Shoaib has appeared so inconsistently that we've all grown used to him being unavailable. A real shame considering his ability. Asif might be considered by some people to be a bigger loss but let's remember that Asif isn't greatly experienced in one-day international cricket, and he looked far from comfortable once South Africa started getting after him in the recent one-day series.

Most importantly, it's no use hankering for what you don't have and Pakistan must make the best of the resources available to them. Where there's heart there's always hope.

When it comes to bowlers, Pakistan's one-day strategy is such that their all-rounders usually bowl at least twenty of the fifty overs, sometimes more. So that's work for Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Hafeez, and Shoaib Malik.

The other three bowlers have to be wicket-takers. Umar Gul grew in speed and in stature as an international bowler in 2006. If he can recover his form quickly, he is capable of carrying the pace attack. The next wicket-taker is Kaneria, who should be played whenever conditions suit him.

That leaves one or two places, depending on conditions and form, for Mohammad Sami, Rana Naved-ul Hasan, and Rao Iftikhar to contest. Sami, for my money, looked a better bowler in South Africa and his one-day record is good. Rana had a good home series against West Indies and recent cricinfo stats showed that he is the most effective death bowler, which is perhaps when he should be used. Iftikhar is probably the most consistent of the three at the moment. All three of them bowl at a fair clip, which is an advantage.

That leaves Azhar Mahmood and Yasir Arafat to slot in whenever opportunity allows.

The World Cup isn't only an arena for heroes but it is one that creates them. The question that Pakistan's remaining bowlers must ask themselves is whether or not they are willing to seize the opportunity to make an international reputation in this World Cup?

Gul, Kaneria, Sami, and Arafat would be my bowlers to watch.

Usual pakistan style of preperation prior to a crucial tournament.Any way this was on the cards from the moment the duo was tested during the champions trophy.But still inzi's team possesses a very useful attack.Any thing is possible.Once again good luck.

I don't think that absense of razzaq, shoiab and asif brings any huge difference and thus not constitute any excuse for defeat. The formr two have't had any remarkable role in the fast few months. Asif was very important but if a team can't make up fo the absense of one fast bowler then it's not a team.

Very well put. Not point brooding on non avalibality of star players. Make use of what you have got. I still feel that this team is much better in terms of talent than the 1992 world cup winning team. Only thing missing is captain of teh stature of Imran Khan. If Inzi gets in him the zest, zzeal and vigour that he had in him when Pakistan toured India, he can surely help pakistan get to greater heights.

Pakistan’s chances of winning the world cup with a second string attack look very bleak indeed I mean Sami?! Rana on recent form?! the only good seam bowlers among the team are Gul and Arafat. However with Woolmer already signalling his intent to play Azhar instead of Arafat things look far worse with what I believe Woolmer will go with in the world cup

8.Azhar (rubbish)
9.Gul (very good)
10.Rana (okay)
11.Sami (doomed to lose every match with him in it)

say good bye to the world cup before it has begun!

I was eagerly anticipating your comments on the whole issue. It is relief that the suspense about their participation is out.Though the reason remains doubtful mainly because of the injury timing and coincidence.
Now that Pakistan team know their composition they should look to their strength now which is batting and all rounders. Bowling remains good.
Gul is attacking and wicket taking bowler, Rana would discover the one day form, Kaneria shall be useful. Afridi has greater responsibility as bowler.
I feel the team should make it to semis with its determination and fighting spirit, and then take it from there. Then you are only 2 good games away from glory like cornered tigers of WC 92.
Lets keep our fingers crossed.
Time for change,One of IND, PAK and SL should get the cup.
All the best.

I am agree with u kamran. All-rounders bowl almost 20 of the 50 overs for pak. As they have Malik, Hafeez, Afridi and Azhar. I beleave pak need only 2 more specialist bowlers.
But I only dont understand why SHABBIR is playing domestic cricket? when slecters announced Worldcup squad they declare shabbir is injurd. while after that announcement shabbir is playing his 3rd domestic game continuously and he is taking even more wickets then ever before. Sir, what is going on in Pak camp???? I think PPP, MMA and muslim league r serving now for PCB. Sami is the most worst opening bowler in the cricket history and he is included again for the WORLDCUPPPPPP? Sir,Karachi will not include sami in their local team...... Rana, Arafat, Rao....:( what can Pak cricket fan say now. every bowler is a falooda bowler. ,,.PCB let themselve down & all pak fans.

sami? you must be having a laugh sir. i would feel more confident if rana werent going through a bad spell...

pakistan will no doubt miss shoaib and asif. the world cup will miss them too. peter roebuck has written a vitriolic piece in the sydney morning herald about akhtar, raking up boring accusations of chucking and ball-tampering - even going as far as suggesting that his performance in colombo against the aussies was illegal, and that darrell hair was right to be suspicious at the oval - umm.. shoaib was even playing at the oval, peter.

his unfounded rant against akhtar is quite sad to read. akhtar was a thrilling sight to watch in full flow. i accept that he shouldn't go to the world cup, but i find it odd that roebuck gets a kick out of this.

for those of you who don't know who peter roebuck is, here's a reminder:

http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/106221.html

Pakistan are better off without Shoaib he is a premadonna who doesn`t desrve to play and honestly I think they are better off without him. The team will be more settled instead of wondering what he is going to do next to disgrace Pakistan cricket, they are a great team, with a great history in the game, so leave him out and get on with it .

AOA

We have to stand behind our team what ever the circumstances are and INSHALLAH our team will play like a well nit unit and will perform very very good. We will all be praying to ALLAH for their triumph

ALLAH HAFIZ

Kamran is right, Pakistan should have not picked Shoaib and Asif at the first place, to save Pakistan Cricket from emmbarsment. Anyways what happen happen, we need to look at the future. INzamam-ul-haq need to be more attacking. He needs to pick 4 Specialize Bowlers in every Game. Pakistan need to Bowl the opposition out to Win the Match. The Batsmen need to take extra responsibility. I wish Pakistan best of Luck. I will summarize my comments again Attacking Cricket with Specialize Bowlers.

Evidence of Corruption

The Pakistan Cricket Board have behaved in-line with Pakistan's current status of the joint-twentieth (of 163) most corrupt nation in the world according to an authoritative intenational survey

MR kamran ,i dont think pakistan will go far ahead in the WC cos of shoaib n asif ,these 2 bowlers r our key players .yes we might be able to defeat ireland or zimbabwe but not teams like australlia or SA OR newzealand ....cos these teams have strong batting line up n our our bowlers especially like rana or sami cant face them .....gul is good but the whole team cannot only rely on him cos cricket is a team game .......ALL PRAY FOR PAKISTAN N TELL THE WORLD WE CAN WIN WC WITHOUT ASIF N SHOAIB!!!

I m with u on this, that our Team still has the potential(some may call us optimistic), but history shows whenever Pakistan has its back on to the walls, they come out even harder and have produced the great performances(those who dont agree to me , flash back to 1992, Pak's 2005 tour to India, the list goes on). So i m convinced that the bowlers (Umer,Sami,Afridi) will still put up a good show.

Thanks.

Lets forget what happened, play with what is available. Still can win the world cup. Play like cornered tigers As what Imran Khan Said in 1992 world cup. Give everything what you have. Remember its not impossible but difficult. The best wi matches from difficult situations.

