Azhar Ali finally getting the recognition he deserves as a top-class Test batsman

[Abdullah719]

Azhar has always passed under the radar a bit due to the presence of Younis and Misbah but since the Edgbaston Test, he has been getting the acclaim that he has deserved.

One of the hardest working cricketers of this age - his fitness is proof of that, but also his game as a batsman. He has fought technical deficiencies such as his issues outside the off-stump against South Africa in 2013, the problems with the straight deliveries in the first two Tests of the England tour, after which some were saying he was on the verge of being dropped and his overall development as a batsman.

Contrary to the common perception, he does not simply not look to score like Sami Aslam has been doing in the past few matches. He has recently been driving very well down the ground every time the bowler over-pitches, and he has the ability to play all around the wicket.

His last few performances have dispelled the notion that he is only capable of scoring in UAE, though he has had his share of failures in the past which mean that he will need to continue doing well to make up for those failures in future.

Since his debut in 2010:

• Only Alastair Cook (14846, he's played 28 more Tests!) has faced more balls than his 10833.
• Only Alastair Cook (6860 in 84 Tests), David Warner (4949 in 59 Tests), Kumar Sangakkara (4851 in 46 Tests), Kane Williamson (4648 in 56 Tests) and Joe Root (4594 in 53 Tests) have more runs than Azhar's 4516 in 56 Tests.
• Only Shiv Chanderpaul (131), Kumar Sangakkara (117) and Misbah (111.8) face more balls per dismissal than Azhar's 111.7.

He still has a few problems.

His conversion rate is not the best - just a shade better than Root's.

His strike-rate is one of the lowest, though it's 45+ over the last 2 years which indicates improvement.

He struggles at the start of his innings (however, almost every other batsman has this trait).

He has a terrible record in South Africa; improving that will be his biggest Test.



Hopefully, 2016 turns out to be his breakthrough year.

He has received plaudits - first from the English pundits, after the way he turned it around at Manchester. And now he has received high praise from the likes of Bill Lawry, Michael Slater and co. in Australia. Scoring a hundred in the Boxing Day Test in front of thousands of on-lookers against a good attack at the MCG is no mean feat.

If he can maintain his average to 45+ while opening the innings for Pakistan and ends up playing 90+ Test matches, he can certainly finish his career as a Pakistan great. Insha'Allah.

 

[The_KING]

Definitely our best opener since Saaed Anwar. Insha'Allah he keeps it up.

 

[darksher]

The problem with Azhar Ali is that he doesn't score fast or quick or in the right way, he looks shaky and fidgety on crease and never looks "in" despite being there for a considerable period of time with lots of runs under his belt, you get the feeling that he'll nick one or get LBW at any instance, he finds fielders on almost every shot he plays and he's extremely poor in rotating strike, there is no style or dynamism but somehow he finds a way to score these runs albeit at the cost of boring the hell outa spectators which is so odd. He'd make a terrible batsman if it weren't for those ugly runs that he seems to churn out more often than not despite his abysmal technical discipline.

 

[street cricketer]

Definitely has improved his stock as a batsman in the past few months.

Earlier used to be poor outside asia. But he has improved since the 2nd half of the England tour and showed grit in the NZ tour on some difficult wickets. He now has to start dominating a series and be more consistent to be considered in the top tier of batsmen and this Australia series has been a good start.

 

[Chief Destroyer]

Fine batsman and deserves it. I actually enjoy watching him toil away. Technically sound and works his backside off.

 

[marlonbrowndo]

Comfortably the best Test batsman in Pakistan. Thank God he has started opening

 

[jog_1]

To think he started off as a leg spinner

 

[ahmedwaqas92]

Wasn't he a Tier 3 Batsman according to some 'experts' ??

 

[darksher]

Comfortably the best Test batsman in Pakistan. Thank God he has started opening

Yeah statistically speaking that is, aesthetically he's without any doubt the worst we've ever had in the top order. Has a tailenderish technique with no style or fluency, but as long as he scores plentiful of runs, the rest doesn't matter.

 

[Mamoon]

I would refrain from calling him a 'top class batsman'. Top class Test batsmen are the likes of Root, Kohli, Smith, Williamson, Cook etc., Azhar is not at their level. He is a 'very good' Test batsman though.

Wasn't he a Tier 3 Batsman according to some 'experts' ??

Depends on how you rank them. If the said players are Tier 1 then he's definitely not Tier 1. That makes him Tier 2/3.

 

[darksher]

Wasn't he a Tier 3 Batsman according to some 'experts' ??

He still is, a couple of centuries on foreign turf doesn't negate his glaringly flaws as a batsman and it certainly doesn't rectify his below par record away from home. Now its upto him to prove that he's NOT a tier 3 batsman by delivering note-worthy performances on consistent basis contrary to what has been the norm for him, i-e; following a solid contribution with the bat by a string of poor scores.

 

[darksher]

Definitely our best opener since Saaed Anwar. Insha'Allah he keeps it up.

Thats an over statement!

 

[darksher]

I would refrain from calling him a 'top class batsman'. Top class Test batsmen are the likes of Root, Kohli, Smith, Williamson, Cook etc., Azhar is not at their level. He is a 'very good' Test batsman though.



Depends on how you rank them. If the said players are Tier 1 then he's definitely not Tier 1. That makes him Tier 2/3.

