The best bet for Pakistan would be to form an ODI team primarily based on playing aggressive sloggers, pinch hitters, hitters or in other words "hacks". I'm not saying that we're going to win a lot of games by doing that but the result can definitely not be as bad as it is currently. We've had our hand at playing a team of players with good "technique" and that is why we are currently at the 9th slot in the ODI ranking. Too little firepower, can't find gaps, can't accelerate, can't play is testing conditions, can't play express fast bowling, can't play the short ball, can't even play close to run a ball. Where is the technique?
My theory may be rejected by many but I'm sure giving this a try will not be as bad as it sounds. It indeed is a gamble, but a risk worth taking. In a couple of past ODI series we have seen that chasing, the game was pretty much over on most occasions when Sharjeel got out because we know that the rest of our batting line up consists of players who cannot take 6 singles an over, let alone hit boundaries and sixes. What that leads you to think of is a team primarily filled with sloggers, just like Sharjeel. Yeah, if they would fail, they'll fail but at least when even a couple of guys would get going on the odd, we would have the chance of winning a game.
With this current team, we wont see this blokes getting all out for 99 too often but we'll never see them chasing 300. Never. Not even 230 if Sharjeel goes early. I say Pakistan ditch all these players and bring firepower into their squad and give them a go. Sharjeel Khan didn't perform very consistently early on but now when you've given him confidence and when he's sure of his spot, he notches up 3 fifties at a brisk pace where the rest of your batsmen can't get bat on ball.
My team would be:
Sharjeel Khan
Shahzaib Ahmed
Babar Azam
Umar Akmal (given he improves his fitness)
Naved Malik
Nauman Anwar
Awais Zia
Imad Wasim
And then followed up the whoever your bowlers are.
Now, I know, this sounds pretty strange, trust me, it does to me too. But, I've become so tired of watching meaningless cricket and this may not be the perfect alternative, but it is promising. The Pakistan cricket team we watch right now is not promising. Sure, they may win the odd game but it is definitely not promising. As a fan, you don't have any hope when we're chasing anything over 275, and when Sharjeel Khan gets out, the hope is further pushed down to its lowest ebb.
I would agree that PCB will never do this, or may never do anything else fellow PP'ers are suggesting because they are an incompetent board an are not ready to experiment, however, for the sake of hypothetical analogies and theories, I would also like the opinion of other posters as to how successful such a team could be. My take on this is that they may not succeed every time and they may lose more than they win but after they've gotten used to playing with each other and after they've gotten some experience, even if a couple of them get going, the game will be sealed.
Note: Any other players can be added to the team by replacing the other given they fit the definition of a Tullay-baaz. A slogger. A hack. Whatever you'd like to call. Someone famous for finding the boundary. But definitely not someone famous for his technique. For example; Sami Aslam, Imam Ul Haq or any of the current players.
- Why do people keep insisting on seeing mediocrity. I swear my 12 year old kid brother can probably play better cricket.
