What's new

Do ODI series win in South Africa and Australia make Pakistan favorites for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025?

Do ODI series win in South Africa and Australia make Pakistan favorites for the ICC Champions Trophy

  • Total voters
    46
H

Hellion

Local Club Captain
Joined
Jul 7, 2024
Runs
2,235
Can't believe I'm saying this but Pakistan actually look like they might be favourites for an ICC tournament for a change.

They've beaten 2 strong teams away and the CT will be at home and in home-like conditions in the UAE.

Not sure which team can stop Pakistan from retaining the Cup.
 
Hellion said:
Can't believe I'm saying this but Pakistan actually look like they might be favourites for an ICC tournament for a change.

They've beaten 2 strong teams away and the CT will be at home and in home-like conditions in the UAE.

Not sure which team can stop Pakistan from retaining the Cup.
Click to expand...
Australia can, just like they can do to any other team. Did Pakistan win an ODI series in Australia recently? Well, India won the CB series in Australia in early 2008 too, and it was a tri series, and it was a best of 3 finals. Yet, it didn't stop Australia from whipping India in 2009 in a 7 ODI series.

Yea, different Aussie teams, but the spirit and resilience remains the same.​
 
Hellion said:
Can't believe I'm saying this but Pakistan actually look like they might be favourites for an ICC tournament for a change.

They've beaten 2 strong teams away and the CT will be at home and in home-like conditions in the UAE.

Not sure which team can stop Pakistan from retaining the Cup.
Click to expand...
Australia can
 
Hitman said:
Australia can, just like they can do to any other team. Did Pakistan win an ODI series in Australia recently? Well, India won the CB series in Australia in early 2008 too, and it was a tri series, and it was a best of 3 finals. Yet, it didn't stop Australia from whipping India in 2009 in a 7 ODI series.​
Click to expand...
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣.


Brooooooo, You typed this just a second before I was going to? Took the words right out of my mouth lol.
 
Hellion said:
Can't believe I'm saying this but Pakistan actually look like they might be favourites for an ICC tournament for a change.

They've beaten 2 strong teams away and the CT will be at home and in home-like conditions in the UAE.

Not sure which team can stop Pakistan from retaining the Cup.
Click to expand...
They also defeated ZImbabwe ( not that we have to celebrate that much) but away win has more impact.
 
Back in top 4 contenders i believe.

it’s a team that can surprise anyone in a given day.
 
BouncerGuy said:
They also defeated ZImbabwe ( not that we have to celebrate that much) but away win has more impact.
Click to expand...
Zim series is whatever. No one cares. The only good thing from that series is that saim and Kamran got hundreds and cemented themselves
 
What a time to be a Pakistani fan. Showed BCCI thier auqat, beat SA in SA and now firm favorites for Champioms Trophy. Cornered Tigers for a reason. <3
 
mominsaigol said:
Australia can
Click to expand...
Hitman said:
Australia can, just like they can do to any other team. Did Pakistan win an ODI series in Australia recently? Well, India won the CB series in Australia in early 2008 too, and it was a tri series, and it was a best of 3 finals. Yet, it didn't stop Australia from whipping India in 2009 in a 7 ODI series.

Yea, different Aussie teams, but the spirit and resilience remains the same.​
Click to expand...

That's based on past history. No proof of Australia's ODI batting or even bowling strength anymore.
 
BouncerGuy said:
They also defeated ZImbabwe ( not that we have to celebrate that much) but away win has more impact.
Click to expand...

That doesn't mean much because they are not even in the Top 10 in ICC rankings. Beating SA and OZ away on the other hand is ridiculously good.
 
Don't turn this into proving Australia is a great team thread now. STAY ON TOPIC
 
mominsaigol said:
Past history? They just conquered India in India a year ago?
Click to expand...

What does India have to do with anything when the thread is about Pakistan?

Warner is gone, Maxwell is finished and even your bowling looks old and out of pace.
 
Hellion said:
What does India have to do with anything when the thread is about Pakistan?

