Pakistan retain winning squad for second Test

DUBAI: Pakistan on Monday retained the same 16-man squad for the second Test against Australia which won the first match by a convincing 221-run margin.

Chief selector Moin Khan said the team has given a good performance and deserved to be retained for the second Test starting in Abu Dhabi from Thursday.

“The selectors are encouraged and delighted with the performance of the Pakistan side in the first Test and a lot of credit must be given to Younis Khan, who utilized all his knowledge and experience to score two centuries in the Dubai Test,” Moin was quoted as saying in a Pakistan Cricket Board press release.

Younis became Pakistan’s seventh batsmen to hit twin centuries in the Test which finished on Sunday.

He also overhauled Pakistan’s record of most Test centuries held by Inzamam-ul Haq with 25. Younis now has 26 hundreds in 93 Tests.

Pakistan piled up 454 in the first innings and bowled Australia out for 303 in their first knock, taking a big 151-run lead.

They then declared their second innings on 286-2 to set Australia a big 438-run target.

Australia were bowled out for 216 in their second innings with left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar taking five wickets and leg-spinner Yasir Shah taking four.

Moin warned Pakistan to stay focused as Australia can bounce back.

“Coach Waqar Younis has been emphasizing on staying focused and this is the best advice he has given to his players at this stage. Australia is a dangerous side and has all the potential to bounce back, and, as such, we need to avoid complacency and being over-confident,” he said.

“There is an added incentive for the players in Abu Dhabi. If they win, then they will jump to third behind South Africa and Australia in the ICC Test Rankings. This will be Pakistan’s highest ranking for some time. But, this will not come easy and we will have to play really hard and well to earn it.”

Squad: Misbah-ul Haq (captain), Ahmed Shehzad, Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, Ehsan Adil, Haris Sohail, Imran Khan, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Talha, Rahat Ali, Sarfraz Ahmed, Shan Masood, Taufeeq Umar, Yasir Shah, Younis Khan, Zulfiqar Babar.

Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2014

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Comments (17) Closed

M1968

Oct 28, 2014 09:06am

Please NO Hafeez in the playing 11. He is useless in all formats of the game.

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syed

Oct 28, 2014 09:18am

What has Hafeez done to justify selection? Probably feigning injury to avoid opening the innings and face M. Johnson !! Sifarish? Political pressure? Lobby ? Get a life Moin Khan. You have disappointed me a lot.

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Asif

Oct 28, 2014 10:11am

Hafeez should not be selected in the 2nd test., let's give chance to the youngsters, Hafeez should be sent for shopping in Dubai shopping mall or Emirates Mall for 5 Days on PCB expense during the 2nd Test. Thank you!!!

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None

Oct 28, 2014 10:12am

Give chance to Haris Sohail and Ehsan Adil inplace of Hafeez and Rahat Ali...

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What the?

Oct 28, 2014 11:16am

Hafeez played great in the second inning by not Batting or Bowling.

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Oct 28, 2014 11:19am

Hafeez again? Without any prejudice, he does not deserve a place in the team.

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Ahmed2020

Oct 28, 2014 11:42am

Hafeez is ideal for T20s and ODI's but Tests ? definitely not. I do not know why he was selected in the first place. Instead of him Taufiq Umar and/or Shan Masood should be given an extended run.

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Saima

Oct 28, 2014 02:10pm

They will regret not to include Umar Gul. Our seemers were toothless in 1st match.

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normskyy

Oct 28, 2014 02:22pm

Hafeez can bat and bowled a fair few overs in the first innings, bagged a couple of wickets. They need another spinner who can relieve the pace bowlers and hold up an end which hafeez does quite well. Sure he is more suited to odi and t20 but with the current squad he has a use.

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go Hafeez go!

Oct 28, 2014 03:07pm

To both Waqar and Moin: whose sifarish is behind hafeez's selection? Stop nepotism and regionalism. People like you have already destroyed career of many talented people. Give a chance to someone really deserves it!

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Mansoor

Oct 28, 2014 03:12pm

I am 50, cannot field, can bowl a few overs and can guarantee to last more than 1 ball. Can I be selected in place of Hafeez, please. I am in the process of a strong perchi as well.

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Sal

Oct 28, 2014 03:50pm

Just like the rest of the country, cricket team is selected on the basis of who you know not what you know. If Hafeez cannot play as an opener than he is useless to the team. He cannot play fast bowling, Johnson and Steyn are too much for him. He has passed his prime time already. He would never have been selected for any other country based on his current performance. Hafeez is just a average player good for first class matches only.

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Mr. haq

Oct 28, 2014 05:05pm

@normskyy - Hafeez only got the wicket of Peter Siddle. Number 9 batsmen of Australia on a spinning wicket. And a duck in the first innings. Do you really think he deserves a place instead of talented young batsmen like Harris Sohail ??

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Shahid

Oct 28, 2014 05:08pm

All those against Hafeez being played in the 11, know very little about cricket. No team ever goes in to a test match without a 5th bowler. Pakistan has a choice, either play an allrounder as the fifth bowler (Hafeez) or play a specialist bowler instead of him (Raza Hassan). We don't have another allrounder in Pakistan who can replace Hafeez. Yes there are two other options; Afridi and Shoaib malik. Would you like to have one of those to replace Hafeez? Yes don't forget the situation in the 1st. match when Zulfiqar Baber got injurey on his right hand (it could have gotten worse if it was his left) and Hafeez got twisted his ankle. It tells us that 4 bowler attack would be a bludereous risk. I think, the comments asking for Hafeez' head are a non starter. The only thing for discussion regarding him is about which number he should be batting on.

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Shahid

Oct 28, 2014 05:15pm

Exactly how much PCB is killing our cricket by not sending U19 and A-teams abroad? Yes they didn't play A-cricket for last 4 years (except possibly a single low key series). The results are obvious; Our U 19 lost to Afghanistan with 10 wickets loss and a few days ago our A-team lost to UAE in a ODI.

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Blunt Dara Kasuri

Oct 29, 2014 02:03pm

Hmm.........Hafeez has a serious backup by Government!

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ali

Oct 30, 2014 10:23am

Hafeez is a lucky palyer who needn't to show his performance because he's got a few mentors like Rameez Raza, Moin Khan, and Waqar younus who would always choosing him automatically to Pakistan team without showing any substantial performances. Time and again, Rameez Raza likes calling him 'professor' of the team; I don't know why?

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