Did Pakistan make the right decision by dropping Imam-ul-Haq and Fakhar Zaman from the Pakistan white-ball squad for the 2024 Australia tour?

[mominsaigol]

Let's ignore politics and nepotism narratives aside.

No narratives, just pure cricketing stats and performances.

Saim Ayub and Abdullah shafique have proven themselves to be walking wickets infront of any opposition they face. Infact statistically their one of the worst opening pairs in test cricket that I have ever witnessed.

Fakhar Zaman and Imam however are statistically one of the best opening pairs pakistan has ever had.

Hence was dropping them the right call? Is it time to recall these 2?

 

[Local.Dada]

Imam- Ul-Haq- Lol

Fakhar Zaman should play every white ball game till his retirement for Pak unless he is rested due to injury or it is a 2nd string timepass series.

Seems like a non-controversial character too. Dont get why he is treated like that.

 

[Rana]

Imam yes

Fakhar never

 

[AAli98]

Choosing between imam & Ayub is like choosing between vomit & diarrhoea.

​

 

[ravisurya]

Pakistan would have probably won with Fakar in the team today.

 

[mominsaigol]

Imam- Ul-Haq- Lol

Fakhar Zaman should play every white ball game till his retirement for Pak unless he is rested due to injury or it is a 2nd string timepass series.

Seems like a non-controversial character too. Dont get why he is treated like that.

Tbf, Imam has proven himself to atleast be 100x the batter then our current joke openers.

Yes he's a stat padder, however he has been performing in qea, to top it off he scored a century on debut, Was consistently scoring 50's to 100's from 2018-2022.

Even has a 150 against a full strength England bowling attack on English soil in odi.

Yes he's a stat padder but saim couldn't even butcher Ireland on a school boy pitch? Abdullah has consistently failed and flunked every game.

He's lived his whole life bashing sri lanka and scoring that one 50 against australia in a world cup, on the same pitch where even tail enders were bashing a few and australia scored 364?

I don't like Imam, But theirs nothing suggesting that he's inferior to the current joke lot. The current lot didn't even perform in fc? Infact Imam outshines Abdullah by miles in the Champions one day cup.

 

[Mamoon]

Imam and Fakhar is Pakistan’s best ODI opening pair and nothing has changed on that front. Pakistan doesn’t have the luxury to drop two high averaging players.


Imam
Fakhar
Babar
Saud
Rizwan
Agha

This should be Pakistan’s top 6 in ODIs and it is a very respectable top 6 that can score enough runs to make Pakistan a very competitive outfit as long as the bowlers do their job.

 

[mominsaigol]

Pakistan has decided to always pair a laanat with a talent.

Abdullah: Laanat

Saim:Talent.


Imam: Laanat
Fakhar: Talent.


It is part of the constitution of Pakistan to pair up a talented bloke with a Laanat at the other end.

This is so funny yet it's so tragically true .

I don't know if I should laugh or cry.

 

[Rana]

This is so funny yet it's so tragically true .

I don't know if I should laugh or cry.

It’s a recurring theme everywhere. Even in the PSL teams.

A genuine talent that looks to play positively has to be paired up with a laanti batsman who only looks to play for himself.

 

[mominsaigol]

It’s a recurring theme everywhere. Even in the PSL teams.

A genuine talent that looks to play positively has to be paired up with a laanti batsman who only looks to play for himself.

Tbf bro, Saim Ayub hasn't been playing positively for a while.

He started off that way, but recently he stat pads to a 50 and then tries to attack but gets out the moment he does.

My guess is team culture + Performance pressure has finally caught up to him.

He doesn't have a mentor like pat cummins who's says, Go and fire away, Don't worry about getting out, just attack attack and attack.

He's first had Babar as a mentor, them Shan as a mentor and now rizwan.

I don't think these guys are in the mood to tell saim this.

 

[shaz619]

Tbf bro, Saim Ayub hasn't been playing positively for a while.

He started off that way, but recently he stat pads to a 50 and then tries to attack but gets out the moment he does.

My guess is team culture + Performance pressure has finally caught up to him.

He doesn't have a mentor like pat cummins who's says, Go and fire away, Don't worry about getting out, just attack attack and attack.

He's first had Babar as a mentor, them Shan as a mentor and now rizwan.

I don't think these guys are in the mood to tell saim this.

It’s a shame Saim is managed by two of the biggest wastemen in the line up who are meant to be his hero’s. Some talent requires less nurturing then others etc but he is one of those guys that could do with inspiring figures, but the team culture you mentioned is just not there

 

[shaz619]

Pakistan has decided to always pair a laanat with a talent.

Abdullah: Laanat

Saim:Talent.


Imam: Laanat
Fakhar: Talent.


It is part of the constitution of Pakistan to pair up a talented bloke with a Laanat at the other end.