Warner is gone, Maxwell is finished and even your bowling looks old and out of pace.
Click to expand...
The thread is if Pakistan can win ct.

Is India not a competitor team in ct? Or aus?
 
They should be aiming to win it yes but it will be difficult.

Remember we were also number 1 side at one point but got humbled before the last WC.
 
mominsaigol said:
The thread is if Pakistan can win ct.

Is India not a competitor team in ct? Or aus?
Click to expand...

You said Australia can stop Pakistan. I said they can't and you brought India into it to prove some inane point .

Pakistan beat Australia in Australia . In fact , smashed the pants of that Australian team despite you hyping up McGurk and Short
 
If the bowling holds up, Pakistan is the biggest threat .

Last World Cup, Shadab, Nawaz , Rauf got smashed to pieces in every important game.

Even Shaheen was useless with the new ball.

If the bowling holds up, they're clear favourites at this point.
 
Yes, I see them as a contender.

It's a home tournament which will boost the players and they're peaking at the right time. A few tweaks here and there are still necessary with the opener and Irfan.

I think once you add Fakhar at the top, the accumulating nature of RizBar will be further balanced out. Regardless, the team looks quite settled in this format.

I won't say they are the number one favorites but they are in the top 3-4 contenders due to the home advantage.
 
Hellion said:
You said Australia can stop Pakistan. I said they can't and you brought India into it to prove some inane point .

Pakistan beat Australia in Australia . In fact , smashed the pants of that Australian team despite you hyping up McGurk and Short
Click to expand...
In an odi icc event aus always manages to find a way to upset oppositions provided they make their way into knockout stages.

Pak has no chance of beating aus in a knockout.

Secondly calm down
 
mominsaigol said:
In an odi icc event aus always manages to find a way to upset oppositions provided they make their way into knockout stages.

Pak has no chance of beating aus in a knockout.

Secondly calm down
Click to expand...
hey win when they are one of the favourites in ICC events.

Clear underdogs in 2011 and 2019 and they got beaten in knockouts.

It's just that they are ridiculously strong most of the time. This time they're not
 
Few bilateral wins and we get carried away.

Our people are so easy to please and they never learn.

Remember just last year we were ranked number 1 before going into an ICC tournament and had been thrashing teams in bilateral cricket.

Reality check happens at the actual tournament when the top 4 teams field their full strength sides.

In tournaments we get batting pitches, which means:

- Our batters can’t set high totals
- Bowlers like Rauf will ALWAYS get mauled and opposition will set high totals
- Our poor approach to batting with two anchors RIZWAN n Babar means we cannot chase high totals

So,
It likely will be a repeat of the 5 ICC tournaments that Babar/Rizwan have lost us.

The only possible hope:
Saim and Fakhar can fire. Only then we have a chance.
 
Hellion said:
hey win when they are one of the favourites in ICC events.

Clear underdogs in 2011 and 2019 and they got beaten in knockouts.

It's just that they are ridiculously strong most of the time. This time they're not
Click to expand...
They weren't favourites in 2023.

They got demolished by sa in an odi series right before the cup.

Infact people were 100% sure that India, NZ, And SA would get rid of them should aus reach semi's.

Only question mark was England because while they looked good on paper they were playing with has been players who hadn't played odi for nearly 4 years.

Infact Sus got brutal beat downs by both India and SA at the start of the event.

Its just no one could have predicted that they'd go on their 2nd longest odi win streak of all time straight after.

On paper, NZ, SA and India were 10x stronger then 2023 aus.

Infact NZ was also stronger then 2021 aus, but for some reason in the modern era current NZ vs Aus is similar to India vs Afg where NZ just doesn't know how to play aus in icc events.
 
According to certain fan clubs they surely must be, no room for improvement
 
Pakistan became the only visiting team to win back-to-back men's ODI series against South Africa in South Africa.

