Azhar Ali is Pakistan's best ODI opener

[Sunny_majoka]

I can't understand why people of Pakistan are against azhar ali. His stats prove that he is the best opener of the Pakistan after saeed anwar. He averges over 40 and his strike rate as a captain is well over 80.

 

[Mamoon]

He is a good Test opener, but the problem is - and I highlighted it in the other thread - he does not have the capacity to influence or make an impact.

He tortures himself and others for a couple of sessions and will not run away with the game either way. He is just there for a few hours and then he isn't, and no one feels his absence.

He can be 200 not out and the opposition will not care about him. This is quite unfortunate and embarrassing for a batsman, but his complete lack of presence at the crease is own undoing.

He is simply not capable of exerting pressure on the opposition and making them feel that there is actually any purpose to his batting.

 

[Hasan123]

Not an odi player, should be booted out of that format as skipper and player.should concentrate on tests. [MENTION=138254]Syed1[/MENTION], that is my honest opnion, I'm I biased now?

 

[Major]

our fans would rather take those avg 30 tullaybaaz as openers rather then azhar ali who has been the best opener after saeed. Avg 40 for opener isn't easy

 

[Chief Destroyer]

I disagree. I think he's more suited for the T20 format.

 

[StarWolf]

I disagree. I think he's more suited for the T20 format.

Haha. Hilarious. The thread looks very out of place considering the test series is going on.

 

[saabir]

He is not suited in modern day limited overs format. He is from old school of thought. he does not have talent but very very hard working lad. Okk player in test. Good as per pak std in test only.

 

[saabir]

He should restrict himself for tests only. Not a very free flowing players. Looks relly ugly when tried to up the ante. But pak need him for the time being till they find a proper opener

 

[coy0607]

quite frankly I think Azhar Ali is the greatest cricketer Pakistan has ever produced...

 

[Sports_Psychologist]

our fans would rather take those avg 30 tullaybaaz as openers rather then azhar ali who has been the best opener after saeed. Avg 40 for opener isn't easy

Try domestic ones as well before making him the best opener we've produced,

 

[Major]

Try domestic ones as well before making him the best opener we've produced,

Yasir Hameed
Imran Farhat
Imran Nazir
Shahid Afridi
Kamran Akmal
Taufeeq Umar
Mohammad Hafeez
Salman Butt
Khurram Manzoor
Nasir Jamshed
Ahmed Shezad
Shan Masood
Sharjeel Khan
Shazaib Hasan

Do you want me to name you more openers?

 

[Syed1]

Azhar Ali is our best opener that is why we are fluctuating between number 8 and 9 in the rankings.

 

[marlonbrowndo]

Best Test opener but shouldn't be playing ODIs

 

[Haroon786]

If Pakistan want to be a top team in ODIs, they need all their batsmen to have a strike rate above 90 and to at least average 35 and ideally over 40.

Azhar doesn't fit that billing, but until there's a viable replacement I'm not convinced that sacking him as a player is the option. Captaincy wise, he should be a goner though.

 

[Justcrazy]

Azhar should be removed from captain spot as well as team .

The batting line up should be dynamic , something like this.

Sharjeel , Umar Akmal , babar , Harris , Imad , sarfaraz, Umar Amin , batting all rounder , bowling all rounder , bowler , bowler .

harris / Babaar / Amin used as part timers.

 

[Seamer]

He should be replaced by Fakhar Zaman in Australia. This should be the odi team :

1. Sharjeel Khan
2. Fakhar Zaman
3. Babar Azam
4. Sarfaraz (C)
5. Malik
6. Umar Akmal
7. Imad Wasim
8. Wahab Riaz
9. Amir
10. Hassan Ali
11. Asghar

12. Sohail Khan
13. Nawaz
14. Khalid Latif
15. Aamer Yamin

 

[shaz619]

He is a good Test opener, but the problem is - and I highlighted it in the other thread - he does not have the capacity to influence or make an impact.

He tortures himself and others for a couple of sessions and will not run away with the game either way. He is just there for a few hours and then he isn't, and no one feels his absence.

He can be 200 not out and the opposition will not care about him. This is quite unfortunate and embarrassing for a batsman, but his complete lack of presence at the crease is own undoing.

He is simply not capable of exerting pressure on the opposition and making them feel that there is actually any purpose to his batting.

Why wouldn't the opposition care about a player on 200 not out lmao that's nonsensical, are you having a laugh?

 

[Speedster777]

Azhar belongs to Misbah school of cricket. His tuk tuk might work in Tests but won't work in modern limited over cricket.

 

[hass]

I disagree. He's a prime example of sadly how mediocre the (batting) talent pool is for Pakistan at the highest level. He's currently doing reasonably well as a test match opener, but sorely lacks the dynamism and variety of shots to increase his strike rate for the standards of today's one-day internationals and T20 internationals. His status as ODI captain is surely irreparable at this point.

Sharjeel, Latif, Babar and Sarfraz have stood out the most as suitable limited overs batsmen. Malik contributes every so often too but he's hardly one to rely on for the long term future.

Azhar belongs to Misbah school of cricket. His tuk tuk might work in Tests but won't work in modern limited over cricket.

I'm not sure I'd put Azhar and Misbah in the same sentence. Misbah is a class above and one of the most underappreciated batsmen Pakistan have had, in all formats.

 

[MMHS]

Picking Azhar in ODI doesn't reflect the availability of batting talent in PAK - rather, it reflects how much out dated the thought process still is.

 

[Mamoon]

Why wouldn't the opposition care about a player on 200 not out lmao that's nonsensical, are you having a laugh?

My point is that he is never a threat to the opposition. He will never do anything to make it a contest between bat and ball, he never puts any pressure on the bowler and never disturbs their rhythm and line & length.

 

[rollingstoned]

My point is that he is never a threat to the opposition. He will never do anything to make it a contest between bat and ball, he never puts any pressure on the bowler and never disturbs their rhythm and line & length.

He is uninspiring but he's very un-Pakistani like in that he has retrained himself to overachieve as a batsmen/ player who puts a very high price on his wicket, if he can find a way to strike at around 40 then that will make him one of the best openers around.