He's not a Top tier batsman either, his struggles in subcontinental conditions in general and on Indian tour in particular attests to that fact. Unlike the other batsmen that you mentioned in Top tier, he doesn't flourish in foreign conditions and always looks vulnerable on crease, something not associated with a top class batsman. I think he's way overrated here on PP!

 

[hur rizvi]

Thats an over statement!

How so? We have produced Imran farhats, Ahmed shehzads and Salman butts since saeed anwar and Azhar is a notch above all of them

 

[Markhor]

Yeah statistically speaking that is, aesthetically he's without any doubt the worst we've ever had in the top order. Has a tailenderish technique with no style or fluency, but as long as he scores plentiful of runs, the rest doesn't matter.

His technique is not tailenderish, he's one of our best players of swing and seam. He had a problem of falling across and not keeping his head over the ball in England making him susceptible to LBW to deliveries coming in. But that seems sorted now.

He is a leggie turned batsman so he won't have the natural range of shots like most batsman. He's not going to dominate an attack like a Saeed Anwar or Amir Sohail.

The difference between him and say, Umar Akmal who fans gush over because of aesthetics, is Azhar's worked damn hard to maximise the limited talents he has. He's mentally tougher than a lot of our players by standing up in numerous crunch situations this year.

Given the trash we've had opening over the years like Farhat, Masood, Butt, Manzoor and Hameed - aesthetics is just a luxury, let's be thankful we finally have an opener who can score some damn runs.

 

[hur rizvi]

He's not a Top tier batsman either, his struggles in subcontinental conditions in general and on Indian tour in particular attests to that fact. Unlike the other batsmen that you mentioned in Top tier, he doesn't flourish in foreign conditions and always looks vulnerable on crease, something not associated with a top class batsman. I think he's way overrated here on PP!

He is an ATG opener. Has had a wonderful series in India in 2013 so one failure doesnt degrade his efforts

 

[darksher]

To think he started off as a leg spinner

Which is why you can still see the remnants of a lower order batsman in his limited strokeplay as blatantly obvious from his tailendrish technique and incapability to rotate strike.

 

[Markhor]

How so? We have produced Imran farhats, Ahmed shehzads and Salman butts since saeed anwar and Azhar is a notch above all of them

He's not the only one - a large section of Pakistanis will never warm to Azhar because he's not what they'd traditionally see from a Pakistani batsman.

We as a nation are all style but no substance. We demand flair and "natural talent" and thumb our noses at so-called "grafters" and workhorses. No wonder Afridi frauded his way to a 20 year career.

Maybe we should bring back Hameed or make Umar Akmal open - doesn't matter how often they flail outside offstump, at lesst they look "natural" and aesthetically pleasing.

 

[hur rizvi]

He's not the only one - a large section of Pakistanis Pakistanis will never warm to Azhar because he's not what they'd traditionally see from a Pakistani batsman.

We as a nation are all style but no substance. We demand flair and "natural talent" and thumb our noses at so-called "grafters" and workhorses. No wonder Afridi frauded his way to a 20 year career.

Maybe we should bring back Hameed or make Umar Akmal open - doesn't matter how often they flail outside offstump, at lesst they look "natural" and aesthetically pleasing.

True that. Azhar is already a Pakistan test great in my opinion. It was a tough year with so many tests in foreign conditions and now that he has done so well in difficult times. Lots of easy runs now wait for him in UAE where open is the best place to bat.

 

[The_KING]

He's not the only one - a large section of Pakistanis Pakistanis will never warm to Azhar because he's not what they'd traditionally see from a Pakistani batsman.

We as a nation are all style but no substance. We demand flair and "natural talent" and thumb our noses at so-called "grafters" and workhorses. No wonder Afridi frauded his way to a 20 year career.

Maybe we should bring back Hameed or make Umar Akmal open - doesn't matter how often they flail outside offstump, at lesst they look "natural" and aesthetically pleasing.

I also think many don't give Azhar credit as a very good test player because of his poor ODI captaincy and average batting.

 

[jog_1]

Which is why you can still see the remnants of a lower order batsman in his limited strokeplay as blatantly obvious from his tailendrish technique and incapability to rotate strike.

His technique is good, far better than that of a tailender. He has limited strokeplay which consitutes heavily with his lack of strike rotation. Given his ability and circumstances, Azhar is def punching above his weight.

 

[Markhor]

I also think many don't give Azhar credit as a very good test player because of his poor ODI captaincy and average batting.

Yes, its fair to criticise Azhar in ODIs where he has issues rotating strike but that frustration shouldn't spill over into discussing his Test career where he's been a reliable performer.

When people hark back to the "good old days" when we supposedly used to be an "aggressive team" in the 80s and 90s - people forget under Imran we had stodgy, defensive openers like Mudassar Nazar and Shoaib Mohammad !

Our team was built on a solid defence with openers who could take the shine off the new ball (a job that shouldn't be taken for granted) and made it easier for the middle order batsmen like Javed Miandad or Salim Malik. Azhar Ali is the Shoaib Mohammad of this era.

 

[Slog]

He's not a Top tier batsman either, his struggles in subcontinental conditions in general and on Indian tour in particular attests to that fact. Unlike the other batsmen that you mentioned in Top tier, he doesn't flourish in foreign conditions and always looks vulnerable on crease, something not associated with a top class batsman. I think he's way overrated here on PP!

lol Cook is one of the most successful overseas opener in Asia ever!

