Asad Shafiq breaks Sir Gary Sobers' record of most hundreds by a #6 batsman [Update Post #162]

[Slog]

As the stats show he is clearly Pakistan's greatest ever batsman at the no. 6 position. Well oldies might be able to shed on how good Asif Iqbal was

What I was surprised to see is that he is only behind Garry Sobers as far as scoring the most centuries from the no.6 position is concerned. And unless he really messes his career up he should easily suprass the legend



(1000 runs and atleast 40 innings Is the cut off for these stats)

 

[Slog]

I think his average could easily have been inflated if he had more not outs like Shiv

 

[On_the_up]

That's quite a remarkable stat. Surprised at the low number of hundreds from no 6 position generally.

 

[PCP_1]

That's quite a remarkable stat. Surprised at the low number of hundreds from no 6 position generally.

Yes, seems suprisingly low. Could probably be because they interchanged the positions a bit.

 

[Slog]

That's quite a remarkable stat. Surprised at the low number of hundreds from no 6 position generally.

you usually end up stranded on one end or lose your wicket as you are mostly playing with the tail on most occassions

 

[Stallion__]

Thats because when a player performs well at #6, he is brought up higher in the batting order to get the maximum out of him.
Most of the players mentioned in the list have played most of their careers higher than #6.

Shafiq too, may bat higher once Misbah and YK retire.

 

[JibranAnsari]

He will soon surpass sobers.

Misbah and Younis will retire after the australia tour in 2016. After that Shafiq will be promoted to number 4 or 5. Our new number 6 will be Umar Amin I guess.

 

[JibranAnsari]

Saleem Malik was pretty good at number 6 , averaged 56.

 

[Slog]

Yes, seems suprisingly low. Could probably be because they interchanged the positions a bit.

also probably because this is one position where you either move up the order if your performances are very good or if you are an all roundeder or wk and can whack a few you go down to 7 or 8

Gilly I thought batted in this position a lot but turns out he only played 14 innings at no.6 and 75 at no.7

but still great achievement. Asad has more centuries at that position in much lesser number of innings than a lot of legends

 

[JibranAnsari]

Shahid Afridi 3 hundreds in 15 innings at number 6

 

[I Believe in the Teesra]

Shafiq haters:

 

[I Believe in the Teesra]

[MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION]

 

[I Believe in the Teesra]

I do think it's funny that we've been grooming Umar Akmal for the no. 6 slot all these years, and lo and behold, we have statistically the greatest no. 6 in tests ever right under our nose.

 

[Kianig89]

Asad Sobers sorry Sohail Tanvir )

 

[I Believe in the Teesra]

He's also reached this milestone batting 8 few matches than Sobers too. Hope he shatters this record.

 

[11ShadyBrothers]

He will soon surpass sobers.

Misbah and Younis will retire after the australia tour in 2016. After that Shafiq will be promoted to number 4 or 5. Our new number 6 will be Umar Amin I guess.

Say whaaaaaat? Umer amin? did you just pulled the name out of a hat? On what basis? Are you not entertained enough by his classical performances or what? Lmao.

 

[Bullet Drive]

Superb batsman who is underrated due to ODI performances.

 

[axl100mph]

He will soon surpass sobers.

Misbah and Younis will retire after the australia tour in 2016. After that Shafiq will be promoted to number 4 or 5. Our new number 6 will be Umar Amin I guess.

what, amin? mashaallah!

 

[Mamoon]

Like discussed before, his average has been dented by the fact that he has not been allowed to score big. As I gave examples, 4 of his 7 hundreds have come whilst batting with the tail, either saving the match or trying to extend the lead - at the end of each innings, he has been dismissed trying to go after every delivery because he had no choice.

He could easily have converted some of those into a 150 or even a 200, which would have pushed his average to around 46-47. Number 6 is a very difficult position to bat in Tests and has done a tremendous job. Yet, according to some, he has not done enough to be a permanent fixture, which is frankly absurd.

