Can Pakistan's T20I team afford both Mohammad Rizwan and Haris Sohail in the top 4?

[Titan24]

Both Haris and Rizwan dont usually bat at a strike rate of 125 or above and it doesnt come naturally to them which can be proved by the fact that Haris has a SR of 106 after 70 odd T20s he has played in his career which also questions his place in the T20 team. While Rizwan's SR is 115 after 90 odd T20s.

First 6 overs with only 2 fielders outside are meant to be taken advantage of which is not possible by having batsmen like Haris and Rizwan inside first 6 overs to support Babar. Fakhar is the only one who on his day can help in first 6 overs and with him struggling and Haris and Rizwan wasting the first 6 overs Pak cant score that 180-200 score which they did on 4 consecutive occasions and regularly not too long ago which was one of the reasons for our success in T20s.

Players who can bat atleast at the SR of 120 are needed inside top 4 and Haris with SR of 106 and Rizwan with 115 in their overall T20 career doesnt cut it.

Haris needs to be replaced by Khushdil Shah in the current xi and in future in the squad by maybe Ahsan Ali, Sharjeel Khan etc. and not to forget Haris wasnt part of the playing 11 in most of T20 wins we had in last 2-3 years.

 

[Hawkeye]

Not really.

Too many accumulators. Rizwan is just like Sarfraz, an accumulator, right now a worse version.

We don't have many WK/bat options. Umar is the only feasible alternative, but yes, of course PPers hate him, without suggesting any alternatives.

 

[Danyaalr01]

Haris will always sturggle to play attacking cricket in Australia, South Africa and England, so he shouldn't play t20is, especially in these countries due to the extra bounce.

Rizwan is our only good keeper that has performed in domestic, he doesn't have to even bat, he can be put at 9 or 10.

My XI from this squad

1. Babar
2. Imam (Fakhar needs to be dropped now)
3. Iftikhar
4. Khushdil
5. Asif (no one else in current squad apart from Haris, Asif might hit a couple of lucky 6s)
6. Imad
7. Shadab
8. Musa (apparently he can hit the ball hard)
9. Rizwan
10. Amir
11. Hasnain

 

[Captain caveman]

Not really.

Too many accumulators. Rizwan is just like Sarfraz, an accumulator, right now a worse version.

We don't have many WK/bat options. Umar is the only feasible alternative, but yes, of course PPers hate him, without suggesting any alternatives.

Haris and rizwan should play in the test and odi side BUT not t20s.
With babar we have a very reliable batsman, so we should try and fill the remaining 5 top order spots in the top 6 with aggressive batsman.

I would concentrate on this team for the next 12 months, for the t20 world cup

Kamran akmal(wk)
Babar(C)
Ahshan ali
M. hafeez
Ifti chacha
Fakhar zaman/ kusdil shah
Imad wasim
Umer khan
Haris rauf
Shaheenshah afridi
Naseem shah

 

[Hawkeye]

Haris and rizwan should play in the test and odi side BUT not t20s.
With babar we have a very reliable batsman, so we should try and fill the remaining 5 top order spots in the top 6 with aggressive batsman.

I would concentrate on this team for the next 12 months, for the t20 world cup

Kamran akmal(wk)
Babar(C)
Ahshan ali
M. hafeez
Ifti chacha
Fakhar zaman/ kusdil shah
Imad wasim
Umer khan
Haris rauf
Shaheenshah afridi
Naseem shah

I'm not sure I agree with all the selections.

In general, we do need some players who can handle the pacers. Umar is one. Ifti has shown good results so far. I've heard about Ahsan but not sure if he can play international level pacers.

 

[Hyperion66]

Fakhar should be the one dropped ASAP.

 

[hitthestump]

Rizwan needs a bit of time. He looked quality in the national t20 cup and was hitting boundaries with ease. I am positive he will come good.

 

[Canistani Hero]

Both Haris and Rizwan dont usually bat at a strike rate of 125 or above and it doesnt come naturally to them which can be proved by the fact that Haris has a SR of 106 after 70 odd T20s he has played in his career which also questions his place in the T20 team. While Rizwan's SR is 115 after 90 odd T20s.

First 6 overs with only 2 fielders outside are meant to be taken advantage of which is not possible by having batsmen like Haris and Rizwan inside first 6 overs to support Babar. Fakhar is the only one who on his day can help in first 6 overs and with him struggling and Haris and Rizwan wasting the first 6 overs Pak cant score that 180-200 score which they did on 4 consecutive occasions and regularly not too long ago which was one of the reasons for our success in T20s.

Players who can bat atleast at the SR of 120 are needed inside top 4 and Haris with SR of 106 and Rizwan with 115 in their overall T20 career doesnt cut it.

Haris needs to be replaced by Khushdil Shah in the current xi and in future in the squad by maybe Ahsan Ali, Sharjeel Khan etc. and not to forget Haris wasnt part of the playing 11 in most of T20 wins we had in last 2-3 years.

Nope. Haris needs 2-3 overs to get going and Rizwan's entire innings is one-pace..This is a no-brainer for anybody with the slightest idea of T20 cricket.

 

[HappyWarsFan]

Kamran Akmal as opener to replace Fakhar , Umar Akmal for keeper for T20 ONLY. Rizwan must stay for test and ODI though

K Akmal
Babar
Imam
Iftikhar
Khushdil
U Akmal (wk)

 

[msb314]

Haris will always sturggle to play attacking cricket in Australia, South Africa and England, so he shouldn't play t20is, especially in these countries due to the extra bounce.