 

[the Great Khan]

Oh here we go again. When will some of you be satisfied? Azhar is a top test player. He has silenced all of his twelve year old critics. Since 2009 name me one player who has defied the odds and played better than him..all I hear on this forum is strike rates. As if nothing else matters. In 2016 only kohli has more runs than Azhar from the same amount of tests. And ghar ka kohli has the advantage of playing at home...

Azhar is one of the best batsmen I've seen play for Pakistan in the last decade..it's time you whipper snappers look at cricket properly...

 

[the Great Khan]

Which is why you can still see the remnants of a lower order batsman in his limited strokeplay as blatantly obvious from his tailendrish technique and incapability to rotate strike.

Oh dear God..this former so called lower order batsman just made a hundred in Australia. .for goodness sake..

 

[darksher]

His technique is not tailenderish, he's one of our best players of swing and seam. He had a problem of falling across and not keeping his head over the ball in England making him susceptible to LBW to deliveries coming in. But that seems sorted now.

He is a leggie turned batsman so he won't have the natural range of shots like most batsman. He's not going to dominate an attack like a Saeed Anwar or Amir Sohail.

The difference between him and say, Umar Akmal who fans gush over because of aesthetics, is Azhar's worked damn hard to maximise the limited talents he has. He's mentally tougher than a lot of our players by standing up in numerous crunch situations this year.

Given the trash we've had opening over the years like Farhat, Masood, Butt, Manzoor and Hameed - aesthetics is just a luxury, let's be thankful we finally have an opener who can score some damn runs.

Calling him one of our best players of pace bowling is clearly an exaggeration, if your claim had substance, he'd not get bogged down consistently to trundlers and faster men alike. Yes his defense is solid (seems to have worked on it alot unlike his other skills) but that doesn't certify him as the best player of pace bowling. Blocking for hours without making an effort to move the scoreboard doesn't make you a best batsman, you've to show intent and assert your authority over them to be recognized as the best player but provided his limited skill-set, he isn't able to do that and you can't fault him tbh, he's a leggie turned batsman afterall and expecting him to dominate fast bowlers is wishful thinking.

 

[Slog]

Calling him one of our best players of pace bowling is clearly an exaggeration, if your claim had substance, he'd not get bogged down consistently to trundlers and faster men alike. Yes his defense is solid (seems to have worked on it alot unlike his other skills) but that doesn't certify him as the best player of pace bowling. Blocking for hours without making an effort to move the scoreboard doesn't make you a best batsman, you've to show intent and assert your authority over them to be recognized as the best player but provided his limited skill-set, he isn't able to do that and you can't fault him tbh, he's a leggie turned batsman afterall and expecting him to dominate fast bowlers is wishful thinking.

given the choice would you take him or one of Shehzad or Akmal jr?

 

[yasir]

I would refrain from calling him a 'top class batsman'. Top class Test batsmen are the likes of Root, Kohli, Smith, Williamson, Cook etc., Azhar is not at their level. He is a 'very good' Test batsman though.



Depends on how you rank them. If the said players are Tier 1 then he's definitely not Tier 1. That makes him Tier 2/3.

There are two kinds of world class test batsmen...Lara, Tendulkar type, with lot of shots all around the ground and Dravid, Langar, Cook, Gaskavar type who have strong defense, patients and can survive in testing conditions... Azhar is second type, definitely world class category. As I said in other post, Pakistani players don't get enough opportunities to stamp their authority, but they have what it takes

 

[the Great Khan]

Calling him one of our best players of pace bowling is clearly an exaggeration, if your claim had substance, he'd not get bogged down consistently to trundlers and faster men alike. Yes his defense is solid (seems to have worked on it alot unlike his other skills) but that doesn't certify him as the best player of pace bowling. Blocking for hours without making an effort to move the scoreboard doesn't make you a best batsman, you've to show intent and assert your authority over them to be recognized as the best player but provided his limited skill-set, he isn't able to do that and you can't fault him tbh, he's a leggie turned batsman afterall and expecting him to dominate fast bowlers is wishful thinking.

Hunh?? He just made hundreds in Oz and eng..smashed a triple in the use and your still moaning?? I rember when on this very forum players like moyo and yk and inzi used to be pilloried for failing abroad...suddenly we have a team that is dangerous all over the wold and you still complain??

Face reality azhar makes tons..big ones..that's what cricket is about..making big runs..not hitting a few flashy cover drives and then getting out..while complaint to the pm..

 

[On_the_up]

Over rated tuk tuk merchant.

Misbah 2.0

Will never worry top class teams with his SR.

Sharjeel should replace him in the next test.

 

[marlonbrowndo]

Over rated tuk tuk merchant.

Misbah 2.0

Will never worry top class teams with his SR.

Sharjeel should replace him in the next test.

Please tell me that's sarcasm

 

[ali ray]

I would refrain from calling him a 'top class batsman'. Top class Test batsmen are the likes of Root, Kohli, Smith, Williamson, Cook etc., Azhar is not at their level. He is a 'very good' Test batsman though.



Depends on how you rank them. If the said players are Tier 1 then he's definitely not Tier 1. That makes him Tier 2/3.

He is better than williamson at current form

 

[ali ray]

He still is, a couple of centuries on foreign turf doesn't negate his glaringly flaws as a batsman and it certainly doesn't rectify his below par record away from home. Now its upto him to prove that he's NOT a tier 3 batsman by delivering note-worthy performances on consistent basis contrary to what has been the norm for him, i-e; following a solid contribution with the bat by a string of poor scores.

