Pakistan undefeated for 4 consecutive test series

Drastic progress and stability especially in the batting department and captaincy

In the last 11 test innings we have posted scores in excess of 340 on 6 occasions

We have a solid, dependable, settled, gritty, in form and determined batting line up. Really looks like a “proper” test line up who can spend extended periods of time at the wicket, make the bowlers toil and take the innings to at least 125 overs+. There is discipline and responsibility

Have vast depth in the batting: Rehman, Tanvir Ahmed, Wahab Riaz

Got a good slip cordon with YK, Misbah and Taufiq. How they were missed in England 2010.

Have not been bowled out looking to save a match on a day 5 pitch on 3 occasions

Have had victory margins of 180+ runs or at least 5 wickets on 3 occasions

Have had some quality spin bowling performances from the likes of Ajmal, Rehman, Hafeez

Posted Pakistan’s highest ever 4th innings total against South Africa

Pakistan’s test side are looking significantly stronger in comparison to a year or so ago

If we don’t lose against Sri Lanka and England that will be superb.

I am confident we won’t.

Continuity with openers. 7 tests without changing the opening combination. 4 series that is. Taufiq+Hafeez way to go.

I don’t look too much into the defeat in Guyana because no Pakistan player had played on Caribbean shores before in that test. YK was absent. The wicket was extremely challenging & we were always on the back foot having to chase in the 4th innings. During many junctions of the game we dominated. Had them 9 down for approximately 200 on day 1 and went into day 4 requiring 139 with 7 wickets in hand. The margin of defeat was narrow and we bounced back convincingly to square the series and thrash them in St Kits during some difficult batting conditions on the opening day and still claimed 20 wickets on historically one of the flattest wickets around.

Hopefully I would like to see Shafiq played ahead of Umar Akmal in the UAE.

Line Up Should Be:

1) Hafeez
2) Taufiq
3) Azhar
4) Younis
5) Misbah ©
6) Asad
7) Adnan (WK)
8) Rehman
9) Wahab
10) Ajmal
11) Cheema

Back Up: Umar Akmal, Tanvir Ahmed, Junaid Khan, Manzoor

Reply via PP: as mentioned previously, our batting strategy needs a serious overhaul and I am glad Waqar will no longer be around as the coach so hopefully we'll see more purposeful & fluent batting performances in test cricket rather than slow, lethargic ones...and I am referring to innings building ability of our line up...

our top 3 need to improve against spinners as our next 3 series will feature quite a few of them...

Me: I am not worried about the pace we score. 360 all out in 134 overs vs 224 all out in 63.4 as we have usually seen Pakistan over the years with all these flashy or attractive one day stroke makers in the line up who did not know how to put a price on their wicket and were involved in embarrassing dismissals without spending much time at the wicket. I know which one I’d prefer. Additionally, there will be many draws this winter so needles to get too far ahead. There will be scenarios in where only 3 or 4 wickets will fall in a day’s play so emphasis will be on defending and surviving. We might only get 1 result in a series of 3. That’s how Nasser sees it. At times you can’t afford to go too hard on a flat deck and lose your wickets. It opens up more time for the opposition to enforce a result. Seeing out play & taking up time is the way they will go and should go barring Hafeez who will play his shots regardless.

Team Misbah 1st Innings Record

248 95 overs

434 144 overs

367 121 overs

376 133 overs

160 65 overs

272 110 overs

466 156 overs

Average Score: 332

Average Innings Duration: 118 overs

RR: 2.8


Pre Misbah

258 (99 overs)

333 (97 overs)

301 (106 overs)

148 (41 overs)

258 (65 overs)

182 (54 overs)

72 (40 overs)

308 (100 overs)

74 (33 overs)

Average Score: 214

Average Innings Duration: 71 overs

RR: 3

Week Round Up

Waqar Younis hands in his resignation as national team coach citing family commitments and health issues as the reason for the decision. Decision accepted. Zimbabwe tour to be his last in charge.


Shoaib Malik receives the necessary clearance from the PCB integrity committee and therefore can resume his career with Pakistan.


Before we know it Shoaib Malik is back in the team for the LOI leg of the tour in Zimbabwe.


Pakistan will be leaving for Zimbabwe on the 25th.


