15 Man World Cup Squad for Pakistan U19 2012 team Named

Pakistan have named their 15 man squad for the under 19 World Cup in August. Pakistan will play 3 youth one day internationals against Australia & 2 warm up matches against England & Papua New Guinea before the real thing kicks off with their opening fixture against neighbours Afghanistan on the 11^th of August.

Babar Azam has been retained as captain & Umar Waheed will continue to be his deputy. Pakistan were runners up during the triangular series in South Africa, winners of the youth one day series against South Africa, winners of the 2 games against British Universities in Lahore & joint winners of the Asia Cup in Malaysia after a last ball tie against arch rivals India.

Pakistan’s stand out performer this year has been Sami Aslam who was player of the tournament in both the triangular series in South Africa & the Asia Cup competition in Malaysia. Sami also scored an unbeaten double century in one of the 2 games against the British Universities touring side. Mohammad Nawaz has been the other bright spark with 3 man of the match awards & three 5 wicket hauls in 50 over games this year. Sami is a left handed opening batsman whereas Nawaz is a left arm spinner who is the best all-rounder in the side.

As a keen follower of the under 19 side the 5 key players in my honest assessment will be Sami Aslam, Babar Azam, Mohammad Nawaz, Umar Waheed & last but not least Usman Qadir.

Usman Qadir has been named in the squad after recovering from a thumb injury which made him miss the final of the Asia Cup earlier this month.

Salman Afridi has been favoured over Saifullah Bangash as the wicket keeper. Bangash was the keeper during the tour of South Africa whereas Afridi did the work behind the stumps during the recently concluded Asia Cup.

Coach Sabih Azhar is confident & hopeful of the team’s chances & feels many of these players can break into the national side in the near future.

Below are the players who were fortunate enough to make the 15 man squad

• Babar Azam (capt), Umar Waheed (vice-capt), Sami Aslam, Imam-ul-Haq, Azizullah, Mir Hamza, Ehsan Adil, Salman Afridi (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Faraz Ali, Zafar Gohar, Zia-ul-Haq, Shahid Ilyas, Usman Qadir, Saad Ali

Taufeeq Umar is Here to Stay

One thing which has surprised me is the doubts & question marks which are being raised regarding Taufeeq Umar’s place as Pakistan’s test match opener. Taufeeq has 3 centuries & 4 half centuries in 29 test innings since being recalled into the side. He was Pakistan’s leading test run scorer last year. He has opened in 15 consecutive test matches alongside Mohammad Hafeez which is 50% more than the previous highest by a Pakistani opening pair ever, overtaking Ramiz Raja/Mudassar Nazar & Saeed/Sohail. That is a reflection of his performances & consistency which has resulted in stability & continuity in first choice selection matters. He has been involved in the most 100+ stands for the opening wicket by a Pakistani opening pair so has been providing starts & foundations for the middle order to build on.

Younis Khan has publicly said that Azhar Ali’s emergence & revelation at number 3 has reduced the pressure & burden on him & allowed him to settle into an easier position at number 4 to consolidate on a firm top order display. Azhar Ali has been doing wonders at number 3 as his 50+ test average in the 15 test matches under Misbah ul Haq shows. Not only is he technically well equipped in defence & tactical awareness, but has the mental toughness to absorb pressure up front, after all men with balls do the hard yards of batting at 3. Hence, needless to promote Azhar to the opening slot, both from an individual & team point of view.

In comparison to his opening partner Taufeeq has been the better & more consistent of the performers. Mohammad Hafeez has scored 2 centuries against Bangladesh & Zimbabwe & 3 50s in 29 test innings. Taufeeq is technically & temperamentally the better of the openers. Not that I am indicating that Hafeez is to be dropped or should be as he is an effective bowler even in the longer version of the game when it comes to nipping out left handers, breaking partnerships & genuinely troubling the batsmen with his guile. He can be a defensive & attacking option with ball in hand. He is also a key part of the whole think tank & fields decently in important positions. However, if you are putting the argument that Taufeeq has to be dropped, then Hafeez who primarily is meant to be in the team for his batting also has to be dropped; otherwise it is ill-logical.

Taufeeq is a safe as houses fielder in the slip cordon & one can even put his name in the hat for the contention of being vice captain of the side as he has abundance of domestic experience & earlier this year led Punjab to the Pentangular Cup trophy.

