A few years ago a phenomenon named the Twenty Twenty was introduced as the third format of cricket. Since it’s inception the game has become more and more well known, to an extent that some cricket fans prefer T20’s to the other forms of the game. The interest was such that in 2007 an inaugural edition of the T20 world cup was held in South Africa, in which Pakistan managed to enter the finals, albeit lost the all important match to arch-rivals India. The second edition was held in 2009, which Pakistan successfully won after failing at the first endeavor. Pakistan also qualified for the semi-finals of the 2010 edition of the T20 world cup and merely lost to Australia – that too narrowly. Pakistan three out of three times has reached the tougher stages of the competition. Looking at their previous record in T20 World Cup’s, one can contemplate how Pakistan’s performances should be in this year’s World Cup. However, the average Pakistan cricket follower would beg to differ.

With less than 6 months left till the start of the all-important tournament, a lot is left to be desired of Pakistan’s preparation for the T20 World Cup.

Recently, Pakistan has won 6 out of its 8 T20 games – this result does not seem a ‘bad’ practice for the upcoming challenge, but in fact if this statistic is dug deeper it most certainly is. The 6 games that Pakistan has won out of the 8 have been against minnows, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, or either a depleted Sri Lankan team. Winning against these teams is considered an easy task, especially as Sri Lanka had lost many of their instrumental players at the time, however, Pakistan have lost their only games against England – who are ranked number 1 in this format currently. This clearly shows the difficulty Pakistan may acquire whilst playing the ‘big boys’ in the upcoming event.

Furthermore, another obstacle that may play a part in depriving Pakistan of being crowned T20 champions for the second time is team selection. As of lately Pakistan have been riding on the safer side of this form and have been taking fewer risks, contrary to the Pakistan we know of. This includes, selecting players that are not suited to this format, yet are still persisted with for dubious reasons, players of such caliber should be confined to Test cricket and not be playing the shortest format. Rather, players such as Kamran Akmal, Imran Nazir, and Abdul Razzaq etc. should be selected to give Pakistan the much-needed boost in their innings. Due to nepotism prevailing within the set up of Pakistan cricket selection is always a major cause for concern. Young blood is also needed to be inducted; players such as Hammad Azam have already show caused their worth but need only a chance on the biggest stage to show that they’re capable replacements for some of the senior players.

One thing that has seldom been a worry for Pakistan is the bowling. It is doubtful that this time round bowling will be a cause for worry, with Pakistan’s top bowlers – Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal and Shahid Afridi – listed in the top 10 bowlers of T20’s. Each of these three bowlers has an average of less that 20, being experienced too having played 124 games between the three of them till date. T20’s are renowned to be a batsmen’s game, but these 3 have often shown otherwise. Pakistan has won many games on the back of scintillating performances from its world-class bowlers and this year it’ll be no different. Next up for Pakistan is a tour to Sri Lanka. Which can be seen as nothing other than a blessing, as the upcoming World Cup will be held in the very same country. Through this Pakistan will get the much-needed practice that may prove to be the difference between Pakistan and other countries in September.

Furthermore, as a much welcome move Pakistan have recently announced Muhammad Hafeez as Misbah’s successor in T20’s. Players such as Ahmed Shahzad, Shakeel An sar, Raza Hassan are also to be a part of the T20 squad for the forthcoming T20 series to Sri Lanka, after their laudable efforts in the recently concluded Faysal Bank T20.

Despite all the afore mentioned potential differences between Pakistan being crowned winners, if hard work and calculated risks are taken then Pakistan could become a force to reckon during the upcoming T20 world cup. All that is needed is the passion and the aggression that the ‘Cornered Tigers’ should posses. Will Hafeez’s appointment prove to be a masterstroke? Will the young guns be a vital addition to the side? Will Pakistan be able to transform their momentum from other forms of the game to the T20’s? More importantly, will Pakistan be able to lift the cup on October the 7th? It all remains to be seen.

Starting the piece with the foremost strengths and a rare combination of a settled opening pair along with more than capable spinners makes Pakistan a very dangerous side under the conditions which is well-known to play fearless cricket. Led by a calm skipper and coming off a very healthy win record including the recent whitewash of No.1 ranked test team in England, this tour is sure to add strength to already existing confidence. The middle order trio of Azhar Ali, Younis Khan and Misbah-ul Haq all average over 45 over the past year at a combined average of 147, 22.9 added runs than the combined average of the highest three scoring batsmen from Sri Lanka, averaging a combined 124.2 runs between them. Jumping to the bowling department, there lies the ever-present existence of Saeed Ajmal galloping further away, effortlessly from the rest on both sides. With a demolishing record of 123 wickets at an average of 20.1 and an economy under 2.9 over the past year, the spin wizard is miles clear of his nearest rival in Rangana Herath, 51 scalps to be precise again, all adding to the strength of the bowling department.

Over to certain noticeable weaknesses and Pakistan over the years have showed a tendency to blow hot and cold along with displaying minimum levels of consistency. The pace factory lacks venom habitually associated with Pakistan and the new management have tough work on their hands to convert this weakness into a force of strength as it has been in the legacy. Interpolation into the player-to-player batting record comparison between the new boys in Asad Shafiq and Dinesh Chandimal makes for lesser reading, with the former averaging a meagre 28.1 compared to the superior 35.1 for the Sri Lankan counterpart. On overall career numbers, only one Pakistani batsman in Younis Khan averages over 50 in comparison to three from Sri Lanka in Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara and Thilan Samaraweera. Fielding in general remains an ever-lasting worry and it is best-watched for now, what influence can the new management and think-tank provide to this weakest subdivision.

