Abdul Razzaq, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Akhtar (1999) v Faheem Ashraf, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali (2017)

[Rana]

I was thinking about this. I think Afridi's retirement in 2015 from ODIs signalled towards the end of an era in terms of people looking forward to reading the team sheet for Pakistan players. I would say that the period of 2011-2016 was a very depressing time in terms of nearly all of the exciting players that you would want to see had all retired. Sharjeel Khan did to quite an extent revive interest back into the limited overs side due, but that too was short lived. Also, the depressing fact that Umar Akmal and Ahmad Shahzad promised so much yet delivered next to nothing was also a big shame. Nasir Jamshed came and went, tbh nothing looked too exciting. Bilawal Bhatti and Anwar Ali were flops...

Now, we have 3 very very exciting talents. Everyone will admit they eagerly await to see Fahim Ashraf bat (even though he hasnt done much), Shadab Khan bowl and look energetic in the field, and Hassan Ali slay with his sharp bowling. Add to that, we have a fantastic batsman in the making with Babar Azam, a legendary captain in the making with Sarfaraz who knows the journey for him has just started and a potential destroyer in Fakhar Zaman who looks like a big match race horse instead of these pointless games.

 

[Hasan123]

Just let them play. We don't need to compare every new player with someone from the past.

 

[Chief Destroyer]

Where did Faheem come from? The biggest draw is still Amir.

 

[babajee]

Mohammad Amir and Hasan Ali will be Pakistan’s best bowling pair after Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis.

 

[Shinwari Khan]

Faheem Ashraf > Abdul Razzaq
Shadab Khan < Shahid Afridi
Hasan Ali < Shoaib Akhtar

Bonus...

Sarfraz Ahmed > Misbah ul Haq and Umar Akmal

 

[Hasan123]

Amazing decline of 2 out of these 3 players. Genius prediction from the OP.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

Amazing decline of 2 out of these 3 players. Genius prediction from the OP.

Shadab and Hasan both have a lot left in them. Hasan is only out due to injury while Shadab is the most gun T20 player in the country right now.

 

[Slim]

Amazing decline of 2 out of these 3 players. Genius prediction from the OP.

) Imagine writing Faheem in the same sentence as Razzaq - sorry [MENTION=2016]Rana[/MENTION]

 

[Rana]

) Imagine writing Faheem in the same sentence as Razzaq - sorry [MENTION=2016]Rana[/MENTION]

Well tbf bro, I’m not a Prophet. Things look different in every year, every situation.

Abdullah Shafiq looks like the next Mohammad Yousuf and Haider Ali the next Inzamam-ul-Haq

 

[TeymurBlake]

Boy have three of them have declined or failed to reach there potential.

With Shadab Khan, there is time. The other two at the ages of 26 going on to 27 is a bit of a worry due one's lack of improvement in batting (Faheem) and fitness problems for the other.

 

[Hasan123]

Shadab and Hasan both have a lot left in them. Hasan is only out due to injury while Shadab is the most gun T20 player in the country right now.

Hasan Ali was declining before his back injury. I am more concerned about his back recovering than his quality tbh. Needs time in domestic cricket before returning to international cricket.

 

[Hasan123]

Shadab and Hasan both have a lot left in them. Hasan is only out due to injury while Shadab is the most gun T20 player in the country right now.

I was referring to Faheem as the other player not Shadab.

 

[Cric_lover4487]

I had great hopes from Faheem Ashraf. I thought he will be next Lance Klusner of world cricket. He really let me down. Pak dropped him before world cup. Other guy who disappointed me is Anwar Ali.

 

[Slog]

I had great hopes from Faheem Ashraf. I thought he will be next Lance Klusner of world cricket. He really let me down. Pak dropped him before world cup. Other guy who disappointed me is Anwar Ali.

