If Pakistan's bowlers weren't great, the batsmen were even less impressive until the final day. This suboptimal display made Inzamam's final two balls the most memorable performance by any Pakistan batsmen throughout the series. Perhaps Inzamam's contribution would been best remembered whatever the effort from his colleagues?

But Pakistan are a Test team with problems. And the biggest perhaps is mindset. It was disappointing to hear Shoaib Malik insist on the righteousness of his spin strategy. What happened to the PCB's promise of livelier tracks? Pakistan's bowling strength lies in pace complemented by spin.

A further irritation was to hear Pakistan constantly claim that they were finding it hard to adapt to Test cricket after the Twenty20 World Cup. South Africa have endured a similar One-day glut to Pakistan.

Worse still, though, was the initial argument that Pakistan had better back spin because why would they choose wickets that suited the opposition's strengths? A mantra of international sport is that you plan and play to your strengths and not in fear of what the opposition might do to you. That was the first in a series of unfortunate miscalculations that ended with Inzi's crazed dance down the wicket to Paul Harris.

Shoaib Malik is a smart young captain and Geoff Lawson is an equally smart and aggressive young coach. Pakistan will learn but they need to learn fast. This dead-track spin-bowling strategy is a fantasy that has never been realised in Pakistan cricket, and with the bowlers that Pakistan possesses it is unlikely to be realised in a hurry.

It is very sad to see sub continent teams loose home series. Are the batsmen so weak kneed to play on dead wickets? See the last ODI India played against AUS - 148. It is indeed painful to see the sub-continent giants play such pathetic cricket on their home soil.

India lost to Aus last time they played at home, now Pakistan loose to SAF on dead wickets. On both the sides there are no quality spinners (barring the ever fighting Kumble). Have we lost on the ACE we always possessed?

The board on either side is always into their own world of making money & so called promotions of other countries - have you ever introspected what has happened to your home team -- NO..NEVER.. All that is done is to find a scapegoat.

if AUS/SAF/ENG can tailor their wickets to suit their bowling why shouldn't we? Hope we do find good quality spinners (not defensive/restrictive) to carry on the legacy - bowlers who are not afraid to toss the ball or turn the ball square.

I completely agree. Since when has spin rather than pace/seamers become Pakistan's strength. Pakistan team management completely miscalculated strategies and blew it. Briefly, it was bad selection and poor fielding which cost us for sure the first test if not the series. I hope and pray that Malik and Lawson can re-think their strategies for the Indian tour.

No mention of not attemtpting 6 per over in the last 24 overs?

The only thing that came out of this series for Pakistan was Kamran Akmals batting many people in Pakistan are calling for him to be dropped as his keeping has not been upto standard. I agree play him as a specialist opener. The commitment he showed in his batting after keeping for so long is something that has been lacking in Pakistan Openers for a long time. And Kamran Akmal may perform a lot better in Tests if he plays as an opener

Success at Twenty20 counts for very little! Welcome to real cricket guys! Home truths! This team minus Shoaib's pace is accurately rated at number 7, only above Bangladesh and West Indies! This is real cricket. 5 days of graft. What happened to the golden boy, Misbah?

Well pak team is a new time..it will take time ..especiall with a new captain.but its got talent..give it some time..

but i dont know what will happen once akthar is back..he really is bad influence and may undermine the captain.

The problem I have always had with the pakistan team is their mind set. The lack killer instinct by this I mean if the team or a player has performed well in a match or a tournament they feel they have done enough and can take it easy. They had a couple of good games in 20/20 but they failed when it mattered. They lost to a team twice with out a coach. The team looke much prepared in both the matches. Any way enough said about that.
The team and management thinking they have done enough move to SA series. Team selection was wrong.Can not see why they chose 2 spiners, when Danish Kaneria there prime choice will get 2 to 3 wickets after bowling 30 odd overs and giving over a 100 runs. His country statistics are not much different, if Afridi bowls as many overs I can bet he will have a lot more wickets.
In this series no younger player was induced. I keep seeing pakistani young bowlers out performing their counterparts in under 19. But in last 6 years I have not seen any sucessful high performer given a chance compare that to Indi who we are superior in every right have put through Pathan, RP, etc. I want to see shahid who is pretty quick, Anwar Ali and current under 19 star. Imran Khan, Wasim, Aqib and Waqar all started their international careers at a very young age, why cant these. lets make sure we dont loose them like so many others.

Pakistan's miserly series with South Africa can draw attention to a number of problems. Firstly, it is no fault of the captain nor coach as both are fairly new recruits and will very quickly learn from losing matches. The PCB and selection committee are main culprits at hand. Yes, the coach and captain have a hand to play but to wholly blame them both would be unjust to Pakistani cricket. What are the selection committee thinking? Does History not repeat itself? Clearly it does remember the unmemorable Test 2000-2001 England v Pakistan in Pakistan where once again the selection committee adopted a spin strategy? Do they not learn? Secondly, what happened to our friend Sohail Tanvir who bowled I feel so beautifully and with presence in the World Cup 20/20? Alright the 20/20 is a different format and discipline entirely and we already know that Test cricket suggests just that, a long test of mental and physical toughness and to play for prolonged periods. But what about Tanvir, why not include him in this present side as he adds that very spice Pakistan require in the pace bowling attack. And in my view ban Akhtar from all forms of the game as his arrogance has got the better of him for a long time now, Pakistan could do without such a soul destroyer. Cheers!!

Come on, Kamran, be patient! The problem with both Indian and Pakistani cricket is the amnesia of their fans and supporters. When they win, they are glorified, and when they lose, they are crucified. There are no objective evaluations of strengths and weaknesses. There is no strategizing that strikes an optimal trade-off between long-term progress and short-term success. This is the root cause of all evil in Indian and Pakistani cricket. Your article is a great exemplar of this problem.

To me, Pakistan performed quite well for a young team. It is wonderful to see some creative thinking on the part of Malik and Lawson, in terms of experimenting with and trying to develop spinners. The only real difference between the two teams was Jacques Kallis. Had Yousuf been available (in shape and form) for the first test, the series would have ended in a draw.

So, stop complaining and enjoy the new direction of Pakistani cricket. I only wish that India would learn from Pakistan, and gradually phase out their senior cricketers, Sachin, Sourav and Rahul, and invest more in their young cricketers under Dhoni's direction.

Pakistan Cricket board should take the responsibility for the series defeat, They are a bunch of unprofessional people. I can't blame any player, there was no strategy whatsoever, they never thought of what kind of pitches they will make, every country's cricket board take this advantage, but our board only knows to cut grass at the very last moment, look at the team they picked, Hafeez, I dont think could be a test player, Inzamam I cant understand the logic behind his selection, the only motive for him is to surpass the Great Miandad's reocrd, but unfortunately he couldnt break it, instead we could have picked Asim Kalam who has been constantly ignored by the selection committee, Taufeeq should be in the team, but they did not pick him, instead I bet that they will pick him for the one dayers, Danish was a big disappointment, he is not a match winner & I strongly agree that we had very good bowlers, like Abdul Qadir, Saqlain & Mushtaq. Danis should understand that he need to bowl more cosistantly rather then bowling 5 diffrent deliveries in one over.
Its not like we have not played a test fro long, we have professional players, they should know how to transform there game to diffrent levels of cricket.
I wish good luck to Shoaib Malik for the coming one dayers.

Amin M - Toronto (North Yrok)

Kamran, your analysis is spot on. I would only add that the "smart young captain" would be a little smarter if he admitted error. The error was the spin strategy. He should also stop whining about the change from 20/20 to Test cricket; professionals have to adapt all the time.

Let's face the facts:SA outplayed Pakistan in all departments of the game and their determination,discipline and undying spirits deserves the success they achieved.Pakistan,even after encountering roughly the same side in SA had no strategy or plan for the series except the doubtfull and misguided theory of spinning pitches.That was a stupid mistake to have only two pace bowlers in both matches where both proved ineffective.Tanvir should have been given a chance or Fawad Alam in place of Abdul Rehman in the 2nd. Test.Pakistani batsmen are alarmingly suspect to extreme pace and woefull against slow bowling; SA had done their homework well knowing how our batsmen fall like nine pins to Harminson and Panesar in England.I don't believe Harris is that good but he was far better than Kaneria who bowled below par.Pakistan should stick to their pace bowlers,a shock bowler like Sami would have helped,and learn to play slow left arm spin where they were like myopics.Younis played well as did Yousuf and Akmal but Shoaib Malik and the rest were like cats on hot bricks against the fast bowlers.I wonder what will happen on faster,bouncier pitches...i shudder to think.

u r write. v lose and there is no excuse. but the question is when v r going to change ourself?..
and the 1 important question i wanna ask that if shoaib malik saying that we havn't got out from 20 twenty then why didnt we win today. bcz the equation was quite simple .we needed just 6,7 runs in over......
and yes all that spin mantra at home grounds. we were playing with 2 spinners in which 1 was playing his 2nd test and the other alwayz require 15 overs to get lose.
last thing i wanna say iz that we need a allrounder like razzaq who can provide a little more in both batting and bowling..

