Misbah confident Pakistan can cope without Hafeez
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LAHORE: Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq said Monday his side was ready to take on the mighty South Africans, despite missing an opener and enduring a wretched recent run of form.
The sides meet for a two-Test series in the United Arab Emirates starting next week, with Pakistan coming off the back of an embarrassing drawn series against minnows Zimbabwe.
South Africa, rated number one Test team in the world, whitewashed Pakistan 3-0 at home earlier in the year, but Misbah insisted his men would rise to the challenge.
“Our preparations and moral are good,” the 39-year-old skipper said as the team left for the UAE.
“We have to forget the past and play competitive cricket in this tough series.”
Pakistan have won only one of their last eight Tests, with their batsmen letting them down repeatedly.
They go into the series with just one specialist opener in the 12-man squad as regular Mohammad Hafeez was dropped after scoring just 102 in his last five Tests.
“No doubt Hafeez is a senior player but because he is out of form it was difficult for him (to get into the team) but I am sure others are also capable to do well,” said Misbah.
Misbah said a three-day practice match between Pakistan 'A' and a South Africa XI, starting in Sharjah on Tuesday, would give them the chance to identify a replacement.
“We will use a regular opener, there will be no makeshift arrangements and I am sure that we will find another opener from the three-day match,” said Misbah.
With the experienced Hafeez, Imran Farhat and Taufeeq Umar left out, it is a fresh-faced Pakistan top order that will take on the might of South Africa's four-man pace attack.
The selected opener Khurram Manzoor has played only nine Tests while two other candidates for the second opening berth -- Ahmed Shehzad and Shan Masood -- have yet to make their Test debuts.
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Comments (26) Closed
Oct 07, 2013 05:21pm
*"experienced Hafeez, Imran Farhat and Taufeeq Umar left out". The writer should mention Umer Akmal's name in the same breath as a bunch of tried and failed cricketers.
I cannot believe that in a country with a population of 200 million, we cant find decent Batsmen who can stay at the wicket and score runs and we have to keep trying these failed cricketers over and over and over again......
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Oct 07, 2013 06:26pm
Is there any chance Sethi sb can bat!!!!!ignord players like F.alam,H.sohail, U.akm,A.razzaq,S.hussain are make better team than current team.no well wisher pak fan enjoy current pak perfrmance!!!does not matter!!!!pak selectr enjoy by fullfilling there self interst!!!
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Oct 07, 2013 06:46pm
Captain should defend the existing team and not talk about who is not in the team. Don't look back and focus and talk about who is going to hold the fort.
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Oct 07, 2013 07:00pm
All said and done, let's see the real "on the field" action by Misbah-ul-Haq and party during the up coming days in UAE under some very tough, hot, humid, rough and salty weather conditions. Action definitely speaks louder than words. Therefore, only time will tell if the "green-shirts" will be able to do something tangible in the up coming series against the South Africans, by far, one of the top cricket teams of the world today.
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Oct 07, 2013 07:34pm
Misbah-please make correction to your statement--- Pakistan can do better without Hafeez if replaced without safarish.
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Oct 07, 2013 08:14pm
Misbah, this is like saying Pakistan can cope without tragedy!
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Oct 07, 2013 08:27pm
Leave it to Pakistan but I wish that they had experimented with new openers against Zimbabwe and let the likes of Taufeeq Umar open with Khurram Manzoor against SA. But this is Pakistan, and we have to expect the unexpected from this PCB (useless) think tank. Hope Sohaib Maqsood gets the Number 6 spot in the test side. Need that in form player to deliver not the likes of Faisal Iqbal (tested failure) and Asad Shafiq (technique needs work).
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Oct 07, 2013 08:44pm
My Grandma could easily replace Hafeez and half a dozen other no hopers in the Pakistan cricket camp today!
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Oct 07, 2013 10:13pm
Ahmed Shehzad should be the obvious choice. I think he is the only other Pakistani Batsmen besides Younis Khan and Misbah who can fase the battery of South African pace with some confidence. Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq very much suspect against pace and have failed miserably,
Not sure why they have been even selected, There are several other batsmen who are in the pipeline who deserve a chance, perhaps, Shoaib Malik may be even a better choice as one down.
