On a Sad Note

They say that the team that learns from its mistakes is the one that is the true champion. Sadly, the English team emerged as champions during the 1st two matches of the one day series against a Pakistani side that has disappointed the nation as well as themselves. Be it the decision of playing Umar Akmal down the order and as a wicket-keeper, sending Shahid Afridi at a time when all battle was lost, introducing Saeed Ajmal when the English batsmen had settled, playing a side that looked strong on paper instead of on the field and not giving their 100 percent, Misbah ul Haq and his men disheartened the entire community following them.

So what should Pakistan do to level the series against England? First of all, win the toss and bat first in natural light. Secondly, they should act smart and play with the minds of their opponents by shuffling the batting order, even if that means dropping Younis Khan for Asad Shafiq. Younis Khan may have a good record but like Mohammad Hafeez, he needs a jump start so that he can perform. Mohammad Hafeez seems shaky at the top, so he can be adjusted at number 3 or 4, and Asad Shafiq can open with Imran Farhat who is batting slow to keep his place in the squad.

The team should go for a regular wicket keeper in Adnan Akmal, one who takes catches instead of providing lifeline to the opponents. Umar Akmal should play as a batsman only and bat higher in the order. Same can be said for Shahid Afridi, because the two score quick runs, something the team needs. Abdur Rehman should come in at number 11 because the way he batted in the last match was one of the major reasons why we lost. He my have bowled well but the plot was lost because of his crazy innings of 1 run off 12 balls!

As for the bowlers, Umar Gul and Aizaz Cheema need to practice their yorkers because they hardly bowl the delivery, making batsmen play them with ease. Wahab Riaz should have been a better choice but it seems he is not ready to make a return to the international arena. Junaid Khan can be given a chance if the captain wants to win the series, but to accommodate him, he would either have to drop a batsman who isn’t scoring or a bowler who needs to understand his importance in the side. Inept all-rounder Shoaib Malik should ‘still’ stay out of the side because if he makes a return, the team will lose its fighting spirit, and surrender.

The green shirts played like lions in the Test series against England but failed to transfer their form in limited overs, and are on the verge of losing their first series in seven attempts as well as their 5th position to England in the ICC ranking. They should play with their heart out otherwise the heart of its followers will forget their recent success and criticize them for returning to its old ways!