There always has to be one lanat to help anchor & reach a pre-determined total, inshaAllah next game we will get to the mystical 250 mark for this was what was promised by precious

 

[Caved12]

Imam and Fakhar is Pakistan’s best ODI opening pair and nothing has changed on that front. Pakistan doesn’t have the luxury to drop two high averaging players.


Imam
Fakhar
Babar
Saud
Rizwan
Agha

This should be Pakistan’s top 6 in ODIs and it is a very respectable top 6 that can score enough runs to make Pakistan a very competitive outfit as long as the bowlers do their job.

I believe both Imam and Fakhar will return to the team once this series concludes. It was important to give them a wake-up call, setting an example so that others think carefully before making similar mistakes. Imam, despite being an excellent ODI player, has occasionally made statements that don’t align with the team’s goals or the captain’s vision. Additionally, there were past rumors that he leaked private dressing room conversations to the media. This disciplinary step serves as a lesson, reminding everyone to stay unified and consider the consequences of their actions on team dynamics. With this precedent, players will think twice before taking actions that could disrupt team spirit or strategy.

 

[PakPremi]

Yes, Imam would alway be more consistent than Shafique, and Fakhar is a match winner on his day. Youngsters like Saim need to be tried in T20s only, better still played more domestics.

 

[pakistani pride]

Imam stat(padder) and FZ has only himself to blame.

 

[Mamoon]

It’s a shame Saim is managed by two of the biggest wastemen in the line up who are meant to be his hero’s. Some talent requires less nurturing then others etc but he is one of those guys that could do with inspiring figures, but the team culture you mentioned is just not there

So since we cannot play the favorite “batting position” card because Saim is playing in his favorite position and failing, let’s play the “poor mentors” card.

This is laughable. This is exactly the mindset and culture that prevents people from taking responsibility and accountability of their performances.

Saim’s poor showing so far has nothing to do with anyone else except Saim himself.

I would like to see him do well because Fakhar’s doesn’t have many years left in him and he seems like the natural successor, but let’s not kid ourselves that he is not 100% responsible for his underperformance so far.

He is getting a free run in his preferred position and if he is dropped he will no one to blame but himself.

 

[Cryin Out Loud]

Fakhar’s dropping is plainly a bad decision.

But Imam is a bit more nuanced. Batsmen like him divide fans.

On the surface Imam’s a stolid bat who seems unlikely to do more than trudge along and hold up one end. Seems unlikely to force the pace or win a game consistently. Hence his place will always be questioned in the shorter formats. But then you look at his ODI average and SR and you’d think he should also be undroppable.

At an entirely different level Chanderpaul for the Windies was also a similar case.

 

[Mamoon]

I believe both Imam and Fakhar will return to the team once this series concludes. It was important to give them a wake-up call, setting an example so that others think carefully before making similar mistakes. Imam, despite being an excellent ODI player, has occasionally made statements that don’t align with the team’s goals or the captain’s vision. Additionally, there were past rumors that he leaked private dressing room conversations to the media. This disciplinary step serves as a lesson, reminding everyone to stay unified and consider the consequences of their actions on team dynamics. With this precedent, players will think twice before taking actions that could disrupt team spirit or strategy.

Yes it is likely. Fakhar has been ousted for non-cricketing reasons as we all know but the 2023 World Cup was a big dent on Imam’s career and the likes of Shafique did better than him in the tournament. Also, soon after, Saim emerged as a hot prospect.

If both Abdullah and Saim continue to fail, Imam will definitely reclaim his spot.

 

[ads101]

The imam fakhar pairing has never worked. On paper yes but they hardly perform together as a pair. People hate on Babar and Rizwan but they regularly got partnerships up in t20s. In Odis, usually each of them would just form a partnership with babar. I would have tried experimenting with a different partner to fakhar. Maybe even imam could drop down the order to 3 or 4 or something just to give him a chance to fight for his spot before dropping him to make things fair.

Fakhar isn’t really dropped due to performance and will probably be back in the team soon.

I think Saim and even Abdullah however are the wrong options to partner fakhar (or play together as openers). I’d have gone usman if we want an aggressive start. Or Rizwan who id think would do a better job than imam as opener in ODIs and rotate strike a bit better than imam.

 

[khyberlion]

So since we cannot play the favorite “batting position” card because Saim is playing in his favorite position and failing, let’s play the “poor mentors” card.

This is laughable. This is exactly the mindset and culture that prevents people from taking responsibility and accountability of their performances.

Saim’s poor showing so far has nothing to do with anyone else except Saim himself.

I would like to see him do well because Fakhar’s doesn’t have many years left in him and he seems like the natural successor, but let’s not kid ourselves that he is not 100% responsible for his underperformance so far.

He is getting a free run in his preferred position and if he is dropped he will no one to blame but himself.

It's embarrassing the excuses these fans come up with and even more that everything is blamed on Babar and Rizwan. Player is not performing oh it must be because Babar and Rizwan. These people need help.