On to the opportunities and immense prospect on hands for the likes of the consistent Afaq Rahim (right hand bat/test squad) and especially the 19 year old spin prince in Raza Hasan (slow left arm/T20 squad) to show the world what they are capable of, and at the best possible time, with just a couple of months off an ICC tournament, the T20 World Cup to be held at the same corner of the globe. The new squad further opens the doors once again for the now-seasoned pacer in Mohammed Sami who positively has been introduced a second opportunity in manufacturing a permanent place for himself in the Pakistani pace battery which currently gradients at a decline. Considering the opening batsmen on either side, Nasir Jamshed holds the highest average for one-day internationals, just shy of 40 and will look forward to this tour as an additional opportunity to build upon the rising bridge.

And ultimately to the perspective of threat. Pakistan have a great tendency to self destruct themselves as a team. The perception of threat mainly comes from within this extremely talented bunch of individuals. Customary instances of corruption and political grouping for power among players have not helped the overall image, giving rise to controversies and speculations on a regular basis. Deficiency of suitable wicket-keeping integrated batting options are incorporated as a feature corresponding to threat, since Adnan Akmal holds the highest average of the lot at 25.2 in tests, in comparison to the likes of Dinesh Chandimal and Prassana Jayawardene, both averaging over 30 with ease. Amongst the all-rounder category, the more established duo of Angelo Matthews and Tillakaratne Dilshan appear to hold the pair from Pakistan in Mohammed Hafeez and Shahid Afridi on batting averages, while Hammad Azam is yet to achieve wonders on the International circuit, and only time will tell whether Pakistan are on its way to finding another genuine all-rounder or will this appear to develop into another threat-worthy situation.

Summing up, Pakistan go into the tour, unquestionably the firm favourites for each format on the tour, due to a relatively on-par batting subdivision headed by the proficient Younis Khan, Azhar Ali, Misbah-ul Haq and Mohammed Hafeez to name a few, along with to a great extent, an advanced line of bowling attack led by the world-class Saeed Ajmal. The hosts on the other hand are home to some of the greatest cricketing names in the sport of the modern era with the capabilities of Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela jayawardene and Lasith Malinga, still riding high to be excelling in their assigned roles and despite the recent slump in form, will come hard. While the air of expectation amongst the Pakistani camp remains high for yet another impressive showing, it is safe to say that fans on either side will be in for enormously hot cricketing action this summer.

The interview took place a couple of weeks ago in Mirpur Stadium during a practise session for Afaq’s club team the Eagle Stars of Azad Kashmir. We waited to publish the interview till after the Sri Lankan squad was announced so that we could call Afaq back and get his thoughts on his selection, if he did get selected. Alhamdulillah he did get selected and now Afaq’s thoughts on his selection are also part of this interview.

This was my first attempt at an interview, so I was a little nervous but (Masha Allah) Afaq is a very down to earth guy and very easy to talk to. I was all set to ask him the questions in our native tongue of Pothwari but Afaq said he was happy to conduct the interview in English …what a relief for me and I’ve got to say that his English was pretty impressive for someone who has only spent a few years in England!

After the interview was completed he gave me a tour of the stadium and introduced me to his mentor/coach Fahad Akram who has also played in the Pakistan domestic scene and is currently the coach of the Islamabad women’s team. I also met the chairman of the Azad Kashmir cricket association, Nasir Mehmood Butt, whom I had a long chat with about the programmes in place to help move cricket forward in Azad Kashmir. He even treated me to a coconut milkshake at the famous Malik juice centre.

All in all it was a fantastic experience. I hope you all enjoy reading the interview and Insha Allah it’s the first of many for me! Here is the interview…

Cricistan.Com: Can you tell me a bit more about yourself, for example, when did you start playing cricket?

Afaq Raheem: I started playing first class cricket in 2003 for the Rawalpindi region. Before that I used to play for my club team Eagle Stars in Azad Kashmir. I’ve also played for Service Industries and Islamabad Leopards too.

Cricistan.Com: Did you watch cricket whilst growing up and if you did, which games left a real impression on you?

Afaq Raheem: I was a very keen follower of cricket whilst growing up and the game that stands out for me is of course the 1992 World Cup final.

Cricistan.Com: Who was your favourite cricketer and the player that you most wanted to play like?

Afaq Raheem: Saeed Anwar was always my role model, I used to love watching him bat when I was younger. The best innings that I have ever seen was Saeed Anwar’s 194 against India.

Cricistan.Com: And who is your favourite non-Pakistani player?

Afaq Raheem: My favourite non-Pakistani player is Sachin Tendulkar from India. I just love watching him play. The best think about him is that he is equally as comfortable off both feet. It doesn’t matter if he’s playing off his front foot or his back foot, he never looks like he’s in trouble. It’s something for us all to aspire to.

Cricistan.Com: Has anyone from your family played cricket professionally before?

Afaq Raheem: No, I’m the only person from my family who’s played cricket professionally. The main reason for that is due to the fact that cricket only started getting promoted in Azad Kashmir during the last 12 years. Before that there was no promotion and so hardly any interest.

Cricistan.Com: Did your family encourage you to play cricket from an early age and who has had the biggest influence on your cricketing life?

Afaq Raheem: I got a lot of support from both my parents but my father was especially supportive of my dream to play cricket. My uncle and aunty were always encouraging and supported me strongly. The biggest influence on my professional cricketing career was Sabih Azhar who was my coach at Rawalpindi. He really helped and supported me a lot.

Cricistan.Com: When did you realise that you had the potential to become a first class cricketer?

Afaq Raheem: I first thought it was possible when I was playing club cricket with Eagle Stars in Azad Kashmir. Then I was chosen to represent Pakistan u19s as well. I’ve also played for the Pakistan Academy team in Bangladesh and in Sri Lanka as well.

Cricistan.Com: Are you the first player from Azad Kashmir to play first class cricket?