Rizwan is our only good keeper that has performed in domestic, he doesn't have to even bat, he can be put at 9 or 10.

My XI from this squad

1. Babar
2. Imam (Fakhar needs to be dropped now)
3. Iftikhar
4. Khushdil
5. Asif (no one else in current squad apart from Haris, Asif might hit a couple of lucky 6s)
6. Imad
7. Shadab
8. Musa (apparently he can hit the ball hard)
9. Rizwan
10. Amir
11. Hasnain

No offense buddy but the team you have selected will be 20/5 in no time against most teams

 

[Red Devil]

We need proper dynamic batsmen in our line ups who can shift gears when needed, instead of this out-dated formula of having a combination of plodders and hacks.

We should have started developing guys like Saud, Zeeshan, Saif, Haider etc., a long time ago.

 

[Titan24]

Nope. Haris needs 2-3 overs to get going and Rizwan's entire innings is one-pace..This is a no-brainer for anybody with the slightest idea of T20 cricket.

Haris Sohail Scored 52 off 50 balls against Srl in 3rd T20 and we couldnt chase 147? Do you call it getting going in T20 cricket?

He has plated over 70+ T20s overall and has a SR of 105, I dont remember when he got going, kindly mention few of his heroics in T20s when he got going.

 

[Shazzam]

Rizwan was so highly rated and we now see a thread like this hilarious.

 

[Titan24]

Rizwan was so highly rated and we now see a thread like this hilarious.

Even Haris Sohail is rated highly even by cricket experts around and rightly so but they both arent rated as big hitters or the most dynamic T20 players around.

Rizwan is a pretty decent WK batsman for ODIs and Tests and even in T20 he is the best specialist keeper we have but playing him at no 4 and inside first 6 overs isnt working well. I think in T20s more dynamic batsmen need to play more power play overs and more overs overall.

 

[Captain caveman]

I'm not sure I agree with all the selections.

In general, we do need some players who can handle the pacers. Umar is one. Ifti has shown good results so far. I've heard about Ahsan but not sure if he can play international level pacers.

I was/am a big fan of umar but i think theres too much pressure on him to succeed(mostly put on himself) and i think his time has unfortunately passed.
The other selections are probables, thats why i said that we need to test them over the next 12 months.
Basically we need to find 5 batsman who can hit big to compliment babar.

Possibles are
Kamran akmal
Umar akmal
Fakhar zaman
Shajeel khan
Ahshan ali
Naveed malik
Khushdil shah
Sohail akhar
Mukhtar ahmed
Iftikhar ahmed
M. hafeez

These are the names that come to mind, they may be more possibles.

In the bowling, we need youngsters and get away from amir, wahab, hasan etc.

Possibles
Naseem shah
M. Hasnain
Musa khan
Haris rauf
Shaheen shah afridi
Ehshan adil
Sameen gul

As far as spinnes,

Possibles.
are very limited to imad(alrounder) and umer khan or shadab khan.
Zafar gohar has not lived up to expectations so far.
Bilal asif , M. Asgahr and usama mir have all failed to get to the next level.

Basically, we need 5 aggressive batters because we have the luxury of babar who will more often than not, bat for at leasr 15 overs at a decent strike rate.

 

[Energy]

They're being tested, and they are not delivering yet. Haris and Rizwan are one of our best batters going around after Babar and need to be persisted with. Rather than dropping them they need to be worked with. Dropping them will destroy the entire set-up we've been raving on about following the departure of Hafeez and Malik. And quite frankly, also makes us look like a fool.

Pak team can afford both, at 3 and 4. What we can't afford is hitters not doing their job. Fakhar, Asif, Imad et al. If these guys can each bat long enough to get 30 in 20 balls then we'll be posting big scores.

 

[ads101]

You could drop Fakhar down the order and make Rizwan open. Fakhar's adaptable enough to play down the order if needed.

I don't think Haris has a future in T20 being older, fitness and injury issues, and not a big hitter. Probably in his best interest to reduce formats and prolong his career.

I don't know if Rizwan is good enough to succeed top order though, but wouldn't hurt trying it.

 

[MMHS]

Most (read every, may be apart from AFGs) teams, have started to develop a specialist T20 team, more so for batting picks. PAK probably will have 6 common batsman (T20 vs ODI) by next game - Babar, Imam, Haris, Rizwan, Imad and Iftekhar; that's too many for my liking.

Haris was never made for T20, while Rizwan is a forced choice as they had to drop Sarfraz and never thought of keeping with Umar (Or try Bismillah, Siddiq, the Baluch WK I forgot name). Add to that the decline of FZ, and no show by Asif, it's only Babar to save from embarrassment - that's if he performs, PAK will make a contest ...... and if he doesn't, SRL reserves (& reserves of that reserve squad once series is won), made it one sided.

Not sure what's the solution either - I normally try to end my essay with a solution line, but can't say now that youngsters should be brought to learn the art of T20 batting from batting guru Misbah ....... even this guy Asad Shafique didn't perform in National T20, could have been some light, if so .....

 

[The Viper]

Haris has been disappointing.

Maybe he is not a T20 batsman.

Ifti should bat at 4.

 

[Hyperion66]

Fakhar's adaptable enough to play down the order if needed.

Dude struggles to put bat on ball against any decent bowling and you think he can come down the order and start hitting from ball one?

