From: ss733645@longs.LANCE.ColoState.Edu (Sohban Shahid)
Subject: Problems with RR and SM
Date: Sun, 20 Dec 1992 22:24:27 GMT
Reply-To: ss733645@longs.LANCE.ColoState.Edu
Organization: Colorado State U. Civil Engineering

In the current Pakistan team, there are two names that
often come with lot of colors and charm.  You people 
might be guessing for big Javed and S. Malik, but no,
I mean Rameez Raja and Salim Malik.

Over the years they have earned lot of respect and fame
but still they have not reached a point where you can
rely on them and take a nap for four five overs.  They
are as shakey as they were the day they joined the national
camp.  Sometime I wonder how Rameez has survived all the 
devastating bowling attacks in the world.  His technique is
so simple and there is really very little that I can say
crafty.  He is a hard worker and most of the time dig out 
his inning.  More dependable than his elder brother wasim,
but not as good as we expect from him.  He is a very good
timer of the ball and seems marvelous when starts moving
his feets,  which he often don't.  I watched almost all of
his matches in England and WC early this year.  On some
occassions Rameez did played nicely, especially his 
effortless on drives.  He is very strong on the leg side 
and most of the time gets his runs through that area.  The 
matches that I have seen clearly showed one of his mistakes
and that is: playing a bowl that pitchs near the off stump 
and moves away from him.  Most of the time you will find
him fishing outside the off stump and I think the main reason
for this thing is his batting stance.  In order to play strokes
on the on-side he needs to open the face of the bat with the
roll of wrist, which in his case faces toward the mid-on. Thats
why his timing is swift on the on side than on the off-side.
It is just my opinion and has nothing to degrade his style.

Well, Salim Malik is another case.  He has all the talent of
a good batsmen and has proved his worth.  He is in the
Pakistan team for quite a number of years but I hardly remember
an inning from him that has been played in crisis and saved
Pakistan.  He is not a man of crisis, as was Asif Iqbal and
Javed Miandad.  It is very hard to say that Malik has one
big weakness in his batting technique.  He can play strokes
all over the ground if he wants. Innings that he has played in
England were marvelous, he played all the english player with
confidence.  Normally Malik takes little time to adjust and seems
slow in the initial phases of his batting.  Has a tendency of 
playing bowls outside the off stumps and giving his wicket cheaply.
The only thing which he has to show is that he has the capacity
of holding one end safely and definitely has to show his metal
against the real quickies of West Indies. 

If these two bat a little senseablly(sp?) Pakistan will be in
much better shape.  Hope everyone will see exciting cricket 
from them in future.  I have not seen Saeed's batting so I cannot
make comment on Shamims line-up, but it seems a little poky with
Miandad at number 3.
-- 
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SOHBAN SHAHID                
Civil Engg. Dept.                (303) 491 7710/8204 (work)
Colorado State University        (303) 224 0397  (home)
Ft. Collins, CO-80523

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