“Babar Azam and I often get criticized for our strike-rate in the T20 format" : Mohammad Rizwan

[Saj]

They batted beautifully today on a very true track.

Rizwan showed urgency right from the start whilst Babar stabilised things before speeding up.

2 wonderful batsmen, the pick of the bunch at the moment for Pakistan.

 

[MenInG]

Strike rate slowed down considerably for Pakistan in 2nd T20I - Babar and Rizwan need to step it up

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

This is why he should be opening the batting. He takes time to get set, but once he does he cashes in, as his average and conversion rate suggests.

Sharjeel on the other hand wastes balls and does nothing.

 

[Saj]

50 partnership off 47 balls - really not good enough that was it?

 

[Ab Fan]

Babar Azam and Rizwan are very good anchors. You need two world class anchors in your T20 team but reckon need to fill it with X-factor players and superstars like Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer.

 

[Saj]

No wonder Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan try to stay out in the middle for as long as possible:

134/2 after 16 overs
to
157/8 after 20 overs

 

[Smbhayi]

No wonder Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan try to stay out in the middle for as long as possible:

134/2 after 16 overs
to
157/8 after 20 overs

Not even a run a ball lol..

 

[Line and Length]

Yes, the middle order is crap. But Babar and Rizwan do not help at all by knocking the ball around for 4-5 runs every over from overs 7-13. Neither Hafeez or Fakhar are the kind of players who can hit boundaries from ball one. Ridiculous tactics to have them come in in the 16th/17th over when the run rate is under 8 and then tell them to go from ball one. They’re just not the kind of players who can do that.

 

[Abdurmirr]

Today proved why we need both Babar and Rizwan opening for us.

Hacks like Sharjeel and Fakhar will just accumulate dot ball after dot ball and eventually give away their wicket. Rizwan and Babar - regardless of their inability to cleanly power the ball- have proven their ability to take advantage of the power play and get us off to a good start.

 

[Abdurmirr]

Yes, the middle order is crap. But Babar and Rizwan do not help at all by knocking the ball around for 4-5 runs every over from overs 7-13. Neither Hafeez or Fakhar are the kind of players who can hit boundaries from ball one. Ridiculous tactics to have them come in in the 16th/17th over when the run rate is under 8 and then tell them to go from ball one. They’re just not the kind of players who can do that.

Their has been multiple occasions when guys like Fakhar and Hafeez have come to bat around over 8-10 and failed miserably, just look to our last series vs England,

Babar and Rizwan had laid a good platform for our batsmen to capitalise on, however unpredictably our pathetic lower order wasn't able to do anything about it and failed once again.

Maybe instead of blaming your two best batsmen, blame the batsmen who have been flopping over and over

 

[Line and Length]

Their has been multiple occasions when guys like Fakhar and Hafeez have come to bat around over 8-10 and failed miserably, just look to our last series vs England,

Babar and Rizwan had laid a good platform for our batsmen to capitalise on, however unpredictably our pathetic lower order wasn't able to do anything about it and failed once again.

Maybe instead of blaming your two best batsmen, blame the batsmen who have been flopping over and over

I am not blaming Rizwan and Babar. I have zero expectations from the middle order but have a lot higher expectations from Babar and Rizwan. They’ve been consistent and always put up runs but going at 4/5 rpo post-power play is just not good enough.

 

[Firebat]

Do the struggles of the mighty, power-hitting Windies batsmen on this pitch put into perspective what Rizwan and Babar did?

 

[shamaan]

I am not blaming Rizwan and Babar. I have zero expectations from the middle order but have a lot higher expectations from Babar and Rizwan. They’ve been consistent and always put up runs but going at 4/5 rpo post-power play is just not good enough.

They assessed the pitch well today they have also scored runs in England at a good strike rate and well before that.

 

[Saj]

They must look around that dressing room and think, it's down to us 2 again.

Not much quality around other than these two.

 

[Zaz]

There seems to be very few brain cells out there in terms of batting apart from babar and rizwan

The motto from the rest seems to be hit the ball aerially straight to the fielders

 

[UzmanBeast]

There seems to be very few brain cells out there in terms of batting apart from babar and rizwan

The motto from the rest seems to be hit the ball aerially straight to the fielders

Some strange tactics as well.

Nobody wants to use the pace on the ball, and they don't have the balance and power to slog like Pollard and Russell can.

Power-hitting and slogging are two different things: one is just swinging the bat wildly and the other is about thinking and using a lot of factors to get the most output per delivery.

People might think that Russell is a slogger, but there is a reason he has succeeded all around the world, and has won trophies for the teams he plays for.

You can't confuse slogging with proper power-hitting.