Tbh then it was more your fault than those player’ fault.. At no point did they show the requisite skill level and cricket maturity for you to have such expectations

 

[jeeteshssaxena]

Goodness Gracious!!!
The worst player out of these three is Freaking Abdul Razzaq

 

[Mamoon]

Shadab and Faheem were hyped out of desperation. Our fans are desperate for a world class all-rounder so they will hype anyone who can bat and bowl a bit.

Both are nothing players but Shadab is relatively better because his bowling is decent in T20Is.

Hasan though has genuine potential as a strike bowler in LOIs. Unfortunately, the 2017 success got to his head and he became overconfident.

His demise started not only due to injuries but also because of the humiliation he suffered at the hands of India in the Asia Cup.

He acted like an idiot at the border and then trash-talked before the Asia Cup and said that he would like to take 10 wickets against India in one match.

However, he got smashed by Rohit and Dhawan all over UAE and was mocked by Indian fans when he was fielding on the boundary. He hasn’t been the same since.

The brutal reality check during the 2018 Asia Cup destroyed the confidence of many deluded fans and players. The likes of Sarfraz and Fakhar weren’t same afterwards either.

Even Mickey wasn’t the same afterwards.

 

[Slog]

I think in future too though, if Pakistan has some exciting talent coming up; they should draft them into the team 6-12 months before a major world tournament.

Pakistani talents’ best years are usually the first 1-2 years of their careers and after that initial high they just get progressively worse each year after the debut.

So to ensure that their best performances come in games of consequence; they should be given debuts in lead up to world events.

All the players referenced on this thread were major players in the CT 2017 win and none of them have really maintained their level. But the team cashed in on their best period even if unintentionally.

 

[Mamoon]

I think in future too though, if Pakistan has some exciting talent coming up; they should draft them into the team 6-12 months before a major world tournament.

Pakistani talents’ best years are usually the first 1-2 years of their careers and after that initial high they just get progressively worse each year after the debut.

So to ensure that their best performances come in games of consequence; they should be given debuts in lead up to world events.

All the players referenced on this thread were major players in the CT 2017 win and none of them have really maintained their level. But the team cashed in on their best period even if unintentionally.

Faheem had no contribution to the Champions Trophy success.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Faheem was the most overhyped of the lot. Not sure how he ever qualified as an all rounder. Shadab was never going to be a great spinner despite all the hype. Dude bowls like a typical Pakistani spinner and used to fire it in a lot. The real tragedy I suppose has been hasan. I really thought he would have a long career

 

[Shoaibbtt]

Faheem had no contribution to the Champions Trophy success.

He bowled ok in the SL game but to be fair he only had one game.

 

[Slog]

Faheem had no contribution to the Champions Trophy success.

Ok ‘major’ was an overstatement but he did get early wicket of Chandimal in the Sri Lanka match which was a huge wicket in context of the game. Sri Lanka had beaten India and were in form.

 

[saeed5646]

Amazing decline of 2 out of these 3 players. Genius prediction from the OP.

Actually it is genius prediction

 

[Thunderbolt14]

Spend three racks on a new chain (Huh?)
Flying to Lahore on a new plane, ooh (Brr)
I bowled a guy, forgot his name, yuh (Yuh, yuh)
I can't buy no girl no wedding ring, ooh (Nope)
Rather go and win some games, ayy (Brr)
Roti gang, Roti gang, Roti gang (Roti gang)

My bat cost more than your rent, ooh (It do)
You’re an all rounder just in the nets, yuh (Brr)
Still bowling trash on the pitch, huh? (Yeah)
Me and my grandma on a diet, ooh (Huh?)

Roti gang, Roti gang, Roti gang
Roti gang, Roti gang, Roti gang, Roti gang (Roti gang)

 

[Rana]

Haanji dosto

Maaza aaya ke nahi

 

[Rana]

Shadab and Faheem were hyped out of desperation. Our fans are desperate for a world class all-rounder so they will hype anyone who can bat and bowl a bit.

Both are nothing players but Shadab is relatively better because his bowling is decent in T20Is.