 

[Pete Rose]

Haris probably deserves a spot, but he is on a comeback trail, Rizwan doesnt

 

[coy0607]

Not really.

Too many accumulators. Rizwan is just like Sarfraz, an accumulator, right now a worse version.

We don't have many WK/bat options. Umar is the only feasible alternative, but yes, of course PPers hate him, without suggesting any alternatives.

Umar is better based on what? Your opinion?

Both Rizwan and Sarfraz are better batsmen than Umar Akmal, and obviously much better keepers

 

[Titan24]

Most (read every, may be apart from AFGs) teams, have started to develop a specialist T20 team, more so for batting picks. PAK probably will have 6 common batsman (T20 vs ODI) by next game - Babar, Imam, Haris, Rizwan, Imad and Iftekhar; that's too many for my liking.

Haris was never made for T20, while Rizwan is a forced choice as they had to drop Sarfraz and never thought of keeping with Umar (Or try Bismillah, Siddiq, the Baluch WK I forgot name). Add to that the decline of FZ, and no show by Asif, it's only Babar to save from embarrassment - that's if he performs, PAK will make a contest ...... and if he doesn't, SRL reserves (& reserves of that reserve squad once series is won), made it one sided.

Not sure what's the solution either - I normally try to end my essay with a solution line, but can't say now that youngsters should be brought to learn the art of T20 batting from batting guru Misbah ....... even this guy Asad Shafique didn't perform in National T20, could have been some light, if so .....

I agree and I think someone like Ahsan Ali and probably Sharjeel in future, the players who are naturally aggressive are more suited to T20 cricket. Haris is someone who will have to go outside his comfort zone while playing in T20s which isnt what a team ideally wants. He scored 52 of 50 balls vs Srl in 3rd T20 which and Pak was unable to chase 147. He naturally isnt suited to T20 cricket and his domestic T20 stats show a similar picture.

Even Hussain Talat looked better and did better in T20s than Haris.

I agree regarding Bismillah Khan as well who can be given a go in T20s as he is also someone who plays attacking cricket and wont have to force himself to adjust though he is bit of a hit and miss. Even if team management wants to go with Rizwan he shouldnt be batting inside the power play and alongside Babar in T20s.

 

[Abdullah719]

Haris has a slight issue with the start of his innings. His run-scoring can be shut down by pacers bowling at his body with a tight leg-side field, or by bowling short-balls because he usually ducks under them. Teams don't normally do this in ODIs as it's a pretty defensive strategy and you have to pick up wickets but in T20s, it works. T20s are all about momentum and Haris' slow-ish starts are putting Pakistan on the back-foot. Specially when mostly he's batting with Babar, who despite going at a good strike-rate, won't blast the other team at 200 SR to cover for his partner's slow starts. Thus, Haris has to try unorthodox attacking shots or premeditation/slogging, which rarely works for him.

Mickey made a good point, that Haris can be used to attack spinners in this lineup, perhaps batting at 4 or 5 in a Shoaib Malik type role. He can hit big against spin as well. But I think he may just be a misfit in the T20I team unless he can figure out how to adapt.

Rizwan should just bat in the lower-order like Sarfaraz used to.

 

[Titan24]

Haris has a slight issue with the start of his innings. His run-scoring can be shut down by pacers bowling at his body with a tight leg-side field, or by bowling short-balls because he usually ducks under them. Teams don't normally do this in ODIs as it's a pretty defensive strategy and you have to pick up wickets but in T20s, it works. T20s are all about momentum and Haris' slow-ish starts are putting Pakistan on the back-foot. Specially when mostly he's batting with Babar, who despite going at a good strike-rate, won't blast the other team at 200 SR to cover for his partner's slow starts. Thus, Haris has to try unorthodox attacking shots or premeditation/slogging, which rarely works for him.

Mickey made a good point, that Haris can be used to attack spinners in this lineup, perhaps batting at 4 or 5 in a Shoaib Malik type role. He can hit big against spin as well. But I think he may just be a misfit in the T20I team unless he can figure out how to adapt.

Rizwan should just bat in the lower-order like Sarfaraz used to.

True and even Haris prefers batting at no 5 in LOIs which we can see from the fact that he played at no 5 for Baluchistan more often than not when he was the captain in national T20 cup 2019. Role completely changes with the position you bat in and Haris' best innings even in ODIs came in at no 5.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Neither should be in T20 squad, but this is stupidity of players not playing right formats.

 

[unemployedgm]

The Line of Demarcation for a T20 Batsman is a SR above 120. Anyone below that number needs to go back to domestic cricket.

 

[Danyaalr01]

No offense buddy but the team you have selected will be 20/5 in no time against most teams

It’s from the squad Misbah’s picked. No other options.

 

[srh]

Not really.

Too many accumulators. Rizwan is just like Sarfraz, an accumulator, right now a worse version.

We don't have many WK/bat options. Umar is the only feasible alternative, but yes, of course PPers hate him, without suggesting any alternatives.

we have Bismillah Khan a hitter WK/bat option. Dont know why we are not trying him in T20s?

 

[srh]

You could drop Fakhar down the order and make Rizwan open. Fakhar's adaptable enough to play down the order if needed.

I don't think Haris has a future in T20 being older, fitness and injury issues, and not a big hitter. Probably in his best interest to reduce formats and prolong his career.

I don't know if Rizwan is good enough to succeed top order though, but wouldn't hurt trying it.

no need to try a makeshift opener in T20s when you have a pretty good opener in Sharjeel Khan waiting.

