Pakistan disintegrating due to lack of discipline

Pakistani cricket fans were left tearing their hair out in frustration after the first two matches in Kenya. Yet again, a team that promises much, fails to deliver, crumbling under the pressure exerted by the thoroughly professional Australians was the universal lament here. It was thought that Pakistan would put up a good show, having recently beaten the Aussies in the Super Challenge II competition. To say that the performance in the first two matches at Kenya was far below par, would probably be an understatement.

Even though the Pakistanis may have emerged victors against the Kenyans, their standard of play was certainly not worth praise. The bowlers sprayed the ball all over with a massive number of wides and no-balls, and the batsmen limped to victory inspite being asked to chase modest totals against a very weak opposition. While the Kenyans were not good enough to take advantage, the Australians cashed in. What this points towards is an obvious lack of discipline and a major lack of planning.

Firstly, the main problem plaguing the team in this triangular tournament was the absence of their top batsmen. Youhana was sent home after a squabble with the tour management and Inzamam's injury compounded the problems for an already fragile batting order.

Even more mystifying was that Misbah-ul-Haq not getting a chance even when the big guns were absent. Misbah has been touring along with the team for over 6 months but has played only one game. The lack of confidence in his abilities is obvious as the management preferred to play Shoaib Malik as a batsman. Misbah has been included in the squad as a specialist batsman, and if he cannot justify that position, then other alternatives must be sought. It is essential that any squad of 15 should contain those players who can be slotted into the playing eleven whenever needed, not just mere tourists. The selectors would do well to reconsider the likes of Taufeeq Umar and Imran Farhat who performed well in the domestic competitions.

The next problem that must be addressed is the indiscipline of our bowling attack. Waqar and Wasim are highly experienced campaigners, and for them to be bowling such a large number of wides and no-balls is inexcusable. They were wayward in both line and length and the Australians punished them thoroughly. Shoaib Akhtar looked totally out of sorts after his return to the team, and seemed to be all over the place with his bowling. In the Super Challenge II he had bowled with great aggression and control, which was no where to be seen in Kenya. There is some way to go in this tournament, and the Pakistani attack must try and get their act together, especially cut down on the extras. The over rate is another problem for Pakistan, with the fielders and bowlers showing no interest in rushing things during the change of overs. The team has been very lucky in not being penalised for their atrocious over rate.

Lastly, the Pakistanis in general need to work out a plan against the Aussies, who have come back brilliantly after their loss in the Super Challenge II. They are a very difficult side to beat, when they are on top, and a lot of hard work has to be put in if the Pakistanis are to ruffle their feathers. They need to work out what to do after winning the toss, as chasing is certainly not one of Pakistan's strengths, even if that means exposing the batsmen to the overcast conditions at the start of play. The batting order needs to be thought about in detail, as asking Razzak to open was not a very clever idea. Afridi should be utilized a little lower down the order in such conditions, once the ball has lost its shine, so that he can be more effective. Plus the Pakistani side is playing with too many all rounders and hardly any specialist batsmen. Misbah must be given a chance to prove himself, and if he fails to do so, then its fair to axe him.