Kaneria's selection a bunch of balls
Why the fuck has Danish Kaneria been selected into the World Cup squad over Abdur Rehman? Agreed, a spinner probably wouldn't have played anyway, but his selection has come out of the blue.
Rehman played just 1 ODI in 2007. He was up and coming and was very impressive against the West Indies. Yes, he gave 27 runs in 2 overs against the South Africans, but every one of our bowlers got bumjacked in that game. There was NO reason to drop him.
This is just stupid. Why are we taking players who we think may be good but have hardly played the format. Kaneria has not even been a part of our ODI squad in this South African series...or the West Indies...Or part of the maybe 10 series before that!
He played 1 ODI in 2006 (0 wickets), and 5 ODI's in 2005 (3 wickets). I think we've all established that we need an attacking or a restrictive spinner in ODI's. Kaneria is nowhere near that requirement. The reason he is our sole test spinner is because he has become a stock bowler. He needs at least 30 overs to take his 5 wickets plus he always gives away about a 100+ runs. Read my blogging colleagues post on Kaneria for older, yet still quite apt opinion on Kaneria.
One would assume that players who have fucking played the ODI format in the last 6 months at least should be in the running, right?. Kaneria has played 16 ODI's in his life with an average of 49.17. So he gets a wicket every 50 runs. Okay....A lot better than Rana Naveed these days, but still! I am not discounting the fact that he may not be a great ODI spinner. 16 ODI's, though its plenty of matches, it wasn't a consistent enough run. What irks me is how suddenly everyone who has played an ODI can suddenly come into the picture. The PCB is evidently panicking now. I would wait a couple of days before Wasim Akram gets a recall. Hell, I wouldn't mind since I am sure he's better than Iftikhar Rao and Rana Naveed at the moment. Anyway I'm digressing...
Rehman's average in his early days is a shade under 20 (which is brilliant), including an amazing series against the Windies back home. I saw him play and I am really disappointed for him.
We have no choice when it comes to our pacemen, but if anything, go for consistency in squad selection for the spinners. We used to have a brilliant spin attack in ODI's and were really successfully then. On many occasions, both Saqlain and Mushtaq would play the same ODI's. Saqlain was, in fact, one of the fastest bowlers to ever get to a 100 ODI wickets. Those were great days! Why is Pakistan so fucking scared to play specialist spinners? Now that our fast bowlers are losing their limbs and muscles left right and center, the PCB should been bold and the team management should have had a change of strategy. Instead of playing shitty fast bowlers who are not in form, play a couple of spinners, who ARE in form. Rehman should have been in this ODI squad. This is bullshit. The PCB better have some reasons for this, but I am sure the don't. Choots...
Cross-posted at Cricket.Bloggers.Pk
10 comments:
Yeh...... i think its a very good decision. Afridi, Malik and Hafeez are Ok, but you need a specialist spinner, especially in situations where you are going to bowl about 25 overs of spin in a 50 over innings.
If Pakistan go in with specialist batsmen and specialist bowlers, rather than filling their side with bits and pieces players - bowlers who are picked because they can bat a bit and vice versa, they will be a very tough side.
I would also hope that Yousuf and Younis will bat a 3 and 4, and not Shoaib Malik or Kamran Akmal.
Thanks for the comments. Agreed. Hafeez and the rest don't really take wickets and they are there for their batting. Afridi took 3 last time, but if he isn't banned or dropped, his bowling is relatively consitent. Gets a wickets every 35 runs or so.
Spinner is needed. But why take a spinner who hasn't been in our scheme of things for the past year, two years, in fact never?
Sigh..I have been calling for a specialist Paksitani team with maybe 2 max allrounders for so long now....
You make a good point of about Yousuf and Younis. However our 'famed' middle order want to protect themselves. Which is why they go higher up the order. They may our best players, but they are as scared as everyone in facing the new ball. As they are senior, they dictate the batting order. So they pile the top order with Akmals and Nazirs and all.
Sad...
easy now pardner.. Dont want you to be bursting a vessel!!
I was quite surprised by kaneria's selection as well. While listening to his telephone interview on ARY One World, another thing surprised me: he said "Inshallah I'll play well" and then "Allah ka shukar hai". I had heard and thought Kaneria was Hindu, was this wrong? Or did he convert to Islam? I know this has nothing to do with Kaneria's selection, but do you know what the deal is?
I don't know anything about the conversion, but my Hindu friends say Inshallah all the time. If one lives in a country where Islam is the way of life, the person is usually sensitive to the local culture and religious traditions. They usually absorb it in their speech.
Saying, by the grace of God, and God willing doesn't not imply that he is Muslim. It implies that he is using a phrase that is familiar to him.
Athiest also say stuff like "Thank God ...blah blah..." Doesn't mean they're religious does it?
Omar why are you so unhappy about Kaneria. like Kamran Abbasi said "Kaneria could be the matchwinner that Pakistan's bowlers can rally around." http://blogs.cricinfo.com/pakspin/
I am not much of cricket analysis but i really think he could really help the Pakistani team. INshallah we'll see.
Anonymous 2 - Thanks again for the comments.
I'm all for a spinner - I wrote that. - I wish we played 2 sometimes....
Should it have been Kaneria? Well - The current spinner that we have been working with was Rehman who did nothing wrong to justify his exclusion. Rehman was fantastic against the Windies, has been training in the team, and toured SA.
Plus Kaneria has not played ODI's consistently. He has not been a part of the Woolmer/Inzi setup.
If Kaneria was in the running, why was he not in SA warming up and getting match practice? Its too disorganized.
Most of my frustration stems from my support of Rehman. Rehman would have played exactly the same way Kaneria would have, and provided us with the same role. Kaneria was chosen because of experience and all that. If so, then why hasn't Kaneria been playing any ODI's for the past few years? I agree that he hasn't been given a fair chance. But 16 ODI's is plenty. An average of 50 after 16 ODI's is enough of an indicator that this guy isn't that great in ODI's
Kamran's view isn't gospel for me....by far. Kamran has recommended players and ideas in the past that I don't particularly support.
I want to know why they suddenly got this brainwave in the middle of this South African tour that Rehman isn't good enough.
I agree Kaneria's selection is mind boggling to say the least. I'm not sure out Rehman though, even though his stats don't look too bad on paper.
We have Afridi and Shoaib Malik who are more than capable of bowling spin.
If there is a bowler i'm worried will cost Pakistan dearly its Rana Naved. How rubbish is he??
I grew up with Imrans tigers and remember Melbourne in 1992 like it yes yesterday, but I have to say this is one of the least talented and inconsistent Pakistan teams I have ever seen.
We have no openers. Younis plays well once in every 5 games, Inzi seems to have lost it recently. My grandad who's 93 can keep better than Kamran Akmal. On the plus side we have Mohammed Yousuf and Asif.
I'm afraid this World Cup will be like the last one. out in the group stages.
Naveed
Naveed,
i'm not too optimistic about our chances. We will make the super 8's, but the only teams we have a chance of beating are England (maybe?) and New Zealand.
Unless the pitch is flat and we bat first, or Asif gets all 10 wickets, I share your belief that we will lose.
Keep en eye out for my thoughts on Pakistan's world cup chances in the coming weeks
Thanks for your comments.
Omar
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