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Are we overvaluing batting strike rate in T20s at the cost of actual match-winning impact?

Cricket Warrior

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In today’s T20 game, strike rate has become the hot topic... it’s like the ultimate badge of honour for batters. Score quick or go home right? Players are hyped up purely on how fast they score even when the match context gets totally ignored.

But here’s something to think about... are we getting too obsessed with strike rate and forgetting about actual match-winning impact? Like would you rather have a guy who smashes 60 off 30 in a losing cause or someone who scores 55 off 42 and guides the team through a tricky chase?

Does everyone need to bat at 150+ these days or is there still room for players who can absorb pressure, play smart cricket, and actually win you games?

What matters more to you as a fan... strike rate, the situation or who steps up when it really counts?
 
Strike-rate is very important in T20. But, it is not everything.

You also have to score some runs.

I think a T20 batter ideally need to have a strike-rate of 135+ and an average of 30+. That would be the model T20 batting records.
 
Are you KL Rahul in disguise lol

FqoF3fvWIAADUTp.jpg:large
 
Going by the OP question,

You should say the innings of Farhan and Fakhar were more important than Harris’s innings. Would you say that?
seems like Pakistan is over trying these days to play modern day cricket...Inning of Fakhar and Farhan were also good in the context of the game... but both Saim and Salman Ali Agha threw their wickets away while playing a wild slog... there has to be some controlled aggression. You cant just walk in and start slogging everything just to prove you belong in some strike rate bracket.
 
seems like Pakistan is over trying these days to play modern day cricket...Inning of Fakhar and Farhan were also good in the context of the game... but both Saim and Salman Ali Agha threw their wickets away while playing a wild slog... there has to be some controlled aggression. You cant just walk in and start slogging everything just to prove you belong in some strike rate bracket.
Salman Agha lost his wicket being double minded. He wasn’t expecting a full toss first ball and when he saw one, he felt it should be sent…. He wanted to take a single first ball but got a full toss.

If you are in the mindset to hit out, you will send that kind of ball to the stands.

Pakistan have to try and be positive. It’s the only way forward. We’ve tried the mixed+conservative approach for far too long. It does us no good. We are better off aiming for the stars and falling on the moon, instead of looking to head only to the moon anyways.

Against India on Sunday, you will see this. A score of 160 batting first will not be enough. If that’s what you are simply aiming for, forget it.

We lose the toss, we bat first….well we can be 120 all out in 15 overs for all I care. But we should aim for 180+

We have come a long way from that 14-4 day when we started this journey. It’s been a hard but fruitful toil. Pakistan cricket is back to being unpredictable, and not predictably crap anymore.
 
seems like Pakistan is over trying these days to play modern day cricket...Inning of Fakhar and Farhan were also good in the context of the game... but both Saim and Salman Ali Agha threw their wickets away while playing a wild slog... there has to be some controlled aggression. You cant just walk in and start slogging everything just to prove you belong in some strike rate bracket.
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That isn’t throwing his wicket away. The bowler could bowl same ball pitching exactly on the same length and it probably wouldn’t have stayed that low.

These are guys that practice in the nets almost every day, Saim would’ve picked up the length and probably played the right shot, no one could’ve expected it to stay that low.
 
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That isn’t throwing his wicket away. The bowler could bowl same ball pitching exactly on the same length and it probably wouldn’t have stayed that low.

These are guys that practice in the nets almost every day, Saim would’ve picked up the length and probably played the right shot, no one could’ve expected it to stay that low.
but surley not to be played on the very first ball of the match u are facing...
 
Higher strike rates are key to success in T20 cricket. All top teams are filled with such batsmen.

Pakistani batsmen are still conservative and will have to play more freely going forward. Ofcourse that is not easy when fans are accustomed to Misbah mentality and are quick to label 'tulla' whenever a batsman attempts to dominate bowlers.

We have won 11 out of 15 T20Is since Hesson took over so this approach is working.
 
