Do you agree that we need someone like Fawad Alam in Tests?

[mesmerizer85]

I guess its time PCB realizes his worth and gets him to strengthen our frail batting otherwise we will keep seeing such collapses

 

[MMHS]

NO - he is an Azhar clone, won't add much to the batting line up. Batting first, he'll pile up runs on dead slow UAE track at 2.5 rate; batting second, he'll do the Azhar job.

 

[Hawkeye]

Nope.

 

[Aviator]

Can't be worse than imam, shaan or shafique..

 

[warcry]

somewhere, fawad alam must be having a laugh while watching this match.

it is good that pakistan lost.
how else is the likes of hafeez is going to be booted out of the team.
meanwhile rizwan is scoring. he is a better keeper than sarfraz.

 

[ARK Rafay]

Can't be worse than imam, shaan or shafique..

Agreed.

 

[Mamoon]

Pakistan need to give opportunities to batsmen who consistently maintain a strike rate of above 50, provided that they do have gloriously low averages like Asif Ali etc.

All this talk of "strike rate does not matter in Test cricket" is hogwash. Azhar Ali's stellar collection of match-losing innings over the years is a testament to the fact that striking in 30s and 40s do not help the team unless you have 3-4 dynamic batsmen (which we don't). We need to find batsmen in F/C cricket who have around 35 and above and have a strike rate of 50+.

 

[Hasan123]

Don't want any more duds against pace. Why is our answer to turn to a 33 year old when we have 3 seniors who are failing ? Why not give Saud or Saad a chance ?

 

[mesmerizer85]

I guess you all are forgetting the test match vs Srilanka where all our mighty batsmen failed except fawad who managed a century.

 

[topspin]

We needed Fawad 5 years ago to replace Misbah after the disastrous tour of Zimbabwe to bat at number 5 but we decided to persist with this tail ender against pace and it cost the side dearly going into the overseas tours after England 2016.

Until the emphasis on meritocracy exceeds superiority culture, Pakistan cricket will continue to lag behind the top sides. Sarfraz and Hafeez shouldn't be in this side let alone captain and opening the batting order respectively.

 

[Savak]

Pakistan need to give opportunities to batsmen who consistently maintain a strike rate of above 50, provided that they do have gloriously low averages like Asif Ali etc.

All this talk of "strike rate does not matter in Test cricket" is hogwash. Azhar Ali's stellar collection of match-losing innings over the years is a testament to the fact that striking in 30s and 40s do not help the team unless you have 3-4 dynamic batsmen (which we don't). We need to find batsmen in F/C cricket who have around 35 and above and have a strike rate of 50+.

Inzamam in a recent interview mentioned this. He mentioned that he does not get impressed by domestic averages and everytime statisticians give him a piece of paper showing the top batting and bowling averages, he demands additional answers i.e. what type of conditions did the batsman or bowlers play in most of the times, what was the match situation, he demands video clips to look at the players technique and he also looks at strike rates as well.

He mentioned he is willing to prefer someone averaging 38-40 with a good strike rate over someone averaging 50 plus but with a poor strike rate.

 

[Savak]

Don't want any more duds against pace. Why is our answer to turn to a 33 year old when we have 3 seniors who are failing ? Why not give Saud or Saad a chance ?

Why this bias? Fawad can easily be the next Misbah ul Haq when it comes to being a late bloomer in international cricket.

 

[Mamoon]

Inzamam in a recent interview mentioned this. He mentioned that he does not get impressed by domestic averages and everytime statisticians give him a piece of paper showing the top batting and bowling averages, he demands additional answers i.e. what type of conditions did the batsman or bowlers play in most of the times, what was the match situation, he demands video clips to look at the players technique and he also looks at strike rates as well.

He mentioned he is willing to prefer someone averaging 38-40 with a good strike rate over someone averaging 50 plus but with a poor strike rate.

That is the right way to go, but Inzamam has not always shown the urgency to act on his words. Taking a tough call on the future of Azhar would be a start.

 

[Hasan123]

Why this bias? Fawad can easily be the next Misbah ul Haq when it comes to being a late bloomer in international cricket.

We don't need him to be another Misbah. We need players who can play pace and bat an appropriate strike rate.

 

[Abdullah Rabbani]

We need Saad ali , Saud shakeel and Usman salahudin

 

[topspin]

Inzamam in a recent interview mentioned this. He mentioned that he does not get impressed by domestic averages and everytime statisticians give him a piece of paper showing the top batting and bowling averages, he demands additional answers i.e. what type of conditions did the batsman or bowlers play in most of the times, what was the match situation, he demands video clips to look at the players technique and he also looks at strike rates as well.

