In terms of team selection, this has become the biggest question for Pakistan’s Champions Trophy campaign. The rest of the team almost picks itself and I expect the openers to fare much better on India’s helpful tracks.

A straight swap would bring in Faisal Iqbal, a young man whose talent many people doubt but who nonetheless has shown flashes of brilliance. Anybody who earns praise from Shane Warne must have something about him.

Another option might be to play Mohammad Hafeez, Imran Farhat, and Shoaib Malik in the top three. But that brings us to the possibility of Younis Khan dropping down the order, and that might be a move that is widely criticised especially if it fails.

Pakistan could of course play Shoaib Malik at 5, and that’s the option I’d go for. Always bearing in mind that Pakistan’s multitude of all-rounders offers great flexibility and Shahid Afridi batting in a Powerplay might win you the match in a few breathtaking overs.

I strongly feel that Pakistan should experiment with two captains, one for ODI (Younis)and the other for tests ( Inzamam). As regards replacing Inzy for tests I agree the slot is difficult to fill but he is now a liability in ODI's.
How do I justify the above statement, simply do a few calculations. Inzy gives away around 15-20 runs in the field ( fielding) but more importantly he misses at least 20-30 singles (or doubles when they have to be rushed)that adds upto around 40-50 runs. Now he has to score around 70-80 every time to justify his inclusion and that is not going to happen every time.
Much as I admire him as a brilliant batsman almost in the class of Ponting, Lara and Tendulkar his time for ODI retirement is due. If it happens before the World Cup it will be a blessing in disguise for Pakistan and more importantly would also solve the " Dummy Captainship" issue. From amongst the names mentioned M. Hafeez is really versatile so are the others.

I have been a fan of Inzamam's ever since I first saw him in the semi final match of the 1992 World Cup against New Zealand. I was only 8 years old then and 14 years on I never cease to be amazed by the grace and power that he brings to the crease. He is without a doubt a pivotal player in the middle order and until very recently the idea of his retirement sent shivers down my spine. However the last few series have seen two players in particular shed their tags of fair weather performers and step up to the big leagues. I am of course speaking of Mohd. Yousuf and Younis Khan who are currently ranked 3rd and 4th in the Test rankings for batsmen. Their meteoric rise has pacified me to some extent, but the departure of Inzamam will still leave a big hole in the team. The Pakistani batting order should reflect our strengths and attempt to cover our weaknessess. Our weakness traditionally has been the no. 1 and 2 slot, the strength being the middle order of Yousuf, Younis and Inzy and the late order hitting of Razzak and Akmal. Unfortunately there is no Inzy for the Champions Trophy so a replacement is necessary. Shahid Afridi I believe remains a critical player in the OD team and his batting skills should be utilized in conditions most favorable to him i.e when the ball is new, the bowler is trying to find his mark and the field is in. For a long time I considered Shoaib Malik to be wrongly positioned at the top order, but despite being forced in to a role perhaps suited for a batsmen of greater talent, he has shown himself capable of adapting, I still believe though that he can be fine tuned in to a great finisher as he is a fast runner and good at poking the ball around. Which means that Imran Farhat should partner Afridi at the top of the order. No.3 should be Yousuf, followed by Younis and Faisal Iqbal. The best batsmen must be allowed to play the maximum amount of overs so that they can dictate the course of the innings, rather than trying to salvage it at 40/3. The No. 6, 7 and 8 spots go to Shoaib, Razzak and Akmal, while Rana (no. 9), Shoaib (no. 10), and Asif (no.11) bring up the tail. So basically heres my team which should bring Pakistan victory in the Champions Trophy:

1. Imran Farhat
2. Shahid Afridi
3. Mohd. Yousuf
4. Younis Khan
5. Faisal Iqbal
6. Shoaib Malik
7. Abdul Razzak
8. Kamran Akmal
9. Rana Naveed
10. Shoaib Akhtar
11. Mohd. Asif

Inzamam will be sorely missed, but for the first time in years it seems that our middle order is capable of handling the load without Inzy.

younis khan shud bat down the order alowing mohnd hafiz, imran farhat and shoaib malik playing at top three

I think that Pakistan should have Yasir Hameed open the innings and bring down Shoaib Malik to number 6. Yasir Hameed always gives good opening starts and even when his partner fails he goes on to make a fifty or hundred. There's Yousuf, Younis and possibly Akmal at 5. If Yousuf and Younis give Pakistan a solid partnership, Akmal, Malik, Afridi and Razzaq can all score quickly at the death. Imran Nazir, Hafeez or Butt should open the innings with Yasir Hameed. You have five good batsman, three excellent all-rounders lower down(Afridi, Malik, Razzaq), a wicket-keeper who can bat and some fast bowlers lower down to bowl out(or at least injure) the opposition. If one doesn't perform, another will. Pakistan can't lose a match.

Morning Guys

Well very intresting topic tht who can replace Inzi? i think no one can bcoz the way things r going in pakistan cricket team and the way the selection and things r going i think they wont be able to find inzaman replacment in next couple of years, but i think the best option is to give a all rounder a chance rather thn giving faisal Iqbal a chance bcoz in one day cricket All Rounders plays important role so i think if younas comes to bat at no 5 or 4 tht be good or if he take some more responsibility thn bat at no 3 and drop hafeez to no 5 or 6 and let afridi open the inning i think its gona help alot but to be honest no 1 can replace inzi bcoz he got his own class like wasim akram he is a batsman and half and i think every1 knwz tht but i think to replace inzi is captain younas is a best option but as a batsman give some one new chance rather thn faisal iqbal bcoz he is not ideal one day player but i think he is a gud test player so gud luck pakistan in champion trophy

Afridi should open with Hafeez with Malik at no 3 and Younis and Yousuf to follow at 4 and 5 respectively.

I think its high time Pakistan Team Management realized that although all rounders are important to ODI cricket an overdose of these all rounders can back fire. From my standpoint i dont think we should be playing Shoaib Malik and Hafeez in the same XI especially considering Shoaib Malik's form with the bat. He has done nothing of note since returning from injury his batting during England series was nothing to write home about and the trend continued in the match between Sialkot and UP. I would rather open with Hafeez and Imran Farhat and would stick with these two throughout not only the ICCT but also the WI series i think we have a long term solution to opening problems in these two, Younis can come in at 3, Yousaf at 4 and Faisal, Afridi and Razzak can make up the numbers 5, 6 and 7 with Akmal, Akhter, Asif and Rana making up the last four spots. The batting order i agree can be floating but only after the top 4 we should persist with the top 4 in that order throughout the ICCCT, playing Afridi as opener or number 3 to take advantage of power play may be finger licking good but that is what it is by the time you lick your finger Afridi is back in the hut and you have a batting order in disarray, he may succeed now and then but the percentages are not in his favor.

The Struggling Pakistan Team?
It has been seen over th epast few months Pakistan Cricket Team have mainatined their reputation as "Hot & Cold"
The One day Team can do well in the Champions Trophy Provided they address the batting Order te final elevan from the selected team.Shahid Afridi at the Top with Mohammad Hafeez should do the Trick and then Shoaib malik and abdul razzaq towards the late middle order and with bowlers like shoaib akhtar and mohammad Asif they have a fair chance to do well in the Champions trophy even with out Inzimam the Batsman.