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That isn’t throwing his wicket away. The bowler could bowl same ball pitching exactly on the same length and it probably wouldn’t have stayed that low.

These are guys that practice in the nets almost every day, Saim would’ve picked up the length and probably played the right shot, no one could’ve expected it to stay that low.
At least judge the conditions (the pitch, the bowler's pace and length), knock it around for a couple of balls (no one is saying play dot balls) before attempting a wild swish like that. You can defend it but most people would call it reckless batting.
 
I think eng today will say otherwise. The SR was so high, opposition could not even compete from ball 1
 
I think eng today will say otherwise. The SR was so high, opposition could not even compete from ball 1
The same England would struggle to score 150 in Asia against quality spinners.

Bazball is not one size fits all..
 
Same lineup struggled in the India series earlier this year (Varun C MoS) as well as vs India in the 2024 semi (Axar MoM).

England also lost the T20 series 0-3 in Bangladesh.

England's approach is likely to work on flat pitches mostly. They may not find success on sluggish surfaces.
 
The same England would struggle to score 150 in Asia against quality spinners.

Bazball is not one size fits all..
But isn't the kind of approach pakistan tries to copy? Keep attacking. You don't always play every match at the UAE. There may be times where you will be playing on roads and you don't stop attacking. Australia with the same approach has been doing very well this year.
 
The same England would struggle to score 150 in Asia against quality spinners.

Bazball is not one size fits all..
Even in recent days vs aus t20 series, aus lost a match and Maxwell saved another match in sluggish conditions. U need both set of batsmen .Atleast a batsman with good technique( like kohli who can switch gears) may be at 3 .u can push him down if the pitch is road.
 
Even in recent days vs aus t20 series, aus lost a match and Maxwell saved another match in sluggish conditions. U need both set of batsmen .Atleast a batsman with good technique( like kohli who can switch gears) may be at 3 .u can push him down if the pitch is road.
True. sluggish or not. You are bound to have a filthy over here and there you can take advantage of. Also you will get some rubbish balls from time to time from inconsistent bowlers. During the period when West Indies dominated and won the world cup, they had Simmons and Samuels who played dual roles. In 2016 final chasing 155 West Indies was 11/3 at one point.
 
England's game might put doubts in people's mind about it.. But it is a once in a blue moon type game...300 is not scored every days... you might see 230-240 more and more though.

If you expect that Pakistan is gonna score that much, I will say that is impossible 99% of the times.. Strike rate is important but 4 runs off 2 balls means nothing for a team... Context matters
 
Pakistan have hit 153 sixes in T20Is in 2025, the most they have ever hit in a calendar year.

Keep going! 200+ sixes by the end of this year InshaAllah!
Pakistan six against Oman in PP= 1 20 overs = 3
Oman six against Pakistan in PP = 2, 17 overs= 3

:klopp :kp
 
Strike rates determine impact in white ball cricket. Even in ODI cricket. There's a reason why Pakistan and South Africa were always second best to Australia in the 90's and early 00's.in ODI World Cups. And there's a reason why IND, SA and NZ kept coming short in the years after that.

The Aussies dominated because they had high strike rate batsmen throughout the lineup while the others had too many slow pokes in the middle.
 
SR is overrated because the primary job of a batsman is to score runs. Ideally, you would want both, but a high average/moderate SR batsman is significantly better than a low average/high SR batsman.
 
At least judge the conditions (the pitch, the bowler's pace and length), knock it around for a couple of balls (no one is saying play dot balls) before attempting a wild swish like that. You can defend it but most people would call it reckless batting.

I would agree with you if it was a 50 over game, but this is T20 cricket.

You go from ball 1, we bat deep which allows our top order to take risks.
 
Nowadays in most T20 leagues the broadcaster doesn’t even show the average of the batter when they come to the crease. They only show strike rate.
 
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This has always been an issue since 2011.

But interestingly, post 2020, this has become the way to keep your spot in the team.