I am more concerned about the exclusion of Asif than Shoaib. Asif is far more consistant and has a tight line and length than Shoaib, who's pace does not always compensate for his inaccuracy. However, in one-day cricket teams can get away with 'bit players' - and the opportunity that rises from the withdrawal of Asif and Shoaib should not be missed by the Pakistan team selectors. Play all-rounders and shorten the non-batting tail! Why on earth Kaneria is picked when Pakistan have 3 quality all-rounders that bowl good spin, is beyond me. I would play 2 specialist bowlers in Gul and Sami, with back up from all-rounders: Arafat, Mahmood, Afridi, Malik, Hafeez. That's 70 overs!!

Said like an eternal optimist kamran. But then i do see your point. Old cliche "No use crying over spilt milk" etc etc. BUT for now I feel betrayed, dismayed, shocked in short not happy. As a typical Human being I want Blood for that, but question in whose blood. I think the most guilty person here is the Players themselves ( I hope fervently than its not just their injuries that is keeping them out and they are not being slatted for nothing, nandrolone metabolites dont stay in system for this long and there is a posibility they were stupid enough to use drugs again. Also I wonder knowing that 2 key bowlers were already absent whther some kind of risk prevention measures instituted by PCB medical board could have prevented injury to razzaq. ( I am desperate to hang blame on some one aint I). Anyways What is done is done as they say let the show begin and hope for the best. Some optimism can be derived from the fact that now that pakistan is not one of the favourites , they might be able to relax a little and try to fight with their limited resources. A situation where Inzi and co have not done too badly in last couple of years.

Its time Arafat steps up to the plate like Razzaq did in 99.
If he does so indeed his international career is set for the next 5-10 years. And he should know this.

With the preprations Pakistan have done for Worldcup, I dont think there are any chances that we can go even in to Semi Finals and this time its a blessing that we will be playing in a group of 4 other wise this team is much weaker in stregth than we have in 2003. and we could have seen Pakistan coming back in first round. For teams to be the best in the world they need to pressurize the opponenet from the start. We dont have any solid openers to pressurize the bowling of opponents and even the openning bolwers dont have that much ability to strike early. The planning for WC is such that except 4-5 players no one is certain about playing 11 for pakistan.

Sami is one of the fastest bowlers going around and we need his express pace. Lets not get carried away with the loss of Asif And Shoaib, we must understand it would be about posting 300+ totals and defending them. So Sami, Gul and Iftikhar can do a very reasonable job. Arafat was named if Mahmood becomes a dismal failure. The squad is still very strong and if we know from the current NZ squad, we should know that they are capable of beating Australia again and Pakistan's current side has more depth and talent than the NZ and English side. I think it's time for other bowlers to show what they are capable of.

Yes, Kamran Bhai this is the Road to Jamaica 3. In the bowling department, we are worried just because the team lost Asif and Shoaib. Good news is that Gul is fully fit. Gul and Asif are similar kind of bowler. You are right if Gul gets his rythym back in no time it would be good to see him. The resources are there and if they will put their best foot forward, I think they will be team to beat. Some of the blog writers have just erased the Pak Team from the contender list just because we have lost one all rounder and two of their main strike bowlers. I think they are not just doing justice. You go through the record of the succes for this Pak outfit, they have done super job in the absence of Asif and Shoaib. Please do not discourage the team. We all know if they would have been available, it would have beeen a great boost. Imran Khan lift the WC in 1992 and that time we lost one of our key bowlers, hence, it is going to be blessing in disguise provided Inzi uses his brain sharply and be an active captain and not sleeping or sliping captain. If they will click as a team this outfit is not bad as somebody is mentioning. The batting is key but we will definitely miss Yasir and Salman, but if our allrounders get going then it will be hard to stop them. Let them play a positive cricket and attacking cricket. This will be key in this WC. Let them use the powerplay carefully and I am sure, the result will be decided in the powerplay itself in most of the games in the WC. Let them believe in themselves. Self belief is good. Let them be positive. Let us lift their morale, let us boost their confidence. It is time to encourage them and not to criticise them. Come on.......get going........This is the best chance to lift the World Cup. Amin.....Allah Hafiz

The departure of our elite bowlers is no doubt a serious blow to Pakistan. Their absense will surely slacken the morale of the team. Nevertheless Pakistan has substitutes of great caliber and the captain must look forward to utilize them as cleverly as possible.

The Caribbean condition would certainly help Kaneria. However he hasnt played enough one-day cricket and that might impede his ability to some extent. I also believe that the absense of both Asif and Shoaib will give other teams, competing at the World Cup, the opportunity to take on the Pakistani bowlers.

Pakistan has invested highly in Shoaib Akhter and even after 8 years his number of wickets is mediocre. If this much money and time would have been spent to grow new talent, pakistan would have had the best bench strength. I think Shoaib, as he is not participating in the world cup and seeing his age, for the sake of Pakistan Cricket Humbly retire himself, if he does not PCB should make him retire. He is no more useful to long term benefit for Pakistan Cricket so please dont waste any time on him and bowlers like Sami, who just know how to stare in the eyes of Batsmen when get hit for fours and sixes.

I think that the withdrawal of Asif and Shoaib in the end may turn out to be a good thing after all the controversy associated with their doping & injury issues. Now the other bowlers have to step up and be counted. This is a challenge for the rest of the team and sometimes, as in 1992, when cornered a team can really come together and make up in collective brilliance what they may lack in individual skill.

Oh It is too bad news for all of us. no chance to win the Cup. Nothing to discuss.

I think the nation needs some closure... Shoaib and Asif were axed not because of the official reason given. I think we all Agree Shoaib is more trouble than he is worth. We have compromised on our principles far too long to support him... it's time to put Pakistan above Shoaib... One thing I would not want to see is outsiders calling our boys, cheaters... That stigma will hurt a long time. PCB needs to conduct a test and officially let him go.

Back to the Topic, while Waqar Was a big miss in 1992, we still had a match winner in Wasim... we don't today so the analogy does not fit.

Not trying to be a defeatist but I think it would be better not to get any one's hopes high on this WC...we need to get real. Support them for what they really are... a Mediocre team now.

assalaam-alikum; it is very sad news for any pak cricfan shoaib and asif missing world cup .but i think pakboard is responsibile for this situation.the replacementsami and yasir arafat is poor choice. sami when in akram;waqar shadow was good but not now and yasir i think he is having a godfather in pakboard instead of performing so badly inwhichever match either in champions trophy against sa or against INDIA .he gets world cup ticket.it is disgusting ;where has the fast bowler crop in PAK gone .PAK will definetly miss RAZZAQ.i wish INZI and boys will play great cricket;INZI and comp must take inspiration from 92worldchampion and play with great enthusiasm and spirit and not to forget with unity which pak cricket often misses.Riaz AFRIDI could have been good choice instead of YASIR.i hope all pak player specially senior player like younis;yousuf;inzi,afridi;imran nazir will rise to these occasion .ihad great hope from nazir;afridi;yousuf;younis;inzi;mallik;rana and azhar mahmood.pakistan must plan for every opponent specially for india;south africa;australia. they must come hard in batting .they must bowl according the field .BOB WOOLMER have to come with new plan like he did in99 worldcup;after world cup there need change in pakboard.yesteryear like IMRAN KHAN;WASIM AKRAM.must take charge of pcb.maybe now this is the time of action.i hope pak team will play greatcricket and bring cheers to not only for pakistanis but also the pakcricket fan across the border aswell as around the world InshaAllah y to forget with unity

I think Pakistan will be fine. They will open with Umar Gul and Sami, and Rana will be very useful in the death overs. In between, Azhar, Afridi and Shoaib Malik have plenty of experience and they should bowl about 6-7 overs each easily. I am not so sure Kaneria should play against the Windies, perhaps a couple of games with the minnows to build up confidence first. The loss af Abdul Razzaq should be compensated by Azhar and the spinners. The lack of Superstar bowlers might have the effect of forcing the bowlers to concentrate harder and to cut out extras. I have every confidence that Umar Gul, Rana, S. Malik and Azhar will not let Pakistan down. thanks, Feroz.