2002 - South Africa won
2007 - South Africa won
2013 - South Africa won
2013 - Pakistan won
2019 - South Africa won
2021 - Pakistan won
2024 - Pakistan won (2*-0)
 
Pakistan in this series: 11 players used in 2 matches

South Africa: 14 players used in 2 matches

Australia wiped out their entire first XI in the 3rd ODI whilst Pakistan remain unchanged throughout.


So stay humble.
 
Not really. On the roads of Pakistan par scores will be 350 plus which is beyond our batting. If the tournament was in England or SA we'd have a shot.

99% Australia, India or England will win.
 
Pakistan repeating the same mistakes they made in the build up to the 2023 World Cup.

All it takes is one of your major components who you depend on to break down, and disaster strikes!


The breakdown is bound to happen. Believe that.
 
I voted for yes .
Definitely,a back to back series win in Australia and South Africa is not a little deal.
Congratulations team Pakistan.
One of the favourites to win the CT.
 
GLORY OF '92 said:
Not really. On the roads of Pakistan par scores will be 350 plus which is beyond our batting. If the tournament was in England or SA we'd have a shot.

99% Australia, India or England will win.
Click to expand...
Pakistan is the host. So they should make sporting wicket, not roads
 
For me, Pakistan are favorites to win the CT. I really like the look of this team under Rizwan’s leadership.

However, this team will be further strengthened if Fakhar replaces Abdullah and Saud slots in at 4.

I think Abdullah is a good player but he should not be playing ahead of Fakhar. However, his time will come in the future.
 
Rana said:
Ohh bhai

Zyaada hawaon main na urro. No one besides Pakistan is taking ODIs/T20s seriously.

When the real deal begins, it will be a different level of competition that you are currently being accustomed to. Don’t be disappointed then!
Click to expand...
The burn is real. Clearly, the success of Pakistan under Rizwan cannot be digested by some.
 
Rana said:
Pakistan in this series: 11 players used in 2 matches

South Africa: 14 players used in 2 matches

Australia wiped out their entire first XI in the 3rd ODI whilst Pakistan remain unchanged throughout.


So stay humble.
Click to expand...

And SA didn’t play Rabada in a key ODI game, they get the logic behind the excessive wear/tear when you’re playing back to back games. Like seriously how re!arded are Pak, Rauf is down on pace by 10mph already. Look good achievement for Pak, but bilateral series are not what they use to be anymore. I just think Pak will be cooked by the CT & some of the bowlers will be carrying various niggles.

First team players have been selfishly played in every game to reinforce the leadership and any threat to said leadership or batting position are sidelined.

All the key premier fast bowlers should have been rested and they should have strengthened the bench, Ihsanullah (forgive the spelling), Mo. Aamir, Imad, even Khurrum Shahzad, Hasnain etc oh and Mo. Wasim Jnr! (wonder who’s ego he dented?) among other options should all have been given a go & rotated in prep for the CT opposed to prioritising the series win.

The best tournament teams have solid bench options, though the CT is short, because Pak play their guys in every game they need a plan B.

Fakhar Zaman desperately needs to come back but I am not convinced he will now after he wasn’t considered for these series. Imagine Mo. Harris was batting at the death in the last match they played? he could have been the difference between a 330 & 370 total, Saud Shakeel is a terrific top-middle order option, I wonder why he wasn’t picked….I would even throw Asif Ali in the mix for the lower order power hitting, am not saying we should overlook this new Irfan guy but just saying.

I would personally have dropped Babar & Rizwan, gave Haris the gloves, bought in Saud Shakeel and have Fakhar as my captain. Since Rizwan is being invested in now and he is defo playing, I know it’s a crime in Pakistan but I just think Babar hasn’t quiet found his mojo and both he & Rizwan can’t play together so Babar must go thanks to the great deceiver.
 
shaz619 said:
And SA didn’t play Rabada in a key ODI game, they get the logic behind the excessive wear/tear when you’re playing back to back games. Like seriously how re!arded are Pak, Rauf is down on pace by 10mph already. Look good achievement for Pak, but bilateral series are not what they use to be anymore. I just think Pak will be cooked by the CT & some of the bowlers will be carrying various niggles.

