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Can Sami Aslam hold his place in Tests for Pakistan?

CricFan2012

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While he is the superior test opener compared to Shani, this is no real yardstick to measure by.

He continuously fails to get big scores, and his 20-30 runs off 70-80 balls isn't helping.

Is his spot threatened? Can Shezzy bhai steal his throne?

He has to score a 50 at least in the 2nd innings for me :hafeez2
 
Abdul Bhai an average of 33 with a strike rate of 38 is nothing great!

We need to worry about getting rid of others first. Shan Masood, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam. Once these three are sorted out, then we can worry about Sami Aslam. I'll take him over the likes of Shehzad/Salman Butt 11/10 times.

Oh, and we also need to do something about our clueless coach. :ma
 
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Knows his off stump but lacking in everything else. Pretends to be a top hand player when doesn't have the backlift for it. Bat rotates every time he connects because of the loose bottom hand.
 
Averaged 55 as an opener on his debut in England. Enough said. Unlucky to miss out on a century as well.

He’s clearly someone for the future and needs persistence with.
 
utter garbage - how is an average and SR low 30s without a ton good enough for a player who's had 13 games??
 
We are not going anywhere with him and Masood tbh. But he definitely is the better of the two and has proved that he does have it in him to be a regular for Pakistan.
 
Disheartening to see a young player lack so much guts.
 
But you want the opener back in the team who averages 30 after 33 Tests?

He played in an era of better bowlers and also didn't get to play with the luxury of UAE featherbeds. Hafeez who was picked after his ban was actually averaging lower than him but managed to pounce in the desert to bring his average upto 40.

If a vastly inferior batsman (who was second string to Butt) can average 40 in tests with the aid of UAE then why can't Butt.

His domestic performance excellence last season was more than enough to deserve a recall, whether you and other PPers like it or not he's the second best opener in Pakistan.

Unlike some of the timid chickens in the team he can attack on front foot, back foot and against spin particularly as a left hander batting against Herath, he would have been handy.

Along with Azhar Ali, Salman Butt and him are the only players who have shown they can perform on quicker wickets given their excellent records in Australia where the latter has had 2 successful tours.

I'm no fan boy and what he did 7 yrs ago disgusted me but with desperate times as Pakistan are - current test side is worst in Asia, the new minnows of test cricket has to be pick the best XI possible whether we like him or not.

Just face it Sami Aslam is rubbish and has no future in Pakistan cricket.
 
He played in an era of better bowlers and also didn't get to play with the luxury of UAE featherbeds. Hafeez who was picked after his ban was actually averaging lower than him but managed to pounce in the desert to bring his average upto 40.

If a vastly inferior batsman (who was second string to Butt) can average 40 in tests with the aid of UAE then why can't Butt.

His domestic performance excellence last season was more than enough to deserve a recall, whether you and other PPers like it or not he's the second best opener in Pakistan.

Unlike some of the timid chickens in the team he can attack on front foot, back foot and against spin particularly as a left hander batting against Herath, he would have been handy.

Along with Azhar Ali, Salman Butt and him are the only players who have shown they can perform on quicker wickets given their excellent records in Australia where the latter has had 2 successful tours.

I'm no fan boy and what he did 7 yrs ago disgusted me but with desperate times as Pakistan are - current test side is worst in Asia, the new minnows of test cricket has to be pick the best XI possible whether we like him or not.

Just face it Sami Aslam is rubbish and has no future in Pakistan cricket.

So the gist of the argument is that the 21-year-old is rubbish and has no future while the 33-year-old is the only answer to our problems.

Imam-ul-Haq outperformed Butt in the QEA Trophy last season.

During the period that Salman Butt opened in Tests for Pakistan, Imran Farhat of all people put up better numbers than him, though not by much.

sb.jpg

Of course if you want to pick him for a tour of Australia exclusively, that's a different matter. But I'm not sure when we tour next so...
 