I totally agree with to play Shoib Malik at 5 as he is the best player of spin in the team after Younis. As far as batting position of Afridi is concerned, he should be batting up the order only against teams like Sri Lanka, West Indies, India etc. Against teams like Australia, England and South Africa he is certainly not the right choice to play up the order as bowlers like Migrawth, Pollock and Flintoff can make the ball talk on any surface.

Goharz

I think that Mr. Kamran Abbasi himself should come & bat at number 5.

Their are 1000's of Inzimam's in Pakistan who can fill his shoes but the question is, will PCB allow and give someone proper chance and time to show his worth?

The question is not just of Champions Trophy, but is of what lies beyond CWC '07. If Inzamam chooses to hang his boots in the aftermath of the World Cup, then Pakistan Cricket will have a coupled problem of finding a suitable replacement as well as a long standing problems of openers. Shahid Afridi, both as an opener and number six is too mercurial to bet your money on. It has to be someone like Asim Kamal, Faisal Iqbal, or Hasan Raza in test as well one day cricket.

Mr.Abbasi says "As with each adversity there is an opportunity. Who will seize it?"

The answer,most likely, will be journalists and a fresh pack of bureaucrats-in-the-waiting.

But insted of all this belly-aching and brow beating, why not look as Pakistan-qua-Pakistan?

Its cricket,as CLR would have put it, reflects its wider polity and purpose.

Bazid Khan ?
has central contract but not in frame. Any reason ?

hi kamran
i personally dont rate faisal to be honest he might have played a decent innings or two which warne happend to have seen or experienced otherwise he is a failure. he had a very dismissal tour of england, he has been tried and tested just because he is the nephew of javed miandad.i am very sure pakistan has alot of talent in the domestic scene but unfortunetly they dont get a chance. Its goin to be awful when inzy retires who will replace him i dont think he can be replaced. on the other hand we have younis and yousuf which are very fine batsmen once inzy retires the team which already relies heavily on these two (yousuf &younis) in test matches the pressure on them would be much greater.why have we not got yasir hameed or saleem elahi even though they have failed recently they still have decent records elahi averages 35 and hameed averages 38 in odis. i remeber when younis khan came in to the team the first few years of his career his record wasnt to impressing yet still pcb persisted with him and now his groomed in to a world class player. pcb has to learn from that and give players an extended run.

Thank you
Babar Ali
Birmingham (Handsworth)

No mention of Asim Kamal? He seemed to do OK given the few chances he had... and would be ready to fill in comfortably at number 5/6.

Kamran,
SOS to Bob Woolmer pronto !

i think faisal selection was very poor he failed many times what is his everge during england tour and what is his overall everge ,shahid yousaf would been better choice,faisal used enough miandad,s name he is not capable simple.

currently NO, even younis khan himself, and batsman who perform under pressure, IS in recent past in Asim Kamal.that has been under rated.even averaging over 40

bilal

Finally we arrived exactly at the same situation where younis khan arrived.i think he is a player who always think of pakistan in the sense of what should have been......he thought about the differnce in the experience of malik and faisal.Certainly the team would be benefitted if malik is in the middle order.Then there should be someone from the allrounders to be at top to utilise powerplay, atleast to match the likes of india,westindies,south africa specially.he thinks about afridi,but afridi
had the same problem in the carribiann.so he was dissapointed ad deposited the captaicy.
my playing 11 would be..
1.hafeez
2.farhat
3.afridi
4.younis
5.yousuf
6.malik
7.a.razzaq
8.kamran
9.naveed
10.shoaib
11.asif

hence no place of faisal.

The man Inzamam-ul-Haq is irreplaceable in this Pakistan batting lineup, thats period. When you think of it without him being in there immediately you realize theres a BIG hole. Most people in Pakistan don't realize this since they don't happen to understand this game of cricket. But ofcourse you can always consult or pay some heed to the opinion of experts within the game. Without taking anything away from Yousuf, Younis and Faisal Iqbal who has got this wonderful opportunity to prove himself they aren't anywhere close to this greatest batsman ever to have played for Pakistan.

I concur. I think Shoaib Malik over Faisal Iqbal is a no brainer. This is not to pass judgement over Faisal's ability -- indeed he is a pleasure to watch when he comes down the wicket and whacks the spinner over the top. However, Shoaib at 5 would be solid. He plays spinners reasonably well, and has shown the ability to knock around singles or accelerate the run rate. Plus he gives us an additional bowler and a geat fielder (though Faisal has taken some really good catches too).

Personally, I think that to try and replace Inzi requires desperate measures, as there is no true replacement waiting in the sidelines... One thing i want to see is to try out the new kids like Shahid Yousuf or someone else who is trying to break into the international scene. I have only seen one innings from Faisal Iqbal under pressure, but other than that his runs have mainly come when the running has been good for the entire team. He may be capable of averaging in the fourties, but i would much rather have someone like Asim Kamal who averages in the thirties under tough conditions. I do agree with making Shoaib Malik come in at five and playing two specialist openers, but in that situation I think it would be best to have Shoaib Malik convert into a fulltime batsmen with part-time bowling abilities rather than being an allrounder becuase you have to be brilliant in order to even come close to replacing Inzi.

i think we should go for a straight swap, ie iqbal for inzi. that way we will have a settled team, no shifting and shunting of the batting order. this continuity of selection will show confidence in the players, and hopefully some good resulkts will come our way. i think we should persist with hafeez and malik opening. they are quality allrounders (in all 3 departments), rather tham picking farhat, who is essentially just a batsman. we have a very good team on paper. just need to produce it on the field. bob woolmer will play a big part. he is the best coach in the world.

This may sound like a revolutionary idea for the PCB and thus my account may be suspended, but why not promote our domestic level's most prolific batsman, Shahid Yousuf? The precocious batsman is a highly regarded stroke player in domestic circles and perhaps we should commit to him for the long course as India has done with Raina.

i would bring afridi at the top of the order, as you would have razzaq at the end of the innings anyway and a few good overs from afridi would swing the match in pakistans favour and afridi always strikes fear into the heart of the opposition (although he normally doesnt pull it off) but still the fear is always there... plus who wudnt love watching afridi batting right at the start rather than at the end... after all cricket is a form of entertainment isnt it..!! :)

Life without Inzamam is going to be tough for Pakistan, but that's not just because we are going to be missing a batsman, we are going to be missing an exceptional captain. As a captain it will be tough to find a replacement, even though Younis has flashed hints that when given half the chance he can create as much havoc as Inzy and that's not limited on the field.

The best and logical step to take is to give a youngster a chance to prove himself, this is a test run for the world cup and if we can find another young middle order batsman who can win matches, this ban of Inzy may just be a blessing in disguise.

salamz,
I totally agree with u Kamran. The best bet wud be to play shoaib at the nubmer 5 slot. It wud give Pakistan more options. But wat I am more concerned about is what will happen when Inzi returns?? Will shoaib be ousted or one of the openers ?? This still leaves us with a makeshift arrangement. Plus the fact that faisal may not feel justified by not being in the team. Its a tuf call.

Shoaib Malik should bat at no5 I wouldn't consider Faisal Iqbal as a one day player my squad would be:

Farhat
Hafeez
Younis
Yousaf
Malik
Afridi
Razzaq
Akmal
Rana
Shoaib
Asif

this is technically the best team we have without inzamam we will win the champions trophy inshallah

inzy is a great player and nobody is replace to inzy but currently only muhammad yousaf is the player who handle the situtation in the most critical situation of the game.

