All talk of an aggressive approach in ODI cricket by Pakistan - but will we see any real change?

[MenInG]

Below is what Babar and Shadab spoke about but seeing the SRs of some of our batsmen in the first ODI makes you think that this is all words - and no action!

===

LAHORE: Captain Babar Azam and vice-captain Shadab Khan, who will be in the leadership role for the first time in the ODI format, have vowed to play an aggressive brand of cricket when they start their stints with Pakistan’s first ODI against Zimbabwe at the Pindi Cricket Stadium next Friday.

The three-match ODI series is part of the ICC World Cup Super League and acts as qualification round for the 2023 ICC World Cup. The second match will be played on Nov 1 with the third and final match takes place on Nov 3.

Babar, widely regarded as Pakistan’s best all-format player, is the only batsman in the world to feature in the top five of ICCs rankings for batsmen across the three formats. Babar averages 54.17 in the ODIs having donned the Pakistan colours 74 times. His tally includes 11 centuries and 15 half-centuries.

“To keep up with the modern-day requirements of fast-paced cricket we need to be super fit. As the leaders of the group, both Shadab and I need to set an example with our fitness and commitment. We have a lot of cricket lined up and the only method for us to regain our spot at the top of the rankings is aggressive and fearless cricket,” Babar said on Saturday.

“We need to work on overall improvement in all three formats. We are looking forward to starting the journey on a positive note with the series against Zimbabwe; it is an opportunity for us to please our fans who would not be able to watch us from the stands due to the Covid-19-related challenges. We can, however, bring them joy by doing well in the series and by giving performances that please them,” the skipper added.

“My request to fans is that we need their support just the way they supported us during the England tour and the National T20 Cup, which provided rich entertainment in a highly competitive environment.” Giving his views, Shadab said: “We won’t be taking Zimbabwe lightly at all. We are fully focused on the job at hand and during the season we are very keen on improving both our game and fitness.

“Many players discuss fitness and how to improve in that area which is a positive sign indeed. For us each and every point in the ICC World Cup Super League matters. A convincing victory against Zimbabwe will hold us in good stead when we depart for the tour of New Zealand,” the leg-spinner added.

“We had an excellent build-up to the Zimbabwe series with the National T20 Cup. The tournament was highly competitive. Such tournaments will help narrow the gap between domestic and international levels. The revamped domestic system surely provides that opportunity to the players,” the vice-captain said.

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2020

 

[Rana]

Not until the players start playing for the country before they play for themselves.

You dont become Jos Butler by fearing if you will still keep your spot for the next game or the next series.

 

[JibranAnsari]

When the instruction is 'play with caution' then you can only do so much.

 

[Shafi]

Misbah knows how to fool people again and again. Master of craft!!!

 

[Hasan123]

Just look at the top 5. All bat at one pace. What were you expecting?

 

[Bhaijaan]

Minnows are easy to beat but not always easy to bash because most top batsmen in the world strike better when up against bowlers who bend their backs so they can use their pace for better striking. Minnow bowlers bowl too slow for the liking of top batsmen, it frustrates them.

 

[aukhan]

Get rid of Misbah first. We were progressing under Mickey. Things were changing slowly and gradually. Intention to change was there but ever since Misbah sacked him and stole his job we have gone back to our old ways.

 

[Ertugrul_Bey]

Defensive mindset?

We played 154 Dot balls (25.4 overs) today vs a below par Zim bowling. Means half of our innings was Wasted. This is our main issue. Batsmen unable to rotate strike!

 

[Corridor of Uncertainty]

I don’t think it is Misbah’s instructions to play themselves in before unleashing.

In think it is his leadership shadow. He has made everyone insecure about their positions so they are naturally cautious. Babar clearly is deferring to Misbah too.

Very few coaches can make players forget their fears. Misbah sadly is not one of them.

 

[Titan24]

You need the right batsmen as well as players who adapt the policy. England wouldnt have changed their LOI cricket by having Alastair Cook, Ian Bell, Johnathan Trott etc. They brought it Roy and Hales initially to set the tone, Root to consolidate and Morgan, Buttler and Stokes to go all out as well with decent batting depth.