Hasan though has genuine potential as a strike bowler in LOIs. Unfortunately, the 2017 success got to his head and he became overconfident.

His demise started not only due to injuries but also because of the humiliation he suffered at the hands of India in the Asia Cup.

He acted like an idiot at the border and then trash-talked before the Asia Cup and said that he would like to take 10 wickets against India in one match.

However, he got smashed by Rohit and Dhawan all over UAE and was mocked by Indian fans when he was fielding on the boundary. He hasn’t been the same since.

The brutal reality check during the 2018 Asia Cup destroyed the confidence of many deluded fans and players. The likes of Sarfraz and Fakhar weren’t same afterwards either.

Even Mickey wasn’t the same afterwards.

Oh Aja mahi Aja mahi
Aa soneya
Aake mere gal lagJaaaaaaaa tu

 

[Rana]

Faheem was the most overhyped of the lot. Not sure how he ever qualified as an all rounder. Shadab was never going to be a great spinner despite all the hype. Dude bowls like a typical Pakistani spinner and used to fire it in a lot. The real tragedy I suppose has been hasan. I really thought he would have a long career

Oyla oyla oyla oyla oyla oyla
Oyla oyla oyla dil tera ab hoyla
Oyla oyla oyla oyla oyla oyla
Oyla oyla oyla dil tera ab hoyla

 

[Rana]

Goodness Gracious!!!
The worst player out of these three is Freaking Abdul Razzaq

Razzaq was right, he could turn Pandya into a proper all rounder in 2-3 sessions

 

[TeamPak95]

Spend three racks on a new chain (Huh?)
Flying to Lahore on a new plane, ooh (Brr)
I bowled a guy, forgot his name, yuh (Yuh, yuh)
I can't buy no girl no wedding ring, ooh (Nope)
Rather go and win some games, ayy (Brr)
Roti gang, Roti gang, Roti gang (Roti gang)

My bat cost more than your rent, ooh (It do)
You’re an all rounder just in the nets, yuh (Brr)
Still bowling trash on the pitch, huh? (Yeah)
Me and my grandma on a diet, ooh (Huh?)

Roti gang, Roti gang, Roti gang
Roti gang, Roti gang, Roti gang, Roti gang (Roti gang)

Good lord ) I was reading this in lil pump's voice too .

 

[Deewana Mastana]

Yeh, Arsho ki pariyon ka meeela hai

Aur, maine bhi har khel kheeela hai

Kambakht ishq

 

[Giannis]

The crazy thing is that the first 3 guys played as late as the 2010s

 

[Markhor]

Shoaib Akhtar wasn't a bowling all rounder like Hasan Ali.

Shadab Khan is not even close to Shahid Afridi with bat or ball, and I was relentlessly criticising Afridi when he played.

Faheem and Razzaq is the closest comparison. Faheem is transforming into a much better Test batsman and I'm delighted to see he worked on his technique (still needs some white ball knocks under his belt), but his bowling is still behind Razzaq.

People sometimes forget how quick Razzaq was when he came onto scene, but he lost his pace after 2002 and became a medium pacer.

 

[Rana]

Shoaib Akhtar wasn't a bowling all rounder like Hasan Ali.

Shadab Khan is not even close to Shahid Afridi with bat or ball, and I was relentlessly criticising Afridi when he played.

Faheem and Razzaq is the closest comparison. Faheem is transforming into a much better Test batsman and I'm delighted to see he worked on his technique (still needs some white ball knocks under his belt), but his bowling is still behind Razzaq.

People sometimes forget how quick Razzaq was when he came onto scene, but he lost his pace after 2002 and became a medium pacer.

Tbh it is also to do with creating interest for the fans to watch Pakistan play more than comparing the three as like for like players. Of course Hassan Ali cannot be Shoaib Akhtar, he is 10mph slower than him and has always been 10mph slower than him from the word go. But there is that attitude and flair in him, plus the fans look forward to watching these boys play just like they did with Akhtar, Razzaq and Afridi.