Battle for best captain of PSL 8 - At stake, the position of Pakistan T20I captain

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

I keep reiterating

When judging the best captain, do not go by the results that are delivered on the basis of key overseas players for the captain/franchise and instead look at how the local players have responded and performed and provided the key performances for that captain.

For Shaheen; Fakhar, Baig, Abdullah, Jalat, Rauf and even Talat are responding well under him

For Shadab; Azam, Asif, Faheem, Abrar and even Hassan Ali to some extent are doing well

For Imad; he’s very quick to drop and replace poor performers be it national players, international pros or emerging players. He has done well with a handicapped attack of Aamer and Akif Javed. He’s missing his two spearheads in Amir and Mir Hamza. Now Tayyab will get a full run until the play offs at least

My point on Imad here is that he could easily drop Yamin for Qasim. Qasim does bowl in the PP as well. There’s no hard and fast rule to only play one emerging player in Niazi.

There’s also a major in game management issue with Imad.

Example:

Against Multan, yes they won, but batting first he sent Malik ahead of himself in the death overs. Why? Imad’s the one in form. Cue Malik making 10 in 9 balls. Didn’t affect Karachi in the end, but it could have.

Against QG, he let Guptill back into the game by not being aggressive enough with field placings (giving away easy singles etc), when having the opposition 4 down in the PP. Imagine if Babar did that.

 

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

If Sultans wins the PSL under Rizwan and Rizwan is made captain, this will be his side;

1. Rizwan
2. Babar
3. Shan
4. Iftikhar
5. Khushdil
6. Shadab
7. Nawaz
8. Waseem jr
9. Shaheen
10. Naseem
11. Ihsanullah

How is this going to be a true reflection of Pakistan cricket considering the evidence we have in the PSL?

I don’t think this’ll be the case. I feel Mickey coming in is going to have a massive effect on the squad. Mickey, in the media, when giving analysis during the world cups, has been clear that Babar should not be opening. That, along with multiple other batting options coming through, means that we’re going to see some major experimentation in both the NZ and Afghanistan t20 series.

 

[MenInG]

Imad failed as captain today in the field - should have restricted PZ to lower score but maybe the boundaries are too short?

 

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

Imad failed as captain today in the field - should have restricted PZ to lower score but maybe the boundaries are too short?

Can’t believe I’m saying this, but Babar is out captaining Imad here. And I’m not a fan of Babar’s captaincy in general

 

[sam_ahm]

I'm not a regular PSL watcher but this year I've been watching a few games, I have to say that if Ben Cutting is playing for Karachi Kings as a specialist batsman then there is something terribly wrong with Imad Wasim and the think tank which involves my all time favt Wasim Akram.

 

[Gullycricket]

No one will give him credit but Babars bowling changes have been superb today. Finally some bite in the bowling due to Mujeeb

 

[Saj]

Opposition at 2/3 and they end up scoring 197/5.

Got to do better as skipper than that.

 

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

Opposition at 2/3 and they end up scoring 197/5.

Got to do better as skipper than that.

This is the second time this has happened in this tournament. All well and good portraying one’s self as a mentality monster, but if you can’t put away the opposition when they’re on their knees, twice, then how good are you as a captain.

 

[Dark_Horse]

Babar 2 Imad 0

 

[ArabKnight]

Babar 2 Imad 0

Imad 57* Babar 0

 

[Dark_Horse]

Imad 57* Babar 0

It's the end result which matters Babar defeated imad's kk 2 times. Supposedly kk was loosing because of Babar last time and kk brought matchwinners this time. Still the man who was thrown under the bus defeated them. So the equation becomes 2-0. Useless fifties by Imad and useless 3fers by amir

 

[ArabKnight]

It's the end result which matters Babar defeated imad's kk 2 times. Supposedly kk was loosing because of Babar last time and kk brought matchwinners this time. Still the man who was thrown under the bus defeated them. So the equation becomes 2-0. Useless fifties by Imad and useless 3fers by amir

There’s nothing useless about Imad’s fifties or Amir’s 4fers. Can’t say the same about Babar’s ducks.

 

[shamaan]

There’s nothing useless about Imad’s fifties or Amir’s 4fers. Can’t say the same about Babar’s ducks.

It is useless they didn't win the game.

