Can Azhar Ali turn himself into a workable batting all-rounder in Test cricket?

[sensible-indian-fan]

He has proven himself to be one of the best opening batsman of recent times.

One can even claim he is currently the best opening batsman (ahead of Cook, Vijay and Warner...Warner is outrageously good but hasn't performed on a variety of pitches).

As a bowler, his leggies are getting praised by quite a few. Seems like there is potential (naturally so cos he started off as a bowler).

If Pakistan is looking for a solid test AR, this guy could develop himself into one provided he is willing to work REALLY HARD on his bowling.

Nothing wrong in working on his bowling as long as he keeps his batting as the main focus.

Since Azhar will play majority of his games in SC, he will have ample opportunities to hone his skills.

If he can't turn himself into a batting AR, even reaching Sehwag/Ganguly level as a bowler would be very very handy for Pakistan.

 

[AlphaFighter]

He can definately be a reliable part timer but you cant expect more than 10 overs in an innings from him, can be used as a gamble to break partnerships.

Part timers are no substitutes for a reliable 5th pace bowling all rounder in conditions which don't aid spin.

 

[MMHS]

No - not under Misbah or himself. Difference betweeen workable batting all rounder & partimer is that workable all rounder is part of your bowling equation; part timers are often result of desperation.

The success of Workable all rounder is not bowling skills - it's the vision of the Management, intelligence of the bowler & tactical nuances of the Captain on field. Take the best workable batting all rounders (players who are automatic choice as a batsman) - each & everyone flourished under Captains like Border, Tubby, Imran, Ganguly, MS, Arjuna ... even Azhar. Besides, you need to manage your expectation & know the limit of the partimer on which context he can be successful. You'll be surprised to know that both Border & Bevan has 10for in a Test; while Ganguly had 5fers on Toronto seemer, Arjuna has a 5for & what Simmons did to PAK is legendary. Even Srikkanth has 2/3 5fors in ODI under Shastri & Raina/Sehwag has changed several ODI with ball under MS or Ganguly. Imran once used Sohail for 6 different spells for his 10 overs of darting.

I wrote it several times that Azhar can be a very good option for ODI leggi - he started his career as leggi as well; but not under himself. If Azhar becomes Test Captain, he'll stop bowling & over kill Yasir. Now Misbah is using him as a disparate measure - imagine UAE - West Indian right handers were playing it easy from other end of Yasir - Azhar wasn't tried much; worse thing will happen once he is the Captain & best batsman of the side.

 

[Napa]

A bit of an overreaction to his getting 2 wickets in an innings in which Australia scored 500+. His average before this match was 7 wickets at an average of 75.28. A very long way to go before he can be considered as something more than a relief bowler and one who helps Pakistan bowl the required number of overs (which it has had trouble doing).

 

[sensible-indian-fan]

His bowling was talked about much before also.

Since you weren't on PP then, you may not know. Many PPers told me he could be 5th bowler for overseas tours.

I am asking a question.

Not declaring he will be a AR.

 

[MMHS]

His bowling was talked about much before also.

Since you weren't on PP then, you may not know. Many PPers told me he could be 5th bowler for overseas tours.

I am asking a question.

Not declaring he will be a AR.

He started FC career at 7 as leggi all rounder & represented PAK U19 as specialist leggi.

 

[Zahid87]

No. At the moment, he is just a part-time option.

And I would hope that he continues to focus on his batting. He has hit an upward curve, and we desperately need him to pick up the batting mantle. Leave the bowling to others.

 

[Red Devil]

He looks decent and should definitely bowl more often. He could be a handful on spin friendly pitches.

 

[DRsohail]

No - not under Misbah or himself. Difference betweeen workable batting all rounder & partimer is that workable all rounder is part of your bowling equation; part timers are often result of desperation.

The success of Workable all rounder is not bowling skills - it's the vision of the Management, intelligence of the bowler & tactical nuances of the Captain on field. Take the best workable batting all rounders (players who are automatic choice as a batsman) - each & everyone flourished under Captains like Border, Tubby, Imran, Ganguly, MS, Arjuna ... even Azhar. Besides, you need to manage your expectation & know the limit of the partimer on which context he can be successful. You'll be surprised to know that both Border & Bevan has 10for in a Test; while Ganguly had 5fers on Toronto seemer, Arjuna has a 5for & what Simmons did to PAK is legendary. Even Srikkanth has 2/3 5fors in ODI under Shastri & Raina/Sehwag has changed several ODI with ball under MS or Ganguly. Imran once used Sohail for 6 different spells for his 10 overs of darting.

