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What else do you expect from blind clueless posters. Umar Akmal was an animal in form. His career and attitude when down hill in 2015.
I’ll go for a bowler here for the wooden spoon.
PAK hasn’t been a batting power house oblate to be honest & all these batsmen mentioned here actually made the team (& sustained) on merit. Even Farhat or Butt as well (Salman abused his Captaincy status, but appointing him Captain wasn’t wrong). After them, their replacements didn’t raise the bar much to be honest & certainly they are not worse than Shan Masood. Similarly, Umar & Ahmed got dropped later, but their performance certainly doesn’t tell that it was bad investment. Umar was never given proper shot at Test spot while Ahmed still was a deserving Test opener.
We have seen Asad playing 50+ ODI, and I would say, even that was not the worst investment considering now what Asif Ali is doing in his Josh Buttler role. There was nothing much invested for Amin or Maqsood and despite being constantly bashed here in PP (including myself, must admit), Hafeez has returned lot as well, so has Malik. Won’t say, investment on any batsman was a wastage - when your options are limited, you have to manage within what you have - just like it won’t be logical if 5 years later someone comes to tell that Rubel Hossain was a bad investment by BD for a decade.
Considering the history of PAK cricket, options at hand (talent pool), and his return for the trust (investment), I’ll have to say - it’s Wahab Riaz. This is his 9th year in PAK colours, probably couple more for A team as well; but guy has almost zero contribution in a decade - I can recall one WC game against ZIM (AUS game was hot air, nothing else), probably one ODI against SAF (with bat), and one Test against ENG. He was at best decent in AUS series, may be few more ODI or T20s I can’t recall; but none can complain that Wahab wasn’t given enough chances here. More importantly, the raise of Abbas does suggest me that he might have blocked few deserving careers as well - Sohail Khan comes to mind.
Nothing personal; but after T20 WC, in my book Wahab shouldn’t have played a single LO game for PAK - he is still hanging around.
After Wahab, my next 2 picks will be 2 years armband for Azhar Ali & this buddy guy Nawaz (again, nothing personal).
You have to have absolutely zero cricketing sense if you believe Akmal isn’t a bad investment, while Faheem Ashraf is. Some of the logic on this forum shocks the mindNawaz is a good spot. I would add Faheem Ashraf too in the category.
Azhar Ali doesn't deserve to be in the worst investment category though. I have serious reservations about how he plays his cricket and his mindset but the guy has shown adaptability to become a vital cog in the Pakistan batting lineup after starting his career as a leg spinner. Has scored vital runs in Australia/England/WI. Might also have a good SA tour.
You have to have absolutely zero cricketing sense if you believe Akmal isn’t a bad investment, while Faheem Ashraf is. Some of the logic on this forum shocks the mind![]()
If time will tell, then how is he a bad investment? He's not even considered as an investment yet, considering he has only played a handful of matches so far.Did you even read why I said Umar Akmal wasn't a bad investment? And of course you wouldn't find Faheem Ashraf a bad investment right now because he's playing. However in the 1.5 years he's been in the team, there has been no man of the match performances from him. Probably just the one I think - against Zim. Time will tell who was right on Faheem Ashraf.
I always enjoy the "senior player" tag.
Their seniors at being failures.
If time will tell, then how is he a bad investment? He's not even considered as an investment yet, considering he has only played a handful of matches so far.
Yes I read why you said Akmal wasn't a bad investment, and I suggest you brush up your definition of 'investment'. Umar Akmal is a case study for bad investment, and so is Ahmed Shehzad.
Nawaz is a good spot. I would add Faheem Ashraf too in the category.
Azhar Ali doesn't deserve to be in the worst investment category though. I have serious reservations about how he plays his cricket and his mindset but the guy has shown adaptability to become a vital cog in the Pakistan batting lineup after starting his career as a leg spinner. Has scored vital runs in Australia/England/WI. Might also have a good SA tour.
My point was Azhar as captain of ODI team - absolute wastage of 2 years between 2 WCs. It's not like PAK didn't have any other options, just after one WC, rather he was brought back to ODI team out of wilderness as Captain. Fahim's time is not over yet - so far, he is delivering something and has shown improvement, therefore he might not be the greatest talent, but the investment is worthy, specially considering next 2 ICC events are in UK & AUS.