Afaq Raheem: No, I’m not. Mir Usman was the first player from Azad Kashmir who played first class cricket in Pakistan. Fahad Akram is another player who has played first class cricket and he’s now a Level 2 coach. Currently he’s coaching the Islamabad women’s team. Saad Altaf plays first class cricket right now and he’s also from Azad Kashmir too.

Cricistan.Com: You made your first class debut playing for the Rawalpindi region in the Quaid-E-Azam trophy back in 2003/04. Describe the feeling you had walking out in to the middle?

Afaq Raheem: My first game was against Lahore at the LCC and I felt very happy and proud to have made it that far. Sabih Azhar supported me and looked after me from the time when I was an u19 player and he has instilled a lot of confidence in me. I was fine whilst padding up but when I started walking out to the middle, that’s when the nerves kicked in. But the jitters didn’t last for long, after a few balls I settled down and in the end I think I played quite well in my debut game.

Cricistan.Com: Describe the feeling of hitting your first century?

Afaq Raheem: My first century came in the regional division games. It took me a few games to reach that landmark so when I finally scored that century it was a very proud moment for me and one I’ll never forget.

Cricistan.Com: Have you ever played league cricket in the UK? If you have then who did you play for and what’s the standard of bowling like over there?

Afaq Raheem: I played twice for Rotherham Town in the Yorkshire League and once in the Bradford League. I really enjoyed my time playing league cricket and they do have some good bowlers playing for those clubs. When I was there two England bowlers, Ajmal Shahzad and Adil Rashid, were playing in the league as well.

Cricistan.Com: What is the standard like compared to Pakistan?

Afaq Raheem: They have a much more professional setup for their players in England but we have a lot more talented players here in Pakistan.

Cricistan.Com: As a batsman did you find league cricket easier or tougher than playing in Pakistan?

Afaq Raheem: It was harder to score in England, the wickets in English league cricket are very tough when compared to Pakistani pitches. On Pakistani pitches it’s easy for us to score fast but English pitches give a lot of assistance to the seamers so you need good concentration skills to succeed. You regularly play on green tops in wet conditions, so in my opinion it’s a great experience for young up and coming players to take back to Pakistan with them. It’s especially helpful to improve a batsman’s temperament because you really can’t afford to lose your concentration.

Cricistan.Com: You said you played for Rotherham Town in the Oxford Yorkshire Premier League for a few years. Tell us a bit about your experience.

Afaq Raheem: The people were very friendly and they looked after me really well whilst I was there. I played for two years and really enjoyed the experience. In both seasons I scored over 1,000 runs each time and I like to think that I left a very good impression on them and that they were happy with both my performance and my attitude whilst I was there.

Cricistan.Com: Any particular game that you remember?

Afaq Raheem: The one that really stands out was when I scored a century against Ajmal Shahzad and Adil Rashid, I felt really good about my batting that day. I know Adil Rashid and his family so it’s always good to meet up with him and it was nice to get to know Ajmal as well. They were both very complimentary about my batting and my technique which is always nice to hear.

Cricistan.Com: Lots of people feel you have been doing well in domestic cricket and that you’ve been consistent throughout your whole career. You have a very good first class and one day record. Many feel that you could be one half of the solution to Pakistan’s unstable opening batsman position. Do you think you can be successful where many others have failed?

Afaq Raheem: Yes I think I can, mainly because I feel that I have the correct technique to succeed at the highest level. The two things that coaches and other cricketers keep praising me about are my technique and my temperament. These are the two qualities that every opening batsman needs to succeed at any level. Even beyond that, I have been very consistent on the domestic front for years and only last season I scored 1400 runs in first class cricket. All I can ask for is a chance to show what I can do, that’s the one thing that’s not in my control. Once I get that chance then it’s down to me to show what I can do.

Cricistan.Com: You were playing really well between 2005 and 2009. You were averaging over 50 for a couple of seasons and you even hit your highest score of 275. Things were looking really good but then there is a break in your resume between 2009 and 2011. What was the reason you did not play during this period?

Afaq Raheem: Unfortunately I suffered a serious injury to my knee which kept me out of the game for 2 years. In fact it couldn’t have happened at a worst time because not only was I in the best batting form of my life but I had even received a central contract. Getting the central contract was great for my own confidence because it was proof that the selectors had noticed me and were ready to give me a chance. Sadly the injury put my progress back a long way and it meant that once I returned, I had to get myself noticed all over again.

Cricistan.Com: What kept you motivated during the time you were out injured?

Afaq Raheem: The thought that one day I might get to play for Pakistan was what kept me going. I used it as my motivation and it helped me keep going even when things seemed really difficult. Although I couldn’t play cricket, I was determined not to let my fitness suffer during my time off. So to keep my fitness up, I visited the gym 3 times a week. I actually tried to make a comeback before I was ready and I only ended up aggravating the same injury in my comeback match and as a result I had to stay out of the game longer than was originally predicted.

Cricistan.Com: You were the leading run scorer in last years Quaid-E-Azam trophy. Do you think that you are back to your best form?

Afaq Raheem: Yes, this was my first full season since I returned from my injury. I started off really well by scoring a century against PIA and then I built the rest of the season on that innings.

Cricistan.Com: Not only are you a batsman but you occasionally bowl too? Are you an all-rounder or only a batsman?

Afaq Raheem: Yes I do bowl a bit of off-spin but I haven’t bowled much for my current team because the pitches in Islamabad are more suited to fast bowling. I’d say that I was a batting all-rounder, I do bowl but I’m a batsman first.

Cricistan.Com: Do you have any famous scalps?

Afaq Raheem: I once took 6 wickets in an innings against National Bank. The batsmen included Nasir Jamshed, Khurram Manzoor, Kamran Akmal and Aqeel Anjum.