I wrote it several times that Azhar can be a very good option for ODI leggi - he started his career as leggi as well; but not under himself. If Azhar becomes Test Captain, he'll stop bowling & over kill Yasir. Now Misbah is using him as a disparate measure - imagine UAE - West Indian right handers were playing it easy from other end of Yasir - Azhar wasn't tried much; worse thing will happen once he is the Captain & best batsman of the side.

outstanding....i still dont beleive that border and bevan had 10for but actually they had....misbah,,,the most unimiginative captain......he just thought once out of the box in his whole captaincy and that was famoous chase of sharjah ,,,nothing special apart from that..do u agree..

 

[sensible-indian-fan]

He obviously has to work a LOT on his bowling but there is something there to work with.

 

[shaz619]

He has proven himself to be one of the best opening batsman of recent times.

One can even claim he is currently the best opening batsman (ahead of Cook, Vijay and Warner...Warner is outrageously good but hasn't performed on a variety of pitches).

As a bowler, his leggies are getting praised by quite a few. Seems like there is potential (naturally so cos he started off as a bowler).

If Pakistan is looking for a solid test AR, this guy could develop himself into one provided he is willing to work REALLY HARD on his bowling.

Nothing wrong in working on his bowling as long as he keeps his batting as the main focus.

Since Azhar will play majority of his games in SC, he will have ample opportunities to hone his skills.

If he can't turn himself into a batting AR, even reaching Sehwag/Ganguly level as a bowler would be very very handy for Pakistan.

He will probably focus all his efforts towards batting but if he's given more of an opportunity to bowl he ought to get better but he'll have to put a bit of time in as well behind the scenes, not sure if he'd develop into an A/R but has potential to be a decent part timer. Most of his variations involve a high elbow which doesn't allow for the leg break but he can develop the slider and toppie, the googly seems to be his stock delivery. Come to think of it's a lot of hard work, he can strive for better control though

 

[DRsohail]

No - not under Misbah or himself. Difference betweeen workable batting all rounder & partimer is that workable all rounder is part of your bowling equation; part timers are often result of desperation.

The success of Workable all rounder is not bowling skills - it's the vision of the Management, intelligence of the bowler & tactical nuances of the Captain on field. Take the best workable batting all rounders (players who are automatic choice as a batsman) - each & everyone flourished under Captains like Border, Tubby, Imran, Ganguly, MS, Arjuna ... even Azhar. Besides, you need to manage your expectation & know the limit of the partimer on which context he can be successful. You'll be surprised to know that both Border & Bevan has 10for in a Test; while Ganguly had 5fers on Toronto seemer, Arjuna has a 5for & what Simmons did to PAK is legendary. Even Srikkanth has 2/3 5fors in ODI under Shastri & Raina/Sehwag has changed several ODI with ball under MS or Ganguly. Imran once used Sohail for 6 different spells for his 10 overs of darting.

I wrote it several times that Azhar can be a very good option for ODI leggi - he started his career as leggi as well; but not under himself. If Azhar becomes Test Captain, he'll stop bowling & over kill Yasir. Now Misbah is using him as a disparate measure - imagine UAE - West Indian right handers were playing it easy from other end of Yasir - Azhar wasn't tried much; worse thing will happen once he is the Captain & best batsman of the side.

outstanding....i still dont believe that border and bevan had 10for but actually they had....misbah,,,the most unimaginative captain......he just thought once out of the box in his whole captaincy and that was famous chase of sharjah ,,,nothing special apart from that..do u agree..

 

[in_cutter]

No. find a real allrounder.

 

[Slog]

No.

Id prefer for him to just give up bowling altogether

Over the long term we'll find better bowling options

But we cant play around with his batting form so all focus should be on that

 

[Abdullah719]

A bit of an overreaction to his getting 2 wickets in an innings in which Australia scored 500+. His average before this match was 7 wickets at an average of 75.28. A very long way to go before he can be considered as something more than a relief bowler and one who helps Pakistan bowl the required number of overs (which it has had trouble doing).

That's where it's handy if you watch the match. His problem currently is inconsistency because he doesn't bowl regularly, thus he ends up bowling a bad ball here and there. But he has ability - gets good revs on the ball with a smooth action and has a decent googly. The commentators pointed that out as well.

Until and unless he bowls a bit more (in the nets too), though, he will remain an occasional part-timer.

 

[sensible-indian-fan]

No.

Id prefer for him to just give up bowling altogether

Over the long term we'll find better bowling options

But we cant play around with his batting form so all focus should be on that

Who will do the job of 5th bowler?

