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Azam Khan vs Iftikhar Ahmed: Who is a better finisher?

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Alter_Ego

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Azam Khan doing what Iftikhar claims he does - Playing blinders and finishing matches. An absolute beast (no pun intended) against both spin and fast bowling. It's no brainer. Time to move on from the fake finisher and give a long run to Azam Khan in LOIs.
 
Ifti hasn’t played such innings . He can do quick fire 20-30 once in a while not a 70 odd innings like azam
 
Azam Khan is a superman in league cricket but something seems to happen to him when he plays international cricket.
 
Ifti has been mostly terrible for Pakistan, he's the very definition of a tried and tested failure

If it was a choice between the two then it's an easy one, Azam may well come good but we know Ifti is never going to come good
 
Alter_Ego said:
Azam Khan doing what Iftikhar claims he does - Playing blinders and finishing matches. An absolute beast (no pun intended) against both spin and fast bowling. It's no brainer. Time to move on from the fake finisher and give a long run to Azam Khan in LOIs.
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Which match did Azam finish?
 
The only thing Azam Khan can consistently finish is a starter, main course and dessert.

He's played 7 T20I innings and hasn't scored more than 10. He's had his chance. Not saying Iftikhar is some Michael Bevan but at least the guy's kept himself in somewhat decent shape despite being nearly twice the age of Azam.
 
Cricket Warrior said:
Azam Khan is a superman in league cricket but something seems to happen to him when he plays international cricket.
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Needs a run of games ideally with some weight loss more befitting of an (elite) athlete. Most of the new batch seem to struggle when introduced to the international scene.

Players need to be given support and the same or similar batting position and they might end up flourishing.
 
Sorry but did Azam finish the game today?
Azam is a pathetic cricketer. Which bowlers did he face today?

Let him play INT cricket vs Eng, Aus or India, he will be back to scoring 3 of 10.
 
Both seem to crumble when playing for Pakistan.

Mentally weak? Not given opportunities? Or just not good enough?
 
Are those KFC buckets in the stands still around? Maybe he's eyeing those up when playing the PSL.
 
Saj said:
Both seem to crumble when playing for Pakistan.

Mentally weak? Not given opportunities? Or just not good enough?
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Not good enough. Simple as that. Azam vs quality international bowlers will not be able to score freely. Just impossible.
 
one averages 4.8 at a SR of 90 and the other averages 25 at an SR of 129 in International cricket. Both aren't great at the highest level but anyone picking Azam based on T20 Leagues should be joking. His record in T20's isn't great either.
 
I will keep both of them away but if I have to pick one forcefully, I will take Iftikhar because he has bowling ability.
 
BouncerGuy said:
I will keep both of them away but if I have to pick one forcefully, I will take Iftikhar because he has bowling ability.
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Plus Ifti is mobile on the field, he's not a brilliant fielder by any stretch of the imagination, but better than Azam any day. With Azam one has to use him as a compromise-keeper or standing at first slip.
 
Pak will have to take both at 5 and 6!

There are hardly any decent power hitters apart from these two, whilst Asif and Khusdil are way past it.

Names like Salman Agha (the guy struggles to clear the inner circle) being thrown around and that sums up everything regarding the power hitters available.

Seriously concerning!
 
Ifti has no comparission with Azam Khan, he is a proper match finisher on which a team can rely.
 
Barragan said:
Pak will have to take both at 5 and 6!

There are hardly any decent power hitters apart from these two, whilst Asif and Khusdil are way past it.

Names like Salman Agha (the guy struggles to clear the inner circle) being thrown around and that sums up everything regarding the power hitters available.

Seriously concerning!
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I would rather play with 10 instead of having Azam in the team.
 
Barragan said:
Still, he needs to be in the team.

The situation is so dire, that a skinny guy like Salman Agha is being considered a "power hitter". :facepalm:
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No he should not be in the team, neither should Salman Agha be. PSL and other leauges fool people in thinking some playerd are International material. Azam is for sure not INT quality.
 
pakistani pride said:
No he should not be in the team, neither should Salman Agha be. PSL and other leauges fool people in thinking some playerd are International material. Azam is for sure not INT quality.
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If not Azam and Ifti, who should be the hitters?
 
Barragan said:
Still, he needs to be in the team.