Cricistan.Com: Tell us a little bit about the structure of cricket in Azad Kashmir?

Afaq Raheem: Cricket in Azad Kashmir is improving day by day. We’ve set up the Azad Kashmir Cricket Association and Nasir Mehmood Butt has been elected as the President. We now have 52 registered teams in Azad Kashmir and 12 of those clubs are in Mirpur itself. A scheme has been set up to attract the younger generation of Kashmiri cricketers with trials taking place on a regular basis. But for now Azad Kashmir still falls under the Islamabad region.

Cricistan.Com: Do representatives of the PCB regularly pay visits?

Afaq Raheem: Yes, they come to visit every couple of months. The main stadium in Mirpur now falls under the PCB so their representatives come down to watch games now and again. Around 3 to 4 years ago first class matches were being played here but that stopped due to the state of the pitch.

Cricistan.Com: Why do you think that no player from Azad Kashmir has represented Pakistan?

Afaq Raheem: I think it’s down to cricket starting really late here. People used to play cricket but there was no set up for them to progress further. Now that Azad Kashmir falls under the Islamabad region, players have much more of a chance to play domestic cricket which will give them a better chance to play for the national team.

Cricistan.Com: Are you aware of any sort of cricket being played in occupied Kashmir and have there ever been any cricket games between the two Kashmir regions?

Afaq Raheem: As far as I’m aware I don’t think there’s been any games played there, it’s too dangerous. Nor have I ever heard of any games taking place between the two Kashmir regions.

Cricistan.Com: Are there any bowlers that really impressed you in first class cricket?

Afaq Raheem: I was a big fan of Mohammed Asif, he was a fantastic bowler. At the moment Saad Altaf is very impressive with his quick arm action. He has taken over 60 wickets in the last two seasons.

Cricistan.Com: Is there any particular bowler that has caused you more problems than others?

Afaq Raheem: Not really, I have had lean patches in my career but I feel that no particular bowler has got the best of me which I believe is down to my technique.

Cricistan.Com: Any up and coming talented players that you think we should look out for?

Afaq Raheem: Umar Amin is a very talented batsman and Raza Hasan is an excellent bowler, he’s really one to look out for.

Cricistan.Com: Any wicketkeepers?

Afaq Raheem: There are two that have impressed me. Naren Anjum of Islamabad and Jamal Anwar from Rawalpindi. These are two excellent keepers.

Cricistan.Com: Congratulations on your selection for the Test squad to Sri Lanka, how did you first hear about it?

Afaq Raheem: It was actually my mother who told me, she was watching the TV when the news came on the Geo slider and she called me over to congratulate me. We were both really happy about the news. The first person to call me and congratulate me was Sabih Azhar, he was as happy as me. I’d really like to thank Sabih Azhar, Sheikh Shakeel and my parents for all the support they’ve given me over the years.

Cricistan.Com: Now that you’ve been selected, what is your ambition in life?

Afaq Raheem: My first ambition is to debut for my country and then I want to score as many runs as I can. If my runs can help Pakistan win games then that would be a real dream come true.

Cricistan.Com: You played a test match for the Pakistan under 19 team in 2003. That team included the likes of Khalid Latif, Shahid Yousuf and Yasir Arafat. This must have been a very proud moment for you. Tell us a little bit more about this game and how your experience of Sri Lankan conditions may help you in the upcoming Test series.

Afaq Raheem: It was actually the first time I’d left Pakistan and for the first time you leave your country to be an occasion where you will be representing your country was a source of great pride for me. It was the same for all of us, we loved wearing the green shirt. The pitches in Sri Lanka support fast bowlers and spinners and it’s hard to score runs on them. The ball often stops when it hits the pitch and you have to be aware of the fact that it may not bounce back at you as fast as it hits the deck. To succeed in Sri Lanka you need to be able to play a gritty innings and be very watchful.

Cricistan.Com: Farveez Mahroof And Chamila Kulasekara both played in that game for Sri Lanka and have gone on to represent their national squad. Now you’ve been selected in the Pakistan squad, how does it feel?

Afaq Raheem: Actually Mahroof was the captain of Sri Lanka’s u19 team at that time and they’re both good players. I’m feeling good about my own selection, it makes all the hard work at domestic level seem worth the effort.

Cricistan.Com: Some ex cricketers have mentioned your name and have said that you should be given a chance in test matches. But your one day record is excellent, you are averaging 46 with a strike rate of 83. Do you consider yourself more of a test match player or do you think you can adjust your game according to the situation ie ODI or twenty20.

Afaq Raheem: I love playing in all formats, whether it’s Test cricket or limited overs cricket. For me it’s all cricket and I love playing cricket. My coaches have always told me that the way I play, I can do well in any format and I’d love to have the opportunity to prove that. I believe that I can adjust my batting style to suit the situation whatever format of the game I’m playing in.

Cricistan.Com: If I was the chief selector of Pakistan, what would you tell me to convince me that you can play limited overs cricket as well?

Afaq Raheem: I’d talk about my domestic one day record and my ability to adapt my batting to any situation but first I want to concentrate on playing Test cricket. Right now my job is to repay the selectors faith in me and if I can perform in Test cricket, hopefully they will see fit to give me chances in the other formats too.

Cricistan.Com: Thank you for a candid and detailed interview, best of luck for the future and do you have any message that you’d like to give your fans at Cricistan.Com?

Afaq Raheem: Thank you to all the fans for your support during the hard times and hopefully I can fulfill your expectation in the future too.