I'll give a few examples: Sharjeel is a slogger, Azam is a slogger, Afridi was a power-hitter though he wasn't very consistent.

Funnily enough, I see Hasan Ali as power-hitter given the situations he comes in, and the types of performances he puts together with the bat. He isn't really good yet, but there is definitely something to work with.

 

[Saj]

There seems to be very few brain cells out there in terms of batting apart from babar and rizwan

The motto from the rest seems to be hit the ball aerially straight to the fielders

Indeed, a good point.

It seems to be a case of one method for all situations and opponents. Wild and blind slogging, more often than not resulting in failure.

 

[YousafTheBeast]

There seems to be very few brain cells out there in terms of batting apart from babar and rizwan

The motto from the rest seems to be hit the ball aerially straight to the fielders

It’s T20 cricket. Certain players are given roles by the management to play aggressively from ball one. Now when you play aerial shots, it’s almost 50/50, you either hit the middle of the bat or you top edge it. I don’t mind players looking to attack, but they should give themselves a chance to see how the pitch plays. I’d rather see a player getting out caught after trying to attack over a player who throws his wicket away for 2 runs by getting run out.

 

[cricketfan11]

The strike rate of top order batsmen needs to be 150+.

It does not matter whether that is Babar or Rizwan or anyone else.

This is because power hitting is difficult later on when bowlers are mixing up their deliveries more.

The focus of the management needs to be how to help players achieve that goal, whether that is to play less dot ball and encourage greater rotation of strike or improve boundary hitting ability.

 

[GudduBadmash]

Do the struggles of the mighty, power-hitting Windies batsmen on this pitch put into perspective what Rizwan and Babar did?

Rizwan is an Anchor and still striking at 140 since he has been opening. Anyone that criticizes that has a serious agenda.

 

[MenInG]

Mohammad Rizwan speaking to Saj for The Cricket Paper (TCP) about the tour of England.

Pakistan’s disappointing recent white-ball tour of England culminated in a 5-1 aggregate loss with their solitary win being in a T20I at Trent Bridge. For Mohammad Rizwan, England’s brilliant performance was an example of how strong they are in their home conditions and spoke volumes about the quality of their bench strength.

“Facing England in their own conditions is always tough, not only for Asian teams but for any team as they present a very formidable and different challenge. We’ve clearly seen how good they are and how strong they are in terms of bench-strength during the 6-match series that we have just completed.”

Hampered by the absence of their first-choice players following positive Covid-19 tests, the home-side were left in a position where they had to bring in an all-new squad for the 3-match ODI series. Despite the last-minute changes, England inflicted a whitewash and according to Rizwan, England’s second-string squad would be a match for any team in home conditions.

“It was incredible that England brought in a whole new squad and one that was still really competitive and very strong. Not many countries can do that, the revised squad that they picked for the One-Day series would challenge any team in the world in their home conditions. It just showed how much strength in depth England has in white-ball cricket. We weren’t complacent as some suggested, we knew it would be a competitive series, but to get whitewashed in the ODIs was very disappointing.”

Eoin Morgan’s captaincy has largely been credited with the change in England’s white-ball fortunes. For Rizwan the reason for this transformation lies not only in the leadership but also how each England player understands his role and the intense competition for places.

“I really like the way England experimented with their selections, the roles for each player and the depth they have for each role. They have two, three, maybe four options for each role and each player needs to be on his toes as nobody is a guaranteed starter. They get opportunities, but if they then fail then there is always somebody as good or better to step in. There’s a great spirit too amongst the players and that was clearly evident during the 6 matches we played.”

Rebranding themselves as an all-out attacking white-ball side has paid huge dividends for England who are currently the World Champions in the 50-over format and amongst the favourites for this year’s Twenty20 World Cup, but as Rizwan explained, this strategy may need a re-think on the pitches in UAE and Oman in October and November.

“England play a positive brand of cricket and attack from ball one. However, whilst it can be a successful and entertaining approach, it is also fraught with danger especially when batting conditions are not easy. Their approach is built on achieving a minimum of 60 runs in the first 6 overs which is their launch-pad and will work on flat tracks. But in the UAE where the ball takes spin they may come unstuck with this approach.”

Whilst Pakistan’s approach with the bat in T20Is is much more conservative at the start of their innings than their rivals, Rizwan is confident that given the resources at hand, it is one that works well for them.

“Our approach in T20Is is different to England’s as we don’t attack from ball one but instead assess the conditions and attack in a more measured manner. However, as our statistics show, Babar Azam and I have been effective as openers in T20Is and our partnership has seen us get Pakistan off to some good starts. This approach isn’t always popular, it’s different and is better-suited to our team and conditions and I believe what works for one team doesn’t always work for another.”

