Pakistan’s chances of winning the first Test had been shredded before they even took the field at Brisbane.
It beggars belief that Pakistan did not pick their best bowler Mohammad Abbas for the Gabba Test, in which the tourists were annihilated by an innings and five runs.
Selecting the correct pace attack is the single most important choice for a visiting Test team in Australia. The Australian pitches demand that a fast bowling unit must have every base covered.
Teams like England have been punished for fielding pace attacks that are better suited to their own conditions, brimming with accurate but gentle-paced bowlers.
South Africa, by comparison, have consistently done well in Australia due to having a nice mix of height, pace, hostility and more subtle skills.
The likes of Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn offered an intimidation factor while Vernon Philander and Kyle Abbott gave relentless accuracy.
At Brisbane, Pakistan had some valuable attributes in their pace attack. Shaheen Afridi offered sharp bounce and a left-arm angle. Debutant Naseem Shah provided startling pace and hostility.
That teenage pair needed to be complemented by an ultra-reliable and frugal seamer, someone who would consistently build pressure and make them more threatening.
It was a role tailor-made for Abbas. The 29-year-old is extraordinarily precise.
Since he made his Test debut in April 2017, Abbas has the second-best economy rate among the top-30 wicket-takers in that period.
He has gone at just 2.46 runs per over, and that rate dropped to just 2.37 in the two Tests he played against Australia in the UAE last year.
In that series, which Pakistan won 1-0, Abbas tormented the Aussie batsmen.
It wasn’t that he was bowling with unnerving pace, gaining sharp bounce, earning disconcerting swing or extracting pronounced seam movement. Abbas was just bowling the ball in the right areas again and again and again.
He was so consistent in his line and length that the Australian batsmen were forced to take risks to try to score freely off him.
Yet Abbas didn’t just hold up one end in those two Tests last year, he also posed a constant wicket-taking threat.
Hoarding 17 wickets at 10, the Pakistani completed the best series of his career, which has yielded an incredible 66 wickets at 19.
How, then, is it possible for Abbas to be omitted in favour of a 16-year-old, a 19-year-old and a veteran in Imran Khan who hadn’t played a Test in more than two years?
(AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Khan was selected, it seems, to do the Abbas role. Pakistan gambled on the pace and bounce of their teenage pair and picked Khan as the man who would suffocate the batsmen from the other end.
The obvious flaw in that plan is that, when Khan last toured Australia three years ago, he absolutely bled runs, taking 2-154 at a whopping 4.66 runs per over.
Pakistan needed someone who could go at half at that rate. Abbas, who by all accounts had no fitness issues, was the clear, superior option.
Instead Pakistan made the confounding choice to go with Khan, who proceeded to fail categorically in that role.
By the time Australia had put on 222 for the first wicket, the Test was all but lost for Pakistan. Khan, up to that point, had 0-39 from 10 overs.
Not only had he been far too expensive, going at nearly four runs an over, but his captain had used him sparingly – he had bowled just 10 out of 61 overs in a four-man attack.
The two teenagers and leg spinner Yasir Shah are not built for economy. All three are attacking bowlers who seek wickets above all.
With Abbas by their side, bowling dot ball upon dot ball, they would have been a far better balanced and more dangerous unit.
Instead Afridi was forced to dial back his pace, shorten his length and take on the unnatural role of being a stock bowler. He ended up trying to fill in for Abbas.
When you have a 198cm tall left armer who can hit 150kmh, you do not ask them to concentrate on maidens.
Afridi should have been operating in the same way as his teenage teammate – charging in and looking to hurry the batsmen.
With Abbas bowling dry and Yasir wheeling down long spells, the Pakistan attack would have been quite well balanced. The presence of Khan instead of Abbas ensured that it was an unbalanced mess.
That Australia piled up 580 without any input from superstar Steve Smith was as much an indictment on the Pakistan selectors as their bowlers.
Sgt Pepperoni
Roar Rookie
Agree with all that Poor old Jofra had to get through 42 overs in the innings against NZ. Be interesting to see how he backs up from that
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
I was a bit surprised to see Wahab's test bowling average is 34.50, so maybe he's not as good as I thought. He's certainly a bowler who's bowled some good spells. Amir's overall test average is 30, which isn't amazing, but in the last couple of years he's been pretty good. Don't know why he's suddenly on the outer. Haven't heard about any injuries or anything. Probably an attack of Abbas, Amir and Afridi would be a good balance. Let the kid's body develop a bit before bringing him in, especially if they are worried enough about that to not risk bowling him more than four overs on the second day of Australia's innings.