If you hit 50 runs off 45 balls, and not able to win cause of no partners, you can get dropped.

But if you are a player who hits 2 sixes and gets out in 5 balls, you will be given more matches just for those 2 sixes.

The good thing about this is players are allowed now to play freely and are given tooo many chances.

The bad thing is that, players throw their wickets dont take responsibility and they end up relieving themselves of the pressure and responsibility and more responsibility falls on the guy who plays proper cricket.

Look at Asif Ali, Haider Ali and Iftikhar. Back in the day, their poor performance wouldnt even get them more than 3 games in pakistan colors and now they each have played more than 30 games for Pakistan.
 
Nowadays in most T20 leagues the broadcaster doesn’t even show the average of the batter when they come to the crease. They only show strike rate.
Lol thats because those are t20 leaugues not t20i.

Players have more than 200 games in their t20 career that the avg never shows a proper picture of the player. The person could be playing t20 since 2015 but only improved after 2022.
 
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SR is overrated because the primary job of a batsman is to score runs. Ideally, you would want both, but a high average/moderate SR batsman is significantly better than a low average/high SR batsman.
The SR here are used as propoganda.

If someone doesnt like xyz player they will use the SR excuse. But than why not use the same standard for other players or your favourites.

Before 2019 we used to hear the same bs around here, while no one had an issue with Ahmad Shezads SR and same is now happening with Fakhar Zaman.

People will cry about Babars SR but than Fakhars SR is not an issue
 
I think eng today will say otherwise. The SR was so high, opposition could not even compete from ball 1
The same England were on route to lose the 2019 world cup final. Both teams that day needed some mature batting to survive and get to that infamous score
 
The same England were on route to lose the 2019 world cup final. Both teams that day needed some mature batting to survive and get to that infamous score
Mature batting but they needed the players to explode in the last few overs to even tie the match.

They needed that explosive lineup to even make it into the knockouts.
 
You need set of players that cannot be contained. For instance Mitch Marsh as brutal hitter as he is he can be contained with spin. He ends up with series of dot balls. If you have someone at other end who can bail him out that is a perfect scenario. That is how they are using Inglis right now.
 
I can kill this thread with one simple example.

Misbah vs Shahid Afridi in ODIs. I don’t rate Misbah as an ODI batsman, but only a complete helmet would argue that Shahid Afridi was a better ODI batsman than him, even though his SR was 43 points higher.
 
GUYS, DO YOU WANT TO GET BANNED???

IF NO, THEN WATCH WHAT YOU ARE WRITING ON THIS FORUM
 
Strike rate is very cruical in T20I's

Any team cannot afford more than 2 batsmens with 120 Strike rate, even if their average is more than 35. They will consume about 10 overs to score 70 odd Runs, Rest of all the Batting line up with remaining 5 batters (ignoring no 8, 9, 10 & 11) have to perform out of their skin to score at an average strike rate of 160 plus with an avarage of 20 to reach a compititive total of 170. (Which seems to be highly unlikely to score that much for remaining batters in every outing)

So a Batsmen with 160+ strike rate, even if the average is 20-25, is more valuable than the one with 120 Strike rate and 35+ Average
 
Pakistan is stuck in a dilemma where the guys who have the ability to average high have useless strike-rates that makes sure we lose games to associates.

On the other hand we have batters who can play at decent strike-rates but average nothing and are mostly hit-or-miss.

Nothing in between, would still prefer having players who score quicker as that gives us the maximum opportunity. Rizwan or Babar scoring 45-ball 50s in T20 cricket leaves you with nothing to defend more often than not.
 
I can kill this thread with one simple example.

Misbah vs Shahid Afridi in ODIs. I don’t rate Misbah as an ODI batsman, but only a complete helmet would argue that Shahid Afridi was a better ODI batsman than him, even though his SR was 43 points higher.
Those are 2 extremes. Misbah was a terrible ODI batsman. In fact, that entire lineup of Pakistan was poor from around 2009 till 2015.
 