Dear Kamran Abbasi,
I will open with M Hafeez and S Malik then have Imran Farhat at #3. If a wicket falls early then we can expect Farhat(being a specialist opener) to curtail the damage and if there is a solid opening patnership then Farhat can really open his shoulders and score some quick runs at #3

Faisal Iqbal? he wouldn't be in the team if he was not the nephew of Javed Miandad. He did not do much on English tour but contributed fully in Pakistan's defeat. A simple solution is to drop Shoaib Malik at No. 5.

Pakistan batting line up is not reliable, mainly due to the recycled old guard like inzy still batting. We need to try new blood and by that I don't mean the few new guys that have failed miserably lately. Bring in more new blood every ten games. A few flashes of brilliance from these old or new guys don't cut it and you know that. There has to be consistency, meaninng they have to score in the 40's 8 out of ten games. When a player is dimissed for under 20 in half of the games they bat, they are worth crap. When will you understand that. Yusuf Yuhana is the only guy on the paki team who can stay at the crease for long innings every game or so. Why are we in love with Inzy. I love the guy for what he has accomplished, but for the past 5 years he can't be trused with the bat. If you want to know what it means to be consistant with the bat, just look at some of the rival indian batsmen. I know our bowling is superior, but that is not going to fix the batting problem which is more important.

I think we should bring back Javed Miandad and Ijaz Ahmed in the middle order. Either that or I maybe in the wrong decade.

Inzamam is old and past it. Zaheer Abbas has exposed his personal leadership shortcomings as demonstated by his pathetic actions at the Oval. His cricketing ability also bears questioning as age catches up with him (as well all know given Pakistan birth certificates Inzy is probably in his 40's). The stats tell the story more eloquently than anyone and without any personal bias. In the Test series versus England Inzy averaged 38.66. This in itself was flattered by one 'Not Out'. He was thus only slightly more competent than Imran Farhat who at least had the excuse of facing the new ball.

i am agree with mr. kamran abbasi on all his comments but not on faisal iqbal. he is the person who got many chances but so far he not proved himself. he is a lazy player.he have good shots in his book but he is not a player for international games. he is good for club cricket.any how shoaib malik is best choice to replace inzimam in middle order.

Well it is the right time to ponder upon the succession of great Inzi. There is no doubt that PCB didn't do enough to put in place a succession plan for the Pakistani Batting line up. While lately Pakistan didn't have any real problem in the Bowling line up, batting has been the main issue.

Kamran mentioned quite a many options for Inzi's replacement but in my opinion one name is missing i.e. Bazid Khan who didn't get many chances.

In my view Faisal Iqbal and Bazid Khan could be the most suitable replacements for Inzi.

I think it would be a good idea to let Afridi open along with Hafeez especially since he has also shown interest in an interview upon arrival in India. Younus and Yousuf should be next followed by Shoaib, Faisal, Razzak and Akmal and than the three fast bowlers. This would be a very good batting order with lots of depth and bowling options and as you said if Afridi clicks he can change the match in few overs.

Tanweer

Hasn't Faisal already grabbed the opportunity pretty well in the past?

The good thing is that the pitches will be placed and our batsman will feel at home on Indian pitches. Our openers usually have no clue what's going against the moving ball in seaming conditions. So playing 3 openers may not be a bad idea.

But I think with Inzamam out, we need a steadying force in the middle order. Faisal Iqbal is the best option. We already have a bunch of explosive players who could open. Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal, Farhat, Hafeez, or even Afridi. If need be, they come in if we lose an early wicket, thoguh I would stick with Younis at one-down.

Malik and Hafeez pretty much bring the same thing to the table. Afridi has already claimed he can bat anywhere, but he clearly does not prefer the new ball anymore. Afridi should go after the specialists along with Razzak. He has a much better chance for playing his game then.

Picking two out of Farhat, Malik or Hafeez to me, to be the ideal partnership. If Faisal Iqbal fails, then bring in the third guy. I just feel that Faisal has a better chance of scoring more runs than these 3. Though he may acquire them at a slower rate, but that's okay.

My team would be Hafeez, Farhat, Younis, Yousuf, Faisal and the rest all fit in.

Sure, Inzimam leaves a gaping hole, however we would not be discussing the size of the hole had Shoaib Malik performed in England. But here we are... and SM the all rounder must find form - it should be easier for him on the flat/slow Indian wickets.

Who will replace Inzamam the batsman when he finally retires should be the concern for Pakistan cricket and not when will Inzamam the captain be replaced.

Inzamam has been Pakistans best batsman on a continious basis for a number of years now and it has been known for sometime that he will retire soon, yet no up & coming batsman so far has shown the potential to fill that void eventually.

If Faisal Iqbal is the long term replacement, then he should be given the chance to develop in that role whenever the chances arise. Be it for one match while Inzamam is away or 4 as is the current situation.

Shahid Yousuf has been touted but he needs to prove himself in the domestic circuit and then in the 'A' team before making the cut.

Asim Kamal is another option, but only for test matches, from what i have seen of him he doesnt seem to be suited to the ODI game, unless he develops his game further.

Ofcourse Younis Khan. Infact, for better captaincy, Inzy should step down and play under Younis, who has excellent skills of captaincy. Without captaincy pressure, even Inzamam can bat well.

How can you classify Shoaib Malik as an allrounder? He can barely bat let alone bowl! Faisal Iqbal cannot bat at the international level (unless you produce dead wickets with club standard bowlers like India's) Mohammed Hafeez and Afridi must open. Perhaps Shahid Yousuf should should bat at no.5. Every young kid deserves a chance, and he can't possibly do worse than what pak has already experienced. The flat pitches should help younger batsmen.

Dear kamran
This is a very important question you brought up about who will replace inzi? I agree to to you that someone has to seize the oppurtunity and fill into inzi's boots which by no means in an easy job.Our batting order in Champions trophy has to play responsibily and show that they can handle tough situations without the father figure of Inzi.I would probably go with younis at number 3 beacuse he has performed well in India at that position and i think shoaib malik and imran farhat or Hafeez to open the innings.Faisal iqbal could be given a try at number 5 and if he doesnot do well than probably farhat and hafeez both would open and malik could be send down the order.These are some of the options that came to my mind but i sure want to point out that too much of chopping and changing especially to the opening pair has hurt us badly during the past 2 or 3 seasons.
we need to give an extended run to couple of openers and let them develop an understanding between themselves.this would do a world of good to the openers self confidence too.Bob woolmer in his article pointed out today that since all the matches are day night affairs openers are going to be tested in the initial overs of the second innings,where the ball would seam and zip around.So openers performing better would certainly help us get an edge over other teams and
it would make the middle order's job alot easier.
Thank you
from Philadelphia,USA.

In the absence of Inzy - I propose the following batting order. Given the nature of Indian pitches, Afridi's zeal and recent record when opening in India - an Afridi/Farhat combination should open. If the loss of the 1st wicket occurs prior to the 5th over then Shoaib Malik should be promoted to the No. 3 spot (with Younis, Yousuf and Hafeez to follow). If the 1st wicket falls after the 5th over then Younis Khan should retain the No. 3 spot and Shoaib Malik can revert to the No. 5 spot. At No. 4 - Muhammed Yousuf, No. 6 Hafeez, No. 7 Akmal, No. 8 Razzaq, No. 9 Akthar, No. 10 Navel-ul-Hassan (since his form is uncertain - Gul could make worthy replacement) and No. 11 Asif.