Its way too early to decide whether Sami has fulfilled his potential yet. Needs a few more series.

I imagine we'll see Butt come into the side if Sami can't hold down his spot.
 
He is doing a fine job..........as a nightwatchman
 
Give him as many matches as Shan Masood or Ahmed Shehzad and he'll outperform both.


WAIT.

He has already outperformed those two jokes! :najam But yeah, to be among the best at the international level, he has to improve further.
 
Give him as many matches as Shan Masood or Ahmed Shehzad and he'll outperform both.


WAIT.

He has already outperformed those two jokes! :najam But yeah, to be among the best at the international level, he has to improve further.

Shehzad averages 40 in tests hard to believe his dropping in favour of Shan at least Aslam had a few scores in England but is turning out to be mediocre.
 
Sami was looking good yesterday but his problems against spin lead to his downfall.He was more proactive yesterday and had a SR over 50.

If he works on his technical issues against spin,he will be a much improved batsman.
 
Give him as many matches as Shan Masood or Ahmed Shehzad and he'll outperform both.


WAIT.

He has already outperformed those two jokes! :najam But yeah, to be among the best at the international level, he has to improve further.

32.63 > 40.91 how is that even possible???
 
Players like Aslam and Alam are not selected because they will never inspire any confidence. Its all good saying give XYZ chance after chance, but when a player has one good performance of note and rubbish for the most part, the selectors should be excused. This tuk tuk generation should retire and leave us fans alone.
 
I heard lots of good things about his ability. But in reality he is such a hack. Even Sir Imran Farhat is better than him. No talent at all. Can't believe how he got selected to play for Pakistan
 
Meek, timid and gutless. This is the same Sami that we saw struggle to cross 20 in 4 innings on 500+ Bangladeshi pitches, and the same Sami that looked like a walking wicket in Australia.

The Edgbaston Test was clearly a flash in the pan. No different to Masood scoring a classy 70 on debut against Steyn, Philander and Morkel.

He is not international material. One of the many players around the world who failed to progress after dominating at the U-19 level.
 
You cannot count those U-19 performances into account. Anwar Ali is another example. Most likely he played against poor bowlers in super flat pitches
 
Players like Aslam and Alam are not selected because they will never inspire any confidence. Its all good saying give XYZ chance after chance, but when a player has one good performance of note and rubbish for the most part, the selectors should be excused. This tuk tuk generation should retire and leave us fans alone.

Please don't mention Aslam and Alam in the same sentence, when talking about "chances". He is opposite of Aslam and Masood. They have been given chances, and they are not capitalizing on their "talent". Fawad has been performing non-stop in first class and have been kept away. He should be given a consistent run of 2~3 series and if he doesnt perform, should be sent into oblivion.
 
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Meek, timid and gutless. This is the same Sami that we saw struggle to cross 20 in 4 innings on 500+ Bangladeshi pitches, and the same Sami that looked like a walking wicket in Australia.

The Edgbaston Test was clearly a flash in the pan. No different to Masood scoring a classy 70 on debut against Steyn, Philander and Morkel.

He is not international material. One of the many players around the world who failed to progress after dominating at the U-19 level.

Spot on! I am glad someone isn't living cuckoo land. 90% if not more PPers were convinced before this tour he was the one for the future in this Pakistan set up. Timid and gutless sums it up perfectly!
 
He have got tendency to go into shell although he is not a stroke less wonder.

Shame such a talented player cannot kick on.
 
So the gist of the argument is that the 21-year-old is rubbish and has no future while the 33-year-old is the only answer to our problems.

Imam-ul-Haq outperformed Butt in the QEA Trophy last season.

During the period that Salman Butt opened in Tests for Pakistan, Imran Farhat of all people put up better numbers than him, though not by much.

View attachment 76737

Of course if you want to pick him for a tour of Australia exclusively, that's a different matter. But I'm not sure when we tour next so...