Abid Ali’s list A strike rate is 81, even on his best day what was Pak management really expecting. Imam is young and obviously has potential but, Pak management needs to make few things clear to him. Haris again should be told to play like he did in WC 19 as playing 15-16 balls for two runs or so initially is not on. Rizwan is no Buttler with bat but he is the best we have in ODIs at the moment and is possibly one of the best keepers in the world.

 

[Amjid Javed]

A sqaud and starting 11 full of batsmen who score at snails pace in current climate in ODIs, if this is how current ODI team is being built it will be another shambles.

Cant ever see Imam and Abid getting pakistan off to a flyer in ODIs!

 

[Thunderbolt14]

You need the right batsmen as well as players who adapt the policy. England wouldnt have changed their LOI cricket by having Alastair Cook, Ian Bell, Johnathan Trott etc. They brought it Roy and Hales initially to set the tone, Root to consolidate and Morgan, Buttler and Stokes to go all out as well with decent batting depth.

Abid Ali’s list A strike rate is 81, even on his best day what was Pak management really expecting. Imam is young and obviously has potential but, Pak management needs to make few things clear to him. Haris again should be told to play like he did in WC 19 as playing 15-16 balls for two runs or so initially is not on. Rizwan is no Buttler with bat but he is the best we have in ODIs at the moment and is possibly one of the best keepers in the world.

It’s actually not difficult at all to replicate this formula. We have the players available.

Give Haider and Fakhar the opening slots. Babar and Rizwan in to consolidate at 3 and 4. Haris Sohail and Khushdil in next with Shadab promotable to consolidate if early wickets fall. Imad to finish things off.

The problem is the entire approach. We just need the direction to be clear.

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">There were only 5 overs in the Pakistan innings with more than 10 runs:<br><br>40th over<br>44th over<br>46th over<br>48th over<br>49th over<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PAKvZIM?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PAKvZIM</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1322139213509382145?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[MenInG]

It’s actually not difficult at all to replicate this formula. We have the players available.

Give Haider and Fakhar the opening slots. Babar and Rizwan in to consolidate at 3 and 4. Haris Sohail and Khushdil in next with Shadab promotable to consolidate if early wickets fall. Imad to finish things off.

The problem is the entire approach. We just need the direction to be clear.

If you can see this approach will work - why can't the Pakistan think tank?

 

[Thunderbolt14]

If you can see this approach will work - why can't the Pakistan think tank?

Psychology - Misbah has not evolved with the modern game and dislikes players who play with positive intent because it risks throwing the wicket away. I mentioned in another post a few days back why his psychology might be like this.

Other than that, it’s okay if Misbah can’t think of this. As long as Wasim Khan and Ehsan Mani can, and see what’s going on. I think Mohammad Wasim should be promoted to head coach with Mohammad Akram as chief selector effective immediately.

 

[Syed1]

Misbah brand of cricket is back. Just meander along for 40 overs and then hit out in the last 10.



It took so much effort on Mickey's part to bring us to the 21st century only for this shameless Misbah to take us back to the 1980s. When are we going to get rid off him????

 

[Hasan123]

Misbah brand of cricket is back. Just meander along for 40 overs and then hit out in the last 10.



It took so much effort on Mickey's part to bring us to the 21st century only for this shameless Misbah to take us back to the 1980s. When are we going to get rid off him????

You are right. Unfortunately can see Misbah as coach for a while.

 

[Zaz]

It’s actually not difficult at all to replicate this formula. We have the players available.

Give Haider and Fakhar the opening slots. Babar and Rizwan in to consolidate at 3 and 4. Haris Sohail and Khushdil in next with Shadab promotable to consolidate if early wickets fall. Imad to finish things off.

The problem is the entire approach. We just need the direction to be clear.

Max we need two consolidators in the innings to hold the innings together Babar and Harris at 90 strike rate

The rest need to be batters who can play potentially at 100 plus strike rate Get fakhar in, haider and khushdil etc

That means the likes of abid, imam are redundant in this day and age

Imam has potential but hes too selfish at the moment and needs to be told this in no uncertain terms

 

[Kroll]

280 is a very poor score, especially at home and against minnows, but if there is a mitigating factor, we can say its the first ODI the team have played for a long time.