Yess, this is the best call by PCB to retain Inzi for the series against West Indies. In the Pakistan batting line up no one can fill Inzi's boots. He is master in playing under pressure situations, Muhammad Yousaf with all his lazy elegance and Younis Khan with all his fighting abilities have maintained their own standards but actually they cant replace the big man. Pakistan team needs Inzi atleast till World Cup 07. Malik can possibily play in the late middle order and can give good results, i still remmeber his 82 runs innings on 42 balls against South Africa, he can blast in the death overs. talking about Shahid Afridi, he has always performed in India, and he should be sent to utilise the power plays, on these batting wickets he will score Inshallah!

i would definetely pick the multi talkented shoaib malik to replace the mighty inzimam. malik can bat anywhere in the pakistani line up which is sometimes his downfall. he is like shahid afridi, that is he can be an extremely explosive player, but at the same time he also has the maturity to stabilize the innings when needed. and without inzi in the team that situation may arise.
malik is also an accomplished bowler and a brilliant fielder, something that pakistan need oin their team. my line up would be as follows:
Hafeez, Farhat, Khan, Yousuf, Malik, Afridi, Akmal, Razzaq, Naved, Akhtar, Aif

Pakistan needs a Michael Hussey of some sort. Dont think there are any out in Paki though.

I am at loss to see why Bazid Khan has played so little international cricket. He clearly has potential. Faisal Iqbal has shown us what he can do, but now i think it is time for Khan to have his chance.

I think its about time that MoYo take over as the consistent backbone of Pakistan's ODI middle order. In the past he has yoyo'd between the brilliant and the abysmal, often in the same over.

As far as Faisal Iqbal goes, I wonder what brings about Warne's generous praise, given that he has hardly bowled to him. He is at best a stop-gap solution, and at worst just a nephew of a certain Javed Miandad.

I believe Hafeez and Shoaib Malik are better choices as 'bits and pieces' players that can contribute with bat or ball or with their electric fielding, as the situation demands.

mr. abbasi, i am surprised that you had not mentioned about yousuf's ability to bat!!! perhaps you don't count him in because he is not mentally going to give his 100% after losing the captaincy!!!! shahid afridi, the most unreliable batsman in the world. his technique teaches the youngsters how to gamble your witcket, how to perform as an irresponsible bloc, how to be careless, how to under-estimate your opponents, how to be a reckless guy, how to be a selfish person, etc. he thinkgs and pcb think-tank thinks the cricket game means only hitting sixers!!!! most of your cricket team players are uneducated ninkonpoof including your dear inzi. do you think the amount of feedback through useful articles that cricinfo is pouring in and out is being read and understood by any of your team player? i am surprised how they can understand and communicate with their foreign coach? the technical tips and techniques that you get from cricinfo articles must be beyond the imagination of your team players. if pakistan had won the only world cup was because of the only fact that your captain, imran khan happens to be not only educated but had the opportunity to get himself accustomed to the western lifestyle. perhaps we should give our team captaincy to shoaib akhtar but only if he behaves himself and do not get himself unfit voluntarily!!!

I would personally agree with you. Shoaib Malik is probably the best choice to fill in that spot. I don't like Faisal Iqbal too much, although I was never aware of Shane Warne praising him ever before. Still, it does not make too much of an impact since he did not show that he is worthy of keeping in the chances that he has had. Liek you said: "...flashes of brilliance."

SHAHID YOUSUF will fill the gap...he is a super middle order batsman with good technique. so i think he should get a chance

While there are many who may have the potentiality of being as good as Inzi but trust me no one, not only in Paki cricket but world cricket, is going to be remotely close to him. He is not replaceable.

The best line up as per me right now is
1 Imran Farhat
2 Mohd Hafeez (shahid Afridi if Faisal Iqbal Plays)
3 Shoaib Malik
4 Younis Khan
5 Mohd. Yousuf
6 Shahid Afridi (Faisal Iqbal)
7 Abdul Razzak
8 Kamran Akmal
9 Rana Naved
10 Shohaib Akhtar
11 Mohd Asif

Its really a genuine concern,as inzi is a great player & faisal Iqbal till now couldn't justified his place specially in tests,where he has given many chances.In this scenario I hope Afridi & M.Hafeez open the batting,Malik #3,then Younis #4,Yousuf#5 & Faisal#6 to start the champions trophy,as we have already seen that Shoaib Malik has performed really well at #3 rather than down the order,same is true for Afridi in case of indian slow wickets,where there gain of keeping afridi in stock up to no 6 or 7,its much better he can play lusty shorts with the new ball.
Thanks

I agree that Hafeez and Farhat open and Malik drop down to number 5.
However, I still think that the selectors could have blooded some young spinners- maybe a leg and a left-arm spinner- in this tournament in order to have more surprise and variety for the forthcoming world cup.
Pakistan's bowling is great but in one-dayers these days any attack can become one-dimensional and having more variety in the form of previuosly unknown spinners might help aginst, England, South Africa, and Australia.
Maybe Woolmer shoould think.
Syed Jamal

It is really a big question.It is not very easy to replace the batsman of inzy's class.
Pak should play Shoaib malik at 5,this will give them extran advantage due to his off spin bowling. I will go for the following team
Hafeez,Farhat
Younis,yousuf,
Malik,afridi,razzak.akmal
Shoaib,rana,asif

There is no questioning the fact that Inzamam's imminent departure will leave a huge gap to fill. However, I am of the opinion that "the gap ought to be left as it is", only to be filled by a newcomer, rather reshuffle the batting deck and find someone who fits thru trial&error (albeit that's how most problems are tackled in Pakistan cricket). Shahid Yousaf, a name that has been popping a few times, is a very real prospect. (Personally, I am hugely disappointed by Faisal Iqbal's (performance)/(#chances given) ratio, and his slow starting nature in the England tour, a real cause for concern).Shahid Yousaf (20) , on the other hand, has represented Pakistan at almost all age group levels and often shows glimmers ala Mark Waugh with his straight bat. Whether he ought to be the "man", only time will tell, but the sooner there is a strategy behind filling Inzamams shoes the better it will be for Pakistan Cricket.

I think Pakistan should play with two regular openers (Farhat & Hafeez, rather than persisting with Shoaib Malik. Malik should bat at number 5 position replacing Inzy, specially Farhat & Hafeez showed signs of good form lately and conditions are perfect for batting. Malik is a great asset to the team, so we don't want to loose him early in the innings against the good oppositions & Champions Trophy is pretty much a Knock out format, so you don't get much opportunities to rectify your mistakes.

Well pakistan better get used to it, sooner or later he has to leave. Faisal iqbal sure worth persisting,but most of us can see where he stands, in ODI cricket especially...i hope he can proove me wrong but his technique and cricketing sense doesn't seem upto par.
Surely Asim Kamal has to fall in the frame somewhere, he is too talented to be just forgotten.
As for shoiab malik at 5, i think it is perfect, he is fit to run the quick runs, experienced, and can hit the big ones when needed.

hi kamran,

i dont think that faisal iqbal has the ability to be in the team, he is in it because of the big names backing him up and i surely think that younis droppin out of captaincy was over his selection. faisal iqbal should never be in the team. the guy cant field or bat. as far as openers go i would like to see imran farhat out and yasir hameed or imran nazir recalled with mohd. hafeez openin the game. shoaib malik is an important player and he can play big shots. so yea i agree with you on him coming down the order. as far as afridi goes he is the pride of pakistan and a great fighter. you can put him any where in the order and he will launch his way in a cruel fashion to let the bolwers know he is there to kill them.