He mentioned he is willing to prefer someone averaging 38-40 with a good strike rate over someone averaging 50 plus but with a poor strike rate.

It's all great that he has a good method of picking players in principle however at the same time he has a massive preference for seniors over youngsters, which was evident from his captaincy in the 2000s. Hence the reason why Hafeez has kept his spot and why he picked Gul during the 2016 ODI series against England.

Also it seems Inzy is more words than anything else especially when you consider the fact that he picked a very sedate batsman in Sami Aslam during the same ODI series in England 2 years ago.

Another question that must be asked is does he have it in him to drop his nephew from ODIs? or will it take a disastrous WC for him to be forced because of media pressure?

This is also reinforces what Mamoon mentioned about him being slow to act when urgency is required.

 

[Markhor]

We don't need him to be another Misbah. We need players who can play pace and bat an appropriate strike rate.

A guy averaging 58 in FC cricket can't just be bashing spin.

We keep picking guys who average in their 30s in FC cricket and act surprised why we don't see consistency from them.

Above all else we need a consistent middle order batsman who can be relied on to stop the embarassing collapses like we saw today.

 

[Abdullah Rabbani]

Inzamam in a recent interview mentioned this. He mentioned that he does not get impressed by domestic averages and everytime statisticians give him a piece of paper showing the top batting and bowling averages, he demands additional answers i.e. what type of conditions did the batsman or bowlers play in most of the times, what was the match situation, he demands video clips to look at the players technique and he also looks at strike rates as well.

He mentioned he is willing to prefer someone averaging 38-40 with a good strike rate over someone averaging 50 plus but with a poor strike rate.

Like his nephew crap

 

[ARK Rafay]

Fawad Alam is being judged based on Azhar Ali's performance

 

[Fahdi]

Fawad was mistreated and he was dropped unjustly. But the Pakistan Cricket Team isn't there to give justice to the wronged. Fawad's time is gone now. There is no point in bringing him in now. Guys like Saad Ali have earned their chance and if he comes good we have someone who can serve us for 10 years instead of just being a stop gap.

Move on. Look to youngsters like Saad Ali, Saud Shakeel and others. Pick guys who can actually have an impact on the game instead of stroke less wonders like Azhar Ali, unless perhaps for the opening slot.

 

[ads101]

Yes.

He's one of the few Pakistani batsmen who consistently average 50+ every year. In addition has a wealth of captaincy experience, so isn't going to be someone learning on the job.

Fawad didn't look great on the crease, but he almost never game his wicket away easily. Which is why he has good averages even in international cricket. What we need is a guy who scores big in tests and doesn't lose concentration. It doesn't matter if he bashes spin to do it down the order, I'll still take it.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Can't be worse than imam, shaan or shafique..

Not necessarily better either. Pakistan produces some really ordinary batsmen, Fawad is just another one. He's good at domestic level, but has usually failed when asked to step up to international level, at least that is my impression, I don't know how his stats stack up.

 

[Ami]

Why the hell not...?

Hafeez is what is wrong with Pakistan cricket and the culture of underserved siniority in Pakistan...

Im talking to Azhar, Asad and Hafeez here, you're playing for PAKISTAN here not your galli mohallah team where you're the DAADAYS!

Hafeez is again playing for his Aussie match century...hell he's done that all his life...get Fakhar back in NOW.

Haris needs to tighten up...too much of a flash in the pan, saw that in England too...in fact i was there at Headingley.

One of Azhar or Asad has to go...anyone out there?...Anyone.

Babar needs to stop brooding on his Akmalseque genes and show some guts!

Sarfraz..a break?

I

 

[Justcrazy]

He will not be back. He is a close chapter now.

He is far better than most in the team right now.

 

[mesmerizer85]

Misbah entered our team quite late and still went onto play until he was near 40s. So whats the harm in playing fawad for possibly another 3-4 years, when hafeez is playing ODIs and T20s when hes like 38?

 

[Hasan123]

A guy averaging 58 in FC cricket can't just be bashing spin.

We keep picking guys who average in their 30s in FC cricket and act surprised why we don't see consistency from them.

Above all else we need a consistent middle order batsman who can be relied on to stop the embarassing collapses like we saw today.

Has he shown that he can play pace bowling and can rotate strike against them?