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Oct 07, 2013 10:40pm
100%Khurram Manzoor will fail & that will be his last test series. South African will be too strong
for Pakistan team. I'm giving Pakistan a ZERO chance to beat s. Africa.
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Oct 08, 2013 02:08am
I think it's a mistake to leave out Hafeez on these pitches. It would have better to use him as a bowling all rounder to provide depth in batting.
Perhaps he could have batted at number 6. This would have allowed two specialist spinners and an extra seamer providing better team balance.
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Oct 08, 2013 07:12am
Why not Misbah come down at No. 3 if he is so sincere with the team. How come selectors and captain choose 3-players on the basis of single 3-day match. This clearly indicates they do not want stability in team. In time team selection is vital for any player to prepare himself mentally. Here they are doing opposite.
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Oct 08, 2013 07:15am
@Nasser Ali Khan:
Yes, this is great comments about Misbah. This shows his nepotism in favor of Hafeez. Misbah wants to keep rubbish players in team so he can be the king.
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Oct 08, 2013 07:17am
@Bob-Wuxi:
THis captain is worry about who is not playing, but he is not concerned about the selection on merit.
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Oct 08, 2013 07:20am
Why not Sethi presents himself as a genuine opener? I am sure selectors and Misbah will look this into seriously and who knows Sethi may be selected too?
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Oct 08, 2013 09:07am
Get NJ in the team. His aggressive style is much needed against SA
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Oct 08, 2013 11:01am
I think this is another poor decision by the selection committee beside Nasir Jamshaid and Asad Shafique. If we are really considering spin wickets we should play him with 2 other spinners instead of 3 full time spinners. He is a decent bowler and specailly can do some demage with new or newer ball. He can also be useful batsman at number 5 or 6. Our players don't have enough international exporsure as it is. We sent off all the senior players in very short span. They need time and exposure to groom.
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Oct 08, 2013 01:02pm
misbah is saying right
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Oct 08, 2013 01:08pm
misbah is saying right.
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Oct 08, 2013 03:07pm
With this Pakistani captain and his players, we can win only when the other side play bad.We need a proactive Captain, dependable openers, confident middle order batsmen; only the bowling department is good; fielding with overweight(biryani brand ) fielders is below average. Good luck is the only hope.
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Oct 08, 2013 03:39pm
There is no point to sit Hafeez out if selectors are not bringing Umar Akmal and Mohammad Rizwan(wkt kp) in test squad.
Bottom line: No Change.
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Oct 08, 2013 05:12pm
It is so unfortunate in our country that players like Yousuf are ignored. I am big fan of Yousuf and i dont understand how on this earth PCB can keep batsman of this class kept out of the team which is struggling with bat every single match. It shows how shameless our selectors and how uncricket players are sitting on the helm of affairs. I think only Chief Justise can get him back in team.I cant imagine a reason why selector keeping him out?. They should be giving him opportunity to play few series and retire gracefully, But obviously one cant expect grace from disgusting mafia sitting in PCB and selector, this is more or less trend in country anyway. Pakistan do not respection people who served country that is one of the reason Pakistan itself doesnt has respect left for itself in world!!! I Wish Yousuf is given chance.
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Oct 08, 2013 05:35pm
Funny man misbah, we have been coping without hafeez for quite some time now, playing with 10 men.. Only this time, some one else is getting a chance to fill the void...:|
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Oct 09, 2013 02:37am
Both Misbah (MuH) and Muahmmed Yusuf(MY) are 39
How come MuH continues to play but MY cannot:
MuH= 39+P
MY= 39+p
Because MuH
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Oct 09, 2013 12:01pm
Sir,
It is indeed very sad that the composure of pakistan cricket team is always according to personal likes and dislikes of captain. Inzimam did not like Asim Kamal and he was discarded despite better record than most of the batsmen that took his place.
Similarly Misbah does not like Fawad Alam and as such despite much better overall record in domestic and international cricket we see every other tom, dick and harry being played instead of him.
Misbah has destroyed the flair and aggression of pakistan cricket with his lame defensive mentality and tuk tuk approach.
The quicker misbah goes the better chances of return to glory days for the mellowed tigers.
Regards,
Hyder Ali
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Oct 10, 2013 06:24pm
I hate misbah.......coz he drop my favourit hafeez....i will not watch this series.....seriously
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