Strike rate in T20 cricket is definitely a very important factor. Those who deny this fact simply don't have enough knowledge/understanding about the game.
 
I can kill this thread with one simple example.

Misbah vs Shahid Afridi in ODIs. I don’t rate Misbah as an ODI batsman, but only a complete helmet would argue that Shahid Afridi was a better ODI batsman than him, even though his SR was 43 points higher.
Misbah was a better Odi batsmen then Shahid Afridi? I don't think Misbah would even claim that 🤣🤣.

Misbah is a very good test batsmen. He gets alot of flack but I like him as a test batter. In odi he's a massive fraud.

Their is no comparison besides a very fradulent avg that wouldn't exist if Misbah remotely attempted to play according to the situation.

Rizwan gets alot of flack but even he has won games for Pakistan if hes kicked off such as Sri Lanka wc 2023. Misbah has a total tally of 0.

Shahid Afridi has more runs, more centuries, more match wins, was significantly better at the top order, nore records etc etc.

Misbah is probably the worst player to every avg 40+ in whiteball history. The greatest night watchman of all time in white-ball.
 
It’s not but most of the time poor strike rate is down to poor batting stability in our case. We struggle to last the full overs in Odis and t20s. Thus a lot of the time our strike rate lowers either during a batting collapse or trying to prevent one as we can’t afford to lose more wickets. It’s much easier for other teams to strike quicker if they have faith in their whole batting line up. Thats why you can’t really fill your line up with low average high sr players, it doesn’t work. Most countries have a top order with healthy averages and good strike rates. And then have a middle/lower order of guys with lower averages but extreme SR. They don’t hit out with their openers and then have their more dependable batsmen come middle order. Because if they set up that way, middle order would be forced to consolidate than hit out.

A lot of the time we’re crying about strike rates. But really I’ve seen time and time again we struggle to last full overs. Strike rate has diminished importance if you can’t last the entire overs, as you’re wasting overs anyway.

Can see Hesson is trying to fix this issue by playing a pace allrounder in the third pacer slot.

But it’s also why I think Agha feels unsuited coming down the order. The type of game he plays is more required at 3. Yet he plays down the order as better against spin. Just means he feels unsuited in this line up. I think we had the same issue with Malik in the past. Even Misbah too. The stabilisation that in theory they would provide was often too late in the innings.

Really the order should be first fix the batting stability with consistent performers. And then slowly remove them when you can afford to add the odd hitter instead to an already strong batting line up, or even better you’ve found guys that are able to do both.

Thats why I think a pairing for Farhan and Saim who score at pretty high averages in domestic is a better opening partnership, than say guys like Haris opening who can potentially score quicker at less reliability. I also think we need someone more reliable at 3. When we’ve got a consistent performing top 3, it’s much easier to fill the rest of the line up with less reliable aggressive batsmen who will also likely better perform as a result as they’ll be coming in to a solid platform and not a collapse.
 
Pakistan is stuck in a dilemma where the guys who have the ability to average high have useless strike-rates that makes sure we lose games to associates.

On the other hand we have batters who can play at decent strike-rates but average nothing and are mostly hit-or-miss.

Nothing in between, would still prefer having players who score quicker as that gives us the maximum opportunity. Rizwan or Babar scoring 45-ball 50s in T20 cricket leaves you with nothing to defend more often than not.
Well that’s the thing it was always potential. In reality they didn’t score fast those low average high potential strike rate players as they didn’t consistently get bat onto ball. It was just swinging and missing or desperately trying to stay in. So at least I’d take the consistent performers. We never really had that choice really between actual high sr low average batsmen.

I think the issue in t20 as it actually requires a lot of natural talent. You can’t simply just apply yourself and dig in, which especially you can do in tests. It is a rare ability to be able to be comfortable new to the crease and hit. And I don’t think it’s easily learnt either. Thus most teams have a limited amount of talent that is able to reliably do this.