I don't understand why a good test player like Asim Kamal is going through constant injustice, why experiments are going on with opening position, why they are not giving salman butt and yasir hamid a constant chance to open?

pathetic display by a meek looking team. as they say first step to resolving a problem is to identify it, our captains, boards live in a state of denial. spin bowling = defensive approach. Is it me or pakistan team really looks fearful on the ground? pakistan players = pussycats

The strategy for this series was based on the assumption & hope that Pakistan will win the toss & bat first, batsmen will put the runs on the board & the spinners will take advantange in the fourth innings.

So, the result of this series shows that in order to win a test match, the batsman should be able to put sufficient runs on the board & the bowlers need to get 20 wickets. But surely neither department did their job 100%, batting first or not....

Its time that Pakistan must stop considering Kaneria as a match winner. He can win a match for Pakistan once in a while but surely you cant be dependant on him & base your strategy on that.

I agree that the absence of the bad boy was one of the main reason for this plan.

I hope that they dont repeat this strategy for any future home series.

& you cant blame the pitch & excuse Inzamam for the shot he played. This is the way he has been playing spin for the whole of his career & unluckily he missed the shot today.

Malik has really disappointed as a test captain but one can really hope that he learns quickly because we cant afford such mistakes in the tour to India & Aus home series...

I dont know why they went ahead with two spinners. they should have picked sohail tanveer atleast for a variety.
i still dont understand why they have failed to find good opening pair.until they find a steady opening pair pak is going to struggle.
I dont know how PCB can allow afridi to chose whether to play or not .This is absolute rubbish.In the recent years it is very clear afridi's spin is more threatening than danish kaneria. kaneria does not run through a side like kumble or harbajan.So definitely afridi has to be in the side mainly as a bowler who can bat.
Unless they sort out these they cannot win a test series

Although I'm a big fan of Shoaib Malik but in all honesty I was surprised big time by a certain decisions he took. The 1st and the foremost is sticking with 2 spinners & 2 fast bowlers strategy followed by losing most of his trust by under using the pacemen in both tests(Ok ! Asif was injured in the 2nd innings of the 2nd test). Then instead of trying to bowl himself ,he used Younis Khan which just confused me big time.
Danish Kaneria is one spinner who is never ever going to be the big match winner they have always talked about.He is overrated big time , Rehman did his job fine but Pakistani bowling attack just look terrible and that's why they were dominated by SA's batting and in turn they failed to take the 20 wickets in either of the 2 tests.
Batting looked extremely shaky and under immense pressure which I have not seen before at least at Home.
They other thing which surprising was that our young and dynamic captain who also happens to be a bold one never even tried to go for the win which was not easy but still a possibility especially after surving last night & even the pre lunch session today for the lost of Only Butt(Why is he in the team ?? Only becuase he is the only one who can speak English ? It is mind Boggling ) & Akmal. From lunch to tea their was not even a remote sign showed by the Pakistanis that they want to win this match (A part from poor Inzy ,who wanted to win the game single handedly). Even if that was the plan then why did Yousaf come out at # 4. They should have sent Inzy earlier.
Malik's remarks that they wanted to survive till tea and then go for the kill does not make any sense as it was the Friday and the last session was the way too late.
To be fair to Malik it was his 1st Test series and it was definately against a better team , so we have to give him some time and then see how he is going to learn from some of these big blunders he did .

Going with 6 specialist batsmen & only 4 bowlers doesnt make any sense..There should have been an genuine allrounder in the side like afridi or razzaq who could have batted like a tiger when required just like the last day of the 2nd test & shared the work load of the poor bowlers keeping them fresh..
Since afridi opted out of the series,PCB should have contacted razzaq as they had done with yousuf because in my opinion he has won us more matches(specifically ODI's)than what yousuf has did,with his nippy seem bowling & some awesome display of powerhitting,single handedly wining us matches..
Pakistan is wasting razzaq & they should deeply think of bringing him back..

Well its really doesnt matter. Pakistan's entire team is a wrong selection. I personally think Pakistani players should not be selected in the team unless they pass BA/BS degrees. I think they lack education. Education brings tactive and sharpness in any player. Our players are JAHAL. They are college drop outs and they have no analytical and tactical skills. I personally think Salman butt, Muhammad Hafeez, Faisal Iqbal, Dinesh Kanaria, Afridi and some other new players should be kicked out and banned. We have tested them for longer period of times and they have no glamor plus talent. Pakistan should search for talent nationwide and recruit players based on talent. We need talents like Imran Khan, Miandad, Izimam, Waqar Younus, Waseem Akram and Saleem Malik. Now all of the players we have are all JUNKIES. One more interesting thing, we have a JUNKIES PCB's Chairman. We have no system in place, cricket is dying like hockey...
only GOD CAN SAVE CRICKET IN PAKISTAN.

The fact that AbdulRehman got 8 wickets in the first test didn't helped. They were reluctant to drop their most wicket taking bowler of the first test & were not thinking of dropping Kaneria (the "match winner"). This is where the aussies has been brilliant, even though in the few matches Warne & Macgill have played together (specially in sydney), & often Macgill has performed fantastically well & better than Warne, still they didn't hesitated to drop him from the next game as Warne was their premium spinner.......THEY DIDN'T CAHNGE THEIR STRATEGY FOR ONE INDIVIDUAL i.e. THEY DIDNT PREPARED SLOW TRACKS TO KEEP HIM IN THE ELEVEN.

The more you depend on Kaneria, the most he disappoints. Kamran is right, he can best used to complement the pace.

Please, get rid of Kaneria. Why Pak rate him to be their premier spinner is beyond me...

Pakistan got what they deserved. By adopting the illusionary spin supremacy strategy, they got the taste of it second time in about 7 years (first time in 2000 against England). Well, what can you say for such a foolish thinking? Of course, it was their new captains call, who by the way doesn't warrant a place in the test team. Thank goodness, who will say he is a thinking captain after the recent debacle and drubbing at the hands of Proteas.
Shoib keep thinking like this and you will bring more laurels to Pakistan.

No doubt, Pakistan is long over due for greener pitches. Asif' latest injury is a scare and a reminder that this level of over-exertion on bowlers part must come to an end. Sensible planning is required desperately on PCBs' part. Omar Gul was lucky enough to survive a spinal fracture a few years ago. But next time around Pakistan bowlers may not be that lucky. Brown-to-Green is an absolute must. Pakistan pitches were diagnosed nearly two years ago by the New Zealand ground experts as in dire need of re-conditioning. They should be asked to come back and help PCB out.

Well said, Mr.Abbasi. You've covered pretty much all the areas that needed immediate attention. That Pakistan avoided a white wash in the test series is indeed a blessing in disguise. With a defensive captain, an out of form and extremely irresposible vice captain, flat lifeless pitches, and horrible team composition, we sure were asking to be punished and humiliated badly. All credit goes to Smith and his men for their positive play; they refused to be bogged down by the flat pitches and warm weather. It was purely a team work by South Africa and each of the 11 players contributed at some point towards the team's triumph. Their body language suggested that they were here to win, and win comprehensively. They showed the energy, the spirit, the guts, and the smartness needed at the top level. They played like a top class team and thoroughly deserved the win. Sadly it was just the opposite for Pakistan. They all looked like worn out horses that had lost direction. The bowling attack was listless and non-threatening. The batting was totally out of depth even on the final day because the way the batsmen were playing, slow run rate and over cautious approach, it wasn't upto test class.