Crater in the middle order there is. Historically, Pakistan's strenght has always been the bowling. Guess its time for the bowlers to pick it up again.

Fasial Iqbal with on the back of a solid performance in the last domestic season and some good performances in tests finally looks to be ready for the big stage. He should be given the a good run as a first choice replacement in tests. Look for other options only if he fails to deliver.

In onedays, I think Shoaib Malik should take his number 3 position back, with Younis coming at 5. Shoaib has the unique talent of digging in for the big inning and exlpoding when required. Younis is the man for big hauls but lacks the versatility if large totals are bing chased.

As for opening, trying Hafeez with any of the left handers who can come up with a half decent performance should be fine. we don't expect anything from the openers anyway.

This is how I think the team should line up:

1. Mohammad Hafeez
2. Imran Farhat
3. Younis Khan
4. Mohammad Yousuf
5. Shoaib Malik
6. Shahid Afridi
7. Abdul Razzaq
8. Kamran Akmal
9. Rana Naved-ul-Hassan
10. Shoaib Akhtar
11. Mohammad Asif

This gives us plenty of option with 3 out and out fast bowlers plus one seaming all rounder and 3 spinning all rounders, plus the batting goes all the way down to 10 and numbers 5,6,7 and 8 can be shifted anywhere in the order.

I believe Afridi should open irrespective of whether he fires or fails. In my opinion, Hafeez might find himself opening with Afridi and Malik coming one down. Younis should move to number four and Moyo to number 5 respectively. Inzi's absence has exposed so many craters in the 'wall'! Faisal at 6 followed by Kami and Razzaq at 7 and 8 respectively.

No one can Ever replace inzi as a batsman, not even Bradman or VIV Richard.

I believe that Inzy cannot be replaced at all at the moment for now. Faisal Iqbal or any others are just understudies. As far as I can see there is no real batsman up and coming in pakistan. Obviously, the 3,4 and 5 positions are suppose to be the powerhouse, which it is right now with Younis, Yousuf and Inzy handling all the pressure. However, it is expected that after the 2007 World Cup Inzamam will retire, and if that is the case then who will be replacing him permenantly. I would expect it would be Malik, Younis and Yousuf, however this still leaves the openers up in the air. Its been almost 3 years and we haven't come up with 0 openers which are permenant. Inzy should be well kept and praised while he is still around because we don't know what will happen in the future.
Last note: I'm glad the ICC appointed him captain after the Champions Tropy because I'd hate to see what happened to Ganguly happen to Inzamam.
Sami

Inzamam's absence from the pakistani middle order has created a huge hole. Faisal Iqbal's inclusion into the ODI squad really surprised plenty of pakistani fans as he performed poorly in the test series against England. scoring only 149 runs in 7 innings with an average of 21.29 left a the fans thinking that was he the right person to be selected to play in the middle order. Iqbal was choosen over several talented middle order players such as: Asim Kamal, Shahid Yousuf and Yasir Hameed. Pakistan's decision to replace Inzi with Iqbal was not favoured by some of the pakistani fans in England. most of us felt that he did not prove himself in England and so we felt that other players should be given an oppertunity. Iqbal's inclusion is a sad sight for some fans. this can dent the confidence of players who have proven there talent on numerious occasions, but still have been dropped. Yasir Hameed's last ODI score was 57 against England. he is a great young talent who needs more oppertunities, and if this is what Pakistan do to their other young talents then i can't see Pakistan producing players who can replace Inzi and Mohammed Yousuf when they retire. Talent is required for young players who are the future of the Pakistani team, and they need to be given oppertunities more often.

inzamam will be heavily missed in this series. his cool demeanor in the toughest situation is his biggest asset. i would not go for the straight swap with faisal iqbal. one because iqbal has not had success in odis. i wud open hafeez and imran farhat and telling them to score runs. honestly i am disgusted with teh pak openers and its time to put pressure on them and see whose tough enough. younis khan shud come in at no.3 his normal position while malik shud take on mohd. yousuf's role as the anchor. malik isnt a out and out bludgenor and he wud be useful playing the spniiners in the middle overs. moyo shud take inzis responsibility. the only reason i separate younis and yousuf is because pak tendency to collapse. i also think akmal shud bat at 6. he knows how to build an innings and he needs to be given more overs to play.

Inzamam is going to be extremely hard to replace. His calmness cannot be replaced by any player in this era. Faisal Iqbal will really have something to prove in this tournament!

I agree with you ocmpletely. I think Faisal Iqbal is the best replacement for Inzamam for now, and also in the future when our great batsman decides to hang up his boots. Age and talent is on Faisal's side. I believe the ideal team for Pakistan for Champion's Trophy would be:

Shoaib Malik
Mohammad Hafeez
Younis Khan
Mohammad Yousuf
Faisal Iqbal
Abdul Razzaq
Shahid Afridi
Kamran Akmal (wk)
Shoaib Akhtar
Mohammad Asif
Umar Gul

Another combination could be that Umar Gul can be dropped and Imran Frahat brought in as an opener with Shoaib Malik Batting at No. 6, right after Faisal Iqbal. Mohammad Hafeez has performed well in recent times, and he deserves a long run.

No one is indespensible. But who will be the replacement is not sure. Name of Muhammad Yousuf springs to mind when it comes to Inzi's replacement but even he lacks the cool composure of Inzi. I have always wanted Inzi to open the innings so our openers can learn something from him and i would say this again specially when he is approaching the end of his career so its time to give something back to the team. I might sound dumb but it would be the right move going forward. Just imagine what wonders Inzi had done had he opened the innings from the very start of his career. Probably more runs and less opening problems for Pakistan. After all most of the modern day batsmen started their career opening the innings like Lara and after sometime it was Tendulkar too. Opening with Inzi will put added responsibility on Yousuf and who knows, he might respond even better.

Inzi is the best player in the world and no body can fill his place as a middle order player and as a capton...he is only one .....

Naturally given that Yu-K will be taking over the reigns as captain it's expected that he too will shoulder most of the burden created when Inzi retires. I agree, however I think Mo-Yo needs and will play a much bigger role than people have suggested. He is our most experienced batsman, and although some may call him streaky or un-reliable in clutch situations, i think as he matures and as the situation warrants it, a more reliable Mo-Yo will emerge.

Given this, I feel (primarily for the one day team) Shoaib Malik should be 3 - given how devastating he was there prior to Yu-K's re-emergence into the team. Yu-K should then be 4 and Mo-Yo 5. This allows are 'best' batsman to be at 4 &5, creates the possibility to see the Mo-Yo - Yu-k show that all Indians love, allows Shoaib to play his natural position, and in essence keeps Yu-K away from the newer ball and also the lower order (where Mo-Yo can score at a higher rate with the 'bash brothers' and/or tailenders).