The loss of Asif and Shoaib is absolutely huge. Our batting has collapsed for under 200 every 3 games since 2005 and our strength would have lied within the wicket taking capability of Shoaib and Asif within the first 20 overs.

This is my 4rth world cup and I have never felt so dejected, down hearted & disappoined towards Pakistans chances. I may not even watch...this whole situation is beyond pathetic now. The politics that run Pakistan cricket always deliever a killer blow at crucial times. Good Luck Pakistan...you need it more than anything.

Its obvious that fitness is certainly not the chief issue why these bowlers were dropped from Pakistan world cup squad, but about the replacements I have some concerns about the inclusion of Yasir Arfat........with experience of less than 10 onedays and not played even a single game in southafrica tour i dont think that he should be named for the squad...Abdul rehman was a good choice because he had dhown that on supporting(slow n turning tracks)he can be very effective.........
And regarding the fact that what would be the impact of absence of asif n shoaib on pakistani team, I think that Inzamam would have prepared himself mentally for this thing because ICC target dopping certainly meant that both of the bowlers were under constant threat of being tested positive again and then their ban from the tournament means that Pakistan has to play rest of the tournament with 13 players.Shoaib always has fines/behavior/discipline issues and there was no guarantee that he wont be coming out of the ground limping after bowling only 4.3 overs and then spending the time during rest of the matches quarreling with the coach and captain and violating discipline to be in the headlines(so I think its good not to have such a player in the team).............no doubt that Asif was the main pillar of our attack but we should look at the positive side........going into matches without our prime bowlers can be a source of inspiraton for the rest of the team......every player feeling his responsibilty and performing more than 100%.........If Rana sahab can come into form again and stop bowling short-pitched deliveries constantly then even umer gul Rana and Sami constitute a very good attack with support from Azhar,afridi,Malik n Hafeez.............so thats certainl;y not the end for us and we still have a very good chance of getting into semis

what and embarrassing joke this episode is for cricket and particularly the PCB. is it one rule for all other players in the world and another for Pakistan? injuries to shoaib and asif? rubbish. they refused a drugs test- that equates to guilt anywhere else. for goodness sake Warne had to face a year ban for taking just a water tablet for his vanity. the PCB is a disgrace and Mr Speed's words are welcomed if a little slow in coming. this behaviour from a cricketing body (PCB) is to be deplored, not tiptoed around and shrugged off. lets try and clean up the image of cricket again.

Its obvious that fitness is certainly not the chief issue why these bowlers were dropped from Pakistan world cup squad, but about the replacements I have some concerns about the inclusion of Yasir Arfat........with experience of less than 10 onedays and not played even a single game in southafrica tour i dont think that he should be named for the squad...Abdul rehman was a good choice because he had dhown that on supporting(slow n turning tracks)he can be very effective.........
And regarding the fact that what would be the impact of absence of asif n shoaib on pakistani team, I think that Inzamam would have prepared himself mentally for this thing because ICC target dopping certainly meant that both of the bowlers were under constant threat of being tested positive again and then their ban from the tournament means that Pakistan has to play rest of the tournament with 13 players..............no doubt that Asif was the main pillar of our attack but we should look at the positive side........going into matches without our prime bowlers can be a source of inspiraton for the rest of the team......every player feeling his responsibilty and performing more than 100%.........If Rana sahab can come into form again and stop bowling short-pitched deliveries constantly then even umer gul Rana and Sami constitute a very good attack with support from Azhar,afridi,Malik n Hafeez.............so thats certainl;y not the end for us and we still have a very good chance of getting into semis

salam Mr. Kamran.
first time im adding something on ur blog.
you are right we lost our gr8 bowlers they can ball any time of the match they had speed, swing in short they have every material of a good fast bowler, but remember life is not end, we won in west indiens, india, and in pakistan again WI.
SO in my opinion if Inzi uses his bowlers well then pakistan have a good chance bcoz on WI pitchs medium pacers and spinners are more effective, and this world cup is for batsmen. becuase wickets willbe flat. and pakistan have good batsmen but the real need is how inzi uses them,
i think pak should open with Afridi and nazir and malik/yousaf should come on third position, then inzi then younis, and then yousaf/malik, and then WK and allrounders, lets pray for pak..................I hope we have serious chance for world cup, fitness of UMAR GUL is serious boost for us. and if CHACHA JI (RANA NAVEED) come back in form then we'll qualify for semi final,
GO GP GO

GP=GREAT PAKISTAN

I feel that we need to put the issue with Shoaib and Asif behind us and concentrate solely on the World Cup.

I feel that the players we have are international level and therefore should have what it takes to play in a world cup.

I reckon though pakistan should have brought in someone like Anwar Ali as although inexperienced he would have provided us with a weapon which not many people know about.

Dear Mr Abbasi, What is the point in keep on repeating the old mantra over & over again , If you have any Factual data to back him a Winning bowler ( I mena how many ODI & Test Seris , did he ever participated full and Pakistan won them ! ) I do not recall any one of significance as such so WHATS is point of keep saying He is the key bowler he is the match winner he is the asset of the Pakistan team BlaBlaBla , in my humble opinion , he is just a showman of no real value to the team ( he prooved it time and again hmiself ) so the best would have been for the PCB to take him to the WI and let ICC find out and give him his due credit what the PCB could not dare to give him . This spoiled kid of Gen TZ & cronies MUST BE shown the gate the sooner the better , he is not an asset but have become the biggest liabilites for the team , for PCB and for the nation . I will definitely not cry over his departure for good , this sad episode of the Pak team must be closed without further delays . This "khatara mall train" must be shunted to the junk yard for ever

Kamran stop being an eternal optimist. Inspiration comes from the top and Inzi is anything but inspirational. Pakistan's chances are next to none!

Go Kiwis!

AA Kamran,
I am as optimistic as you. Although the loss of Shoaib and Asif is big but Pakistan has been winning matches without them in the past. I am really hopeful of Gul performing and Rana getting back to his wicket taking streak and clever bowling at death (He has been a big disappointment in South africa and results would have been different had he performed like his old self). All my prayers and wishes are with the team! GO PAKISTAN!

As i stated before , Shoaib got watever he wanted out of cricket , the "Bay Boy" title...I still believe pakistan has a chance with the limited resources but the big guns have to fire thru out! the inzis , yousafs and youniss...
a quick shoutout to the PCB! welldone you guys messed pakistan cricket to beyond the limits of repair and pakistan a laughing stock in the cricketing world!
everyone should be fired...and imran khan to be at the helm...

pakistan doesn`t have such a bad bowling attack right now.we have got umar gul who has proved in recent times that he can bowl quick and intelligently and rana on his day bowls extremely well.kaneria can be a handful the the windies conditions.all in all i think we`re still a force to reckon in this World Cup.

