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Bilal Asif takes 5/65 & Azhar Ali scores 62* as Pakistan reach 139/3 at Stumps on Day 2

I hear so much complaining about Azhar from PP'ers.

But he scores runs all around the world. When it is easy and when it is hard. He is reliable.

Say hello to your two best Test batsmen Pakpassion.
 
His poor fitness kept him out of team for all these years. otherwise he was in the team 5 years ago.

Not true. Injury happened after 2015 WC before that Misbah kept Haris out from the test team till 2015. Haris averaged 100+ in 2011 season but Misbah kept ordinary players like Shafiq in the side. Anyone who followed domestic cricket knew Haris was the best domestic batsman in Pakistan from 2010-2013 and scored heavily even on difficult pitches of North Punjab.
 
Good session but not out of the woods yet. One wicket and we look vulnerable again.
 
Not true. Injury happened after 2015 WC before that Misbah kept Haris out from the test team till 2015. Haris averaged 100+ in 2011 season but Misbah kept ordinary players like Shafiq in the side. Anyone who followed domestic cricket knew Haris was the best domestic batsman in Pakistan from 2010-2013 and scored heavily even on difficult pitches of North Punjab.

True. I remember back in 2013 there was thread after thread by respected posters here on PP calling for inclusiom of Haris because of the dire straits that Pakistan's batting was in. At that time, Haris getting out in domestic cricket had become a rare occurance. Many a times he would stay unbeaten with others getting out. I think it was the 2013 season when he absolutely killed it in domestic cricket. This included an unbeaten 100 at 110 strike rate when the whole team got out around 230. It was so frustrating that he wasnt selected.
 
has it been 83/2 for ages or has my internet just frozen since the past 2 hours?
 
True. I remember back in 2013 there was thread after thread by respected posters here on PP calling for inclusiom of Haris because of the dire straits that Pakistan's batting was in. At that time, Haris getting out in domestic cricket had become a rare occurance. Many a times he would stay unbeaten with others getting out. I think it was the 2013 season when he absolutely killed it in domestic cricket. This included an unbeaten 100 at 110 strike rate when the whole team got out around 230. It was so frustrating that he wasnt selected.

Yep yar couldnt believe Pakistan pursuing with mediocre players like Sahfiq. I dont remember correctly if it was 2011 or 2013 season where he scored at an average of 100+. And not just only scored against departmental teams but scored in the 5 teams provincial tournament too for Punjab.

This for me was his best innings.
https://www.pcb.com.pk/match_detail.php?match_id=24390
120 on a green Islamabad diamond ground wicket for ZTBL where the next highest scorer was only 33 and when the strong PIA opposition scored only 152 runs.
Should have been included right away after that innings if there ever was any doubt.
 
1 run in last 3 overs since Tea with that run rate regressing after the first hour, this is really poor cricket and hard to watch.
 
As soon as these boys go back into their shell things start looking bad!

They were playing at 3.5 with Azhar and Harris striking it at around 50, dont understand why they need to slow down!!!
 
Those brainless slogs by Hasan and Bilal in the first test were always going to come back and haunt us
 
As per usual negative cricket, dont score any runs and then throw it away.

Pathetic shot by sohail and pakistan back in trouble.
 
Not true. Injury happened after 2015 WC before that Misbah kept Haris out from the test team till 2015. Haris averaged 100+ in 2011 season but Misbah kept ordinary players like Shafiq in the side. Anyone who followed domestic cricket knew Haris was the best domestic batsman in Pakistan from 2010-2013 and scored heavily even on difficult pitches of North Punjab.

You guys are making Harris out to be next wonder on earth which he is definitely not!! He will do well to have a record of shafiq who has got 100s in England, SA and Aus. Having said that he is definitely worth his place in the team at the moment when he is suppose to be peaking.
 
Time for Shafiq to produce his obligatory one big innings per series.
 
175 all out looks imminent. The way things are going it might happen after the 2nd new ball is taken.
 
i will keep calling this guy out if I must. If people like Azhar Ali, Hafeez, Imam ul Haq and Sarfaraz have to receive so much criticism on this forum then Harris Sohail should be no exception!

How can you get in and play so fluently at first and then just get out by going into a shell!!!!!
 
You guys are making Harris out to be next wonder on earth which he is definitely not!! He will do well to have a record of shafiq who has got 100s in England, SA and Aus. Having said that he is definitely worth his place in the team at the moment when he is suppose to be peaking.

Just pointing out the false information you have spread in this thread that he was injured 5 years back when he clearly was not.

