Cricinfo's All Time Pakistan XI : No current players in Pakistan all-time XI

[SJS50]

Shoaib Akhtar, with all his personality disorders, ought to be picked ahead of the likes of Fazal Mahmood. The Cricinfo article says they went by how good a player was at his very best and Shoaib at his very best was better than all Paki bowlers bar none. Similarly, Abdul Qadir seems to enjoy an uncritical nod ahead of all others spinners. For me, Saqlain is the better spinner besides being a pioneer of sorts. As good as this side looks on paper, I doubt they'll overcome an Indian ATG side. Their bowling attack looks fearsome especially when we look at our own bowlers for comparison. But this is misleading since they'd not be bowling to our bowlers but a batting line-up so formidable that would realistically rival the best. I would not even go into the details of how potent the Paki attack would be once deprived of bottle caps and friendly umpires. To top it all, statsguru informs me that their best bowlers, Imran excepted, did not enjoy bowling against us. I'd back the Indian ATG to win on all surfaces, especially bouncy and seaming tracks and spinning minefields. Pakistan's best chance would be on flat tops where our bowlers' will be at a severe disadvantage. Even on flat tops, I fancy Sehwag more than their bowlers :cantstop:

Did you see Fazal bowl?

[SJS50]

I haven't. Not even grainy videos. Was he a more potent bowler than Shoaib?

He was one of the greatest medium pacers in the history of the game not just of Pakistan.

[SJS50]

Really and why do you think it is hyperbole ? Because you have a statistical criteria to decide what is hyperbole and what is true greatness ? :-) Read my signature in that case. . . . No offense meant :-) Most who saw him compared him to Bedser and Tate and those two along with Barnes are universally accepted as the greatest medium pacers ever. That claim (about Barnes, Tate, Bedser) is neither based on stats nor on hyperbole but the considered opinion of those who saw, played against or with those legends.

[SJS50]

I can easily answer this but I rest my case. I am not here to win any arguments :-) Lets just leave it at that :-)

[Sooda]

Would you select both Nissar and Amar Singh over Srinath? I wouldnt have thought they did enough in their brief careers to prove that they merited a slot in there head of Sri. But I dont know that much about them The Indian batting picks itself save the no5. The bowling Id have thought should be Kapil, Srinath, Mankad, Chandra and Kumble I know Pak have been historically good against our spinners, but I doubt the pacemen would fare much better.

[zen]

My Ind At 11 - Gavaskar - Sehwag - Dravid - Tendulkar - Hazare / Amarnath - Mankad - Kapil - Dhoni / Kirmani / Engineer - Amar Singh - Nissar - One of the great spinners The top 5 are good for most surfaces. One can include Merchant at the cost of one of the all-rounders if a specialist batsman needs to be played. Then we have 4 all-rounders in Mankad, Kapil, WK all-rounder like Dhoni and Amar Singh Followed by Ind fastest bowler Nissar and one of the great spinners. I would expect it to do well against most teams :two_thumbs_up:

[Guest BossBhai]

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[Sooda]

^Well, Im not sure what you mean by '...of note' but Richie Benaud's all time dream team has Barnes and Jack Hobbs in it :P (...and Sunny and Sachin...) He is very widely regarded as a pretty ace cricketing mind. And Bradman had Bedser in his all time team Im very sure (whether you believe it was actually his team or not is another issue) Im not sure what Wisdens team of the century looks like. Im sure none of Atherton () , Hussain () , Hick, Ramprakash () , Vaughan, Bell () , Strauss () , Harmison () have been hailed as 'greats'...surely... :hmmm: Maybe they meant county greats

[SJS50]

None of the speed merchants from that era figure in any World-XI of note. The ones who make it are almost always those who played from the 70s onwards. That pretty much sums up the situation.

And how many Pakistanis do ? More pertinently, how many "World XI's of note" have Shoaib Akhtar in them. Lets keep the context in mind. This is about an all time Pakistan XI. Unless you think that a tate or a Bedser wouldn't be considered good enough for a Pakistan XI too. In which case I rest my case :-)

[Guest BossBhai]

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[vvvslaxman]

They miss Shakoor Rana and Soda bottle cap in that line up.

[S.Bond]

They miss Shakoor Rana and Soda bottle cap in that line up.

:two_thumbs_up:

[riya]

SJS,did Fazal get injured in the middle of test matches or series? Did he get injured while the going was tough.Did he go back without completing test serieses or tests? Did he use to bowl as fast as he can and then got injured after losing his pace?

[SJS50]

SJS,did Fazal get injured in the middle of test matches or series? Did he get injured while the going was tough.Did he go back without completing test serieses or tests? Did he use to bowl as fast as he can and then got injured after losing his pace?

:two_thumbs_up:

[S.Bond]

They miss Shakoor Rana and Soda bottle cap in that line up.

This comment make you feel better? Why it is hard for you to admit that Pakistan has a strong All time XI??? Should not be so hard, with guys like Imran Khan,W'sthe team can only be a good one.