 

[Slog]

Who will do the job of 5th bowler?

Adjust lineup accordingly.

Smith doesnt bowl anymore and his basics were arguably superior.

2 spaces are opening soon

 

[sensible-indian-fan]

Adjust lineup accordingly.

Smith doesnt bowl anymore and his basics were arguably superior.

2 spaces are opening soon

Smith was too wayward.

Anyways, its upto Azhar to decide whether he wants to give it a shot.

Pakistan ain't finding a ready made AR anytime soon.

 

[Pete Rose]

It's a lot to do. Open the batting and bowl and captain. But I do agree that he should be more than a part timer and less than all rounder

 

[jeetu]

He can be a useful partnership breaker but Pakistan think tank shouldn't pressure him to work hard on his bowling. He should follow a Tendulkar like example on that regard.

 

[Syed1]

It's a lot to do. Open the batting and bowl and captain. But I do agree that he should be more than a part timer and less than all rounder

Azhar might not be the next captain though.

 

[Syed1]

He does have a monster googly and can be handy if used in short stints.

 

[badsha001]

Give up captaincy and become an a/r

 

[Pete Rose]

Azhar might not be the next captain though.

The sooner Pakistan get over sarfaraz-blink-and-my-average-will-go-from-46-to-41-Ahmad the better it will be. He is a very good player but it will end in six months post his appointment.
I expect yk to try to troll pcb for the test captaincy

 

[Hamza_]

The sooner Pakistan get over sarfaraz-blink-and-my-average-will-go-from-46-to-41-Ahmad the better it will be. He is a very good player but it will end in six months post his appointment.
I expect yk to try to troll pcb for the test captaincy

If not Sarfraz, Azhar shouldn't be the captain either.

 

[Syed1]

The sooner Pakistan get over sarfaraz-blink-and-my-average-will-go-from-46-to-41-Ahmad the better it will be. He is a very good player but it will end in six months post his appointment.
I expect yk to try to troll pcb for the test captaincy

Azhar will not be a good captain and will be a continuation of Misbah's legacy. The only reason Sarf's name is suggested because of a lack of a third option. Who else is in the squad who has the nuance to be a good captain?

We have seen the Azhar experiment in ODIs and how he lets opposition teams off the hook, do you think he will flip a switch and automatically be a good captain in tests?

 

[Pete Rose]

Azhar will not be a good captain and will be a continuation of Misbah's legacy. The only reason Sarf's name is suggested because of a lack of a third option. Who else is in the squad who has the nuance to be a good captain?

We have seen the Azhar experiment in ODIs and how he lets opposition teams off the hook, do you think he will flip a switch and automatically be a good captain in tests?

i can say either abstoute certainty that the likelihood of sarfaraz losing form across all three formats is much higher than Azhar ali. Captain must always be a certain starter

 

[Pete Rose]

If not Sarfraz, Azhar shouldn't be the captain either.

If you are not a certainty in the starting line up, then you shouldn't be captain

 

[Sidilicious]

There are a lot more bowling allrounders than batting all rounders.

That's because its easier to become a reliable batsman (given that the said player already has some batting skill) than to be become a reliable 5th bowler (even if the said player has equal amount of skill in bowling).

Thus it would be difficult for Azhar to become a batting AR as he hasn't shown the goods to become a reliable bowler in the beginning. At most he could become a Sachin/Sehwag type of bowler who could roll their arms over for a few overs in ODIs. I highly doubt he would he would even become a reliable AR like Yuvraj in subcontinent conditions. In tests, it simply out of question.

 

[Asim2Good]

Let him focus on his batting first.
He can be part timer with 6-7 overs/ innings when bowlers need rest, nothing more than that.

 

[Abdullah719]

There are a lot more bowling allrounders than batting all rounders.

That's because its easier to become a reliable batsman (given that the said player already has some batting skill) than to be become a reliable 5th bowler (even if the said player has equal amount of skill in bowling).

Thus it would be difficult for Azhar to become a batting AR as he hasn't shown the goods to become a reliable bowler in the beginning. At most he could become a Sachin/Sehwag type of bowler who could roll their arms over for a few overs in ODIs. I highly doubt he would he would even become a reliable AR like Yuvraj in subcontinent conditions. In tests, it simply out of question.

As mentioned above, becoming an all-rounder is probably a step too far for him and will require simply too much work. But if he can improve to a Malik-level bowler, that would be handy. Malik usually chips in with around 5 overs these days in ODIs.

In UAE, he can be a decent third spin option in Tests to provide another dimension to the attack.

