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Azhar Ali vs Misbah-ul-Haq - Who is the superior Test batsman?

Azhar Ali v Misbah-ul-Haq - Who is the superior Test batsman?

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Muhammad10

Muhammad10

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Both have similar playing styles and have been highly productive run-scorers for Pakistan over the years.

Which of the two do you rate higher in Test cricket?
 
Misbah got nothing on Azhar. He'd struggle to average 30 if he batted in the top 3.
 
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Misbah is nothing infront of Azhar Ali.

Misbah is good tidy batsmen, who has manged to inflate his average by playing in UAE, against West Indies bowlers. Azhar has proved his mettle in England, and Australia last year, has shown us that he is not an UAE bully.
 
The only thing Misbah has over Azhar is ball striking. Azhar cannot hit the ball cleanly like him.
 
Azhar is better against pace, while Misbah is better against spin. Patient batting is their strength. Azhar is my pick, as I reckon a mid-40s average is far tougher for a top order batsman to maintain than it is for someone batting at 5.
 
Azhar is the best Test batsman in Pakistan. Misbah is better against spin though
 
That's like saying who is a better batsman between Dhoni and Kohli/Pujara.

Of course the premier batsman is Azhar.

Misbah better against spin though and at rebuilding collapses.
 
Azhar 100%. Misbah was only better in ball striking and overall captaincy (especially in ODI's compared to Azhar), and Azhar I'd say is one of the world's most difficult batsman to knock over with the ball. His defence is miles better than most other batsman and I'd say he's more patient too.
 
Comparing Azhar to a guy who averages 29 overseas? :facepalm:

Azhar is leagues ahead.
 
Azhar is world class.

I know people dont give him credit and still think of him as a gritty batsman who conributes but in past 18 months he has gone to next level.
 
Slog said:
Azhar is world class.

I know people dont give him credit and still think of him as a gritty batsman who conributes but in past 18 months he has gone to next level.
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He is still a grinder, but now he is at a level where he can grind any bowling attack into the ground. At the moment, he will probably struggle on Indian rank-turners only. Might even succeed in SA against Steyn, Rabada and Philander.
 
Azhar Ali is the best opener in the world at the moment in tests. He has a 140 in England, a 200 in Australia and a 300 in the UAE. He has outperformed Misbah in the UAE as well as over seas. The only aspect of batting in which Misbah is superior to Azhar is hitting ability and playing spin.
 
The form Azhar is in now, I wonder how he would do against India and South Africa.
Im tempted to say that he would struggle more on turners of India than the swing/seam conditions in South Africa.
 
This comparison is absurd and not a comparison at all. Has anyone ever seen comparing Dhoni with Pujara.
 
The thread should have been Younis vs Azhar, then it would have been a fair contest.
 
Hawkeye said:
This comparison is absurd and not a comparison at all. Has anyone ever seen comparing Dhoni with Pujara.
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I didn't know Misbah was a wicket keeper batsmen. They're both frontline batsmen so their abilities and performances can be compared.
 
Haroon786 said:
Very surprising coming from an astute cricket follower.

Azhar is definitely the better batsman.
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It's just what I believe. Misbah's a more complete batsman IMO. Obviously Azhar's improving and could end up better than Misbah. But think people underrate Misbah as a batsman. A lot of the time he held the innings together. I think Misbah is also better against spin which azhar has a bit of a weakness against. And Misbah is more able to shift gears and adapt.

There's not much in it but I do think Misbah is slightly better.
 
Mamoon said:
The only thing Misbah has over Azhar is ball striking. Azhar cannot hit the ball cleanly like him.
Click to expand...

Azhar is far better than Misbah in facing new ball and facing seamers in general...Misbah is king at bashing spinners, but that's pretty much about it...Azhar may end up been the best test opener we ever had. There skill sets are different not sure why compare them... I would also put Azhar above Misbah, Misbah's skill sets are narrow and limited.
 
yasir said:
Azhar is far better than Misbah in facing new ball and facing seamers in general...Misbah is king at bashing spinners, but that's pretty much about it...Azhar may end up been the best test opener we ever had. There skill sets are different not sure why compare them... I would also put Azhar above Misbah, Misbah's skill sets are narrow and limited.
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Yes. Azhar is better in every aspect except for hitting. Azhar certainly has a very good chance of ending up as our best opener ever. Against the lateral movement, he is better than most Pakistani batsmen I have seen. Certainly better than Misbah and Younis, the latter who is by far the worst player of lateral movement to have played 100+ Tests.
 
Azhar is much better what he did in Aus is testament to that. He is a world class bat. Misbah has never been world class he is great in UAE but Misbah has been an FTB most of his career.
 
Hawkeye said:
This comparison is absurd and not a comparison at all. Has anyone ever seen comparing Dhoni with Pujara.
Click to expand...

They are the two players in our team with the most similar styles of batting, i.e. patient batting, looking to grind the opposition down while building their innings. Certainly comparable, I reckon.
 
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ads101 said:
It's just what I believe. Misbah's a more complete batsman IMO. Obviously Azhar's improving and could end up better than Misbah. But think people underrate Misbah as a batsman. A lot of the time he held the innings together. I think Misbah is also better against spin which azhar has a bit of a weakness against. And Misbah is more able to shift gears and adapt.