 

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

There’s nothing useless about Imad’s fifties or Amir’s 4fers. Can’t say the same about Babar’s ducks.

This thread is about captaincy. His team has lost two matches (Vs QG and PZ) inspite of having reduced the opposition by 4 and 3 wickets respectively. That’s not just situational but just bad captaincy. Sure, he got a pretty little 50 today. But what does it matter? He could have come in earlier, given his good form, to force the run rate up. But nah. He got a pretty little 50 and your appreciation, whilst the guy who got a duck showed intelligent captaincy to make sure that a very chaseable target wasn’t chased.

 

[ArabKnight]

This thread is about captaincy. His team has lost two matches (Vs QG and PZ) inspite of having reduced the opposition by 4 and 3 wickets respectively. That’s not just situational but just bad captaincy. Sure, he got a pretty little 50 today. But what does it matter? He could have come in earlier, given his good form, to force the run rate up. But nah. He got a pretty little 50 and your appreciation, whilst the guy who got a duck showed intelligent captaincy to make sure that a very chaseable target wasn’t chased.

I wonder what kind of captaincy allowed Roman Powell to hit those big sixes. Why doesn’t every captain apply their captaining skills from the pavilion to make their batsmen hit big sixes.

 

[daytrader]

I wonder what kind of captaincy allowed Roman Powell to hit those big sixes. Why doesn’t every captain apply their captaining skills from the pavilion to make their batsmen hit big sixes.

I think you're confused as that type of captaincy is not found in the pavilion rather it's in the field. Captain cannon fodder released all pressure when he continued bowling himself despite getting hit. He allowed those sixes (2 came off his bowling directly). He could've used Malik or Cutting to cover his overs.

 

[Osama Shafeeqe]

I wonder what kind of captaincy allowed Roman Powell to hit those big sixes. Why doesn’t every captain apply their captaining skills from the pavilion to make their batsmen hit big sixes.

He could of bowled Amir much earlier in the hopes of taking Powell's wicket and breaking the partnership. He still had Cutting who could of bowled in the death and could of gave Malik an over instead of Akif or himself. He chose to be rigid in his mindset and they lost their momentum they had in the powerplay.

 

[ArabKnight]

He could of bowled Amir much earlier in the hopes of taking Powell's wicket and breaking the partnership. He still had Cutting who could of bowled in the death and could of gave Malik an over instead of Akif or himself. He chose to be rigid in his mindset and they lost their momentum they had in the powerplay.

Talking about Babar. I wonder what kind of captaincy from Babar allowed Roman Powell to hit those big sixes.

Because Powell's innings was the difference.

 

[ArabKnight]

I think you're confused as that type of captaincy is not found in the pavilion rather it's in the field. Captain cannon fodder released all pressure when he continued bowling himself despite getting hit. He allowed those sixes (2 came off his bowling directly). He could've used Malik or Cutting to cover his overs.

Captaincy in batting innings. Bowling was nothing special from either side. Besides from Amir's first spell.

 

[daytrader]

Captaincy in batting innings. Bowling was nothing special from either side. Besides from Amir's first spell.

It's not in the control of the batting captain as to how well a batter will bat. That portion of captaincy is redundant.

The bowling captain though has more control and his on field decisions directly influence the outcome of the game.

 

[Suleiman]

Shaheen. No surprise for me. Already said he should be captain.

Afridi aside, Pak does its best with a bowling captain.

 

[ArabKnight]

It's not in the control of the batting captain as to how well a batter will bat. That portion of captaincy is redundant.

The bowling captain though has more control and his on field decisions directly influence the outcome of the game.

It was not in control of Imad that his batters batted badly.

It was not in control of Babar that Powell batted a screamer.

See my point.

 

[daytrader]

It was not in control of Imad that his batters batted badly.

It was not in control of Babar that Powell batted a screamer.

See my point.

No. Because what you should be comparing is how well Imad and Babar captained while fielding. Batting innings captaincy is inconsequential

 

[ArabKnight]

No. Because what you should be comparing is how well Imad and Babar captained while fielding. Batting innings captaincy is inconsequential

If not for Powell, it was a lost for PZ.

 

[daytrader]

If not for Powell, it was a lost for PZ.

Possibly. Zalmi won by 24 runs so even a less impactful innings could've gotten the job done. Regardless, it was a good move by Babar to persist with Powell in the line up. A bad reflection for Imad's captaincy though as he had no counters for that innings.