We’ve had some of this talent. Sharjeel was probably the most gifted in this, yet ruined his career with fixing and poor fitness. Umar akmal had it but didn’t properly develop/fitness issues. Kamran akmal looked pretty talented which is why he did well in PSL, but it took him to reinvent himself as a batsman in domestic first after he stopped becoming an international regular anymore. I personally think Azam khan too is pretty talented, you can see he strikes cleaner in PSL and domestic than say Haris does. Even against Ireland, he did well. But at his weight he can’t handle international cricket. Afridi probably had more potential as a t20 batsman given ability, but I won’t be too harsh on him as an allrounder I think he’s one of the greatest t20 players ever regardless. Hafeez had natural stroke play and when on song looked great. Unfortunately only finally figured it out late in his career coming down the order and just figuring out how to play aggressive (he attributes it to golf lol). Always knew he was an unfulfilled talent in his earlier career. And Fakhar, who in t20s I think his issues would have been solved had he come in middle order due to his struggles in the opening overs.

Maybe there were more but those are the ones I can think of top of my head. They all didn’t need to put too much effort, power came effortless to them. It wasn’t just swinging and missing. And I think that’s talent. But just ruined due to fitness, fixing, mismanagement. You never get many talented players so it’s important to maximise the talent of those you do have.

I don’t think Saim has an effortless power game despite being a gifted batsman and I think it’s part of the reason he’s failing. He’s stuck in two minds, maybe trying to become something he’s not. I think he is more suited to becoming a reliable consistent performer at top. Haris I think has intent but he just doesn’t have the talent. Farhan I think is a hard worker and has tried to reinvent himself,but doesn’t look natural at the crease. Hasan Nawaz probably looks the most talented in terms of effortless power game, but it’s still early days. The rest I don’t see much. Hopefully we’ll see more talent arise. Until then we do the best with what we have whether they’re talented or not, we back them. It’s also why I think it’s important to have more PSL teams so we give more opportunity for this to happen.
 
Misbah was a better Odi batsmen then Shahid Afridi? I don't think Misbah would even claim that 🤣🤣.

Misbah is a very good test batsmen. He gets alot of flack but I like him as a test batter. In odi he's a massive fraud.

Their is no comparison besides a very fradulent avg that wouldn't exist if Misbah remotely attempted to play according to the situation.

Rizwan gets alot of flack but even he has won games for Pakistan if hes kicked off such as Sri Lanka wc 2023. Misbah has a total tally of 0.

Shahid Afridi has more runs, more centuries, more match wins, was significantly better at the top order, nore records etc etc.

Misbah is probably the worst player to every avg 40+ in whiteball history. The greatest night watchman of all time in white-ball.
That’s absurd.

Afridi wouldn’t make a single ODI team ahead of misbah as a pure batsman. However, I will probably take him over Misbah as an overall player. Afridi the all-rounder is more valuable than Misbah the ODI batsman.
 
That’s absurd.

Afridi wouldn’t make a single ODI team ahead of misbah as a pure batsman. However, I will probably take him over Misbah as an overall player. Afridi the all-rounder is more valuable than Misbah the ODI batsman.
It's not absurd. Most sides wouldn't mind trying Afridi out as a tulla opener rather then having Misbah as a pure batter in their playing 11.

Misbah was completely clueless vs Pace. He was only good once the ball got old but even then his front foot was non existent. He had a good back foot and hence could pull well and play that backfoot cut shot as well and he still had a good defensive technique both front foot and backfoot.

To top it off he was tall, muscular and had power. Same case with spinners where he was useless on the front foot but had a strong backfoot and the raw power to clear the rope.

This was why he was extremely limited as a batsmen and so absurdly slow as a player. But its also why he was extremely good in test cricket.

Due to having a good defensive technique and bowlers typically bowling short and waist high in test to get an edge on slip misbah capitalised and even played some fast knocks for test standards.

Bit his whiteball game was extremely exposed in odi ans t20 and he hid behind a crappie team propaganda.