Lahore: 14 fast bowlers have been called up to the NCA to take part in what was originally supposed to be a fast bowling camp but has now morphed into two 50 over ODI matches instead. The bowlers who were called up are Mohammad Talha, Mohammad Irfan, Tabish Khan, Bilawal Bhatti, Sadaf Hussain, Tanvir Ahmad, Rao Ifthikar, Sohail Tanvir, Mohammad Sami, Anwar Ali, Junaid Khan, Imran Khan (WAPDA), Rahat Ali and Mohammad Khalil.

All the bowlers underwent fitness tests on Sunday, a practise which is (thankfully) fast becoming the norm for players being considered for Pakistan. Both these games will take place between PCB Reds and PCB Blues on the 7th and the 8th of May.

The PCB Reds will be led by current captain Misbah Ul Haq and will include Imran Farhat, Shoaib Malik, Sohail Tanvir, Nasir Jamshed, Ahmed Shahzad, Adnan Akmal (WK), Bilawal Bhatti, Mohammad Irfan, Mohammad Talha, Rahat Ali, Rao Ifthikar and Sadaf Hussain.

Speaking exclusively to Cricistan.com, PCB Reds bowler Rahat Ali said “We all underwent fitness tests today and will be playing two games starting tomorrow. I’m playing for Misbah’s team and I cant wait to bowl against some of the best batsmen in Pakistan. This is all quite new to me so I’m just taking it in and enjoying being part of the experience.”

Those who’ve seen Rahat bowl have indicated that he has good pace, so I asked him about his own impressions regarding his speed. He replied that he bowled slightly faster than Mohammad Irfan who has been clocked at 143 kph against England.

“I went to a camp previously, which Aamir Sohail held, and my top speed was around 143 kph at that time. I dont know if my speed has improved a lot from there but I haven’t gotten any slower. I have bowled with Mohammad Irfan in domestic cricket and I would say the difference in our speeds is ‘unees bees’ (i.e the difference between 19 and 20), I’m slightly faster than him but not by a big margin.” Rahat stated to Cricistan.com

Rahat and the PCB Reds will be facing off against the PCB Blues. The Blues will be led by Mohammad Hafeez, the man many are calling Pakistan’s future captain. This team will include Umar Akmal, Azhar Ali, Taufeeq Umar, Babar Azam, Shakeel Ansar (WK), Tanvir Ahmad, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Sami, Mohammad Khalil, Anwar Ali, Imran Khan and Tabish Khan.

I spoke to Tabish asking him if this was the first time he’d played under Hafeez’s captaincy and he replied that he had previously played under Hafeez for Pakistan A.

“This isn’t the first time that I’m playing under Hafeez’s captaincy, I also played two Pakistan A games under him as well. They were both T20 games in Dubai. One was against an England XI where I took Ian Bell’s wicket and the other games was gainst a Pakistan XI where I took Imran Nazir and Yasir Arafat’s wickets.” said Tabish to Cricistan.com

When I asked Tabish about his great domestic form over the last few seasons, he said that he hoped his good form would continue into these practise games so that he could impress the selectors and coaching staff.

“Like all Pakistanis it’s my dream to play for my country so I’m really excited to be given this opportunity and I will do my best to impress the coach, the captain and the selectors. Thank you for your compliments about my domestic bowling form over the last season, I feel very good about my bowling right now and hopefully I can continue that form into the practise games too.” Tabish told Cricistan.com

Both Tabish and Rahat seemed more excited about getting to play actual games alongside the top talent in Pakistan than I’ve previously heard other players get excited about a training camp. I’m fully behind this initiative as you can tell more about a bowler who is bowling in a match situation than you can from watching him running into the nets all day long.

The PCB Reds and the PCB Blues will face off on Monday and then again on Tuesday. Hopefully Tabish, Rahat and all the other players involved will get to showcase their best and the only real winner will be Pakistan Cricket.

The success enjoyed by Pakistan was exemplary in this format mainly because we have been playing similar brand of cricket for a long time in limited overs cricket. Pakistan’s method of play has been to block for 35, 40 overs and then go berserk in last 10, 15 overs with power-hitters like Shahid Afridi, Razzaq, Moin Khan, Wasim Akram, Inzamam in their lineups over 2 decades. Pakistan had taken to t20 cricket like fish to water.

When everyone considered t20 cricket to be a batsmen’s game, Pakistanis showed that superior bowling can win you and infact make you the best team of the world as well. The likes of Afridi, Ajmal, Gul, Amir, Razzaq, Hafeez , Sohail Tanveer, Asif had done superbly in t20 cricket and bowled their team to wins. The reason why we have plunged to No. 6 in t20 rankings is the inclusion of test specialists like Fawad Alam, Asad Shafiq and Yousuf in the t20 team. Also, Imran Farhat got a free ride in the t20 team for a while. Experiments were made and Shahzaib Hassan and Ahmed Shahzad were given a go but they failed to impress and seal their spot.

In order to regain the lost ground we must bring back all the senior players into the team. Without senior players I don’t see our team lifting the t20 WC. Any team in the world would love to have Imran Nazir in their t20 lineup but this is Pakistan team which has dropped all the heroes who made Pakistan into No. 1 T20 team of the world. I don’t understand if a person is considered fit for odi cricket and is selected in the team in Champions Trophy 2009 enjoying some success as well, how he is considered unsuitable for t20 team.

Abdul Razzaq is a big name out of the team these days for non – cricketing reasons. He has done well in t20 format and helped his teams win big titles for every team he has played for. Let me name a team which I think can lift T20 WC this year.

Imran Nazir,
Mohammad Hafeez,
Kamran Akmal,
Umar Akmal (wk),
Shahid Khan Afridi,
Abdul Razzaq,
Misbah Ul Haq ©,
Shoaib Malik,
Umar Gul,
Saeed Ajmal,
Junaid Khan.