 

[ArabKnight]

Possibly. Zalmi won by 24 runs so even a less impactful innings could've gotten the job done. Regardless, it was a good move by Babar to persist with Powell in the line up. A bad reflection for Imad's captaincy though as he had no counters for that innings.

Niazi couldn’t fire when Imad promoted him and gave him license to fire. Couldn’t help with that. I wouldn’t pass the buck to the captain unless there was a insanely bad playmaking decision.

 

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

I wonder what kind of captaincy allowed Roman Powell to hit those big sixes. Why doesn’t every captain apply their captaining skills from the pavilion to make their batsmen hit big sixes.

A captain affects his team through field placements, batting order changes and instilling belief in his players, especially young players.

Imad let the pressure off whilst having PZ on their knees. Why didn’t Aamir bowl an extra over in the PP? Why wasn’t the field more closer in to put pressure on Haseebullah?

When chasing, why didn’t Imad take responsibility and bring himself up the order?

And why haven’t Karachi’s young players shown any sign of progression under Imad?

You can try to ‘what -about’ this discussion by focusing on the Rovman Powell innings, but Imad as captain, continually fails to affect the game.

 

[Energy]

Rizwan is the undisputed.

 

[ArabKnight]

A captain affects his team through field placements, batting order changes and instilling belief in his players, especially young players.

I wonder what kind of field placements can stop a rocket ball that has been totally smacked over the boundary by a West Indies batter?

Imad let the pressure off whilst having PZ on their knees. Why didn’t Aamir bowl an extra over in the PP? Why wasn’t the field more closer in to put pressure on Haseebullah?

Amir wasn’t given a third over in the PP for attacking reasons. The new batters had begun to strike fast bowlers. Same reason, he was attacking. Couldn’t put fielders in.

And why haven’t Karachi’s young players shown any sign of progression under Imad?

They picked/traded the wrong folks. Haider Ali and Tayyab Tahir have been total flops this season.

 

[brokenrecord]

For me it’s Shadab or Rizwan. Mostly because they buy into the data-driven approaches of their franchises. In T20, having that approach will win you more games than not—and reduces reliance on captain alone when you have a good support team. Plus they both have good instincts as well and are not afraid to try new things without being forced to do so (which seems to be how Babar works a lot of the time).

 

[MenInG]

I wonder what kind of field placements can stop a rocket ball that has been totally smacked over the boundary by a West Indies batter?


Amir wasn’t given a third over in the PP for attacking reasons. The new batters had begun to strike fast bowlers. Same reason, he was attacking. Couldn’t put fielders in.


They picked/traded the wrong folks. Haider Ali and Tayyab Tahir have been total flops this season.

Tayyab did well in his debut

 

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

I wonder what kind of field placements can stop a rocket ball that has been totally smacked over the boundary by a West Indies batter?

You never let it get to the stage where he can play freely. If you get the PSL debutant Haseebullah out early by bringing the field in close, Powell comes in early and you have him face his weakness - spin. That’s how a captain affects the game. Not rocket science.

Amir wasn’t given a third over in the PP for attacking reasons. The new batters had begun to strike fast bowlers. Same reason, he was attacking. Couldn’t put fielders in.

Right, so the moment the opposition starts attacking you, you take your main strike bowler off and try to run through Yamin’s overs. Basically go defensive at the first sign of aggression.

They picked/traded the wrong folks. Haider Ali and Tayyab Tahir have been total flops this season.

Ok, Tahir has been a flop after two games. Got it.

Also, Khushdil has not done well for Pakistan, but he still overperforms for Multan. Wonder why. So, easy to blame Haider without acknowledging that the captain has to do his bit to build up the lad as well.

Abbas Afridi played under Imad’s captaincy but was never as effective as he’s been this season for Multan. Captaincy, and the dressing room environment you create, matters.

 

[Rana]

Shaheen. No surprise for me. Already said he should be captain.

Afridi aside, Pak does its best with a bowling captain.

Shaheen would never change RizBar opening combination

 

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

Shaheen would never change RizBar opening combination

I agree that he himself wouldn’t change it. But this is where a strong coach can alter team tactics. As we know, Mickey is not in favour of Babar opening anymore.