 

[Xoib]

Is Saim really talented ? he was so late on the ball from Starc which shows he does not have extra time like most talented batsmen seem to have.

 

[khyberlion]

Yes it is likely. Fakhar has been ousted for non-cricketing reasons as we all know but the 2023 World Cup was a big dent on Imam’s career and the likes of Shafique did better than him in the tournament. Also, soon after, Saim emerged as a hot prospect.

If both Abdullah and Saim continue to fail, Imam will definitely reclaim his spot.

Pakistan needs to look past imam. He's had 2 WC and failed in both.

 

[Mamoon]

Pakistan needs to look past imam. He's had 2 WC and failed in both.

The issue is that the players who have replaced are not doing better than what Imam was doing before he got dropped.

 

[shaz619]

So since we cannot play the favorite “batting position” card because Saim is playing in his favorite position and failing, let’s play the “poor mentors” card.

This is laughable. This is exactly the mindset and culture that prevents people from taking responsibility and accountability of their performances.

Saim’s poor showing so far has nothing to do with anyone else except Saim himself.

I would like to see him do well because Fakhar’s doesn’t have many years left in him and he seems like the natural successor, but let’s not kid ourselves that he is not 100% responsible for his underperformance so far.

He is getting a free run in his preferred position and if he is dropped he will no one to blame but himself.

It sounds like a cop out that you want to blame the player for everything, the onus is on the leadership to make sure he can thrive in a healthy environment and it has been anything but that, sure he deserves some blame but I don’t think we’ve seen his best and that’s more of a deep rooted issue opposed to dumbing it down

 

[shaz619]

For example, take the great leader in Ben Stokes and what he’s doing with players that would never get picked for Pakistan due to their numbers and what not, the dressing room environment is much healthier and there’s a core vision the XI are on board with

 

[Mamoon]

It's embarrassing the excuses these fans come up with and even more that everything is blamed on Babar and Rizwan. Player is not performing oh it must be because Babar and Rizwan. These people need help.

The idiocy of such fans ultimately rub on the players as well who are also full of excuses and don’t want to take responsibility.

When Babar emerged in 2015, what mentors did he had especially in white ball cricket? Pakistan at the time didn’t have a single batsman with a 50 average at a 90+ SR but that didn’t stop Babar from becoming one of the leading white ball batsmen in the world.

None of this nonsense like batting position, mentor etc. matter. These are just lame excuses. Good players find a way to make it work.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Imam had a real chance to stamp his authority on the opening position in the WC. He had a decent albeit cautiously safe approach and a good record because of this.

However he failed badly.

I like this current opening pair. I think they can represent Pakistan for a long time. They have seen a lot of chaos and instability which is not healthy for young cricketers. Hopefully some consistency and long term stability will help their games develop. They are both very talented and should be given a long rope


If Fakhar comes back one of them can drop down to 3.

 

[khyberlion]

The issue is that the players who have replaced are not doing better than what Imam was doing before he got dropped.

I agree with you. One can hope that saim can eventually start fulfilling his potential. Abdullah has the ability but he's a scared kitten and the sinner we get rid of this soft player the better it will be.

 

[Mamoon]

For example, take the great leader in Ben Stokes and what he’s doing with players what would never get picked for Pakistan due to their numbers and what not, the dressing room environment is much healthier and there’s a core vision the XI are on board with

But who told you that Stokes is a great leader? Where are his series wins vs Australia and India and when will he take his team to a WTC Final?

 

[shaz619]

The idiocy of such fans ultimately rub on the players as well who are also full of excuses and don’t want to take responsibility.

When Babar emerged in 2015, what mentors did he had especially in white ball cricket? Pakistan at the time didn’t have a single batsman with a 50 average at a 90+ SR but that didn’t stop Babar from becoming one of the leading white ball batsmen in the world.

None of this nonsense like batting position, mentor etc. matter. These are just lame excuses. Good players find a way to make it work.

Anyway, what are you doing a bhangra over? I thought Pak got smashed by Australia yet again and the seniors buckled under the pressure like they do as per the norm

 

[Mamoon]

It sounds like a cop out that you want to blame the player for everything, the onus is on the leadership to make sure he can thrive in a healthy environment and it has been anything but that, sure he deserves some blame but I don’t think we’ve seen his best and that’s more of a deep rooted issue opposed to dumbing it down

The only cop out is using lame excuses like batting position, lack of mentor etc. to shift the blame from your favorite player.

Saim has been given everything that he needs to succeed. He is getting a long run in his favorite position. There is literally nothing more PCB can do to help him succeed.

They can’t hold his bat and teach him how to play. Once he steps onto the pitch, he is on his own like everyone else and he has to take responsibility and control of his own which he has not been able to do so far.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Imam should work on his T20 game. Its highly irregular for a one day player to be such a failure in T20 cricket and not even be deemed good enough to be picked for a franchise. Opening in One day and T20 isn't too different. I think he should focus on this and try to earn a PSL selection as a short term plan.