He is getting recognized now and will break into the top 10 rankings soon, but still largely underrated.

In a post-Younis Misbah world, he will probably bat at 4 though.

 

[Mamoon]

In a post-Younis and Misbah world, Haris Sohail has one position nailed down while the other is wide open. Babar Azam is the favorite, but there is a possibility that he might open, which means the likes of Umar, Maqsood, Fawad, Amin and Rizwan etc. will be fighting for that position.

 

[Mamoon]

That's quite a remarkable stat. Surprised at the low number of hundreds from no 6 position generally.

It is really hard to score hundreds from number 6. More often than not, you are either batting with the tail or you are selflessly trying to score quick runs to extend the lead, while you also have to tackle the second new ball.

4 of his 7 hundreds have come with the tail, that is quite a remarkable effort.

 

[Major]

thats one hell of a remarkable stat. Its really hard to score from that position, plus the pressure that needs to be bared while saving the test game

 

[Major]

Unlike Umar, not once has Shafiq cried about batting down the order.

Maybe he doesnt like batting that low, but you have to do something to achieve a better batting position, which shafiq has done, but Umar has never

 

[Theo_14]

Interesting stat.

As mentioned, could easily achieve more but if you reflect back on his matches; the situation has blocked him to achieve big scores. Even his last 100, he needed to rely on the tail to stay with him. This tells me one thing.... The centuries have not come easy, it's not been a comfortable journey for Asad, yet he looks so composed out there. He's a art, angel... I'f I'm to be creative.

I think, in the long term, he should definitely be promoted. I would not mind Azhar Ali opening with Shehzad, then Asad coming in at #3. I can imagine the likes of Haris, Asad and Azhar creating massive long frustrating partnerships.

I just hope these exciting batsmen, along with Umar Amin and Babar Azam can secure county first class contracts; the more they play on non-sub continent pitches, then the better.

 

[cricketworm]

What the heck Ricky Ponting doing in the list! :asad

 

[Mamoon]

^ Used to bat at 6 in the 90's.

 

[Mamoon]

He looks more comfortable first up against spin though, so #3 might not be the best idea, perhaps number 4 - straight into the Younis role.

He plays the late cut vs. spin very well, as well as cutting through the point region - that is his go-to shot, and sets the pace of his innings. I think he'd be more consistent at 4 than he'll be at 3.

 

[Theo_14]

Today's era of fans (though it would include me but I class myself as a old soul) hate Shafiq because of his approach and are too use to the circus of T20 and pure slogging of someone like Mukhtar or Zia.

Truth is, during the Imran Khan era; he would be appreciated a lot more and would thrive in ODI's and overs were longer then. Although, right now, he should not be in the ODI side - I don't agree that negativity regard him should allow us to forget how valuable Asad is in test cricket - let's not forget that he is not only scoring runs, but he is scoring runs in a position, were he also has the responsibility to protect and rely on the tail-enders.

 

[Neferpitou]

He isn't a #3 player. Despite his heroics at #6, he doesn't have the mental fortitude of a #3 and will crumble under pressure.

 

[sh47]

Fantastic achievement; don't think anyone criticises Asad for being a part of the Test team it defies logic. Am glad that the investment in Azar and Asad is starting to pay off after all these years; a rare thing in pakistan cricket...Consistency.

 

[sh47]

I do think it's funny that we've been grooming Umar Akmal for the no. 6 slot all these years, and lo and behold, we have statistically the greatest no. 6 in tests ever right under our nose.

When was Umar being groomed for the no.6 position in Test Cricket all these years? his role has been only one. Slogger in the lower order of the ODI team. One develops more in Test Cricket and he never had that luxury and remained out of favour.

 

[Mamoon]

He is mentally strong and capable of handling pressure, but suffers from lack of confidence.

He is the exact opposite of Shehzad - he's better than he thinks, and that's the main reason why he has failed in ODIs. He needs to exert himself on the bowlers more, play more shots and not worry too much about losing his wicket.

That is one area where he needs to improve.

 

[Stallion__]

He is not an ODI material though.

One of those guys who can score fast in tests (if required), but will struggle to do the same in ODIs. A bit like Rahane.

Not a sort of guy who could pick gaps with accuracy, which one have to do in LOIs, specially through the off side. He range of shots is better through leg side though, still not enough to meet demands of modern day LOIs.

 

[sh47]

He is mentally strong and capable of handling pressure, but suffers from lack of confidence.

He is the exact opposite of Shehzad - he's better than he thinks, and that's the main reason why he has failed in ODIs. He needs to exert himself on the bowlers more, play more shots and not worry too much about losing his wicket.

That is one area where he needs to improve.

The Asad experiment in ODIs has failed best to keep him in the Test team, playing him repeatedly in limited overs may just completely dent his confidence all together and his form in whites may deteriorate; don't want another mentally shell shocked Jamshed.

 

[Neferpitou]

He is mentally strong and capable of handling pressure, but suffers from lack of confidence.

He is the exact opposite of Shehzad - he's better than he thinks, and that's the main reason why he has failed in ODIs. He needs to exert himself on the bowlers more, play more shots and not worry too much about losing his wicket.

That is one area where he needs to improve.

I didn't say he isn't mentally strong. Just that he doesn't have the mental fortitude of a #3, he constantly requires confidence boosters either from seniors or performances. A #3 has unwavering confidence in his ability regardless of the form he's in.

I would keep him at 5 where I think he'd feel most comfortable. He has 3 possible partners there, the new ball will usually be played out and either spin or 2nd change bowlers will be on. It'll help him get off to good starts.

 

[hussain.r97]

He is mentally strong and capable of handling pressure, but suffers from lack of confidence.

He is the exact opposite of Shehzad - he's better than he thinks, and that's the main reason why he has failed in ODIs. He needs to exert himself on the bowlers more, play more shots and not worry too much about losing his wicket.

That is one area where he needs to improve.

This is Shafiq's real issue. He's actually a lot better than he thinks he is, and this is really holding him back. He's becoming his own enemy, and he can really be a much better Test and ODI batsman than he currently is.

 

[hussain.r97]

I didn't say he isn't mentally strong. Just that he doesn't have the mental fortitude of a #3, he constantly requires confidence boosters either from seniors or performances. A #3 has unwavering confidence in his ability regardless of the form he's in.

I would keep him at 5 where I think he'd feel most comfortable. He has 3 possible partners there, the new ball will usually be played out and either spin or 2nd change bowlers will be on. It'll help him get off to good starts.

I think he's gotten past that stage now. He's had a few centuries batting with the seniors in recent times. And also has centuries while making partnerships with the tail. He deserves to be promoted to at least 4 after YK and Misbah are gone, though he should be at #3, while Azhar opens.

 

[hussain.r97]

Brilliant stuff from Shafiq, he's due for a promotion any time soon! It shouldn't have come down to playing enough Tests to break this record, but oh well, now he should break it, and earn his promotion up the order.

 

[Hawkeye]

This is Shafiq's real issue. He's actually a lot better than he thinks he is, and this is really holding him back. He's becoming his own enemy, and he can really be a much better Test and ODI batsman than he currently is.

Him failing in ODIs is mostly due to his inability to score fast in a packed field. He's not cut for the shorter formats, similar to Younis.

In Tests, he indeed needs to become confident now, he has been a permanent part of the Test team and under constant mentoring by Misbah/YK - who are hell confident and can impose their authority AT WILL.

Azhar shows more authority, Asad needs to catch up. I agree with [MENTION=138983]Neferpitou[/MENTION].

 

[Hawkeye]

In this stat, the minimum of 40 innings is a flaw. Should be 20.

This excludes some great finishers/late-order batsmen of the game, one being Mike Hussey.

He's a beast, averaging 51.7 in 26 innings with only 2 not outs and had 5 hundreds. Super stuff.

 

[Slog]

In this stat, the minimum of 40 innings is a flaw. Should be 20.

This excludes some great finishers/late-order batsmen of the game, one being Mike Hussey.

He's a beast, averaging 51.7 in 26 innings with only 2 not outs and had 5 hundreds. Super stuff.

I was looking with perspective of centuries as mentioned in title so list wouldnt have changed.

More than

 

[salman24]

Unlike Umar, not once has Shafiq cried about batting down the order.

Maybe he doesnt like batting that low, but you have to do something to achieve a better batting position, which shafiq has done, but Umar has never

Silly comment. Batting no.6 in areas where you have all the time in the world is totally different to coming down the order in an ODI with very few overs where you are expected to come in and start hitting from the beginning of your innings

 

[Slog]

Silly comment. Batting no.6 in areas where you have all the time in the world is totally different to coming down the order in an ODI with very few overs where you are expected to come in and start hitting from the beginning of your innings

Akmal would have cried abt having to bat with tailenders and facing the second new ball if we lasted long enough

 

[I Believe in the Teesra]

Batting at no. 6 in tests is much harder than batting at no. 6 in ODIs.

 

[hussain.r97]

Him failing in ODIs is mostly due to his inability to score fast in a packed field. He's not cut for the shorter formats, similar to Younis.

In Tests, he indeed needs to become confident now, he has been a permanent part of the Test team and under constant mentoring by Misbah/YK - who are hell confident and can impose their authority AT WILL.

Azhar shows more authority, Asad needs to catch up. I agree with [MENTION=138983]Neferpitou[/MENTION].

It's not the inability to score in a packed field. He can do it if he believes in his ability. Right now, he's overcautious, and that often loses him his wicket. He has the ability, but he lacks belief in it.

 

[yasir]

He is mentally strong and capable of handling pressure, but suffers from lack of confidence.

He is the exact opposite of Shehzad - he's better than he thinks, and that's the main reason why he has failed in ODIs. He needs to exert himself on the bowlers more, play more shots and not worry too much about losing his wicket.

That is one area where he needs to improve.

He does not have power game to be consistent in Odis. In first innings he was batting at 18(87), and struggling like any thing, where as Sarfraz was going 35(30). Sarfraz attacked in the morning to get rid of Herat and Prasad, in next hour that really helped Shafiq, I was worried if Herat keep bowling Shafiq would be gone.

In Odis, neither rotating strike nor hitting boundaries hurts lot more. Even in test, when he was batting with Zulfi, he was hitting more boundaries then Shafiq.

Misbah gets away with that in Odi because of his power slog shots, otherwise it's too much blocking for modern Odi standards.

I still think in last 12-18 months Sarfraz has brought lot of positive energy in our batting line up in test. Now Pakistan is scoring 400+ runs quickly because one guy is scoring 50/100 at run a ball. Otherwise Misbah and Co were eating too much time in blocking, end up draws.

This has helped Azhar and Shafiq to get more runs as well and converts draws into wins. They both have developed good grinding game, but just grinders don't win matches, you need stroke makers to win matches like KP, AB, Clark/Smith, Pounting, Lara etc.




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[11ShadyBrothers]

Batting at no. 6 in tests is much harder than batting at no. 6 in ODIs.

Yeah because batting shafiq on number 6 in ODIs would have been a total disaster as the guy cant hit to save his life if the need to be.

 

[11ShadyBrothers]

He is mentally strong and capable of handling pressure, but suffers from lack of confidence.

He is the exact opposite of Shehzad - he's better than he thinks, and that's the main reason why he has failed in ODIs. He needs to exert himself on the bowlers more, play more shots and not worry too much about losing his wicket.

That is one area where he needs to improve.

I on the contrary completely disagree with you. He is one of those mental midgets in our team. You kinda made an oxymoron statement by saying that he lacks confidence but is mentally strong? What?

There are a lot of areas he needs to improve upon. Should be kept miles away from the ODI team.

 

[Neferpitou]

I think he's gotten past that stage now. He's had a few centuries batting with the seniors in recent times. And also has centuries while making partnerships with the tail. He deserves to be promoted to at least 4 after YK and Misbah are gone, though he should be at #3, while Azhar opens.

He's not cut out to be a #3 no matter how you look at it. He plays best when he is confident. #5 is the ideal spot, usually by then there are runs on the board, the new ball is played out and either spin or 2nd change is on which he is confident against. It'll help him get off to faster starts, once he reaches 30-40 he starts becoming confident and can negotiate any type of bowling.

#3 and #4 are pressure absorbers and I've watched enough of Shafiq to know he isn't one.

 

[kingusama92]

He's very talented, but a 'mental midget' of sorts.

He should have far more confidence in his abilities. We've seen far lesser players than him walk around as if they're the best thing since sliced bread.

It's going to take a match winning knock where he carries the team on his shoulders to let him gain this self-confidence. After this, the floodgates are going to open. He'll score a boatload of runs.

 

[Anfield]

He's very talented, but a 'mental midget' of sorts.

He should have far more confidence in his abilities. We've seen far lesser players than him walk around as if they're the best thing since sliced bread.

It's going to take a match winning knock where he carries the team on his shoulders to let him gain this self-confidence. After this, the floodgates are going to open. He'll score a boatload of runs.

poor performances in ODIs is messing up his confidence. People want him to be dropped in Tests because of ODIs.. that means there is always a sword hanging over him. Management should play him in tests only and tell him repeatedly that his spot in tests is very secured.

 

[Enforcer]

He is mentally strong and capable of handling pressure, but suffers from lack of confidence.

He is the exact opposite of Shehzad - he's better than he thinks, and that's the main reason why he has failed in ODIs. He needs to exert himself on the bowlers more, play more shots and not worry too much about losing his wicket.

That is one area where he needs to improve.

Apparently rahane and shafiq are quite similar. Both underachieved in odis, but terrific in tests.

 

[saeedhk]

Nobody doubted his test credentials. That being said, he is a mediocre in ODIs and probably one of the worst ODI batman ever.

 

[Pete Rose]

Solid.
I watched the innings against Sri Lanka. It's quite peculiar considering that he was not at his most fluent. He ended up with a strike rate of 50 or so and managed not too many boundaries. But he found a way to score.
What I am saying is that his best is still yet to come. His most fluent test innings was the 89 against Australia.

 

[CIG1]

He does not have power game to be consistent in Odis. In first innings he was batting at 18(87), and struggling like any thing, where as Sarfraz was going 35(30). Sarfraz attacked in the morning to get rid of Herat and Prasad, in next hour that really helped Shafiq, I was worried if Herat keep bowling Shafiq would be gone.

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Yeah agreed. Would like to see Shafiq in the ODI's only after he works hard on being able to find the boundaries and strike rotation.

It was an interesting innings - he didn't seem like he was timing the ball at all but still managed to score a century. Shows he has tremendous grit and good technique that allowed him to stay at the crease. Props to him

 

[CIG1]

Also, I might be completely wrong but I have a feeling his poor ODI run has caused his lack of self-confidence. So until he starts being able to score fluidly (ie timing the ball well, finding the gaps etc) in Tests, would I bring him into the ODI squad.

I was only able to catch Shafiq batting up until he was on around 60 at a strike rate of 30, not sure how he progressed after that.

 

[uberkoen]

Asad Shafiq will be the new Younis Khan. Will be a legendary test player but a horrible ODI player.

He really needs to focus on tests and forget about ODI's.

 

[Abhilash93]

I thought Laxman had a few of them at no. 6. But found out that he has only 5 tons at no.6 (& 6 tons at no.5)

Batting with the tail is a really tricky job. Well done Shafiq!

 

[#GreenRoars]

MashALLAH that's solid. in next test he should surpass Sir Gary.

 

[hussain.r97]

Yeah agreed. Would like to see Shafiq in the ODI's only after he works hard on being able to find the boundaries and strike rotation.

It was an interesting innings - he didn't seem like he was timing the ball at all but still managed to score a century. Shows he has tremendous grit and good technique that allowed him to stay at the crease. Props to him

He doesn't need to work on his skill. He needs to start believing in himself. He won't do well in ODIs until he gains some self belief. Self belief is incredibly important.

 

[11ShadyBrothers]

He doesn't need to work on his skill. He needs to start believing in himself. He won't do well in ODIs until he gains some self belief. Self belief is incredibly important.

He doesnt have the skills to play ODIs. End off.

 

[JibranAnsari]

I think for Asad number 4/5 is the best position , I would not expose him to the new ball.

 

[JibranAnsari]

He doesn't need to work on his skill. He needs to start believing in himself. He won't do well in ODIs until he gains some self belief. Self belief is incredibly important.

I think he is a very confident batsman , some batsmen are not cut out for ODIs.

 

[CIG1]

He doesn't need to work on his skill. He needs to start believing in himself. He won't do well in ODIs until he gains some self belief. Self belief is incredibly important.

Yeah, I agree. For Shafiq in particular, half the battle would be won if he starts believing in himself.
Having said that though, I still think he needs to work on his hitting ability, especially when in ODI's the field is more spread.

Was just watching highlights of Shafiq's 137 he made against NZ and noticed how unnatural of a player he is when trying to force the ball over the infield / coming down the track. His bat often twisted in his arm and looked a little unbalanced. He basically looked like he was trying to smash the living daylights out of the ball, hoping that it would clear the infield, instead of trying to time it.

I think Asad Shafiq and Haris Sohail are two good comparisons to make in terms of how they are both rely on their amazing timing to score runs, so to illustrate my point check out the two videos below, and look at the way they play their shots:

Asad's 137, look at 4.20
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjthVatFJLs

Haris Sohail, check out 0.47
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdJyzDXFy1w

Of course I'm being a little selective with the clip showed, but its a common trend I noticed. Haris Sohail waits for the ball to come to him, and then relies on his timing to lift the ball over the infield, while often extremely still at the crease. Shows he has confidence in his ability to clear the infield.

Shafiq on the other hand has a habit of trying to force the ball over without relying on timing. If I were to speculate, maybe he believes if he doesn't time the ball well enough, he might get caught by someone in the inner yard circle more often than not since he's a small guy. This could have led to his lack of confidence.

In any case, I think that until he becomes a master of being able to rely on his own timing to score quickly instead of trying to smash the ball, he'll never really feel at ease.

So basically, I think he has to realise that timing is his strong point and use it to his advantage as opposed to trying to develop a new skill set at the age of 30 !

 

[yasir]

Yeah agreed. Would like to see Shafiq in the ODI's only after he works hard on being able to find the boundaries and strike rotation.

It was an interesting innings - he didn't seem like he was timing the ball at all but still managed to score a century. Shows he has tremendous grit and good technique that allowed him to stay at the crease. Props to him

Strokes making is not natural part of his game. When he does that even in test he looses his wicket. He does not have power of Misbah to play slog shots.

YK Had similar problem, he does not have big shots to hit boundaries consistently or frequently enough to score in Odis. Plus both take too much time to get going. Their strike rotation is not bad once they are set, but it takes them too many balls (50/60) to get going, you don't have that much time in Odi, even after that they can do strike rotation but not big shots.

YK's other key difference is he plays spin very well, sweep and use of crease is so good (specially when set), he really dominates spinners after certain time. His foot work against spinner improved considerably as his innings progress, that's why he plays long innings more often, a trait Misbah does not have. Those strength has little value in Odi, since bowlers are bowling different lengths, field placement is different. Pressure of playing big shots puts him off.

Moral of story is, Shafiq may never be good Odi player sort of like YK, let him focus on test only. He can be asset in test like YK has being for a decade. Everybody does not need to play all formats.




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[hussain.r97]

Yeah, I agree. For Shafiq in particular, half the battle would be won if he starts believing in himself.
Having said that though, I still think he needs to work on his hitting ability, especially when in ODI's the field is more spread.

Was just watching highlights of Shafiq's 137 he made against NZ and noticed how unnatural of a player he is when trying to force the ball over the infield / coming down the track. His bat often twisted in his arm and looked a little unbalanced. He basically looked like he was trying to smash the living daylights out of the ball, hoping that it would clear the infield, instead of trying to time it.

I think Asad Shafiq and Haris Sohail are two good comparisons to make in terms of how they are both rely on their amazing timing to score runs, so to illustrate my point check out the two videos below, and look at the way they play their shots:

Asad's 137, look at 4.20
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjthVatFJLs

Haris Sohail, check out 0.47
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdJyzDXFy1w

Of course I'm being a little selective with the clip showed, but its a common trend I noticed. Haris Sohail waits for the ball to come to him, and then relies on his timing to lift the ball over the infield, while often extremely still at the crease. Shows he has confidence in his ability to clear the infield.

Shafiq on the other hand has a habit of trying to force the ball over without relying on timing. If I were to speculate, maybe he believes if he doesn't time the ball well enough, he might get caught by someone in the inner yard circle more often than not since he's a small guy. This could have led to his lack of confidence.

In any case, I think that until he becomes a master of being able to rely on his own timing to score quickly instead of trying to smash the ball, he'll never really feel at ease.

So basically, I think he has to realise that timing is his strong point and use it to his advantage as opposed to trying to develop a new skill set at the age of 30 !

I agree with you completely that big hitting does not come to Asad naturally. This is the reason he has to bat up the order if he plays ODI. He can be a really good conventional batsman if he believes in his game. He can send the ball a long way with pure timing, I've seen him play some beautiful Tendulkar-esque straight drives to the fast bowler straight over their head for six.

I think it's all about him having self confidence, and him knowing his role in the team. You don't get players like him every day, he has all the tools to become a very good #3/4 ODI bat for Pakistan, and he has a superb LA record to back his claim.

 

[Blistering Barnacle]

It's a good start for Shafiq in tests.

Because of our settled middle order, he hasn't had the opportunity to play much higher up. When some of the seniors retire, he'll probably be moved up. I've never heard of a specialist no. 6 batsman - they usually just play the junior batsman there.

 

[Blistering Barnacle]

Unlike Umar, not once has Shafiq cried about batting down the order.

Maybe he doesnt like batting that low, but you have to do something to achieve a better batting position, which shafiq has done, but Umar has never

When did Umar cry about playing lower down the order in tests?

Like the other poster who mentioned that Umar was being groomed for years as a no. 6 test batsman, it's just not correct. Umar hasn't been groomed for years as a no. 6 test batsman, and he hasn't either cried about being low down the order in tests. You actually have to be selected for tests first before crying about your position in the order.

It must be a trait common to Pakistanis - confusing tests with ODIs. Certainly it seems to confuse our selectors.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

The big test will be overseas when he goes to England and Australia. All batsmen can prosper on dead wickets although he should be given credit for playing spin well on a turning track. If he can handle swing and bounce that is what will put him above the rest.

 

[hussain.r97]

Yeah, I agree. For Shafiq in particular, half the battle would be won if he starts believing in himself.
Having said that though, I still think he needs to work on his hitting ability, especially when in ODI's the field is more spread.