Insult_2_Injury
Roar Rookie
Personality has always seemed to have a big bearing on Pakistan selection. I don't know, but maybe there were some bowlers who weren't fans of Misbah as Captain who were relieved when he went, but then he was handed full control of selection! Certainly would've looked different with Abbas, Amir & Wahib.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
Imran should definitely be the one to make way. To some extent it's a like for like replacement, just Abbas seems much better overall, certainly his record suggests that. The one worry I have about Naseem, is on the second day of Australia's innings he only bowled one four over spell. They said that was because they need to manage him. That's a worry. If they are worried about bowling him at the sort of levels needed in test cricket because of his youth, then maybe he shouldn't be playing. Certainly be careful not to overbowl him. Don't do what Joe Root did with Archer, when he dramatically over bowled him in his first couple of tests, and he really looked like he struggled to get back up from that for the subsequent tests. But if he's going to be playing test cricket as a front-line bowler, then they need to be comfortable with getting 20 overs a day out of him. If not, then either he shouldn't be playing, or they need to be playing 5 specialist bowlers.
Sgt Pepperoni
Roar Rookie
Yep it wasn't a spinners wicket
Sgt Pepperoni
Roar Rookie
Naseem bowled well. If he's fit, id consider dropping Imran for Abbas
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
I reckon Smith might take him down hard in Adelaide. The way he put up seven fingers to effectively gloat over getting Smith out, when it seemed clear that the unfamiliarity of coming to the crease with the team in a strong position messed with him and had him trying to play overly attacking from too early, instead of working into his innings like he normally would could come back to bite him.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
Absolutely, they may well still have got hammered, and probably would have. But it's still a weird call to leave out the one bowler who's been clearly their best performed pace bowler over the last couple of years in test cricket.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
Although, being the third quick behind Cummins and Hazlewood is a bit different to being the guy to lead an attack where the other pace bowlers are a 19 year old in his fourth test and a 16 year old on debut. Somehow they've managed to get to this point where they just don't have the experienced bowlers to call on. So effectively Abbas v Imran, neither have lots of test experience, but both are older and have played more first class cricket. But out of the experience they do have, it shows Abbas to be vastly the better bowler of the two. Hard to understand the decision. In the end it may have made no difference. Abbas may well not have done any better, we can never know, but it was certainly a weird call regardless.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
Yeah, in some ways they are really the anti-Australia as far as how they go about things. Here, once a player is established in the team, it generally takes a lot for them to get dropped. We look at what they've done in the past, and figure they are just having a bit of a drop in form, but a bit of patience and they can hopefully get back to their best and that's considered better than lots of chopping and changing. Pakistan on the other hand, see some new person come along, like the look of them, and just drop an established player to give them a go. They are a funny mob, Pakistan. They always seem to have these really talented players around, but somehow manage to always organise things so the collective is significantly less than the sum of it's parts!
Rob
Guest
It’s interesting the GOAT only took 2 wickets, averaging 57 across 2 innings and Yasir Shah took 4 wickets, averaging 51 across 1 inning?
poopity _scoop
Roar Rookie
He hit him for one boundary
Raimond
Roar Guru
mostly after Smith had smacked him around the park
AREH
Roar Guru
As mostly the case with touring spinners in Australia, their effectiveness is very limited.
Pope Paul VII
Roar Rookie
Not easy when your speedsters aren't making inroad either.
Brian
Guest
They get whitewashed because of nonsensical reasons. They're always playing lots of guys under 20 or over 35. There is no proper planning. Umar Akmal and Mohammed Amir toured here when they were 19 yet don't when they are 29. Yousouf Youhana did well one tour when 35 but didn't tour when he was 25. Same with Younis Khan. Abass is another strange decision in a long line. New Zealand are a real chance to be competetive here next month because I think their entire XI is between 27 and 34 and most of them have toured here before.
JGK
Roar Guru
His only job is to get Smith out.
Raimond
Roar Guru
Yasir Shah is about as scary as a grade cricketer on Australian pitches. Not sure why they brought him to be honest.
Nick
Roar Guru
Hes a good keeper. His fumbling I put down more to fatigue. He faced nearly 500 balls. I would say de kock and rizwan are better pure glovemen, but he's a clear bit better than Paine and wildly better than Buttler.
DTM
Guest
Great to see the Kiwis beat the Poms by the small margin of 65 runs (and an innings!). NZ are a good team with 3 quality all rounders - Santner, De Grand Homme and Watling - all had big contributions. NZ won this match without their best bowler in the 2nd innings - I hope Boult is fit for the Aus tour.