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Malik and Shoaib are doubtful starters

Ram

By Ram
in Cricket Talk

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Ram Newbie

Ram

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Ian Bishop turned up in shorts and a rugby T-shirt and rolled his arm over at the Pakistan nets at the Eden Gardens. The rate at which Pakistan's players are dropping, through injury, illness or both, they might just find it hard to put out a strong eleven when the second Test begins in Kolkata on Friday. Late on Wednesday evening, all that was known was that Shoaib Malik had a Grade 1 problem with his right ankle. "This type of injury takes a bit of time to heal," Talat Ali, Pakistan's manager, said towards the end of Pakistan's practice session. If this left Malik, who still had his left ankle in strapping, a doubtful starter, the serious concern was over the other Shoaib. Shoaib Akhtar was confined to his room at the Apollo Gleneagles Hospital and there was no chance of his coming to the ground. However, the Pakistan team management was guardedly optimistic that his condition - a chest infection and the flu - would improve significantly by Thursday. "We are hopeful he will be well enough to make it to practice tomorrow," said Ali. "The doctors will take another look at him later today [Wednesday] and he may be discharged." Umar Gul, who did not make the eleven in the first Test, which India won by six wickets, bowled at full steam in the nets and has recovered fully from a back niggle; he should be able to step in should Shoaib not be fit in time. The Pakistan management, not taking any chances, gave Mohammad Sami the day off. Misbah-ul-Haq was suffering through flu off-and-on through the Delhi Test, and did not take the field, but his condition has improved significantly and he was still able to bat through the illness. The Indian team, in contrast, had no real fitness worries. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who was struggling with an ankle injury, went through a full practice session, monitored closely by John Gloster, the physiotherapist, and Greg King, the trainer. Dhoni, who was initially involved in hitting slip catches, later took catches fired at him from short range by Robin Singh, the fielding coach, and King, who stood a few metres apart and hit balls alternatively to Dhoni, making him stretch from one side to the other in the course of taking his catches. Later Dhoni repeated the exercise while half lying on the field, ensuring that he had could not use his feet and had to lunge to his left and right. Murali Kartik suffered a minor yet painful blow when he collided with Venkatesh Prasad, India's bowling coach, during one of the warm-up games that the team plays. This left him with a rather sore and cut lower lip, but was otherwise fine. Anand Vasu is an associate editor at Cricinfo © Cricinfo ----- http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/indvpak/content/current/story/322637.html

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MundaPakistani Newbie

MundaPakistani

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If Shoaibs doesnt play' date=' there goes the series for Pakistan.[/quote'] I am surprised that with so many injuries/sicknesses they haven't called up a single player from PAK. Now if Malik and Misbah are both ruled out then they would have to play Kamran Akmal as a specialist batsman and if both Shoaib and Gul can't make it then they will have no other choice but to play2 spinners even if the pitch is as green as the Jamaica one earlier this year.
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coffee_rules Grand Master

coffee_rules

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We should have teams for individual tests and be able to change it in between tests. We are stuck with fragile players who will play one match and will not play in another. Shoaib is best performer for Pak as a bowler. But if we select him. he might not last the distance. The rules are whack at this moment. Poll and change the rules. Take out penalty for substitution.

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Ram Newbie

Ram

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The only hope Pak has is of YK and MY firing (scoring big 100's). This will give them a draw. I do not see any way Pak wins a test match this series.
If Pakistan bat first again and score 450+, our top order will be under immense pressure and Gul+Akhtar combo can be deadly dangerous.
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dial_100 Collaborator

dial_100

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Yaar...why cant we lend them our "Yuvraj Singh Pathan" :hysterical: for couple of tests. That way we will give him some match practise and beside we will have some good competative cricket before Aussie tour. All we need is a long beard...:hysterical::hysterical::hysterical:..which they should have lot in stock???

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