 

[khyberlion]

The idiocy of such fans ultimately rub on the players as well who are also full of excuses and don’t want to take responsibility.

When Babar emerged in 2015, what mentors did he had especially in white ball cricket? Pakistan at the time didn’t have a single batsman with a 50 average at a 90+ SR but that didn’t stop Babar from becoming one of the leading white ball batsmen in the world.

None of this nonsense like batting position, mentor etc. matter. These are just lame excuses. Good players find a way to make it work.

Spot on. Is Babar and Rizwan telling saim and the rest to get out early? Are they holding his bat when batting. As professionals you need to take care of your own game all these childish excuse are nothing other than pure dislike of Babar and Rizwan.

 

[mominsaigol]

Here's my honest take on Saim.

I think people are calling him talented based of nostalgia. When he came during psl season, he was a gun prospect, not to mention that in List A and FC he seemed like a proper player.

A solid defence, Followed by excellent Ed lofted stroke play on the legside and amazing use of the feet.

When he came in international during the Afghanistan t20 series as well as when he use to bat at no 4 in t20, We saw glimpses of greatness.

His 40+ scores in t20 were fiery knocks and they were very impressive from a young 20 year old batter.

But as time went on, he didn't improve, He went from scoring aggressive 40's in t20, to frequently getting out on that no look shot of his.

Then he completly changed as a batter. Now I hardly see him use the feet or play much on the legside. He's a proper solid imran farhat type defensive batsmen and it was very evident with the way he playing Test cricket.

Infact pakistan has dropped from him t20's implying they no longer view him as an aggressive player and more so a stat pad accumulator.

He has failed and if he gets dropped he himself is to blame.

However the overall culture does need to change. So far fakhar zaman is pakistan's only aggressive batsmen and it needs to change.

Saud shakeel should be pakistan's only accumulator. The rest need to adopt the fakhsr zaman model but also be more consistent.

As for Babar, I actually liked the way he played today until zampa came in. Babar needs to stop being a walking wicket to spin. It seems like every spinner has figured him out.

 

[Mamoon]

Anyway, what are you doing a bhangra over? I thought Pak got smashed by Australia yet again and the seniors buckled under the pressure like they do as per the norm

How was it a smashing? It was a closely contested match on a difficult wicket. Winning by 2 wickets is never a smashing.

 

[shaz619]

But who told you that Stokes is a great leader? Where are his series wins vs Australia and India and when will he take his team to a WTC Final?

England fans are all happy with him, we’re doing much better post Root, ask anybody here and they wont have a bad word to say about Stokes, and Bazball has inspired generations. Away results could be better but they were being dominated at home, England are much better equipped then Pakistan to thrive and have the correct white ball vision

 

[Mamoon]

England fans are all happy with him, we’re doing much better post Root, ask anybody here and they wont have a bad word to say about Stokes, and Bazball has inspired generations. Away results could be better but they were being dominated at home, England are much better equipped then Pakistan to thrive and have the correct white ball vision

England fans don’t know anything. They are champions of glorifying mediocrity. Only in England can a bang average cricketer like Stokes can be considered as one of the great all-rounders of the game.

The Stokes captaincy myth ended when England produced the exact same results vs Australia and India that Root’s England did (2-2 and 1-4) so where is the improvement?

Let’s not forget how clueless he was both as captain and batsman when Pakistan produced spin tracks.

Stokes is a fraud both as a cricketer and as a leader and he is also selfish to boot.

 

[mominsaigol]

Abdullah and saim are statistically the worst pair pakistan has ever had. Fakhar zaman and Imam are statistically ampung the best granted the number is inflated a bit due to that Zimbabwe gane where Imam scored a 100 and falhar scored 210.

However it still doesn't change the fact that these 2 were 100x more consistent then the current lot.

For example people hated fakhar because he was inconsistent but he scored a century in a final in his 2nd innings against a rival nation. To top it off he has scored 210, 193, 180, 3 back to back centuries for pakistan, an atg 100 in a world cup against NZ etc etc.

Imam is more controversial but he has scored 100's in test and he did score an odi century on debut, he's also consistently stat padded to 50 and 100 scores and his best innings is a 151 against full strength England.

Abdullah and Saim haven't really done anything. Abdullah's best innings is 111 and after and his 50 against australia in wc, his career plummeted off a cliff.

Saim doesn't even have any notable innings.

 

[shaz619]

England fans don’t know anything. They are champions of glorifying mediocrity. Only in England can a bang average cricketer like Stokes can be considered as one of the great all-rounders of the game.

The Stokes captaincy myth ended when England produced the exact same results vs Australia and India that Root’s England did (2-2 and 1-4) so where is the improvement?

