Pakistan’s most inexperienced Test team in five decades

Pakistan announced only 12 players for the upcoming Test series against South Africa in the United Arab Emirates starting next Monday. The announcement of an incomplete side is unprecedented in the 61 years history of Pakistan Test cricket. It reflects that national selectors are in acute confusional state of mind due to undue interference of Pakistan’s higher judiciary in cricket administration. The chairman and selectors of Pakistan Cricket Board cannot exercise their powers by orders of the High Court. 

Three players will be announced after the three day First class match prior to the First Test between South Africans and Pakistan A team. South Africa announced its teams for all three formats about a month ago but Pakistani selectors were unable to decide any team for any format even when series was only few days away. This confirms inept approach of the Pakistan Cricket Board.

Pakistan’s toothless selectors announced following 12 players for the Test series that include five batsmen Khurram Manzoor, Umar Amin, Azhar Ali, Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq. Khurram Manzoor is the only opening batsman in the team while Azhar Ali, Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq are the middle order batsmen. Umar Amin can be considered both as an opener as well as middle order batsman.

The team includes six bowlers including three pace bowlers and three spinners. Pace bowlers are Junaid Khan, Muhammad Irfan and Rahat Ali. Spin bowlers are Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rehman and Zulfiqar Babar. Adnan Akmal is the wicket keeper in the side.

This announced team is the most inexperienced team in five decades. Barring the inaugural Pakistan Test team of 1950s, the only team more inexperienced than the current team was 1964 team against Australia when six players made Test debut in the Karachi Test.

The aggregate of Test matches played by the announced 12 players is only 249. It has only two experienced players in Younis Khan (84 Tests) and Misbah-ul-Haq (41 Tests). If Test matches played by these two senior players are excluded, the other 10 players have a total tally of only 124 Test matches. Four players Azhar Ali (29 Tests), Saeed Ajmal (28 Tests), Abdur Rehman (19 Tests) and Adnan Akmal (18 Tests) are moderately experienced. Rest of the players in the team have played only few matches each. Zulfiqar Babar is yet to play in his first Test match. 

Two opening batsmen Khurram Manzoor has played in only 9 Test matches while Umar Amin has played only 4 Test matches in a career that spanned only 25 days. Their total tally of runs in 13 Test matches is just 546 runs. Two prospective inclusions later can be Ahmed Shehzad and Shan Masood and both have not played any Test match for Pakistan.

Pakistan’s upper middle order batting is the only experienced segment of the team and it includes Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq. If Umar Akmal is selected after the three day match, he will be another player with moderate experience of 16 Test matches.

Pakistan’s pace attack is alarmingly inexperienced. Junaid Khan, Rahat Ali and Mohammad Irfan have played only 11, 4 and 2 Test matches respectively. The trio has taken merely 55 wickets in 17 Test matches combined. This is Pakistan’s most inexperienced pace attack since 1964. 

Pakistan is relying entirely on its spin attack which includes Saeed Ajmal (147 wickets in 28 Tests), Abdur Rehman (90 wickets in 19 Tests) and uncapped Zulfiqar Babar. Many experts believe that Pakistan would try to take advantage of its better and relatively experienced spin attack by making wickets to help them. Even this spin attack does not have a wrist spinner and includes one off spinner and two left-arm orthodox slow bowlers. This kind of attack is unlikely to have penetrative effect on South African batting. 

Pakistani team does not have any all-rounder. The only player who can be termed as an all-rounder to some extent is wicket keeper Adnan Akmal. He is too not much experienced and cannot be depended upon as a batsman.

Pakistan’s team for the Test series against South Africans is poorly selected and inexperienced. This is a logical outcome of chaotic circumstances prevailing in the cricket headquarter of Pakistan cricket.