Ithink the ouster of Shoib & Asif for whatever reason is a good omen for Pakistan, now the up and coming players will have achane to show their true fighting qualities, the younger players are always overshadowed by the "Big guns".
ALso In my opinion the missing link is the captaincy, Inzi is very good as a batsman, but sorry to say he does not act like a skipper on the field. Inzi should just be in the team as a batsman and let Yonnis take charge, he is more aggressive and looks commanding on the field.

My two cents worth, Go Pakistan Go...

Kamran this is for you. In one of your future Blogs kindly comment on what Bob Woolmer has done for pakistan that other have not...i dont see any improvement in the batsmen when they go abroad and the bowlers as a matter of fact...apart from the English series in Pakistan i dont see any positives...do you?
thanks

Yup good analysis but i have some reservation
I think Gull is bowler for pak but is he fit enough & if we follow Rana i think he is in team only because inzi goodbooks n i can assure u inzi will underuse kaneria or use him as defencive bowler with no slip or nothing at off side which amke him useless
Rao he is good but i have reservetion about yasir arfat What Shahid nazir have to do to prove he desrve chance in team & if u want allrounder i think he is better then arfat Sami kool but either too short or too wide N no variation in bowling & the reverse swing which made him name is almost gone so Look for Gayle & Samule extream game

Good Job KA. Its great to read something optimistic about Pakistan Cricket in the print media. Well I am with you all the way, Kamran. Lets hope our team can pull up a trick or two from their sleeves when they take on the world of cricket in the West Indies.

Lets just leave the rubble behind and emerge as the TITANS of cricket and get our hands on that elusive WORLD CUP TROPHY.....

For the eternal pessimists, one piece of advice... you never know with PAKISTAN cricket....it rarely fails to surprise the experts!!

Absolutely. For Sami it is a matter of rising to the occasion and bringing out the wonderful talent that he definitely posses. I completely agree with your comments about Rao Iftikhar. It is not a lost cause for Pakistan. I am quite optimistic about Pakistan's chances. There could be no better time to remember the constitution and adjustments of 1992 squad.

what is mushtaq ahmed doing in the sqad? non of the world teams have a leg spinner as a bowling coach. perhaps wait for Mr. Ashraf to come with a statement in middle of the WC STATING as mushtaq will replace any one of the bowlers.

start preparing for 2011.

Kamran Sahib
A good piece of article to raise the already down morale of Pakistan Cricket supporters.i wish whatever you said comes true and Pakistani team review the ''Cornered Tigers'' phenomena of 92 World Cup but to me it will really be a miracle if they pull out the same performance of 92WC as at that time we had a fighter captain in the shape of Imran Khan.while this time we have Inzi who is an outstanding player himslef but his captaincy...i doubt that he is in the same league as Imran Khan was.
but again one day cricket is all about discipline and control.more responsibility will lie on the shoulders of Batters rather than Bowlers.our bowlers will only need to contain the opposing side by not giving them too many loose deliveries to score.so we shouldn't be too worried.
just keep fingers crossed and hope that our Inzy Bhai become the next Imran Khan and we receive him with World Cup in his hands after two months.
Best of Luck PAK TIGERS...
GO AND SHOW THE WORLD WHAT YOU ARE CAPABLE OF

Good thoughts and comments. But I am afraid, Kamran, I dont share your optimism. We are still not sure how quickly Gul can shrug off the rustiness. And then the batsmen will definitely try to go after Sami, Rana or whoever is the 2nd new ball bowler. We dont have much back up in that department. Kaneria might come in handy, but you cant create trouble for the other teams with only two good bowlers, both of whom having played little ODI cricket lately. And dont forget the openers problem is still there. All in all a number of things have to click for our team to perform well. Inzi and Bob will have to do some real inspiring work with the team. Else I dont see them going into semis. But I wish them best of luck.

Using Afridi as a spin bowler is an option which this team has to take given fewer options in bowling department.Unfortunately Afridi has not matured enough in his batting for him to be classed as a genuine all rounder. His occasional bursts can add some strength to the score but not consistently.

I agree with most of the things Mr.Kamran Abbasi you have said.I rather would disagree with going with 3 bowlers.I believe we have to sacrifice Mr.Hafeez also.I would rather go for Rana,Gul,Sami and Kaneria as bowlers.Openers Nazir,Malik followed by Inzi,Yosuf,Younis,Afridi and Kamran.Malik is a very good batsman on slow and low wickets and can be utilized fully at opening slot.Inzi should come one down not just for the sake that he is experience,every team does it so he must do it also.He must do it because if he comes up,Younis goes down at 5 and that is the position where you want a very good runner between the wickets.Hafeez i doubt is a good batsman,Yes he is a good bowler but i would rather go for Kaneria.Give Kaneria a run in till the start of Super 8 and if he fires Pakistan is in with a Big chance.

I was thinking the exact same thing over the last week. As good as Asif is becoming and hot and cold Akthar can get, we still have a fairly decent back-up. I'd put Kaneria in for everygame because of his aggresive nature in Tests could pay off (his battle with Lara would be a treat in the opener. Gu's seaming and bouncing bowling could make him dangerous. I'd rahter opt for Sami than Ifthikar too because of his express pace which is lacking in the line-up. The all-rounder for me would be Azhar because he's proven himself in the past and his experience will show. The part-timer, Afridi, Malik, and Hafeez are great in that they reduce the run-rat, and in the case of Afridi, sneak out wickets at crucial points. This line-up might not have the fearful touch as with Akhtar and Asif but it's still one that looks as if it's going to explode, just needs the right conditions and heart to.

i thimk dis is da last chance mo sami has he needs to prove himself

Well the loss of Asif is massive. He was bowling superbly against South Africa, and his record speaks for itself. Shoaib well.. as mentioned is so rarely fit that I honestly don't believe he will be missed. He's more an added bonus when fit than a go to man.

Sadly I do think that both have pulled out because of traces of a banned substance. Personally I think they should be forced to take the test anyhow and sort this out once and for all.

As for the other bowlers. You only need 10 good ones from each. No mammoth spells to be bowled and one or two quick wickets can change the game very quickly. Not all hope is lost.

Optimist Much Mr. Abbasi? On flat wickets of the Carribbean, we needed either the express pace of Akhtar, or the pin point accurace of Asif to carry our bowling. Our medium pacers (Razzak, Mahmood, Rana) have been in poor form, and will further add to their miseries on flat tracks, where as Sami is anything but extraordinary...Gul is our only hope but as the series in S.Africa proved that one man(Asif) can't carry a team's bowling burdens every game.

I'm afraid, our Worldcup campaign is as good as over, which is a shame because it has barely even began.

Asad K

hmmmm
pakistan will play 2nd round of the world cup thanks to new super 8 system if it were super six then i think there would be another 1st round exit of pakistan in 2 consecutive worldcups

The musical chairs is over and finally the chapter is closed and we can now be sure of our final playing 11 !
I think Umar Gul, Rao Iftikhar and Azhar Mehmood should be the bowlers to watch for. Sami looked a little better in SA but doesn't appear to have gained much confidence so I still wont put my money on him. Arafat and Rana Naveed should make the backup bowling. Their county experience will be put to test this WC. Kaneria has a very mediocre One Day record as compared to his Test record. He isn't a one day bowler as yet.
This is my fast bowling firepower :

Pace Attack
-----------
Umar Gul
Rao Iftikhar
Azhar Mehmood

Backup
------
Yasir Arafat
Rana Naved

Finally, all these players have got a point to prove now. This is make or break for many. Good Lcuk folks.

you are absolutely right. but i still think ASIF would have been the main threat. Now neither razzaq nor asif is there. mind you razzaq is the most consistent lower order hitter pakistan have. he is the most lethal and feared batsmen for the opponents. if he gets ten overs to play he always gets over 70 runs...well not always but scores big many times.