Let’s not forget how clueless he was both as captain and batsman when Pakistan produced spin tracks.

Stokes is a fraud both as a cricketer and as a leader and he is also selfish to boot.

Maafi sir, on behalf of England I apologise for glorifying average cricketers like Ben Stokes.

Now, everybody bow before King Babar and Lord Rizwan.

 

[khyberlion]

Abdullah and saim are statistically the worst pair pakistan has ever had. Fakhar zaman and Imam are statistically ampung the best granted the number is inflated a bit due to that Zimbabwe gane where Imam scored a 100 and falhar scored 210.

However it still doesn't change the fact that these 2 were 100x more consistent then the current lot.

For example people hated fakhar because he was inconsistent but he scored a century in a final in his 2nd innings against a rival nation. To top it off he has scored 210, 193, 180, 3 back to back centuries for pakistan, an atg 100 in a world cup against NZ etc etc.

Imam is more controversial but he has scored 100's in test and he did score an odi century on debut, he's also consistently stat padded to 50 and 100 scores and his best innings is a 151 against full strength England.

Abdullah and Saim haven't really done anything. Abdullah's best innings is 111 and after and his 50 against australia in wc, his career plummeted off a cliff.

Saim doesn't even have any notable innings.

Saim has only played 1 odi lol.

 

[mominsaigol]

Saim has only played 1 odi lol.

Talking about test cricket.

Their a horrible pair in test.

And yes im Imam and fakhar are an odi pair, but my point is, One pair actually has contributed 50 t0 100 run partnerships between each other.

I've yet to see Abdullah or saim survive even 40 deliveries together. 99% of the time one of these 2 gets out very quickly.

 

[Cryin Out Loud]

This much is clear to me - well as much ss can be in this game - that had Fakhar played Pakistan would likely have won.

It’s not often one can say that for one individual in a team game, and of course I could be dead wrong.

But, to me, this scorecard suggests that Fakhar’s absence hurt Pakistan and likely was the difference.

 

[jeeteshssaxena]

Imam and Fakhar is Pakistan’s best ODI opening pair and nothing has changed on that front. Pakistan doesn’t have the luxury to drop two high averaging players.


Imam
Fakhar
Babar
Saud
Rizwan
Agha

This should be Pakistan’s top 6 in ODIs and it is a very respectable top 6 that can score enough runs to make Pakistan a very competitive outfit as long as the bowlers do their job.

Not much firepower there, atleast one batsman in the middle order should be aggressive cos Fakhar is a mercurial player and not consistent enough to always drive Pakistan out of the run rate dilemma.

 

[Caved12]

I genuinely believe that players like Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Fakhar Zaman, and Imam-ul-Haq have been targeted and, at times, excluded from the playing 11 and even the squad due to their involvement in dressing room politics rather than purely for cricketing reasons. While I've often criticized Imam for certain comments in the media and his self-centered approach, I feel he brought much of this on himself. He prioritized personal goals over the team’s needs, grew somewhat complacent, and even seemed big-headed in his role. Dropping him to test new players was the right decision, as his struggles appeared to be more mental than technical. His reluctance to play aggressively, even in conditions that favored high scores, became evident.

For instance, in the New Zealand ODI series, Imam performed well in the first three matches but was suddenly dropped for the last two. His comments during that series likely played a role, as he publicly suggested that Pakistan needed to stop experimenting with the lineup so close to the 2023 ODI World Cup and instead focus on a stable playing XI. Although Mickey Arthur cited a “niggle” as the reason, he later mentioned having a candid discussion with Imam, acknowledging both affection and reprimand. This essentially confirmed that Imam’s media comments had a part in his omission. Imam was clearly displeased with the think tank’s approach, particularly with the decisions to give players like Iftikhar Ahmed and Mohammad Haris opportunities. Rumors also surfaced that Imam had leaked private dressing room discussions to the media.

After Fakhar Zaman showed his support for Babar on social media, it became almost certain he would be dropped as well. Given this situation, keeping Imam in the squad for tough away series, like the one against Australia, would have been a more balanced approach. Younger players, such as Abdullah Shafique and Saim Ayub, could have benefited from having an experienced partner by their side in challenging foreign conditions. Yet, Saim has been given a free pass across all three formats despite inconsistent performances, which raises questions about fairness in selections.

Pakistan cricket has a reputation for these behind the scenes politics, and it seems like Naqvi and Aaqib Javed are trying to break the so-called “dosti yaari” culture in the team’s setup. However, in an environment as complex as Pakistan cricket, the line between discipline and favoritism can be thin.

 

[sweep_shot]

Dropping Fakhar was a very big blunder.

Fakhar is Pakistan's best white ball batter. Only guy who can take the game away from opposition.

 

[Hyder]

Both should be persisted with. Current lot cannot even avg high 30s and are way more timid than even imam.