First team players have been selfishly played in every game to reinforce the leadership and any threat to said leadership or batting position are sidelined.

All the key premier fast bowlers should have been rested and they should have strengthened the bench, Ihsanullah (forgive the spelling), Mo. Aamir, Imad, even Khurrum Shahzad, Hasnain etc oh and Mo. Wasim Jnr! (wonder who’s ego he dented?) among other options should all have been given a go & rotated in prep for the CT opposed to prioritising the series win.

The best tournament teams have solid bench options, though the CT is short, because Pak play their guys in every game they need a plan B.

Fakhar Zaman desperately needs to come back but I am not convinced he will now after he wasn’t considered for these series. Imagine Mo. Harris was batting at the death in the last match they played? he could have been the difference between a 330 & 370 total, Saud Shakeel is a terrific top-middle order option, I wonder why he wasn’t picked….I would even throw Asif Ali in the mix for the lower order power hitting, am not saying we should overlook this new Irfan guy but just saying.

I would personally have dropped Babar & Rizwan, gave Haris the gloves, bought in Saud Shakeel and have Fakhar as my captain. Since Rizwan is being invested in now and he is defo playing, I know it’s a crime in Pakistan but I just think Babar hasn’t quiet found his mojo and both he & Rizwan can’t play together so Babar must go thanks to the great deceiver.
Click to expand...
Watch SA rest Jansen, Markram, DeZorzi and Bavuma in the last ODI. They will probably have a bowling attack of Maphaka, Baartman and Phelukwayo for the 3rd ODI

Pakistan on the verge of a 3-0 defeat will still play Rauf, Shaheen and Naseem.

Coward cricket nation.
 
Rana said:
Watch SA rest Jansen, Markram, DeZorzi and Bavuma in the last ODI. They will probably have a bowling attack of Maphaka, Baartman and Phelukwayo for the 3rd ODI

Pakistan on the verge of a 3-0 defeat will still play Rauf, Shaheen and Naseem.

Coward cricket nation.
Click to expand...

And the great Babar Azam will score a hundred in the 3rd ODI & his fans will advocate his superiority over Saeed Anwar. Then he will go missing under the pump in another ICC tournie. The real sad thing is he has so much potential, but when you have a cowardly partner/leader/boyfriend or whatever you want to call him, who instills this soft mentality and egotistical behaviour; how can you possibly want to improve ? the captain is responsible for getting the most out of his players and I think it’s no surprise Babar had his best success under more proactive leaders who prioritised the teams success above everything else.

They will boost their numbers the bowlers, and then blame workload when they get jobbed out in the tournament. The senior players need to take the initiative, and I think some of the guys like Rauf would but could be concerned about the backlash from Saya.
 
Actually current team best strength is on slightly helpful surface with a bit of bounce for pacers and turn for spinners as we do have the batsmen to survive and still score 275+ on bowling friendly surfaces and our bowling on helpful surface is as good as any team in the world currently, however complete ODIs phattas will actually backfire on us as we don’t have clean hitters and aggressive batters to consistently score 350+ nor our bowlers have the capacity to contain any decent ODI team under 300 consistently. So it’s best to produce supporting wickets and give your team the best chance to win the trophy,
I think we are only behind India in terms of favorite in this tournament currently.
 
Rana said:
Pakistan repeating the same mistakes they made in the build up to the 2023 World Cup.

All it takes is one of your major components who you depend on to break down, and disaster strikes!


The breakdown is bound to happen. Believe that.
Click to expand...
I remember when I started commenting on this forumn 1.5 years ago( lol it's been 1.5 years time flies really quickly, anyway)

I remember when I came here i just came to troll rizwan fans fir a bit since he's the only weak link I had found.

I actually thought pakistan would be competitive since Fakhar + Babar + Saud/agha at 5, and the bowling trio of shaheen ,naseem and Rauf were killing every oppositions in bi laterals. In fact stats wise babar is the most successful bilateral captain for pakistan all time.