With this the bottom order remains intact as it currently is, leaving the opening partnership as only area uncertainty (which is anything but a new problem). Farhat and Hafiz would seem the likely cadidates but I truly hope and belive that Butt can straighten things out and fins his form again, so that him and Hafiz can eventually for a solid left-right, 1-2 combination.

zQ

I agree with the author. Shoaib Malik playing down the order with Imran Farhat and Mohammad Hafeez at the top of the order seems to be the best option. That would leave us with Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzak and Kamran Akmal to bat at 6, 7 and 8, a lower order that can blow any bowling apart.
Another option that could have been was Asim Kamal. He could have played the role of holding one end and bringing the right left combination into play. But since he is not there Shoaib Malik seems to be the right option.
But the gap left by Inzi's absence cannot be filled as we are yet to find a batsman of the calibre and class.

In the last world cup, if I can remember well, Inzamam did not score more than 20 runs over all and Pakistan paid the price. I think the team is mature enough now and if internal politics does not come into play, Md. Yousuf and Shoyeb Malik will be the big gun for Pakistan.

yunis khan cant b dropped down d order coz dats insanity and bringing shoaib malik at 5 cud hold plus hafeez and farhat gave d last credible opening psrtnership............

INZAMAM IS IRREPLACEABLE!!!

I think Faisal Iqbal has been given enough chances to show his worth, which unfortunately in my view is not there at all. Plus he is not an ODI player, i think Malik, Afridi and Razzaq coming back to back would be our best bet. I am kind of skeptical about Farhat in the ODI team too, and would probably go with Kamran Akmal opening the innings with Hafeez and play the extra bowler.

The confirmation of Inzi as Captain for the forthcoming series against West Indies is in fact an effort to calm down his group in the team which can disrupt the balance of the team in ICC Trophy by "Go slow" tactics.
Playing Shoain Malik at 5 is best option under the circumstances but Why Faisal Iqbal is always there as replacement? Where are all those batsmen who are playing in Pakistan A and Pakistan U/19 sides?
Anyone knows whereabouts of Anwer Ali, Akhtar Ayub and Jamshed? What happened to the guy winning the Fastest Bowler Competition held by PCB? Where is thw wonder boy from Waziristan who bowled in the Camp as thw fastest bowler?
I think we should offer all the positions of the cricket team up for sale and give them to the highest bidder after all cricket is now an industry and PCB should run like a corporate body.

No doubt, no one can replace Inzi as batsman. Faisal Iqbal is a logical choice for Champions Trophy but you can not ignore Mohammad Hafeez performance in recent series of England. Shoaib Malik at No.5 might be ok but most of his runs came from No.3 position. Younis can also bat at Number 5 but his batting order is always going to be a problem. I think, Razzaq should be batting at number 6, It might even be worth to try Razzaq at number 5. It's time they should start thinking about getting a replacement for Shahid Afridi; after playing 230 ODI (how many good batsman have played 230 ODI's during there career), Pakistan still can't rely on his batting skills and he is only a mediocre in his bowling. He only averages just over 23, Just because he can hit a huge six should not be the only factor in his selection, he usually gets out on the next ball. A Batsman who tries to hit a six when a bowler is on hatrick specially someone experience like him do not deserve a place in the Pakistan Team, A nation with so much cricket talent.

I think Asim Kamal should replace inzy in the middle order, he has the right technique and is a classy player

I think putting Shoaib Malik at 3 would work fine, he seems to play well at that position and he strikes the ball well. Younis Khan is not even the best batsman on the team, so he shouldn't think about batting above Mohd. Yusuf. He might be captain but seniority does not give one a justification of batting above more worthy batsman.

It's funny, really, if you look at how things are 'criticised' a bit too often. People who can't hold a bat properly feel fit to say anything they want to about the batting order of a team. A team can either stick to their batting order no matter what the case and be criticised, or they can experiment with their batting orders (like India has done, recently) and still be criticised. For Pakistan, I would have to say that, given recent history, even the batsman at number 3 is an opener, and so, Pakistan can shuffle the order around with Hafeez, Farhat, Malik and Afridi. That means that Yousuf and Younis should always play at slots 4 and 5. That leaves the remainder of the above mentioned to come in at number 6, followed by Akmal and Razzaq. However, every game should be accessed on its own merit. Younis is definitely a more creative and riskier captain than Inzi - so he should know what to do, and how to shuffle the order. No point criticising that. Unconditional support :)

Afridi batting in a powerplay is a good idea, as he is too readable to be playing as an opener.Shoaib normally score in India n Pak, so he should be given the chance at the top order.Yunis should lift his game and perform at 5 as Dravid and Bevan has done.
If shane has really praised Faisal then its big deal.Although I think these guys are only good in the sub-continent. as said by Yunis khan, he is left with only 3 more years of cricket, and knowing the fitness level of Inzi and Yusuf, we should be very serious in looking for a replacement for Inzy and yunus, and saeed Anwer.
Nicely written column, welldone Kamran.

I think the best position for Younis Khan is at 3. He has been performing tremenously at this position. Playing him at 5 may create problems for shaky top order. Once the top order takes the pace off the ball, the middle order may steady the innings and then the all rounders like Kamaran Akmal and Razzaq can take the advantage of putting the opposition in a treacherous situation.Afridi woud be better off opening the innings on indian pitches however, he must be constantly reminded of his responsibility if at all he feels for it.

Inzi getting run out when he was just avoiding the throw. Inzi being given out when he just stop the ball because he did not want to get hit.Then there Oval fiasco. All these happening point to Inzi's lack of knowledge about the Laws of Cricket. Inzi put in F.Iqbal not knowing that Inzi being replaced losses his chance to join the team after 4 games. Inzi needs to learn or maybe he is too old then at least all other players need to know the Laws of Cricket.

i am pakistani and as pakistani i should suggest good things for pakistan and that is IMRAN NAZIR should be added in squad and he should apoen the inings

In my view Shahid Afridi should open the innings along with Shoaib Malik or Imran Farhat, keeping in mind the Indian tracks batsmen friendly nature and Afridi's track record on subcontinent soils. Younis khan should always be at No.3 position, this is the place best fit for his type of batting, rigid, tempermental, solid defence, shot selection as well he can be dashing according to the requirements. Mohamed Yousuf should come at No.4 followed by Faisal Iqbal and then the long handle specialists like Abdul Razzak, Kamran Akmal, Rana Naved, Shoaib Akhtar, etc... But the top most important thing is Afridi should get a chance to take on the oppositions right from the start go, his way of batting can demoralize any bowling attack.

faisal iqbal is not suited to the modern ODI game.
EOS!