 

[Chief Destroyer]

No need. What he's doing right now is good enough.

 

[Sidilicious]

As mentioned above, becoming an all-rounder is probably a step too far for him and will require simply too much work. But if he can improve to a Malik-level bowler, that would be handy. Malik usually chips in with around 5 overs these days in ODIs.

In UAE, he can be a decent third spin option in Tests to provide another dimension to the attack.

You are underrating Malik. Malik was more than a part timer in Asian conditions in ODIs. Comparing him to Yuvraj, I would reckon, in Asia, Malik was a more reliable bowler than Yuvraj.

Azhar is no where near that level. In ODIs he would be able to roll his arm over for a couple of overs in Asia. In Tests, the captain could bring him in for breakthroughs.

Its very difficult to develop your bowling much at an international stage if you haven't been a regular part timer for so long (nearly 4-5 now). Even players like Sachin, Jadeja and Sehwag who would bowl those 5 odd overs in ODIs used to bowl on a regular basis from the beginning of their careers.

But, on the other hand, you will find lots of bowlers becoming better batsmen after spending 4-5 years in international cricket. Batting (improving to become a reliable lower order) requires much more mental strength, so its easy to become a better bat than the other way round.

 

[Abdullah719]

You are underrating Malik. Malik was more than a part timer in Asian conditions in ODIs. Comparing him to Yuvraj, I would reckon, in Asia, Malik was a more reliable bowler than Yuvraj.

Azhar is no where near that level. In ODIs he would be able to roll his arm over for a couple of overs in Asia. In Tests, the captain could bring him in for breakthroughs.

Its very difficult to develop your bowling much at an international stage if you haven't been a regular part timer for so long (nearly 4-5 now). Even players like Sachin, Jadeja and Sehwag who would bowl those 5 odd overs in ODIs used to bowl on a regular basis from the beginning of their careers.

But, on the other hand, you will find lots of bowlers becoming better batsmen after spending 4-5 years in international cricket. Batting (improving to become a reliable lower order) requires much more mental strength, so its easy to become a better bat than the other way round.

I was referring to Malik's workload as a bowler which is relatively low these days as we go in with five bowlers in ODIs anyway.

He is definitely quite a handy bowler and if utilised properly, still has the ability to bowl 8 or so overs consistently.

Either way, Pakistan should look for an all-round option, preferably a pacer for the future as that will be the requirement for overseas tours and will be a far better option than a spin all-rounder. Azhar can be a part time option in UAE to bowl a handful of overs at times when required.

 

[Napa]

That's where it's handy if you watch the match. His problem currently is inconsistency because he doesn't bowl regularly, thus he ends up bowling a bad ball here and there. But he has ability - gets good revs on the ball with a smooth action and has a decent googly. The commentators pointed that out as well.

Until and unless he bowls a bit more (in the nets too), though, he will remain an occasional part-timer.

Being a successful bowler at the very top level is something that only a very small fraction of players have the talent for. However, as you mention, he does have a decent googly. Seems to have a good personality and has certainly proven himself to be a top batsman, good luck to him for continued success.

 

[saabir]

Very difficult art to mastery leg spinner if u r a opener batsman. Leg spinnet require special attention on his art. But he can be Sachin like leggi for pak. Sachin used to bowl good googly in his younger days. He has quite a few 5fer in odis. For offie it's relativily easier than leggi

 

[Chief Destroyer]

He does have a monster googly and can be handy if used in short stints.

Even his legspin turns more than Yasir's.

 

[Hasan123]

He should work more on his bowling, if he's in the odi team for now he should definitely bowl more .

 

[Rayyman]

No. Azhar is opener and captain. Shouldn't bowl at all.

 

[Walidad]

He has proven himself to be one of the best opening batsman of recent times.

One can even claim he is currently the best opening batsman (ahead of Cook, Vijay and Warner...Warner is outrageously good but hasn't performed on a variety of pitches).

As a bowler, his leggies are getting praised by quite a few. Seems like there is potential (naturally so cos he started off as a bowler).

If Pakistan is looking for a solid test AR, this guy could develop himself into one provided he is willing to work REALLY HARD on his bowling.

Nothing wrong in working on his bowling as long as he keeps his batting as the main focus.

Since Azhar will play majority of his games in SC, he will have ample opportunities to hone his skills.

If he can't turn himself into a batting AR, even reaching Sehwag/Ganguly level as a bowler would be very very handy for Pakistan.

Yes he will if become captain he will howl more

 

[world cup captain]

Not asking much from him but a few overs here and there can't affect his game much. If he can do that, it could do wonders for the team.