Imran Farhat scored his runs in Pakistan so Salman Butt with his technique and ability to play pace still wins this comparison resoundingly for me.

Salman Butt is far from world class - but all I'm saying is he wouldn't be troubled in UAE unlike Sami Aslam because he is better player of spin and against pace both off the front as well as back foot.

After today's woeful performance where he was out twice in one over from a nobody surely you can't still be backing him?!
 
He looks good occasionally but then gets out to such soft dismissals. He definitely has potential.
 
I would rather have him invested over shan masood. Shan masood is a ltd player and the only thing that goes in his favour is that he is an extremely fit athlete. Hate to say this but looks like mr butt is kicking his lips
 
Don't know what has happened to him. Getting dropped after the Australia series must have killed his confidence.
 
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An extreme limited and timid player who only knows how to block block and block, score almost nothing and build scoreboard pressure to himself and fellow batsmen.
 
I'd rather have Shahzad and fakhar opening to be honest than masood and aslam
 
The double standards for Shan Masood and Sami Aslam on this forum are downright pathetic

Get this through your heads, Sami is a colossal failure at the international stage. Yes Shan Masood is a failure, but so is Sami Aslam. Both should be shown the door.
 
The double standards for Shan Masood and Sami Aslam on this forum are downright pathetic

Get this through your heads, Sami is a colossal failure at the international stage. Yes Shan Masood is a failure, but so is Sami Aslam. Both should be shown the door.

Check the differences in their average.

Also Sami had a tough round of away tours while Masood flopped in England.Coupled with the fact that Sami is 6 years younger,you have to treat them differently.

Not excusing Sami for his selfish batting and his poor game against spin.

The innings Sami played in Eng and NZ,Masood couldn’t play in a hundred years.
 
Check the differences in their average.

Also Sami had a tough round of away tours while Masood flopped in England.Coupled with the fact that Sami is 6 years younger,you have to treat them differently.

Not excusing Sami for his selfish batting and his poor game against spin.

The innings Sami played in Eng and NZ,Masood couldn’t play in a hundred years.

Shan Masood actually won a match for Pakistan when we chased 380 against Sri Lanka

Sami is yet to win a match for Pakistan and this series was a golden opportunity for him. The hype machine on PP had him down as a second coming of Saeed Anwar, poor foresight. Stop making excuses for him. He has had plenty of chances to prove his worth. Now its time for him to be shown the door.
 
The double standards for Shan Masood and Sami Aslam on this forum are downright pathetic

Get this through your heads, Sami is a colossal failure at the international stage. Yes Shan Masood is a failure, but so is Sami Aslam. Both should be shown the door.

Has Shan Masood scored runs in tough conditions in places like England/NZ? He flopped hard in England so Sami Aslam replaced him and scored runs. Does Shan Masood know where his off stump is? No. Does Shan Masood have a better domestic record than Sami Aslam? No. Would Shan Masood be playing if he wasn't related to someone high up? We don't know the answer to that but most likely he would not be.
 
Yes.

Even though he scored a fifty in the 1st test I was a little disappointed as he repeated his previous error of batting too slowly. But there were signs of improvement in the second innings. He showed positive intent throughout the first innings, scoring 39. Likewise, even though he didn't score in the 2nd innings he got out playing a positive shot so I didn't mind that too much. Needs to seriously improve against spin though.

It's actually quite nice to have an opener where the worry is his slow SR (particularly in UAE) rather than a major technical deficiency such as not knowing where his off stump is.

He showed in England what he can do in more difficult conditions.
 
He should. Despite his failure against spin in this series, he has the potential to be a long term solution for the opening problem. Despite the gutless, timid tag that some of the people here are trying to pin on him, I think he has shown himself to be calm and sensible. A little backing from the management might do wonders in this case.

He is troubled by spin, but that will improve as he plays more. He is pretty solid against seam bowling and that's what an opener is likely to face most of the time (unless playing SL or India in Asian conditions). Considering the alternatives, i'd rather invest in a youngster like him (at least for 2 more series) than go back to Hafeez or Butt.
 