I am sure if now he will tour southafrica tomorrow he will prove his haters wrong, just not judge him by performance of 3 years ago...he is completly different batsman now

 

[ali ray]

He's not a Top tier batsman either, his struggles in subcontinental conditions in general and on Indian tour in particular attests to that fact. Unlike the other batsmen that you mentioned in Top tier, he doesn't flourish in foreign conditions and always looks vulnerable on crease, something not associated with a top class batsman. I think he's way overrated here on PP!

So if cook is not top class then williamson is low class if you judge performances by india tour

 

[darksher]

He's not the only one - a large section of Pakistanis Pakistanis will never warm to Azhar because he's not what they'd traditionally see from a Pakistani batsman.

We as a nation are all style but no substance. We demand flair and "natural talent" and thumb our noses at so-called "grafters" and workhorses. No wonder Afridi frauded his way to a 20 year career.

Maybe we should bring back Hameed or make Umar Akmal open - doesn't matter how often they flail outside offstump, at lesst they look "natural" and aesthetically pleasing.

A large section of Pakistanis don't rate AA 'cause his approach to the game is simply abysmal. He takes way too long for an opener to set in, wastes a hell of a deliveries without moving the scoreboard and it isn't like he steps on the accelerator later to make up for his low SR once he reaches a milestone either, he is more than happy to further inflict monotony on audience with his stubborn approach. You don't expect this sort of play from an established so called "best player we've ever had", he should be able to meticulously access the situation of the game and mold himself accordingly.

To add to the unyielding torture, he gets out at the wrong time when there is need for a set player to accelerate thereby putting all his early efforts to waste, losing ample amount of time unnecessarily and handing back the initiative to the opposition at the crucial juncture of game. What's the point of uselessly toiling on the crease for a plethora of time when you're gonna chicken out at a crucial phase and leave the mess to your partners who usually perish in an attempt to score quick runs?

And what does criticizing AA for his negative approach has anything to do with UA? The two are unrelated, only an irrational cricket follower would want to advocate for UA inclusion (reasoning being his dynamism or flair) to combat AA's stagnant approach in the test side as the former is yet to prove his metal in domestic circuit to warrant a call.

No one is saying that he should be benched or replaced by even more incompetent batsmen but what he should be edified on is to drastically improve his style of play in order to become a good top order batsman or rather the "best player" as many tout him out to be, something he's far off right now.

 

[ali ray]

What williamson did whole year apart from bashing zimbabwe, failed in india rubbish in southafrica

 

[On_the_up]

Please tell me that's sarcasm

Yes

All good sides have had good openers. Its the foundation of the inns. Azhar and Sami whilst not going on, do bat quite a few overs consistently. Sami will improve as he gains more experience.

 

[darksher]

given the choice would you take him or one of Shehzad or Akmal jr?

Obviously him for a lack of a better choice but still it doesn't negate his sluggish approach, something he needs to work on if he wants to develop into a proper allround batsman. If his career so far has given me any indication, its that I just don't see it in him to become a versatile batsman whom you can always count on to deliver consistently. He'll always fall prey to his technical limitations and won't be able to progress into the next stage of his career owing to his mature age. He can't just turn the clock around and drastically revamp and overhaul his game at this phase of his career, the age isn't on his side. This is his peak which will last for an year or two followed by imminent regression.

The point I'm making is, he'll always be an ultra reserved and defensive player primarily proficient at blunting the new ball and with no ability to force the initiative when the situation demands it. This is something we've to tolerate for the next few years before the management eventually realizes that he's not cut for the modern game, thereby dispensing him with a regret that they shouldn't have invested in him in the first place but it'll be too late by then.

 

[Last Monetarist]

A large section of Pakistanis don't rate AA 'cause his approach to the game is simply abysmal. He takes way too long for an opener to set in, wastes a hell of a deliveries without moving the scoreboard and it isn't like he steps on the accelerator later to make up for his low SR once he reaches a milestone either, he is more than happy to further inflict monotony on audience with his stubborn approach. You don't expect this sort of play from an established so called "best player we've ever had", he should be able to meticulously access the situation of the game and mold himself accordingly.

To add to the unyielding torture, he gets out at the wrong time when there is need for a set player to accelerate thereby putting all his early efforts to waste, losing ample amount of time unnecessarily and handing back the initiative to the opposition at the crucial juncture of game. What's the point of uselessly toiling on the crease for a plethora of time when you're gonna chicken out at a crucial phase and leave the mess to your partners who usually perish in an attempt to score quick runs?

And what does criticizing AA for his negative approach has anything to do with UA? The two are unrelated, only an irrational cricket follower would want to advocate for UA inclusion (reasoning being his dynamism or flair) to combat AA's stagnant approach in the test side as the former is yet to prove his metal in domestic circuit to warrant a call.

No one is saying that he should be benched or replaced by even more incompetent batsmen but what he should be edified on is to drastically improve his style of play in order to become a good top order batsman or rather the "best player" as many tout him out to be, something he's far off right now.

This is merely churning out a plethora of useless words when your only argument boils down to the self-entitled opinion you are not "entertained" by his batting. He's not in the business of entertaining, it's to score runs for the team and lay down a platform for more capable stroke makers. His work ethic and hard work over the years should be justly lauded instead of condescendingly spat on by irredeemably amateurish critics.