There's not much in it but I do think Misbah is slightly better.
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Fair enough and although I agree Misbah is better than Azhar in playing spin, Azhar's recent ascension since 2016 to the elite tier of Test batting in being able to score big runs anywhere and consistently too gives him the nod for me. Also the fact that he gets tons much more regularly than Misbah in a format where their importance is heavily integral to the team's fortunes is another major factor IMO.
 
The results of this poll serve as a reminder of how good Azhar was a couple of years ago. It would probably be a lot closer now, though Azhar obviously deserves some leeway for being a top-order batsman. Sad to see his struggles post MisYou; looks like a shadow of the player he used to be.
 
This poll represents the thinking of pakistani fans :)))
 
Major said:
This poll represents the thinking of pakistani fans :)))
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The one-sidedness of the poll was justified at the time. There was almost a consensus regarding Azhar being a better Test batsman then, but obviously his stats have taken a serious hit after more than a year of struggles. Right now, I would say Misbah edges it 55-45, but Azhar can still turn things around.

I agree with [MENTION=141557]Chief Destroyer[/MENTION], he was doing fine as an opener and shouldn't have been moved to #3. I doubt they will even consider making him open now, because of his struggles at #3.
 
Mamoon said:
Yes. Azhar is better in every aspect except for hitting. Azhar certainly has a very good chance of ending up as our best opener ever. Against the lateral movement, he is better than most Pakistani batsmen I have seen. Certainly better than Misbah and Younis, the latter who is by far the worst player of lateral movement to have played 100+ Tests.
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Interesting observation by [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] here. It seems you had high hopes from Azhar couple of years ago. Would like to know your opinion on this now.
 
Ab Fan said:
Interesting observation by [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] here. It seems you had high hopes from Azhar couple of years ago. Would like to know your opinion on this now.
Click to expand...

I think if you compare their overall strengths and weaknesses, Azhar is the superior batsman. At no stage of his career was Misbah ever good enough to score a double-hundred in Australia.

However, Azhar has been badly exposed once he was burdened with the responsibility of being the senior batsman. I really thought he could have averaged around 45 as an opener for the next 4-5 years, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

He is mentally very weak and has failed to compensate for his ageing reflexes and added responsibility. I really don't think this is just a slump in form; he looks spent, and with the next series 8-9 months away, this is the perfect time to thank him for his services.
 
Mamoon said:
I think if you compare their overall strengths and weaknesses, Azhar is the superior batsman. At no stage of his career was Misbah ever good enough to score a double-hundred in Australia.

However, Azhar has been badly exposed once he was burdened with the responsibility of being the senior batsman. I really thought he could have averaged around 45 as an opener for the next 4-5 years, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

He is mentally very weak and has failed to compensate for his ageing reflexes and added responsibility. I really don't think this is just a slump in form; he looks spent, and with the next series 8-9 months away, this is the perfect time to thank him for his services.
Click to expand...

As much as we highlight his limitations, there are speculations and reports that he has a severe knee problem which is one of the main reasons why he retired from ODI cricket, he apparently went to the UK for treatment on his knee and the doctors even told him that he doesn't have much longer left in the game and will have to manage his workload.

Even if the field, you can see him struggling with his running now. Either ways he was always a limited batsman, no point in continuing with him if he is not going to maintain the same form as before. India was bold enough to move on their players, we should do the same.
 
Savak said:
As much as we highlight his limitations, there are speculations and reports that he has a severe knee problem which is one of the main reasons why he retired from ODI cricket, he apparently went to the UK for treatment on his knee and the doctors even told him that he doesn't have much longer left in the game and will have to manage his workload.

Even if the field, you can see him struggling with his running now. Either ways he was always a limited batsman, no point in continuing with him if he is not going to maintain the same form as before. India was bold enough to move on their players, we should do the same.
Click to expand...

That could be a reason, but I think he has been mentally found out. Leading a batting lineup is not just age and experience but a state of mind. After the retirement of Younis and Misbah, he was expected to take his game to the next level. His failure to do so has killed his confidence, and he is now struggling to even do what he was good at, i.e. scratching around and playing ugly knocks to maintain an average of 40-45.
 
Barring the series vs NZ, he has been really bad since Misbah and Younis retired. It might be time for him to go. He clearly is declining.
 
Mamoon said:
I think if you compare their overall strengths and weaknesses, Azhar is the superior batsman. At no stage of his career was Misbah ever good enough to score a double-hundred in Australia.

However, Azhar has been badly exposed once he was burdened with the responsibility of being the senior batsman. I really thought he could have averaged around 45 as an opener for the next 4-5 years, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

He is mentally very weak and has failed to compensate for his ageing reflexes and added responsibility. I really don't think this is just a slump in form; he looks spent, and with the next series 8-9 months away, this is the perfect time to thank him for his services.
Click to expand...

Yes, time for him to take the retirement. But given the lack of options and the tendency of SC batsmen to continue at the age till 37-38, he won't call it off.
 
The knee problem doesnt make sense.

He is scoring in UAE
 
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