 

[shamaan]

Pakistan need for 5 people who can hit hard

Some of the players that can hit hard are

Ahsan ali
Khushdil shah
Iftikhar
Sharjeel khan
Sohail akhtar
Ammad butt
Kamran akmal
Naveen malik

Bowlers include
Naseem shah
Musa khan
Husnain
Rauf
Shaheen
Sameen
Ehsan iqbal

Get rid of the old players and get rid of players who have had more than enough chances

Wahab
Irfan
Fakhar
Asif ali

 

[Captain caveman]

Pakistan need for 5 people who can hit hard

Some of the players that can hit hard are

Ahsan ali
Khushdil shah
Iftikhar
Sharjeel khan
Sohail akhtar
Ammad butt
Kamran akmal
Naveen malik

Bowlers include
Naseem shah
Musa khan
Husnain
Rauf
Shaheen
Sameen
Ehsan iqbal

Get rid of the old players and get rid of players who have had more than enough chances

Wahab
Irfan
Fakhar
Asif ali

I agree with nearly everything you say, but i would lke to give fakhar a last chance at 5/6. If he fails then by all means let him go, but i think we should try.to accomodate fakhar in the team, if he can perform because he can be a match winner(though he hasn't won us a match for a very long time).

 

[Naveedahmed1]

Need hafeez and Malik in place of Harris and Asif in t20s

 

[TeamPak95]

At least for the last game, replace Asif with Khushdil (yes you will have both Rizwan and Haris in the lineup, but currently right now each should be sent in depending on the situation). For future t20s, then Haris should be replaced by a in-form domestic performer.

 

[Usman Chadda]

Wasn't Rizwan the best thing sliced bread just a few weeks back?

Kya hua larkon?

 

[Muhammad Saad]

Wasn't Rizwan the best thing sliced bread just a few weeks back?

Kya hua larkon?

Never was a T20 player

 

[Usman Chadda]

Never was a T20 player

But he was a much better option than Sarfraz a few weeks back

Even in the OP, [MENTION=142432]Titan24[/MENTION] says he's our best specialist keeper. Khuda ko maano yaar tum log qasam se. When the likes of Rizwan are being lauded as saviours, our cricket is on a fast track to the gutter

 

[Muhammad Saad]

But he was a much better option than Sarfraz a few weeks back

Even in the OP, [MENTION=142432]Titan24[/MENTION] says he's our best specialist keeper. Khuda ko maano yaar tum log qasam se. When the likes of Rizwan are being lauded as saviours, our cricket is on a fast track to the gutter

I would still rate him above Sarfi in T20s for now for atleast 5 more games.

 

[Boiz Played Well]

Haris has a slight issue with the start of his innings. His run-scoring can be shut down by pacers bowling at his body with a tight leg-side field, or by bowling short-balls because he usually ducks under them. Teams don't normally do this in ODIs as it's a pretty defensive strategy and you have to pick up wickets but in T20s, it works. T20s are all about momentum and Haris' slow-ish starts are putting Pakistan on the back-foot. Specially when mostly he's batting with Babar, who despite going at a good strike-rate, won't blast the other team at 200 SR to cover for his partner's slow starts. Thus, Haris has to try unorthodox attacking shots or premeditation/slogging, which rarely works for him.

Mickey made a good point, that Haris can be used to attack spinners in this lineup, perhaps batting at 4 or 5 in a Shoaib Malik type role. He can hit big against spin as well. But I think he may just be a misfit in the T20I team unless he can figure out how to adapt.

Rizwan should just bat in the lower-order like Sarfaraz used to.

This is very accurate. Haris is a class batsman no doubt. But he has struggled with T20s and it's hard to understand why he can't go about it as organically as he does in the other formats.

I think like you said a specified role might work better for him. Or we manage his knee issues and keep him fit for ODIs and tests where he will be vital for Pakistan going forward.

 

[Captain caveman]

Its an unpopular opinion but for t20 kamran akmal is our best keeper/batsman.
I would have bismillah khan as back up and prepare him to take over the position of wicketkeeper/batsman in the long run in t20s(unless someone new turns up in domestics).

Rizwan for tests and odis.

 

[JibranAnsari]

imo pakistan can not afford either of them in the top 4. Haris sohail has a very low career strike rate even in domestic t20s and you can easily see that mohammad rizwan is to t20s what asad shafiq is to odis. Not good enough for the format.

 

[Hawkeye]

we have Bismillah Khan a hitter WK/bat option. Dont know why we are not trying him in T20s?

I doubt he can handle international quality bowlers and genuine pace. Most domestic players can't. We do like to hype them though.

 

[Captain caveman]

I doubt he can handle international quality bowlers and genuine pace. Most domestic players can't. We do like to hype them though.

Bismillah khan deserves a chance, can't just write players off like that without giving them a fair crack of the whip.
I know, because i used to be so dismissive of ifti, until these last 2 series.
But i would have bismillah as back up in the squad for now and play kamran,, with bismillah taking over in 18 months or so, this will give him time to improve his batting qgainst pace, when he has the likes of wahab, musa, naseem shah and M. Husnain bowling to him in the nets.

 

[Boiz Played Well]

Its an unpopular opinion but for t20 kamran akmal is our best keeper/batsman.
I would have bismillah khan as back up and prepare him to take over the position of wicketkeeper/batsman in the long run in t20s(unless someone new turns up in domestics).

Rizwan for tests and odis.