Was just watching highlights of Shafiq's 137 he made against NZ and noticed how unnatural of a player he is when trying to force the ball over the infield / coming down the track. His bat often twisted in his arm and looked a little unbalanced. He basically looked like he was trying to smash the living daylights out of the ball, hoping that it would clear the infield, instead of trying to time it.

I think Asad Shafiq and Haris Sohail are two good comparisons to make in terms of how they are both rely on their amazing timing to score runs, so to illustrate my point check out the two videos below, and look at the way they play their shots:

Asad's 137, look at 4.20
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjthVatFJLs

Haris Sohail, check out 0.47
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdJyzDXFy1w

Of course I'm being a little selective with the clip showed, but its a common trend I noticed. Haris Sohail waits for the ball to come to him, and then relies on his timing to lift the ball over the infield, while often extremely still at the crease. Shows he has confidence in his ability to clear the infield.

Shafiq on the other hand has a habit of trying to force the ball over without relying on timing. If I were to speculate, maybe he believes if he doesn't time the ball well enough, he might get caught by someone in the inner yard circle more often than not since he's a small guy. This could have led to his lack of confidence.

In any case, I think that until he becomes a master of being able to rely on his own timing to score quickly instead of trying to smash the ball, he'll never really feel at ease.

So basically, I think he has to realise that timing is his strong point and use it to his advantage as opposed to trying to develop a new skill set at the age of 30 !

How can you compare those two shots? And how can you compare both batsmen? They are both totally different players.

Shafiq is a wristy bottom handed player who opens and closes the face for placement, while Haris generally puts his elbow into his shots. Also, those were two completely different shots.

 

[CIG1]

Yeah maybe not the best comparison in the world, but the point of the video was to demonstrate the various approaches in terms of trying to play over the infield. One timing the shot and the other forcing the ball over

 

[zarar]

Without playing a single game at HOME!

I am so glad I have been a big fan of his in Test cricket from the very beginning. He is sheer class and is now starting to prove his World class capabilities, May he carry on improving.

 

[Mamoon]

I on the contrary completely disagree with you. He is one of those mental midgets in our team. You kinda made an oxymoron statement by saying that he lacks confidence but is mentally strong? What?

There are a lot of areas he needs to improve upon. Should be kept miles away from the ODI team.

'Mental midgets' do not average 70 in a World Cup after being drafted into the team late in the tournament in some crunch matches, and mental midgets do not play a lot of crisis innings in Tests like he does, and score hundreds with the tail.

My statement seems oxymoronic if you don't understand what I'm trying to say - he can handle pressure and his performance proves it, which shows that he's not mentally weak, but his problem is that he doesn't think he can and doesn't back himself enough.

Needs to have a bit more self-belief.

 

[Mamoon]

Apparently rahane and shafiq are quite similar. Both underachieved in odis, but terrific in tests.

Yes, they are a lot of similarities between the two, but Rahane is a better talent for sure, and Shafiq needs to match his overseas performances to be comparable.

 

[Enforcer]

Yes, they are a lot of similarities between the two, but Rahane is a better talent for sure, and Shafiq needs to match his overseas performances to be comparable.

I believe he can.

 

[Cricket_Fan93]

Lol Asad Sobers couldn't even score 10 today. Don't overhype your players so much.

 

[Kakar]

Lol Asad Sobers couldn't even score 10 today. Don't overhype your players so much.

Yeah man while all the great batsmen never got out in single digits ever.

 

[11ShadyBrothers]

Lol Asad Sobers couldn't even score 10 today. Don't overhype your players so much.

In his defence, all other batsmen failed as well and one innings shouldnt define anyone.

 

[sensible-indian-fan]

In his defence, all other batsmen failed as well and one innings shouldnt define anyone.

He is trolling non stop in all threads.

 

[srh]

Too much overrating of Asad Shafiq in this thread. He is not that good a player.