Reserves: Wahab Riaz, Hammad Azam, Abdur Rehman, Nasir Jamshed, Adnan Akmal

Kamran Akmal in the top order would mean we will get off to a flying start more often. As already mentioned, Imran Nazir is a big player at the top of the order. Umar Akmal needs to bat up the order. No. 4 will give him a perfect opportunity to show his talent. Razzaq is a finisher so he will do well at 6. We can change the batting order any time and send Malik at any position we like as well. Junaid Khan is tipped to be our next Mohammad Amir. But in case he doesn’t fire as he found the going tough against Kevin Pieterson in the England series we can replace him with Wahab Riaz who has a perfect Yorker in his armory as well which he showed by castling Yuvraj Singh in that famous World Cup semifinal.

I have picked Hammad Azam in the reserves he already showed glimpses of what he can do in limited opportunities he has gotten so far. Rehman is also there he is among top 10 bowlers in the test ratings and him and Saeed Ajmal deflated English team in the test series whitewash recently. He can be brought into the team if we find spinning conditions.

And now on important question whether Misbah is the right choice for captaincy in limited overs formats. I think we have won test series and oneday series against Sri Lanka, test series against England and recently Asia Cup under the captaincy of Misbahulhaq. So I think he is the best choice and anyone chosen as captain should be made captain in all 3 formats!

I have chosen Umar Akmal as keeper in t20 format. I think he can do the job in t20 format. I wont trust Kamran Akmal with gloves ever again and only have him in limited overs team as a batsman only. As a batsman he is better than many we experiment with.

Lahore: 7 players reported to the NCA today to undergo strict fitness tests. Kamran Akmal, Umar Akmal, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Yousuf, Sohail Tanvir, Aizaz Cheema and Mohammad Irfan were the ones tested.

Speaking exclusively to Cricistan.com, Mohammad Irfan said “It was hard work for all of us and we were really put us through our paces today. From what I observed we all passed and did well overall. It was good to see Yousuf bhai and he looked to be really fit, he has obviously been keeping in shape.”

I congratulated Irfan on his performance and asked him what areas he was told that he (personally) needed to improve in, Irfan replied “I was told that I needed to work on my agility which will help in my fielding.”

Irfan is currently staying in Lahore and attending the National Cricket Academy to work on his fitness and bowling. Standing at 6 foot 10 inches tall, Irfan always stands out to anyone who passes him by but earlier this month he stood out to new coach Dav Whatmore for an entirely different reason.

Whatmore had been part of the Kolkata Knight Riders coaching squad when Irfan went to Sri Lanka for his KKR trials. In fact Whatmore and the KKR coaching team had been so impressed with Irfan’s bowling that they had signed him up on the spot.

However due to the ongoing issues between the PCB and the BCCI, no Pakistani players are taking part in the IPL and so Irfan never got to play.

When Whatmore saw Irfan at the NCA he remembered him from the KKR trials and asked him about what had been happening in his life.

“He (Whatmore) asked me why I hadn’t played for Pakistan again and he wanted to know about how I had got from Sri Lanka to England to play those two one day games. He was saying that it didn’t sound like I should have played straight away and that maybe I should have waited to acclimatise myself and get over the lag from the long journey.” Irfan told Cricistan.com.

Irfan then explained that he had thanked Whatmore for remembering him and how Dav had told him that if he put in the hard work then he had a good chance to play for Pakistan.

“He (Whatmore) told me that I should try and bowl just like I did in Sri Lanka, that I should bowl the way he saw me bowling when we first met. He said that if I could bowl like that and learn to take full advantage of my height, then I would be a great asset.” Irfan stated to Cricistan.com

During the tour to England Irfan clocked 89 mph (143 kph) on more than one occasion and apart from a terrible couple of overs (when every Paksitani bowler was getting mauled) he bowled reasonably well. The main reason for him not being reselected is generally thought to be his recurring cramps which were put down to a lack of physical fitness but Irfan feels it was due to jet lag.

Given Pakistan’s current paucity of pace options, it’s good to see another name back in the reckoning and it probably helps that the coach has seen you bowling at your best too.

“If there is a threat to the game of cricket, that threat lies in the first class arena. One day cricket, especially day-night cricket, is here to stay.” Sir Donald Bradman. Test cricket as is familiar to everyone, is the hardest form of cricket, the sport requiring tough mental and physical determination, in combination with talent and skill.

While there can be many factors that influence the nature of the overall sport, this topic is based on the way the game is played in the modern era in terms of the result/draw percentages. During the earlier times, 60s, 70s and the 80s, wherein the likes of Bradmans and Boycotts and Bothams and Richards and Imrans to name a few graced the cricket field) a higher draw percentage reaching 50% is noticed. Matches were won or lost less and often ended up being in draws which remained the primary modus operandi for the earlier cricketing decades.

On the other hand, the modern era has a witnessed a rapid growth in pace in general. As a result, an increase in the number of matches and more significantly in the match results in the last decade has displayed a draw percentage of less than 25% which is of interest. The last decade has seen more than 300 victories being handed in less than 500 games, which is nothing short of a phenomenon, considering that wickets around the world have generally paved way to the batsmen by and large. Another fascinating aspect to look at is the increase in the runs per over which currently stands over 3, which would have been considered a decent limited overs run-rate in the earlier times, such is the rate of variation between the highest form of cricket played now and over the yesteryears.

In all honesty, the contest between the bat and the ball is diminishing ever so slowly with time. The respective responsibility lies solely on the shoulders of the modern day batsman. The example of bowling friendly English conditions would take the ideal position here, where a modern day batsman does not encompass the right amount of grit and time-management part of the skill in his repertoire to combat for his country.

The introduction of limited overs cricket and its integrity to stay as quote by Sir Bradman provides major interest into the topic. However, with the advent of the shortest version, the Twenty20 has in some way gone onto become a worldwide glorified phenomena, hard to overlook by the modern day batsman. As a result, the perseverance and skill levels at the test level have seen a considerable drop over the years.