 

[MenInG]

Think Shaheen listening to Shadab and coming into bat early! batting in the powerplay - what's happening with these guys? All want to be heroes!

And then we have Sarfaraz dropping lower in the order.

What's happening?

 

[Rana]

Think Shaheen listening to Shadab and coming into bat early! batting in the powerplay - what's happening with these guys? All want to be heroes!

And then we have Sarfaraz dropping lower in the order.

What's happening?

Imad hiding behind Malik and Tayyab whilst he’s in the form of his life

 

[MenInG]

Imad hiding behind Malik and Tayyab whilst he’s in the form of his life

Oh my God - yes!

Imad is the ONLY one amongst all of these who should be number 3

 

[Saj]

Waqar Younis "Sarfaraz Ahmed has scored 25 off 25 balls with one boundary. A man who comes in at number 6 is supposed to be a finisher with a strike-rate of 150 or 160. Sarfaraz has a strike-rate of 100 today, you aren't going to win games like that"

 

[Saj]

Sarfaraz Ahmed continues his abysmal performance as QG captain. When you have the opposition at 50/7 after 9.3 overs, there is no way you should be losing a game of cricket.

 

[shamaan]

He could of bowled Amir much earlier in the hopes of taking Powell's wicket and breaking the partnership. He still had Cutting who could of bowled in the death and could of gave Malik an over instead of Akif or himself. He chose to be rigid in his mindset and they lost their momentum they had in the powerplay.

Karachi bowling Is not very good they only have 2 bowlers who are good all the rest are below average.

 

[shamaan]

A captain affects his team through field placements, batting order changes and instilling belief in his players, especially young players.

Imad let the pressure off whilst having PZ on their knees. Why didn’t Aamir bowl an extra over in the PP? Why wasn’t the field more closer in to put pressure on Haseebullah?

When chasing, why didn’t Imad take responsibility and bring himself up the order?

And why haven’t Karachi’s young players shown any sign of progression under Imad?

You can try to ‘what -about’ this discussion by focusing on the Rovman Powell innings, but Imad as captain, continually fails to affect the game.

Karachi bowling is poor if Imad was captaining Lohare and Amir was in that team he proberly would have bowled another over becouse he knows he can trust Zaman and Rauf to bowl in the death overs.

Imad first blunder was not backing qasim akram.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

In terms of individual performance of the captains :

Rizwan
Imad
Shaheen
Shadab
Babar
Sarfraz

In terms of captaincy

Rizwan
Shaheen
Shadab
Babar
Imad
Sarfraz

 

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

Karachi bowling is poor if Imad was captaining Lohare and Amir was in that team he proberly would have bowled another over becouse he knows he can trust Zaman and Rauf to bowl in the death overs.

Imad first blunder was not backing qasim akram.

I think team atmosphere comes into it. I think people on here confuse personal drive with competent leadership.

You’ll never see me come on here and question Imad’s own work ethic and mentality. It’s quality. He’s a winner and his batting improvements show how he’s invested in that area. For e.g. you never used to see Imad play ramp style shots, but we’ve seen that this PSL.

But.

He’s not a good leader, because he doesn’t give his team mates, especially the younger ones, the belief to perform well.

Look at Akif. Had a bad match and is dropped. Look at Qasim. Sidelined after one bad game. Look at Haider and Sharjeel. Faisal Akram might not even exist in this squad. The KK line up is a revolving door, and that shows precious little lined up thinking.

It’s true that he doesn’t have the best squad, but this is his squad! He wanted Sharjeel and Malik. So the performances are ultimately on him.

 

[Saj]

I don't get the theory that Sharjeel Khan's and Haider Ali's poor performances are down to Imad Wasim.

What great performances have they been putting in of late before they played under Imad Wasim at KK?

 

[MenInG]

Rizwan dropping fast in this list, especially after his comments on the powerplay situation last night. I wonder if we ill hear any comments from the selectors on this situation soon?

 

[MenInG]

Winning percentages of PSL Captains

 

[Saj]

I know they've been batting first and winning of late but for me Shaheen is top of the list now in PSL8:

Shaheen
Rizwan
Shadab
Imad/Babar
Sarfaraz

 

[Saj]

Win percentages in the Pakistan Super League of the current captains:

Shaheen Shah Afridi 72.50%
Mohammad Rizwan 67.74%
Shadab Khan 55.26%
Imad Wasim 48.93%
Sarfaraz Ahmed 48.05%
Babar Azam 23.52%

 

[asifp]

Shaheen has easily been the best captain on display. Calm, composed, backing his boys and showing decisiveness.