Can't discard a young opener after 2 tests. Sami has some SR issues but he can bat at a better pace if he tries. He needs to idolize and model his batting after Saeed Anwar rather than Azhar Ali.
 
Enough after his pathetic show today - got out twice in the same over by a nobody

Happened to almost all ATG test batsmen in their first few matches. Do you know Kallis averaged 25 at 33 SR after his first 13 matches? Sami averages 31 at 39.
 
Happened to almost all ATG test batsmen in their first few matches. Do you know Kallis averaged 25 at 33 SR after his first 13 matches? Sami averages 31 at 39.

I wasn't aware of that but there also has to be some glimpses for us to see this potential.

Another similar example is Shai Hope who averages 31 after 13 tests, but you can see he has the talent, composure and technical ability to make it big which is why he's being hyped up loads around the world after that sensational 4th innings hundred he scored 1-2 months back in England. One of the best 4th innings I've ever seen.

Going back to Sami Aslam, he's not even close to Shai Hope in terms of quality. Has a very limited range of shots, poor on the back foot, poor against spin and poor intent. Overall, there is nothing that he has shown which suggests he is capable of sustaining a future at international level.
 
I wasn't aware of that but there also has to be some glimpses for us to see this potential.

Another similar example is Shai Hope who averages 31 after 13 tests, but you can see he has the talent, composure and technical ability to make it big which is why he's being hyped up loads around the world after that sensational 4th innings hundred he scored 1-2 months back in England. One of the best 4th innings I've ever seen.

Going back to Sami Aslam, he's not even close to Shai Hope in terms of quality. Has a very limited range of shots, poor on the back foot, poor against spin and poor intent. Overall, there is nothing that he has shown which suggests he is capable of sustaining a future at international level.

You obviously didn't watch him in the UK.
 
The guys who are getting angry and defensive about Sami Aslam are extending this shield for him all because they can't handle the fact that Salman Butt on merit deserves a recall as the second best opener in Pakistan after Azhar Ali.

Nobody likes him but I don't want to see Pakistan linger 7th or 8th so it's a pity that so many on here have given precedence to Salman Butt's presence in the team as opposed to being more concerned about Pakistan's test future in the coming years because lets face the reality it is looking very bleak at the moment!

Like it or not Pakistan are minnows in tests and worst test side in Asia.
 
You obviously didn't watch him in the UK.

Ah so you can't come up with a coherent logical argument, so you come up with a one liner of an assumption.

I'm born and bred in UK and I have watched every test in England since 2000.

Try better next time! Good luck :)
 
Hard to believe the same Sami Aslam we see in Tests for Pakistan is the Sami Aslam that is capable of whacking 91 off 60 balls in a T20 tournament.

10 fours and 6 sixes in his matchwinning innings for Lahore Whites against a bowling attack of Mohammad Amir, Ghulam Mudassar, Atif Jabbar, Mohammad Hafeez and Hussain Talat.
 
The guys who are getting angry and defensive about Sami Aslam are extending this shield for him all because they can't handle the fact that Salman Butt on merit deserves a recall as the second best opener in Pakistan after Azhar Ali.

Nobody likes him but I don't want to see Pakistan linger 7th or 8th so it's a pity that so many on here have given precedence to Salman Butt's presence in the team as opposed to being more concerned about Pakistan's test future in the coming years because lets face the reality it is looking very bleak at the moment!

A guy averaging 20 in the current FC season after 13 innings with not a single century to his name is the second best opener in Pakistan ?

Funny definition of merit you have there.
 
Hard to believe the same Sami Aslam we see in Tests for Pakistan is the Sami Aslam that is capable of whacking 91 off 60 balls in a T20 tournament.

10 fours and 6 sixes in his matchwinning innings for Lahore Whites against a bowling attack of Mohammad Amir, Ghulam Mudassar, Atif Jabbar, Mohammad Hafeez and Hussain Talat.