Pakistan started the series with negative mind set and failed to correct their mistakes. South Africa could have brought an additional spinner with them but they relied on their best men to deliver the goods and they did. They played their best 11 for both matches and Pollock's omission is a great example that he didn't fit in their scheme of work. Paul Harris performed better than both Kaneria and Abdul Rehman together. Opening with the keeper is never a good idea for a test match. This may work in ODIs but not over a five day match. It affects keeper's main role, wicketkeeping. Pakistan need to find an immediate solution to their long time head ache of finding the right opening pair. Furthermore, they need to have a variety in the middle order by having a left hander and Asim Kamal deserves a chance now. Shoaib Malik is a young captain and he must act aggressively and the sooner he breaks the shackles of negative mind set the better of he will be. Pace is Pakistan's strength and they must not ignore that fact. We're fortunate enough to have the likes of Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Mohammad Asif, Rao Iftikhar, Mohammad Sami, Shahid Nazir, Rana Naveed and Shabbir Ahmed available first hand and promising rookies like Najaf Shah, Mohammad Irshad, Sohail Tanvir and Abdul Rauf waiting for their chance. I hope Pakistan's strength in India will be pace, not spin because even Australia didn't play Warne and McGill together there. If we're struggling to make 300 in an innings and failing to take 20 wickets on our own grounds then that must be sorted out immediately. Shame on Salman Butt for trying to cover his own weaknesses by publicly criticizing much respected umpires Taufel and Benson. He needs to pay attention to his game first before looking for excuses. The way he got out in the second innings is a clear sign that he never worked on his faulty technique and keeps on depriving other promising opening players in the team. He needs to be butted out immediately. Lets hope we learn from our mistakes here and don't repeat the miscalculations on the Indian trip and when we host the Aussies next spring.

PCB selection sucks. For home series, they choose final playing 11, and perhaps had made Shoaib Malik take blame if he wants to keep captaincy. No way in world you should play with 2 seamers only. Just plain stupid

I do not know if my comments will find space in your blog because all my previous comments (at least last three) were not considered appropriate enough to make it public. I do hope you do not have any personal grudges…

I do not see any miscalculation anywhere by anyone. The results were very much expected, but I am extremely happy to see Miandad’s aggregate still intact. It was a matter of great shame to bring Inzamam back for one Test just to break Minadad’s record. Inzamam’s yet another selfish approach very rightly let him down…..and I am so happy with the outcome.

Pakistan’s middle order bating is in very fragile shape. I don’t know what will happen after departure of Younis and Yousef. No matter who is the coach, captain, trainer or PCB chairman…future of Pakistan cricket is bleak and depressive of the highest order.

as i had predicted in my comment after the team lost to India in the Twenty20 final, the Pakistani batting line folded in this series and unfortunately the bowlers could not keep the momentum going. Salman Butt, the vice captain's place in as a specailist opener should be a non playing one. He is a lousy fielder and even worst batsmen. Why is he in the team? No one including the selectors know. Kamran Akmal dropped the crucial catch in the first Test. He is dropping more catches than he can grab. These are the players who are on a downward spiral. How long they will be selected and paid a handsome amount ($) for robbing talented players positions, is still anybody's guess. The only good news is that we are almost near the bottom (no. 7) and only West Indies and Bangladesh are below us but for how long?

"To err is human" ..n i do believe our unduely- underfire captain, is human.
I agree - the 2 spinner strategy was wrong it shud have been either danish or rehman..
But other then that..i completely agree with tyche (seems like a sensible man-which unfortunately Kamran is not acting like one) ..in the contest of the fact that its a young team..under a young captain who has much much to learn (just his first test series as captain!)..has done exceptionally well. The difference b/w the two teams has been Kallis (who is a world class player-the class of whom cud not be matched by anyother SA or PAK player, since yousuf was not playing in the lost test)

Other then that part, even with a young side, captain and coach i think we did well.

Everybody makes a few mistakes. A few catches were dropped (2 of kallis). The strategy was a lil over ambitious to put it lightly. But come on..give it time..dont pull out your knives so soon..

Well done Mailk, Better Luck Next Time, sport!

p.s: if anything, i think our biggest problem lies in preparing dead pitches, when our strength should be our pace battery!

Completely agree .Pakistan has always had this mindset of trying to nullify the oppositions strength. The only time positivity was evident in their planning was when Imran was captain. Surprisingly though Paul Harris caused more problems for Pakistani batsmen than Kaneria posed to the S.A line up. Harris, in honesty is an ordinary spinner ; has no credentials to be otherwise. Kaneria on the other hand is billed as a real weapon and 9 out of 10 times has failed to deliver. Rehman is very ordinary as well. One can only hope that we start recognising the fact that whatever little talent there is in Pakistan cricket, lies wit our pacemen.7th in the world is not being unkind; lets just hope there isnt a seriess against WI or Bangladesh in the near future!

First of all Eid Mubarak to each and every person out there.

Success is all about attitude,the burning desire to win and the Will to make it happen.so here is my take.

Salman Butt: Needs to overcome the demons of self doubt, the poor Kid is going through a crisis of Self Confidence. So he should go and Chill with Sarfraz Nawaz develop an attitude, become obnoxious, arrogant and develop some delusions of grandeur. Otherwise he is gonna remain a shrinking violet a damsel in distress forever. Being picked and dropped has shattered his confidence. So Salman Bro, In the Words of Muhammad Ali.." self belief is everything impossible is nothing."

Kamran Akmal, he needs to learn how to catch, very simple, batting improved in this series so learn how to catch dude. or this Young confident and Cocky kid, called Sarfraz Ahmed is gonna take that spot. So atleast improve your reflexes and reaction, start playing Squash or Something as
Part of your training regime.Most importantly learn to catch.

Asim Kamal, another guy whose confidence got shattered since he last got dropped. His performance in domestic cricket has gone downhill.
so he needs to realise life is not fair, sure he was treated badly. so to Make it back into the Squad, the man should develop an image hire an agent. Grow a Pony tail, get your ears pierced. Make guest appearances on every Tom,dick and Harry T.v. show to keep his profile in the News. Beat up a few Journalists,Preferably Indian ones. He will become an instant hit. It will help create a massive public campaign to get him back in the Team. He will also have Sponsors Knocking on the door Man controversy sells. Because lets face it the guy looks like your average rickshaw driver. If Prisoners where forced to watch him play, They would scream torture....Or else he should buy himself a Rickshaw, and strat a new Career nothing wrong with that profession, a very suitable job for him.

Misbah ulhaq, well big, big, mistake for being the only guy in the team to actually show his real age. So if he gets dropped, they is not gonna be any way back " His too old we need fresh blood.." The critics will shout.

So Misbah remember Luck is being prepared when opportunity presents itself. Take the Bull by the horns and show people what you is made off.

Shoaib Akhtar, Man the trantrums are growing tiresome..the Public is getting fed up. Pretty soon the Sponsors will lose faith and invest the money in some other player. so if that happens the P.c.b is gonna kick you out, for good, they will realise this goose no longer lays them Golden eggs. Soften the image do the unexpected, Join Inzamam on them Tablighi missions. Do your " I am a changed man routine." THe James Dean " Rebel Without a Cause" act no longer carries the appeal.

Danish Kaneria, aim the Ball at them stumps and start taking wickets. No point flashing the feathers like a Peacock, if you is not getting them wickets. Pretty soon some young guy is gonna come along, and you will be yesterdays news. Then you will end up like Marlon Brando Crying.." I coulda been somebody, I coulda been a Contender." Well at this rate you are never gonna Match the 2 Mushys, forget the likes of Warne and Muralitharan.

Shoaib Malik, pretend to be nice to these Journalists. They cannot handle the Truth. so be a bit more diplomatic, or else they going to launch a campaign against you.Yeah also take that number Three spot in the Batting order.

Younis Khan, refuse to bat at three, And make the retirement from the one day side permanent.Or else the writing is on the Wall.

Most Importantly, Nasim Ashraf, needs to learn Cricket now Busharaff is never gonna remove him from his post. so the guy should atleast go on a course or something to learn about cricket.

Yo, Doctor Nasim sahib, You cannot apply the Principles of Gynaecology to Cricket. Its like a total different sport old chap...Its like Chalk and cheese.

I will say it again:
1. Malik's/Pakistan's ridiculous tactics bordered on the cowardly. Tactics that were adopted unsuccessfully (mostly to secure draws) by Pakistan in the 60's, and discarded in the late 70's. This has already left one bowler injured and I am sure by the end of the 1 day series Gul will also have some sort of a niggle that will render him ineffectual in India. Continuing to believe that it was the correct approach is being muleish or "akhroat-ish".
2. As long as Pakistan's undying fascination with the shorter format of the game continues - it will continue to churn out "fast-food" cricketer's - good for the Sunday slog but hopeless in Big-Boy cricket. This hurts our batting more, since batting is more about honing one's technique rather than relying on raw talent alone(as fast bowler's might).
3. The PCB must discard, with immediate effect, tried and tested players who are consistent non-performers, regardless of their "potential". The revolving-door policy is hurting the team. New blood must be introduced.
4. We must stop saying that there is an abundance of talent in Pakistan. This is a falsehood. While there is still some (not a lot) bowling talent available, there is very little batting talent. Our perennial opening-pair conundrum is proof of this. With Inzi's retirement Pakistan has 2 real world-class batsmen left - Younis and Yousuf.
4. Pakistan must prepare bouncy, green pitches for domestic and International cricket. This is the only way forward.
5. It is quite possible and also probable that Pakistan cricket will plunge further down in test cricket. The team looks anaemic without the big "3" of batting (of which 1 has retired and the other is closer to it than not) and also Shoaib Akhter. Asif needs someone rapid from the other end to be successful, or a little more help from the wicket. Gul is honest and little else. He has lost both swing and seam, as was evident whenever he bowled. Kaneria should talk a little less and get more wickets. I fear some more pummeling coming our way in test cricket.