 

[Hyder]

Saim i believe has potential but is ruining himself for those no looks or flashy shots

 

[BouncerGuy]

Selecting SAIM and ABDULLAH over Fakhar was a big blunder. And look at the backup opener, no one else but Haseebullah.

How pathetic this selection can be.

 

[moghul]

Zaman and equally important Shaan should have been in Australia in place of Saim and Abdullah.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Zaman and equally important Shaan should have been in Australia in place of Saim and Abdullah.

Shan maybe no but zaman for sure.

 

[kingusama92]

Imam was only averaging 35 with an SR of 85 over his last year in the team.

Shafique is averaging 40 with an SR of 87.

In the end, both of these guys aren't good ODI batsmen and just accumulate runs to pad their stats. I would be looking elsewhere past both of these options.

Fakhar is unquestionably deserving of a spot because of his quality and intent. But he also deserved to get punished for his bizarre tweet and involvement with that overreaching player agency. I'm sure he will be brought back into the side soon because the Shafique-Saim pairing is painful to watch.

 

[Caved12]

I genuinely believe that players like Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Fakhar Zaman, and Imam-ul-Haq have been targeted and, at times, excluded from the playing 11 and even the squad due to their involvement in dressing room politics rather than purely for cricketing reasons. While I've often criticized Imam for certain comments in the media and his self-centered approach, I feel he brought much of this on himself. He prioritized personal goals over the team’s needs, grew somewhat complacent, and even seemed big-headed in his role. Dropping him to test new players was the right decision, as his struggles appeared to be more mental than technical. His reluctance to play aggressively, even in conditions that favored high scores, became evident.

For instance, in the New Zealand ODI series, Imam performed well in the first three matches but was suddenly dropped for the last two. His comments during that series likely played a role, as he publicly suggested that Pakistan needed to stop experimenting with the lineup so close to the 2023 ODI World Cup and instead focus on a stable playing XI. Although Mickey Arthur cited a “niggle” as the reason, he later mentioned having a candid discussion with Imam, acknowledging both affection and reprimand. This essentially confirmed that Imam’s media comments had a part in his omission. Imam was clearly displeased with the think tank’s approach, particularly with the decisions to give players like Iftikhar Ahmed and Mohammad Haris opportunities. Rumors also surfaced that Imam had leaked private dressing room discussions to the media.

After Fakhar Zaman showed his support for Babar on social media, it became almost certain he would be dropped as well. Given this situation, keeping Imam in the squad for tough away series, like the one against Australia, would have been a more balanced approach. Younger players, such as Abdullah Shafique and Saim Ayub, could have benefited from having an experienced partner by their side in challenging foreign conditions. Yet, Saim has been given a free pass across all three formats despite inconsistent performances, which raises questions about fairness in selections.

Pakistan cricket has a reputation for these behind the scenes politics, and it seems like Naqvi and Aaqib Javed are trying to break the so-called “dosti yaari” culture in the team’s setup. However, in an environment as complex as Pakistan cricket, the line between discipline and favoritism can be thin.

I would like to add this to my post above.

The biggest issue in Pakistan cricket is not a lack of talent; it is ego and personal ambitions taking precedence over team success. Player insecurity is a far greater concern than any supposed talent gap. Conversations often revolve around the need for a more professional setup, with many pointing fingers at the PCB as the main culprit. Fans frequently call for younger players to be given chances, but when these players struggle, a segment of the media and fans demands the return of senior players. Conversely, when seniors do not perform, the calls to reinvest in youth return. This constant cycle undermines the consistency needed for team development.

To truly progress, all sides, management, players, fans, and media must unite to prioritize what is best for Pakistan cricket. Often, straightforward issues become major roadblocks simply because of clashing egos and a lack of accountability. Many of these challenges could be resolved by bringing all parties together for open, respectful discussions focused on the team’s best interests. However, instead of fostering a culture of responsibility, key players and powerful figures often pursue their own agendas without considering the greater good.

What is needed is a shift in culture, where everyone, from the PCB leadership to individual players, commits to a shared vision that places team success above personal gains. This change requires accountability, consistency, and a long-term perspective that accepts short-term setbacks for the sake of growth. Without this mindset, the cycle of instability will likely continue. A culture that prioritizes unity, responsibility, and accountability over egos and individual ambition is the only path forward for Pakistan cricket.

 

[riddu]

fakhar is better than abduullah

 

[umerz]

Fakhar was hard done by the management, he could have been warned after show cause. However keeping politics aside the way Abdullah Shafiq and Saim Ayub are playing there is no doubt Fakhar and Imam look better choices

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Saim Ayub was on ODI debut. He has scored 3 fifties in 12 Test innings as well.

And more importantly , he is only of 2 youngsters from PSL who has shown the ability to score off high pace deliveries (140 +) consistently.

Pakistan does not have the depth in batting talent to throw him out so quickly .

Patience.

