“You (Babar) and Rizwan are very good players, excellent players but you are not the whole team.”: Mohammad Hafeez

[BouncerGuy]

These 2 players have been carrying the team for a long and since their form has declined, people have come to hunt them swinging their swords. Babar playing at number 3 was a good move indeed but Rizwan's form at the top is still questionable.

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Mohammad Hafeez speaking on a local sports channel:

"It took me about two months to convince Babar Azam that you have to do it for Pakistan and you are not the first one who's doing it. You are a great player, you are a wonderful player and you are playing great cricket however you have to develop Pakistan team. You and Rizwan are very good players, excellent players but you are not the whole team. We need to develop a team and for that I want you to come at number 3 because you have been playing this role in the ODI cricket for last six years, so it won't affect you; technically you are very solid,"

"Thank you very much to him that he accepted this and he played for Pakistan at number 3 which obviously I think is the best way to move,"
​

 

[BouncerGuy]

Why not move Rizwan down the order as well and try Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar/saim at the top. Babar is fine at 3, he has done well at that number. The only question is Rizwan now.

 

[Rana]

What did Rizwan say? Why didn’t he move but Babar did after 2 months of negotiations with his management company

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Players should bat wherever the management decides. Nobody is bigger than the team.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

I dont understand why Hafeez suddenly turned into Maulana Fazlur Rehman right after his resignation.... criticizing everything that he never spoke about when he was with the team.

 

[RidiculousMan]

Hafeez making headlines every day

 

[Slim]

Took him 2 months to convince Babar to play for Pakistan’s benefit. Goes on to show how selfish these so called paper kings are.

 

[Rana]

Took him 2 months to convince Babar to play for Pakistan’s benefit. Goes on to show how selfish these so called paper kings are.

And he didn’t manage to convince Rizwan

Why did he have to convince anyone?

 

[Slim]

And he didn’t manage to convince Rizwan

Why did he have to convince anyone?

Player power in Pakistan cricket team is cancerous.

 

[Markhor]

I blame Ramiz for inflating this so-called King's ego out of proportion - saying "he is no less than Don Bradman" etc.

After mediocre and impactless displays in the 2022 Asia Cup, 2022 World T20, 2023 Asia Cup, and 2023 World Cup, you'd think Babar would've develop some flexibility earlier than now.

It's interesting that while Babar was a soft touch with fitness and prolonged periods of poor form - speak to him about his T20 batting position and THAT'S when he bears his teeth.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Hafeez became a Maulana Fazlrur Rehman of Pakistan Cricket after losing his job.

 

[Kianig89]

Hafeez should rather look for some decent job than acting as a step mother, what did he achieved as a Director got blanked in every series

 

[Dr_Bassim]

So he is saying the truth and fans are angry at this.

I dont know how delusional can people be to think Rizwan and Babar opening will still peform and win us the WC because they performed against C class attacks of similar teams in bilaterals.

There should be an IQ challenge for anyone who believes that this pair solves Pakistani opening problem and helps Pakistan win tournaments.

 

[SamNJ]

Took him 2 months to convince Babar to play for Pakistan’s benefit. Goes on to show how selfish these so called paper kings are.

How true it can be when he was head coach for only 1 month ?

 

[Cricket Warrior]

How true it can be when he was head coach for only 1 month ?

He has been with the team for more than 2 months but yeah he is exaggerating a bit here.

 

[topspin]

I blame Ramiz for inflating this so-called King's ego out of proportion - saying "he is no less than Don Bradman" etc.

After mediocre and impactless displays in the 2022 Asia Cup, 2022 World T20, 2023 Asia Cup, and 2023 World Cup, you'd think Babar would've develop some flexibility earlier than now.

It's interesting that while Babar was a soft touch with fitness and prolonged periods of poor form - speak to him about his T20 batting position and THAT'S when he bears his teeth.

Couldn’t have put it better. Top post

 

[topspin]

So he is saying the truth and fans are angry at this.

I dont know how delusional can people be to think Rizwan and Babar opening will still peform and win us the WC because they performed against C class attacks of similar teams in bilaterals.