Long live McDonalds, MTV and 20/20.

Firstly, let me start off by congratulating Elle. She hasn’t contributed anything as yet but I have a sneaky feeling that within a few hours, perhaps when her kids stop pestering her, she most certainly will ;)

Secondly, our batsmen are incapable of holding their own against a formidable bowling line up, be it on a flat batting paradise, as was evident during our abysmal performance in the first innings (which in retrospect, I believe, cost us the game!). As a corollary, all those crying out for green pitches should specify which side they support? For Pakistan, as unfortunate as it may be, is generally unable to put bat to ball on seaming tracks. As much as it hurts to bring this up, even teams like Ireland can give us a rough time on bowler friendly pitches. Hence, all this talk of leaving grass on the pitch should really be tossed out of the window, especially if we’re now focusing our attention on the series against Australia. Having said that, let me reiterate that I acquiesce with you Kamran bhai when you say that the ‘let’s spin ’em out’ strategy has backfired quite spectacularly and not for the first time, if I may add. This is also accentuated by the fact that Kaneria, for some incongruous reason, is unable to run through sides despite being able to prodigiously spin the ball at times and having several variations at his disposal:S Hence, keeping this in mind, I believe that we should adopt a middle ground approach. An approach which results in us preparing a ‘sporting’ track, a track similar to the one we had in Lahore. So that Asif and Gul and hopefully, a fully fit, drug free and unarmed Shoaib can get some assistance and put the opposition batsmen in a spot of bother. That, to me, is our best chance of toppling the mighty Australians.

Also, though, I was pleased with the way Yousuf and Younis batted, I was perplexed to see them not giving it their very best to chase down the target. I am not an idealist or someone who is unaware of the fact that historically, very few teams have scored in excess of 300, in their fourth innings, let alone 400. However, as things stood today, a draw was resulting in us losing the series anyway.
Fact is, I am unable to take much solace in the fact that’s it’s a 1-0 defeat. It’s a loss at the end of the day and that’s what eventually matters. I’d rather have seen these guys trying their utmost to win the game, especially after the first extended session when the South Africans seemed to be on the back foot. We should have taken the game to them and tried our best to overhaul the score. And if we had lost wickets in the process and lost the game, well so be it. It wouldn’t have altered the end result; a predicted series defeat to South Africa, right? At least, that way I would have been proud of the boys and their never say die attitude. This is perhaps, why I was thrilled to see Inzi come out all guns blazing. It didn’t work and well, in hindsight, looked rather silly. But hey, he made the EFFORT to WIN the game and frankly, for me, that was a fitting end to a great and illustrious career.

In addition, I have noticed an overwhelming segment of the bloggers here castigating Younis Khan, all the time. Younis, despite being a consistent performer for Pakistan, especially in the test arena, is always criticized here for some reason or the other. I just hope his century will help to silence the critics on this blog for the time being. It’s ridiculous really, more so when you consider the number of supporters that idiot Afridi has: S

Lastly, I was surprised and a touch upset, to see no one booing Nasim Ashraf at the presentation ceremony today: S How on earth did he get away with that?

Pakistan cricket ills stem from one problem that is delusion and denial in the face of evidence. What I am going to say is painful but true. The cricketers you think are great are indeed very ordinary. Inzamam brought back to go past Minadad' record and failing symblise that malaise. When did Yousuf Younus khan played a brave innings of substance in a tough competition in SA,ENGLAND OR AUSTRALIA? All of their mnocks comes in irrelevent games at home against India SL or perhaps England. Yet all Pakistanis are quick to put these batsmen on a pedastal from there they are difficut to dislodge. There are some palyers who not only play badly on a consistent basis but infect a malaise in the team at a very bad time, recently Pakistan had Rana,Kaneria ,sami but the top of the list must be Mohd Hafeez and Shahid Afridi.So many good starts and oppurtunities are squanderd by these players the most recent one in T20 world cup. I bet it will take 20 years before Pakistan get a chance like this coming so close to a world title.
Matches are won by brave souls and not tame batsman who masquerade as 'greats'the sooner pakistan get rid of them the better. Only batsman(( Ponting,Gilchrist,Yuvraj,Tendulkar,Kallis and Lara) who perform when it matters are worthy of title great sadly no pakistan batsman is in that category.So plaes pause and stop before heaoing praise on these palyers after an odd knock and make a habit of jusging 10 consecutive innings of substance as a benchmark of quality ,if a batsman has performed well

Glaring Weak Links in Pak team: (1) Kamran Akmal's glove work behind the wicket. He dropped Kallis in Karachi. He always does that. Yeah he batted well in Lahore but in seaming condition and greener wickets he is usually toast quickly (2) Kaneria: He's predictable and average. Bowls 50 overs in every innings and usually take 3 wickets for 125 runs (3) Lack of an opener. Fix these three and Pak will be top 3 very quickly.

Eid Mubarak to all here !

Shoaib Malik - it would be long before Malik gets replaced -- mark my words folks!

Yousuf and Younis did not play to full potential because they will not win anything for this rat from sheikhupura

I would have criticize Nel for shoving Shoaib, but I wanna thank the guy for it.

A Pakistan team without Malik is the only way for this team to win.

Shame on Lawson, how can he defend Malik and his pathetic selection of spin over fast bowling and that too having two half fit bowlers in Gul and Asif -- what a disaster of sorts!!

Shame on PCB ..err I guess I am expecting too much out of a unit selected by the incapable gang of thugs spearheaded by Busharraf and Co.

Oh in the end shame on all the paindoos who wanted Inzamam to break Javed Miandad's record..but fate had only humiliation engraved for Inzamam and then for Pakistan....

Pakistan Zindabad Pakistan Paendabad

Blame should always direct towards the PCB.. I do not want to talk much about the series, but I just realized how lucky Inzamam is.. he actually got a chance to bid farewell playing cricket rather than in controversy like so many of previous pakistan hall-of-famers.. wasim, waqar.. PCB shows no respect to its players and it's selection is always bad.. A board should select players on their merits and should not hold any grudes against them.. to PCB and sometimes BCCI.. .that's an alien language

What is wrong with the team !!!! They were playing to draw the test...was that the plan of a young captain and then people point fingers on INZAMAM that he was too defensive....This team looked like an amateur bunch of men playing for the sake of just getting paid. the body language of the captain was as if he had lost it from the start.....MOHAMMED ASIF is a good bowler but dont compare him to any of the great bowlers, he took wickets alongside SHOAIB AKHTAR(in karachi test against India and other games) and alone on a flat pitch he nothing but a medium paced RAZZAQ.....Please search for mature talent not just talent!!!!!!!!!!!

"What happened to the PCB's promise of livelier tracks?"
Unorthodox wickets gives way to Unorthodox Team combination. So you are right in asking the authorities about their promise. If I am not wrong sometime back it was said that a project is given to one of the universities to prepare supporting wickets. But it seemz to be Gone with the wind. And as per our seasoned politician " mittee pao"

The way Pakistan team loses in test matches it seems to me that they follow a script and match after match they lose in similar fashion, the key players fail to perform in key moments of the game and when it doesn't matter they give outstanding performances.
I have no doubt in my mind that certain players in the team do not give their 100% and pick and choose when to perform.

The selectors were the main culprit this time as they didn't learned from their mistakes and selected the same team as if somebody trying to follow the same script for a repeat performance of a stage drama.

Shoaib Malik will have to learn a lot his field placement was horrible his handling of the bowlers was absolutely wrong.If he has to become a successful captain then he will have to show confidence in younger players he should have fought for the selection of Sohail Tanvir that was a fatal mistake.

Danish kaneria in my opinion cannot win us matches single handedly he is a good bowler and can take a lot more wickets but he has to work on his wicket taking deliveries he cannot bowl a flipper his leg break is usually off target he lacks accuracy also he gives away too many runs.

Asif needs to improve his fitness and speed if he has to retain his place in the team it seems that he runs out of gas too soon,the team mangement and the selectors should make it clear to him that he is not indispensable.
The selectors have the most difficult job a head of them they have to find some young players from the U19 and A team as a replacement of some of the underperforming senior players.

