Bulbul in, Akram out
I am in favor of playing Bulbul for the second test. He did show maturity and experience in the practice games leading up to the first test. I think he just got really unlucky and the pressure from the selectors just got to him.
I think Akram also crumbled under the pressure. The only difference is he seems too concerned about his future in cricket and can't seem to keep a cool head. It seems he is on a mission to prove himself and right now that is not what the BD team needs. If he is in form he should be given another chance in the SA series.
Also, I get the feeling, from what I have read in recent news, that the new coach and the management gave too many instructions on how to bat and when to play what shots, which could be one of the reasons why these two batsmen failed.
[Edited on 27-7-2002 by Ockey]
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