I think besides the obvious jokes, a lot goes against Kamran Akmal's selection.

1. He'll be almost 39 at the 2020 World Cup. With two back-to-back world cups, do we bring back a 40-year old wicketkeeper batsman or try our hardest to find someone whom we can invest in for longer?
2. His keeping ability. His keeping has never been phenomenal and if he comes back it'll under a special scanner because of his track record and his age. He will get eviscerated for every catch he drops and every stumping he misses and he hasn't done well on low confidence in the past.
3. There's also much to be said about past prime performances not being an indicator of future performances. Just like Malik and Hafeez who both still play leagues around the world are not the players they once were, so is the case for Akmal. It's just that we haven't seen him in national colours of late to get how far he has likely dropped too.
4. The only barometer of his success is PSL. Yes he has done well in PSL but that's it. Smashing around bowlers in domestic is not a good predictor in Pakistan especially for TTFs. If he really was doing so well, I would've liked to have seen him in leagues around the world like Luke Ronchi was doing until recently.

 

[Titan24]

But he was a much better option than Sarfraz a few weeks back

Even in the OP, [MENTION=142432]Titan24[/MENTION] says he's our best specialist keeper. Khuda ko maano yaar tum log qasam se. When the likes of Rizwan are being lauded as saviours, our cricket is on a fast track to the gutter

I guess you need to realize that there is a difference between wish of having Buttler and the reality. Who is the better keeper batsman than Rizwan in Pakistan currently?

 

[Captain caveman]

I think besides the obvious jokes, a lot goes against Kamran Akmal's selection.

1. He'll be almost 39 at the 2020 World Cup. With two back-to-back world cups, do we bring back a 40-year old wicketkeeper batsman or try our hardest to find someone whom we can invest in for longer?
2. His keeping ability. His keeping has never been phenomenal and if he comes back it'll under a special scanner because of his track record and his age. He will get eviscerated for every catch he drops and every stumping he misses and he hasn't done well on low confidence in the past.
3. There's also much to be said about past prime performances not being an indicator of future performances. Just like Malik and Hafeez who both still play leagues around the world are not the players they once were, so is the case for Akmal. It's just that we haven't seen him in national colours of late to get how far he has likely dropped too.
4. The only barometer of his success is PSL. Yes he has done well in PSL but that's it. Smashing around bowlers in domestic is not a good predictor in Pakistan especially for TTFs. If he really was doing so well, I would've liked to have seen him in leagues around the world like Luke Ronchi was doing until recently.

All your points are valid, and i am not happy that we have to turn to a 40 year old wicketkeeper/batsman, but thats due to the dearth of available alternatives. Thats why i said to groom bismillah khan(or the next best young keeper/batsman) and just use kamran in the short run.
Look, i am only interested in winning these two back to back world t20s, i dont care about the next 3/4 years, i'm only interested in the next 18 months and getting the job done. At this moment in time, kami is our best keeper/batsman for t20s, better than rizwan, better than safaraz, better than anyone else available. If that hurts your pride to accept that, thats too bad, but the truth is the truth, no matter how unpopular!

 

[Captain caveman]

Need hafeez and Malik in place of Harris and Asif in t20s

Hafeez possibly, if he is wiling to play as a lower order hitter, otherwise forget it.

Malik, not for the next world t20, which is in australia, but the one in 2021 is in india, i think and if we haven't found suitable youngsters and if both of these can still bat well against spin, then with a heavy heart, i would take both hafeez and malik to india for that world t20!

 

[Boiz Played Well]

All your points are valid, and i am not happy that we have to turn to a 40 year old wicketkeeper/batsman, but thats due to the dearth of available alternatives. Thats why i said to groom bismillah khan(or the next best young keeper/batsman) and just use kamran in the short run.
Look, i am only interested in winning these two back to back world t20s, i dont care about the next 3/4 years, i'm only interested in the next 18 months and getting the job done. At this moment in time, kami is our best keeper/batsman for t20s, better than rizwan, better than safaraz, better than anyone else available. If that hurts your pride to accept that, thats too bad, but the truth is the truth, no matter how unpopular!

It doesn't hurt my pride at all, haha. I just don't see him as the right fix to our current problems. And how Umar Akmal, Shehzad and Irfan have played out so far, I'm just apprehensive of another senior comeback working out. But you maybe right and if Misbah goes that way we'll see soon enough. If he does well this PSL too, he might be closer to selection than ever in the past 3-4 years.

 

[Captain caveman]

It doesn't hurt my pride at all, haha. I just don't see him as the right fix to our current problems. And how Umar Akmal, Shehzad and Irfan have played out so far, I'm just apprehensive of another senior comeback working out. But you maybe right and if Misbah goes that way we'll see soon enough. If he does well this PSL too, he might be closer to selection than ever in the past 3-4 years.

If and its a big if, kami does well in psl, i am certain he will be recallef into the t20 side for the world cup. I am hoping some other youngstet has a breakthrough psl and is selected instead, but cant see that happening. I dont even know if bismillah khan will play psl.
An even less popular move, would be to play umar akmal as keeper/batsman for the world t20, if he has a decent psl. I guess only [MENTION=134608]Hawkeye[/MENTION] and i would be happy with this though!

 

[Abdullah719]

If and its a big if, kami does well in psl, i am certain he will be recallef into the t20 side for the world cup. I am hoping some other youngstet has a breakthrough psl and is selected instead, but cant see that happening. I dont even know if bismillah khan will play psl.
An even less popular move, would be to play umar akmal as keeper/batsman for the world t20, if he has a decent psl. I guess only [MENTION=134608]Hawkeye[/MENTION] and i would be happy with this though!