The situation is so dire, that a skinny guy like Salman Agha is being considered a "power hitter". :facepalm:
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Battling obesity doesn't improve one's power. Jos Buttler must weigh less than half of Azam.
 
Saim and Farhan are on track and they've taken their chances well and should open with Rizwan dropping to 3 and Babar to 4 - or vice versa.

Then you can take Fakhar, Azam, Salman and Iftikhar and rotate two of them for 5 and 6.
 
BouncerGuy said:
Nope. he is a top order batter. Find someone else or we may have to see azam and iffi again and again or Asif ali.
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I’m glad you worked that out because Hafeez who thought Fakhar should be at 4, and Haseebullah open also thought Sahibzada fits at 7. That’s what a Rizwan fan said btw
 
Rana said:
I’m glad you worked that out because Hafeez who thought Fakhar should be at 4, and Haseebullah open also thought Sahibzada fits at 7. That’s what a Rizwan fan said btw
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Hafeez is not thinking straight if he thinks Farhan at 7 will work. Farhan should open with saim/fakhar. But who will be the finisher, this is the main issue. We cannot expect riz to do that. ATM, Iftikhar and azam are most talked guys.
 
BouncerGuy said:
Hafeez is not thinking straight if he thinks Farhan at 7 will work. Farhan should open with saim/fakhar. But who will be the finisher, this is the main issue. We cannot expect riz to do that. ATM, Iftikhar and azam are most talked guys.
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Well, you have to put aside this fascination of aesthetics and (not you but generally) this fascination of picking players from one region to do the job.

People don’t want Azam Khan, Asif Ali, Umar Akmal etc to represent Pakistan because they just don’t fit in with the beauty standards of this so called handsome Pakistan team. They are not wholesome enough unfortunately.

We as a cricket nation have basically lost the plot I’m afraid.
 
Rana said:
Well, you have to put aside this fascination of aesthetics and (not you but generally) this fascination of picking players from one region to do the job.

People don’t want Azam Khan, Asif Ali, Umar Akmal etc to represent Pakistan because they just don’t fit in with the beauty standards of this so called handsome Pakistan team. They are not wholesome enough unfortunately.

We as a cricket nation have basically lost the plot I’m afraid.
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Which player would you pick for finisher role?
 
BouncerGuy said:
Which player would you pick for finisher role?
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I personally don’t believe in the specified finisher role. I think every specialist batsman who gets picked to play needs to play the situation. You can be 30-4 in the powerplay and that means your no.6 has to play 14-15 overs with the lower order.

But if you are asking me specifically for someone to close out an innings…and this considering the skill of international bowlers (not PSL jobbers)

-Asif Ali is very poor against the back of a length slower ball in the death…he will most likely balloon it in the air

-Iftikhar from what I have seen can only play shots that are either in the slot or drifting down leg side.

-Khushdil has zero confidence in his ability at international level

-Azam Khan…he also doesn’t have the same belief in his ability at International level just like Khushdil, but he has way more shots and likelihood to tonk a few out from the middle with his raw ability

*Death overs specialist bowlers which pose the challenge to finishers have set skills that need to be countered…

-Bowling wide outside of off stump yorker length, making batsmen reach

-taking pace off, banging in short with spin, forcing batsmen to generate their own pace through power in the shot

-perfect use of the one short ball to surprise the batsman

-pin point accuracy Yorkers, not allowing batsmen to get underneath the ball

What kind of shots and ability should your finishers have?

+Ability, agility to use the pace on the fuller balls to access boundaries at 3rd man and fine leg with innovative ramps. Fearless

+Ability to read the mind, more importantly the hand of the bowler to just pick the slower ball and not be too early into your shot

Unfortunately, I don’t see any of the Pakistan finishers executing these skills with the bat, they probably do in nets.

I think if Mohammad Harris isn’t going to open, there is no harm in just using him for this role. He has the skills, just needs confidence.
 
Whoa. Majority think Ifti is better. I wonder what matches he's won after numerous chances. Only matches I remember is him bottling games in ICC events.
 
shortbread said:
Battling obesity doesn't improve one's power. Jos Buttler must weigh less than half of Azam.
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Azam generates power in his shots - just facts even if you criticise him for his weight.

As for Jos, is anyone even half as talented as him in Pak currently?

Btw, Jos does have some muscles.
 