Saying all that, it helps that you have three of the best T20 bowlers in the world in your lineup.

 

[gazza619]

Sarfaraz is the best captain by a mile, if only he knew how to bat.

 

[Saj]

Sarfaraz messing up once again:

Not the greatest idea to give the guy who had gone for 28 runs from his 2 overs, the last over of the innings. He duly got smashed for 4, 4, 4

 

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

I don't get the theory that Sharjeel Khan's and Haider Ali's poor performances are down to Imad Wasim.

What great performances have they been putting in of late before they played under Imad Wasim at KK?

Sharjeel has been good in the National t20, whilst Haider has hit a 50 in this years PSL. Some players get empowered within the dressing room atmosphere you create. Others performances are actively affected by it.

E.g. Look at an Abdullah Shafique playing with freedom and expression for LQ. A revisionist take would be that he was always a better batsmen than Haider. You wouldn’t have felt that way when he debuted under the Misbah regime in NZ would you? Similarly you wouldn’t have felt the same way when he was suffering in the recently concluded test matches.

Haider and Sharjeel are absolutely not batting well. But I can almost certainly say that they’ll perform better in another dressing room than Karachi’s.

The captain and team management set the tone of the dressing room. Given the constant chopping and changing of the team, the Karachi dressing room, and by extension Imad’s captaincy haven’t been great.

 

[Saj]

Sharjeel has been good in the National t20, whilst Haider has hit a 50 in this years PSL. Some players get empowered within the dressing room atmosphere you create. Others performances are actively affected by it.

E.g. Look at an Abdullah Shafique playing with freedom and expression for LQ. A revisionist take would be that he was always a better batsmen than Haider. You wouldn’t have felt that way when he debuted under the Misbah regime in NZ would you? Similarly you wouldn’t have felt the same way when he was suffering in the recently concluded test matches.

Haider and Sharjeel are absolutely not batting well. But I can almost certainly say that they’ll perform better in another dressing room than Karachi’s.

The captain and team management set the tone of the dressing room. Given the constant chopping and changing of the team, the Karachi dressing room, and by extension Imad’s captaincy haven’t been great.

Are you seriously saying that Sharjeel and Haider had been batting like world-beaters in recent times on a consistent basis (not talking about once in a blue moon innings) and that their poor performances at PSL 8 are down to others.

I would accept this theory if they had been scoring lots of runs ahead of the PSL and then suddenly they had a dip in form. But we all know that is not the case.

 

[shaz619]

Sarfaraz messing up once again:

Not the greatest idea to give the guy who had gone for 28 runs from his 2 overs, the last over of the innings. He duly got smashed for 4, 4, 4

The only other option was Ifti, bowling spin in the final over is always risky. Not his biggest fan but thought his captaincy was good and proactive, he looked to get 10 wickets to defend a below par total, but ultimately ran out of resources. The partnership between Azam and Faheem was excellent to and that was a turning point

 

[gazza619]

Sarfaraz messing up once again:

Not the greatest idea to give the guy who had gone for 28 runs from his 2 overs, the last over of the innings. He duly got smashed for 4, 4, 4

Honestly I think he got it spot on with his moves. Had he bowled Smith earlier, the game would have been done and dusted by the 19th over. Sarfaraz was hoping that his better bowlers would get the wickets of Azam and Faheem but it didnt happen.

Sarfaraz did well. But what the hell is Smith doing in PSL?

 

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

Are you seriously saying that Sharjeel and Haider had been batting like world-beaters in recent times on a consistent basis (not talking about once in a blue moon innings) and that their poor performances at PSL 8 are down to others.

I would accept this theory if they had been scoring lots of runs ahead of the PSL and then suddenly they had a dip in form. But we all know that is not the case.

I take the point that they share the vast majority of the blame for their efforts. However, good captains provide the environment where players can be the best versions of themselves. That’s factually not happening at Karachi and thereby reflects badly on Imad.

 

[Saj]

Honestly I think he got it spot on with his moves. Had he bowled Smith earlier, the game would have been done and dusted by the 19th over. Sarfaraz was hoping that his better bowlers would get the wickets of Azam and Faheem but it didnt happen.