To Mohammad Rizwan, the sublime manner in which Jos Buttler dissects bowling attacks around the world is an eye-opener and something even as an opponent one should admire and appreciate.

“Jos Buttler is a fantastic player. He has so much time to play his shots and whilst some players and analysts say he has some technical flaws, I believe that when you have a great eye like he has, those slight technical imperfections can be overlooked. He’s a cricketer who deserves admiration and appreciation as there are not many like him around.”

The Babar-Rizwan batting partnership has provided the stability that a frail batting line-up like Pakistan needs desperately, but in doing so, has also attracted criticism for a lack of intent at times.

“The critics will always try to pick holes in the way Babar and I bat in T20Is but we have to assess conditions. We are different batsmen to Jason Roy and Jos Buttler and our approach is more measured. Babar and I are still developing as an opening partnership and I believe that the recently concluded series against England has really helped to enhance the partnership and our understanding as a batting duo. I think we’ll go from strength to strength as a batting duo in future.”

 

[MenInG]

Trent Boult speaking on a video:

"I think there are so many good players out there. I think Mohammad Rizwan from Pakistan is a phenomenal player as well as Babar Azam who is obviously very classy across all formats"

 

[Rana]

For any changes to work, Babar and Rizwan need to relinquish opening spots

Otherwise I don’t see the point of replacing Sohaib, Khushdil, Azam and Asif from the Pakistan squad.

There is currently no one in Pakistan that is capable of holding down a batting spot from 3-6 besides Hafeez maybe.

-Hafeez is one of the 4 middle order batsmen.
-Malik is out of favour and probably should not be recalled due to age and not being in any of Pakistan’s plans for the last 2 years.
-Iftikhar has not been able to produce consistent performances for him to be considered as a starter, but he can certainly be a squad member.
-Talat Hussain is hit and miss, and is never given enough confidence by the team management. A foreign coach might take a punt with him, but I doubt a local coach will.
-Umar Akmal is completely out of the frame. The fans and media demanded too much from him, and now we are stuck with the current bunch of failures.
-Sarfaraz can only play as a keeper, and is another player who doesn’t quite add anything of value to the side. Very ordinary against decent pace, not a renown six hitter by any stretch of the imagination.


This mess was created by Misbah ul Haq who empowered Babar and Rizwan a bit too much as openers and thus neglected to develop any proper middle order batsmen to partner Hafeez in the middle or finish the innings strong for Pakistan....at the same time ignoring to give enough time to Fakhar and Sharjeel to really make the opening spots their own.

If the purpose of throwing Rizwan in as an opener was for him to find his feet in international cricket, well that purpose has been served. It wouldn’t make any difference to his batting now if he is pushed to 3 or 4 alongside Babar Azam, with Hafeez slotting in at 5.

This way, Pakistan can select two purpose built openers who can play their natural aggressive strokes in the power play (Fakhar and Sharjeel), and then look for a 3rd replacement to slot in as the power hitter at number 6.

3 out: Azam, Khushdil, Sohaib

2 in: Fakhar+Sharjeel.

Number 6? I would take a punt and back Anwar Ali for this position. He looks the part, he seems like a very confident cricketer. IMO another bold change would be to remove Shadab Khan as vc as well, im struggling to understand what position he can bat unless it’s number 10 or 11!

Once again I reiterate, the changes will only work for Pakistan if Babar and Rizwan reluctantly decide to push themselves and adapt to middle order positions instead of looking to play themselves in and catching up as the innings goes along whilst being openers. Otherwise, you can expect Fakhar, Sharjeel or whoever you think necessary to offer as much as Azam Khan or Khushdil Shah would in those positions.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Unfortunately its too late to try this approach if we want to even do reasonably well in this world cup. Its too late to disrupt an approach that we have been trying to develop for a couple of years at the last minute.

The only way we can do this is it we accept we have zero chance for winning the world cup and aim to develop a combo for next year in Australia. However, given that we will almost certainly flop in oz no matter what the combo is, it would be foolish to take this approach.

 

[Rana]

Unfortunately its too late to try this approach if we want to even do reasonably well in this world cup. Its too late to disrupt an approach that we have been trying to develop for a couple of years at the last minute.

The only way we can do this is it we accept we have zero chance for winning the world cup and aim to develop a combo for next year in Australia. However, given that we will almost certainly flop in oz no matter what the combo is, it would be foolish to take this approach.

