Its all about Shoaib ….. Pakraman-2

if(inform == shoaibAkthar)
{
bPakistan = bGetsAdvantage;
}
else
{
_tcscpy(tszIndia,_T(“Series Winners”));
}

People might think that the above made C statement is highly irrational and unthought-of. But I believe that in upcoming indo-pak war, it cannot be truer. I saw the Pak-Eng series and the kind of form Shoaib was in is frightening from India’s perspective. He always was a lethal bowler on paper but the commitment he showed against England has made him a real threat. Facts don’t lie. He bowled more number of overs than he has ever bowled in one series. Credit must go to Bob Woolmer for giving Shoiab’s aggression a perfect direction. I really hope that he returns to his old wayward self in this series or else it will be a hard fought battle for the supposed best batting lineup in world.

In series against England, Kaneria proved to be another star performer. However, I feel that if we tackled Murli with relative ease, Kaneria should not pose a major threat. Others like Rana Naveed and Sami are good bowlers and can be perfect second fiddle to Rawalpindi Express. But I don’t really see these guys winning matches single handedly.

As far as the batting threats are concerned, I feel there are 3 guys we should be really worried about. One is the big man Inzi. In outstanding form as a player and as a captain, he is one of the top 3 batters at this stage in the world. Second is Mohomad Yousuf. He is another class act and if he gets in then the we will not be able to win anything …. draw is what we will have to play for. The 3rd I feel is Salman Butt. His kinds of players have always troubled Indians. Last time it was Yaseer Hamid this time the un-exposing Salman. He is the kind of guy who just plays through line and for some reason we always face trouble to get these people out. On top of it he is a leftie and traditionally we have been poor against the lefties.

To end with, here is a food for thought for India’s batting. Sunil Gavaskar brought this up and I feel this is very sensible. Don’t pick Ganguly. Don’t Pick UV. Pick 3 openers instead. Jaffer, Ghambir and Sehewag will be our top 3 ….. worth a try for the first match at least !