Very Very Stupid

The Indian media are well known for being reactionary in their views. This is evident at two particular times - first, when the BCCI come out and give their opinion on a situation in world cricket, such as the DRS. Even if the rest of the cricketing world disagree with them, Indian newspapers and commentators will back their board to the hilt. Quite what their motive for this concordance is, we can only speculate. Secondly, we have a situation like the one I read on Cricinfo the other day - that VVS Laxman should be dropped for the Perth Test in favour of Rohit Sharma.

Now I can fully understand the clamour for change. India were simply woeful in Sydney, save for a good opening burst by Zaheer Khan in the 1st innings and some graft with the bat once the game was already lost second time around. They capitulated in the first innings and they will need to find something from somewhere for the next Test starting on Friday, on a pitch that is expected to be quick and bouncy, quite unlike the subcontinent. There is no doubt that India will benefit from phasing out their senior batsmen (Laxman, Tendulkar and Dravid) gradually and I realise that this was seen as an opportunity to blood a new player instead of Laxman, whilst his peers are still in form. However, in this instance a more short-term view is required. Laxman has been there and done it as far as touring Australia is concerned. He has made tricky runs in important situations and has done it in style. He grafted his way to 66 in Sydney and did look in good nick, which may well carry forward to the WACA.

By contrast, Sharma is yet to make his Test debut. He has however played 72 ODIs, so most people in world cricket are aware of him. My feeling is that he scores easy runs against mediocre opposition. Averaging 34, he only has two hundreds, which were made back-to-back in Zimbabwe. 6 of his 11 50s have come on the subcontinent, with a further 3 in the West Indies. Whilst he offers something to the team in limited overs with his fast strike rate, useful off-spinners and sharp fielding, I can't help but think he is hardly the solution in what has become a dogfight Down Under. But then again, there is no other suitable batsman in the squad. You could include him at the expense of Virat Kohli. However, Kohli has a far superior ODI record and still hasn't really proved he is able to translate that onto the Test arena. My gut feeling tells me he eventually will establish himself, but that Sharma should remain a limited overs specialist. Laxman's time will come soon, but this would be too soon - give him until the end of the series, so that we have at least two more matches to watch one of the most stylish batsmen of his generation at work.

RM

When It's Broke, Fix It

Make no mistake about it, England will be up against it in their 3 Test series against Pakistan, starting next Tuesday (very exciting after no England games since the end of October!). They have never played a Test match in the neutral venues of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, unlike their opponents, who have made the UAE their home following the shooting of the Sri Lanka team bus in their last home series. England proved how much they struggle on the subcontinent against spin in particular, a discipline in which Pakistan have recently excelled. The pitches are flat and generally unresponsive and as close to Pakistani pitches as you can get really, so the home advantage is with them. Finally, there is the resurgence of the Pakistan team since the spot-fixing scandal on their last tour of England in 2010. The cupboards have been spring cleaned from top to bottom at the PCB and the results were obvious in an excellent Test year in 2011. Admittedly, the opposition was far from the strongest, but there was enough to suggest that the No.1 Test team in the world would be given a run for their money. Here is the run down of their squad:

Mohammad Hafeez - 2011 record: 10 matches, 647 runs @ 40.43, 2 hundreds, Best: 143. 15 wickets @ 25.93, Best: 4/31. An all-rounder quite unlike the typical Pakistani model set by Shahid Afridi and Abdul Razzaq. More a batsman who bowls, Hafeez finally reaped the rewards that his talent deserve in 2011 after previously flattering to deceive. He has a solid technique but is capable of scoring quickly at the top of the order, with a wide array of strokes. England will do well not to underestimate his bowling as well. He frequently operates at first change, and has an arm ball that causes left-handers a lot more bother than it should. Strauss and Cook must be wary.

Taufeeq Umar - 10 matches, 831 runs @ 46.16, 3 hundreds, Best: 236. Less flashy than Hafeez, Taufeeq has nonetheless contributed excellently in the first settled opening pairing that Pakistan have had for as long as I can remember. A gritty player who either tends to score big or fail with nothing in between. Has occasionally appeared troubled by the spinning ball, but has the ability to make opposition bowling attacks toil on the flat pitches of the UAE.

Imran Farhat - Did not play in 2011. Likely reserve opener, should Taufeeq or Hafeez lose form or fitness. A mediocre player at best, England have held the Indian sign over him for quite some time and would like the opportunity to continue to do so.

Azhar Ali - 10 matches, 732 runs @ 45.75, 1 hundred, Best: 100. 1 wicket @ 35.00. Best: 1/4. A man who was given a fair working over by the England bowlers in 2010, Azhar has made great strides since that time and is another gritty player, quite unlike Pakistani batsmen of recent times, who would do anything to throw their wicket away. Capable of occupying the crease for long periods of time, Azhar does have a tendency to make 50s without converting them into 100s. Whilst this is not a terrible habit to have, as displayed by his solid average, he knows he has more to offer at No.3 than he is currently giving.

Younis Khan - 8 matches, 765 runs @ 85.00, 2 hundreds, Best: 200*. The first of the elder statesmen in the middle order. Younis has been part of the disruption within Pakistani cricket over the past 5 years, but now that the dust has settled, he has come out of it maintaining the quality that he has always possessed. He knows how to pace an innings to perfection, can judge the state of the match and adapt his game accordingly and is one of the most reliable catchers in the team. Probably still the key man in the batting lineup after all the upheaval.