Sarfaraz did well. But what the hell is Smith doing in PSL?

He didn't need to give Smith a third over. He could have squeezed in a 2nd over from Ifti earlier in the innings. He couldn't have been any worse than Odean.

 

[Saj]

I take the point that they share the vast majority of the blame for their efforts. However, good captains provide the environment where players can be the best versions of themselves. That’s factually not happening at Karachi and thereby reflects badly on Imad.

Sharjeel and Haider have been poor for a while. In fact Haider has hardly performed during most of his career. That doesn't mean that should reflect badly on all their captains, the players have to accept responsibility mainly.

 

[gazza619]

He didn't need to give Smith a third over. He could have squeezed in a 2nd over from Ifti earlier in the innings. He couldn't have been any worse than Odean.

Ifti went for 19 runs in his first over! Ifti was lucky to get a wicket in his first over after which Azam came in to bat.

It is all about managing risk. It would have been suicidal to give an over to Ifti against Azam who actually fancies the off spinners. Based on the available resources Sarfaraz did a brilliant job.

 

[Saj]

Ifti went for 19 runs in his first over! Ifti was lucky to get a wicket in his first over after which Azam came in to bat.

It is all about managing risk. It would have been suicidal to give an over to Ifti against Azam who actually fancies the off spinners. Based on the available resources Sarfaraz did a brilliant job.

I know he went for 19, but a smarter captain would have got another over of Ifti in before Azam got going. Maybe the 9th over when both Mubasir and Azam were new to the crease.

 

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

Sharjeel and Haider have been poor for a while. In fact Haider has hardly performed during most of his career. That doesn't mean that should reflect badly on all their captains, the players have to accept responsibility mainly.

Ok, let me phrase my response this way:

Given the constant chopping and changing of the Karachi side every game, have Imad and co. created an environment where players can be the best version of themselves?

Also, as an aside, once Haider inshAllah figures it all out, he’ll start performing again. Which is why this Derby stint under Mickey is pivotal to his development.

 

[Saj]

Ok, let me phrase my response this way:

Given the constant chopping and changing of the Karachi side every game, have Imad and co. created an environment where players can be the best version of themselves?

Also, as an aside, once Haider inshAllah figures it all out, he’ll start performing again. Which is why this Derby stint under Mickey is pivotal to his development.

So, the excuse for Sharjeel and Haider at KK is chopping and changing.

What's the excuse for all their other terrible performances for other teams they have played for?

Both have been terrible at PSL 8 so far and deserved to be dropped.

 

[Rana]

So, the excuse for Sharjeel and Haider at KK is chopping and changing.

What's the excuse for all their other terrible performances for other teams they have played for?

Both have been terrible at PSL 8 so far and deserved to be dropped.

They needed a little more patience with Sharjeel

He would have fired them to a win at some point. He just needs one proper innings.

 

[MenInG]

Simon Doull on Sarfaraz during the run-chase in the game against Karachi (Match 22)

“Sarfaraz is standing there and doing nothing"

“He has been struggling with his batting form. His lack of form is being reflected on his captaincy. He has struggled with upping his strike rate. So understandably, his confidence is down in the field as well"

“Guptill has been playing an anchor role so far, Sarfaraz has been worse. It is not the first time in this tournament that Sarfaraz is struggling with his strike rate"

“Might be a time for a strategic retirement for Sarfaraz"

 

[Gullycricket]

So if the criteria is flourishing of young players, look at Bobby. Haris Rauf credited him. Saim , Haris , Haseebullah are being given regular chances. Every other team is filling it's top 3 with overseas players. LQ is the only other team giving chances to youngsters. Bobby is becoming better and better as captain. You can see it now.

 

[Major]

Btw, one thing i noticed that its not only the battle of the best captaincy but also battle of the best strategy.

Islamabad's strategy:
Start attacking from the top, uptil the last guy. No anchors, at best strike rotators like Azam and Faheem if required.

Multan's strategy:
2 openers that accumulate, than 4 next batters would be proper t20 hitters

Peshawar's strategy
1 accumulator while 3-4 hitters playing the innings. Same like Multan but only one guy who plays the steady role in opening slot.

