It’s unfortunate that the least publicised aspect of the recently concluded one-day series between Pakistan and England seems to be the cricket itself which, surprisingly, ended up being of the highest calibre. Despite being labelled as “cheats” by everyone outside their hotel rooms and being deprived of the services of three of their best players, the squad came together and delivered an exemplary showcase of ODI cricket. Given the acrimony which besieged this series, the resolve required to make a fist of this contest has to be admired. Suddenly, the World Cup doesn’t seem to be as daunting a prospect as it did a month back. With five months and 11 ODI's between now and then, it is worth examining the makings of a squad which may just form the crux of our campaign.
Umar Gul – 8.5 out of 10
Make no bones about it. Gul is the reason we took this series into a decider. He was crucial in both our victories, with the third one-day being a virtuoso tour-de-force. I shirk from giving him a full 10 because of the questions which will always surround his fitness. Also, Gul is a rhythm bowler and is always at risk of being thrown off his game, sometimes without the batsman even having to do anything to disrupt his flow. However, I’ll take his occasional useless spell or two if he delivers the way he did over the last two weeks.
Shahid Afridi – 8 out of 10
Let me clarify that on performance alone I would award Shahid ‘5’. His batting and bowling were incredibly disappointing. However, it’s his captaincy which earns him his marks. Afridi took over the reigns from Salman Butt in one of the most tumultuous periods in the history of Pakistan cricket and the fact that he was able to produce a series of such exceptional application and teamwork from a band of players in the eye of a storm cannot be overstated. To captain the Pakistan team one doesn’t need to be particularly tactically astute. Rather, one needs to possess an understanding of managing the weirdest and most high maintenance group of individuals in international cricket. Afridi possesses this capacity in spades, no doubt due to years of familiarity with his own weirdness and high maintenance issues.
Kamran Akmal – 7.5 out of 10
Give the devil his due. Kamran was our best batsman this series and can no longer be considered a short term solution at the top of the order. With a strike rate of 87 across 5 games he has made his case for the opening slot at the World Cup. We need to give ourselves every chance to exploit the fielding restrictions at the start given that our lower order prefers steady accumulation over domination and Akmal is relatively the most reliable flasher we have. I refuse to comment on his keeping which, while decent, is capable of dramatic deterioration in the next series.
Shoaib Akhtar – 7 out of 10
Akhtar bowled his heart out throughout this ODI series, even when it appeared his body wouldn’t sustain him. Bowling economically to boot, he reminded the world that his yorkers remain a force to be reckoned with. Forget the ball-tampering accusations. Compared to what’s gone on during this tour, fiddling with the seam appears almost noble in comparison. And don’t let that detract from the quality of pure fast bowling on display by Akhtar as he consistently churned out high quality spells. Does he have enough gas in the tank for the World Cup? Shoaib seems intent on proving to the world that he is more than an STD joke and that egotistical desire may carry him for the next six months.
Fawad Alam – 6.5 out of 10
Decent with the bat and easily our best fielder. Is that good enough for the selectors to keep the faith in Alam? I certainly hope so because Alam is a prime candidate for a batsman who can drop anchor in the middle overs and let the others build an innings around him. Add to that, he saves at least 10-15 runs in the field. Plus, he looks like the nicest guy in a team full of jerks.
Saeed Ajmal – 6.5 out of 10
No Pakistani player has any business being as consistent as Ajmal. Sure, his economy rate wasn’t up to scratch but he was a constant threat across all 5 games and alleviated the pressure on the faster bowlers. With Amir gone, we’re counting on him to raise his potency as a strike bowler. Needs to brush up on his death bowling and be willing to fire in a few more flatter, block-hole deliveries.
Abdur Razzaq – 6 out of 10
His bowling warranted a 4 but I’m awarding him 2 more points based solely on his tremendous innings in the fourth ODI which encapsulated the thrillingly unpredictable madness that is Pakistan cricket. Presents a quandary, though, as his place in the squad is at the expense of a specialist bowler. Are his sporadic fireworks worth the runs he is capable of leaking? His replacement better be a genuine wicket-taker and I see no one who readily fits that bill. Hafeez can always cover for Razzaq’s quota if the latter has a bad day and, in the flat sub-continental pitches, it’ll be reassuring to have Razzler up our sleeve if Afridi flops.
Asad Shafiq – 5.5 out of 10
It’s hard to believe this was Shafiq’s second international outing only as he carried himself like a pro for the most part of the series. His body language and straightforward technique oozes composure and his vital knocks in the second and third ODI played in dicey circumstances suggest a batsman who’s up for a scrap. Shafiq seems to understand his own game and may be the perfect foil to the likes of the Akmals, playing within himself while still keeping the runs ticking over at a fairly decent rate. Sure he succumbed to a few rash shots but that’s because Yousuf was pretty useless at upping the tempo. It’s too early to say, but the next five months may give us an inkling of whether we’ve unearthed our go-to batsman.
Mohammad Hafeez – 5.5 out of 10
Paired well with Akmal at the top of the order and the two consistently provided the team with solid platforms at a decent run-rate. He seems unable to figure out where to go with his innings once he gets past 25 even though he’s the likelier of the two openers to play a longer innings. Someone should tell him to take himself more seriously as a batsman as he has all the shots and none of Kamran’s rashness. His off-spin is crucial when Afridi is having a bad series, as was the case here, and should keep Shoaib Malik out of the team, thankfully.
Umar Akmal – 4 out of 10
What happened to our golden boy? Unlike his brother, Umar was unable to use the shorter format to redeem himself after a disappointing Test series. Showing flashes of brilliance in the first ODI, he declined steadily from thereon and, by the end of it, seemed incapable of doing the one thing we always complain he does too much. Hit out. He is still a shoe-in for our middle order and can probably turn things around in the space of a match. The series against New Zealand and South Africa will be crucial in reinvigorating a batsman who can take us to World Cup glory.
Mohammad Yousuf – 3 out of 10
Yousuf is not an ODI player. It’s as simple as that. For a batsman of his stature, if he isn’t contributing with substantial scores then he is not pulling his weight. Either incapable of switching gears or completely at sea when we need him most, he was lucky he had Shafiq around to provide him support. That same batsman may be the one who signals Yousuf’s departure from this format. On the other hand, I’d rather have him in the team than Shoaib Malik.
Mohammad Irfan – 1 out of 10
So what if this guy is tall and probably bowls a really good bouncer when he’s not on a stretcher. In the 12 overs he bowled I found nothing remotely special about him. We can only afford to have one lightweight in this team and, with Shoaib bowling with renewed passion for the game, I’d rather we stick with the Rawalpindi Express. Irfan certainly doesn’t justify excluding Razzaq at this point.
Bangladesh's Rubel Hossain (L) reacts after the dismissal of New Zealand's Kane Williamson (R) during a one-day international in Dhaka on October 17. New Zealand cricket chiefs on Friday ordered the Black Caps to "step up" in an upcoming Indian tour after a humiliating one-day series loss to Bangladesh.