 

[Mainul]

Definitely, dropping these 2 high averaging batsmen doesn't make any sense. These 2 are the best pair Pakistan has in Pakistan.

 

[AAli98]

Dropping Fakhar was a very big blunder.

Fakhar is Pakistan's best white ball batter. Only guy who can take the game away from opposition.

Yes but he performs once every 9/10 games. Like Afridi use to.

 

[Katwalindian]

Let's ignore politics and nepotism narratives aside.

No narratives, just pure cricketing stats and performances.

Saim Ayub and Abdullah shafique have proven themselves to be walking wickets infront of any opposition they face. Infact statistically their one of the worst opening pairs in test cricket that I have ever witnessed.

Fakhar Zaman and Imam however are statistically one of the best opening pairs pakistan has ever had.

Hence was dropping them the right call? Is it time to recall these 2?

Saim ayub to be persisted with for now,. Abdullah shafique needs to do dropped and replaced with fakhar zaman.

 

[mominsaigol]

Saim Ayub was on ODI debut. He has scored 3 fifties in 12 Test innings as well.

And more importantly , he is only of 2 youngsters from PSL who has shown the ability to score off high pace deliveries (140 +) consistently.

Pakistan does not have the depth in batting talent to throw him out so quickly .

Patience.

Every Tom dick and Harry has outperformed him so far.

Yes Kamram ghulam and saud shakeel are middle order batters bit both have centuries on their portfolio despite playing lesser amounts of games.

Saud hasn't performed in odi, KG hasn't performed since that century on debut, but at the very least they have something.

Saim Ayub doesn't have anything. Literally nothing. And no those 50's in test were garbage. Only the first 50 was good because he managed to play out the pitch when it was difficult to play.

He's also consistently failed in every 2nd innings even when the target was only 39 to chase.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Saim ayub to be persisted with for now,. Abdullah shafique needs to do dropped and replaced with fakhar zaman.

Not sure about the hype around Saim. He is pretty rusty and has no improvement since he made his debut. Crazy that he was handed a debut in ODI format as well now..LOL

 

[mominsaigol]

Not sure about the hype around Saim. He is pretty rusty and has no improvement since he made his debut. Crazy that he was handed a debut in ODI format as well now..LOL

I don't really see any talent in him.

Naturally talented players usually have fantastic reactions or insane muscular power, or naturally sweet timing, or innovative stroke play

Aka things that you can't really teach. Saim has none of those or atleast none that I've noticed.

His best bet is to follow the Martin Guptil Mantra. Martin guptil isn't naturally talented. Infact he's the opposite. It's his hard work and positive mindset that made him succesful for Nz

Naturally talented batters are those like steve smith, Aka started out as a leg spinner but was just destined to be pick up the bat.

But still who are we kidding, Martin Guptil's work ethic is something saim will never match.

 

[BouncerGuy]

I don't really see any talent in him.

Naturally talented players usually have fantastic reactions or insane muscular power, or naturally sweet timing, or innovative stroke play

Aka things that you can't really teach. Saim has none of those or atleast none that I've noticed.

His best bet is to follow the Martin Guptil Mantra. Martin guptil isn't naturally talented. Infact he's the opposite. It's his hard work and positive mindset that made him succesful for Nz

Naturally talented batters are those like steve smith, Aka started out as a leg spinner but was just destined to be pick up the bat.

But still who are we kidding, Martin Guptil's work ethic is something saim will never match.

The bowl he got out on was not that dangerous. It was a nervous shot of a guy who is under-prepared.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Every Tom dick and Harry has outperformed him so far.

Yes Kamram ghulam and saud shakeel are middle order batters bit both have centuries on their portfolio despite playing lesser amounts of games.

Saud hasn't performed in odi, KG hasn't performed since that century on debut, but at the very least they have something.

Saim Ayub doesn't have anything. Literally nothing. And no those 50's in test were garbage. Only the first 50 was good because he managed to play out the pitch when it was difficult to play.

He's also consistently failed in every 2nd innings even when the target was only 39 to chase.

He has raw the ability to play high pace and he has domestic numbers and age on his side.

Nobody else fulfills all above criteria.

He's the only potentially elite batter you have currently.

Deserves a longer rope than others. The gap between PAK domestic and internationals is quite big.

Also he has gone from the lowest bouncing Pakistani pitches to facing new ball at MCG overnight

It's tough to make that adjustment.

 

[Pakhs]

Pakistan is currently experimenting with new combinations; however, for now, they remain Pakistan's best opening batters in the 50-over format.

 

[mominsaigol]

He has raw the ability to play high pace and he has domestic numbers and age on his side.

Nobody else fulfills all above criteria.

He's the only potentially elite batter you have currently.

Deserves a longer rope than others. The gap between PAK domestic and internationals is quite big.

Also he has gone from the lowest bouncing Pakistani pitches to facing new ball at MCG overnight

It's tough to make that adjustment.