Well then I don’t think there is any point of changes to the squad

Muhammad Wasim selected the correct players for those positions if Babar and Rizwan are too open in all 5 games of the group stages and beyond

 

[jawwada]

I agree to your thesis a lot, and I think many sensible people will do. Rizwan and Babar have created a lot of problems specially babar as the opener. He has quality to bat down the order, but he simply wants to open and eat up initial balls to play a long innings. He is not as destructive as some other international t20 batters are. I think under current conditions, sarfraz with his ability to play spin reliably in the middle order in the UAE makes a lot of sense. Azam is a laughin stock. Khushdil has not shown enough. Asif ali might still be considered if there is other middle order that supports him. Anwar ali is military pace and he is not a number 6 even, his style is number 7/8 style and there wasim jr is better in terms of bowling a lot. I think sharjeel and rizwan at the top with Babar, Hafeez and Sarfraz in the middle makes sense. Lower order can be settled with imad and wasim jr at 7 and 8. This leaves number six, which can be filled by Asif ali/Hussain Talat. One of the things that has let pakistan down in the recent times is poor spin bowling, here again first choice shadab is worst among the lot. Usman is 2nd best and Zahid mahmood is the best. Zahid is a real gem and closest to Rashid khan if not better. Zahid will make this attack, along with Shaheen and Hasan/Shahnawaz Dahani a very potent bowling attack.

 

[rockyboy2018]

Openers: Fakhar & Sharjeel
Then Babar

These should be fixed positions. Other players should be flexible enough to change their gears based on the team requirements in a given match. Just goes to show that Waqar and Misbah had no planning for long-term goals only go from match to match. Aqaib Javed was correct how could you even build a team when playing 11 was decided on the day of match.

If Ramiz has an iota of brain cells left in him - he should fast-track both Sharjeel and Fakhar in the main squad.

 

[Rana]

Openers: Fakhar & Sharjeel
Then Babar

These should be fixed positions. Other players should be flexible enough to change their gears based on the team requirements in a given match. Just goes to show that Waqar and Misbah had no planning for long-term goals only go from match to match. Aqaib Javed was correct how could you even build a team when playing 11 was decided on the day of match.

If Ramiz has an iota of brain cells left in him - he should fast-track both Sharjeel and Fakhar in the main squad.

But even then, it is Babar’s responsibility to understand that natural openers should play in their natural positions and not be made to adjust into the middle order so Babar and Rizwan can pad up their stats. The coach can select the XI but the captain needs to adjust his strategy on the pitch

 

[Zaz]

But even then, it is Babar’s responsibility to understand that natural openers should play in their natural positions and not be made to adjust into the middle order so Babar and Rizwan can pad up their stats. The coach can select the XI but the captain needs to adjust his strategy on the pitch

Sorry dont agree

The rizwan Babar combo is the only combo that works Why would you want them to move down when they work and work really well? Most teams will have their best players at 1-3 facing the maximum number of overs and to bat through

Babar and rizwan are not half as good anywhere else They certainly arent as effective with the field in

Rather than changing a successful consistent comb we should be asking others to step up in the middle order

 

[Bewal Express]

Yes let's get rid of what works and replace it with hasn't worked. Good thinking.

 

[Zaz]

Yes let's get rid of what works and replace it with hasn't worked. Good thinking.

Your best players play at the top Why would you want them to come in at 20-2?

The middle ordee players need to step up At the moment their performances arent anywhere near good enough

Babar and Rizwan aint the issue

 

[Bewal Express]

Your best players play at the top Why would you want them to come in at 20-2?

The middle ordee players need to step up At the moment their performances arent anywhere near good enough

Babar and Rizwan aint the issue

I am sure we had a similar thread before and the same points were made.

 

[Rana]

Sorry dont agree

The rizwan Babar combo is the only combo that works Why would you want them to move down when they work and work really well? Most teams will have their best players at 1-3 facing the maximum number of overs and to bat through

Babar and rizwan are not half as good anywhere else They certainly arent as effective with the field in

Rather than changing a successful consistent comb we should be asking others to step up in the middle order

So then don’t change the middle order? Let Sohaib, Azam khan and Khusdhil settle in and step up?

 

[cricketAXEpert]

So then don’t change the middle order? Let Sohaib, Azam khan and Khusdhil settle in and step up?

How about Imad Wasim as middle order Batsman (we need his batting more than bowling, so lets change his role to a Batsman and make him focus on batting ) His Average is good and he can hit big as well. Sohaib, Khushdil and Azam have no international track record. Imad does plus he is better than Shahdab with bat. If I have to take a punt on someone I will take it on Fakhar Zaman not any of these 3 (Azam, Sohaib and Kushdil) Fakhar can also Open (just in case you want to give a breather to Rizwan while batting 2nd)
Middle order Hafeez, Imad and Fakhar.

 

[Bilal7]

Babar and Rizwan should be given a contract for the opening spots for the next two WT20s.