This will be very tricky situation if you are Pakistan team and don't have the leisure of having Inzamam walk into bat with 2 wickets down for single digit score on board (which is more often than not).
I think Pakistan should stick with Hafeez and Malik to open the innings and the Younis can come in, followed by Yousuf and Faisal (if played) followed by Afridi, Razzaq, Akmal and 3 bowlers.
All the negative publicity Younis got in the past week or so will have to be used as an energy boost to this side.
They can be destructive on a given day and be pedestrian the very next day so I will not have any high hopes from them but just would want to see some electrifying cricket from them.
The game plan will have to be to score as many runs in the first 20 overs (Malik & Hafeeez & Younis), built the innings in the next 20 (Younis, Yousuf & Faisal) and Afridi (45 ball hundred last time he was in India),Razzaq (he is hot in the last few overs, remember England tour ) and the Akmal can enthrall the crowd in the last 10.
I have very high regard for Malik and hopefully he will live up to the expectations after a blip in England.
Regards
Ahmed

Actually, in general sense, there is no one in Pakistan cricket who can replace Inzy as a batsman. But, for this tournament, it is true that there has to be someone who need to do his job. I think, it can show us an indication of Pakistan's future after Inzamam. Who'll step in his shoes & how will be the life without the absense of such a maestro. It is indeed important to notice that, Pakistan's batting line-up as whole has to come up; the combination is the key. In flat pitches of India Shahid Afridi is a must Opener. Remember what he did here in 2005 India tour? It should be said the absence of Inzy has to cover up through the middle-order force of Malik, Younis, Yousuf & later on Razzak & Akmal. The big question will be who to put in the middle of them? has to be a young one as Mr. Abbasi mentioned about Faisal. Definitely, it will be interesting & will create a new challenge. Only If Pakistan think-tank can make a right move for that one spot, the whole batting combination will be strengthened & will provide the bonus to success opportunity when Inzy returns, specially in the World Cup.

That is a very important point raised by Kamran. Pakistan has done well to develop Younis as a future captain, but what about replacing Inzi the batsman. The reason that Pakistan has been relatively successful over the past couple of seasons has been the consistency of the middle order. Younis and Yousuf will be the only two reliable batsmen that we'll have, post Inzi's retirement. But no team in world cricket can win any matches with just two world-class batsmen. It is about time that people like Faisal Iqbal and Asim Kamal be given chances to prove themselves so that we can replace Inzi the batsman, and not just Inzi the captain.

I think monty panesar should come to pakistan and bat at number 5.He can easily replace inzamam.

Shahid Afridi opening the innings is a complete waste of his wicket if the pitch is hard and there is early movement. He is a great hitter of the ball WHEN he hits the ball and unfortunately a lot of time he misses it completely. When the ball is new and swinging around a bit Afridi finds it hard to be effective. Teams always put their strongest batsman up the order to see off the new ball while keeping wickets so that hitters like Afridi can capitalize once the ball isnt doing too much. Having said that, on most Indian pitches (depending on the weather) Afridi can be a good choice as an opener. Decision should be made on a case by case basis. In summary, Afridi + Farhat/Butt/Yasir/ OR Akmal plus the latter three are the right choices in my mind.

I am an Indian, and I think I speak on behalf of a lot of Indians in my region - YASIR HAMEED was a genuine find...whatever happened to him! Also, I find Pakis highly under-rating FAISAL IQBAL...I think the lad has a great future ahead of him.

Also, Inzamam is arguably the strongest, most unshaken captains in the world. My favorite pick of the PAKI TEAM - undoubtedly INZY.

Faysal Iqbal's retention in the national side is not logical but a political decision. Quota system has been in Pakistan cricket since the begining but PCB has tackled it well so far to keep people silent. Now its becoming ever so obvious that either Sami or Faisal has to be in the team so that Karachi is always in the picture (If you guys know what i mean!). So guys no point commenting about Faisal Iqbal as this is the reality we have to face and have been facing it since the independance. please go and read the cricket history of Pakistan and you will find in every team 1 or 2 Karachi cricketer with atleast 1 being an unwanted player. Now since Sami has failed and out, Faisal is our future. Please open you eyes and try to live with it!

Salamz,
Inzi will surely be missed, he's like salt in curry, seems ordinary but is the most important ingrdient. Im not a big fan of Younis for the ODIs cz of his low scoring rate. It seems many are in favour of Afridi to open. I would still put him in the lower order like we did in Australia, remember Farhat, Malik and Hafeez too punish loose balls alot. So i would go with the following line up...

1) Hafeez (better option than Iqbal cz he is a regular opener & Iqbal bats in lower order, we have many middle order batsmen & bowls too)
2) Farhat
3) Malik
4) Yousuf
5) Younis (If we loose quick wkts this is the ideal spot for him)
6) Afridi
7) Razzaq
8) Akmal
9) Rana / Gul (Rana is a touch out of form)
10) Shobi
11) Asif

Here's my XI for the champions trophy. Please don't ridicule without first listening to my reasoning... then, I'm sure as you probably may, go ahead and call me stupid.

Imran Farhat
Shahid Afridi
Younis Khan
Mohammad Yousaf
Shoaib Malik
Kamran Akmal
Mohammad Hafeez
Abdul Razzaq
Shoaib Akhtar
Mohammad Asif
Umar Gul

I think Imran Farhat is a shoo-in for the opening spot.... he can be an idiot sometimes but nonetheless he has pretty good shot selection, and on the pitches of India we need two strokemakers to open. Afridi has to be the other opener: I don't really care whether he does well or not, and he probably will be kind of inconsistent, but the tournament is in India- not much swing to worry him. Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousaf at three and four respectively in case the openers get out early. Next is Malik who can both hit big time and nudge; he's also athletic so he and Yousaf can pick up very quick singles. Sandwiched in between Malik and Razzaq should be Kamran and Hafeez. Hafeez is in the side because of his uncanny ability to pick up a wicket and his excellent fielding skills are hard to ignore. Kamran and Hafeez both are flat track bullies and putting Razzaq after them minimizes risk. The bowlers we all pretty much agree on.

replacing inzi will b very difficult....cause younis nd yousuf performed well only cause inzi took d pressure of thm...they knew tht inzi was in next nd thtz y they playd ezily wid lesser pressure....i wonder where imran nazir went...he was a really gud player...but a few failures nd hez out of d team...faisal has been performin badly nd they still stick wid him...another option cud b hassan raza...not a test player but y not try him for one dayerz...so my line up wud b...
1.farhat
2.imran nazir
3.younis
4.yousuf
5.hassan raza
6.shahid afirdi
7.razzaq
8.akmal
9.shahid nazir
10.akhtar
11.asif

I think you are right on the money except you are missing Arafat. We need to look at him to provide the role of the slashing all-rounder/odi bowler

Inzy is irreplaceable and his absence will be sorely felt. But this provides a great opportunity for Mohd Hafeez, Imran Farhat, and Shoaib Malik. Malik has been a great stalwart for Pak ODI cricket in the past, and it is crucial that he get these matches in order to find his form ahead of the world cup. It also allows Farhat and/or Hafeez to further their case for being the second opener for the World Cup.

I think that it's a great opportunity. I liked the idea of Yasir Hameed being floated earlier, but is he even selected in the team?

Hi
i gueess inzi will surely be missed, because he was the one who was centre of tests in england and whole summer starting from england at home then india in their home. well. faisal iqbal i dunt think is good replacement for inzi, my line up would be

imran
shoaib M
hafeez
younis
yousaf
afridi
razzaq
kamran
shaoib A
rana
asif

This is simply a repeat of a vary familiar situtation experienced by Pakistan Cricket. A player who over time has become the backbone of the pakistani line up approaches the end of the line. We saw that with Javed Miandad, Saeed Anwar, Wasim and Waqar. As followers of cricket, we base our opinions primarily on biases of our favorites. We feel that there will be a vacum, a void a gapping hole left by an exiting superstar. Yes, i agree that there will be a significant change felt, but nevertheless equilibrium will prevail. With the current form of Yousuf and Younis, I feel that we are much secure than we have ever been before.

