Profile of Ahmed Shehzad

PROFILE

Ahmad Shehzad is one among the many Pakistani openers known for their free stroking abilities and aggressive batting techniques. His introduction to competitive cricket came at the early age of 15 when he made his first class debut. He went on to be a regular opener for his side Lahore and also got a chance to play for the Pakistani national Under 19 side, where he enjoyed tremendous success. With strong performances in domestic cricket, a national call up was only a matter of time as Pakistani side struggled to find stable openers. Shehzad found himself making his debut against Australia in April 2009, but he was in and out of the team for lack of consistency. Despite not having a great start, Shehzad was picked in the squad for the 2009 World T20 Championships, but he got only one game.

For the next one year, he remained in the sidelines as Pakistan continued their search for a stable opener. His big break came in New Zealand in 2010, where he made his first T20 international half century. The knock helped him gain a spot in the ODI leg of the tour, and this time he grabbed it with both hands as he scored an aggressive 115 to bring up his maiden ODI century. The good show earned him a place in the squad for the World Cup, but Shehzad failed to impress. He managed to retain his spot for the West Indies tour that followed, and even brought up his 2nd ODI century there, but was left out of the squad for the tour of Zimbabwe.

He played well in the ODI series against South Africa in late 2013 by scoring consecutive fifties in the UAE, but was not able to convert good starts into a big one. When Pakistan toured South Africa immediately after that, Shehzad hit a brilliant 102 at Port Elizabeth. His strong performance continued even against Sri Lanka scoring another century and a fifty in the 5-match series. Shehzad played an integral part in giving good starts to Pakistan in the 2013 Asia Cup but unfortunately failed to make a mark in the final against Sri Lanka. Shehzad also scored a hundred against Bangladesh in the 2014 T20 WC, but Pakistan were knocked out in the group stages.

Interesting Stat: Shehzad became the only Pakistani player to score a hundred in all three forms of the game, when he scored an unbeaten 111 against Bangladesh in the T20 WC.

Source: By Cricbuzz Staff

As of April 2014

Profile of Shahid Khan Afridi Vice Captain for 2015 World Cup

PROFILE

He is as enigmatic a player as there ever was. He came as a 16 year old into the Pakistan ODI squad and was unfazed by all the speculation regarding his real age. In his very first ODI innings against Sri Lanka in 1998, he blasted his way to a 37 ball century. This remains the fastest hundred ever in this format. This came after he was sent in as a pinch hitter at one drop and after being picked in the team as a leg spinning replacement to the injured Mushtaq Ahmed!

His madcap ways continued and his batting took predominance after having jumped into collective memory with that ton. He soon became a crowd puller for just his eccentric batting. As entertaining it was to the viewers, it sometimes proved to be infuriating to his team mates. His then captain, Wasim Akram, had repeatedly asked him not to throw his wicket away but nothing could change Afridi's ways. This reckless streak extended to the highest format, the Test matches, and he was quickly sorted out by his opponents. After having some limited success in the longest format, Afridi quickly realized that he lacked the temperament for the same and announced his retirement from Tests in 2006 after having played just 26 games.

He was more successful in the limited overs format where he influenced many games with a stunning cameo. After a while his career completed a full circle as his fast leg breaks gained more importance. His tendency to rush through his overs was almost as influential, in the shorter formats, as his variety. He mixed up the googlies with the faster ones and at times even delivered the conventional off break. This was interspersed with some stunning knocks such as the one against India in 2005 when he got to his hundred in 45 balls, the second fastest ever! This lethal combination made him one of the most valuable limited overs players going around and his all round record in ODIs is second only to Sanath Jayasuriya. They are the only two men to have made over 4000 runs and taken over 300 wickets.

The advent of T20 saw a rise in Afridi's value. He was named the man of the series in the inaugural T20 WC in 2007 when Pakistan reached the final. He also scored fifties in both the semi final and the final of the 2009 T20 WC and this time it helped Pakistan win the tournament. Soon after he was named the captain of the T20 side. In 2010, after Mohammad Yousuf's exit, he was handed over the ODI reigns too. He even returned briefly to Tests to lead Pakistan in England but retired immediately after the first Test at Lord's, re-affirming that he was not suited for Tests. This did not hold him back from leading the Pakistan ODI team in the 2011 World Cup that saw him at the peak of his bowling prowess. He emerged as the joint highest wicket taker along with Zaheer Khan. Both had 21 wickets.

Controversies have dogged him throughout his career. After the age speculations died down, he was banned for two ODIs and a Test in 2005 after cameras caught him deliberately scuffing up the pitch with his boots in a Test against England. That was not the end of it, in 2010 he was found guilty of ball tampering when he was caught biting the ball in an ODI against Australia. A ban for two T20Is followed. In 2011 after a tour of the West Indies and following a rift with Pakistan coach, Waqar Younis, Afridi was sacked as the captain of the ODI squad. His response to what he saw as unfair treatment being meted out by the PCB was to announce a conditional retirement. He soon sought a NOC from the PCB that would allow him to play for Hampshire. It was granted after both parties agreed to an out of court settlement.