[SJS50]

Pakistan has almost always (except maybe the very early years and in the last few) had the better bowling side with pacers and medium pacers of class. Its no secret that this has been India's achilles heel for its entire 80 years in Test cricket. The batting has more or less been good on both sides although in recent years India with the fab four and later Sehwag have looked much stronger. Thus any all time eleven of the two will show Indian bowling as slightly lopsided and weak in the pace department. So obvious are these facts that any attempt to keep stressing on them or to offer unconvincing defenses are just indicative of misplaced nationalistic fervour. Lets hope that over the next two decades India will produce some pace bowlers of real world class and then maybe when you guys are my age (and I am long gone) this imbalance will be corrected. We have plenty to cheer about still as Indian supporters. Make a joint Indo-Pak squad of all time and you will find Indians occupying important slots and in equal numbers. Cant help it if we have been weak in a department and no attempt has been made to take corrective measures. By the way here is my all time Inis -Pakistan touring squad for all conditions. This is how I genuinely feel about it . . . OPENERS

1. Gavaskar
2. Hanif
3. Sehwag

MIDDLE ORDER

1. Dravid
2. Zaheer
3. Tendulkar
4. Miandad
5. Hazare

ALL ROUNDERS

1. Imran Khan
2. Kapil Dev

KEEPER

1. Engineer

PACERS

1. Wasim
2. Waqar

SPINNERS

1. Gupte/Chandra/Kumble
2. Prasanna

There is one spot left. It can go to a wicket keeper, in which case it would be Kirmani by my choice though Bari was very good too. Or the spot could go to another middle order batsman in which case it could be Inzy or Mohinder Amarnath. Another option could be to take another all rounder and we have a genuinely world class one in Mankad which would allow us to play a strong bowling that would bat deep. This is a personal opinion of course but I would like to say, for whatever it is worth, that I am not swayed by nationalist sentiments :-)

[Mamu]

Pakistan has almost always (except maybe the very early years and in the last few) had the better bowling side with pacers and medium pacers of class. Its no secret that this has been India's achilles heel for its entire 80 years in Test cricket. The batting has more or less been good on both sides although in recent years India with the fab four and later Sehwag have looked much stronger. Thus any all time eleven of the two will show Indian bowling as slightly lopsided and weak in the pace department. So obvious are these facts that any attempt to keep stressing on them or to offer unconvincing defenses are just indicative of misplaced nationalistic fervour. Lets hope that over the next two decades India will produce some pace bowlers of real world class and then maybe when you guys are my age (and I am long gone) this imbalance will be corrected. We have plenty to cheer about still as Indian supporters. Make a joint Indo-Pak squad of all time and you will find Indians occupying important slots and in equal numbers. Cant help it if we have been weak in a department and no attempt has been made to take corrective measures. By the way here is my all time Inis -Pakistan touring squad for all conditions. This is how I genuinely feel about it . . . OPENERS

1. Gavaskar
2. Hanif
3. Sehwag

MIDDLE ORDER

1. Dravid
2. Zaheer
3. Tendulkar
4. Miandad
5. Hazare

ALL ROUNDERS

1. Imran Khan
2. Kapil Dev

KEEPER

1. Engineer

PACERS

1. Wasim
2. Waqar

SPINNERS

1. Gupte/Chandra/Kumble
2. Prasanna

There is one spot left. It can go to a wicket keeper, in which case it would be Kirmani by my choice though Bari was very good too. Or the spot could go to another middle order batsman in which case it could be Inzy or Mohinder Amarnath. Another option could be to take another all rounder and we have a genuinely world class one in Mankad which would allow us to play a strong bowling that would bat deep. This is a personal opinion of course but I would like to say, for whatever it is worth, that I am not swayed by nationalist sentiments :-)

Zaheer Abbas is a a big WOW ! Considering that guy will not make it to my all-time Paki XI In fact on top of my head I have Amarnath, Inzi, Yousuf, GRV and Laxman ahead of Zaheer. This without doing any research. If I do a little bit more research I can dig out more maybe.

[S.Bond]

This is SJS's pet modus operandi. A slur inserted slyly against anyone with an opinion different from his. Not surprisingly, on the suggestion that Shoaib Akhtar (with a SR of 40 odd) be picked ahead of Fazal Mahmood (SR 70) SJS's disagreement didn't rest upon any argument. Why bother, when it's easier to tar the other person as obsessed with stats and no insight. :hatsoff: Similarly, if anyone sincerely questions the possibility of a Paki ATG side overcoming a corresponding Indian XI, they are obviously guilty of "misplaced nationalistic fervour" In sum, a lot of long winded posts, a lot of sly remarks and when called upon to explain, he's "not here to win an argument". Well played.

Pakistan'sAlltime XI is surely better than India's... Pakistan has a GREAT GREAT attack and a very good battingline up. India's batting is better than ours but your bowling is really not a good one, it's not even a bowling that a normal side will dream off....

[S.Bond]

Abe lallu paki' date=' try to refine your arguments beyond a schoolkid's level and maybe then i'll have you know why your XI would suck against India on most surfaces. "GREAT GREAT attack" indeed. :haha:[/quote'] I am not the one whohas to give arguments there... It's commonly known that our team is better, so if you have a problem with it, give your arguments... Yes it's a GREAT GREAT and GREAT attack.

[satyam1729]

I am not the one whohas to give arguments there... It's commonly known that our team is better, so if you have a problem with it, give your arguments... Yes it's a GREAT GREAT and GREAT attack.

Says who ? Pakistan is a joke of a team. It has never attained no.1 rankings in either test or ODI. And yes you have a better team in having a 4 consecutive whitewash to OZ :haha::hysterical: