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Asad Shafiq - The man of crisis

saeed-sohail

saeed-sohail

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Asad Shafiq might be averaging late 30s after 18 months in test cricket but this kid is making a habit of playing well in a crises. From his first inning in test cricket when he came in at 6 with Pakistan still 427 being SA when he scored 61 he is getting some crucial runs at 6.

His 83 in NZ came when we were 107/4.

His crucial knocks against Eng were vital in that 3-0.

Well played Shafiq and long may you continue making important runs for Pakistan.
 
He is becoming a very good player of spin - a skill really needed to handle such crises. Hope he can take it to the next level - i.e. convert the saves to wins.
 
Shafiq performs very well in pressure. There are not many batsmen who coyld perform well in pressure siyuations and credit to shafiq for that..
 
Always thought he is a great talent and only has been unlucky in the sense he got many wrong umpire decisions and always been in and out of the team . Good to see him doing well and his avg will get better if he is persisted with .
 
Credit should also be given to Misbah for backing this guy. Every time Shafiq fails fans start calling for Akmal. He falls now at 80 but splendid knock.
 
pakistans hopes went with that wicket

gutted for him needed to carry on and get a double hundred
 
He needs to start scoring in triple digits too now . Anything below is simply not good enouh for a specialist batsman .
 
Good knock. The biggest positive of the game for Pakistan probably.
 
He just cannot make a century though. Doesnt effect the Pakistani team much because nobody else can score a century either but if it were any other team, then Shafiq would be getting a lot of criticism.
 
No wonder why our talented brain farts (Best batsmen for some) cannot play like this under pressure.
 
Definitely something special and probably the best among rookies in terms of playing under pressure. Solid temperament and technique to go with it, basically all of which we lack. I think it was obvious since a while back but if people still haven't yet realized he's one to stick with, something's wrong with them.
 
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I always believed he is a good talent despite seeing a lot of criticism thrown at him.This innings would boost his confidence further.He will gradually learn to make three digits score....He really is a man of crises...
 
always rate this guy..yet the whippersnappers and glory dhamak seekers cant see past certain players who wilt at the drop of the word pressure..Azhar and shafiq are our future end of story..everyone else is just a pretender!
 
the Great Khan said:
always rate this guy..yet the whippersnappers and glory dhamak seekers cant see past certain players who wilt at the drop of the word pressure..Azhar and shafiq are our future end of story..everyone else is just a pretender!
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Nah bhai na aise nahi kehte, you will be labelled hater soon.
 
I for one knew when I watched Asad first-hand against England in that ODI series knew that he had talent and then he provided us with evidence of his resilience against England in the Tests.
 
I like him, but to be fair an 80 isnt really anything special by test standards. Anyway still better than the other options we have, he must be persisted with.
 
I was never a huge fan as he had a tendancy to get squared up by the outswinger :)hafeez) but him and Azhar look very focused and work tremendously hard.
 
by our standards and by our expectations.........
very good innings but not exceptional...needs to do this consistently..
so much appreciation for such small sample size.....
malik got 150 against murali and co to draw the match...so he should be called better than shafiq...
lot to be desired still
should be allowed to settle
 
By Pakistani standards (ie Ahmed Shehzad, Umar Akmal); Shafiq is brilliance.

By international standards (Trott, Cook, DeVillers); Shafiq is average at best.
 
He's not average :facepalm:

I'd take Shafiq everyday over Akmal. You can see why he was included in Tests and the latter wasn't.

It's just unfortunate he plays in a Pakistan team that is a poor batting side.
 
Sherlock said:
He's not average :facepalm:

I'd take Shafiq everyday over Akmal. You can see why he was included in Tests and the latter wasn't.

It's just unfortunate he plays in a Pakistan team that is a poor batting side.
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so he is world class????
not every day i guess
only days they batted together against windies..and you remember shafiq scored 48 in 4 inns..
both have weaknesses..both have lot to prove.. shafiq is little more suited to test
but is yet to pass a real test because he failed in his only tough tour of windies
 
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Sherlock said:
He's not average :facepalm:

I'd take Shafiq everyday over Akmal. You can see why he was included in Tests and the latter wasn't.

It's just unfortunate he plays in a Pakistan team that is a poor batting side.
Click to expand...

Again you are comparing Shafiq with Akmal. I already said compared to other Pakistani batsmen, Shafiq is heavensent.

But compare him with other international batsmen, as in Trott, Devillers, Kohli etc would you really call Shafiq world-class?
 
waqar goraya said:
so he is world class????
not every day i guess
only days they batted together against windies..and you remember shafiq scored 48 in 4 inns..
both have weaknesses..both have lot to prove.. shafiq is little more suited to test
but is yet to pass a real test because he failed in his only tough tour of windies
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er he had a couple of crucial innings against England, and now a good one against Sri Lanka.

Dunno why he has to prove himself against West Indies when they're a much weaker team than England or Sri Lanka.

Think Asad's pretty much cemented his spot at six for a while now. Showing good technique, and good temperament. No need to oust him for umar akmal.

Hafeez is now the guy who most likely, and should lose his place, and perhaps even taufeeq too. The big problem with that is that we sadly have more talented test middle order players coming in like Asad, Fawad, Usman Salluhuddin, harris sohail than we have openers. Maybe Jamshed or Afaq Raheem should come in for Hafeez.
 
^^ Something that our very own PCF posted on twitter, in response to those calling for Hafeez's head.

Since their comebacks on 12 Nov 2010 - Taufeeq: 31 inngs,1074 runs, Avg = 37.03. Hafeez: 31 inngs, 991 runs, Avg = 36.7. Big difference, no?
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In addition to the runs, Hafeez has also picked up 25 wickets at an average of 25.40.
 
ahsan88 said:
^^ Something that our very own PCF posted on twitter, in response to those calling for Hafeez's head.

In addition to the runs, Hafeez has also picked up 25 wickets at an average of 25.40.
Click to expand...

All that proves is, both of them are rubbish.
 
ads101 said:
er he had a couple of crucial innings against England, and now a good one against Sri Lanka.

Dunno why he has to prove himself against West Indies when they're a much weaker team than England or Sri Lanka.

Think Asad's pretty much cemented his spot at six for a while now. Showing good technique, and good temperament. No need to oust him for umar akmal.

Hafeez is now the guy who most likely, and should lose his place, and perhaps even taufeeq too. The big problem with that is that we sadly have more talented test middle order players coming in like Asad, Fawad, Usman Salluhuddin, harris sohail than we have openers. Maybe Jamshed or Afaq Raheem should come in for Hafeez.
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yes for a while..
usman,haris are nowhere close to akmal..
you people change your mind over night by few performances...like you are changing on hafeez now after watching his performances but i never rated him..but i am hopeful akmal will be back more determined...
dont rate any one above when both played in different conditions against different oppositions.....
we will decide or perhaps time will tell when akmal and shafiq play together..only time they played together in windies,,
we will debate on akmal when he will play .....and i am expecting it against south africa
 
LegCutter said:
Again you are comparing Shafiq with Akmal. I already said compared to other Pakistani batsmen, Shafiq is heavensent.

But compare him with other international batsmen, as in Trott, Devillers, Kohli etc would you really call Shafiq world-class?
Click to expand...

I'm comparing him with Akmal because you're comparing him to World Class players, and I'm comparing the talented Akmal to Shafiq for a reason :facepalm:
 
waqar goraya said:
yes for a while..
usman,haris are nowhere close to akmal..
you people change your mind over night by few performances...like you are changing on hafeez now after watching his performances but i never rated him..but i am hopeful akmal will be back more determined...
dont rate any one above when both played in different conditions against different oppositions.....
we will decide or perhaps time will tell when akmal and shafiq play together..only time they played together in windies,,
we will debate on akmal when he will play .....and i am expecting it against south africa
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Never really rated hafeez as a test player, just thought when he was given his chance he might do well in tests. He hasn't. Still rate hafeez in limited overs. Even if he's a better bowler than batsman.

I don't mind being proven wrong, but guys who do well deserve to retain their place. Asad based on his recent performances doesn't deserve to be dropped.

Umar did well initially and then had a nosedive in performances. Threw away his wicket a lot. Deserved to be out of the side.

He had a decent West Indies test stint. But he was there to fill in for younis. So he wasn't given a permanent test spot back. He now has to wait for his chance and if asad is performing, umar has to wait his turn.

The big thing we want to see from umar is a bit more responsibility and maturity. Which we aren't seeing. As soon as we see that, sure he'll be drafted into the test squad.
 
Ultimate Minnow Basher

ahsan88 said:
^^ Something that our very own PCF posted on twitter, in response to those calling for Hafeez's head.



In addition to the runs, Hafeez has also picked up 25 wickets at an average of 25.40.
Click to expand...


The average of 37 you are quoting is boosted by scoring hundreds and fifties against Zimbabwe, West Indies and Bangladesh. Not everything is based on Statistics plus 37 average is a very average for an test opener.

You must know that opening is the very important position where the foundation of the innings is based. He has to absorb the pressure by reducing the effect of the new ball by as much he can, so player like Younis khan and Azahar Ali would play more
efficiently.

He is the most rubbish opener with no foot movement which is basically the most important aspect of the opener to face the swing bowling. So I don't give a damn about his bowling average because it main job is to open which he can't do for nuts.

By the way the other opener is the same (Crap)
 
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waqar goraya said:
^
@adds

how we will see responsibility???
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he's talking about hafeez not asad. If umar akmal plays as an opener, sure he can come in for hafeez. But he doesn't.

Hafeez had a good test series against England. Averaged 38 with the bat setting up the win with a 88, and bowling average of something in the twenties. He was definitely an asset. It's bias to say that he didn't play any role in the England series. As a result of that England series he extended his time in the test team for this sri lanka series. If he does not perform with the bat in this test series he'll be out. The reason hafeez is being kept in the team is his potential, some of the shots he plays are very stylish and the all round option. Ajmal certainly benefits having him in the team. These two things however won't save him if he doesn't perform with the bat.

One of the things about when hafeez entered the test side is that we didn't have really any good openers coming through. Farhat, Butt, hammeed etc.. So if Hafeez at least could be of some worth with the ball, he'd probably add more overall worth. Things have changed a bit now though with jamshed's arrival on the scene. I don't think it's worth changing azhar's position, he's doing well at three, so no need to risk it.

Hafeez has the same responsibility issues as umar. Throws away his wicket most times.

Umar had his chance in test cricket and he didn't make the most of it. Now he has to earn that chance back again. Which he will.

Asad despite the fact he's less talented now averages just under 38. Umar just under 36. And Asad's average is on it's way up, while umar's was on it's way down since his early success. And umar's played 2 more tests. It's all very well talking about potential, but performance really is the important factor. And asad's performing. So umar must wait his turn.

Umar can prove he's more responsible and greater maturity by showing it in ODIs, or showing it when he's given another chance at tests.
 
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ads101 said:
he's talking about hafeez not asad. If umar akmal plays as an opener, sure he can come in for hafeez. But he doesn't.

Hafeez had a good test series against England. Averaged 38 with the bat setting up the win with a 88, and bowling average of something in the twenties. He was definitely an asset. It's bias to say that he didn't play any role in the England series. As a result of that England series he extended his time in the test team for this sri lanka series. If he does not perform with the bat in this test series he'll be out. The reason hafeez is being kept in the team is his potential, some of the shots he plays are very stylish and the all round option. Ajmal certainly benefits having him in the team. These two things however won't save him if he doesn't perform with the bat.

Hafeez has the same responsibility issues as umar. Throws away his wicket most times.

Umar had his chance in test cricket and he didn't make the most of it. Now he has to earn that chance back again. Which he will.

Asad despite the fact he's less talented now averages just under 38. Umar just under 36. And Asad's average is on it's way up, while umar's was on it's way down since his early success. And umar's played 2 more tests. It's all very well talking about potential, but performance really is the important factor. And asad's performing. So umar must wait his turn.
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no...hafeez has technical issues and he is just not good enough to open...
i did not intended to point towards above post ..i was just late..
when umar wad dropped he averaged more than shafiq...shafiq is not a above 40 player either..35_40 player
but leave it who is better....
umar has had enough of punishment...he has improved as seen in asia cup and srilanka ..and please dont take t20 seriously where every batsman throws...so should be in the squad in expense of hafeez or may be dogar or faisal iqbal
umar has shown dont judge by t20..
 
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waqar goraya said:
no...hafeez has technical issues and he is just not good enough to open...
i did not intended to point towards above post ..i was just late..
when umar wad dropped he averaged more than shafiq...shafiq is not a above 40 player either..35_40 player
but leave it who is better....
umar has had enough of punishment...he has improved as seen in asia cup and srilanka ..and please dont take t20 seriously where every batsman throws...so should be in the squad in expense of hafeez or may be dogar or faisal iqbal
umar has shown dont judge by t20..
Click to expand...
Umar had a sliding run. In the latter part of his career before he was dropped he was doing worse than asad. Doesn't really matter at that point he was averaging slightly more overall. And since umar's career trajectory was on it's way down and asad's up, and asad now averages more than umar despite fewer test matches.

Not taking T20 into account. Though even there if he comes in and all pakistan need him to play sensibly and take them over the line, he has to play responsibly. But 9/10 times usually you just have to hit out in T20.

I haven't seen much improvement in the Asia cup or the Sri Lankan series honestly. Looks more of the same. Still throwing his wicket, still not keeping his wicket when the pressure shows. There's no change. He's still a good limited overs player despite that. But he isn't showing that maturity and responsibility.

He isn't being punished, he's playing every limited overs game. He just isn't being preferred over asad. Don't see that as punishment. Management and posters on here believe asad is a seriously good talent who will go on to become a good test and maybe limited overs player.

Let's wait and see before regulating him to just being a 35-40. There's really no harm, especially if he's performing at the present. I don't like this idea of trying to predict players performance just based on potential. Better give them a run and see if they can prove their worth based on performance.
 
why dont you understand the simple point was averaging 42 against windies .....more than azhar,shafiq,taufeeq,hafeez when dropped???
your point is invalid he was doing worse than asad..
how was he performing better ??
166 is greater than 48 .
you mean 48 was performing better than 166:69:

he did not threw it any match in asia and srilanka except against india when it was slogging time

i said leave asad vs umar now....umar should be in the squad ahead of iqbal,hafeez and dogar
 
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Always knew he had the talent and ability to do well at the highest level. He is getting better and better with time. Played some crucial knocks against SA, NZ and England too.

Really think he deserves a continuous run in the ODI side as well.

the Great Khan said:
always rate this guy..yet the whippersnappers and glory dhamak seekers cant see past certain players who wilt at the drop of the word pressure..Azhar and shafiq are our future end of story..everyone else is just a pretender!
Click to expand...

:))
 
waqar goraya said:
why dont you understand the simple point was averaging 42 against windies .....more than azhar,shafiq,taufeeq,hafeez when dropped???
your point is invalid he was doing worse than asad..
how was he performing better ??
166 is greater than 48 .
you mean 48 was performing better than 166:69:

he did not threw it any match in asia and srilanka except against india when it was slogging time

i said leave asad vs umar now....umar should be in the squad ahead of iqbal,hafeez and dogar
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because he was simply filling in in West Indies. It was a temporary recall. And the guy who replaced him in the team, Younis is a far better batsman.

Maybe he could have been preferred to asad, but they went with asad. And asad has repaid the selectors faith.

And as I said before performing against England and Sri lanka is better than west indies.

There's no real justification for bringing in umar for asad at this given point of time. It's unfair to asad. Whatever happened in the West Indies. And as I said the maturity and responsibility still ain't there. He's still throwing his wicket. We all know he's a capable batsman good at making 40s, 50s but we need to see how he sticks it in there when it counts and performs when the pressure is on.
 
Always impressed by him. Infact I completely depended on him to win that WC semi match where he got 30 odd.
 
LegCutter said:
ahsan88 said:
^^ Something that our very own PCF posted on twitter, in response to those calling for Hafeez's head.

In addition to the runs, Hafeez has also picked up 25 wickets at an average of 25.40.
Click to expand...

All that proves is, both of them are rubbish.
Click to expand...

:))

Actually, my point was not that Hafeez is a good Test batsman or that he doesn't deserve any criticism.

I was merely pointing out that the fact that these openers have similar stats, yet people are calling for Hafeez's head and not criticising Taufeeq Umar at all. Even in the last series against England, Hafeez averaged 38.00, while Taufeeq averages 17 odd.

Hafeez's last five inning scores: 22, 13, 21, 20, 4.
Taufeeq's last five inng scores: 7, 0, 6, 9, 10.

Both have been ordinary, yet Hafeez gets all the criticism.

Anyway, this debate is for another thread. Let's stick to Asad Shafiq and his credentials in Test cricket.
 
Asad played really well under pressure.

He is really talented, we need to get Azhar as opener and through hafeez out who is a joke of a batsmen these days.

Umer Akmal can easily come in.
 
waqar goraya said:
yes for a while..
usman,haris are nowhere close to akmal..
you people change your mind over night by few performances...like you are changing on hafeez now after watching his performances but i never rated him..but i am hopeful akmal will be back more determined...
dont rate any one above when both played in different conditions against different oppositions.....
we will decide or perhaps time will tell when akmal and shafiq play together..only time they played together in windies,,
we will debate on akmal when he will play .....and i am expecting it against south africa
Click to expand...

Akmal wont improve mate! Stop living in fool's paradise.
 
Played well but wasn't there a crisis first innings too? I'd still take Umar over Shafiq, any day!
 
Bullet Drive said:
Played well but wasn't there a crisis first innings too? I'd still take Umar over Shafiq, any day!
Click to expand...


BD I enjoy your thoughtfull posts but this one is, dare I say, lunacy. We are talking Test match here, not Limited Overs where I do rate Umar over Asad. Asad is by far a much better batsman in the longer version than Umar and I do not see any reason to change my view in the long term either.
 
Zamee said:
Akmal wont improve mate! Stop living in fool's paradise.
Click to expand...

there is not much to improve either mate...
was performing when dropped to get in ********...
dont know why asad fans are over the moon...it was a decent 80 on a low slow wicket..aided by sangakkara's drop catch..
shafiq could even not survive a new ball...was clueless in the first innings against newish ball
by this way adnan has done a better job...remained not out and faced kula and herath with new ball..
and we know how average akmal is.....it was no way an outstanding performance as adnan proved
 
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Been his fan since he played that quick innings vs South Africa in his debut match. Has the ability to go far. Maybe some day he can become a poor man's Moyo.
 
pakcricketfan said:
I thought Asad was a human, not a robot?

You would take Umar over Asad in Tests? :80:
Click to expand...

it was also a surprise when asad was preferred over akmal
it is same as when akmal was dropped unfairly..
if one thing happens once then it can happen again...
just arguments though shafiq deserves as akmal deserves;-)
 
ads101 said:
because he was simply filling in in West Indies. It was a temporary recall. And the guy who replaced him in the team, Younis is a far better batsman.

Maybe he could have been preferred to asad, but they went with asad. And asad has repaid the selectors faith.

And as I said before performing against England and Sri lanka is better than west indies.

There's no real justification for bringing in umar for asad at this given point of time. It's unfair to asad. Whatever happened in the West Indies. And as I said the maturity and responsibility still ain't there. He's still throwing his wicket. We all know he's a capable batsman good at making 40s, 50s but we need to see how he sticks it in there when it counts and performs when the pressure is on.
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whatever happened in windies does not matter
and whatever happens on low slow tracks in asian pitches matters:facepalm:
you have a poor memory tell me the time when akmal was not batting under pressure in odi's???he is always under pressure at 6..

the fact is batting against westindies was difficult than asian pitches...
 
Bullet Drive said:
Played well but wasn't there a crisis first innings too? I'd still take Umar over Shafiq, any day!
Click to expand...

poor umpiring cost him that but I think we've seen enough of him to realise he has the talent and most importantly the temprament to play at this level. i would go so far as to say he should be in our ODI side too at one down.

as for Brainless the boy wonder, he will eternally remain thus, always on the cusp but ultimatley unfulfilled. The excuses are just getting worse as he continues to fail to deliver.."oh he's under pressure blah blah blah, " well real murd kay bachay play under pressure, e.g. YK at lords in 2001 on a seaming pitch in wet conditions..what would boy wonder have done? oh yeah tuk , 4,out, khuda hafiz!!
 
good knock. definitely should be persisted with in tests.
Umar Akmal if coming in the test team, should not replace Asad Shafiq in tests.
 
srh said:
good knock. definitely should be persisted with in tests.
Umar Akmal if coming in the test team, should not replace Asad Shafiq in tests.
Click to expand...

Umar neds to show us that he can stay on the crease and build an innings..he can play the shots but he just isnt progressing..he moves around the crease too much and is the victim of fuzzy thinking, in other words his mind is all over the place..luckily for him he has time on his side but he needs to get his head straight..perhaps a mentor or a stint somewhere away from the hula gulla!!
 
the Great Khan said:
Umar neds to show us that he can stay on the crease and build an innings..he can play the shots but he just isnt progressing..he moves around the crease too much and is the victim of fuzzy thinking, in other words his mind is all over the place..luckily for him he has time on his side but he needs to get his head straight..perhaps a mentor or a stint somewhere away from the hula gulla!!
Click to expand...
If we play Azhar as opener and move everyone one up then Umar Akmal can play at #6 in tests.
 
Anyone commenting on the West Indies Series should realize Asad Shafiq performed in all the previous Test Series and its illogical to drop a player after one bad tour

Also if i recall Umar Akmal made 2 Scores for 50+ in 22 Innnings
Yes look at this horrendous stats --------------------------------------> 2 Scores of 50+ in 22 Innings
 
seriously guys stop bringing your pity egos for sake of umar akmal here please, i cant believe this. asad played well under pressure, this guy is making habit to be consistent and doesnt choke other pakistani players, look at azher, if he didnt get out like the way he did, we would have been in a better position
 
VTEC said:
Anyone commenting on the West Indies Series should realize Asad Shafiq performed in all the previous Test Series and its illogical to drop a player after one bad tour

Also if i recall Umar Akmal made 2 Scores for 50+ in 22 Innnings
Yes look at this horrendous stats --------------------------------------> 2 Scores of 50+ in 22 Innings
Click to expand...

so is it possible to drop even if some one scored the most after only the captain??
and bhae sahb those 2 scores were in latest matches he played ..
shafiq's 40's is the performance and cements his place and umar's 40's cause for his ouster..
set the same standards ,,,
if shafiq only failed in westindies then umar also only failed in england but umar did recovered in last two games by our standards..
the difference is shafiq had only 2 tests as examination against sammy and co..where as umar had anderson and co in tougher conditions for 4 games ..with no one else senior in the team...
 
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the Great Khan said:
Umar neds to show us that he can stay on the crease and build an innings..he can play the shots but he just isnt progressing..he moves around the crease too much and is the victim of fuzzy thinking, in other words his mind is all over the place..luckily for him he has time on his side but he needs to get his head straight..perhaps a mentor or a stint somewhere away from the hula gulla!!
Click to expand...

fair enough...
have you given him the chance for progression??
but when you will give him chance then he can show ....
how can he show when the poor lad has been given the role of a slogger :facepalm:
he has begging for promotion for so long to show himself...often has to bat in powerplay
 
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HaMmy FinE LeG StriKeR said:
seriously guys stop bringing your pity egos for sake of umar akmal here please, i cant believe this. asad played well under pressure, this guy is making habit to be consistent and doesnt choke other pakistani players, look at azher, if he didnt get out like the way he did, we would have been in a better position
Click to expand...

Exactly, Asad just played a brilliant inning and instead of praising him we have people taking shots at him:110:. Just imagine if it was Umer Akmal that played this inning, there would have been threads comparing him with bradman.
 
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