 

[Shafi]

Misbah brand of cricket is back. Just meander along for 40 overs and then hit out in the last 10.



It took so much effort on Mickey's part to bring us to the 21st century only for this shameless Misbah to take us back to the 1980s. When are we going to get rid off him????

May be 2025!!!

 

[Shazzam]

If this approach wins us the game its staying.

 

[Rayyman]

7 straight ODI wins

 

[Kroll]

When the instruction is 'play with caution' then you can only do so much.

Misbah brand of cricket is back. Just meander along for 40 overs and then hit out in the last 10.



It took so much effort on Mickey's part to bring us to the 21st century only for this shameless Misbah to take us back to the 1980s. When are we going to get rid off him????

Agreed, Misbah is just trying to mould the team back to what it was under his captaincy and own image, the 230s/240s score and 270/280 at a push against the lower tiered teams.

 

[Zaz]

Dont let the fact we won hide the fact that it was a poor batting performance n not the aggresive or fast paced performnce we were promised

 

[MenInG]

We asked Babar about the high number of dot balls this in the presser today - his reply:

"Yes, its a matter of concern but there is a certain amount of rustiness as we haven't played an ODI for almost a year; We did get some momentum in the practice game we played but its different when you play against an international side; This is a valid point that we played a lot of dot-balls but I feel that the wicket was a little double-paced, we were trying to score but it wasn't happening for us; However, we finished well although we didn't get to a total that we wished to get but we finished close enough to that target"

 

[Usman Chadda]

How much longer are they going to hide behind the 'rusty' excuse?

 

[Mamoon]

The issue is that we don’t have the ability to put our talk into action.

If things could be achieved by mere words, we would never lose a game.

 

[Mamoon]

Not until the players start playing for the country before they play for themselves.

You dont become Jos Butler by fearing if you will still keep your spot for the next game or the next series.

You don’t become Jos Buttler by doing the opposite either.

Apart from maybe Babar, none of our batsmen are anywhere close to Buttler in terms of raw ability. He is an insanely talented batsman.

If our batsmen start batting like Buttler, we would perish for below par totals against good attacks more often than not.

 

[Zeshan547]

Max we need two consolidators in the innings to hold the innings together Babar and Harris at 90 strike rate

The rest need to be batters who can play potentially at 100 plus strike rate Get fakhar in, haider and khushdil etc

That means the likes of abid, imam are redundant in this day and age

Imam has potential but hes too selfish at the moment and needs to be told this in no uncertain terms

In ideal world this should be our 15 member squad for next year specially in Asian conditions,
1_Fakhar (Aggressive opener +leftie)
2_Haider (Aggressive opener +rightie)
3_Babar (Anchor)
4_Rizwan (can't bat him anywhere else)
5_Hafeez (can up the anti, good vs both spin and fast in middle and end overs)
6_Khushdil ( proper hitter for finishing)
7_Imad (hard hitting all rounder)
8_Shadab (handy bowling all rounder)
9_Wahab ( good death bowler plus no mug with bat)
10_Shaheen ( strike new ball bowler)
11_Rauf ( till we find better replacement)

12_Zafar (back up spinner)
13_Abdullah Shafiq (back up batsman)
14_Fahim (back up seem all rounder)
15_Hasnain (back up fast bowler)
this team can hold its own vs the best in business provide they are given full backing and license to play the modern game, [MENTION=79064]MMHS[/MENTION] and others what's your take, it's not even any out of the box selection, just a little vision and understanding of modern game and any sector worth his salt would pick these guys. But with misbah this will just remain pipe dream.

 

[Zeshan547]

You can swap Amir Yamin or ammad but with Fahim as well, these guys are the closest thing we have as pace all rounder. Fakhar is also on borrowed time but we ain't spoilt for choices for aggressive opener, maybe we can bring back sharjeel,

 

[Zeshan547]

You don’t become Jos Buttler by doing the opposite either.