Anyone who thinks a couple of hacks will be able to survive the PP batting against world class fast bowlers is still living in the 2010s.

Every team has good batsmen with solid fundamentals batting at the top. This is because these are the kind of batsmen that have the ability to not only survive against the elite bowlers of the opposition but to also get the team off to a good start. Additionally, hacks and sloggers are far more useful when they don't have to worry about losing their wickets and can attack from the first ball.

A good example are the Chennai Superkings, currently at the top of the IPL table. They open with Faf and a domestic Indian player who plays similarly to Rizwan. Then they have the likes of Moeen, Raina and Jadeja in the middle order that play with the freedom they need, in order to be effective.

That's what Pakistan should be aiming to do. Our best two batters at the top, a bunch of hacks and sloggers in the middle, and a world class bowling attack. That is how we win.

 

[shamaan]

Rizwan and Babar should open if not then Babar can drop down to 3 and either fakhar or sharjeel can open with rizwan.

 

[MenInG]

 

[Rana]

40 off 34 today @117 sr

Sharjeel Khan 60 off 40 last night

Fakhar 49 off 30 the night before

 

[Rana]

Mohammad Rizwan:

6 matches
193 runs @32.2
Strike rate 129.53

Sharjeel Khan:

6 matches
212 runs @35.3
Strike rate 148.25

 

[Rana]

Babar Azam

6 matches
227 runs @56.7
Strike rate 150.3


Seems like your on your own here Rizwan matey

 

[Rana]

17 off 19 batting at 3 in the power play

 

[UzmanBeast]

17 off 19 batting at 3 in the power play

Sharjeel Khan 0(4) as well.

There's no longer a way for Sharjeel on the team. Ramiz won't take in another fixer.

Even if he hits two consecutive hundreds, Ramiz will not budge.

 

[Rana]

Sharjeel Khan 0(4) as well.

There's no longer a way for Sharjeel on the team. Ramiz won't take in another fixer.

Even if he hits two consecutive hundreds, Ramiz will not budge.

I thought Sharjeel got out to a golden duck yesterday

But the point you make about Rameez. I don’t understand why he would interfere in the work of the chief Selector. What is the point of unselecting a player that was selected by the previous management assigned by Imran Khan? A new chairman tomorrow might support the selection of Sharjeel. So I don’t see why Ramiz needs to unnecessarily get himself involved in this. He himself says that he doesn’t want the chairman to be the main headline, but everything he is doing is the exact opposite.

Sharjeel Khan has outperformed all openers in this tournament except Babar Azam. There is no merit in not selecting him even though he has been selected to represent Pakistan recently

 

[UzmanBeast]

I thought Sharjeel got out to a golden duck yesterday

But the point you make about Rameez. I don’t understand why he would interfere in the work of the chief Selector. What is the point of unselecting a player that was selected by the previous management assigned by Imran Khan? A new chairman tomorrow might support the selection of Sharjeel. So I don’t see why Ramiz needs to unnecessarily get himself involved in this. He himself says that he doesn’t want the chairman to be the main headline, but everything he is doing is the exact opposite.

Sharjeel Khan has outperformed all openers in this tournament except Babar Azam. There is no merit in not selecting him even though he has been selected to represent Pakistan recently

Sharjeel needs to understand his situation.

Whether he likes it or not, he's a fixer. That's going to be his legacy.

He will always get limited chances, and so far, he has failed to capitalize every single time.

He always gets the basics wrong; swiping across the line, no foot movement, etc.

He is also overweight, showing that he doesn't care about his fitness. His remarks about fitness being unimportant are also not good.

So let's lay the facts; you've got an overweight fixer performing well, but is he breaking records with these performances? No.

Sharjeel has to work 2-3x harder than anyone else to get a spot on the team, especially as an opener. Because, he has to work and prove Ramiz Raja wrong.

The reason Mohammad Amir (though he's gone now) was given a long rope was that he performed at the big stage. Asia Cup 2016, CT17, CWC19, etc.

Sharjeel, on the other hand, is yet to perform against minnows.

Maybe the guy has changed for all I know, I can't comment on his actions of the past. However, he needs to send a good message.

Sarfaraz lost so much weight in such a short amount of time. Sharjeel looks the same as he did in the previous leg of the PSL.

 

[shamaan]

I thought Sharjeel got out to a golden duck yesterday

But the point you make about Rameez. I don’t understand why he would interfere in the work of the chief Selector. What is the point of unselecting a player that was selected by the previous management assigned by Imran Khan? A new chairman tomorrow might support the selection of Sharjeel. So I don’t see why Ramiz needs to unnecessarily get himself involved in this. He himself says that he doesn’t want the chairman to be the main headline, but everything he is doing is the exact opposite.