At this pace, while the test matches may be won or lost (inside 4 days at times) more often, keeping the game ‘alive and not dull’, it is hard to visualise the modern day batsman getting stuck in the grand final day and battling it out to survive and save the day.

Rekindle your memory to the days when Pakistan could defend almost any total. With the likes of Imran, Wasim, Waqar and Akthar any batting side would feel intimidated. Ask a Pakistan cricket fan of the early 90’s who their favourite player was and their answer would almost certainly be a fast bowler. You can’t blame the fans for having sheer love for the great art of fast bowling, as that is all they have witnessed and grown to love. Looking at the past of Pakistani fast bowling makes one dubiously wonder about their state in this era.

The year of 2009 was surely a great year for Pakistan fans and general cricket fans as a new pace sensation was to be born within the land of fast bowling – Pakistan.

Pakistani’s were given something to cheer about through the duo of the A’s – Asif and Amir. Mohammad Asif though not express pace was a magician in his own way, cricket had seen nothing like him. Whereas a young Amir came on to the scenes in the year of 2009 and had impact instantly, being an instrumental part of Pakistan’s T20 world cup victory. But he flourished during the summer of 2010 against England, where even the likes of Wasim Akram were praising him – who arguably is the best fast bowler from Pakistan – “He’s a much more cleverer bowler at his age than I was.“ Wherever these two went they would spread their magic. But adversity arrived! Amir and Asif were convicted of spot fixing and banned from cricket as a result.

A gap was again created in Pakistan’s bowling unit. Bowlers such as Gul were to ‘spearhead’ the attack. Currently the fast bowling attack is built up of ‘inconsistent’, ‘old’, ‘inexperienced’ and ‘undercooked’ bowlers – Gul, Cheema, Riaz and Junaid Khan.

The fast bowlers are in the team as a mere formality as the spinning trio bowl bulk of the overs. Why is this decline in Pakistani fast bowlers? Is it because they are not talented enough? Or is it because of a lack of opportunity?

Well, with the culture within Pakistan cricket nepotism prevails. It plays a huge role in players getting ‘selected’; the ones with relatives or known people within the hierarchy of the PCB are preferred over the more deserving ones.

There is no lack of talent in a cricket-loving nation such as Pakistan. Rather, it’s a case of hunting for the raw talent and nurturing it. Also, giving a consistent run to the younger players is an unknown element within the set up that is the PCB; after a bad game or two they are shown the door rather than being persisted with. A prime example is Wahab Riaz. He showed the cricketing world what he could do with performing on the biggest stage possible, yet despite his heroics he played only 9 gamed after it within the space of a year. Another example is Mohammad Irfan, who played a few games during the tour of England [2010] and till this day he has been sidelined from international selection. The list goes on. This is how young talent should not be handled, yet is what occurs on a regular basis.

Talent is everywhere: within every street of cricket-crazy Pakistan. The likes of Sadaf Hussain, Mohammad Talha and others are knocking on the door for an international call. Just recently Pakistan witnessed a young and talented Zia Ul Haq make impact on his debut for domestic team Lahore Lions immediately [Faysal Bank T20, 2012] with getting a 5-fer when his team needed it most.

The problem lies within the roots of the PCB, not within the talent or rather lack of it. Talent is not in short supplies in Pakistan, the competence of the PCB is. From the likes of Wasim and Waqar Pakistani fast bowlers have stooped down to the Gul’s and the Cheema’s. It’s the frustrating truth; the sad state of affairs and nothing can be done about it until the PCB acts.

Sialkot Stallions won the second edition of Faysal Bank Super Eight T20 , their 7th Domestic T20 Title. Rawalpindi Rams were the Defending Champions but lost all their games and were very poor unexpectedly.

There were some brilliant individual and team performances through out the tournament both by the experienced players and the youngsters.

In the First Part of our Analysis, we will have a look at the highest runs scorers and wicket takers.

TOP 10 BATSMAN ( MOST RUNS )

Player          Matches      Inn    Runs    50s  100s   Average      S/R

Khalid Latif      5            5      243    2    -      60.75      132.06

Imran Nazir       5            5      191    2    -      47.75      172.07

Haris Sohail      4            4      173    2    -        -        121.83

Asad Shafiq       5            5      167    1    -      33.40      107.74

Shakeel Ansar     5            5      162    -    1      40.80      120.89

Shahzeb Hassan    5            5      141    1    -      28.20      120.89

Taufeeq Umer      3            3      128    1    -      42.66      131.95

Umer Akmal        4            4      123    1    -      41         139.77

Iftikhar Ahmed    4            4      109    1    -      27.25      132.92

Ahmed Shahzad     4            4      108    1    -      36         125.58

TOP 10 BOWLERS (MOST WICKETS)

Player          Matches  Inn  Overs  Runs  Wickets  Average    Economy     S/R

Raza Hassan       5        5      20    123    12     10.25      6.15      10

Shoaib Malik      5        5      14    92      7     13.14      6.57      12

Faraz Ahmed       5        5      19    151     7     21.57      7.94      16.2

Mustafa Iqbal     3        3      10.5  63      6     10.50      5.81      10.8

Anwar Ali         3        3      12    81      6     13.50      6.75      12

Zia-ul-Haq        2        2      6      42     5      8.40      7          7.2

Raza Ali Dar      4        4      12    75      5     15         6.25      14.4

NaveedulHassan    3        3      12    88      5     17.60      7.3       14.4

Adnan Rasool      4        4      15.3  99      5     19.80      6.38      18.6

Muhammad Aslam    4        4      14    104     5     20.80      7.42      16.8

FINDS OF THE TOURNAMENT :

Haris Sohail - A Stylish Left Hander was one of the find of the tournment. He scored 173 runs in 4 innings and stayed unbeaten in all innings. A very composed player, can rotate the strike and hit the big ones as well.
Zia-ul-Haq – Left Arm Fast bowler and can swing the ball both ways at such an early age. Although he played only two games but his performanc was top notch. He took 5/23 in his first game and there is lot of potential in this kid, if looked after properly.
Gauhar Ali – One wonder why the selection committe select keepers like Muhammad Salman and Sarfaraz when there are more competent keepers in the domestic Circuit. Only 22, this guy has shown lot of potential both behind the stumps and with the bat and should be called into the international team in near future.