Feel sad that his team lost the match by 1 run.. that was mighty close.. but unfortunately Aamer Yamin couldn't handle pressure and Whites lost it
 
Feel sad that his team lost the match by 1 run.. that was mighty close.. but unfortunately Aamer Yamin couldn't handle pressure and Whites lost it

Sorry just to correct my earlier post - *near matchwinning innings for Lahore Whites.

Yamin struggled out there.
 
He is a very good batsman and I said it from the very first day that he does not merit a place in the Pakistan test team..please do not make him another Yasir Hameed

He can be a great ODI player..can bat in the top 4

He also made 169 while chasing 378 last year against Balochistan..today he made 91* against Amir,Ghulam,Hafeez etc all international level bowlers
He is the ODI batsman we are waiting for..hope he does not turn out to be the Unmukt Chand of Pakistan
 
A guy averaging 20 in the current FC season after 13 innings with not a single century to his name is the second best opener in Pakistan ?

Funny definition of merit you have there.

Conveniently missed out he has 2 test hundreds in Aus whereas sami aslam has 0 in SC and outside it.
 
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Much needed century for Sami Aslam in the latest QEA Trophy.

SSGC successfully chased 302 vs WAPDA, with Aslam scoring 133* off 162 balls. 11 fours and four sixes against an attack including Mohammad Asif, Waqas Maqsood, Khalid Usman, Zahid Mansoor and Mansoor Amjad.

Was averaging in the twenties before this century.
 
Much needed century for Sami Aslam in the latest QEA Trophy.

SSGC successfully chased 302 vs WAPDA, with Aslam scoring 133* off 162 balls. 11 fours and four sixes against an attack including Mohammad Asif, Waqas Maqsood, Khalid Usman, Zahid Mansoor and Mansoor Amjad.

Was averaging in the twenties before this century.

Give 3 TEST matches to KHURAM MANZOOR then compare him with Sami Aslam... I think neither Sami Aslam nor Shan Masood nor Ahmed Shahzad are good enough to play TEST as openers. Khuram is enough experienced, enough talented to play as an full time opener in TEST matches. If can't perform then replace him.

So as Saad Ali / Fawad Alam in place of Babar Azam for Tests.
 
Much needed century for Sami Aslam in the latest QEA Trophy.

SSGC successfully chased 302 vs WAPDA, with Aslam scoring 133* off 162 balls. 11 fours and four sixes against an attack including Mohammad Asif, Waqas Maqsood, Khalid Usman, Zahid Mansoor and Mansoor Amjad.

Was averaging in the twenties before this century.

What an effort from Sami Aslam. This is the same mental strength that helped him score so well in the England tour.

Putting the runs aside for a moment, I am happier at seeing the excellent strike-rate. It shows he is learning from his mistakes on more recent tours.

I've said it before and i'll say it again, he will prove to be a great investment. Far too many writing him off.
 
Give 3 TEST matches to KHURAM MANZOOR then compare him with Sami Aslam... I think neither Sami Aslam nor Shan Masood nor Ahmed Shahzad are good enough to play TEST as openers. Khuram is enough experienced, enough talented to play as an full time opener in TEST matches. If can't perform then replace him.

So let me get this straight. Haris Sohail is a "pathetic" selection but Khurram Manzoor is a world class opener. :))

The delusion is real.

By the way, Manzoor has already played 16 tests and averages 28.
[MENTION=141557]Chief Destroyer[/MENTION]
 
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So let me get this straight. Haris Sohail is a "pathetic" selection but Khurram Manzoor is a world class opener. :))

The delusion is real.

By the way, Manzoor has already played 16 tests and averages 28.
[MENTION=141557]Chief Destroyer[/MENTION]

God bless the PCB.
 
What an effort from Sami Aslam. This is the same mental strength that helped him score so well in the England tour.