I have put some domestic matches and stats above which clearly shows he wasn't injured 5 years back as you pointed out.. Liking or disliking is a personal choice but please talk with facts and don't spread misinformation.
 
i will keep calling this guy out if I must. If people like Azhar Ali, Hafeez, Imam ul Haq and Sarfaraz have to receive so much criticism on this forum then Harris Sohail should be no exception!

How can you get in and play so fluently at first and then just get out by going into a shell!!!!!
atleast he has a won you’ve last match and has done decent in his short career but what has hafeez achieved,?
 
On these kind of pitches exceptional players like Lara, Kohli, Viv Richards will still score with a decent rate.
 
Good strategy it was, wait for the powerplay, and then Azhar can launch some of his homemade world famous big sixes.

Too bad you lost a wicket.
 
atleast he has a won you’ve last match and has done decent in his short career but what has hafeez achieved,?

At least this at least that!

Read my post, this isnt about Hafeez or anyone else. The same people who slaughter all the other non performers go missing when Harris Sohail isnt performing
 
As soon as these boys go back into their shell things start looking bad!

They were playing at 3.5 with Azhar and Harris striking it at around 50, dont understand why they need to slow down!!!

Did he not get out playing a loose shot?
 
That's what happens when you tuk tuk for this long. It is a lot harder with this approach when you're trailing.

I don't see the team taking a lead if they continue to bat at a SR of 30-40.
 
If so called senior players cant win you matches there is no point of having them in the team. Atleast youngsters might have a chance to improve:

Its as bad as I have seen Moh Hafeez bat in UAE as generally he has always done decently here, it looks like age of 38 has taken a toll on him. He was never a good opener overseas and now struggling in UAE as well.
 
Just pointing out the false information you have spread in this thread that he was injured 5 years back when he clearly was not.

I have put some domestic matches and stats above which clearly shows he wasn't injured 5 years back as you pointed out.. Liking or disliking is a personal choice but please talk with facts and don't spread misinformation.

Simply playing domestic cricket does not mean one is fit. This is the problem with people like yourself on these forums who had played zero cricket at any level. Playing keyboard cricket does not teach you anything. Fact is he was always having issues with his fitness specially to do with his knees and he was advised too late to finally have an operation.

Even now he will do well to stay injury free for the rest of his career.
 
Asad also needs to go if he doesnt help us in winning this match. Been struggling for too long.

Hopefully Mickey wont let calling Shafiq Tendulkar if he doesnt perform even in this match and admission of being wrong abt Hafeez let him blur his vision.
 
Pakistan inns going as usual and likely to happen....

Hafeez - Fail
Imam - Fail
Azhar - block forever then get out
Sohail - Get to 20/30 and throw it away
Shafiq - Nice little inns and out
Babar - probably run himself out
Sarfraz - quick fire 15 and out sweeping
 
Simply playing domestic cricket does not mean one is fit. This is the problem with people like yourself on these forums who had played zero cricket at any level. Playing keyboard cricket does not teach you anything. Fact is he was always having issues with his fitness specially to do with his knees and he was advised too late to finally have an operation.

Even now he will do well to stay injury free for the rest of his career.

Lol yeah i have played zero cricket and you are then Sachin Tendulkar who has played all over the world. Haha.

Threatening knee injury happened later and he was a permanent in his domestic sides (played innings with 300+ balls as i posted above) and even played odis for Pakistan including the WC 2015.

But lets not talk with facts rather make up things that he was 'always injured'.
 
Lol yeah i have played zero cricket and you are then Sachin Tendulkar who has played all over the world. Haha.

Threatening knee injury happened later and he was a permanent in his domestic sides (played innings with 300+ balls as i posted above) and even played odis for Pakistan including the WC 2015.

But lets not talk with facts rather make up things that he was 'always injured'.

He always had issues with his knees which people close to him have told me. Some other cricketers who played with him in domestic told me that he tried to hide his knee problems as he was worried that it may end his chances of playing for Pakistan.

He was still talented enough to score plenty in domestic which obviously is nothing as everybody knows the standards in domestic cricket now a days in Pakistan. If you have played any kind of cricket you will know he had issues with his knees which he couldnt get away with playing international cricket. You dont have to be ST for that.
 
Why are pak even playing a test match now? They should be in SA playing 1st class games getting used to conditions.

No wonder asian teams are pathetic when it comes to overseas tours. Can picture the SA slip catchers having a field day!!
 
He always had issues with his knees which people close to him have told me. Some other cricketers who played with him in domestic told me that he tried to hide his knee problems as he was worried that it may end his chances of playing for Pakistan.