Thays fair but he and JFM have been dissapointments for me.

And I really really want these 2 to set the world on

 

[mominsaigol]

He has raw the ability to play high pace and he has domestic numbers and age on his side.

Nobody else fulfills all above criteria.

He's the only potentially elite batter you have currently.

Deserves a longer rope than others. The gap between PAK domestic and internationals is quite big.

Also he has gone from the lowest bouncing Pakistani pitches to facing new ball at MCG overnight

It's tough to make that adjustment.

He and JFM have been dissapointments. Magar chalo we'll see. I want these boys to set the world on fire.

JFM the aussie hitman and Saim Ayub the 3rd great left handed batter for Pak after saeed Anwar and fakhar zaman but it has not happened as of yet.

 

[Rana]

He and JFM have been dissapointments. Magar chalo we'll see. I want these boys to set the world on fire.

JFM the aussie hitman and Saim Ayub the 3rd great left handed batter for Pak after saeed Anwar and fakhar zaman but it has not happened as of yet.

JFM will tear the roof down at some point. Matt Short too.

 

[mominsaigol]

JFM will tear the roof down at some point. Matt Short too.

Mart short 100%. Not sure about jfm but ik this, if he kicks off, he'll be tur most destructive batsmen in the world

 

[Cricket Warrior]

That was a stupid decision to drop such players for Abdullah and Saim. If they couldn't utilize their home conditions how can you expect them to score runs on Australian pitches?

 

[msb314]

I’m pretty sure Imam was dropped due to his poor form in the 2023 Asia Cup and WC… On top of that his fitness has declined and seemed overweight throughout last year.

Not convinced that his comments in the media about playing a consistent starting XI had anything to do with it since he remained our first choice opener in LOI and Tests until earlier this year.

However, agree it was unfair to drop him from Tests - especially after scoring a 50 at Perth in the winter. Saim has no business playing Tests at this point.

 

[msb314]

He has raw the ability to play high pace and he has domestic numbers and age on his side.

Nobody else fulfills all above criteria.

He's the only potentially elite batter you have currently.

Deserves a longer rope than others. The gap between PAK domestic and internationals is quite big.

Also he has gone from the lowest bouncing Pakistani pitches to facing new ball at MCG overnight

It's tough to make that adjustment.

Agree for ODI’s and T20 but has no business playing Tests

 

[Cricket Warrior]

According to media reports, Pakistan is expected to include two notable players in their white-ball squad for the upcoming series against South Africa, the left-handed batsmen Imam-ul-Haq and Fakhar Zaman. Both are set to make their comebacks after a recent absence from the national team.

 

[mominsaigol]

According to media reports, Pakistan is expected to include two notable players in their white-ball squad for the upcoming series against South Africa, the left-handed batsmen Imam-ul-Haq and Fakhar Zaman. Both are set to make their comebacks after a recent absence from the national team.

Lol typical pcb

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Lol typical pcb

They saved them for the South Africa tour so Australia can easily maul them.

 

[usman.sandhu]

Imam-ul-Haq has no place in the Pakistan team in any format

Our Limited Overs Team is incomplete without Fakhar Zaman.. dropping him was a mistake..

 

[BouncerGuy]

According to media reports, Pakistan is expected to include two notable players in their white-ball squad for the upcoming series against South Africa, the left-handed batsmen Imam-ul-Haq and Fakhar Zaman. Both are set to make their comebacks after a recent absence from the national team.

Not enough time to call them. It would be a blunder now to call them just for the 3rd ODI. No point now.

 

[msb314]

Let's ignore politics and nepotism narratives aside.

No narratives, just pure cricketing stats and performances.

Saim Ayub and Abdullah shafique have proven themselves to be walking wickets infront of any opposition they face. Infact statistically their one of the worst opening pairs in test cricket that I have ever witnessed.

Fakhar Zaman and Imam however are statistically one of the best opening pairs pakistan has ever had.

Hence was dropping them the right call? Is it time to recall these 2?

I like Fakhar and respect that he is a gold mine for us in ODI’s - especially on flat wickets.

However, there was a period in 2022 and 2023 where he could not buy a run in the Asia Cup and failed against Netherlands in the WC before being replaced by Abdullah..

Yes that NZ knock of 126 was wonderful to watch but Fakhar is not getting any younger… I have not seen enough of Fakhar in LOi recently to determine if he is back in form or if that innings against NZ was a one-off..

Probably needs to retire after 2025 CT

 

[Markhor]

Fakhar is still our best white ball opener. I'm in no way defending the tweet as no board would tolerate a player publicly criticising selection policy.

But to lose his central contract too suggests something more is going on. He clearly ruffled the feathers of important officials with his comments at the connection camp.

The only question should be over his partner.

 

[Varun]

Lol typical pcb

This is a board that hands out "life bans" that last all of two T20s, keep in mind.

 

[FearlessRoar]

Polls added