Who are Umar Gul and Faisal Iqbal??Tag
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Pakistan has announced their team for the 3rd and final test at Karachi
and they have included to faces which will be little unheard by Indian
fans. So here is what I have managed to find about Umar Gul and Faisal Iqbal..
Umar Gul :- He is being playing in Pakistan's domestic cricket since 2001 and so far has played 26 first class test matches, taking 130 wickets at 22.31 a piece. Umar Gul(see profile) has also played 5 test matches and 15 ODI's but everyone remembers him for the 5 for 31 that he took against India at Lahore in the first innings of the 2nd test. He got injured after that innings and  if selected, Karachi will be his first match since
then.He is a medium-fast bowler with not great pace, around 130-135km/hr but he has the ability to cut the ball off the seam - in both directions. I remember watching that Lahore test in 2004 and he had VVS Laxman in all sorts of problem - one ball leaving him and other coming in sharply, which ultimately took Laxman's middle stump. But it must be noted that that pitch had quite a lot to offer to seam bowlers. Umar Gul has a high arm action and uses his height of around 6 feet's to the fullest. After coming back from injury, he is been in some good form as he picked up 5 wickets on Wednesday, 25th of January in a domestic match. Umar also played for Pakistan A side in that tour match against India, but didn't managed to make much of impression, as all the top 7 batsmen from Indian side made half-centuries. Faisal Iqbal :- He is a middle order batsman and has been in ranks since he played a under-19 match against South Africa in under-19 World Cup in 1998. So far Faisal Iqbal(see profile) has played 10 test matches and 17 ODI's for Pakistan but has nothing to be very impressed about, except one thing - He is the nephew of former Pakistani batting legend - Javed Miadad. According to the news I could found, he is not as flashy as most of the Pakistani young batsmen are, and likes to take his time to score runs. He has a real good defence and is a gutsy batsman, very much like his uncle Maidad. He played the tour match for Pakistan A against India and made 87 runs to get praise from India's captain Rahul Dravid and few other from Indian Team.  Faisal Iqbal made is debut against New Zealand at Auckland and also played against South Africa in South Africa. So we can say that so far he has had his opportunities but tough ones. I also hear that he is a good played of spin bowling as he played Shane Warne quite well to make his highest test score of 85 of just 87 balls, in 2003. The reason he is given another opportunity is because he is been is very good form so far this season, making 8 centuries and 6 fifties in Pakistan's domestic cricket. I hope this much information is enough for you and will look forward to add information very soon. Lets hope the pitch at National Stadium is not as dead as the previous two have been. So far I am hearing that there is an inch of grass on the wicket but how much will be left when the two teams reach there...who knows?? Related Articles |