Following a disastrous Champions Trophy campaign, Team Pakistan have a lot to do. With two years until the biggest tournament the sport has to offer, it will be up to the boys in green to form a formidable side that will feature an equal balance between bat and ball. We've summed up a few things, which should be on the team’s to-do list.

by asr1 (30th June 2013)

Batting, temperament, technique
Philosopher George Santayana is famously quoted for saying: “Those who do not know history's mistakes are doomed to repeat them.” – And, one would think that by now, Pakistan would have realised that batting is their weak point. It’s not an unknown fact. Time and time again, a poor batting performance has led to their downfall. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I blamed Pakistan’s bowling for costing us a match.

Whenever Pakistan come out to bat, I cannot help but sit on the edge of my seat; my hands will tremble and I am instantly prepared to ask for divine help to get us through all 50 overs with a respectable total. When our batsmen swing and flash the bat at loose deliveries, it’s hard to keep my eyes open. Boy, if Hollywood can’t deliver good thrillers, just watch Pakistan bat. This was especially the case in the recent Champions Trophy. One can fully blame our batting for sending us home without a win. You could argue that it didn’t make sense, given the incredible warm-up match Pakistan played against South Africa. I remember listening to Sanjay Manjrekar continuously praising this “new” batting temperament with which Pakistan played so responsibly. I too, was shocked. A performance like that against South Africa definitely pinned us as favourites to top the group. Oh boy, did it go downhill from there. It was incredible how the team failed to score above 200 in all three matches.

Pakistan need to seriously focus on temperament. MS Dhoni said, after lifting the Champions Trophy, that the side that was going to win the tournament, was a side that could handle pressure. Not a side that had incredible technique. Now, I’m not saying Pakistani batsmen shouldn’t work on their technique, they’ve got to – I haven’t seen a team that has gifted so many slip fielders outside edges in recent times. However, it seems that once under a pressure situation, Pakistan seem to accept defeat without even trying. There is no Miandad that will tell the person on the other end to hang tight because he was convinced that he could single handedly win the match, despite an early batting collapse. So, if Pakistan can develop that mental strength, and hang in there, it will give the opposition a tough time.

Temperament and technique go hand in hand. We often see the players make a milestone and then give away their wicket for free. Nasir Jamshed did that against the West Indies two balls after he made his 50. One has often seen the Pakistani players swing and play the most ridiculous shots against the likes of Dale Steyn, when you simply shouldn’t. What goes through the mind of these players to suggest doing something so ludicrous? If Pakistan are to succeed in a tournament like the World Cup they will need to redevelop the way they perceive a game. They will have to play with controlled aggression. It’s very easy to knock the ball around in the nets, but the bigger question is when to play those shots, and when to take charge of the game. It isn’t rocket science, and I really want to see a batting performance like the one I saw in the warm-up match against South Africa, because that was a Pakistan that could blow any team away.
 
Out with the old, in with the new?
Shahid Afridi, Younus Khan, Shoaib Malik, and Kamran Akmal – what can I say, I’m tired of seeing these names. I wouldn’t be, if they kept performing but the inconsistency is alarming. I often see fans in rage when Afridi is dropped, but let’s face it, Lala is out of touch. He had one incredible stint in South Africa, which was short lived as he barely stayed at the crease for five minutes in the matches to follow. If he fails to actually improve his temperament and greatly increase his average, I do not see a point in him returning. The same applies to the other three mentioned above. Pakistan will have to hunt for new batsmen and they will need to establish them over the course of the remainder of this year. It is time to look for young players, which can do well with the bat. There are many at domestic level that can be brought into the national squad and selectors must make full use of the upcoming tours in the West Indies and Zimbabwe to do just that. These players will have the likes of Misbah and Hafeez to guide them.

What happened to the likes of Fawad Alam? When will we see Sharjeel play? The key to this batting line up is a revamp. We’ve seen India do it, and they did it just before a major tournament. Pakistan have time. They must make use of it.

Bowling
Arguably the team’s greatest strength, and probably responsible for most victories, our bowling attack is formidable. However, there seems to have been an influx of options recently. We’ve got young spearhead Junaid, the towering Irfan, speedy Wahab Riaz, debutants Asad Ali and Ehsan Adil, as well as the experienced and recovering Umar Gul. Not to mention our spin attack with Ajmal and Hafeez. The biggest question here would be, who to choose? Asad Ali was impressive with his three wickets in the Champions Trophy warm-up against South Africa, Irfan’s bounce troubled many a batsmen, Wahab has made an excellent return to the side, and Junaid’s swing is destructive. Ehsan Adil also has potential, and Umar Gul has experience. Who do you give a place to in this side? By 2015 we need to establish places for our bowlers and in these upcoming tours, Team Pakistan should give each an equal chance to perform.

Conclusion
Overall, I think the tours that are to come should be put to full use. I personally feel ranking should not be of concern, but fully utilizing team talent is essential. Even if they lose matches in these tours, each player should be given equal opportunity to perform and display their skills at an international level. Only then can Pakistan unravel the potential of each player and build a squad that will pit them as favourites to lift the World Cup.

  Discuss!