Apart from maybe Babar, none of our batsmen are anywhere close to Buttler in terms of raw ability. He is an insanely talented batsman.

If our batsmen start batting like Buttler, we would perish for below par totals against good attacks more often than not.

but we have to do with what we got, and the team i listed above can easily score 300 on modern ODI phatas even vs better bowling line ups, but even than the raw ability the bigger problem is mindset and fear of failure. And we don't even try to change.

 

[Saj]

Let's be honest most of our current players are not the aggressive type.

Also Babar isn't exactly the aggressive, in your face type of cricketer.

The only aggression I saw today was a bit from Haris Sohail, some from Imad Wasim and with the ball from Wahab and Shaheen.

 

[Zeshan547]

Let's be honest most of our current players are not the aggressive type.

Also Babar isn't exactly the aggressive, in your face type of cricketer.

The only aggression I saw today was a bit from Haris Sohail, some from Imad Wasim and with the ball from Wahab and Shaheen.

[MENTION=9]Saj[/MENTION] agree we don't have butlers and stokes of this world but sadly we are not even getting full out of why we have, the few better ones we have we don't even select them or if select play them in wrong format position or scenario.

 

[shamaan]

Just look at the top 5. All bat at one pace. What were you expecting?

Exactly only 3 at most should he playing out of them five

 

[shamaan]

Pakistan got away with this one if it wasnt for shaheen we would have lost.thier was also no defining roles for the players.only 2 positions should be for anchors or 3 at most.fakhar and Haider and khushdil shouldn't brought into the team. Fakhar for abid haider for imaam and khushdil for iftikhar shadab for Ashraf

 

[shamaan]

We asked Babar about the high number of dot balls this in the presser today - his reply:

"Yes, its a matter of concern but there is a certain amount of rustiness as we haven't played an ODI for almost a year; We did get some momentum in the practice game we played but its different when you play against an international side; This is a valid point that we played a lot of dot-balls but I feel that the wicket was a little double-paced, we were trying to score but it wasn't happening for us; However, we finished well although we didn't get to a total that we wished to get but we finished close enough to that target"

When your captain says we finished close to the target it shows that the roles defined was inline with the captain and coach and only fell short about 15 runs

 

[Mamoon]

but we have to do with what we got, and the team i listed above can easily score 300 on modern ODI phatas even vs better bowling line ups, but even than the raw ability the bigger problem is mindset and fear of failure. And we don't even try to change.

But the bowling lineup will concede 350. We scored 320+ regularly against England in the series before the World Cup but still got blanked.

The bottom-line is that we will continue to lose against the top teams 8/10 times even if we pick the team that you’re suggesting.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

Get rid of Misbah first. We were progressing under Mickey. Things were changing slowly and gradually. Intention to change was there but ever since Misbah sacked him and stole his job we have gone back to our old ways.

Exactly. There was a significant change and progress under Mickey. He addressed the dot ball syndrome effectively. Similar to today’s inns Pak were batting the same way when Mickey took over the coaching role they were playing 140 - 160 dot balls every game.

And the most % of dot balls come from the first 30 overs he broke that even more and identified that it was shehzad, Azhar Ali in the first 15 and Hafeez in the next 15. Fixed at the top with Fakhar,Imam and Babar, when it was Azhar Ali, Shehzad , Hafeez , he did this 1-2 years time and the output results where Pak started scoring 320+ runs quite often.

Now since Misbah taken it they are regressing back to Misbah days slowly, tdy against Zimbabwe they struggled to reach 250 at one point finally with some sixes from Imad they crawled to 280.



Not old ways , going back to Misbah days

 

[Saj]

[MENTION=9]Saj[/MENTION] agree we don't have butlers and stokes of this world but sadly we are not even getting full out of why we have, the few better ones we have we don't even select them or if select play them in wrong format position or scenario.

You don't always need Buttlers or Stokes. Sometimes positive intent and a better approach is what's needed.

Currently there is a fear of failure in Pakistan cricket and that's holding a lot of players back.