Alter_Ego said:
Whoa. Majority think Ifti is better. I wonder what matches he's won after numerous chances. Only matches I remember is him bottling games in ICC events.
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at least he can win u games through his bowling but Azam Khan is a burden if he doesnt perform with the bat.
 
If it has to be Azam or Iftikhar, Iftikhar wins by miles. He brings much more to the team than azam khan.
 
Azam Khan is the better finisher. He can finish his plate way before iftikhar can even take a bite.

Jokes aside chacha is superior as a cricketer, now and always
 
mominsaigol said:
Azam Khan is the better finisher. He can finish his plate way before iftikhar can even take a bite.

Jokes aside chacha is superior as a cricketer, now and always
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Yeah. Azam Khan can clear the ropes pretty easily but Iftikhar is much more consistent and can hit some long sixes like azam. What gives him an advantage is that he is not 1 dimensional like azam khan who can only keep the wickets but iffi can bowl as well and is more than handy fielder.
 
against spinner i will pick Azam Khan and against fast blowler chacha would be my pick.
 
In my opinion babar is the best finisher after misbah, Mark my words babar fill finish pakistan cricket team in the coming near future
 
If I have to pick one of them I will definitely go with Iftikhar Ahmed because i know Azam Khan is just a latha player who can only score runs in league cricket, international cricket is just something very big for him.
 
Cricket Warrior said:
If I have to pick one of them I will definitely go with Iftikhar Ahmed because i know Azam Khan is just a latha player who can only score runs in league cricket, international cricket is just something very big for him.
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Ifthikhar is no difference… he has played just like Adam khan. So try anyone but Chacha
 
emranabbas said:
In my opinion babar is the best finisher after misbah, Mark my words babar fill finish pakistan cricket team in the coming near future
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Misbah finished ? When was last time Misbah won us a match in Odi/t20 with his tuktuk or finished the game. Don’t put Babar and Misbah in the same category.
 
If the question is about finishing the Pakistan cricket team then both of them are working hard to earn the title of "The Best in of the best".

Jokes apart, when it comes to the real game then Iffi will be my pick, why? because he is a handy player who can bowl and bat better than azam khan and can field anywhere even though he is not the best of the fielders but still better than azam khan who is no good anywhere but to keep wickets.
 
He came out an scored some quick runs after the match was already over and Fakhar and Rizwan had done all the hard work. This innings doesn't prove anything. Not every team is going to give you the luxury to bat against 120 kph medium pacers on a flat pitch with a 50 meter boundary.
 
azam does have power but is he
RedwoodOriginal said:
He came out an scored some quick runs after the match was already over and Fakhar and Rizwan had done all the hard work. This innings doesn't prove anything. Not every team is going to give you the luxury to bat against 120 kph medium pacers on a flat pitch with a 50 meter boundary.
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this innings give him confidence he has been poor since he started, this maybe his breakthrough
 
A KHAN is not international material. It is impossible with his fitness and body weight to perform against Int teams.

Mind you, Ireland is club level when it comes to bowling.
 
Iftikhar is the better finisher. Azam is the more powerful hitter. Both are needed in the team.
 
Azam is starting to find his feet

Big Test v England on the flat decks they dish out
 
DeadlyVenom said:
Iftikhar is needed.

Azam less so.
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Azam is a powerhouse from ball one and has plenty of experience playing T20 cricket in the Caribbean. Who else would you have in the team?

Usman Khan maybe but he's as much of a hit or miss player as Azam and unlike Azam, isn't a middle-order specialist.
 
When players like Azam score some runs after a long failure, that's a bad news for the team , because now he is guaranteed to have another 10 games in a row and will fail on 9 of them. His failure, yet again , would have been better for the team.
 
ppl are celebrating his 20 runs as he conquered the K2...

u cant expect more from him, he is the guy who cant win u matches in a tough situation, today game was already setup by fakhar and rizwan so nothing extraordinary this bubloo did.
 
Azam should always bat like, Pakistan should go with the mentality that Chacha’s batting shouldn’t come. We don’t need this useless Chacha bring Anwar ali haired ali or Salman Agha. Chacha is very useless
 
Where Ifthikhar fans at????? Were you guys hiding? Don’t hide, tell me how azam able to hit today and Ifthikhar couldn’t ???
 
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