He used the excuse that all players were walking wickets which is why he played the way he did.

However this was false, against Zimbabwe every player performed and Pakistan were under no pressure yet Misbah scored 3 of 22 lol.

Similarly their wasn't much pressure in Mohali either yet Misbah essentially played a night watch man innings.

Their wasnt any pressure in his final t20 game where he completely lost the game and the situation was so bad that pcb forced him to retire as they cannot carry a 96 SR batter in the middle order in t20 cricket.
 
Misbah was a better Odi batsmen then Shahid Afridi? I don't think Misbah would even claim that 🤣🤣.

Misbah is a very good test batsmen. He gets alot of flack but I like him as a test batter. In odi he's a massive fraud.

Their is no comparison besides a very fradulent avg that wouldn't exist if Misbah remotely attempted to play according to the situation.

Rizwan gets alot of flack but even he has won games for Pakistan if hes kicked off such as Sri Lanka wc 2023. Misbah has a total tally of 0.

Shahid Afridi has more runs, more centuries, more match wins, was significantly better at the top order, nore records etc etc.

Misbah is probably the worst player to every avg 40+ in whiteball history. The greatest night watchman of all time in white-ball.
Wait so you are saying shahid afridi was a better batsman than Misbah?
 
Wait so you are saying shahid afridi was a better batsman than Misbah?
Better batsmen overall? Hell no.

But Afridi performed way better then Misbah did in Whiteball and has a better career.

But as a pure batsmen no since Afridi is a certified Tulla.

Misbah for all his worth in Whiteball makes up for it in test which is afridi cant mimick
 
Rizwan > Misbah > Maxwell :riz:misbah
Jokes aside their is no comparison between these 3. Virtually none.

Even die hard Misbah fans should be ashamed of even making ........., nvm just forget I said anything, it's not like what I say matters to Van Goh.
 
Jokes aside their is no comparison between these 3. Virtually none.

Even die hard Misbah fans should be ashamed of even making ........., nvm just forget I said anything, it's not like what I say matters to Van Goh.
Let’s hear what @Major says

He thought he was being smart jumping off Mamoon’s dumb comparison
 
Let’s hear what @Major says

He thought he was being smart jumping off Mamoon’s dumb comparison
You have to be an absolute bloody idiot who lacks virtually all brain cells to make such a comparison and outright agree with it.

Misbah vs Inzimam is one thing as theirs a point to be had about inzi's icc tournament performances, Granted the original premises was still stupid due to 1992 + the argument was about atg team not tournament performances.

Rizwan > any keeper from AU excluding Gilly? Again Whatever.

This is just ...... oh wait nvm I forgot we have joginder sharma vs Akhtar as well. So their are worse out their lol.
 
Pakistan is stuck in a dilemma where the guys who have the ability to average high have useless strike-rates that makes sure we lose games to associates.

On the other hand we have batters who can play at decent strike-rates but average nothing and are mostly hit-or-miss.

Nothing in between, would still prefer having players who score quicker as that gives us the maximum opportunity. Rizwan or Babar scoring 45-ball 50s in T20 cricket leaves you with nothing to defend more often than not.

Hesson is changing the culture of the T20 team, he wants the team filled with low average but high SR impact players and wants to build a team where batsmen will play their shots regardless of the loss of early wickets. There is no place for Babar or Rizwan unless they evolve their game
 
Hesson is changing the culture of the T20 team, he wants the team filled with low average but high SR impact players and wants to build a team where batsmen will play their shots regardless of the loss of early wickets. There is no place for Babar or Rizwan unless they evolve their game
Babar or Rizwan should not make a comeback until they show they have shed their selfish nature.

I’m not so sure about this batting line-up’s quality though against good teams. We have struggled to hit out because of lack of skill, rather than intent. Look at the likes of Nissanka, they don’t need to take high risks to score at a good rate and can do so with proper cricketing strokes.

We either have selfish individuals like Babar or Rizwan, or these low quality high SR players.
 
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