Umar was under invested.
He still holds a stats of 36/65 in 30+ Test career, almost entirely played in AUS, ENG, NZ & WIN; and played last of his Tests probably 7+ years back at 21. He still holds a FC career of 43/75 stats for over 6K runs (should be 48/80 in QeA), in an era when <35/50 sort of FC stats have earned few others almost a decade long career.
His ODI stats are still like 35/86, mostly from No. 6/5, and these sats are not built in last 3-4 years when the ODI stats had been artificially inflated by 10-12% at least. That ODI stats should be like diamond for this PAK side, considering "Josh Buttler" role-play by Asif Ali these days. His ICC events' stats are like 50/90; his stats in tournament Final & SF is like 45/100. He took PAK to 2009 CT SF (would have taken to Final as well had one more batsman could have shown some guts or had YK not dropped a sitter), was instrumental to beat AUS in a WC game after 12 years in 2011.
In last 3 years, he has played 5 ODI games for a stats of 33/83 from 6 - and these 5 innings are in AUS. ABOVE ALL, I can categorically say that Umar Akmal has been floated around the batting order more than any one I can recall in cricket, for such a short career - but some how they managed to give him a grand total of 1 innings (28@116) SR, at No. 3 (& 6 at No. 7, 1 at No. 8), and never opened. On top of that, guy has kept wicket in ODI to give a good balance in XI.
He holds 27/123 stats in T20, sometimes as WK and still has three of the most clutch innings played by PAK batsmen in T20 - 94 (AUS) at Dhaka, 64 at Cape Town & 64 (AUS) at Birmingham. His stats at No. 3 is 58/118 for 5 innings with 1 MoM (similar stats has made Babar No. 1 ranked player in T20 in a much higher scoring era) - and his stats includes a 35/135 career in 20 ICC World Cup games, which to me is the major indicator of capability - these Jason Mo led WIN or World XI or that triangular in ZIM are basically distractions, availing some false bravado for fan base.
Most people don't like UA, partially because of his own issues (which had been over blown by few people including Waquar), partially for the grudge from his brother's W keeping( ) and a big chunk of passionate Bhakts here are threatened by him for Sarfraz, who'll never be a cricketer, remotely close to Umar. Had he been Indian, by now would have been one of the greats of contemporary cricket - regular in 3 formats. For this generation of PAK team, he should have been the MVP of the side : a special A+ category for central contract, and the best all-rounder of LO game for PAK in 2010s.
Hope pankha base won't put me in place for telling some harsh facts here.
Shahid Afridi?
Played most intl matches for Pak
Atleast in the 1st half of his career he was neither a batsman nor a bowler
Was glorified just because of his 6 hitting ability
Then in the 2nd half his batting was worse,though bowling improved a bit but he never played as a frontline spinner
He was good for Pak team under Misbah which was a quite mediocre one
But I don't understand how he kept getting chances in the Pak team of late 90s-early 2000s which comprised of some world class players
he has been glorified as if he is among the best cricketers Pak have produced and some youngsters see him as a role model
Oh yes if we're talking about Azhar Ali in terms of ODI captaincy investment. Worst decision ever.
I wholeheartedly agree that Umar Akmal is far far removed from being the worst investment. But I will put a lot of blame on Umar Akmal (about 75%) for ruining his own career. He had everything going for him and he ruined it simply because of his laziness to work hard and improving his batting intelligence. His regular shifting of batting position was the fault of the team's management but if you're an A-lister, shifting of batting positions should not be that detrimental to you that you lose your place in the team.
I'll put 25% on him.
He won an effective QF against SAF in 2010 WC (in WIN), from No. 5; next game (SF, which Ajmal blew to Hussey), he was sent at 3 (for a 56* of 35 - was destined to win MoM, but for Hussey) ........ very next game, 3 months later, he was sent at 6 against same AUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
He has issues, but one should handle precious but fragile masterpieces with care - PCB & it's think tank played goli danda with that fragile thing; what do you expect, it'll get tempered & stronger?