I don't agree. Sami should not be given any more chances. He bowls quick , but that is pretty much the only thing he does. He lacks commonsense when it comes to line and length. He is just not good enough for international cricket, and has proven it time and again. When are we going to get wise and stop betting on the same horses that have caused us grief in the past. He will leak runs.
Should have given someone else a chance. Even abdur rehman would have been better.

Good article. I agree one hundred percent.
If any team can afford to lose two of its top bowlers..its us..plus, we have played in numerous series without these two and done reasonably well.
If I was Sami, Rana, Rao, Yasir, Azhar or Kaneria, I would be licking my lips right now. This is the IDEAL time to become a hero!!!

Yes indeed for ODI its easy for the next bowlers to fit into the slot.As far as Shaoib and Asif are concerned is that they are wicket taking bowlers.But none you dont have thier services it put heavy load on Pakistans Batsman to perform consistently and score them extra 40 runs to compensate for their weaker link.

If they fail to do that then its all over and I still say its the batsmen whom win you the ODIs they have hugh advantage playing in small grounds and batsmen friendly wickets.

It is a great opportunity for Pakistan to come through. Apart from the 3 middle order pillars, Inzy, Yousuf and Younis, none of the others are established in the one-day format. Anyone who plays his heart out is bound to succeed and put the chequered past behind.

After Razzaq way we lost Shohaib & Asif it's realy a very big loss for pakistan.After lost of three main match winner player out of world cup means for one that pakistan is out of compition.all three players can win maches for pakistan sing handly.the lost of three key figuers mean pakistan is out of last 4 hot favourites.
lets look at back 4 years ago we have had Wasim Akram Waqar Younis & Shohib Akhter but we were not able to reach in second round so now let's hope opposite of 2003.may be we can this world cup without being favourite only need of master mind captaincy & every single should know his roll for team.i cannot see when Afridy Malik & hafeez all play toghther Kanaria also will play but main concern is fast bowling.first choice should be Umer and Rao then up to seclection they choose Rana or Sami.

do't for get ban on Afridy which is anther big below for pakistan on a very big and important match against host on 13 th of this month.after ban Aridi eplace by Hafeez or Rna or Mahmood.But Inzamam should change his batting position and he should be bat on very resposible position on no.4 and great Yousuf at no.5 becouse he is great finesher of game.our batting should take a resposibility now when we have very average bowling.
Hope Inshallah pakistan will able to repeat the history of Imran in the face of Inzamam.wish you a very good luck pakistan.

I agree with most Kamran's points. I think its obvious that atleast Asif was fit and it was traces of nandrolone which kept him out. There is no disgrace in that as he was bound to have traces in his urine due to the natural process of it being removed from his body. It was obvious the ICC were going to target them both and the ICC with its traditional anti-Paki bias would have banned them big time !! They did the right thing to go for private tests to look after their future and with no major commitments after the WC they should be fine for SA in September if FIT!! The way things panned out was inevitiable and lets just move forward pick gul and kaneria for the ODI side and take it from there.

Let's start by foegetting about Shoaib and Asif-Shoaib for good and Asif for the foreseeable future!Looking at it holistically, Shoaib has been more trouble than he has been worth both on and off the field and as a parting shot he may have left an indelible stain on Asif's career too when influencing him to take banned substances.
Now at least the taem management and captain can focus on the job at hand-winning the world cup!
Lets hope that the remaing 'fit' bowlers remain so througout the tournament and perform for each other and the team.But to be quite frank, my concern is more the batting, which has shown a tendancy to implode in the recent past.The batsmen must be patient, avoid big shots early in their innings whilst still keep the scorborad ticking with ones and twos.In fact the relative inexperience of the remaining bowlers makes it even more imperative for the batsmen to apply themselves and post a decent score (and more) that the bowlers can defend reasonably well.
Its definitely a chance for someone to make a name for themselves and Pakistan.......who will it be...........out of the nowlers,my money is on kaneria and Gul.
GO ........TEAM PAKISTAN..........GO..........Whole nations'duaas are with you because you are going to need them!

Great assessment Kamran. If Inzamam can unite the team and Younis Khan's aggressive cricketing strategies (such as attacking field placement) can be leveraged, we have a shot at the world cup.

I tend to agree with Kamran. Even without the threesome; Shoaib, Asif & Abdur Razzaq, Pakistan does have a fairly decent bowling attack. I would like Sami and Umar Gul to open the proceedings for Pakistan with Kaneria and Rana Naved slotted in the middle over. Rana, as already mentioned, is a much better bowler with the old ball so he should not be introduced into the attack before the 20th over of the innings. The death overs in most cases should be bowled by Rana and Sami, who can be very handy with yorkers. Pakistan trio of spinning allrounders Hafeez, Malik and Afridi can also come in handy on the rather low slow tracks of the West Indies. So in my opinion all is not lost and if the batters can fire regularly, Pakistan does have a fairly even chance of progressing some distance in this mega event. One should not forget that Pakistan is the most dangerous team when not much is expected of this bunch.

Although it is a massive loss for Pakistan, and a big personal sadness for Shoaib and Asif to have to miss the World Cup, Kamran is right - we must focus on what we have and not wonder about what we could have had.
And Ive noticed that many Australians and Michael Vaughan have decided to wade in with their comments of "life bans" etc. But I dont remember them saying such things when Shane Warne was found guilty and theres rumours from WADA that he was using diuretics to cover up the use of other drugs. It just shows the Asian paranoia of "one rule for them and another for the rest" as being a true one.
And I read what Peter Roebuck had to say about Shoaib. I think its scandalous that he could write that. Who is he to call Pakistani's dim-witted?! Its none of his business!
Anyway, back to the World Cup, I think theres enough bowling talent still, but they all need to perform and step up to the mark in each game. I just fear that theres more pressure now on the batsmen to make runs and that doesnt always help them.
My message to the Pakistan team is this:
"GO OUT THERE AND PLAY EVERY MATCH AS IF IT WERE YOUR LAST. PLAY WITH FOCUS, PLAY WITH INTENSITY AND DETERMINATION AND PLAY TO WIN. WIN FOR YOURSELVES, FOR YOUR PEOPLE, FOR THE EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS, FOR YOUR FANS. AND MOST OF ALL, WIN SO THAT YOU CAN RAM THE COMMENTS OF PEOPLE WHO LAUGH AT YOU AND MOCK YOUR ABILITIES DOWN THEIR THOATS".
And Inzi, if you read this - please be more active in your captaincy. If you are intense and determined, the young players around you will be too and from the first match onwards, if we play with intensity and determination, I feel we can go a very long way. And remember Inzi, this is your last shot at any glory, to really seal your name in history. That should be yours and your team's motivation.

Kamran, I totaly agree with your view, no point of crying over what we don't have. Pakistan should now totally focus on what resources they have and how to utilise them best. Although our attack has lost its aggression but I do beleive if any team can pull it off it "TEAM PAKISTAN" if they play with the same team spirit and courage of 92 world cup.
I think Inzi should get all the boys togather and share with them same atmosphere he felt which Imran created back then and motivitate the team and guide them like the cornerd tigers they were then. As Inzi was a in the pack of Imran's tigers.
The team should fight thier hearts out even when they are on th elosing side, no shame in going down as long as you go down with pride and fight.

