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| Nine out 11 players in Warne's 'best Pakistan squad' are from the 1999 World Cup side. — AFP |
Was the 1999 World Cup squad Pakistan's best ever?
While the question may be open to debate, it seems Australian great Shane Warne has made his mind up for 9 out of 11 players in his 'best Pakistan squad over the last 25 years' are from Wasim Akram's 1999 squad.
Warne, on his official Facebook page, revealed an 11-man team consisting of his favourite Pakistani opponents, continuing a 'celebration' of the best teams he had played against.
The former leg-spinner explained that his selections were based on his on-field experiences against the selected opponents.
“Just to remind you, I have to have played a meaningful game against a player before being selected,” the post said.
Nine out of 11 players from Pakistan's 1999 World Cup side made the cut in Warne's team.
Saeed Anwar, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Yousuf Youhana, Shahid Afridi, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Saqlain Mushtaq, Shoaib Akhtar — all part of 1999 Pakistan World Cup squad — Aamir Sohail and Younis Khan feature in the eleven.
The Aussie great said it was a dilemma naming the final XI.
“Lots of good players unfortunately miss out,” the post says.
“The toughest player to leave out was my friend and amazing leg spinner Mushtaq Ahmed, but went with Afridi as the leg spinning all rounder otherwise Saqlain would have had to miss out or would have had to leave out Waqar or Shoaib for Mushie. Razzaq & Azhar Mahmood pushed hard too,” posted Warne.
Warne clarified that he would also select a 'greatest ever Test team' which would definitely include Pakistan's 1992 World Cup-winning captain Imran Khan, England's Ian Botham and West Indies' Viv Richards.
Warne's Pakistan XI:
S Anwar A Sohail Younis Khan Inzamam Yousaf Yohanna Shahid Afridi Moin Khan Wasim Akram ( C ) Saqlain Mushtaq Shoaib Akhtar Waqar Younis
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Comments (47) Closed
Sep 21, 2015 05:15pm
probably yes
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Sep 21, 2015 05:30pm
Pakistan's best ever odi team so far participated in world cup. Wasim Akram, Waqar , Shoaib and rest of the team performed very well throughout the tournament irrespective of their Bangladesh defeat and reached to Final. Share Warner's magical bowling shattered the dream of Pakistan victory.
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Sep 21, 2015 05:38pm
How can warne not include Nasir Jamshed?
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Sep 21, 2015 05:44pm
@Anwar
Shane Warne's bowling? No, bad toss decision and Pakistani batting demolished itself!
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Sep 21, 2015 05:47pm
Abdul Razzaq should be there instead of Shahid Afridi .. And maybe Azhar Mehmood should replace Waqar.
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Sep 21, 2015 05:52pm
The best Pakistan XI without Javed Miandad??
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Sep 21, 2015 05:55pm
no Nasir jamshed .....i wont play
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Sep 21, 2015 05:56pm
My god that was one charismatic, talented team of Pakistanis. Ye in my mind as an odi outfit Sharne Warne is not far wrong there. Who can forget that 1999 kit, something special. But seriously, Amir Sohail? He was just the non striker when Saeed Anwar used to bat.
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Sep 21, 2015 06:00pm
Pakistan is always better opponent for Australia then India, but Australia always prefer to play India, of course money matters, but they should remember if there is team who can stand up to Aussies it is Pakistan from sub continent. Pak got a better record against Australia in Australia compare to India but I guess Aussies just want to win at home so call India win and make more money as well, don't care if it is fair to game or not coz its all about money in cricket these days... shame for the game...
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Sep 21, 2015 06:06pm
@Nikhil I think the list is based on whom he played against. Thats why the former greats of the 80s are not here.
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Sep 21, 2015 06:07pm
Warnee no wonder is the worlds most difficult bowler.m
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Sep 21, 2015 06:10pm
I disagree. Team is a group of individuals gelled together led by a leader. Here, we had seven Captains forcibly playing under one individual. This was not a team to cherish as the best one. Moin was not better than Rashid Latif. There was no batting mentor. So I disagree overwhelmingly.
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Sep 21, 2015 06:35pm
Like that
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Sep 21, 2015 06:40pm
@Shahryar Shirazi This as per Warne is the best Pakistani squad in the last 25 years. I agree Miandad was past his prime in early/mid 90's but i would have in my team any day.
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Sep 21, 2015 06:42pm
The cricket world is in awe of pakistan players.
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Sep 21, 2015 07:22pm
Younis Khan in a One Day team? try telling that to the PCB...
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Sep 21, 2015 08:39pm
the best was one which won the world cup, rest does not matter who was who and how much talent was available... they simply could not win WC.
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Sep 21, 2015 08:59pm
@Taimur Pak last won a test in Aus in 1995 and since then have 9 straight defeats in 9 games. Upto 1995 we had reasonably good show compare to India in Down Under.
