PCB, Selectors and our captains have made an unfortunate history out of selecting and playing guys in the wrong format or at the wrong position.
One of the many such blunders is the case of Fawad Alam. He got to play some limited overs cricket, where he was repeatedly criticized for being slow. And the format where he should have been, tests, he was simply not there. Now the time may have passed for him, which is really sad.
Then, Mr. Professor, he should have started playing in the middle order a decade ago, but we kept on trying to make an opener out of a person who just didn't have that aptitude. Anyone remember Steyn vs. Hafeez encounters? They were embarrassing. See the surge in his performances after he has dropped down the order?
And I'll say the same for Imam ul huq. It's great to see him score runs in ODIs. But you don't select every 11 thinking of avoiding a collapse even before the match has started. I mean you need a mix of aggression and defence in your tactics. The real question to ask is, will any other top team in the world play Imam as their opener? If the answer is no, then we are doing something wrong.
What can I say about Sarfaraz Ahmed? If I had the authority, I'd have him play as an opener with Fakhar. Yes, because isn't that the position he played on in WC 2015, and how did he do there? You need to analyze his game and range of shots to understand this. He doesn't muscle the cherry out of the ground, he pierces gaps, runs quick, doesn't play too many dots and can manage a SR of 100 from ball one. And this move opens up slots for batsmen in the lower order who would actually have a power game. Sarfaraz is simply hiding himself in the lineup when he bat's at 7. Again, this is done for him to be a "Savior" if need be. Negative thinking.
Why is our think tank so numb to all of this happening around them? Why isn't such a think picked earlier into a players career before it costs Pakistan a lot? It's baffling to say the least.
Many more cases like these. Many players are not selected at the right time, dropped when they should have been persisted with. I hope this changes sooner than later.
One of the many such blunders is the case of Fawad Alam. He got to play some limited overs cricket, where he was repeatedly criticized for being slow. And the format where he should have been, tests, he was simply not there. Now the time may have passed for him, which is really sad.
Then, Mr. Professor, he should have started playing in the middle order a decade ago, but we kept on trying to make an opener out of a person who just didn't have that aptitude. Anyone remember Steyn vs. Hafeez encounters? They were embarrassing. See the surge in his performances after he has dropped down the order?
And I'll say the same for Imam ul huq. It's great to see him score runs in ODIs. But you don't select every 11 thinking of avoiding a collapse even before the match has started. I mean you need a mix of aggression and defence in your tactics. The real question to ask is, will any other top team in the world play Imam as their opener? If the answer is no, then we are doing something wrong.
What can I say about Sarfaraz Ahmed? If I had the authority, I'd have him play as an opener with Fakhar. Yes, because isn't that the position he played on in WC 2015, and how did he do there? You need to analyze his game and range of shots to understand this. He doesn't muscle the cherry out of the ground, he pierces gaps, runs quick, doesn't play too many dots and can manage a SR of 100 from ball one. And this move opens up slots for batsmen in the lower order who would actually have a power game. Sarfaraz is simply hiding himself in the lineup when he bat's at 7. Again, this is done for him to be a "Savior" if need be. Negative thinking.
Why is our think tank so numb to all of this happening around them? Why isn't such a think picked earlier into a players career before it costs Pakistan a lot? It's baffling to say the least.
Many more cases like these. Many players are not selected at the right time, dropped when they should have been persisted with. I hope this changes sooner than later.