The FL T20 finals day is this Saturday. Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq and Junaid Khan expected to be in action. Hampshire are defending champions. 9th time this event will be taking place.


NBP win the Cool and Cool Ramadan cricket tournament organised by former Pakistan WK Moin Khan in Karachi. Kamran Akmal is the winning team captain. Kamran also feels a foreign coach is the best step forward for Pakistan cricket team.


Ijaz Ahmed will be batting coach for the Zimbabwe tour. Inti is no longer manager. Aqib Javed is no longer bowling coach or team assistant either.


Younis Khan turns down LOI captaincy after being offered in order to reduce the workload off Misbah Ul Haq. Turns it down so he can concentrate on his batting and stay away from controversies. Misbah is named as Pakistan captain for the next 3 series coming up against Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and England respectively.


Rumours are that Ijaz Butt will be re-elected in October due to some change in constitution.


Domestic T20 tournament to be held again in September. Venue to be confirmed. Lahore, Pindi and Islamabad are likely possibilities as hosts.


A week is a longggggggg time in Pakistan Cricket World! A lot can happen. A lot can change.

New Coach Required

Waqar hands in his resignation. Zimbabwe tour will be his last. Although Waqar may not have been the greatest tactician in the world, no doubt he gave the team the stability it required in tough times. He did have somewhat of a dispute with Afridi on selection matters which led to his retirement; however in his job description he was a member of the selection panel so therefore cannot really be blamed. Best of luck to Vicky in his future plans.


This year under him Pakistan's record was: Played 25: won 16, lost 8, drawn 1


He took over the position after the winless and disastrous tour of Australia where as many as 4 players received indefinite bans. During his time in charge Pakistan reached the semi finals of the 2010 T20 WC and 2011 50 over WC. 2010 was arguably the worst year which had hit Pakistan Cricket and Waqar overcame the problems such as the spot fixing scandal, Zulqarnanin run away fiasco and incompetent chairmanship.


Waqar has medical and family issues and therefore his decision should be respected and rightly accepted. He currently resides with his kids and family in Sydney.


Waqar was no doubt a champion bowler and great servant for Pakistan Cricket. He claimed as many as 789 international scalps in his illustrious career. His services and hard work always deserves to be remembered and appreciated.


Sources are suggesting Mushtaq Ahmed has expressed an interest in coaching.

For those of you who are unaware, Mushtaq has been part of the England set up and taken the team to new heights where they won the T20 World Championship, only lost 2 out of their last 10 tests against Australia and reached the all important world number 1 spot on the ICC test rankings. He was one of Imran's cornered tigers during the 1992 triumph at the MCG on 25th March 1992. He generally is a character and comedian who tends to get on well with players. Moreover, Pakistan have been relying on spin as a key area of strength in the absence of Amir and Asif which is the area the former Pakistan and Sussex legspinner who was renowned for his vicious spinning googly will specialise in.

Foreign coaches like during the golden Bob Woolmer days or Geoff Lawson for that matter will be an option that could be looked into, however under the current climate that is unrealistic and unlikely.

The Word From Wasim and Waqar

Miandad offers to become batting consultant again

Pakistan batting legend and former captain Javed Miandad has once again offered his services as a batting consultant prior to the World Cup. In a refreshing development which will be beneficial to Pakistan’s chances in the mega event.

Miandad is said to be encouraged by the patience and determination showed by the Pakistani batsmen during the win against New Zealand in the first test. He spent a few days coaching Pakistani batsmen before they went on to tour New Zealand and his advice seems to have helped the test batting line-up.

The previous move came after various attempts by the PCB to play down the need for a batting coach for the national team amidst numerous batting failures on the tour of England during the summer.

The media and former players criticized the PCB for having Waqar Younis & Aaqib Javed as a part of the coaching staff when the real need for the team was for a batting coach.

Miandad has served the PCB in various capacities after his retirement and is currently holding the position of Director Operations. He has held the head coaching position on the famous tour to India in 1999 and was keen to replace Intikhab Alam earlier this year after he was relieved of his head coaching duties.

It will be curious to see whether Waqar Younis & Javed will establish a healthy working relationship once more or will there be another clash of egos between the two men. One thing is for sure though that our young and upcoming batsmen will definitely learn a few tricks from the finest batsmen the country has ever produced.