Following their bittersweet performance at the World Cup, Pakistan Cricket Team was bound to see some changes – changes that are undoubtedly welcomed by most. It wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to guess which end of the team saw the most tinkering.
Batting Overhauled
The lion’s share of the blame for Pakistan Cricket Team’s lacklustre performance at the World Cup should deservedly lie at the team’s batting end. It would have been extremely hard to pick a memorable batting performance from the thirty-three days that Pakistan managed to struggle through at the tournament had it not been for Sarfaraz Ahmed’s occasional brilliance. Therefore, it doesn’t come as a surprise that most of Pakistan’s batting order has been shown the door before leaving for Bangladesh.
Umar Akmal's removal is a part of a batting overhaul
First things first, Misbah-ul-Haq and Shahid Afridi, owing to their retirements – though in Afridi’s case it may have happened regardless of his availability – were not selected for the ODI side. Umar Akmal, Sohaib Maqsood, Ahmed Shahzad, Nasir Jamshed and veteran Younis Khan have also been shown the door. Replacing them would be Mohammad Hafeez (sans bowling if his action isn’t cleared on April 9), Fawad Alam, Asad Shafiq, Mohammad Rizwan, Sami Aslam Azhar Ali, who would also be captaining the ODI side, and newcomer Saad Nasim. Fawad Alam was strongly being backed by many owing to his high Test and ODI batting averages, while Saad Nasim’s commendable performance on the domestic circuit helped him make his place in the national side.
In the Test squad, Misbah-ul-Haq has retained his place as the captain, while budding youngster, Babar Azam, has also been introduced. Azam has previously captained Pakistan’s under-19 side in the 2012 U-19 Cricket World Cup, where he was also the side’s leading run-scorer. In Azam, Pakistan might have an aspiring future captain – and it is only fitting that he should start his journey under one of the most lauded captains Pakistan Cricket Team has seen.
Retaining his place in the T20 squad is Shahid Afridi, who has also been named the side’s captain. Along with Afridi, Ahmed Shahzad has also managed to get named in the T20 squad, a selection that has been lauded by some while opposed by others. Shahzad’s performance in the World Cup was certainly not brilliant, and one might say that if Umar Akmal – who certainly wasn’t remarkable, himself – deserved the sack, so did he. It could have been a good opportunity to give the newcomers who have been selected for other formats, some much-needed exposure in a format that is quickly developing into a people’s favourite.
Shahzad's performance in the World Cup was certainly not brilliant, and one might say that if Umar Akmal - who certainly wasn't remarkable, himself - deserved the sack, so did he
Bowlers Rewarded
It is hard to decide if the performance of Pakistan’s batsmen at the World Cup was more dismal or its bowlers’ more impressive. Wahab Riaz was clearly our star of the World Cup, with “that spell” against Watson still being talked about around the world. Sohail Khan made his mark too, Mohammad Irfan was his usual large and reliable self. However, the team did miss the likes of Saeed Ajmal and Junaid Khan who were both ruled out of the World Cup squad – Khan because of injury and Ajmal because his action was cleared too late for him to be included in the side. The good news – for most – is that Saeed Ajmal has returned for Pakistan and has been selected to play in all three formats. Some, like ex-bowler Jalaluddin, have raised eyebrows over Saeed Ajmal’s selection, too, saying his inclusion was too premature and that PCB should have thoroughly inspected his new bowling action before sending him on an international assignment. These doubts, however, are more or less unneeded – Ajmal has been Pakistan’s most important bowler over the past 7 years and certainly deserved his chance. Whom should his renewed action be tested against if not Bangladesh? Not to imply that Bangladesh are to be lightly taken, but clearly they are not one of the best cricket teams in the world, at the moment.
Junaid Khan, on the other hand, was not so lucky: while he was picked for the Test and T20 sides, Junaid was surprisingly not shortlisted for the ODIs. Instead, the selection board gave the nod to Ehsan Adil, whose highlight of the World Cup was bowling a well-set Steve Smith out in the quarterfinal – clearly that impressed people who mattered. While Adil’s performance was stable for a newcomer, most people would agree that Junaid Khan has been robbed of this one.
Some, like ex-bowler Jalaluddin, have raised eyebrows over Saeed Ajmal's selection, too, saying his inclusion was too premature
The Case of the Three Captains
The selection of the squads aside, many people’s restless eyebrows have been raised at the selection of three different captains for the tour of Bangladesh. While Misbah would be captaining the Test side, Shahid Afridi would lead the team in the T20 format, and Azhar Ali would be given his first shot at captaincy come April 17. Doubt it all you want, but the selection of Azhar to lead the ODI side would likely bear fruit – if not now, in the years to come – since the young man has the composure that is an absolute essential in any captain. Afridi’s selection? That is a separate debate, altogether.