Sharjeel Khan has outperformed all openers in this tournament except Babar Azam. There is no merit in not selecting him even though he has been selected to represent Pakistan recently

I agree ramiz shouldn't interfer with selecting squads but he obviously will

 

[Rana]

Out of all the players who have scored over 200 runs in the national cup, Sharjeel Khan has the highest strike rate of 156 and an average of 39.

Rizwan in the same competition has a strike rate of 125.

Only God knows when this injustice will end!

 

[Zaz]

Sharjeel can score another century in the next game The fact is its gonna take a lot more than a few runs for an overweight convicted match fixer to come back in

Just the way it is im afraid

First he needs to lose some weight n get fitter as well as continue to make runs

 

[Abdurmirr]

Out of all the players who have scored over 200 runs in the national cup, Sharjeel Khan has the highest strike rate of 156 and an average of 39.

Rizwan in the same competition has a strike rate of 125.

Only God knows when this injustice will end!

Only in Pakistan cricket would the word "injustice" be used to compare the exclusion of a match fixer whose only real performance comes in local domestic tournaments (not even the PSL) over a hard working team player who has topped T20I stats this year.

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

Out of all the players who have scored over 200 runs in the national cup, Sharjeel Khan has the highest strike rate of 156 and an average of 39.

Rizwan in the same competition has a strike rate of 125.

Only God knows when this injustice will end!

Sharjeel has played well, however Rizwan is the wicket keeper, so no point comparing him to Sharjeel. Rizwan should be compared to other keepers.

A case can be made that Sharjeel should have been selected instead of Fakhar, but he has only himself to blame for being overlooked. Alot of people will never forgive for his fixing, and others will not want him in the team as he refuses to get in shape.

 

[shamaan]

Sharjeel has played well, however Rizwan is the wicket keeper, so no point comparing him to Sharjeel. Rizwan should be compared to other keepers.

A case can be made that Sharjeel should have been selected instead of Fakhar, but he has only himself to blame for being overlooked. Alot of people will never forgive for his fixing, and others will not want him in the team as he refuses to get in shape.

Fakhar can play in the middle sharjeel can't or hasn't.

 

[MenInG]

Rizwan speaking to press:

"I tried to play well in the National T20 Cup and have 200+ runs but I accept that I couldn't improve on a few things that I wanted to do in this tournament."

"There seems to be a mindset amongst some that in T20 you have to score 200+ or 250+. But see in the West Indies we won with lower scores like 140-150 and also have done in Dubai with scores around 160. So it's down to match and pitch conditions and when its been needed, we have even chased down 200+ also"

"Its important that we read pitch conditions properly because when we don't do that and end up on a score which isn't par, then we realize during the game and push our bowlers to help us but at that time the match has gone out of hands"

"If the pitch demands a score like 150-160 then and we realize that, then we can also end up on 180-190 on such pitches"

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

Fakhar can play in the middle sharjeel can't or hasn't.

Thats a valid reason, as Fakhar can give more flexibility. However an option could have been to make Sharjeel the opener, and move Babar one down. With that said I dont feel bad for Sharjeel as he refuses to get in shape.

 

[shamaan]

Thats a valid reason, as Fakhar can give more flexibility. However an option could have been to make Sharjeel the opener, and move Babar one down. With that said I dont feel bad for Sharjeel as he refuses to get in shape.

But Rizwan and Babar have performed very well I would not break the opening pair up now.

 

[MenInG]

Babar and Rizwan's in Pakistan's top order:

In the first half of the scenario-based match, the top order comprising of Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Haider Ali, had a target of 150 runs in the first 15 overs. Shaheen Shah Afridi, Imad Wasim, Hasan Ali, Shadab Khan and Haris Rauf gave only 106 runs in 15 overs.

 

[Rana]

Babar and Rizwan's in Pakistan's top order:

In the first half of the scenario-based match, the top order comprising of Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Haider Ali, had a target of 150 runs in the first 15 overs. Shaheen Shah Afridi, Imad Wasim, Hasan Ali, Shadab Khan and Haris Rauf gave only 106 runs in 15 overs.

Whilst Sharjeel khan is just down the road pumping the remaining sorry bowlers at around 190-230 strike rate

 

[Rodsje]

Whilst Sharjeel khan is just down the road pumping the remaining sorry bowlers at around 190-230 strike rate

190-230?? How can you constantly say stuff without any proof of it? Sharjeel strike rate is 148 in this Nation T20.

 

[Rana]

190-230??���� How can you constantly say stuff without any proof of it? Sharjeel strike rate is 148 in this Nation T20.