There should be an IQ challenge for anyone who believes that this pair solves Pakistani opening problem and helps Pakistan win tournaments.

Couldn’t agree more but according to Babar’s biggest fan on PP, anyone who doesn’t approve of Rizbar can never appreciate their greatness because “it’s like teaching calculus to a 5 year old.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Yeah, Babar should have been playing at number 3 way earlier than he did recently but the Rizbar combo was doing much better than the latest failed experimentation. Still early days but now it is time to move the Farhan and saim/fakhar combo up the order and riz should come at 4 if not 5 or 6.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Yeah, Babar should have been playing at number 3 way earlier than he did recently but the Rizbar combo was doing much better than the latest failed experimentation. Still early days but now it is time to move the Farhan and saim/fakhar combo up the order and riz should come at 4 if not 5 or 6.

but its always a difficult ask to break the wining combination because if gets backfire then nobody takes the responsibility.

 

[CerebralPatriot]

Stopped reading when Hafeez used the term "excellent" to describe Rizwan

 

[mumtaz]

I don't understand the level of criticism that Rizbar receive. With them opening, we have made the semis of the 2021 T20 WC and the final of the 2022 T20 WC.

Beyond the semis, there's quite a bit of luck involved e.g. the Hasan Ali dropped catch in 2021 semi or the Shaheen injury in the 2022 final. With a little bit of luck, we could have won at least one of the two tournaments.

 

[BouncerGuy]

but its always a difficult ask to break the wining combination because if gets backfire then nobody takes the responsibility.

Yeah, it is difficult but the pair was out of form for some time so people were calling for this change. The results are not good so far. Let's see if Farhan can find his way on top with fakhar and Rizwan can come at 4.

 

[Slim]

I don't understand the level of criticism that Rizbar receive. With them opening, we have made the semis of the 2021 T20 WC and the final of the 2022 T20 WC.

Beyond the semis, there's quite a bit of luck involved e.g. the Hasan Ali dropped catch in 2021 semi or the Shaheen injury in the 2022 final. With a little bit of luck, we could have won at least one of the two tournaments.

We made the semis and finals despite them not because of them.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Okay, let's give them (Babar & Rizwan) some rest and play a series... the results will speak for themselves whether they are a whole team or not.

 

[Rana]

Okay, let's give them (Babar & Rizwan) some rest and play a series... the results will speak for themselves whether they are a whole team or not.

Not a series.

Give them a rest for 6 months into the World Cup

Pakistan will probably win the World Cup

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Not a series.

Give them a rest for 6 months into the World Cup

Pakistan will probably win the World Cup

Yes we gave them rest in the series against Afganistan last year, we lost that series 2-1

 

[ask_analyse_act]

These 2 players have been carrying the team for a long and since their form has declined, people have come to hunt them swinging their swords. Babar playing at number 3 was a good move indeed but Rizwan's form at the top is still questionable.

----------------

Mohammad Hafeez speaking on a local sports channel:

"It took me about two months to convince Babar Azam that you have to do it for Pakistan and you are not the first one who's doing it. You are a great player, you are a wonderful player and you are playing great cricket however you have to develop Pakistan team. You and Rizwan are very good players, excellent players but you are not the whole team. We need to develop a team and for that I want you to come at number 3 because you have been playing this role in the ODI cricket for last six years, so it won't affect you; technically you are very solid,"

"Thank you very much to him that he accepted this and he played for Pakistan at number 3 which obviously I think is the best way to move,"
​

Totally agree with what Hafeez said here... Thats how the team is built...

Very good point from hafeez that "excellent players but you are not the whole team"... Babar and Rizwan with this mindset playing half the balls of every match scoring half the runs at less SR and leaving the rest to nobody players like Ifthikar , Asif ali, Azam khan , Shadab , Imad Wasim is laughable

 

[Flat_Track_Bully]

Fascinating how we are just not producing good middle order batters. I struggle to understand why PCB aren't being more proactive. You know there is a skills gap here, how you going to fill it?

At the moment the solution is to send in the big boy?

Also looks like they only watch PSL matches and pick based off that so what are the selectors doing day to day? Anyone know?