You were the first one who kept saying it'll backfire and at the time I thought that while your criticism of rizwan was very fair, at the time I felt you were too pessimistic about the current team.

Yet when I saw your prediction unfold I realised you were right.

I feel like we are on the verge of a repeat. The vibe of a tournament is completely different in icc events.

Hopefully I'm wrong as I want an Australia vs Pakistan final but who knows, after wc 2023 horror show I'm always pessimistic if Babar and rizwan are playing at no 3 and no 4 and shaheen, Naseem and Rauf are our opening trio
 
Good results for Pakistan so far but its bilaterals at the end of the day once the Champions Trophy starts it will be a real test if pressure since its an ICC event. I will say Pak has found some good form in ODI but will not label them favorites just yet.
 
They are amongst top 3 favourites for sure. Pace bowling has a question mark but I think they should deliver in their home conditions.
 
The best thing about CT/ICC Knockout trophy is that the usual choker teams have also won it, SouthAfrica and Nz won the first two iterations, it was called ICC Knockout at that time.

Both India and Australia have won it twice. India has easily been the best performer in CT history but this time chances are very low.

If India doesn't win this, I hope SA does.
 
Honestly, Australia and South Africa have been using these series against Pakistan to test out their bench strength, giving some of their newer or less experienced players a shot. It’s clear they’re not playing their strongest XI, as they’re focusing more on experimenting with their squad.

Now, if these same lineups are used in the Champions Trophy 2025, especially in conditions that suit Pakistan, Pakistan would have a really good chance of winning. Pakistan have always been strong in conditions that favour bowlers and know how to use bowlers to their advantage.

But, if South Africa and Australia decide to bring their top players back and field their full-strength teams for the Champions Trophy, it’s a whole different ball game. so it’s tough to say who’d come out on top. It’ll all come down to form, fitness, and how each team handles the conditions and pressure on the day.
 
I will keep an eye on England as well as their batmen are familiar with these tracks more than some of the other teams. They have done well here.
 
mominsaigol said:
I remember when I started commenting on this forumn 1.5 years ago( lol it's been 1.5 years time flies really quickly, anyway)

I remember when I came here i just came to troll rizwan fans fir a bit since he's the only weak link I had found.

I actually thought pakistan would be competitive since Fakhar + Babar + Saud/agha at 5, and the bowling trio of shaheen ,naseem and Rauf were killing every oppositions in bi laterals. In fact stats wise babar is the most successful bilateral captain for pakistan all time.

You were the first one who kept saying it'll backfire and at the time I thought that while your criticism of rizwan was very fair, at the time I felt you were too pessimistic about the current team.

Yet when I saw your prediction unfold I realised you were right.

I feel like we are on the verge of a repeat. The vibe of a tournament is completely different in icc events.

Hopefully I'm wrong as I want an Australia vs Pakistan final but who knows, after wc 2023 horror show I'm always pessimistic if Babar and rizwan are playing at no 3 and no 4 and shaheen, Naseem and Rauf are our opening trio
Click to expand...

I agree with Rana. Having been on this forum for over 15 years, I’ve seen it happen way too many times. We hype up players and Team Pakistan to the skies after beating weaker or C-string teams, but when it comes to real competitions, we end up falling flat.
 
Certain comments are fair.

Pakistan has won a few games against weakened opponents recently which has to be taken into account. Although, I think we can't underplay the effect of home games in a tournament like this as it will elevate all of these players.

A lot of these teams are also going to be undercooked because of how they've been selecting their ODI teams. While Pakistan is more in sync with its expected tournament XI barring a few changes.

Still doesn't mean Pakistan is the number-one favourite but they will be good. This is assuming they do make a few changes to the XI because the current unit still has weak spots.
 
Rana said:
Pakistan repeating the same mistakes they made in the build up to the 2023 World Cup.

All it takes is one of your major components who you depend on to break down, and disaster strikes!


