Asif Ali began his T20 career as an opener for Faisalabad Wolves in 2011, consistently playing in the top three until 2016 a solid five-year stretch.
During his debut, he scored an impressive 100 off 80 balls, and often provided strong starts by capitalizing on the powerplay in the early overs.
However, when the Pakistan Super League (PSL) came around in 2016, Asif found himself lower in the batting order due to big names like Sharjeel Khan, Shane Watson, and Andre Russell occupying the top spots. As a result, he was often slotted in at number six or seven.
When Asif made his international debut, there were established players like Fakhar Zaman, Shoaib Malik, Sarfaraz Ahmed, and Mohammad Hafeez ahead of him, leaving him no option but to adapt to a number seven role. He was moulded into that position due to the team's needs at the time.
Now, with those senior players no longer in the lineup and with top-order batsmen like Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan often criticized for playing cowardly, there's a strong argument for giving Asif his original opening spot to fully utilize the powerplay.
So, why shouldn't Asif Ali be considered for the opener role now, He even managed a half-century in the only ODI he opened in.
Let's hear the reasoning, but avoid relying on his number seven performances he's not going to be playing there. number 7 and opening are 2 different roles completely. don't give me 1 liners
@shamaan