It's a big blow for Pakistan team that they dont have the services of Shoaib and Asif. If the bowlers knew that their will be traces of nandrolone in their bodies they should off to England right away when thier bans was lifted. It is really sad that the chances of Pakistan team are very slim to go beyond the Super 8 stage.

I think it's just not Pakistan's bowling attack but also Pakistan's batting who has a few waiting in the line to prove a point, to themselves and the world.

Pakistan team on more occassions than not keeps you guessing, and somewhere down inside I like that, I like a team that you can count dead and wasted but somehow they find a way to amaze everyone.

This World Cup is now finally on a cling to make Pakistan go drop dead or go all the way till the end.

Sometimes it's just not about how brave you are, sometimes, it's about what you achieved. Maybe Pakistan has to achieve something this time. Maybe!

I knew that was going to happen. My mind was set to hear the bad news. Now the only thing we Pakistanis can do is to support our team and forget whats happened for the time being. Good Luck Pakistan.

"Gul, Kaneria, Sami, and Arafat would be my bowlers to watch".

Can you think of anything more depressing?

All the bowlers are picked for a reason. They all have ability and talent. Now if they can apply themselves and have the mental capacity to think of their feet they should all be capable of taking wickets. (ENGLAND DID THIS IN THE CB SERIES- IF PLUNKETT CAN DO IT SO CAN THE PAKISTANIS)

Imran Khan had the philosophy of telling his bowlers just to take wickets. He didn't care about run rate. So at the end of the day we need to pick the bolwers who will take the vital wickets for Pakistan.

I disagree with KAMRAN about Arafat as he was useless on a seaming deck at Mohali.

I do like Kaneria but is kamran proposing we play with four spinners? (Afridi, malik, hafeez and Kaneria) I think that may be too risky on these small grounds in the windies. But if the new decks are slow turners then it could be a master stroke.

However I think we need to play azhar mahmood because he is comparatively much more experienced then the rest of the seam attack. Plus he is a quality replacement for razzaq.

The reason why rana bowls so well at the death is because he is thinking a lot more. He needs to apply his brain throughout the match not just at the death.

I think gul, kaneria, sami, mahmood, rana plus the allrounders be picked. (Hafeez should play instead of afridi for the 1st two matches.)

COME ON PAK LETS MAKE IT TO THE SUPER 8'S

Hey man, common !
You have so many quality bowlers yet left in your squad who can make things happen to win a match at any day.

As an acute cricket lover, without any bias or favouritism, I am of the opinion that 1) PAK has always produced great & quality bowlers, 2) There is no dearth of talent, remember your U-19 seamers won the world cup from adverse situation where their talent & ability were visible & appreciated by one and all, 3) PAK has better & quite-a-many pitches which are seamer-freindly in comparison with any other sub-continental pitches, hence producing young talents 4) Also PAK possesses the great-seamer-quartets in Sarfraz/Imran/Wasim/Waqar & many more similar to Indian-spin-quartets to pass on rich-knowledge & experience.

Having all above resources, one would expect great showing of Seamers from PAK, but many-a-times it gets into such murky situations & carry stinky-issues. WHY ?
Thats probably because, all these talents & resources would help to a certain extent, but only Right attitude, Good discipline & Pride-for-playing-Country will get anyone thru all obstacles & make them reach the pinnacle of success.
Somehow this has been lacking grossly with many sub-continental players, especially in PAK. Now this qualities can't be taught, but need to be inculcated & nurtured by the past-greats, board & team management. Unfortunately here-again the internal POLITICS play major-role for MONEY/SELF-GAIN then PRIDE & PERFORMANCE for Country.

Border, Hayden and symonds people living in glass houses do not throw stones at other houses,so you need to shut up as australia does not have any credibility over the issue, and remember we conducted internal tests and shared the results with the world so nothing has been hidden,
I would have loved to hear from you guys on this issue only if shane warnes career was ended three years ago,and hey is brett lee really injured or hiding bcz of dope tests.

Kamran bhai ,I think you are right to say that Pakistan should play their best cricket with available sources .I still think pakistan can still could do well inshallah in this world cup.Well every one including our own greats like miandad ,sarfraz nawaz and others have already written us off but i think they dont know they are talking about Pakistan 'the most unpredictable team in the world'.We will miss Asif and Shoaib but still if Rana Gul and Sami bowl with plan and stay in form inshallah still we will give hard time to other teams.Does'nt matter we lose or win i hope they play with their potential .My best wishes are with pakistan. and i need to know from ICC and where is code of conduct for players why palyers like Hayden and Symonmd are allowed to talk publicaly about our players .why they dont shut them up.Please Kamran write some thing about this aswell .

I agree with this optimistic approach and I want to remind of 2004 series in India where almost the same team beat India 4-2. At the end of the day, Batsmen will be key for Pakistan's chances. If they cant lead from the front, there is nothing much to expect from bowlers. For example, the same team without pace duo overwhelmed SriLanka in Champions trophy and what followed later was a dismal batting display which seized their chances further. If Inzi eleven want to recover intime , batsmen need to get their boots tight. With possibly batsmen and spinner friendly pitches, they seem to have some chance in WC proceedings.

Border, Hayden and symonds people living in glass houses do not throw stones at other houses,so you need to shut up as australia does not have any credibility over the issue, and remember we conducted internal tests and shared the results with the world so nothing has been hidden,
I would have loved to hear from you guys on this issue only if shane warnes career was ended three years ago,and hey is brett lee really injured or hiding bcz of dope tests.

There is no doubt, that nadrolone is in the blood stream of both Asif and Akhtar to such a degree that they would both test above the ICC regulations and hence face stiff bans.Does the PCB really expect the world to believe that they have not conducted informal "off the record" tests on these two? They obviously have and both have tested positive, otherwise the PCB would be fuming and sending them to be tested even if they are not going to the WC.Look how bullish the PCB were in the Darrel Hair affair when they knew that right was on their side.They know that Akhtar and Asif are cheats and quite frankly are defending the indefnsible.Why do they not insist on testing EVEN if they are injured and not going to the WC?
That said rationalise, did Akhter induce Asif to take nandrolone? or did they take it independently? The answers to these questions will serve the PCB more fruitfully in time to come than mereley knowing now if they are nandrolone positive or not.

Waqar can play
But i trust more Jamshed ahmed
Anwer Ali

“Damn if you do, damn if you don’t…”. I am sure this is what on PCB hierarchy’s mind these days. They must be cursing the moment when they decided to conduct internal dope tests before the Champions Trophy last year. It was a bad idea on PCB’s part unless they had inside leak about ICC planning to target Pakistan. Otherwise, if they did not have the guts to stick with the possible punishments, they should not have volunteered to test the players.
Now, the upcoming World Cup. With all the Bad, something Good has emerged. We know now what our resources will be. Also, there is no Targeted dope testing sword hanging on our head as, all the selected players have cleared the test. I agree with your overall message in this Blog. Instead whining, Pakistan should face the situation like men and take the bull by the horns. As you pointed out yes, there are similarities between this and 92 WC squad. But remember;
1- In this team there is no one anywhere close to what Wasim Akram was then.
2- Mushtaq, compared to Kenaria was a much more accomplished leggie as far as ODI are concerned.
3- Similarly, Aaqib was much more accomplished ODI Pacer compare to any on this squad.
4- With all due respect Inzamam is no match to Imran as far as Leadership qualities are concerned.
All said and done, I can not agree with you more when you say, “The World Cup isn't only an arena for heroes but it is one that creates them”. Inzamam, himself is one of those. I hope and pray we can find an opening combination that would provide us somewhat decent starts we need badly.
The most crucial factor would be how smartly Inzamam plays and utilizes the resources available to him. It will be very very important who bowls to whom at what stage of the game. The field placing, power plays etc., etc.For this, he will need to work closely with Woolmer and other support staff accompanying the squad. He should remember it is up to him how he uses the resources available to him. Woolmer is a very smart coach but, it is Inzamam who will be leading the team on the ground. Also, Younis should provide all the support, wisdom and energy he can to his Captain. He should also be ready to lead the team at any stage of the game and Tournament as; Inzamam tends to break down with back spasms himself.
For the opening match against West Indies given the resources my team would be;
Inzamam should adjust the batting and bowling order according to the situation.