He has been around the block for a while, even though there was a large period where he was out of the side. For the record he is the 2nd most capped batsmen in the side after Younis so has the experience. This should come in handy. As always there is pressure to perform when you are playing test cricket, but Taufeeq was the leading run scorer with a 236 against Sri Lanka in the Emirates towards the end of last year so should be fairly confident of performing well against the Lankans in their own back yard as well.

Statistically, Pakistan’s best opener after Saeed Anwar. Taufeeeq is a traditional solid defensive opening batsman content on batting time, content on batting long periods. With an attritional game plan Taufeeq has the capabilities to display the virtues, strategies & principles the highest form of the game demands, particularly on Asian wickets where one has to scrap hard to make it count in the heat & humidity.

Ajmal is The First To 50 International Wickets in 2012

The Pakistan off spinner is the first bowler to 50 international wickets for 2012
24 in the 3 Tests against England
10 in the 4 ODIs against England
5 in the 3 T20s against England
8 in the 4 games in Asia Cup
3 in the 2 T20s against Sri Lanka

Lessons Can be Learnt from KPs LOI Retirement

KPs self inflicted retirement from limited over international cricket came as a sudden surprise for all concerned. The Surrey batsmen had scored 2 centuries in his last two one day games in the Emirates & was also the player of the match & series in the last Twenty20 series England contested against Pakistan in the Emirates. The flamboyant entertainer was at the peak of his powers, at his best, rediscovering his best form. In despite of the above, the former captain has decided to call time on his one day career, indicating the increasingly difficult demands of playing all 3 versions of the game in the modern age.

International cricket wants to see the best players take the field irrespective of the format. KP is one of England’s finest one day batsmen, capable of taking the game away from the opposition. His absence is a loss to both England & the game of cricket.

The retirement is somewhat of a wakeup call for administrators. In such a packed international calendar player burnouts were always going to be a competing threat. In a way I am pleased he has decided to prioritise the highest form of the game which shows that he values the significance of test matches, the format of cricket which ultimately defines greatness. However, to put the blame on increasing strains on his body when he had the opportunity of opting out of the Indian Premier League has raised many an eyebrow.

ECB made their stance clear. KP had to make himself available for one day internationals to play the Twenty20 format. Players could not pick and choose between formats. They had to make themselves available for all limited over cricket or none at all. It is understood that KP wanted to play the ICC World T20 in September, but the latest ECB policy did not all him to solely play T20 internationals alongside test matches & completely skipping the fifty over format. KP did however say if they could make an exception for KP to play in the forthcoming World tournament he would be willing to participate. It is a tempting consideration as KP was the player of the tournament in the last World T20 in the West Indies, England’s first major piece of one day silverware.

The bottom line is that administrators need to monitor the amount of one day cricket that is played. I for one believe there is plenty to benefit from having an IPL window for a maximum of 4 weeks as opposed to the current schedule which runs on for 2 months. Meaningless 6 or 7 match ODI series which drag on need to be scrapped without question. Test Cricket is for the purists with success in this format being the frontline priority over a number of years, T20s is a crowd puller, and ODIs should be a middle path primarily for world competitions. I would prefer having annual ODI tournaments such as a triangular series on a year to year basis, World Cup every 4 as is the case, Champions Trophy or a continental competition every 2nd year with less if not none bilateral one day series being organised on its own or in a tour programme. World competitions have shown to us that ODIs have their own charm in the world of cricket, but series between teams on the other hand has in no way had the same effect. SKW said back in 2009 that tests and t20s were the future with ODIs dying away. KPs disappointing retirement is a reflection of this.

Complacency Is Pakistan's Biggest Threat

Pakistan’s tour of Sri Lanka provides an opportunity for Pakistan to put the shambolic tour of 2009 behind them where they were defeated in both the test matches and one day internationals. Sri Lanka has been a bogey team for Pakistan in recent times as the Greens were victorious in all 3 formats when they met in the Emirates in the October & November of last year as well as defeating them during the World Cup & Asia Cup in the fifty over format. Hence, Pakistan go into the series as the more confident & favourites of the two sides. As always the test series is what will have the greatest impact & bearing. It provides an opportunity for Pakistan to create some history by winning their 5th consecutive test series, 6th consecutive test match & further strengthening their formidable undefeated streak in both test matches & test series. The series will be the first of Dav Whatmore in charge after getting his tenure off to a winning start by securing the Asia Cup in Dhaka on March 22nd during his first assignment as full time coach. The professor on the other hand will have the opportunity to make his mark as captain in these two twenty20 internationals which commence tomorrow, having been awarded the role. The Pakistani all-rounder is all set to make his captaincy debut with a young new looked side. The tour has been structured perfectly with the limited over affairs at the beginning leading up to the 5 day series with the length of the games increasing as the tour progresses. This was the complete opposite to how the tour in the Emirates was structured. It would be better if ICC had more of this in place, really trying to prioritise test matches as the main event with everything leading up to the contest which matters most.