The breakdown is bound to happen. Believe that.
Click to expand...
1) Fakhar
2) Saim
3) Kamran Ghulam
4) Saud Shakeel
5) Salman Ali Agha
6) Muhammad Haris (WK)
7) Sajid Khan
8) Noman Ali
9) Shaheen
10-11) Pacers? Ali raza? Jamal? Etc etc

That's the best i got. Nafay is too young and inexperienced. Don't want another Abdullah Shafique situation.
 
for sure Pakistan is back on track specially in ODIs and playing at home they would have an upper hand... i think this pak team has the potential to defend the CT title this time.
 
Before Asia Cup 2023, Pakistan was the number one team in the rankings but Pakistan team finished at the bottom of the Super '4' points table in Asia Cup after Humiliation lose against india and One lose against Sri Lanka .

@Cricket Warrior

:kp
 
shaz619 said:
And SA didn’t play Rabada in a key ODI game, they get the logic behind the excessive wear/tear when you’re playing back to back games. Like seriously how re!arded are Pak, Rauf is down on pace by 10mph already. Look good achievement for Pak, but bilateral series are not what they use to be anymore. I just think Pak will be cooked by the CT & some of the bowlers will be carrying various niggles.

First team players have been selfishly played in every game to reinforce the leadership and any threat to said leadership or batting position are sidelined.

All the key premier fast bowlers should have been rested and they should have strengthened the bench, Ihsanullah (forgive the spelling), Mo. Aamir, Imad, even Khurrum Shahzad, Hasnain etc oh and Mo. Wasim Jnr! (wonder who’s ego he dented?) among other options should all have been given a go & rotated in prep for the CT opposed to prioritising the series win.

The best tournament teams have solid bench options, though the CT is short, because Pak play their guys in every game they need a plan B.

Fakhar Zaman desperately needs to come back but I am not convinced he will now after he wasn’t considered for these series. Imagine Mo. Harris was batting at the death in the last match they played? he could have been the difference between a 330 & 370 total, Saud Shakeel is a terrific top-middle order option, I wonder why he wasn’t picked….I would even throw Asif Ali in the mix for the lower order power hitting, am not saying we should overlook this new Irfan guy but just saying.

I would personally have dropped Babar & Rizwan, gave Haris the gloves, bought in Saud Shakeel and have Fakhar as my captain. Since Rizwan is being invested in now and he is defo playing, I know it’s a crime in Pakistan but I just think Babar hasn’t quiet found his mojo and both he & Rizwan can’t play together so Babar must go thanks to the great deceiver.
Click to expand...
Maybe bilateral series aren’t a priority for you, but they matter to the fans and the teams. Winning builds confidence and momentum. Experimenting and resting players should be done intelligently, experiments without purpose are counterproductive.

For instance, Australia rested their team in the 3rd ODI because the BGT was coming up, while South Africa is trying to field its best XI despite being plagued by injuries. Rabada’s workload is a concern, especially after playing a Test series just a day before this ODI series.

I agree with giving Rauf a break, but Shaheen has already been rested during the Zimbabwe series and the Tests, and he needs game time to regain rhythm. As for others:
- Ihsanullah and Wasim Jr. are recovering from injuries.
- Hasnain has been inconsistent but should get a game now.
- Amir and Imad have shown little interest in ODIs and even skipped the Champions Cup.

Finally, Rizwan just became captain a month ago. How can you “rest” him so soon? He’s still learning and adjusting to his role.

The suggestions are illogical for a team still pulling together. It’s not a well established team to be making such drastic experiments. What they should experiment:
1. Send Irfan and KG up the order to get game time.
2. Rest Rauf and try Hasnain.
3. Test All rounder at no7.
 
Devadwal said:
Before Asia Cup 2023, Pakistan was the number one team in the rankings but Pakistan team finished at the bottom of the Super '4' points table in Asia Cup after Humiliation lose against india and One lose against Sri Lanka .