Considering that Misbah is the coach and Kami will be 38, the chances of that happening are pretty good I'd imagine.

 

[HappyWarsFan]

Considering that Misbah is the coach and Kami will be 38, the chances of that happening are pretty good I'd imagine.

So even you have joined the Misbah bashing. Sad.

If Misbah selects Kami for T20s though I'd be perfectly fine. Anyone is better than Fakhar.

 

[Captain caveman]

What do people on here want, to build a top qualty t20 side, full of upcoming talent, in the next 3/4 years, but not winning anything before that
Or
Playing the best available players, regardless of age, over the next 18 months or so and possibly winning 2 world t20s?

I choose the latter!

 

[topspin]

So even you have joined the Misbah bashing. Sad.

If Misbah selects Kami for T20s though I'd be perfectly fine. Anyone is better than Fakhar.

Don't be such a delicate soul, Misbah's phobia for youngsters and appetite for seniors is well-documented.

Since "anyone is better than Fakhar", I guess the only thing left to fulfil your wishes (i.e. perfect receipe for disaster) is for Misbah to come out of retirement and give us a masterclass in merely accumulating time at the crease.

If Pakistan miraculously win, he can also Man of the Match and Man of the Series for denting the strike rate of the opposition's bowling attack.

 

[Markhor]

I thought we already figured that Haris Sohail wasn't a T20 player after the 2018 Zimbabwe tri series. Why do Pakistan have an addiction to pigeonholing players into unsuited formats ?

 

[Pete Rose]

I thought we already figured that Haris Sohail wasn't a T20 player after the 2018 Zimbabwe tri series. Why do Pakistan have an addiction to pigeonholing players into unsuited formats ?

tbh i am not too sold on rizwan as well, in any format. and no i am not saying we should bring back sarfaraz

 

[HappyWarsFan]

Don't be such a delicate soul, Misbah's phobia for youngsters and appetite for seniors is well-documented.

Since "anyone is better than Fakhar", I guess the only thing left to fulfil your wishes (i.e. perfect receipe for disaster) is for Misbah to come out of retirement and give us a masterclass in merely accumulating time at the crease.

If Pakistan miraculously win, he can also Man of the Match and Man of the Series for denting the strike rate of the opposition's bowling attack.

Actually since our Test batsmen are so bad, I'd love Misbah to recall himself into the test team for UAE tests. 45 year old Misbah is still far better than Asad Shafiq.

 

[The Viper]

If and its a big if, kami does well in psl, i am certain he will be recallef into the t20 side for the world cup. I am hoping some other youngstet has a breakthrough psl and is selected instead, but cant see that happening. I dont even know if bismillah khan will play psl.
An even less popular move, would be to play umar akmal as keeper/batsman for the world t20, if he has a decent psl. I guess only [MENTION=134608]Hawkeye[/MENTION] and i would be happy with this though!

There is no point picking old TTF's. Kami had his chances and he blew it.

 

[Finisher]

I'd bring Sarfraz Back as opener in place of Fakhar

1-Babar Azam
2-Sarfraz Ahmed
3-Haris Sohail
4-Fakhar Zaman
5-Iftikhar Ahmed
6-Shoab Malik
7-Imad Wasim
8-Amad Butt
9-Shadab Khan
10- M Amir
11-Wahab/Hasnain

 

[Captain caveman]

There is no point picking old TTF's. Kami had his chances and he blew it.

Desperate times call for desperate measures

 

[Usman Chadda]

I guess you need to realize that there is a difference between wish of having Buttler and the reality. Who is the better keeper batsman than Rizwan in Pakistan currently?

Who said anything about Buttler?

Pretty much any random keeper batsman is as good as Rizwan in Pakistan currently. Umar Siddiq, Bismillah Khan and Rohail Nazir. You put in any one of these lads in the team, we'll have similar output. With Rohail, atleast you are preparing a young player with potential for the future.

 

[Abdullah719]

So even you have joined the Misbah bashing. Sad.

If Misbah selects Kami for T20s though I'd be perfectly fine. Anyone is better than Fakhar.

It was a light comment

If Rizwan doesn't work out, Pakistan should just put him down the order as a specialist WK and late order bat or do the same with someone else. I don't think any of the WK options Pakistan has are good enough for the middle-order or top-order in T20s. Bringing back Kamran Akmal will end in tears, as it has on previous occasions.

 

[Hawkeye]

It was a light comment

If Rizwan doesn't work out, Pakistan should just put him down the order as a specialist WK and late order bat or do the same with someone else. I don't think any of the WK options Pakistan has are good enough for the middle-order or top-order in T20s. Bringing back Kamran Akmal will end in tears, as it has on previous occasions.

I'm sorry, but you cannot waste a very precious spot by playing someone who can only keep, and do nothing else. Doesn't work like that in 2019.

It's the same as [MENTION=129948]Bilal7[/MENTION] saying Sarfraz doesn't have to bat to stay in the team. [MENTION=149684]Danyaalr01[/MENTION] also has this logic for Rizwan.

Don't go in that direction just to protect Rizwan, who right now has nowhere to hide. Not in the top, neither in the late order.

In fact, you need someone who can hit and take on the pacers in the late order. Even worse for him.