 

[darksher]

So if cook is not top class then williamson is low class if you judge performances by india tour

Its not just his overseas performances that excludes him from Top tier batsman but predominantly his unassertive and diffident approach to the game, he always looks vulnerable and at unease while his stay on crease, which isn't something associated with world class players, I'd go on and say that he's a slightly superior left handed version of Azhar Ali, no more no less.

 

[Slog]

Obviously him for a lack of a better choice but still it doesn't negate his sluggish approach, something he needs to work on if he wants to develop into a proper allround batsman. If his career so far has given me any indication, its that I just don't see it in him to become a versatile batsman whom you can always count on to deliver consistently. He'll always fall prey to his technical limitations and won't be able to progress into the next stage of his career owing to his mature age. He can't just turn the clock around and drastically revamp and overhaul his game at this phase of his career, the age isn't on his side. This is his peak which will last for an year or two followed by imminent regression.

The point I'm making is, he'll always be an ultra reserved and defensive player primarily proficient at blunting the new ball and with no ability to force the initiative when the situation demands it. This is something we've to tolerate for the next few years before the management eventually realizes that he's not cut for the modern game, thereby dispensing him with a regret that they shouldn't have invested in him in the first place but it'll be too late by then.

His game has his limitations but he knows what they are and minimizes them. Hence his record.

For Test cricket he is just fine.

If he keeps giving the performances he has given in 2016 then he has a long long career left

 

[Boi]

Tailenderish technique?!

Some people will never be happy with Azhar, I guess. We deserve openers like Hafeez and co who 'impose' themselves on the bowlers for a couple of overs and then get out.

Azhar is a quality Test player. Really happy to see him do well out in Australia, love watching him bat.

 

[Slog]

A large section of Pakistanis don't rate AA 'cause his approach to the game is simply abysmal. He takes way too long for an opener to set in, wastes a hell of a deliveries without moving the scoreboard and it isn't like he steps on the accelerator later to make up for his low SR once he reaches a milestone either, he is more than happy to further inflict monotony on audience with his stubborn approach. You don't expect this sort of play from an established so called "best player we've ever had", he should be able to meticulously access the situation of the game and mold himself accordingly.

To add to the unyielding torture, he gets out at the wrong time when there is need for a set player to accelerate thereby putting all his early efforts to waste, losing ample amount of time unnecessarily and handing back the initiative to the opposition at the crucial juncture of game. What's the point of uselessly toiling on the crease for a plethora of time when you're gonna chicken out at a crucial phase and leave the mess to your partners who usually perish in an attempt to score quick runs?

And what does criticizing AA for his negative approach has anything to do with UA? The two are unrelated, only an irrational cricket follower would want to advocate for UA inclusion (reasoning being his dynamism or flair) to combat AA's stagnant approach in the test side as the former is yet to prove his metal in domestic circuit to warrant a call.

No one is saying that he should be benched or replaced by even more incompetent batsmen but what he should be edified on is to drastically improve his style of play in order to become a good top order batsman or rather the "best player" as many tout him out to be, something he's far off right now.

The number of times youve used SR, 'waste deliveries,' 'negative approach,' 'SR' again one woud think you are talking abt T20s.

Azhar's batting is fine. Issue is with your understanding of test cricket

And its funny when you say all this when there arent players in reserve who would have output anywhere close to Azhar's.

Azhar walks into the side.

Also he is fairly consistent. Shafiq's problem is inconsistency

 

[KB]

His career exemplifies what can be achieved with diligence and determination. He began his first class career batting at 9 and thereafter spent the next few matches at 7 or 8. He slowly worked his way up the order. Early in his international career he had a a tour of England which was in a cricketing context disastrous. He really struggled against the moving ball.

Yet, here we are six years on, where he has shown that he can score runs in England and Australia. There have surely been more skilful Pakistani batsmen, but few with his strength of will.

There is nothing ostentatious about him. No enlarged ego, just sheer hard work. In a world of chest-thumping ambition, he represents the power of understatement.

 

[Arham_PakFan]

He is an example that hard work and dedication is needed and talent itself won't help you,hopefully a few of our younger players follow his example.

He has really stepped up this year,he is in his peak years as a batsman and is comfortably our best opener after Anwar.

 

[New Yorker]

The problem with Azhar Ali is that he doesn't score fast or quick or in the right way, he looks shaky and fidgety on crease and never looks "in" despite being there for a considerable period of time with lots of runs under his belt, you get the feeling that he'll nick one or get LBW at any instance, he finds fielders on almost every shot he plays and he's extremely poor in rotating strike, there is no style or dynamism but somehow he finds a way to score these runs albeit at the cost of boring the hell outa spectators which is so odd. He'd make a terrible batsman if it weren't for those ugly runs that he seems to churn out more often than not despite his abysmal technical discipline.

No one should care the slightest if the runs are ugly as long as they come at a decent click. And there he surely has to improve. But I would much rather have a Chanderpaul than an Umar Amin.

 

[New Yorker]

His career exemplifies what can be achieved with diligence and determination. He began his first class career batting at 9 and thereafter spent the next few matches at 7 or 8. He slowly worked his way up the order. Early in his international career he had a a tour of England which was in a cricketing context disastrous. He really struggled against the moving ball.