 

[Zaz]

In ideal world this should be our 15 member squad for next year specially in Asian conditions,
1_Fakhar (Aggressive opener +leftie)
2_Haider (Aggressive opener +rightie)
3_Babar (Anchor)
4_Rizwan (can't bat him anywhere else)
5_Hafeez (can up the anti, good vs both spin and fast in middle and end overs)
6_Khushdil ( proper hitter for finishing)
7_Imad (hard hitting all rounder)
8_Shadab (handy bowling all rounder)
9_Wahab ( good death bowler plus no mug with bat)
10_Shaheen ( strike new ball bowler)
11_Rauf ( till we find better replacement)

12_Zafar (back up spinner)
13_Abdullah Shafiq (back up batsman)
14_Fahim (back up seem all rounder)
15_Hasnain (back up fast bowler)
this team can hold its own vs the best in business provide they are given full backing and license to play the modern game, [MENTION=79064]MMHS[/MENTION] and others what's your take, it's not even any out of the box selection, just a little vision and understanding of modern game and any sector worth his salt would pick these guys. But with misbah this will just remain pipe dream.

Thats decent and close to what i would have as a first 11 although rizwan is a problem Is he good enough to bat at 4 at an avge of 40? Im not sure yet

His position as a wkt keeper bat who cant play in multiple gears is a problem

 

[Zaz]

[MENTION=9]Saj[/MENTION] agree we don't have butlers and stokes of this world but sadly we are not even getting full out of why we have, the few better ones we have we don't even select them or if select play them in wrong format position or scenario.

Very True At least pick the best we have Thats the bare minimum we should be doing and we are not

 

[Kaddy]

IMO a clear message should be given to Imam ul Haq to improve his strike rate, if he wants to play ODis for Pakistan.

His 52(73) types of innings will not help Pakistan in the long run especially against quality oppositions.

If we remove Zimbabwe from his ODis stats, his strike rate is below 80, which is poor in this era where most of the good batsmen of the world have strike rate close to 90.

Furthermore, this strategy of 'save your wickets till 40th over and then blast the opposition in last 10 overs' needs to be changed as it is too risky in this era. You will lose more matches with this strategy than you win.

Last thing, playing Abid Ali in ODis doesn't have any logic. There is very little chance that he will play 2023 world cup as his actual age is clearly 35+. So in his place, a chance should be given to anyone who can play 2023 world cup for Pakistan.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Imam is sadly an upgraded ahmed shehzad who scores more than him. Takes a bit too much time to get going. Doesn't progress through gears on slow wickets.
Abid hasn't done much wrong since starting his ODI career but sometimes you have to take a punt and I think Haider Ali should be preferred over him.
I don't think Fakhar is going to improve much. And on his off days he will look like a fish out of water.
Only no.3 and no.4 inspire confidence. Babar and Haris can consolidate as well as up the ante with time.
After no.4 though, our batting line up inspire very little confidence with very one dimensional batters except maybe Imad(as he is the only thing close to we have a finisher or sort of).

Shaheen like I have been saying for a while is a few levels above all other pacers in our country.
And he is getting better with match awareness and adaptability. The good thing is he is taking a liking to the yorkers instead of slower ones or the knuckle bowls.
Starc has proved right through his LOI career that fast pinpoint yorker is still the best delivery at the death regardless of conditions or overuse.

Fahim Ashraf is pure trash though.

 

[Saj]

Too many anchors in the team who want to bat 50 overs and for others to take risks and bat around them.

You can't have more than one of this type of player in ODIs and yet we have at least 3 such players.

 

[Zaz]

Too many anchors in the team who want to bat 50 overs and for others to take risks and bat around them.

You can't have more than one of this type of player in ODIs and yet we have at least 3 such players.

This is what the management need to be grilled on at the press conferences as well as the high dot balls percentages

Saj Can you arrange for your contacts to raise these issues to babar and the management at the press conferences?

The only way things will change if the message gets through that pakistan has too many accumulators n plays out too many dot balls all the time

 

[Titan24]

It’s actually not difficult at all to replicate this formula. We have the players available.

Give Haider and Fakhar the opening slots. Babar and Rizwan in to consolidate at 3 and 4. Haris Sohail and Khushdil in next with Shadab promotable to consolidate if early wickets fall. Imad to finish things off.