Putting the runs aside for a moment, I am happier at seeing the excellent strike-rate. It shows he is learning from his mistakes on more recent tours.

I've said it before and i'll say it again, he will prove to be a great investment. Far too many writing him off.

Just reading more into the game - apparently WAPDA captain Salman Butt used his part-timers a lot to keep his main pacers fresh for the final in a few days time.

That's why Asif and Maqsood didn't bowl much. Still on a 4th innings wicket its a decent effort.
 
God bless the PCB.

COMPARISON BETWEEN SAMI ASLAM, SHAN MASOOD & BABAR AZAM IN TEST FORMAT :

1. Sami Aslam - Got chance in 13 Tests, played 25 Innings, NO Centuries, Scored 758 runs with the Average of 31.58, very low strike rate of 39.11, failed regularly in last 3 Test tours.

2. Shan Masood - Got chance in 12 Tests, played 24 innings, 1 Century (125), scored 565 runs with the Average of 23.54, very low strike rate of 40.29, failed regularly in last 3 Test tours.

3. Babar Azam - Brilliant ODI player, but FAILED in Test Format, Got chance in 11 Tests, played 22 innings, No Centuries, scored 475 runs with the Average of 23.75, very low strike rate of 44.18, failed regularly in last 3 Test tours.


All 3 has almost similar record in the TESTS. Still we want to select them again. Why ?.. On what merit they should be selected instead of SAAD ALI - the HIGHEST RUNS SCORER in QUAID E AZAM TROPHY 2017-18
 
So let me get this straight. Haris Sohail is a "pathetic" selection but Khurram Manzoor is a world class opener. :))

The delusion is real.

By the way, Manzoor has already played 16 tests and averages 28.
[MENTION=141557]Chief Destroyer[/MENTION]

If you can give Sami Aslam 13 Tests, Shan Masood 12 Tests & Babar Azam 11 Tests, with complete failure for all 3 of them, then why can't you give another 2 Tests to Khuram Manzoor, who has been scoring good at First Class level over the years ? .. IF he failed, replace him. Simple as that.
 
So let me get this straight. Haris Sohail is a "pathetic" selection but Khurram Manzoor is a world class opener. :))

The delusion is real.

By the way, Manzoor has already played 16 tests and averages 28.
[MENTION=141557]Chief Destroyer[/MENTION]

Give him three more chances :kakmal
 
Give 3 TEST matches to MANZOOR. If can't perform then replace him.

Since when are we some sort of charity that are meant to give every plank holding organism a quarter of a century of tests to prove they're dross failures in the international circuit before discarding them?

Babar is the best batsman we've produced in ages, and Sami set ablaze the youth circuit and both has years upon years to hone their skills further. Absolute insanity to go back to Manzoor. Might as well as for Akmal too while you're at it.
 
Since when are we some sort of charity that are meant to give every plank holding organism a quarter of a century of tests to prove they're dross failures in the international circuit before discarding them?

Babar is the best batsman we've produced in ages, and Sami set ablaze the youth circuit and both has years upon years to hone their skills further. Absolute insanity to go back to Manzoor. Might as well as for Akmal too while you're at it.

Spot on.

The fact that poster would prefer Manzoor over Babar and Sami tells you everything you need to know.
 
Just reading more into the game - apparently WAPDA captain Salman Butt used his part-timers a lot to keep his main pacers fresh for the final in a few days time.

That's why Asif and Maqsood didn't bowl much. Still on a 4th innings wicket its a decent effort.

Yes I mentioned in Asif's thread that he only bowled 7 overs in the 2nd innings, but as you say still an excellent effort from Sami, especially given the state of the pitches.
 

On what basis you people are advocating to keep Sami Aslam and Babar Azam in the Test Squad ?

Isn't 13 & 11 Test matches are enough chance ?? ... Isn't the failure in 13 & 11 Tests matches are enough to drop such a player for the next tour ?
 
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