Yet, here we are six years on, where he has shown that he can score runs in England and Australia. There have surely been more skilful Pakistani batsmen, but few with his strength of will.

There is nothing ostentatious about him. No enlarged ego, just sheer hard work. In a world of chest-thumping ambition, he represents the power of understatement.

How quickly people forget. He certainly has an ego, and ambition. The ODI team would be much better off if he had not clung to the captaincy. I very much hope he is not tapped as the successor to Misbah for the Test team.

 

[darksher]

The number of times youve used SR, 'waste deliveries,' 'negative approach,' 'SR' again one woud think you are talking abt T20s.

Azhar's batting is fine. Issue is with your understanding of test cricket

And its funny when you say all this when there arent players in reserve who would have output anywhere close to Azhar's.

Azhar walks into the side.

Also he is fairly consistent. Shafiq's problem is inconsistency

Its funny that whenever someone mentions the words you highlighted, they're automatically labelled as T20 fans with no real understanding of test cricket, if you're still languishing in the bygone era and don't wanna acknowledge the fact that the modern game has changed significantly in every aspect, then that's your problem not mine. In an age where the game is moving forward at an alarming rate and 4 RPO in Tests is the norm, AA's lethargic approach coupled with lowest SR in world cricket and no indication of intent is criminal. No one is asking him to bat recklessly or take unnecessary risks to score faster but all he should aim for is to rotate the strike more often, maintain an acceptable SR throughout by putting the bad balls away and not suffocate the life off an innings.

 

[darksher]

No one should care the slightest if the runs are ugly as long as they come at a decent click. And there he surely has to improve. But I would much rather have a Chanderpaul than an Umar Amin.

If he didn't improve in the last six years when people have been constantly calling him out on his stagnant approach, he never will, scoring at a decent rate is beyond him due to his technical incompetency and reserved mindset, you can fault him tbh, he is intrinsically a bowler who learned the craft of batmanship, limitations will be there.

 

[Vivek_86]

Azhar Ali is the Murali Vijay of Pakistan

 

[KB]

In an age where the game is moving forward at an alarming rate and 4 RPO in Tests is the norm

How many Test match teams have an average scoring rate of 4 runs per over in Tests in 2016 or in this decade?

 

[darksher]

How quickly people forget. He certainly has an ego, and ambition. The ODI team would be much better off if he had not clung to the captaincy. I very much hope he is not tapped as the successor to Misbah for the Test team.

Its already been decided, he's already touted as the rightful successor to Misbah once the later hangs his worn out boots, as if we weren't tired of Misbah's torpid approach and a sheer unwillingness to adapt to the modern game, AA will carry his legacy forward and will make sure we don't step foot in the dawn of new age in the foreseeable future. That's what all proteges do, follow the footsteps of their masters.

 

[hur rizvi]

Hard work defeats Talent every day of the week and so did Azhar Ali

 

[Slog]

Its already been decided, he's already touted as the rightful successor to Misbah once the later hangs his worn out boots, as if we weren't tired of Misbah's torpid approach and a sheer unwillingness to adapt to the modern game, AA will carry his legacy forward and will make sure we don't step foot in the dawn of new age in the foreseeable future. That's what all proteges do, follow the footsteps of their masters.

do you what Misbah's approach got us and what his legacy is:

World #1 ranking
Away Series wins in NZ, SL and draw in Eng
Hammering of Australia in 2014 and a series win against them after 20 years

Just to name a few

I'll sign up for more of that

 

[Markhor]

How quickly people forget. He certainly has an ego, and ambition. The ODI team would be much better off if he had not clung to the captaincy. I very much hope he is not tapped as the successor to Misbah for the Test team.

Azhar offered his resignation as ODI captain after the England series but the PCB rejected it and Arthur also wanted him to continue.

 

[New Yorker]

do you what Misbah's approach got us and what his legacy is:

World #1 ranking
Away Series wins in NZ, SL and draw in Eng
Hammering of Australia in 2014 and a series win against them after 20 years

Just to name a few

I'll sign up for more of that

Let's get back to Azhar. So you think he is good captaincy material and if so on what evidence?

 

[New Yorker]

Azhar offered his resignation as ODI captain after the England series but the PCB rejected it and Arthur also wanted him to continue.

Not according to Shahryar.

 

[New Yorker]

Hard work defeats Talent every day of the week and so did Azhar Ali

What is this thread, the morality chorus? Perchance he has some talent too.

 

[New Yorker]

do you what Misbah's approach got us and what his legacy is:

World #1 ranking
Away Series wins in NZ, SL and draw in Eng
Hammering of Australia in 2014 and a series win against them after 20 years

Just to name a few

I'll sign up for more of that

Pakistan is no 1? We won last time in NZ?

 

[the Great Khan]

Pakistan is no 1? We won last time in NZ?

yes we won our previous series there. Under Misbah.

 

[New Yorker]

yes we won our previous series there. Under Misbah.

Right but winning in NZ used to be taken for granted. And we lost the next one miserably. Then dropped pretty hard and fast from that no 1 spot.

 

[hur rizvi]

Pakistan is no 1? We won last time in NZ?

2011 series win in NZ

 

[New Yorker]

Azhar offered his resignation as ODI captain after the England series but the PCB rejected it and Arthur also wanted him to continue.

from cricinfo, hope it is ok to quote some text?