Since the sides last met both teams have had a change of coach with Geoff Marsh & Mohsin Khan no longer in charge. Sri Lanka have had a change of leadership across all versions of the game whereas Pakistan have had a change of leadership in just the Twenty20 version of the game with Misbah ul Haq being retained following his successful run in both Test matches and one day internationals. Sri Lanka have won two of their last 4 tests & finally have won in the whites without their 800+ wicket taker. Rangana Herath with his wily left arm spin was the star performer in both of those monumental test victories. Pakistan on the other hand have beaten England by their highest ever margin in a test series & won their 2nd Asia Cup title in 28 years as their front line achievements since they last locked horns with the Islanders. They have consolidated on the comprehensive wins against Sri Lanka to ensure their resurgence was not an illusion, but a definite reality.

Stats

Pakistan have a 5-2 record vs Sri Lanka in 20/20 cricket, winning the last 3
Pakistan have won 6 of their last 7 ODIs against Sri Lanka
Pakistan have a 16-9 record against Sri Lanka in test matches
Pakistan have won 7 of their last 8 ODI series to go along with being semi finalists at the 2011 World Cup & winning the Asia Cup
Misbah ul Haq's last 3 scores vs SL in LOIs are 66,48*,72*. The solid middle order batsmen also has 2 unbeaten half centuries in his last 2 innings in Sri Lanka.
Aizaz Cheema has been MOM in the last 2 LOIs against Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka have lost their last 4 ODIs

Last Time They Toured Sri Lanka In 2009

Tests = Lost 2-0
ODIs = Lost 3-2
T20 = Won

Last Time They Played in the UAE

Tests = Won 1-0 MOTS was Saeed Ajmal
ODIs = 4-1 MOTS was Shahid Afridi
T20 = Won MOM was Aizaz Cheema

Predictions

T20 = 1-1
ODI = 3-2 Pakistan
Test = 2-0 Pakistan

Preferred Line Up

T20s - Hafeez (C), Shehzad, Khalid, Umar(WK), Malik, Hammad, Afridi, Arafat, Gul, Ajmal, Raza

ODIs - (more or less the same as Asia Cup winning side) Hafeez, Azhar Ali, Younis Khan, Misbah ul Haq (C), Umar Akmal, Safraz Ahmed (WK), Shahid Afridi, Umar Gul, Abdur Rehman, Saeed Ajmal, Aizaz Cheema

Tests (set in stone) - Hafeez, Taufeeq Umar, Azhar Ali, Younis Khan, Misbah ul Haq (C), Asad Shafiq, Adnan Akmal (WK), Abdur Rehman, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Aizaz Cheema

Key Performers

Key Players T20

Pakistan

Mohammad Hafeez - 3 MOMs in this format last year
Ahmed Shehzad - naturally aggressive player suited for the format
Saeed Ajmal - 4 wickets in his last game

Sri Lanka

Dilshan - 2009 T20 WC player of the tournament
Malinga - CL T20 2011 leading wicket taker
MJ - Has scored 100s in this format too

Key Players ODIs

Pakistan

Misbah ul Haq - Scored 4 of his 19 ODI 50s against SL
Shahid Afridi - MOTS when Pakistan won 4-1 last year
Saeed Ajmal - 31 wickets during the previous tour vs Sri Lanka, including 12 in the 5 ODIs

Sri Lanka

MJ - leads from the front as captain
Upal Tharanga - changed role in the middle order since MJ took over & is impressing
Thisara Perera - developing bowling all rounder who can add priceless runs

Key Players Tests

Pakistan

Azhar Ali - most 50+ scores during the test series in the UAE & highest average during the series
Taufeeq Umar - career best vs Sri Lanka and leading run scorer when they last met in the series in UAE
Abdur Rehman - 30 wickets in his last 5 tests