In October 2011, Afridi withdrew his conditional retirement and was selected for the Sri Lanka tour. In the fourth ODI, Afridi became the only cricketer to score a half-century and take five wickets on two separate occasions in ODIs. He also became the first person to score a fifty in his 50th T20 international in 2012.

During the first ODI against West Indies in July 2013, Afridi produced an exceptional all-round performance. He scored an aggressive 76 to help Pakistan reach a respectable total of 224 and annihilated West Indies with a remarkable bowling spell of 7-12, his second best ODI bowling figures of all time. In late 2013, Afridi had a decent run with the ball in the series' against South Africa and Sri Lanka.

Severely criticized for his lack of quality performances in recent times, Afridi silenced his critics in the 2014 Asia Cup by delivering outstanding back-to-back performances. In what was quoted to be a virtual semi-final against India, he hit a quick-fire 34 not out giving Pakistan a thrilling last over win. He bettered his previous performance in the next game against Bangladesh, equalling his own record for the second fastest ODI fifty for the third time. Both these performances not only ensured Pakistan a spot in the final but also India's elimination from the tournament. Unfortunately, Afridi suffered a hamstring injury during this time. He did not get a chance to bat in the Asia Cup final against Sri Lanka and was mediocre with the ball as well. Afridi played some useful hands with both bat and ball in the World T20, but could not get Pakistan to qualify for the semi-finals.

Source:  Cricbuzz Staff

As of April 2014

Profile of Pakistan Captain for 2015 World Cup

PROFILE

Misbah-ul-Haq will be forever remembered by cricket fans for his audacious paddle scoop that cost Pakistan the inaugural T20 WC against India. That one moment of madness from him, ensured that he will forever be castigated for his mistake, despite having taken his side so close to the target when there seemed to be no hope.

A very dour and dull batsman, Misbah first caught the attention of the selectors in 2002 when he made truckloads of runs in the domestic scene. He played well in the tri-nation tournament in Nairobi, but subsequently his form deserted him and he was soon sidelined from the national side.

With the departure of Inzamam, and with the solid weight of domestic and county runs behind his name, Misbah made another comeback into the national team in 2007. He finished as Pakistan's best player in the T20 WC in 2007 and carried that form to India where he made a couple of hundreds and finished with 464 runs in the three match test series.

More than the number of runs, it was the cool and calm manner that he negotiated all that India threw at him that impressed everybody. Suddenly he was proclaimed to to be the natural successor to Inzamam and a future captain. 2008 began with some high points for Misbah as he was elevated to the post of Vice - Captain of the Pakistan team and was awarded a Grade A Contract. But his form slumped dramatically and he was axed from the side from all three formats of the game. He didn't feature in the disastrous trip to England in 2010 and was made captain of the Test side against South Africa in late 2010.

Misbah led the side to a 0-0 draw against the Proteas and then achieved a 1-0 series victory when Pakistan toured New Zealand in early 2011. He was again roundly criticised for his painfully slow innings during the World Cup semi-final loss to India, but he choose not to respond to any of those criticisms. After Afridi's axing as the ODI skipper, Misbah was given the ODI reigns as well. Misbah was a part of the Royal Challengers of Bangalore during the inaugural edition of the IPL. In 2012, he was the captain of the Pakistan team, which completed a clean sweep (3-0) against the then No.1 Test side England.

Misbah had a fantastic 2012/2013 domestic season. He led his team the Faisalabad Wolves to the Championship title and eventually qualifying them for the Champions League T20. Misbah won all domestic tournaments (Twenty20, first-class and list-A) in the season 2012/13.

Misbah's captaincy came under serious scrutiny after Pakistan lost the ODI series against South Africa in the UAE. However, the PCB backed him up and declared him to be the captain until the 2015 World Cup. Pakistan took their revenge against the Proteas by churning out a brilliant performance in South Africa soon after it. Pakistan took the series 2-1 becoming the first sub-continent team to beat South Africa in a bilateral ODI series at home. This historic win won Misbah many accolades across the country. Pakistan replicated their strong performance against Sri Lanka winning the ODI series comfortably and squaring the Test series 1-1, where Misbah played a crucial role in the third Test. He was a stand-out in 2013, scoring over 1000 runs in a calendar year.

His brilliant form in recent times was subject to much amusement among the cricketing fans. However, a poor run in the 2014 Asia Cup on a personal level and Pakistan's inability to win the final, again brought his captaincy skills under severe criticism.

Despite all this, Misbah has been a widely respected captain, staying away from malevolent controversies throughout his carres. He is astute in managing this most unpredictable team in the cricketing world owing to a Master's degree in business management.

Interesting fact: Misbah went past Wasim Akram becoming the player to have the most ODI runs to his name without scoring a century.

Source: By Cricbuzz staff

As of March 2014

Pakistan Squad for 2015 Cricket World Cup