While selecting the team Pakistan also forgot that they had Hammad Azam in the team who is a right arm medium pace bowler and a handy lower-middle order batsman and would have served well instead of Aizaz Cheema. Pakistan had 7 batsman, four pure tailenders but nothing in between. 

When Shahid Afridi was bowled by James Andersen Pakistan required 44 of 34 balls, but had no one to support Misbah ul Haq and lost the match by 20 runs which they could have easily won. 

Pakistani management for some reason has been hesitant to play Hammad Azam in the team, maybe because he is capable enough to take over the all rounder's slot which has been occupied by under performing Abdul Razzaq, Shoaib Malik and on some occasions Sohail Tanvir. They are a well balanced test side, but look totally imbalanced when it comes to ODI matches.

There are a few slots that need to be filled especially the opening partnership, they need someone who can stay there and play long. A young performing all rounder in the lower-middle order who could bowl economical overs and score precious runs, but more importantly and a quick genuine fast bowler who could rip through batting line ups on these slow low pitches.

With Pakistan's recent rise and new found consistency in all forms of the game, there were calls for current interim coach Mohsin Khan to be retained as permanent coach. Whilst things are going well, Mohsin's brand of encouragement and arm around the shoulder with the occasional tap on the behind, seems more than an adequate form of coaching in the eyes of many fans and pundits. Yet I'm not convinced it is. It is when things go wrong that the coach really does his job, and in the first ODI of the series against England, things went badly wrong. It will be interesting to see how the Pakistan team reacts in this ODI series, but here is where you need a proper coach in my opinion, to spot the intricacies behind any bad performance and help the players iron them out. A 'don't worry boys, we can put it right in the next game' simply will not suffice.

Pakistan should not be done with Mohsin completely; I'm certain there's a role for him. But Pakistan's first team players need coaching in the conventional sense probably more than most of the world's other top teams, due to their heavy reliance on natural talent.

Chipper, chirpy and cheerful; Boom Boom is back with a boooooooom! Another 5-wicket haul for him. Now confined to the role of a senior member of the side only, this bouncy character has not much to do in the field than just to bowl. So imagine where does all the yearning to pat a few backs and change a few positions or roar a few suggestions to a down-and-out bowler go…

Not sure? It simply clamps on to his status as world’s most destructive bowler. With Shoaib Akhtar out of the scene, Brett Lee not getting any younger and other express bowlers not making their mark like the former two champions, this era belongs to spin greats and Afridi stands tall amongst them.

 

Pakistan’s love affair with the Arabian venues continued when they yet again  returned victorious on their new hunting ground:The Ring of Fire. When Pakistan took the field on 4^th day at the DSC, there was skepticism amid an air of positivism that has engulfed this Pakistan outfit.

With this lustrous performance, not only have they exceeded the most optimistic of predictions but have re-enchanted many erstwhile fans. Though, how much this victory serves in bringing cricket back to Pakistan remains to be seen. With the Bangladesh series just around the corner, Pakistan can well afford to dream of a seventh consecutive series without facing a defeat.

England have announced their squad for the One Day International series against Pakistan, comprising of 4 matches from 13th february to 21st, one day after being humiliated by a whitewash (or maybe PakWash). England have given their squad a new look for the One Days.

Main omissions from the test squad being their test Captain Andrew Strauss, Ian Bell, Matt Prior and Monty Panesar. New faces to join the squad are of Alex Hales, Danny Briggs and Jos Butler (wk), all three un-capped in ODIs for England.

Ian Bell's omission is well explained and long coming too. He had an extremely poor run in the test series especially against Saeed Ajmal, who dismissed him 4 out of 6 times, and is also not enjoying a good run in the ODIs averaging uder 25 in his last 10 ODIs.  

England ODI Squad: Alastair Cook (capt), James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Danny Briggs, Stuart Broad, Joe Buttler, Jade Dernbach, Steven Finn, Craig Kieswetter (wk), Eoin Morgan, Samit Patel, Kevin Pietersen, Graeme Swann, Jonathan Trott.

Three reds and a batsman is out, one green and his not out. I have no problem with them two aspects, but the third light, the gold one, is a stinker. As I keep emphasising, the DRS was made to eradicate umpire errors, all the umpires call has done is made the umpire look as though he has made the correct call. In the Pakistan, England series we have seen number of decisions that have stayed on the umpires call when they should not have done. Take two identical deliveries, if the umpire says out to one it stays out and not-out to the other that decision also stays. Totally unfair, to say the least. Hawk-Eye is a great innovation, but needs to be used in the correct manner.

The Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) has taken a stance of complete non-approval of the DRS system. Though as highlighted, it has it’s flaws, the BCCI are not right in their stance. They have not given it a chance. The hawk-Eye is a must in sub-continent conditions. The bounce is low and the batsman can’t leave the ball on length like they would do in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa or England. Batter’s have always looked to pad up and play long innings, the DRS stops this. What is the BCCI’s problem? Maybe knowing it doesn’t suit their batsman it might be.

Attack is the best form of defense. This famous proverb rings true in times when the Big Bashes and the IPLs have swept away the audience’s mind. Azhar Ali though belongs to a totally different class of batsmen in modern cricket.