Sri Lanka

Rangana Herath - Sri Lanka's 3rd leading test wicket taker
Thilan Samaraweera - highly underrated batsmen averaging 50+, did not play against Pakistan in the UAE
Kumar Sangakkara - MOTS with a century, double century in the UAE for the visitors

What This Series Means

The series might not sound the most attractive tussle on paper considering how frequently these two sides have been meeting in the last 3 years or so & how one sided the contests have been in recent times, but one cannot take Sri Lanka for granted or take them lightly at home especially. They are one of the top 7 test oppositions Pakistan can be facing, have some legendary batsmen in their line up & are not a cakewalk, particularly at home by any stretch of the imagination. They will be familiar & experienced with playing the Pakistan side so you will expect them to negotiate with the likes of Saeed Ajmal better this time around. Hence, complacency is Pakistan’s biggest threat & as long as they ensure this keeps as far as away from their cricket as possible, they should in effect take the series honours. The series will be overshadowed by the England V South Africa test series which is probably the series of the year as two top class, settled and balanced sides go head to head in lively conditions & even the West Indies V New Zealand tour which starts in July which will be an even battle with two sides who will be determined not to lose to each other knowing that this is their best chance of beating a decent side. Pakistan played 11 Test or ODI series in 2011, winning or drawing every single one of them. I'll go as far as saying that the Test & ODI series wins against Sri Lanka would be in the top 3 if one was to a ranking of the significance of those series wins. Hence, beating the Lankans is special & we regard them highly, even though historically Pakistan have had the edge over them. Of course if Pakistan do win the series in Sri Lanka it will be of more meaningfulness as they are a different preposition on their home patch as established. Plus, Sri Lanka did have their own financial problems when they last played Pakistan so they were in a bit of turmoil away from the field of play. Those issue seem to been resolved now which should put them in better stead. The T20 leg of the tour is more significant in this context with the T20 WC 3 & half months away which will be held in Sri Lanka so adapting to the conditions will be a factor, although conditions do not play a huge part in this format, but will play somewhat of a part still.

Azhar Ali & Asad Shafiq ODI Futures

Azhar Ali & Asad Shafiq in ODIs

My arguments are:

-A test cricketer is a complete product who should be more than good enough to adapt to the shorter easier versions. Once a player is doing well in test matches he deserves all the respect, backing & plaudits they can get because it simply does not come harder, tougher or more challenging than that.

-With 2 new white balls at each end you need solidity and steadiness at the top. The change in playing regulations has brought the classical batsmen & technicians back into the game even more.

-You cannot pack a team with attacking one day specialists, you can self destruct easily. The balance has to be there of calmness and flair. You need balance, variation & stability when selecting a side.

-The batsmen should at least be given an extended opportunity to show their worth. Azhar Ali averages 40 + in list A cricket with 5 centuries so has an impressive record. Meanwhile, Shafiq has not even played a full ODI series without being dropped.

-Traditionally Pakistan’s one day batting philosophy has always been based on being cautiously watchful at the top, steady consolidation in the middle through preserving wickets & building partnerships & then the carnage at the end. This is how they did it back in 1992. Raja, Sohail, Imran & Miandad would be looking to price tag their wicket, work the gaps, bat time, setting it up for an onslaught by Inzamam, Moin or Wasim.

-With the next World Cup happening in Australasia where Pakistan incidentally won the World Cup & the following one in England as well as next year’s Champions trophy scheduled in late September, the wickets will be more favorable for seam bowlers so batting will not be as straightforward as having the license or freedom to express yourself on placid tracks or hit cleanly through the line. Wickets will inevitably be falling early & the teams who can get through P1 without losing wickets will be better positioned. Here players such as Azhar Ali & Asad Shafiq with a more complete all round technique which they have demonstrated in the 5 day game will come in handy. Let me stress the September part in next year’s Champions trophy because at this time of the season the ball does plenty for both seamers & spinners.

-With the strength & quality of Pakistan's bowling attack they do not need too worry about posting 280+ totals or chasing 300+ targets. Here being able to hold back, not over estimate targets & just get the job done to a clinical & professional standard is all that is going to be required as opposed to innovative fancy one day batting which other teams are doing & have to do knowing their bowling is not as strong.

I accept that all 4 including Younis & Misbah cannot play in the same line up, but people even have problems of 2 of them playing in the same line up let it be Younis/Misbah, Shafiq/Ali or Shafiq/Misbah. In my opinion 3 obdurate batsmen is sufficient/needed.