Lahore's strategy
With Abdullah Shafique hitting they have also started to play innings where the focus is to strike the ball. However they rely on too many bits and pieces players and no proper line up. Sikander Raza comes very late

Quetta's strategy
They had good players, they also had very good t20 players but couldn't get the results needed

Karachi's strategy
Sharjeel or nothing. Prove that Babar's strategy was wrong.

 

[MenInG]

Brilliance by Rizwan - came up to the stumps, forced Roy to play a shot he would rather not.

 

[MenInG]

Rizwan looking good for now with his side's win against Lahore in the Qualifier.

 

[hitthestump]

Shaheen was the winning captain but proved to get flustered under pressure and made some big blunders at times. Rizwan's team always looked like making the finals and the Sultans played very well throughout.

Best captain - Mohammad Rizwan
Shadab
Shaheen
Babar
Imad
Sarfaraz

 

[Saj]

Shaheen Shah Afridi has been named Team of HBL PSL 8 captain

 

[MenInG]

Poll added - please add your vote

 

[MenInG]

Poll added - please add your vote

My vote goes to Rizwan - calm head and great leadership.

 

[Saj]

Tough to split Rizwan and Shaheen.

I'd say Shaheen won the cup, led his strong team well.

On the other hand Rizwan got the best out of his players in my opinion.

 

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

So, I think it’s too simplistic to equate the best captain with just winning the tournament.

The different teams have differing resources.

I’d define successful qualities for the captain who shows the following :

1) Gets the most out of local Pakistani players, especially those that are underperforming at international level. ;

2) Gives youth a proper chance, rather than playing them for appearances sake in positions they can’t succeed. ;

3) Shows tactical intelligence, especially when it comes to field settings. ;

4) Shows situational awareness, especially when it comes to bowling changes and batting order changes. ; and

5) Handles pressure well, and positively motivates his players.

I used the above as a criterion for each captain. I’ll do a post each on every captain and how they did against each category below

 

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

Sarfaraz Ahmed:

1) Gets the most out of local Pakistani players, especially those that are underperforming at international level. ; - Did not get Ifti or Nawaz performing to their capabilities - V.Poor

2) Gives youth a proper chance, rather than playing them for appearances sake in positions they can’t succeed. ; - Have Aimal Lhan chances too late,
Selected Bangalzai despite him not being a T20 player and playing Yasir Khan as an emerging player- V.Poor

3) Shows tactical intelligence, especially when it comes to field settings. ; - Was quite effective in both wins against Karachi, especially the first game, where Naseem and Hasnain were used smartly. - Good

4) Shows situational awareness, especially when it comes to bowling changes and batting order changes. ; - Continously chopped and changed his team, and brought himself up the order with zero success - V.Poor

5) Handles pressure well, and positively motivates his players. - We saw a restrained Sarfi in the first two games, but then the grumpy version came game from game 3 onwards. Players visibly shrank playing under him and body language was terrible - V.Poor

6) Results - Bottom of the table, with only wins Vs a poor KK team and Vs Peshawar on a road. - V.Poor

Total grade - 2/10

 

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

Imad Wasim:

1) Gets the most out of local Pakistani players, especially those that are underperforming at international level. ; - Did not do anything to sufficiently motivate Haider or Sharjeel to perform to their potential - V.Poor

2) Gives youth a proper chance, rather than playing them for appearances sake in positions they can’t succeed. ; - Dropped Qasim Akram after one bad game, Mo Umar after one bad game etc. KK was a Terrible dressing room for player development - V.Poor

3) Shows tactical intelligence, especially when it comes to field settings. ; - Was very streets smart effective in both wins against LQ, but actively lost both Quetta games because of defensive captaincy, when having them in deep trouble in the PP. - Average

4) Shows situational awareness, especially when it comes to bowling changes and batting order changes. ; - Continously chopped and changed his team, and relied too much on Shoaib Malik. Did bring himself up the order with some success - Poor

5) Handles pressure well, and positively motivates his players. - Was personally able to handle pressure well, but was poor in communicating his calmness to teammates - Poor

6) Results - 2nd to Bottom of the table, with consolation wins Vs LQ and numerous near misses. - Poor

Total grade - 4/10

 

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

Babar Azam:

1) Gets the most out of local Pakistani players, especially those that are underperforming at international level. ; - Did not get Usman Qadir to be at all effective in this tournament - V.Poor