Pakistan say they are stuck in a twenty20 mindset but don't attempt the 6 per over required in just over 20 overs to square the series. Funny.

bad boy or not we need shoaib akhtar...he is a match winner...he only has a couple years left...let him play...drop misbah for the tests but not in one-dayers...let yasir hammed open with akmal..we need all-rounders like afridi or razzaq...pcb and selectors make so many bad decisions it should be a record now...and since inzamam is gone...try asim kamal before hes gone too.

Graeme Smith can boast now by saying: "I was saying to the boys after play that on the flight over, if someone had said to me we'd probably control nine days out of ten, I wouldn't have believed him." Earlier upon arrival in Pakistan he said: "It's a big challenge being stuck in a hotel all the time because you have nothing to take your mind off the cricket and the training, and it's easy to slip into boredom, get lackadaisical and lose that drive." And he was complaining about the excess of security guards.

I think it is the same "Elle" who responded to that comment in Daily Telegraph that, Smithy is getting weary for nothing, as the schedule will keep him and his mates busy and I wonder how can he get lackadaisical? And, I said, it was nothing more than a precautionary move, a kinda moaning and a building up of excuses i.e., in case of a defeat he has got a reason to fall back.

I don't think South Africa played any great cricket during these two test matches. It is Pakistan team who played like school boys and the team selection was pathetic. Everyone is now ruing for the defeat. What else do you expect from a bunch of jokers who select a team on their whims and wishes? The worst of all is the captain, who appears as a gutless, spineless, or as they say in Arabic "la faqari." It seems he has no say in team selection or in making on field decisions. He is a mere spectator who is lost in his own world, so disconnected from the rest. I think the burden of captaincy is too heavy on his shoulders. There are people who make things happen. There are people who watch things happen. There are people who wonder what happened? And there are people who don't know anything happened. And Malik at the moment fits in the last category.

Inzamam despite not scoring in his last match has still left a mark and a lasting impression on the team and his supporters. Whereas, there are some people who instead of leaving a mark, leave a stain behind them. Shoaib Akhtar is definitely one of them and the rumour which goes from 'mouth to mouth', is backed by Mr. Kamran Abbassi also, who wants the "Bad Boy" in the team.

But, he is such an old stain that doesn't leave the fabric even if you soak it in bleach or "shout" it or "Tide"it. To get rid of that stain, you have to make a hole in that fabric. After this humdrum pace bowling attack, the selectors are also looking at him despite imposing heavy fines and bans on him. I don't know whether he will pay that hefty fines or simply get away with that. But, one thing is for sure, if he is included in the team, it is going to make him feel indispensable and more arrogant and he will do something unthinkable once again.

Also, it will effect the team's performance and create a dent Malik's meek and weak personality even more in a negative manner. Because, he knows how to influence and manipulate the juniors, as it is Malik doesn't take any initiative, in Akhtar's presence it is going to be even more difficult. Besides Asif, there will be Afridi, Mohammad Yousuf and to a certain Younus Khan in the team that he (Akhtar) will have to rub shoulder with. If he takes wickets he will dictate his terms, if he fails he will spoil the atmosphere in the dressing room and on the field. So, in my opinion he is a double edged sword which can work either way.

Therefore, why should the selectors have to go for him and instead not try Sohail Tanvir and Rao Iftikhar? They both have great potential and Tanvir seems to bat with more authority and confidence, all that lad needs is a chance to prove his worth in ODI and test matches, he has already proved his worth in twenty20. So, why can't these dumb selectors see what a lay person can see?

When Akhtar does something stupid its a pain not only for him but for everyone. Like they say there are two types of pain in life; one that is of discipline, which lasts a short while and the other is of regret, which can last a life time. Shoaib Aktar needs to delve deeper into his psyche to find out which one is he suffering from?

I want to end this post on a happier note, Eid Mubarak to you ALL and hope to see a good fighting and interesting ODI series, unlike the dull and boring test matches.

Kalis was the difference between the two sides. Bowlers like Kaneria will not win matches for Pakistan. We need Fit and in form Shoaib in India and even recalling Saqlain and Mushtaq Ahmad in place of ordinary Kaneria would be a better idea. We have decent batting line up with Yousaf, Younas, Salman, Misbah, Shoaib and talented Akmal so all we need now is a potent bowling attack to win matches.

Talking of strategy in cricket, one needs to rationalize the available resources and compare them with your opponents. I think Pakistan's team selection and strategy during the test matches was based on this light desi humour which is as follows:

George Bush was sitting in his office wondering whom to invade next when his telephone rang.

"Hallo, Mr. Bushoe!" a heavily accented voice said. "This is Sheeda from Chuk no - 3, District Gujrat, Pakastan. I am ringing to inform you that we are officially declaring war on you!"

"Well, Sheeda," Bush replied, "This is indeed important news! How big is your army?" "Right now," said Sheeda, after a moment's calculation, "there is myself, my cousin Basheera, my next door neighbor Karam Deen, and the entire kabaddi team from the village. That makes eight."

Bush paused. "I must tell you, Sheeda that I have one million men in my army waiting to move on my command."

"BLOODY Hail " said Sheeda. "I'll have to ring you back!"

Sure enough, the next day, Sheeda called again. "Mr. Bushoe, it is Sheeda, I'm calling from Chuk no-3 Gujrat, the war is still on! We have managed to acquire some infantry equipment!" "And what equipment would that be, Sheeda?" Bush asked. "Well, we have two combines, a donkey and Amjad's tractor." Bush sighed. "I must tell you, Sheeda, that I have 16,000 tanks and 14,000 armored personnel carriers. Also, I've increased my army to 1-1/2 million since we last spoke."

"Oh teri (oops)..." said Sheeda. "I'll have to get back to you." Sure enough Sheeda rang again the next day. "Mr. Bush, the war is still on! We have managed to get ourselves airborne .... We've modified Amjads's tractor by adding a couple of shotguns, sticking on some wings and the pind's generator. Four boys from Sahiwal have joined us as well!"

Bush was silent for a minute and then cleared his throat. "I must tell you, Sheeda, that I have 10,000 bombers and 20,000 fighter planes. My military complex is surrounded by laser-guided, surface-to-air missile sites. And since we last spoke, I've increased my army to TWO MILLION!"

"Tera pala hove ..." said Sheeda, "I'll have to ring you back." Sure enough, Sheeda called again the next day. "Mr. Bushoe! I am sorry to tell you that we have had to call off the war." "I'm sorry to hear that," said Bush. "Why the sudden change of heart?"

"Well," said Sheeda, "we've all had a long chat over a couple of days and we've decided there's no way we can feed two million prisoners!!"

kerlo jo kerna hai!

More than the defeat it is disheatening to hear the Pakistani captains and vice captains statements. I thought after the first test they would realize that they made a mistake of making a dead pitch with just 2 fast bowlers and no all-rounders. But they didn't and even after the second test they are giving statements that the problem wasn't in the strategy of playing just 2 fast bowlers and 2 spinners but because of the reason that they were playing test cricket after a long time. As far as remember the last test series that Pakistan played was against South Africa before the World cup and that happened to be the last test for South Africa also and since then even they didn't play any test cricket.
I still pray that Malik and company realize their mistake and change their attitude and mindset of giving lame excuses for the beterment of Pakistani cricket.
And please! Salman Butt doesn't even deserves a place in the selected 14 and how come you make him a vice-captain. I hope Imran Nazir is given some more chances to prove his ability at Test level also, for he is one of the most talented batsman in the current Pakistani setup and I have seen him taking attack against the best bowling attacks in the world. Saying that, I think he will need to change his batting approach and shot-selection and the coach and captain should make him realize his talent and change his batting approach.

You know, as long as I can remember. India and Pakistan has the same excuse "We have a young team". Series after series, the words are "We have a young team, give it some time". Before you know, the old new kids are out and new new kids are in and hence its a young team again and again season after season of non performance.
I think our cricket teams should accept now that they suck except handfull of individual and they dont have it in them what takes you perform.

Our domestic competition are flimsy, BCCI and PCB wont do squat to improve it. I think its jsut we have to accept, (and I think its more administration rather than players) we suck, and we suck bad.

Our elected board official fight like cats to get elected once they do, no results come out. All there duties are involved around discipling players, well, I got news for you, that should be least of tasks.

What are the improvements in last 10 years. and the improvements in last 10 years, could they have been done in shorter duration of time. I bet yes and as far as I see this is just example, if an economy grows 3% a year and inflation is 3% a year, thats not really growth, that is called keeping up. And in similar terms that has been our improvement, we are merely keeping up.