"In September, following a 4-1 defeat to England, Shaharyar asked Azhar to considering resigning. But Azhar preferred not to and led Pakistan to a 3-0 whitewash of West Indies in the UAE. However, Shaharyar and the PCB's doubts continued.

"We are more than happy with Azhar as a player, human being and a person," he said in Karachi. "But his leadership skills have not given us confidence and his place in ODI side is on shaky ground. It is also a fact that we had left it up to him to step down as captain during the England series but after a collective decision we decided to allow him to carry on for the West Indies series.

"It's really tough to make a decision after a captain won it by 3-0, but still I believe it's purely Azhar's own decision to let it go and he earlier refused to relinquish his captaincy."

Shaharyar said the board had asked head coach Mickey Arthur about his opinion on Azhar as captain and he too had voted in favor of a change and having Sarfraz in charge."

 

[darksher]

How many Test match teams have an average scoring rate of 4 runs per over in Tests in 2016 or in this decade?

OK I should've said, "around 4 RPO" which is how teams score nowadays as was apparent in last ashes and the one preceding it, anyway what I meant to imply is batsmen all over the world have significantly altered their approach to Test cricket and they are scoring at a considerably highly runrate compared to previous generations. However Pakistani batsmen spearheaded by the likes of Misbah, AA, Shafiq are still living in a bygone era as portrayed by their languid and obsolete modus operandi and its not helping the team.

 

[darksher]

do you what Misbah's approach got us and what his legacy is:

World #1 ranking
Away Series wins in NZ, SL and draw in Eng
Hammering of Australia in 2014 and a series win against them after 20 years

Just to name a few

I'll sign up for more of that

They climbed up the rankings chart and attained the no. 1 spot on the back of home wins and more importantly it wasn't solely because of Misbah's presence but it was rather a collective effort. He has done nothing except instill a culture of timidity and defensiveness in the team as starkly obvious in our batting outfit, the repercussions of which we'll have to live with in time to come.

 

[Obstructing_the_field]

I would refrain from calling him a 'top class batsman'. Top class Test batsmen are the likes of Root, Kohli, Smith, Williamson, Cook etc., Azhar is not at their level. He is a 'very good' Test batsman though.



Depends on how you rank them. If the said players are Tier 1 then he's definitely not Tier 1. That makes him Tier 2/3.

really fail to understand y Root/kholi/williamson/smith/cook are tier 1 by only performing in their backyard and Azhar is tier2 bcz he doesnt perform away from home?

he has had decent scores in his first aussie tour... and was fairly decent in his actual first english tour (2010 was his first but shld we really count it?)...

he was poor in SA and NZ but then most of our batsmen had stuggled.. and most of Asian batsmen have struggled....

i probably would agree tht he isnt the same as the5 u named but then he is not tier2... would still say he is probably 6/7 on the list but in tht top level.

 

[Markhor]

from cricinfo, hope it is ok to quote some text?

"In September, following a 4-1 defeat to England, Shaharyar asked Azhar to considering resigning. But Azhar preferred not to and led Pakistan to a 3-0 whitewash of West Indies in the UAE. However, Shaharyar and the PCB's doubts continued.

"We are more than happy with Azhar as a player, human being and a person," he said in Karachi. "But his leadership skills have not given us confidence and his place in ODI side is on shaky ground. It is also a fact that we had left it up to him to step down as captain during the England series but after a collective decision we decided to allow him to carry on for the West Indies series.

"It's really tough to make a decision after a captain won it by 3-0, but still I believe it's purely Azhar's own decision to let it go and he earlier refused to relinquish his captaincy."

Shaharyar said the board had asked head coach Mickey Arthur about his opinion on Azhar as captain and he too had voted in favor of a change and having Sarfraz in charge."

I wouldn't take everything SK says at face value - seems convenient for the PCB to say Azhar wanted to continue as skipper so they can throw him under the bus if results worsen under him in ODIs.

This contradicts what SK said in September when he said he did NOT want to remove him ! - “Azhar Ali is a good captain and he is striving to lead the team well. But it is clear that we are not going to remove him as a captain instead we will give him time to improve his captaincy and get better results. Azhar is not just the main reason behind the defeats, instead each and every player of the team is equally responsible for the series of team losses."

http://www.pakpassion.net/ppforum/s...e-Azhar-Ali-as-ODI-captain-quot-Shahryar-Khan

 

[Rayyman]

Azhar Ali is the Murali Vijay of Pakistan

The only thing Vijay is better at than Azhar is entertaining the spectators.

 

[Abdullah719]

The argument that he 'looks like getting out' and looks fidgety at the crease is one that is completely subjective. I get that feeling from some of the other players in the lineup, but rarely from Azhar. He knows his game very well and concentrates on exactly that, and he has full confidence in it. It's a very poor line of argument against a man who is extremely difficult to dismiss and the numbers in the OP perfectly encapsulate that.

For the strike rate brigade, he was striking at 39.5 before 2015 - since the start of 2015, it's 46. If that isn't improvement, I don't know what is. As mentioned, there is room for more improvement as well, but there are other players in Test cricket who have a similar strike-rate as well, and they get much lesser flak from their 'fans'.

Azhar is obviously doing something right if he's head and shoulders above the rest of our batsmen during a year where we've had multiple tough tours. But by all means, continue with the 'low SR' argument as that seems to be the only (illogical) argument remaining now.