2) Gives youth a proper chance, rather than playing them for appearances sake in positions they can’t succeed. ; - Regularly trusted in Haris, Gave Saim numerous chances despite his middling start, introduced Haseebullah to the team with good effect and also gave Sufyan Muqueem various chances as well - V.Good

3) Shows tactical intelligence, especially when it comes to field settings. ; - Did incredibly well in beating ISLU from a hopeless position. However, failed to defend two 240+ scores- Average

4) Shows situational awareness, especially when it comes to bowling changes and batting order changes. ; Failed to defend two 240 + scores- V.Poor

5) Handles pressure well, and positively motivates his players. - Was able to motivate his batsmen well but failed to defend two 240+ scores- Poor

6) Results - Finished third, including beating a more fancied ISLU side despite losing Rovman Powell. - Average

Total grade - 5/10

 

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

Shadab Khan:

1) Gets the most out of local Pakistani players, especially those that are underperforming at international level. ; - Faheem and Azam got Pakistan call ups under him - Excellent

2) Gives youth a proper chance, rather than playing them for appearances sake in positions they can’t succeed. ; - Barely used Mubasir’s bowling, despite playing him regularly - Poor

3) Shows tactical intelligence, especially when it comes to field settings. ; - Nothing to write home about - Average

4) Shows situational awareness, especially when it comes to bowling changes and batting order changes. ; Regularly promoted himself to poor effect- V.Poor

5) Handles pressure well, and positively motivates his players. - Lost multiple close games to PZ, which ultimately cost them in the playoffs - Poor

6) Results - Finished forth, rarely giving you confidence that they could consistently challenge the LQ boys. - Average

Total grade - 5/10

 

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

Mohammed Rizwan:

1) Gets the most out of local Pakistani players, especially those that are underperforming at international level. ; - Could not get Khushdil close to rediscovering his form - V.Poor

2) Gives youth a proper chance, rather than playing them for appearances sake in positions they can’t succeed. ; - Played all season w/ two emerging players in Ihsanullah and Abbas Afridi. Both ended up being the top two wicket takers in the competition - Excellent

3) Shows tactical intelligence, especially when it comes to field settings. ; - Actively supported his bowlers with intelligent fields. Using Pollard and Anwar Ali in key positions was an example of this - V.Good

4) Shows situational awareness, especially when it comes to bowling changes and batting order changes. ; Used Ihsanullah very effectively throughout the tournament, and brought Usama Mir on at the best times to affect the game. Also brought on Mir the batsmen Vs LQ in a group game. Which was a bad decision - Good

5) Handles pressure well, and positively motivates his players. - This was best characterised by how much his players wanted to play for him. His emotional intelligence also showed when he gave Ihsanullah a hug after the lad got spanked for 20+ runs in the final - Excellent

6) Results - Finished 2nd , despite losing all their front line seamers to injury. Strong campaign by a good team - V.Good

Total grade - 8/10

 

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

Shaheen Shah Afridi:

1) Gets the most out of local Pakistani players, especially those that are underperforming at international level. ; - Backed ‘Non white ball player’ Abdullah Shafique, who is now in the t20 squad - Excellent

2) Gives youth a proper chance, rather than playing them for appearances sake in positions they can’t succeed. ; - Persisted with Mirza Tahir Baig, despite the lad’s middling performances. Got rewarded by two important innings in the knockouts. Gave Ahsan Bhatti a surprise call up in the knockouts, and trusted him in important moments. Continued to develop Zaman Khan, including trusting him at the death in multiple games. - Excellent

3) Shows tactical intelligence, especially when it comes to field settings. ; - Never took a backward step when he had the opposition under pressure - V.Good

4) Shows situational awareness, especially when it comes to bowling changes and batting order changes. ; Used Rashid Khan at the right times. Brought himself up to diminished returns in the league games, but that crucial batting practice came in handy MS in the final - V.Good

5) Handles pressure well, and positively motivates his players. - Got heated up during the playoffs, but never let that get in the way of positively motivating his players, especially Zaman Khan. Showed huge guts to counterattack Multan’s best two bowlers in the final, to change momentum. Came back after a bad start to break the back of Multan’s chase. Lion- V.Good

6) Results - Won it, including winning games from adverse positions, and winning using brave selection choices - Excellent

Total grade - 9/10