He was still talented enough to score plenty in domestic which obviously is nothing as everybody knows the standards in domestic cricket now a days in Pakistan. If you have played any kind of cricket you will know he had issues with his knees which he couldnt get away with playing international cricket. You dont have to be ST for that.

Players do carry lil injuries and illnesses with themselves. Many do. Wasim played with Diabetes, Clarke had back problems but still played 100+ tests and was WC winning captain and i can list others too. Injuries become a problem only when they are threatening.

Standard of domestic in Pakistan may not be of highest quality but still its not easy for an 'injured' player to play innings of 300+ innings. I have also heard from respected people that he was good enough to Play for Pakistan during the 2011-2015 period but management and selectors never gave him a chance in his best format i-e tests.
 
This is the type of batting which pushed people to just check scorecards at the end of the day.
 
Players do carry lil injuries and illnesses with themselves. Many do. Wasim played with Diabetes, Clarke had back problems but still played 100+ tests and was WC winning captain and i can list others too. Injuries become a problem only when they are threatening.

Standard of domestic in Pakistan may not be of highest quality but still its not easy for an 'injured' player to play innings of 300+ innings. I have also heard from respected people that he was good enough to Play for Pakistan during the 2011-2015 period but management and selectors never gave him a chance in his best format i-e tests.

YOU can probably play with muscular injuries but definitely not knee injury as it would get worst and worst specially in International cricket where there is no hiding place. The fact is when he was given a chance he could not last long even though he performed decently because of the same injury he was trying to hide for many years in domestic.

Once he realised he was good enough to play for Pakistan he finally decided to have an operation which he should have done even before he played for Pakistan the first time.
 
Pretty much most crucial inns of series now and need to be atleast level with kiwis 1st inns score.
 
Pakistan will not be among the leading Test teams unless it can produce a 50 averaging batsman at a 50+ strike rate.

That is the gold standard of Test batting, and Younis was our last flag bearer on this front.

Batsmen who compromise their strike rates for maintaining high averages do not take make much of an impact. Misbah averaged 50+ as captain but his low strike rate meant that he was always second fiddle to Younis.

Haris has the ability average 50+, but it appears that he too has decided to compromise on his strike rate. He is a fluent player, but it is a shame that he does back himself to score big but also do it fluently.

Babar is the last hope, and Test should be his best format in the long run. He needs to continue the way he has batted this year and not fall in the Haris trap.

Of course, there are other “batsmen” like Azhar and Shafiq who do not have the class to average 50 despite of completely comprising their strike rates.

In the context of this match, Azhar is playing a good innings. In low scoring games, especially on slow wickets, his painful batting is useful.

However, there is nothing to cherish here because he plays in the same garbage way regardless of the situation, and that is why in recent times, he lost Pakistan two Tests in the last two years.
 
The fact is when he was given a chance he could not last long even though he performed decently because of the same injury he was trying to hide for many years in domestic.

He was never given a chance in his best format i-e 4-day/test cricket.

He was never a world class one day player due to his limitations against hitting bouncers and accelerating the tempo. Was averaging in early 40s in List A almost throughout his career like he is averaging in odis now and has scored only 1 century (which too he scored recently) in domestic one days. But in 4-days he was the go to man and used to play mammoth innings and known for making big centuries.

Anyways this debate can go on and on, but i do believe he was robbed off his best 4-5 years due to incompetence of PCB and its just not him there are few others too.
 
People here needs to realise its extremely difficult to score quick runs on these wickets in UAE.
 
Azhar 50. This is when younis would go on to make match winning 150 at run a ball. Azhar gets slower. Asad will have good day. Can see him getting out for 43..
 
People here needs to realise its extremely difficult to score quick runs on these wickets in UAE.

If India tour the UAE, they would blank Pakistan, bat once and put this myth to bed. The way Rohit and Dhawan made these slow pitches look like roads in the Asia Cup against the so-called best bowling attack in the world was an eye-opener.

India will score 600+ every single time if they bat for two days on these pitches.
 
Azhar has to score a big hundred here. Not expecting much from Shafiq, Sarfraz or the tail.
 
If India tour the UAE, they would blank Pakistan, bat once and put this myth to bed. The way Rohit and Dhawan made these slow pitches look like roads in the Asia Cup against the so-called best bowling attack in the world was an eye-opener.

India will score 600+ every single time if they bat for two days on these pitches.

Thats not relevant, Both Rohit and Dhawan are better batsmen then we got in this Pakistan 11. But they will also not be able to score as fast as you think but quicker yes as they have more shots.
 
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