 

[Abdul]

He is the best batsman in our team based on the output so he is rightfully starting to get all of the recognition now and I'm very happy.

The best thing that I personally find about him is his game awareness as in he knows what needs to be worked on and that is the reason how he can quickly make adjustments to his technique. We saw him falling over in England to the fuller deliveries but he was able to fix those issues.

Other than that, some very illogical and lame posts on this thread regarding strike rate.

 

[Zohaib Shah]

Needs to work on creating more strokes. He bats very slow.

Other than that he is a fine Test batsmen.

 

[troodon]

The only thing Vijay is better at than Azhar is entertaining the spectators.

Vijay has better array of strokes and can rotate strike better than Azhar Ali.

Azhar Ali is currently going through a purple patch. One of the best openers in the world currently.

I would trust Azhar Ali to bat out the day if I am drawing a Test match.

I would trust Vijay to bat if I want my team to win(though Vijay has been in terrible form this year and scoring at a snail pace himself).

 

[Buffet]

really fail to understand y Root/kholi/williamson/smith/cook are tier 1 by only performing in their backyard

Bold statement doesn't sound true.

Root outside of Eng has around 2K runs with avg of 46.
Kohli outside of Asia has around 2K runs with avg of 46.
Cook outside of Eng has around 5K runs with avg of 48.
Smith outside of Aus has 2K+ runs with avg of 53.
Kane outside of NZ has 2k+ runs with avg of 46.

They all have performed outside of their backyard.

 

[Obstructing_the_field]

Bold statement doesn't sound true.

Root outside of Eng has around 2K runs with avg of 46.
Kohli outside of Asia has around 2K runs with avg of 46.
Cook outside of Eng has around 5K runs with avg of 48.
Smith outside of Aus has 2K+ runs with avg of 53.
Kane outside of NZ has 2k+ runs with avg of 46.

They all have performed outside of their backyard.

Bold statement doesn't sound true.

Root outside of Eng has around 2K runs with avg of 46.
Kohli outside of Asia has around 2K runs with avg of 46.
Cook outside of Eng has around 5K runs with avg of 48.
Smith outside of Aus has 2K+ runs with avg of 53.
Kane outside of NZ has 2k+ runs with avg of 46.

They all have performed outside of their backyard.

when we talk abt backyard, then we talk abt alien condition... wats root/smith/wilaimson avg in sub-continent...

wasnt NZ just murdered in india? just few weeks ago.. and recently all englishmen too?

wat just happened to Aus in SL a few months ago?

apart from 2 innings in Aus (which btw Azhar has already played too) how amazing was kholi in Eng? avg mid 10s?


if outside home is everything, then azhar has most runs away from home ... as nothing is being played in pak...

 

[Slog]

Let's get back to Azhar. So you think he is good captaincy material and if so on what evidence?

That wasn't the discussion

The poster said appointing Azhar as test captain will be just going back to what Misbah has been as test captain and have the same legacy.

And my reply was that if it's getting to being ranked number 1 in the world as well as success in big series then sign me up for it!

 

[Slog]

They climbed up the rankings chart and attained the no. 1 spot on the back of home wins and more importantly it wasn't solely because of Misbah's presence but it was rather a collective effort. He has done nothing except instill a culture of timidity and defensiveness in the team as starkly obvious in our batting outfit, the repercussions of which we'll have to live with in time to come.

This is the first time I'm hearing that Misbah wasn't majorly responsible for Test success

Do tell me why our previous teams didn't get anywhere close to this success despite more skilled individuals

Our batting currently is definitely more reliable than in late 2000s and I'd argue mentally stronger than 90s and 2000s

It's funny how you disregard home wins when predecessors didn't do that even though they actually played at home. And the irony is that we attained the ranking after a tour of England

 

[Buffet]

when we talk abt backyard, then we talk abt alien condition... wats root/smith/wilaimson avg in sub-continent...

..

apart from 2 innings in Aus (which btw Azhar has already played too) how amazing was kholi in Eng? avg mid 10s?

Kane and root has 45+ average in subcontinent with around 1K runs.
Smith averages 40+ in subcontinent as well.
Cook Averages 50+ in subcontinents.
Kohli averages 62 in Aus, 66 in NZ, 68 in SA & 13 in Eng with total 7 tons on those countries.


I fail to see how they are only scoring in their backyard.

 

[Hawkeye]

Fine batsman and deserves it. I actually enjoy watching him toil away. Technically sound and works his backside off.

Glad you finally realized it.

Anyway, he's a top Test bat, resilient along with Sami. Both will make a great pair.

They aren't dynamic but get the job done with their style of play.

 

[Chief Destroyer]

Glad you finally realized it.

Anyway, he's a top Test bat, resilient along with Sami. Both will make a great pair.

They aren't dynamic but get the job done with their style of play.

Finally realized? I've always rated him as a test batsman long before anyone did. Don't confuse my criticism of him in the shorter formats and as captain with Azhar the test batsman. At least know the poster's opinion of a player clearly before posting rubbish.

 

[Sherlock]

I've had my issues with Azhar Ali in recent years, but I think I'm right in saying he's been the most reliable after the England series involving Shafiq/YK/Misbah.

Shafiq just about got his form back last Test, but Azhar Ali has been the main batsmen the others have failed to play around.

I saw the stat yesterday saying barring 1 year, since his debut in 2012 he's averaged more than 50+ in 3 out of 4 years. That is a fantastic record tbh.