I

Well put, and how will it be Pakistan without a healthy dose of disarray heading into any tournament, especially the World Cup. All this fiasco has told me is that things are as normal as can be for Pakistan cricket and this is how they usually are when they spring their "better" surprises. So all this if anything should be thought of as an encouraging sign that Pakistan might actually perform and get somewhere this World Cup. Surely if Pakistan had a strong side on paper heading into this thing you would be fearing a repeat of 2003 if anything.
Who will lead Pakistan in the charge you may ask? I personally am hoping that Sami will finally show why he was praised by all when he appeared on the scene and bowl with rejuvination and hopefully a bit more luck. Gul should use this as a stepping stone to greater prolonged success as a spearhead and maybe Kaneria can use whatever opportunites he gets to pull a Warne circa 99. Apart from these three, I would look towards Shahid Afridi to be the surprise strike bowler for Pakistan in this WC as he is sure to cause many teams problems if he gets going consistently and does not give away the odd poor deliveries.
I, being a Pakistan fan, am the eternal optimist but lets hope Pakistan yet again succeeds against all odds.

Firstly, i heard your comments aired on star news on thursday 1st march. I agreed with them, they have become some what a laughing stock when you talk about the board and as far as the two bowlers are concerned, ive wacthed enough ODIs over the past two years religiously to know that we've done well without the two. Shoaib notibly more so, and its about time we consider other options groom more bowlers, Asif i think still has much to offer and it will be wise on his part not to walk in shoaib's foot steps. PCB is only good for identifying great talents and then destroying them. Past players arent helping the cuase either thanks to PCB since they havent been treated any better.

We will do great to make it to Super Eights .. any further would be a miracle.

i like your optimism kamran, but sami in my books is and always be a crap bowler, he'll be a disaster along with rao and azhar...Only Gul in my books will shine and Yasir could be a surprise, not much can be said about kaneria at the moment

i think we need sami and gul to start of and then comes in azha mahmood and kaneria and arafat to finsh it off, that ill win the cup and bring it to pakistan. we shloud open with hafeez and farhat and affridi shloud come in at 5 and mahmood in 6 and then akal.

I think Pakistan should play 4 bowlers in the opening match against WI and then once Afridi comes in they should drop one of them.

We have to depend on specialists, instead of filling up out team with players who CANT bat nor bowl. Now that we are depleted we have to put out faith in the top 6 batsman to score all the runs and 4 bowlers to bowl through most of the overs. Instead of crossing fingers that on allrounder may actually score more than 20 runs or bowl 10 overs withtout visiting the bleachers.
For the 1st match id play
Rana/Sami
Rao
Kaneria
Gul

with Malik and hafiz as supporting cast.

True, it's not game over yet for Pakistan.

One should always remember, its not over till the fat lady sings, but in Pakistan's case, she is wobbling.

I believe their bowling line-up is mediorcre. Although they got guys who can carry the work load, they lack attacking prowess. In the 1992 world cup, you had akram, in 1996 you had waqar, in 1999 you had aktar, 2003 you had all 3 of them. Well, hmmm... 2007... urhh lets c wat happens...

"...there's always hope"

Nope. Not anymore. Lets face it, we don't have a bowling attack. Gul? Capable but he has been out of the game for ages. Kaneria? Sure, if I want to bowl 10 overs, give 20 runs and take no wickets. Sami/Naved? Please! They are past their primes.

Because of the format of the WC (2 useless teams with 2 proper teams in each group), we will make it to the Super8. But that's it. No further.

And I hold the PCB personally responsible for this. Four years ago it sacked the whole team after the last WC farce. They have had 4 years to find out openers, lead bowlers, wicketkeeper and what not. They, of course, have failed miserably.

Going into this WC Pakistan had the best bowling attack, albeit on paper. How have we gone from that to this shambolic lot in a few months is beyond me.

i very much agree with you that the loss of shobby and mo asif should not be an excuse to not do well in wc07. i have a lot of confidence in this team. i think this team is going a long way. only thing i m praying for now is we dont get any more injuries to anyone. i mnot a big fan of Boom Boom but i have the feelings that he is going do something special in this wc. watch out for mohammad yousuf as well. also what is up with this inzi coming in at number 4?
i think moyo is our best bat for last couple yrs..there is no reason why he should be push back..if inzi really wants to take over,maybe he should open..yousuf coming in at number 5 would be a little too late for him unless our top order live to its poten and are back in first 2-3 overs..

good luck Pakistan..i really think you can do i t..

I would like to say U can never win a game with ONE player.

Its all about teamwork.. if u can gel together and PLAY as a team that is MUCH better then just one or two players performing well.

This maybe a silver lining amongst the clouds in that we may NOW concentrate on the TEAM and the Worldcup instead of 2 players!

Be positive please i think we can still be force if all the players put there effort in same direction Yasir Arfat is very talented cricketer i watched him perfrom in county cricket for sussex and Sami got what it needed to be great. both of them just need bit of luck.pakistan will miss Razzaq,Asif and shoiab but we still got Inzi.yousaf,Malik and Afridi we can do it just Be Positive .

Kamran bhai...

Love the blog!!!! absolutly grrrr8!
No need to cry over spilled milk... forget Akhtar and Asif.... we have bigger and better fish to fry in Carribean... lets all get together and support our team whole heartidly this is what our team is and this is what we need to support (JUST LIKE WE DID IN 1992).

out of the remaining bowlers we have, beside Gul, I think Rao would be my pick.. i know his record is shabby BUT he showed alot of heart and pace and line in South Africa and has been consistent!

so lets all get together and root for OUR TEAM!!!

NARAAAAEY TAKBEEEEEEEEER.... ALLAH HU AKBAR!

Dear Kamran, This is a very good approach to support the team this time and let them fight with what they got. There would be no reason for them to regret now about Asif and Shoaib. The important message is that they must think that we are here to win the cup not to qualify for semi finals or so. The planing should be to win the match the day they are playing and wining all the matches. Fight until the last ball with spirit and enthusiasam. I observed recently in the Champions trophy, that Umar bowled very well but at a certain point they loose the concentration in the middle of the match, e.g SA. and finally they couldnt carried the match.
Finally, i would say that go to the match and kick some asses and win us the cup

AOA Kamran. PLEASE leave the team alone now, give them a chance. And kindly STOP posting blogs that are aimed at just criticism of the board and the players, since what is done is done. The fact is that Pakistan is still playing there and we should be rooting for our team there, even if it is not an ideal one. As a Pakistani, you should now stop posting things which always have a component such as "the truth is something else". I for one, am solidly behind the Pakistani team and pray for their success and if they are destined to exit then for a respectable exit. I am EXTREMELY happy to see the statement made by Ashraf on the remarks by Malcolm Speed and I am also hoping that the unwarranted remarks of Hayden and Symonds are punished. I am certain that there must be some clause in the laws of ICC which prohibit players and officials to make public statements about cases which are under legal proceedings and as we all know the case of Shoaib and Asif is. I would have been happier if Ashraf had gone a step further and quoted that specific clause. So, I would like to see a thorough investigation on the remarks of Speed and Hayden+ Symonds --especially the latter two.