@Cricket Warrior

:kp
Click to expand...
Doing well in tournaments also means you peak at the right time. Being no1 doesn’t mean you will peak when it matters.
a dip in form coincided for all the players like Babar, Fakhar (who had to get dropped on the eve WC), injuries to Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan Shaheen Shah. The entire core of the team was down and out. This can happen.
 
emranabbas said:
Honestly, Australia and South Africa have been using these series against Pakistan to test out their bench strength, giving some of their newer or less experienced players a shot. It’s clear they’re not playing their strongest XI, as they’re focusing more on experimenting with their squad.

Now, if these same lineups are used in the Champions Trophy 2025, especially in conditions that suit Pakistan, Pakistan would have a really good chance of winning. Pakistan have always been strong in conditions that favour bowlers and know how to use bowlers to their advantage.

But, if South Africa and Australia decide to bring their top players back and field their full-strength teams for the Champions Trophy, it’s a whole different ball game. so it’s tough to say who’d come out on top. It’ll all come down to form, fitness, and how each team handles the conditions and pressure on the day.
Click to expand...
This has been somewhat exaggerated by certain quarters.

Both Australia in the first two ODIs and South Africa have fielded their best *available* teams in their ODI series. The key word here is "available," as injured players cannot be selected. South Africa no longer has players like ABD, Amla, or Steyn—this is the best they can field. Who has been rested from their side? Nortje is essentially their equivalent of Rauf and is unlikely to be dangerous in Pakistani conditions.

And let’s be honest, Maharaj isn’t exactly a bowler Pakistan would lose sleep over. The only genuinely world-class player rested was Rabada, and that was purely for workload management after a Test series and ahead of another.

Similarly, Pakistan would love to have players like Wasim Jr., Ihsanullah, and even Fakhar, who is allegedly "unfit." But fitness issues are part of the game—there are always players unavailable.
 
Farabi said:
Doing well in tournaments also means you peak at the right time. Being no1 doesn’t mean you will peak when it matters.
a dip in form coincided for all the players like Babar, Fakhar (who had to get dropped on the eve WC), injuries to Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan Shaheen Shah. The entire core of the team was down and out. This can happen.
Click to expand...
Winning against second string team's was the reason pakistan achieved number one ranking and same is happening with currently so don't take this results seriously like Pakistan is better team than Australia and South Africa.
:kp
 
Devadwal said:
Winning against second string team's was the reason pakistan achieved number one ranking and same is happening with currently so don't take this results seriously like Pakistan is better team than Australia and South Africa.
:kp
Click to expand...

It’s a cop out by most Indians, which helps them sleep at night. Specifically, in this series, who was missing from South African squad?
 
@Devadwal
I knew you will run away lol This is SA’s team that played the semi final vs Aus at the 2023 World Cup.

Q. de Kock (✘ Retired)
T. Bavuma
R. van der Dussen
A. Markram
H. Klaasen
D. Miller
M. Jansen
G. Coetzee (Injured)
K. Maharaj (Injured)
K. Rabada
T. Shamsi

All but three are playing against Pakistan.
1. Q. de Kock has retired.
2. Coetzee is a promising talent but has only 15 ODIs under his belt, so he is a far cry from being a “world class player”.
3. Maharaja is a good player, but I doubt he would have made any difference as Pakistanis prefer spin over high pace like Maphaka.

As for Pakistan, it is also missing two of its best players from the same World Cup, Fakhar and Wasim Junior.
 
Just keep Misbah’s famous tuktuk away from Pakistan.. Pakistan will win next 30 World Cup…
 
Mamoon said:
Of course. Babar is Pakistan’s best batsman and it is completely ridiculous to pick a rubbish hack like Haris over Rizwan.
Click to expand...
Babar is one of the best ODI batters in the world, while Rizwan, despite criticism, is solid in ODIs. Haris, however, hasn't done enough to earn his spot.

The problem I see is that many Pakistani fans have a one-dimensional view of batting—if a player isn't consistently scoring, they're labeled a "hack." This is why Pakistan’s T20 cricket often feels like a comedy show, in a format where dynamism trumps consistency.