Pakistan were outplayed in all depts on home wickets.It is also true that this constant chopping & changing (are the Pak selectors listening?!)is not doing Pakistan cricket any good at all.Time for balanced innovation & consolidation, I guess. Otherwise you guys are going to get a pounding in India & at home against the Aussies.

Great performance from a young team as some one said. It was a good experience for a rebuilding team, there were some miscalculations, some errors, though the captain didn't admit either of them but the fact is they didn't get any lessons from the past. Inzi's innings was probably a sad ending to a great career but I can say atleast there was one man with the correct mind set. Forget about earlier miscalculations and poor show. Pakistan needed to play an agressive game. Loosing a series 1-0 or 2-0 wouldn't had made much difference but Pakistan needed to gamble on playing agressively to level the series. Its time to change mindsets and directions. Pakistan need to start thinking in Imran Khan's way where the captain leads from the front and the team follows and who never had the word defensive in his book.

100% agree with you, Mr. Abbasi!

Well having vowed never to be passionate about Pakistan cricket ever again after the World Cup debacle, I find myself strangely unmoved by thier latest failure. I agree with your main point, that Pakistan have never won with spin as their main strategy. The primary reason being that it is inherently a defensive strategy, and we have never been good at defensive cricket. But I will leave you with a few observations of an unbiased but keen and experienced observer of the game.

1) Drop Akmal the keeper, keep Akmal the opening Batsmen. When was the last time a Pakistan opener had scores of 40+, 50+, 70+. Imagine what he could do if that was his sole job.

2) Pick Afridi ahead of Kaneria as your specialist spinner. Make him bat 8 or 9 in the lineup an tell 30 overs an innings are expected of him He has more variety and is more aggressive. I am sick of hearing how unlucky Kaneria is. He is an average bowler at best. To make him your primary match winner is ridiculous.

3) Bringing Shoaib back is mistake for the long run. If you want pace, give guys like Irshad and Najaf Shah an extended run. High 130's to 140 is enoug pace. The attitude that comes with a few extra K's in not worth it.

4) Strip Butt of the Vive-Captaincy his comment on the umpiring shows he lacks the maturity. If you have the vision to play Afridi as your main spinner in tests and a bowling allrounder in ODI's then use him as your vice captain. You already have a captain who is still a bit immature to have his back up the same way is asking for much. Plus his place in the side is not guaranteed.

5) Get some new faces in! Stop recycling the old ones like Faisal Iqbal, Bazid Khan etc. Why not try Khurram Manzoor as an opener, Fawad Alam and Adnan Reza in the middle order, Sarfaraz Ahmed as the Keeper, Anwar Ali, Najaf Shah, as the back up pacemen.

Barring all this there is always the option to apply to the ICC to revoke our test status and become purely a limited over team!!

A word finally about Bob Woolmer. I think any Pakistani fan can now see what his contribution to Pakistan cricket was particularly in test cricket. Even though we lost the series in England and SA last year our Batsmen had the ability to bat out sessions, something that was sorely missing in this series.

We are only above WI and Bangladesh in tests now. Don't hold your breath it will be a long road back. And the lack of vision of the current administrators will make it even longer

The loss to South Africa has come as a huge disappointment. In both tests SA put up clinical performance and left Pakistan chasing their tail. SA deserved to win as they played with purpose and showed a lot of heart. They had a great game plan, executed it to perfection, and the final result showed it. Pakistan on the contrary looked totally at loss albeit having the home field advantage. I am no cricket expert nor do I pretend to be one but Pakistan conspicuously missed the mark by playing only four bowlers in Lahore. It is mind boggeling that Shoaib Malik is still adament to prove his theroy right despite the crushing defeat. Shoaib did a super job in the 20 world cup but jury is still out on the kind of leader he will be in the longer form of cricket.Geoff Lawson has his hands full and only time will tell if he can help achive the much needed maturation process for Shoid Malik. With Shoaib Akhtar missing in action Pakistan anemic attack clearly missed the services of a tear away fast bowler. Shoaib is in the twilight of his career and unless I am missing the obvious there is no one on horizon to replace him. Pakistan should learn from Australia and SA who do a fantastic job of grooming the youngsters. Mitchell Johnson for Australia and Dale Styen for SA are two prime examples of how the truley superior teams methodically infuse the young blood to replace the ageing players.
Our Batting and fielding were out right pathetic. Pakistan needs instant improvement in both departments to have any hope of competing with the juggernauts of the cricketing world.
For now Shoaib and his men will need to turn things around in a hurry. They are far from being t

Eid Mubarak Everyone!
Just reading along the comments I think the young -captain-consolation isn't right. Also, Osman Samiuddin's opinion that Malik played three captain's knock isn't quite right either and Malik should be very much in the spotlight for his batting abilities.
What I couldn't understand was the defensiveness in Malik's captaincy thruout the series and at times, it seemed, he was least interested in the match and just wanted to let the game drift along. Tail-enders from SA were made to feel like good batsmen and good batsmen like Donald Bradman. When batsmen approached their centuries, rather than putting pressure on them he let them thru so that they quickly get their 'deserving' hundred and the match can move forward once again after that. On the final day, even with him on the crease, there was a golden opportunity to square the series. 7 runs per over from 24 overs was attainable and a draw was pointless in the context of the series. Misbah was also about to come who has shown propensity towards big-hitting in the 20/20 world cup. Mohammad Yousof had been on the crease for a while and Rehman and Kaneria can swing the bat and can get the odd 20,30 here and there. But instead they opted for a draw. This should be scrutinized more than playing two spinners, it still strikes me dumb. I tried to imagne what other teams might have pursued in similar conditions and I don't think even Bangladesh wouldn't have attempted to win. Imagine Australia or SA giving up like that. But I guess Malik knew about the 'learning curve' wich everyone seems to stick his tongue to, and didn't care much about winning the match.
He might learn standard field placements as he becomes a more mature captain (which he, in theory, already should know after playing for so many years) but he will never be a good captain or an innovative one. Even then I think the worst thing about him is his man-managing skills. I don't think he has the capacity to inspire the team-- he just doesn't have the personality of a leader. Here's where he is like Inzamam. However, he is unlike Inzamam in two things: 1) He won't be able to combine the team in a religious setting with him sort of being a leader thru that, and 2) the lack of his batting abilites. Even under Inzamam, a trend can be noticed. When Inzamam was in form, the team played well. As soon as Inzamam's form went low in England, the downward slide of the team started. When Inzamam earlier came up with the new team, it was only untill he struck good form that the team started winning. The team respects a captain only when he can claim respect and I expect Malik to be a loner on the field-- and off it in the dressing room-- in time. Pakistan still might not do bad (as matches can always be won despite mediocre captaincy), but I don't see a test captain in Malik.
The second thing I'd like to mention is Kaneria. I also thought that sooner or later Kaneria might turn into a consistent matchwinner, but obviouly that hasn't come off. He has the skill, but to be anything remotely as close as Shane Warne, he needs a mind like him. Unfortunately, he doesn't have one. Rehman as a left-arm spinner also seems unlikely to be a matchwinner, though, he can do a run-containing job and take wickets when batsmen play aggresively.

Lastly, Pakistan lacked a fast bowler. Asif will only be good on certain pitches and Umar Gul needs to make use of more bouncers and yorkers. But certainly anyone who bowls 145 kms or plus was needed on those pitches.

Eid Mubarak: Its time pakis, its time to roll out the carpet for guys like Irshad, Rauf, Khalil, shah. Playing with two seamers was ridiculous. I don't get it. Pakistan in the test arena is in trouble.
Akmal should be opener in test and odi but not a wicket keeper. Time for new blood! Haider or the under 19 captain wicket keeper. bring up some youngsters! transition period. Leading upto the 2007 world cup, pcb never played with youngsters and just delayed it. Now is the time, if your going to lose which we are then why not do it with youngsters instead with discarded players like Hameed, Umar, Kamal, Butt, Hafeez, Faraht, and Sami. Tanvir gave you a good lift, asif and gul have grown up. Tme to roll in the new kids from under 19 world cup championship team. Salam

Thanks Kamran. It’s very frustrating for me to see all three major sub-continent teams being thrashed at home by the other three major contemporary outsiders, since I had very little to expect from my own team.

I don’t think it’s about spin or pace tracks that mattered. Had Pakistan won the toss at Karachi, probably the result would have been different, however that should not be the excuse, since last winter, on a New Lands dust bowl, India lost to the home side despite batting first & posting over 150 for first wicket. Had it been played on hard, seaming tracks, yet Pakistan would have lost the series, even had Shohaib played, I presume. The problem is the basic temperament of their Batsmen, which has hardly anything to go with the track. With 7 Batsmen & a 90 runs opening partnership, only the batsmen can explanation 1st innings batting at Lahore. I can remember at Faislabad in 96/97, 124 were too much after a 25+ opening score & surely Wasim, Waquar & Mushi did sufficient to win the match.