Even so, i shall put my two cents in and give you what team i would prefer as our one day side with Inzamam on the sidelines.

1. Imran Farhat
2. Shoaib Malik/Mohammad Hafeez/Shahid Afridi (*)
3. Younis Khan
4. Mohammad Yousuf
5. Faisal Iqbal
6. Shahid Afridi/Shoaib Malik (*)
7. Abdul Razak
8. Kamran Akmal
9. Rana Naveed ul Hassan/Umar Gul (*)
10. Shoaib Akhtar
11. Mohammad Asif

(*)Shahid Afridi should open the innings when we need to chase a big target that requires some ball bashing at the top of the order. We have observed in the past that Shoaib Malik is more than capable of causing much damage in the final overs of the game. Mohammed Hafeez and Umar Gul ,no doubt good players, but will have to wait for their chances.

I personally would have Hasan Raza back. I know he failed against England in tests last winter...but for the Pak A team, he has been consistently excellent form especially in the ODI format.

An argument can be made for pretty much any batting order that Pakistan has ever flirted with in recent past. The fact though remains that even though the team looks formidable on paper, they must consistently perform to be considered in the same ranks as the Australians or even the Lankans these days. I feel that whatever decision is made about the batting order it must be taken as a firm stance rather than a 'lets try it' solution. It can be argued that Farhat and Hafeez performed quite well in England and should therefore be retained in the opening spot. I agree that Afridi can be great and that India is one of the few places where he will potentially shine but he is a 'hothead' who will never be dependable. We have seen how the game can change in the last ten overs or even the last two overs as Razzaq showed us recently and therefore with the focus on stability and longevity the team should go with dependable batsmen at the top and allrounders in the lower middle order so that they can build something concrete and stop being the laughing stock of the cricketing world.

What happened to Hassan Raza? Has everyone forgotten about him? Why did he get a chance 10 years back in the first place?

I would say the best replacement would be Yasir Hameed though, Hassan Raza despite being really good lacks Hameed's talent, Hameed has it in him to post a big total, espically lower down the order, all he needs to do is control his cover drives which besides getting him a lot of runs do get him out. I know his recent form hasn't been all that good but a guy like him deserves a lot more chances.

Why do Bazid Khan, Salman Butt and Mohammed Hafeez get so many chances? They obviously are less talented when compared to the likes of Hassan Raza, Asim Kamal and Yasir Hameed, and in Bazid Khans case I don't see any talent at all, I am sure my grand-dad can bat better than him hehe

Hi all.......what a topic to talk about; who can replace Inzamam?? For the most part i agree that Inzi cannot be replaced. However, that doesn't mean that everybody can just say that and get away with it. Someone has to step-up and take the charge. If younis wants to be or gets appointed as a captain, it will be his responsibility to keep everybody on the same page, take the responsibilty and step-up to the challenge. As far as batting line-up is concerned as to who should play at what number, I always thought that #6 position for Afridi was never for him. He is an ideal choice as an opener. Coming in early in the order gives him time to settle down and he does not panic as much as he does down the order, where there's a ton of pressure on him ((especially if Pakistan is chasing and there's still a huge total to get to)). PCB needs to take some chances/risks by allowing other younger talent to actually play in the international team and not just tour with the team for fun and bring the drinks or extra bat to the field. I think PCB is too scared to try new talent where they shouldn't be. I liked Dr. Tariq's team ((i.e.,))

1. Imran Farhat
2. Shahid Afridi
3. Mohd. Yousuf
4. Younis Khan
5. Faisal Iqbal
6. Shoaib Malik
7. Abdul Razzak
8. Kamran Akmal
9. Rana Naveed
10. Shoaib Akhtar
11. Mohd. Asif

And as we all know that Inzamam will be greatly missed. However, we have a very strong middle order with Younis and Yousuf followed by Faisal, Malik, Akmal, and Razzak. All these players will need to step-up individually and as a team and they can easily conquer the gap created by the departure of THE GREAT INZY.

First of all there is no reason for Faisal Iqbal to be in the playing 11. Going by past records he is more likely to weaken our middle order than strengthen it. So I would rather bring Mohd. Hafeez in -- at least he can contribute with the ball. I would also make Afridi open ... the reason for that is simply because we're playing on flat indian pitches and none of the teams in group B has a very threatning opeining ball attack ... afridi would be best used during the first powerplay. The third place where I disagree with most of the other posts is playing Rana. Umar Gul seemed a lot more threatening in England .. I would pick him.

As a side note why was Imran Farhat picked over Salman Butt???? Sure Butt has failed many times but so has Farhat .... dressing room politics???

The best lineup right now:

The best line up as per me right now is
1 Imran Farhat
2 Shahid Afridi (Faisal Iqbal)
3 Shoaib Malik
4 Younis Khan
5 Mohd. Yousuf
6 Mohd Hafeez
7 Abdul Razzak
8 Kamran Akmal
9 Shohaib Akhtar
10 Umar Gul
11 Mohd Asif

Mr Abbassi is talking about the retirement of Inzy, but I ask a very simple question, how many proven match-winners you have in the Champions Trophy squad or in Pakistan (both of present and the past). Inzy has won Pakistan more matches single-handedly than any other players in the history of Pakistan cricket, and he had repeated this feat on numerous occasions and, no doubt, he is capable of doing that in WC as well. I salute this greatest ever player Pakistan produced.

I think Pakistan cricket has had enough problems esp in the opening department over the last few years, and to drop Inzi from the ODI team would leave the team in further turmoil. We have all seen the opening combinations that have been tried over the years and on so many occasions most of them have failed leaving the middle order to fix the damage .. one of the best middle order (Younis, Yousaf & Inzi) and I dont think the team at this stage so close to the world cup can start experimenting with the middle order when the opening problem is still not fixed. Yes, at times his leadership has been questionable and I am sure Younis would make a fine captain after the world cup but the calm, cool & collected Inzi at this stage deserves a place in the team and InshaAllah would prove his critics wrong.

Bilal

Maybe the right question to ask is who will replace Bob Woolmer when he leaves. The man has turned Pakistan team around from being humiliated in the 2003 world cup to being strong contenders next year. Inzimam is not a good captain, never has been. Younis is a perfect replacement with the right attitude and temperament. Inzy is a good batsman and will be missed. Please dont let Faisal in the squad for ODI.

My team would be as follows...

1.Imran Farhat
2.Mohammad Hafeez
3.Younis Khan (captain)
4.Mohammad Yousuf (vice-captain)
5.Shoaib Malik
6.Kamran Akmal (wicketkeeper)
7.Shahid Afridi
8.Abdul Razzaq
9.Shoaib Akhtar
10.Iftikhar Anjum
11.Mohammad Asif

Opening
We haven't had a stable opening pair for a long time now and everytime we think we have cracked it the openers sadly start to lose form. Yaseer Hameed's name has been floated around, Along with Salman Butt. I believe strongly that an opening pair should be a left/right opening combination as to perhaps try to 'upset' a bowlers line and length. Hazeez has definately improved as a player and it just remains now whether Farhat, Butt or Hameed will take the other spot now. If your chasing a big score there may be the option of pushing Afridi up the order cause if he tee's off and stay's around for at least 15 overs then he's sure to get you off to a good start, otherwise I would leave Mr Afridi at lower p