Check the last 2 innings he has got starts

Also a fun fact. SK’a side wins 65% of their matches when Sharjeel scores 35 or more. The guy is an impact player, his innings of 35 or more ads crucial to his team.

 

[Rodsje]

Check the last 2 innings he has got starts

Also a fun fact. SK’a side wins 65% of their matches when Sharjeel scores 35 or more. The guy is an impact player, his innings of 35 or more ads crucial to his team.

His last two innings? He scored 0 and today 32 at 168 and before the 0 he scored 25 at 96. So way behind the 190-230 what you were saying.

Well his averages of 22 and 26 are way below the score of 35 which means he isn’t performing consistently or isn’t consistent impact player.

We know your love for Sharjeel is big but don’t say stuff which isn’t based on facts just to make Sharjeel and your story look better.

 

[Rana]

His last two innings? He scored 0 and today 32 at 168 and before the 0 he scored 25 at 96. So way behind the 190-230 what you were saying.

Well his averages of 22 and 26 are way below the score of 35 which means he isn’t performing consistently or isn’t consistent impact player.

We know your love for Sharjeel is big but don’t say stuff which isn’t based on facts just to make Sharjeel and your story look better.

Alright well Babar and Rizwan need to do more to get to 150 in 15 overs

Looks like they ‘assessed the situation’ and agreed between themselves a score of 140 should be enough on that wicket )

 

[shaz619]

Check the last 2 innings he has got starts

Also a fun fact. SK’a side wins 65% of their matches when Sharjeel scores 35 or more. The guy is an impact player, his innings of 35 or more ads crucial to his team.

Sharjeel is too inconsistent, he botched his chances at international level. Babar/Riswan is your most settled opening pair.

 

[Rodsje]

Alright well Babar and Rizwan need to do more to get to 150 in 15 overs

Looks like they ‘assessed the situation’ and agreed between themselves a score of 140 should be enough on that wicket )

Funny thing is you can cry and hate on Babar and Rizwan whatever you want, the bottomline is, they will remain the openers in T20 and your lover (Sharjeel) won’t.

 

[Rana]

Sharjeel is too inconsistent, he botched his chances at international level. Babar/Riswan is your most settled opening pair.

It is easy to be settled when you are happy to play risk free at 120 strike rates.

 

[Rana]

Alright well Babar and Rizwan need to do more to get to 150 in 15 overs

Looks like they ‘assessed the situation’ and agreed between themselves a score of 140 should be enough on that wicket )

Not my problem, it’s Pakistan who will suffer.

 

[Rodsje]

Not my problem, it’s Pakistan who will suffer.

If it isn’t your problem then why you constant say nonsense and hate the opening of Pakistan?

 

[Rana]

If it isn’t your problem then why you constant say nonsense and hate the opening of Pakistan?

It may be nonsense to you. But results like today (106 whilst targeting 150) prove what I am trying to argue since Misbah took over and promoted Rizwan+Babar as his combination. They couldn’t get 150 in 15 against Pakistan out of all teams, what will they do against India and NZ?

 

[Rodsje]

It may be nonsense to you. But results like today (106 whilst targeting 150) prove what I am trying to argue since Misbah took over and promoted Rizwan+Babar as his combination. They couldn’t get 150 in 15 against Pakistan out of all teams, what will they do against India and NZ?

So a practice game means more then international games? But when they smashed SA in SA for target above 200 doesn’t count cause it was a belter pitch? Let’s just see when the world cup is going on.

 

[Rana]

So a practice game means more then international games? But when they smashed SA in SA for target above 200 doesn’t count cause it was a belter pitch? Let’s just see when the world cup is going on.

How about you share the scorecard of that SA side?

 

[Rodsje]

How about you share the scorecard of that SA side?

But when Sharjeel makes scores to nothing bowlers in national T20 then the bowlers and side doesn’t count ???

 

[Rana]

But when Sharjeel makes scores to nothing bowlers in national T20 then the bowlers and side doesn’t count ???

Check our all of his innings. He was quite consistent against most teams. He had an equal platform to Rizwan and he outperformed him. Babar did better, Babar is Better for sure!

 

[Rodsje]

Check our all of his innings. He was quite consistent against most teams. He had an equal platform to Rizwan and he outperformed him. Babar did better, Babar is Better for sure!

Then please check out international T20s, they have the same platform teams they played. You can easily check on cricinfo t20 matches list of each individual and then you will see that Sharjeel record in pakistan is pathetic. He played most matches against West tindies and Sri Lanka and was utterly pathetic with an average of 21 and strike rate of 119. Against westindies his sr is 105 and average of 13,75 while playing 7 times against them. And since comeback of Sharjeel in international cricket his SR is 118 and average of 17.