Misbah-ul-Haq (captain) - 10 matches, 765 runs @ 69.54, 1 hundred, Best: 102*. Misbah can take an awful lot of credit for the way he has transformed the fortunes of the Pakistan side. For the first time in many years, he has got all of the players pulling together and they are now beginning to see the results of his efforts. He is often criticised for his defensive mindset, both in his batting and his field placings in captaincy, but the upshot of this is that he has made his charges extremely difficult to beat, even if they don't win as many games as perhaps they could. At 37, he may not have long left at the top, but the nation can certainly be grateful for the good work he has done.

Asad Shafiq - 9 matches, 409 runs @ 37.18, 1 hundred, Best: 104. Will be fighting it out with Umar Akmal for the No.6 slot in the order. Another solid and unspectacular batsman, albeit one who clearly has a lot of potential to succeed at this level, even if he has not quite done so as yet. If he is selected, this series could be the making or breaking of his Test match credentials.

Umar Akmal - 3 matches, 181 runs @ 36.20. Best: 56. A frustratingly mercurial talent, like brother Kamran before him. However, at 21, there is still plenty of room for improvement, particularly in the temperament department. He has all the shots in the book at present but without the knowledge of when it is best to play them, hence a number of irritatingly soft dismissals since he burst onto the scene in 2009 with an innings of rare quality against New Zealand. I certainly would enjoy seeing him more than Shafiq at No.6, but I do feel that he is the riskier selection. Exciting performances in ODI cricket has reminded the world that this boy is still a potential star of the future. The only thing stopping him is himself.

Adnan Akmal (wk) - 8 matches, 211 runs @ 35.16, Best: 53. 29 catches, 4 stumpings. Another member of the Akmal dynasty, Adnan is the least spectacular but also the one who fills his fans with the least dread. Nowhere near as good a batsman as Kamran, but he does not have to be given the solid contributions from those above him. The thing that sets Adnan apart is the quality of his keeping. Yes, he will still make the odd error, but you would do well to find a keeper who doesn't in the modern game. He does deal with an attack with much variety, so his record when you consider the bowlers he keeps to is pretty good.

Abdur Rehman - 8 matches, 109 runs @ 15.57, Best: 40*. 36 wickets @ 26.27, Best: 4/51. The second spinner in the side, Rehman is essentially an orthodox left-armer. He doesn't really possess any real variation, but will mix up his pace, whilst putting the ball in a consistent area. Has deserved a maiden Test 5fer, but as yet hasn't quite pushed over the line. Another player who should not be underestimated.

Umar Gul - 8 matches, 60 runs @ 7.50. Best: 19. 34 wickets @ 25.67, Best: 4/61. The new ball bowler, more well known for his exploits in limited overs cricket. Gul is more a seam than swing bowler, but is particularly dangerous with the older ball when it begins to reverse swing. England will need to look to Gul if they are to be successful in the middle of an innings. He has bowled better than his record suggests and remains the spearhead of their attack.

Wahab Riaz - 4 matches, 23 runs @ 11.50, Best: 11*. 8 wickets @ 40.50, Best: 3/38. A controversial character named in the spot-fixing trial, Wahab has been recalled after a period of exile following this incident. A decent performer and probably the quickest of the Pakistan bowlers in the squad, with the added bonus of the left-arm variation. Depending on the nature of the pitches and the fitness of Junaid Khan, Wahab might just squeeze into the starting XI come the series. England will remember his debut at the Oval in 2010 and will be wary.

Saeed Ajmal - 8 matches, 87 runs @ 17.40, Best: 28. 50 wickets @ 23.86, 3 5fers, Best: 6/42. A quality operator and the biggest single threat to England's batsmen, despite the fact that he probably chucks the ball. He is an unorthodox off-spinner with every variation in the book, including the best doosra currently in the world game. No-one every really looked in against him in any form of the game in 2011. He also claims to have an individual plan for every England batsman in the upcoming series. If they cannot adapt their plans against quality spin, then it is highly likely that they will come unstuck.

Aizaz Cheema - 4 matches, 1 run, Best: 1*. 19 wickets @ 24.78, Best: 4/24. Hardly a new kid on the block at the age of 32, but Cheema is, like Ajmal, a successful latecomer to Test cricket. A skiddy new ball bowler who can swing it at most stages of the innings, Cheema has impressed with his pace and accuracy thus far. A fairly unknown quantity to the England lineup and will probably start the 1st Test in Dubai next week.

Junaid Khan - 4 matches, 6 runs @ 3.00. Best: 6. 13 wickets @ 29.46, 1 5fer, Best: 5/38. An impressive young talent, boosted by his experience of county cricket with champions Lancashire in the summer (he was certainly a better acquisition than Farveez Maharoof!). Included in the squad subject to his recovery from injury, Junaid burst onto the scene with 5 wickets against the Sri Lankans in October. Another left armer, he probably still needs to put on a yard of pace but if fit, would probably get a chance at some point in the series to show what he's made of. Another name to look out for in years to come.

Mohammad Talha - Did not play in 2011. A one Test wonder thus far, that Test being the fateful game in Lahore in 2009. Talha is unlikely to add to his tally in this series, given the talent ahead of him in the pace department, and is included in the squad to cover for injury.

RM