Hamza, Cambridge

Yes, and we will prosper as a nation and will lead the muslim world in all fields... come on Kamran... get over it.

Kaneria is very vital for Pakistan and I hope Inzamam does not make a mistake to leave just one spot for Afridi and Kaneria. Both of them should play togather whenever the oppertunity arrise. Azhar Mahmood is useless as compare with Razzaq so just leave him out and use specialist bowler instead. I would go for Umer Gul, Sami, Rana, Rao. This combination could prove to be a ray of hope for Pakistan.

I completely agree with you kamran,the team needs to show some heart,we have too wicket takers in kaneria and Gul, Sami is a much improved bowler he can still imrove if he learns to move the ball in the air or reverse it thats the only thing lacking in his bowling, he has speed he has movement off the seam,also needs to improve on the length I think when he gets hit he immidately changes the length and line if starts changing the pace a little bit he would be much more effective.
Rana naveeds problem is he wants to take a wicket every ball he tries too much and he is too slow to ball short pitch stuff consistently its true he is one of the best at death but also he is the third most expensive ODI bowler of all time.If he is not
in form i would like to play Rao as the third bowler his strike rate is not good but has been the most economical of all.
We need the third bowler to just control the runs
his role should be to only be economical like Aqib
Javed in 1992.
The fouth bowler also holds the key My choice is Yasir he has pace and good yorkers his batting is no way as good as Azhars but bowling is definitely better.
I think every bowler in the event will get some beating these are the best we have for now whether they leak some runs or not as long as they stick to line and length consistently,I will be satisfied.

Yes every one thinks about the withdrawl bec. of doping issue. But its wise decision I think, PCB could have shown clearly the reason as doping issue because this issue of internal doping test has already been passed through judicail process. I believe there would have not been any embarrasment by saying the truth and referring the judical process and attributing the withdrawl to precautionary measures. Presence of banned substances does not make one guilty any way. It is the intension of player which is basically determined by judicial process. There are many examples in games (biggest the most famous US cyclist) where ban substaces were found in the blood but judicairy cleared the player on account of mnay reasons. One more thik, Kamran bhai can you swith a topic in your blog about the comments given by two australin players, as mentioned also be PCB president, are these comments not against the friendly reputation of game.
Prays for Pakistani team

you just echoed what i have been saying all along, that world cup is the arena which creates heroes.
Lets back our team and i think Kaneria will be the most important guy here given that no other team has a really good leg spinner (except Kumble). Kaneria's test will be against the sub continent team as they play spin very well.
As far as the death overs are concerned i think Rana Naveed should be used along with Afridi, Hafeez, and Shoaib. I have to say that i have been really impressed with Hafeez bowling and i think he has what it takes to bowl in the death overs.
Our bowling has always won us games, but i think now we are just like India, and our batting have to win us the games and i believe that our middle order is from the top drawer and if our openers can fire who knows whats in waiting.
Also if we do an analysis of where Pakistan stands i do see Pakistan making it to the semis pretty easy. Here is the reason why i say that
"I think nobody's gonna doubt that it should be an easy ride for Pakistan to the super 8. Now from there on they have to win 4 out of 7 games which they can win against India, New Zealand, England and Sri Lanka. Many of you might disagree about New Zealand being in that group and the sole reason that i have for having them in there is their inability of handle express pace and thats why they have done well against Australia previously too but they have always struggled against Pakistan. If we flash our minds back to history, all the Pakistani pace bowlers who made a debut against New Zealand have been exceptional against them. Take Waqar Younis, Mohammad Zahid, Mohammad Sami and many others. Sami also has a 5 wicket haul against NZ. The only reason New Zealand did well against Australia was that Ozs lacked an express bowler.
Out of those 4 teams i only see India giving Pakistan some fight and i say that only because Pakistan has a zero record against India in the WC.
The last but not the least is Pakistans opening problem and, as i have said time and again, it can be solved by Inzi opening the batting.
Here is Ricky Martin for Pakistan
"The cup of life
this is the one
now is the time
dont ever stop
push it along
gotta be strong
push it along right to the top
Here we (Pakistanis) go! Ale Ale Ale
And when you feel the heat
the world is at your feet
no one can hold you down (cornered tigers)
if you really want it
just steal your destiny
right from the hands of fate
reach for the cup of life
cause your name is on it
do you really want it (yeah we want it)
do you really want it
Go go go Ale Ale Ale
here we go Ale Ale Ale

INZI and CO. you know we really want it
So go Pakistan go
Thanks
Shahid.

The PCB as u said kamran is an international laughing stock. And i think now its time for our chief patron of the PCB to really take a step like he is takin steps round the world .
i do not blame Shoaib and Asif as it is the boards responsibility to take care of the players , the way they have handled Shoaib is a disgrace for any cricket board . PCB has always made Shoaib looked like the black sheep of the team , whereas in reality its the PCB who is THE BIGGEST BLACK SHEEP ,they had so much time to clean the system of these players and sadly the way they r treating the pakistanis they think WE THE PAKISTANIS do not know darn thing about cricket. We Know whats up PCB..WE KNOW THE TRUTH...
as for inzi i think this is his going away present from the almighty ..he thought he was to good to lead a team without shoaib and he depended on ASIF
atlast the almighty took away Asif from him now lets see what inzi can do to overcome this .
as for our bowlers now, i have FAITH in CHACHA RANA cause rana is THE ONLY hard working player i have seen in our cricket team in ages, he might had a bad south african tour but he is the one who can will inshallah shine , as of Gull he is too good but not that good to fill asif or Shoaib's slot .
i have no doubt about inzi's talent but i think it would have been best if Younis Khan was the Captain, he have the quality of a Leader which lacks in inzi ..
For us to win this world cup we have to win on the bases of out batting so
GOOD LUCK INZI and hope to see at #3 not #4...grow up baby show us u can be the MAN

Shoaib and Asif... couldn't ask for a bigger blow to Pakistan world cup chances. It was almost like waiting either thursday or friday for them to be ruled out of the world cup yet there was a little hope that they can make it. But it all came out thursday morning, which i must say did really upset me.

Kamra, i must say that your right it's almost a fact and to some extent a shame that Pakistani fans have now gotten use to Shoaib's absence from the team. It seems like a bonus if he's playing. I say bonus if you recall as recent as the test series in South Africa he played for only one day, and yet that was enough for Pakistan to win that test match. He truely is a match winner. We all know why Shoaib and Asif were left out of the squad. Rumours of Asif's elbow has been blowing ever since the 2nd odi in South Africa, but what amazed me was that he still bowled in the remaining 3 matches.
I do truely feel bad for Asif ? He's been the bigger looser of the two. This would have been his first world cup and to be along with Shoaib and Umar Gul in the bowling line up would have been very special. It's very unfortunate that they have't