 

[Rellu_Katta]

Haris and rizwan should play in the test and odi side BUT not t20s.
With babar we have a very reliable batsman, so we should try and fill the remaining 5 top order spots in the top 6 with aggressive batsman.

I would concentrate on this team for the next 12 months, for the t20 world cup

Kamran akmal(wk)
Babar(C)
Ahshan ali
M. hafeez
Ifti chacha
Fakhar zaman/ kusdil shah
Imad wasim
Umer khan
Haris rauf
Shaheenshah afridi
Naseem shah

u do live in the caves caveman ... bringing the DropMal back in the team means we have already lost the game before it even begins ...

fakhar zaman if not on the top of the order shld bat at num11 ... thts his only place then

SSA shld not be playing T20 ...nor shld Naseem Shah.nor musa.. for T20, we can use Harris Rauf, aamir, wahab fahim etc ....

 

[Abdullah719]

I'm sorry, but you cannot waste a very precious spot by playing someone who can only keep, and do nothing else. Doesn't work like that in 2019.

It's the same as [MENTION=129948]Bilal7[/MENTION] saying Sarfraz doesn't have to bat to stay in the team. [MENTION=151473]Daani[/MENTION]yal01 also has this logic for Rizwan.

Don't go in that direction just to protect Rizwan, who right now has nowhere to hide. Not in the top, neither in the late order.

In fact, you need someone who can hit and take on the pacers in the late order. Even worse for him.

Playing a specialist WK is better than trying to pigeonhole one who isn't good enough into a key top or middle-order position. You can still have 6 proper batsmen plus the likes of Imad and Shadab do the main bulk of the batting.

I am not trying to 'protect' Rizwan, I am thinking of what's best for the team. I don't think there's any WKs who can be good enough as batsmen in T20s. Bismillah has the best SR probably but he doesn't look capable of playing against top-level bowlers. Though you could try him out in the hope that he'll hit out or get out, which is better in T20s than wasting balls.

And before you inevitably bring up Umar Akmal, can you tell me when was the last time he kept wickets? At any level? Club cricket even? Be realistic please.

 

[Rellu_Katta]

Harris and Babar should open for T20 ... Harris shld def play .. he is (personal opinion and my bias for left handers) better than babar at times .... both of them opening with Ifti and others to follow

maybe Rizwan at number 3 might not be a bad opption as well

1) Babar
2)Harris
3)Rizwan
4)Iffti
5)Khushdil
6)Imad
7)Yamin

 

[Hawkeye]

Playing a specialist WK is better than trying to pigeonhole one who isn't good enough into a key top or middle-order position. You can still have 6 proper batsmen plus the likes of Imad and Shadab do the main bulk of the batting.

I am not trying to 'protect' Rizwan, I am thinking of what's best for the team. I don't think there's any WKs who can be good enough as batsmen in T20s. Bismillah has the best SR probably but he doesn't look capable of playing against top-level bowlers. Though you could try him out in the hope that he'll hit out or get out, which is better in T20s than wasting balls.

And before you inevitably bring up Umar Akmal, can you tell me when was the last time he kept wickets? At any level? Club cricket even? Be realistic please.

Playing someone who can only keep and not do anything else, is great injustice to the team. Really upsets the team balance. No team today can afford this.

If you want to go in this direction, there are tons of keepers in Pak, who can only be specialist keepers. No batting required. It doesn't have to be Rizwan then. Heck, you can even bring back Sarfraz.

If you're not willing to go with Umar, then the only options left are the likes of Khushdil, others, who can be tried and have good strike rates too. They won't do any worse than Rizwan. Even if they can't play genuine pace, it will be similar to Riz because he too can't play it. He can't even play spin that good.

So, any option would be either an upgrade or as bad as Rizwan.

 

[Abdullah719]

Playing someone who can only keep and not do anything else, is great injustice to the team. Really upsets the team balance. No team today can afford this.

If you want to go in this direction, there are tons of keepers in Pak, who can only be specialist keepers. No batting required. It doesn't have to be Rizwan then. Heck, you can even bring back Sarfraz.

If you're not willing to go with Umar, then the only options left are the likes of Khushdil, others, who can be tried and have good strike rates too. They won't do any worse than Rizwan. Even if they can't play genuine pace, it will be similar to Riz because he too can't play it. He can't even play spin that good.

So, any option would be either an upgrade or as bad as Rizwan.

Khushdil is not a specialist WK. They aren't going to pick a part-time WK. He has only kept wickets in a few matches in domestic cricket. He is more of a part-time bowler than he is a WK.

Other wicket-keeping options are Sarfaraz Ahmed, Bismillah Khan, Umar Siddiq, Kamran Akmal, Rohail Nazir and then 2nd tier options such as Saifullah Bangash, Jamal Anwar, etc. Take your pick. Doesn't have to be Rizwan.

My point is that if one isn't good enough as a batsman, there's no point in pigeon-holing. You have 6 batsmen plus all-rounders in the side, that's plenty of batting for 20 overs.

 

[Hawkeye]

Khushdil is not a specialist WK. They aren't going to pick a part-time WK. He has only kept wickets in a few matches in domestic cricket. He is more of a part-time bowler than he is a WK.

Other wicket-keeping options are Sarfaraz Ahmed, Bismillah Khan, Umar Siddiq, Kamran Akmal, Rohail Nazir and then 2nd tier options such as Saifullah Bangash, Jamal Anwar, etc. Take your pick. Doesn't have to be Rizwan.