Pakistan plays too little Test cricket & if you look at their batsmen’s dismissals, hardly you’ll find a good ball getting them out. We don’t have a strong & competitive domestic 1st class structure here which the other three teams have. Australia can play 100 ODI’s a year & still get players mentally tough & can perform under pressure. The innings Michel Cleark played at Bangalore as 20 years old debutant; I don’t fancy a sub-continent seasoned pro would have managed. He was bamboozled by the spin twins, yet had the maturity to play for the survival till he got composed.

The shorter the game, I guess the difference between better prepared sides narrows. Because of raw talent, India, Pakistan did well in T/20 (They’ll continue to do so for few more matches, till the other teams can strategies to negate the raw talent) but for the longer version, they are caught off guard. You see, so many talented Pakistani youngsters are starting with a bang, till the opposition starts to work on them & they are badly exposed & gradually diminishes, since hardly these boys can develop from domestic cricket. (Best example is Faisal Iqbal @ Colombo against Australia).

For a Pakistani youngster, the best way to learn & develop is to be a part of a long 4/5 test series (Which they played last in 92, what a shame that, due to the lack of interest of administrators, slowly but surely Pakistan is relegated to second bunch of Test teams, by being offered 2 Test series. I wonder if England of 90’s can play 5 Test series with Australia, South Africa & West Indies, why can’t India, Pakistan do, at least in between them. Surely it’s not lack of public interest or financial short comings, rather the unwillingness of the decision makers). In 60s and afterwards talented Pakistani boys were developed by two ways, either by playing in County circuits or being a part of long series, where temperaments could be groomed from predecessors. At my early teen, in late 80’s under Imran, Pakistan played few 4/5 Test series & the youngsters flourished for the next decade (Only Inzamam, after Hanif is a domestic world class product, & that too he started with a long away trip to England).

More alarmingly, because of ODI focus, sub-continent spinners are gradually becoming darters & for the last decade, Bhaji is the only upcoming young spinner that excited me. Whereas at a time we had, Anil, Mushi, Saqline & Muruli & now Panesers & Harises are coming from outside. Even on a dust bowl, I don’t back now sub-continent next generation spinners to spin out teams, since, to do that, you need the accuracy of an Anil or the guile of Mushi, Saqui or Vhaji of yester years (You can’t fancy to have a complete package like Murli in every generation, do you?), which surely can’t be developed by playing 7 ODIs on flat belters or 2 by 5 Test/ODI ratio series.

The situation is more alarming for Pakistan than India (Wait till Anil, Rahul & Sachin retires), as their administrators are least Test focus & because of the domestic structure & media attention, hard hitters (or sloggers) will be plenty, but hardly any craftsmen like Rahul, Marvan, Inzamam or Sachin. Moreover, the selectors in Pakistan are interested for popular dashing flashers then gutsy solid blocks. It’s probably only in Pakistan it’s possible, that flashers like Farhat & Butt are selected as Test openers ahead of Umar or for that surprise Asim Kamal not being given a permanent Test spot.

I can read the Test scores archives of Hanif, Sunil, Javed, Mohinder, Vishi, Zaher and many of them even before played out for hours to save a match or play out for a draw, facing a large first innings score, how many of present sub-continent batsmen (That includes Sachin as well) can do that? Match saving innings are all coming from other side. This is nothing to do with the stroke play. None can be more destructive than Hayden, yet I saw him battling for a 7 hour ton at a boiling Sharja heat, it’s the temperament that could only be developed by playing more & more Test cricket, not the 2 Test stuff.

I think Sub Continent Teams now dont concentrate on their own home conditions and strengths.We can see that in lasr few year Indai and Pakistan have not performed well in their Own Back yards and now is the time for these two teams to really concentrate on their home conditions and strengths.

Nice piece again Kamraan. Sport, and success in sport is all about winning encounters against able opposition. There are no brownie points ever. Asian cricketing teams have been satisfied with the crumbs for far too long. A drawn series here and a 1-0 win there are no superlative acheivements.
Take a team like Australia...i say Australia as currently they are the ones setting bench marks for others to catch up...they are never satisfied with drawn series' or narrow wins they look to decimate oppositions against all odds ...home or away. True, that one should play to our strengths and thats the crux of the home advantage factor. Sporting pitches and level playing fields etc are all theoretically wonderful terminologies but the bottom line is all about winning.
If Asian cricketing strength is spin bowling then so be it. Get the mine fields ready and let loose your reliable tweakers amock on the opposition. Sounds easy but reality is that both India and Pakistan have been caught in no man's land. Neither are the pacers real match winners on seamer friendly tracks nor are the spinners as dangerous any more. Gone are the days of the Indian spin magicians or the maverick Qadir and Saqlain who were almost unplayable on helpful conditions. The oppositions world over have matched India and Pak in the spin department and are far ahead in the seam sphere. Sheer pace is whats required now and neither Pak nor India have a seamer worth his salt who can send the shivers down the collective spines of the opposition. A Shoaib Akthar who spends more time cooling his heals in his Pindi home is no threat unless he is on the park sending down his thunderbolts but with his attitude, character and fitness always in question he is now a disruptive influence on the scheme of things rather than a galvanising force he ideally should have been.
If the cricketing history of India and Pak over the last 10 yrs are taken into account one would find that the batsmen have been the ones to have matched world standards and competed and stood out even against the best in the world. But, despite their best efforts , this has rarely tranformed into team wins because neither teams had the bowling fire power to get 20 wickets cheaply. This has resulted in batsman dominated draws or when the batsman failed , as any sportsman is bound to, the teams crubled to huge defeats. Lonely rangers like Kumble or Kaneria are not going to set the rivers on fire in this part of the globe and even more rarely across the oceans when teams tour hostile territories like Australia, England and S.Africa.
Change for change sake is something of a knee jerk reaction that we are so prone to. Yes, youngsters should be drafted in . no one is denying that. But youngsters at the helm is a dangerous trend we are seeing . With due respect to Dhoni and Mallik , captaicy is about being a leader and being seen as a laeder at the same time. Both currently have got the hot seat more as a compromise to keep the elder statesmaen at bay rather than on cricketing merits. If the selectors cant bite the bullet they have no business to be where they are. Let them ask themselves in the quiet of their homes if they have chosen the right men to lead the countries destiny. In all probability their conscience (if they know what that means) will give them a resounding NO. Neither has really been groomed before being thron at the deep end of the pool. In the long run its like a lottery ..if the team does well , damn good for them but when the team doesnt then the selectors have a easy scape goat to slaughter. Not the ideal situation to be in. Heart felt sympathies go out to both MSD and Mallik. Kaamran called Mallik a smart captain, fair enough he is smart. But is that enough to be at the helm . What about the respect of your team mates, what about strategies, what about experience...?? Not evey one is a born leader. Tiger Pataudis dont come often and neither of the two poor souls are a patch on the Nawab.
Both nations have to get a plan in place...back strengths rather than play safe . Avoiding defeat is never the right way to go about things . Win at all costs should be the motto. Other wise lets all stop thinking about matching the Aussies. There is no way we are going to get even remotely close to them in any way.
fod for thought for the Colonel and his counter part across the border... i admit inspite of being a hard corfe cricket fanatic I am not aware who is currently the head of the selectors in Pakistan. With musical chairs played out often there I am worried that given the slow speed of my internet connection there may be a new one in place before this comment gets posted. !!

Hello.
Why cant we agree we are bad teams.
Our Physique and endurance level donot meet that of whites.
Our Fielding is pathetic, and they have caught up the art of playing spin and having a good spinner.
Who are the best spinners in world cricket ? without doubt Warne and Vettori.. ( besides Murali... Kumble is only good in 4th innings of a turning track.)

nahmado ho wa nushali! the test series was lost because our players were fasting..did'nt you see the Inzi's dash down the wicket...roza lug raha tha.! so who was the idiot that scheduled a test series in ramadan..one day main dekhna hamaray moumin khiladee kia kamal kartain hain ! the other thing is why did PCB gave 2 million dollars in prizes before this series...eid se phelay eidy? akhir kyon..

I really don't see why KAMRAN AKMAL is still in the side. That's all we have? I mean, come on, don't tell me this country has ran out of Inzis and Saeed Anwars. Unbelievable!

Wait untill the aussies come around, that'd be one nightmare!

Kamran,

It’s better to use word no merit instead of miscalculations.
We need a system base on merit.

