Excellent fightback by Pak today. Although some might say they blew it after losing the last 7 wickets for 75 runs that was to be expected really - what with Youhana off form, a liability in Hasan Raza in the order and the tail not really contributing much. It was all pretty much down to Butt and Inzamam and what splendid knocks they played. Pakistan should always play Butt - he is the one young player with genuine talent I can see come out of there - why they kept dropping him last year against India playing players like Taufeeq Umar is a mystery to me really.
Great praise needs to be accorded to Andrew Flintoff for his super bowling effort again. 8 wickets in the match and a 45 is a stupendous effort. Of course he may be needed to play a crucial innings tomorrow with the match very well poised. I do hope Kaneria becomes a factor because that would be Pakistan's best chance.
A great effort by Pak to stay in the match till the fifth day after they looked down and out at the end of Day 2 - once again an ideal example to show why Test cricket is the greatest - so many subplots, so many opportunities to claw back - I do think in the end however it will be Pakistan's first innings total that might just let them down.
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3 comments:
Taufeeq Umar is decent enough player (got 100s home and away against strong SA sides) but some needless criticism of his scoring rate and particularly our efforts to try and convert him into a sound one-day player messed his technique up very badly. He still is for my money a better player over all then Yasir Hameed or Imran Farhat.
Butt though seems something a bit more special then all of this lot, hopefully unlike his predeccesors, he'll keep getting such big scores, and turn into a regular member of the team (i.e. if the selectors don't lose their minds again, fingers crossed on that).
I would agree with zainub. Taufeeq is a decent player and he came on the scene with a bang also. Some of his shots are extraordinary and my initial feeling was that he was going to be a permanent feature of the senior team. He hasn't been given the right kind of freedom and confidence that he needed to flourish. Yasir Hameed has style and can become a very GOOD batsman only if he could cut down on his habit of playing too much out side the off stump. Give him an over pitching wide ball moving off the seam,and you have a great chance getting him out first ball.
zainub, zill
i guess you will be in a better position to judge how good taufeeq is - it was just that i think butt is exceptionally talented ans was hence shocked that taufeeq was picked over him in india
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