My point is that if one isn't good enough as a batsman, there's no point in pigeon-holing. You have 6 batsmen plus all-rounders in the side, that's plenty of batting for 20 overs.

In T20s, it doesn't have to be a Test caliber keeper. Part-timers can also work, as long as they can hit a few.

I don't know who among them can do that. But regardless, sticking with only Rizwan doesn't make sense in this case. Others can be tried too, because we have nothing to lose.

 

[Danyaalr01]

I'm sorry, but you cannot waste a very precious spot by playing someone who can only keep, and do nothing else. Doesn't work like that in 2019.

It's the same as [MENTION=129948]Bilal7[/MENTION] saying Sarfraz doesn't have to bat to stay in the team. [MENTION=149684]Danyaalr01[/MENTION] also has this logic for Rizwan.

Don't go in that direction just to protect Rizwan, who right now has nowhere to hide. Not in the top, neither in the late order.

In fact, you need someone who can hit and take on the pacers in the late order. Even worse for him.

I mean for this series. We don't have another keeper in the squad. Rizwan was picked due to good National T20 performances. You can't just drop him in the 3rd T20i or we won't have a keeper. I don't think he should be dropped yet. Maybe he will do well in Asia. Give him a couple of series, he isn't a TTF, he hasn't really been tryed much. If he continues to fail then there is a case to drop him.

 

[topspin]

We saw earlier in the year when Pakistan gave just a handful of opportunities to Rizwan, he did more than what Sarfraz did in the last two years. He had an excellent series against Australia, when he scored 2 hundreds against them.

Give Rizwan time and he will eventually outperform Sarfraz (by a considerable margin) in the shortest format as well. I'm not saying he will definitely become the finished article but unlike Sarfraz he has the work ethic and drive to succeed. He's also an excellent runner between the wickets and knowing that his mind is in the right place, I'm sure he'll improve.

For now, we should demote Fakhar down the order and bring Rizwan up to open the batting.

 

[Titan24]

Who said anything about Buttler?

Pretty much any random keeper batsman is as good as Rizwan in Pakistan currently. Umar Siddiq, Bismillah Khan and Rohail Nazir. You put in any one of these lads in the team, we'll have similar output. With Rohail, atleast you are preparing a young player with potential for the future.

You are saying that they all are of same calibre, putting aside the fact that it’s debatable lets assume its a fact. Even then when all are at same level than merit should prevail, Rizwan has extraordinary domestic career numbers and in last 2 years he has been extraordinary. He is 27-28 so age isnt much of an issue for him so we better accept him when young guys like Rohail, Haris Khan, Umair Maqsood etc solidify their games.

 

[Titan24]

We saw earlier in the year when Pakistan gave just a handful of opportunities to Rizwan, he did more than what Sarfraz did in the last two years. He had an excellent series against Australia, when he scored 2 hundreds against them.

Give Rizwan time and he will eventually outperform Sarfraz (by a considerable margin) in the shortest format as well. I'm not saying he will definitely become the finished article but unlike Sarfraz he has the work ethic and drive to succeed. He's also an excellent runner between the wickets and knowing that his mind is in the right place, I'm sure he'll improve.

For now, we should demote Fakhar down the order and bring Rizwan up to open the batting.

I agree that Rizwan is definitely an upgrade over Sarfaraz especially in ODIs and might even turn better in tests considering how out of form Sarfaraz was. T20 isnt a format to judge to players who are consolidators, so that is why we havent seen Rizwan being able to show how better he is overall and I still believe even in T20s he is the most skillful specialist keeper batsman we have as the others like Siddiq who doesnt keep that well or Bismillah who can be bit of a hit and miss but I dont mind if he is given a chance in T20s.

 

[MenInG]

Both's roles seem iffy

 

[Amjid Javed]

Rizwan, Imam and Sohail none of these guys are T20 players. T20 Sqauds need to be specailized and have no linkage to Test or ODI performances. Sadly people selecting teams cant see that.

Look at england and how they have started to select T20 teams with specalists with players who are unlikely to play ODI or Test cricket.

 

[JibranAnsari]

This series was the answer.

 

[Titan24]

So the duo of Haris and Rizwan played 81 balls in the series and scored 63 runs thats a combined SR of 77. Haris has a T20 career SR of 105 after 70 odd matches for a reason.

Believe me or not a team with top 4 which includes:

Imam
Rizwan
Haris

Will be beaten by most Pak’s domestic T20 teams as well let alone international teams. All 3 are similar type of players and were supported by aggressive batsmen even in national T20 cup so how come management was expecting them to suddenly start playing with SR of 150?

 

[SarfiBabarHaris]

Before this series, bring Rizwan bring Rizwan bring Rizwan. Lol and now?
Ohh yes bring Kamran Akmal back!

 

[Titan24]

Before this series, bring Rizwan bring Rizwan bring Rizwan. Lol and now?
Ohh yes bring Kamran Akmal back!

Rizwan is fine in ODIs and I think he will be ok in tests but playing him in top 4 alongside Haris, Babar and today Imam as well in a T20 match was never gonna end well for any of these.

 

[Markhor]

Before this series, bring Rizwan bring Rizwan bring Rizwan. Lol and now?
Ohh yes bring Kamran Akmal back!

How rubbish must Sarfraz be then if he can't get ahead of either ?

I've said for years Rizwan is painfully limited and not an international class batsman. However Sarfraz looked incapable of even holding a bat in his last series.

 

[Captain caveman]

Kamran akmal.anyone?