If we have good keeper who can handle Danish,
the result could be different?

Remember he dropped Kalis when he was on 31.
Kalis scored century after that in first test.

Once again Kamran Akmal performance was unsatisfactory behind the stumps.
It’s true he did some good batting innings in the last test.
But he has a keeper first.
And now days every wicket keeper has some good batting skills.
Under 19 ex captain Sarfraz Ahmed is a good wicket keeper batsman too.

Inzamam performance was not good in his last test match.
I do not know any good reason he played one more test.

If Asim Kamal or Yasir Hamid was there,
I am sure we could chase 349 runs in last day.
Inzi was completely out of touch in both innings.
We should tried Fawad Alam instaed of Abdur Rehman; no doubt his bowling was good on spin wickets.
But all spinners performed well from both teams.
Wickets were for the spinners.
Fawad Alam is young spinner with better batting skills.
Once again Salman Butt was preferred regardless of his performance.
If Khurrum Manzoor or Kahlid Latif or Taufeeq Omer were in the team,
We could have good opening start in both test matches.

Dawar
LA USA

Hi Kamran, I think you should dedicate one column about Danish's performance, rather lack of it, as a spin bowler. His strike rate is pathetic. Annoying thing is that he is being consistently touted as very very good bowler but this "accusation” is not backed by his track record in the ground. How many times he has taken 5+ wickets in less than 20-25 overs by giving less than 100 runs in a test match.

Compare him with an ordinary bowler like SA spinner Harris, I am sure, our magical Danish will be well below him, in the tests in which both played for opposing teams.

With the power of pen in your hands, I am sure you can cut through the false mist created around him, an ordinary bowler will certainly take 2-3 wickets by bowling 30-40 overs in an innings.

By the way, I have not seen any comments on cricinfo for not giving enough overs to Abdul Rehamn during Lahore test 1st innigings. I don’t mean that he is better than Danish but that was a pathetic piece of captainship. Can someone please provide the rationale?

As usual, Pakistan have once again shown their inconsistency on the field. South Africa did'nt play their best cricket but still managed to beat Pakistan at home! Twice or may be more in the series Pakistan threw away an almost perfect start in an innings. Poor strokeplay was the root cause of the dismissals as I don't think that South Africans were playing their full strength bowling line-up with he obvious absence of Shawn Pollock with whom I think Pakistan would have been in a worse situation.

Furthermore, I would deeply critisize the seletion of the Pakistan team. It was outrageus to play just 2 seamers, especially without any back up fast bowler like Abdul Razzaq. Playing 2 specialist spin bowlers with the presence of M. Hafeez and Shoaib Malik already in the team was another flaw in the selection (not to mention South Africa being one of the best players of spin) leaving the team with one batsman short that ultimately proved fatal! Faisal Iqbal has time and time again proved a failure in the middle order. I think the decision to include Misbah-ul-Haq in the team was another bad choice, especially when he flopped in the first test. However, he deserved a chance so we cannot argue. Going with Yasir Hameed and Asim Kamal would have been an ideal choice in the middle order with Yasir Hameed so consistent and Asim providing a left hander in the line-up. It is beyond my understanding why these 2 are not included!
However, whats done is done! Now we need to concentrate on the future, on the odis that precede the tests.

HAPPY EID TO EVERYONE !!!!!!!

Great wake-up call for all the sub-continent teams. The issues are startlingly similar:

1. Extreme over-reliance on ancient players: Take Inzy, Sachin, Sourav, Dravid, Jayasuriya, Vaas and Murali out and the team from the "Asian powerhouse" could hardly be expected to beat an Aussie A team.

2. Due to the lack of bench strength engendered by point 1, players act like prima donnas. Afridi and Akhtar from Pakistan, Sreesanth for India and Atapattu for SL. Their reluctance to give their all for their country undermines the entire team.

3. An incredibly unhealthy obsession with trash talking in the press. Sangakarra has time to write columns in every newspaper in the world, Dhoni is forever ready with a soundbite and Shoaib Malik with his gem of playing for the "Muslim peoples of the world". Why cant Asian cricketers just shut up and play cricket.

There is a common thread that underlines the great Asian cricketers of the past. They played with passion for their COUNTRY, not for their marketing image. Until this fact is realised, every WC and T20 WC final (where Asian players summon the determination because of huge financial reward) will be followed by months of humilation by the determination and professionalism of the other sides.

I cant find the reason why Mushtaq was not considered for selection. He still wins trophy for sussex. Finally, Inzamam, another great batsman retired. As an Indian we hate to see hom bat against India, but I always respected him for his great abilities especailly to play the fast bowling, and followed his career closely. I wonder has henot performed to his potential? He could have been as good as Tendulakr or Lara.

We should be happy to have lost 0-1 instead of thinking that a livelier track could have changed the results. After the W's, we had one world class match-winning bowler and we are all happy to see him and Pakistan cricket punished for his childish behavior. Let's say losing is the price for the enjoyment we get to see him dragged (remember SA tour?).
I agree to Naseem Ashraf that SAkhtar should see a shrink; who would refuse the 90M offer to do his professional work in his right mind. See, Yousef was a wise guy and have pitted PCB against ICL while enjoying the additive benefits of accepting a timely offer. But this troubled child of Pakistani cricket is pretty much the only contender for match winner at this time. Test cricket is not about making 600 runs. It's about getting 20 wickets for less runs than you make.

Hi Kamran,

Pakistan were bound to loose against South Africa as were India against Australia. Quite a few reasons.

1 To start with Pakistan: They lost the first test only and managed a decent draw in second one. Point to be noted is that there were no Inzy and Mohd. Yousuf in the first test.No Shoaib as well. 3 world class performers. People may disagree about Shoaib but when that guy plays well he can simply decimate batting line ups.Asif is alright but he is no Mc'Grath at this moment. Gul ain't all that classy.He has been around for 3-4 years. How many world class perfomances has he given. Batting has been a huge problem since turn of the century. They need to play proper batsmen not look for allrounders like Malik,Afridi etc. all the time. If you need allrounders get someone like Imran or even Wasim who was a master with the ball and actually very useful with the bat. Malik and Afridi are masters in none and just jack of all trades.

2. Both India and Pakistan are going or are on the verge of a rebuilding phase. I remember India struggling in early 90's. It was a time when -Jimmy Amarnath,Sreekanth and Dilip Vengsarkar- batting stalwarts for Indian team atleast decided to retire,Kapil was getting older and past his expiry date,yongsters like Sachin,Srinath,Kumble,Kambli,Jadega were trying to find their feet. Also Azhar got the captaincy arond the same time. Resultwas a disastrous phase from 1990 to almost 1993 end. Starting with England tour of 1990 (remember Gooch getting 333 and me listing to AIR commentary) and culminating with home series against them in 1993 which India won 3-0. Afterwards there some noticable perfomances for a decade or so- 1993 Hero Cup victory,World Cup 96-Semis, Test series win over Aussies-2001,World Cup 2003-Finals. But now again India is on the verge of rebuilding. Problems have already come to fore and may last for couple of years. Same is happening to Pakistan.

So basically no need for us to get too agitated or worried. Life is just completing a full circle. Pakistan has lost Inzy. May be losing Shoaib and Yousuf also with in next couple of years. So they are also the verge of rebuilding.
Relax and take chill pill. All will be fine.

Regards.
Ruchit.

hi, it's just dreaming to win test match with this sort of bowling attack,u need at least 3 fast bowlers and one spinner in test matchs normally and some parttimer. shoaib malik's saying that spin was his strenth was totally fake, he knows deep down it was misleading the nation. we r not stupid poeples as the world feel and our leader think and dream.
we deeply understand cricket (other things in life)and every move of it tinnest to the sharpist, we applaud it and we criticise it.
pakistan is no where if we keep playing our vice captain as sure slection in the playing 11, we must make sure only captain is the one, who can get in the playing 11 but all the rest must earn there place with performance, i believe yaseer could hav done better job as opener then butt, butt is no where in his footwork, timing his feeling and confidence level is not as we need from him, as our opener and hafeez is not test material at all. we must give chance to those how love to play for pakistan and take pride in it. not just can speak english and feel they r better then others.
it feel so sad to think like that, this is happening in pakistan for so long. we need stronger leader who can stand up to any one of the slector and player then tell them the truth who is good to play and he needs that player. but if he tells us that our strenth is in spin bowling then we better change this kind of captain and better give it to younis or yousaf instead at least they r sure of a place in the playing 11.
in my opinion pakistan should not mix test opener with one day openers. we must find some one more serious and technically sound opener and keep him safe for just test games and make very clear to him that what is expected from him. yaseer and some one from domestic cricket who is young and tech