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Sep 21, 2015 09:01pm
@anees from zaida Read the full article, He has excluded players he had not played against. So, no Nasir Jamshed. But I am sure he will Include , Nasir Jamshed in the greatest ever Test team, which he will do afterwards
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Sep 21, 2015 09:02pm
none of the batsmen chosen was better than Miandad. Warne entitled to his opinion, but Pakistan's best batsmen was not chosen. It is true as a squad the 99 squad was the best of all time. Even the 2 he left out Azhar Mahmood and Razzaq in their day deserved to be in there.
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Sep 21, 2015 09:53pm
Yes this was a great team but had this team not been match fixing they would have probably won the 99 world cup!
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Sep 21, 2015 10:19pm
Lala in that team strange
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Sep 21, 2015 10:21pm
Best oneday team ever in the world which collapsed in the final like eggs getting smashed!
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Sep 21, 2015 10:24pm
I would include nasir jameshed and kamran Jamal too along with naved ran a the younstar
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Sep 21, 2015 10:44pm
I'd have picked Aqib Javed over Shoaib Akhtar
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Sep 21, 2015 10:51pm
Yonus Khan is there because he would sweep Warne rather comfortably
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Sep 21, 2015 10:52pm
this selection shows warne's limited vision of pakistani team's past performance. he has mainly concentrated on the players of his time. how can you imagine an ODI pakistani team without Imran and Miandad. Warne's team could be good individual players and good on paper but on the field you need a balance team and true fighters which no one could be better than imran and miandad
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Sep 21, 2015 10:56pm
@Nikhil
First of all.. when he is clearly writing that he has selected team from past 25 years ONLY and among players whom he played considerable no. of matches. Then why do you bring Miandad(we know he is a great player, but simply not satisfying criteria here) in it.
Second... you are not Warne that we are bothered that who you keep in or out of your team.
Read entire article properly.
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Sep 21, 2015 10:58pm
there are good individuals who can perform outstandingly as individuals but probably could not as team.....how can you have yousuf, akram, shoaib, aamir and waqar and beleive that it makes a best team....it could be group of talented individuals
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Sep 21, 2015 11:01pm
Where is Imran Khan???? he is the best
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Sep 21, 2015 11:01pm
I agree that the 1999 team was a great one a well equipped to lift the cup. Ironically it was the very person who made this list that threw a wrench in pakistans plans. Warnie bloomed at just the right time in the tournament to see his side win the cup.
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Sep 21, 2015 11:26pm
They were so great that they could not combine as team.I would rather have current team who knows how to win test,odi and T20.I don't want so much individual talent who would never combine together as team.Don't want to belittle past team but it is reality some of current team players have exceeded batting record in alien country compared to past greats who only loved home condition.
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Sep 21, 2015 11:28pm
If you look at the overall best ODI 11 from Pakistan, you have to include Javed and Imran. Also, Ajmal would not be a bad inclusion.
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Sep 21, 2015 11:43pm
No wicketkeeper?
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Sep 22, 2015 12:21am
Yes it was...
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Sep 22, 2015 12:46am
@Pak Khan Arr you serious, Waqar was one of the most deadliest bowler around in 90s.
Check his stats.
No one could bowls winging yorks at will. Not even Wasim.
I don't think you have watched any cricket in the 90s.
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Sep 22, 2015 12:50am
@Taimur Pakistan's last test win in Australia dates back to November 95. Since then they have lost all 9 tests they have played down under. While I agree India's record is not too impressive either but it is certainly not that bad. We drew the test series in 03-04 and won the triangular in 07-08.
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Sep 22, 2015 04:15am
that was best squad and they performed worst against Ausies.
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Sep 22, 2015 06:03am
Warned missed his mentor Abdul Qadir.
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Sep 22, 2015 06:55am
@Nikhil Warne selected only those against whom he had played. He never played against Miandad. I am also pretty sure that Miandad will not be in his best ever World XI. Miandad is considered as one of the greatest batsmen only by Pakistanis. He was a great batsman but not one of the greatest.
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Sep 22, 2015 08:38am
@malzy - I know that it is a team of payers against whom Warne played. But such is the genius of Nasir Jamshed that you have to include him. He is the Don Bradman of 21st century.
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Sep 22, 2015 09:14am
Agree, but Amir Sohail is odd man out
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Sep 22, 2015 09:44am
What a great time that was!!!! Era of Waqar & Wasim that no one can deny was the best bowling show ever.....
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Sep 22, 2015 10:05am
Anyone ask him for it ...Or he just blabbing any time without approach .
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Sep 22, 2015 11:24am
What a DEADLY team that would have been. Coudnt agree more with Warnie
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Sep 22, 2015 12:07pm
Pak teams of 1996 and 1999 were the best that have played the for Pak, but i still think there more personal tug of war was going on among the players, in 1996 Javed Miandad was part of team his last ODI prior to W.C. was way back in Dec-1993 his selection in team was not based on merit!!!!
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Sep 23, 2015 12:10am
@Nikhil Warne never played against Miandad. Had they met at their peaks, Miandad would have slaughtered Warne. I am an Indian but would pick Miandad at no4 in any world XI.
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