FAILURES OF THE TOURNAMENT :

Hammad Azam – So much was expected of this young allrounder but surprisingly his performance was below par both with bat and ball.
Jamal Anwar – The young wicket keeper from Rams was another big disappointment in this tournament. After winning the Wicket Keeper award in last two tournaments, he was certainly not upto the mark.
Abdul Razzaq – The seasoned Allrounder failed to impress both with ball and bat. This could certainly lead to his ouster from Pakistan Cricket Team Permanently.

TEAM OF THE TOURNAMENT -

After analysing the stats and Performances of Players in the Faysal Bank Super Eight T20 2012, below is my team of the tournament.

Khalid Latif (Karachi Dolphins)
Imran Nazir ( Sialkot Stallions)
Asad Shafiq ( Karachi Dolphins)
Haris Sohail ( Sialkot Stallions)
Umer Akmal ( Lahore Lions)
Shoaib Malik Captain ( Sialkot Stallions)
Gauhar Ali Wicket Keeper ( Peshawar Panthers)
Anwar Ali ( Karachi Zebras)
Rana Naveed ( Sialkot Stallions)
Ziaul Haq ( Lahore Lions)
Raza Hassan ( Silakot Stallions )

Below we will have a look at the stats of Pakistani Players in the recently finished Asia Cup.

We will start with the batting stats of the Pakistani batting team and it’s not surprising that the middle order performance was average/below average yet again. Although Umer Akmal and Misbah Ul Haq’s averages are on the higher side but still it wasn’t that encouraging.

BATTING STATS – ( In order of Most Runs Scored)

Batsmen        Matches      Inns        Runs    50s  100s  Average  Strike Rate

Hafeez          4            4          245      1     1    61.25     67.86

Jamshed         4            4          193      1     1    48.25     96.01

UAkmal          4            4          156      1     -    39        96.89

Misbah          4            4          107      1     -    53.5      79.85

Younis          4            4           67      1     -    16.67    103.07

Sarfarz         3            2           65      -     -     -        81.25

Gul             4            3           43      -      -   21.5     153.57

Afridi          4            3           41      -      -   13.66    107.89

Hammad          3            3           38      -      -   19        80.85

Ajmal           4            2           12      -      -   12       133.33

Cheema          4            1            9      -      -    -        81.81

Asad            1            1            4      -      -    4        66.66

Now we will have a look at the bowling performance, although the bowlers took wickets their economy rates were disappointing. In fact quite surprisingly a part timer (Muhammad Hafeez) has the best economy among all bowlers and that’s probably why he has bowled more overs, even more than Saeed Ajmal.

BOWLING STATS – ( in order of highest wickets )

Bowler        Matches        Overs    Runs    Wickets    Average    Economy   SR

Gul            4              36      208      9          23.11       5.77    24
Ajmal          4              37.4    161      8          20.12       4.27    28.2
Cheema         4              33      196      8          24.5        5.93    25.7
Afridi         4              35      167      3          55.66       4.77    70
Hafeez         4              39      152      3          50.66       3.89    78
Hammad         3              7        41      1          41          5.85    42
Wahab          1              4        50      -          -          12.50    -

FIELDING STATS

Younis took 5 catches in 4 games.
Jamshed took 3 catches in 4 games.
Hafeez and Misbah took 2 catches each in 4 games.
Afridi, Ajmal, Akmal and Gul took 1 catch each in 4 games.
Sarfaraz took 1 catch in 3 games

MY PLAYER RATING ON THE BASIS OF STATS/PERFORMANCES

HAFEEZ: He was the main player for us, scored the highest runs and his bowling was tidy as ever. Although his strike rate has been bit on the slower side but then he had the luxury of an attacking partner in the form of Nasir Jamshed. He still needs to work on rotation of strike. I will give him 8/10.

AJMAL: Economical and threatening as ever. Took 8 wickets but look bit of colour or may be its because of his high standards. 8/10

JAMSHED: A great comeback, scored a century and half century on his comeback with few good catches as well. His main weaknesses is his fitness and running between the wickets. 7/10

GUL: Expensive but the highest wicket taker for Pakistan and played a little important cameo against Bangladesh in the group game. 7/10

SARFARAZ: He was tidy behind the stumps and played a crucial inning in the final. 6.5/10

CHEEMA: Expensive but took some crucial wickets especially against Srilanka. 6.5/10

AKMAL: Same old problem, a brilliant inning against Srilanka and helped Pakistan in winning that game with a bonus point which was very crucial. 6/10

MISBAH: One excellent inning against Srilanka and overall a good performance as a captain, though it was poor against India. 6/10

HAMMAD: Showed glimpses of talent but still a lot of work needs to be done. 5/10

AFRIDI: Apart from the all-round performance in final, a very poor series for Afridi. 4/10

YOUNIS: Barring that one inning against India, another poor odi series for Younis. Although he performed well in the field but I think he should just say goodbye to LOIs now. 4/10

ASAD: Unlucky that he didn’t get enough chance, just played one inning in which he didn’t impress at all. 2/10

WAHAB: Same as Asad. 2/10