring an uncanny excitement to Pakistan cricket fans. We have seen captains changing, disasters wrecking sport in the nation and political and social turmoil affecting the morale of the Pakistani public and cricketers, but the next few days can improve the situation for everyone who has some kind of association with Pakistan.
The responsibility on Younis's shoulders is enormous, and the expectations of Pakistani fans are greater
A new leader is at the helm in the form of Younis Khan, a generally respected figure. Younis is one of the few stars of Pakistan cricket of the past decade who have not been involved in scandals or disgraceful incidents. Across the world Younis Khan is known as a friendly, caring individual who is deeply patriotic about his country and passionate about his culture, but who does not let that come in the way of respecting other countries and cultures. Although it is too early to speak in favour of or against Younis’s captaincy, he needs to lead with relentless aggression because that is the only way Pakistan can become a top side.
TOP PERFORMERS
The top performers for Pakistan going into this series are Younis and Umar Gul. Whereas
With Shoaib Akhtar's fitness being debatable, Gul goes into this series being Pakistan's main strike bowler
Younis has been Pakistan’s best batsmen for almost 2 years now, Gul has been Pakistan’s best bowler for almost the same duration. Apart from testing Younis’s captaincy skills, this series will also test his character when it comes to batting. Younis only averages 16 against Australia in ODI’s and he needs to improve that figure.
Gul needs to bowl with fire and aggression. If he can extract the right bounce, bowl quick and use reverse swing, he can cause Australia plenty of problems.
LOOK OUT FOR…………….
Will Afridi's batting form return against the 2nd best ODI side?
Shahid Khan Afridi: Afridi has been in good domestic form and made an impact both with bowling and batting in the recent RBS One Day Cup. If Afridi can get into some kind of batting form, he will be a force to be reckoned with in this series. He is going into this series as Pakistan’s most reliable spinner.
Sohail Tanvir: Tanvir got into some form in recent tournaments after consulting Javed Miandad. He started with a bang and he needs to retain the same attitude. If he can bowl with pace he will trouble some Australian batsmen.
Nasir Jamshed: Younis reportedly prefers Ahmed Shahzad over Nasir Jamshed, not least because of obtaining the right hand/left hand opening combination with Salman Butt. However, Nasir has more experience and has impressed to some degree so far in international cricket. He needs to bat with confidence and play his natural game. A good series against Australia will guarantee him selecton in the team at least for another year.
Australia will be banking on captain Clarke, all rounder Symonds, keeper Haddin and medium pacer Bracken.
Symonds is back, and he enjoys ripping Pakistan to shreds
Symonds averages 62 against Pakistan in ODI’s which is his highest average against any Test playing nation. Haddin is averaging 43 this year. Clarke is going into this series as Australia’s best batsman. Bracken is amongst the best ODI bowlers in the world, although against South Africa he was not in his best form.
A lot of Pakistan fans are predicting a series win for Pakistan, and some are also saying that Pakistan will end up winning 2 matches. Australia cannot be underestimated and in fact the LS Management is doubting Pakistan’s potential, although they acknowledge this potential. Players like Hauritz and Shane Watson have the ability to turn matches around single handedly. Hauritz was the Man of the Match in the last match against South Africa, so he is in form.
The biggest advantage to Australia which is also Pakistan’s biggest disadvantage, is that some consistency can be expected from the Aussies. Clarke can bank on knowing the limits to what his players can and cannot do. Younis will be less sure of his team’s potential, but his job is just to offer support to his players and persuade them to play positive and aggressive cricket.
Who is the next legend in the making?
Pakistan cricket thrives on uncertainty. The fans expect the unexpected. That has been the pulse of Pakistan cricket for a long time. Today Pakistan is devoid of legends like Wasim, Waqar, Imran and Miandad. The problem I have with Younis and Qadir’s management is that we are only seeing 1 or 2 new players in this squad. Barring Nasir Jamshed, Ahmad Shahzad and Fawad Alam, all of these players have been tried and tested. When his career ends Younis will probably be considered a legend, but ODI cricket has not been his forte until very recently. So, none of the players in this squad are capable of emulating the feats of Saeed Anwar, Miandad or Wasim Akram.
However, playing under a new captain and in home-like conditions, still offers limited hope to Pakistanis. Younis will be in the spotlight because he has supported playing these tried and tested players. Now it is upto Younis Khan to create some magic and create history by leading his team to a series victory against a formidable side, a win which will go in history books as the revival of Pakistan cricket. A loss is expected, but a win will transform the morale of a bruised nation, and an emotionally battered people. This is Pakistan’s chance to make a difference.
