Biggest blunder by Salman Ali Agha and Mike Hesson was to drop Sufiyan Muqeem and play Haris Rauf in Asia Cup final

[Aqib_mustafa]

When you know UAE pitches are tailor-made for spin, why on earth would you play Haris Rauf instead of Sufiyan Muqeem, who could’ve won Pakistan the match with his spin?

The biggest blunder was dropping Sufiyan and bringing in Rauf.

I even heard Sufiyan was dropped just because Shadab was set to return — good luck winning with so much politics in the team.

Your take on it guys?

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Why would Muqeem be dropped because Shadab may come back one day?

Haris was a good pick. Seamers did quite well on that pitch if they bowled intelligently. I think in hindsight, Agha should have bowled Nawaz or Saim more. But at the time before the match I don't think anyone thought leaving Muqeem out was a blunder

 

[PakPremi]

Shadab coming back is just rumours by people who like to spread lies to create sensation to air their agendas. Shadab is neither fit nor has shown any form to be even in consideration. Haris just bowled poorly another pacer had he was given few opportunities in the tournament would had done better in the final. Biggest blunder was not continue to bowl Abrar and Saim when Indian batsmen were struggling to up the ente whilst they were bowling. Haris was brought on too soon.

 

[AZulfi]

Agha could have done well with the available resources. Saim and Nawaz could have bowled more overs especially after Haris Rauf got spanked for 17 runs in his 2nd over. The spinners were doing well up until then. That was just senseless captaincy by Agha. What’s more Agha changed Abrar’s bowling end (the end from where he was more effective)

 

[Barragan]

Why would Muqeem be dropped because Shadab may come back one day?

Haris was a good pick. Seamers did quite well on that pitch if they bowled intelligently. I think in hindsight, Agha should have bowled Nawaz or Saim more. But at the time before the match I don't think anyone thought leaving Muqeem out was a blunder

Correct, even Faheem and Dube did well with ball

Haris as a senior bowler really did screw up big time and he deserves to be dropped, until he takes responsibility

Also, not bowling out Saim or giving Nawaz or Salman himself bowling also was a massive blunder

 

[sweep_shot]

I think biggest blunder was playing Talat over H Nawaz.

But, playing Rauf was also another blunder. Another pacer or Sufiyan should've played perhaps.

 

[Ball Blazer]

I think biggest blunder was playing Talat over H Nawaz.

But, playing Rauf was also another blunder. Another pacer or Sufiyan should've played perhaps.

Yeh. Hasan N should have gotten another chance. Rauf has been leaking runs, like always, in pressure situations. These blunders cost us the final.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Game would have been over quicker lol He was bowling half tracker after half tracker in the first outing against India.

 

[sweep_shot]

Game would have been over quicker lol He was bowling half tracker after half tracker in the first outing against India.

Just because he bowled badly in one game doesn't mean he is a bad bowler.

Check Sufiyan's stats. Very good spinner.

 

[Local.Dada]

Just a reminder: before the game Rauf was a national hero for his celebration it would be outrage if he was dropped lol.

 

[shamaan]

Talat playing ahead of H Nawaz was a big blunder.
Rauf playing wasn't a blunder he just didn't do his job.

 

[asifkhan]

He should had tried Wasim Jr in the pool games and he could have been used in the final.

 

[Markhor]

Rauf bowled poorly at the death, but the biggest sin was selecting Hussain Talat over Hasan Nawaz.

Talat's limitations in the format were exposed in 2018 ! Yet here we are in 2025 shoehorning him into a team which already had another slow striking batter in Salman Agha.

I don't understand how you can talk about aggressive brand of cricket yet sideline the literal posterboy of this new regime in Hasan Nawaz who has a T20I SR of 158.

 

[Savak]

I would have picked Muqeem over Agha. They dropped Muqeem just because he had one bad game against India. That is no way to groom a youngster.

 

[Aqib_mustafa]

I would have picked Muqeem over Agha. They dropped Muqeem just because he had one bad game against India. That is no way to groom a youngster.

Well agha loves muqeem not sure why he went with rauf i heard somewhere hesson wanted rauf instead of muqeem as he said pace is the way to go that's just not on.