So please get your facts and stats straight before you make any kind of statements.

 

[shamaan]

Check the last 2 innings he has got starts

Also a fun fact. SK’a side wins 65% of their matches when Sharjeel scores 35 or more. The guy is an impact player, his innings of 35 or more ads crucial to his team.

Did you see that run out ?

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Babar Azam "Rizwan and I have a very good chemistry and he is an amazing batter who has been playing very well for the last 2 years. He has become an inspiration for all of us and I really enjoy batting with him" <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#cricket</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/T20WorldCup?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#T20WorldCup</a> <a href="https://t.co/uYMmNt1bzF">pic.twitter.com/uYMmNt1bzF</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/SajSadiqCricket/status/1449283156797009920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 16, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[MenInG]

Mohammad Rizwan out for 13 (17) in warmup against Windies

 

[Rana]

Great innings

 

[OneManShow]

Great innings

So chasing 130 you want them to go at 150+ SR? I don't really get it with you, this hatred totally clouds your judgement. IMO The UAE will not be a particularly high scoring venue. I'd much prefer 40/0 in the powerplay than 50/2 ot worse. Players need to play the situation

 

[KingKhan12]

Then please check out international T20s, they have the same platform teams they played. You can easily check on cricinfo t20 matches list of each individual and then you will see that Sharjeel record in pakistan is pathetic. He played most matches against West tindies and Sri Lanka and was utterly pathetic with an average of 21 and strike rate of 119. Against westindies his sr is 105 and average of 13,75 while playing 7 times against them. And since comeback of Sharjeel in international cricket his SR is 118 and average of 17.

So please get your facts and stats straight before you make any kind of statements.

Stupid baseless debate this. Sharjeel last few years never been a regular bring him in a game or 2 and he knows he has to score big and plays with extra pressure. Your logic about Sharjeel vs West Indies. In the those 7 games he batted 4 times so you judging him from that when he was in out side and playing odd game. If that's your logic Babar Azam vs Sri Lanka 15.80 average and 84.95 strike rate so he should be near the team your logic.
Sharjeel Vs england 59 average over 160 strike rate.
Against Sri Lanka 38 average and 143 strike rate.

Going to ODIs 5 games vs Australia and all games in Australia he got average of 50 and strike rate 115.21. A place were all our batsmen struggle normally. In 5 ODIs with 115 strike rate and 50 average that shows he Pakistans best opener in all formats.
And if this nonsense that was before his ban but after his ban he been best opener in Pakistan in domestic cricket. Done well in Quaid e Azam and PSL he has done well got 100. Then national cup and KPL too. Best opener he is in Pakistan cricket in all formats. But because he plays with high strike rate he can't get into the test team that's the stupid logic of Pakistan board and cricket.

 

[Rana]

So chasing 130 you want them to go at 150+ SR? I don't really get it with you, this hatred totally clouds your judgement. IMO The UAE will not be a particularly high scoring venue. I'd much prefer 40/0 in the powerplay than 50/2 ot worse. Players need to play the situation

Rizwan fans are evolving in their mastery of the art of shifting goal posts to when it suits them.

The fact is, Rizwan’s strike rate is poor and remains to be poor going into this tournament no matter how hard you try to sugarcoat it. Sharjeel Khan performed better than he did. Expect more performances like this. Not every time will he be lucky in surviving his first 20 balls to settle in, when he will fail, he will look terrible with strike rates of 70 odd

 

[Rana]

If Mathew Hayden has any decency, he will speak to Ramiz Raja and get Sharjeel down on the next flight.


Opening with Babar and Rizwan is like opening the batting with Ponting and Martyn, whilst Gilchrist and Hayden bat in other positions

 

[OneManShow]

Rizwan fans are evolving in their mastery of the art of shifting goal posts to when it suits them.

The fact is, Rizwan’s strike rate is poor and remains to be poor going into this tournament no matter how hard you try to sugarcoat it. Sharjeel Khan performed better than he did. Expect more performances like this. Not every time will he be lucky in surviving his first 20 balls to settle in, when he will fail, he will look terrible with strike rates of 70 odd

Sharjeel Khan can blame nobody but himself for his errors. Fixing, not bothering getting fit are but 2 examples. Rizwan cannot be blamed for taking his chance.

 

[OneManShow]

If Mathew Hayden has any decency, he will speak to Ramiz Raja and get Sharjeel down on the next flight.


Opening with Babar and Rizwan is like opening the batting with Ponting and Martyn, whilst Gilchrist and Hayden bat in other positions

You speak about decency yet want a fixer back in the side - talk about double standards lol