Scoring 30 off 10 balls in five out of ten games isn’t easy. Haris, with his rare ability to hit high pace at insane strike rates, is probably Pakistan's only T20 opener who could play for any top team. He’s delivered when it matters in ICC tournaments (which is a HUGE flex), stepping up with quick-fire 30s when others failed. Maybe it’s time for fans to broaden their view.
 
Mamoon said:
Of course. Babar is Pakistan’s best batsman and it is completely ridiculous to pick a rubbish hack like Haris over Rizwan.
Click to expand...
Babar has been a circus clown in all formats for a while now. He recently scored 76 which is fair however atm he hasn't shown any proof that he's back in form.

Kamran ghulam replaced him in test and scored a century on debut and easily outperformed everyone last game.

As for rizwan he's better then haris, but not better then saud shakeel. Unless rizwan is willing to bat at 5/6 then a case can be made
 
Mamoon said:
Nominating a Pakistan ODI XI without Babar and Rizwan in 2024 is a ban-worthy offense.
Click to expand...
Rather then putting my head on a slab and advocating for a straight cut, maybe debate me on said topic?

You yourself wanted @Rana to debate you 1 to 1?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
mominsaigol said:
Rather then putting my head on a slab and advocating for a straight cut, maybe debate me on said topic?

You yourself wanted @Rana to debate you 1 to 1?
Click to expand...
What’s there to debate? It is not even worth debating. You cannot justify dropping Babar and Rizwan from the ODI team in 2024.
 
mominsaigol said:
Babar has been a circus clown in all formats for a while now. He recently scored 76 which is fair however atm he hasn't shown any proof that he's back in form.

Kamran ghulam replaced him in test and scored a century on debut and easily outperformed everyone last game.

As for rizwan he's better then haris, but not better then saud shakeel. Unless rizwan is willing to bat at 5/6 then a case can be made
Click to expand...
Out of form Babar is still Pakistan’s main batsman in ODIs. Even if he scores 10 ducks in a row, you will back him to score runs at any point compared to others.

No opposition is ever going take him lightly. No one is gonna look at a Pakistan XI without Babar and think that is stronger than a Pakistan XI with Babar.

The opposition captain and bowlers will always view Babar as a prized wicket.
 
Mamoon said:
What’s there to debate? It is not even worth debating. You cannot justify dropping Babar and Rizwan from the ODI team in 2024.
Click to expand...
Kamran ghulam scored a century in test debut and replaced babar in tests. Babar was a circus clown in tests.

So far he's been outperforming babar at no 3 and even in the lower order despite not being a no 5 or no 6 batter. He's a no 3.
 
Mamoon said:
Out of form Babar is still Pakistan’s main batsman in ODIs. Even if he scores 10 ducks in a row, you will back him to score runs at any point compared to others.

No opposition is ever going take him lightly. No one is gonna look at a Pakistan XI without Babar and think that is stronger than a Pakistan XI with Babar.

The opposition captain and bowlers will always view Babar as a prized wicket.
Click to expand...
Okay so that's just hypothetical, narratives and your opinion.

Kamran vs Babar: Who has the better form atm?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

FearlessRoar
ICC Champions Trophy 2025: South Africa announce a 15-member squad
Replies
23
Views
864
FearlessRoar
FearlessRoar
M
Pakistan, New Zealand & South Africa ODI Tri-Series (2025) - Broadcast Thread
Replies
47
Views
4K
RidiculousMan
RidiculousMan
FearlessRoar
[PICTURES] Pakistan all set to make history as host nation of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025
Replies
30
Views
1K
FearlessRoar
FearlessRoar
BouncerGuy
ICC announce prize money for ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025
Replies
6
Views
632
FearlessRoar
FearlessRoar
The Bald Eagle
Will South Africa's triumph against Australia in the WTC final 2025, make India again the biggest chokers in the realm of cricket?
Replies
63
Views
2K
The Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle
Back
Top