The problem is the entire approach. We just need the direction to be clear.

I agree it’s definitely not that difficult to give the formula a good try. We have some players who can play such brand of cricket or atleast give it a good try and develop as they play more matches. Also change in the policies at national level passes along pretty quickly to domestic circuit and players try to adapt such kind of play and younger players also try to work on those skills and that creates a ripple effect which produces more such options.

So someone with a clear mindset and direction can definitely help.

 

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

Too many anchors in the team who want to bat 50 overs and for others to take risks and bat around them.

You can't have more than one of this type of player in ODIs and yet we have at least 3 such players.

Clearly the strategy by the coaching staff still seems to be, wickets in hand, then accelerate either after 40 overs OR before, but only if you've reached your 50. This strategy worked wonders ....in 1992. Nearly 30 years on we are still persisting with it, but without the all round bowling attack that allows such an obsolete strategy to work.

The better teams now actively attack Pakistan's bowling, and if the total is anywhere above par, we fail to chase. When we're defending, totals are never enough because of these accumulators you mentioned. I don't want to be a Misbah-phobe but the team's strategy is derived from Misbah including the squads and the teams he selects. And what we are seeing is just stodgy uninspiring fare.

Alternatively, I point you to a interview Hussain Talat did for the PCB YouTube channel following his 253 in the QEA trophy (and his improved performances in the national t20). He mentioned how the Southern Punjab coach Abdur Rahman told him," I don't care if u get out first ball, if the balls there to be hit, back yourself to hit it". Trevor Bayliss had a similar approach when he helped transform the England white ball teams.

What the PCB top brass have to ask themselves is, has Misbah, since taking charge in September 2019 (and in his PSL stint) shown any indication of a progressive mindset change in Pakistani players? Aside from giving Shadab leadership opportunities, I can't remember one instance where he's gotten more out of a player than expected. Yes, ultimately the players have to perform but they need both the man management and the technical refinement via the coaching staff to be greater than the sum of their parts. And Misbah, on a year's evidence hasn't shown much to look forward to.

 

[shamaan]

IMO a clear message should be given to Imam ul Haq to improve his strike rate, if he wants to play ODis for Pakistan.

His 52(73) types of innings will not help Pakistan in the long run especially against quality oppositions.

If we remove Zimbabwe from his ODis stats, his strike rate is below 80, which is poor in this era where most of the good batsmen of the world have strike rate close to 90.

Furthermore, this strategy of 'save your wickets till 40th over and then blast the opposition in last 10 overs' needs to be changed as it is too risky in this era. You will lose more matches with this strategy than you win.

Last thing, playing Abid Ali in ODis doesn't have any logic. There is very little chance that he will play 2023 world cup as his actual age is clearly 35+. So in his place, a chance should be given to anyone who can play 2023 world cup for Pakistan.

I disagree imaam role is to bat throw he needs a Bateman who can play shots yes today he showed have batted more positively becouse he is the senior bateman out of the two.but the management should be blamed for picking the wrong team imaam has a very good average similar to babar I belive.haider ali or even fakhar should be opening

 

[shamaan]

I think misbah is to blame he selected the wrong team and didnt have any defining roles for the Bateman pakistan had 5 players who bat similar we should at most have 2-3
Accumlators one being babar another being rizwan he should also open the batting or bat at 4 no were else suites him.misbah is worried about his job and has gone with a safety approach

 

[Shafi]

Misbah is the master piece of fooling fans and keep doing the same thing again and again. He fooled people during his playing years as captain and now doing as a coach.

Mani:::
Someone earlier said Mani wanted Misbah to keep all his job means that guy is dazed and don't know the difference between reality and dream can be fooled many times.

Wasim Khan:
May be understood his mistake but doesn't want to admit because it may cost his job for being incompetent.

Imran Khan:
Appointed Misbah from behind the scene must be fooled as well but keep silence due to family tie (Distant cousin).

Fans:
We are doomed and have to be happy with 250-270 runs or even lower in future with some individual liking to support our team.