In recent times what are his number in first class cricket? He is 33. He may do a job in UAE but don't seem him as a long term saviour to our batting.

 

[shaz619]

Has he shown that he can play pace bowling and can rotate strike against them?

In recent times what are his number in first class cricket? He is 33. He may do a job in UAE but don't seem him as a long term saviour to our batting.

If he is coming in then they should let go of a batsman with a similar approach. I say that but when you look at the numbers of the technically sound Shafiq then it makes you wonder why we don't consider other options and while Fawad may or may not be that pick he could remain on that list. It's been almost 10 years worth of investment yet Shafiq is playing like he has been in the game for a couple of years, Azhar has had his dips but has put in much bigger shifts then him and gave Pak some home till the very end despite his limitations, some batsman are just too weak for Test cricket.

 

[Cric1234]

Fawad Alam and Umar Akmal should come in for Shafiq and Hafeez if Hafeez can't bowl much he's not good enough anymore to be a test opener Azhar can open for time being.
Shafiq hasn't been in bad form recently but he's struggling to get his average over 40 and failure in SA should be the end for him averaging 38-39 isn't good enough to be a top team.

 

[asifp]

Inzamam in a recent interview mentioned this. He mentioned that he does not get impressed by domestic averages and everytime statisticians give him a piece of paper showing the top batting and bowling averages, he demands additional answers i.e. what type of conditions did the batsman or bowlers play in most of the times, what was the match situation, he demands video clips to look at the players technique and he also looks at strike rates as well.

He mentioned he is willing to prefer someone averaging 38-40 with a good strike rate over someone averaging 50 plus but with a poor strike rate.

This is the number 1 reason our batting is the gutter.

Inzamam thinks he is some genius who knows something others dont.

Int he history of cricket there has not been 1 batsman who averaged 40 in domestic and was an international great.

Inzi himself averaged 50 in domestic, so did Moyo, and YK

One should ask him, please give us an example where a guy averaging was a great in international cricket. Inzi thinks he can do better than 100 years of cricket history and that arrogance is costing Pakistan cricket.

 

[Hasan123]

If he is coming in then they should let go of a batsman with a similar approach. I say that but when you look at the numbers of the technically sound Shafiq then it makes you wonder why we don't consider other options and while Fawad may or may not be that pick he could remain on that list. It's been almost 10 years worth of investment yet Shafiq is playing like he has been in the game for a couple of years, Azhar has had his dips but has put in much bigger shifts then him and gave Pak some home till the very end despite his limitations, some batsman are just too weak for Test cricket.

I don't have an issue with moving on from experienced player. But why move onto another player who has similar issues as the one you are replacing and also to a similar age ?

Why not give Saud or Saad a chance instead?

 

[mastersaan10]

Babar needs to go and play domestics for 2 years at least, let him play odis and t20s, the national team is not a playground or testing ground. If you are good enough then you get to play based on performance. Inzi's logic is useless, if you have all style batsmen averaging 35 then you will not have consistent batsman.

 

[Sher Khan]

Pakistan need to give opportunities to batsmen who consistently maintain a strike rate of above 50, provided that they do have gloriously low averages like Asif Ali etc.

All this talk of "strike rate does not matter in Test cricket" is hogwash. Azhar Ali's stellar collection of match-losing innings over the years is a testament to the fact that striking in 30s and 40s do not help the team unless you have 3-4 dynamic batsmen (which we don't). We need to find batsmen in F/C cricket who have around 35 and above and have a strike rate of 50+.

Mohammad Rizwan has an average of 42 at 53 SR. But it might be hard to get him in with Sarfraz in the xi. But, watch out for Nabi Gul- a young modern day test batsman. Very good technique and plays shots along the ground.

 

[IndianMafia]

Shoaib Malik would fit perfectly in this line up
.. if he comes out of test retirement it would benefit Pakistan for sure...

 

[New Yorker]

I guess its time PCB realizes his worth and gets him to strengthen our frail batting otherwise we will keep seeing such collapses

The question is not whether we need someone like Fawad Alam. Perhaps he would succeed, perhaps he would not. You can never know. But what you know is that you need to give chances to players like Fawad Alam. The fact that Rahat Ali got 21 Tests and Fawad Alam 3 speaks volume about our so called selection "system."

 

[MRSN]

Very overrated player. He is an improved version of Khurum Manzoor but inferior version of Azhar Ali. In other words he is not a match winner. Scoring at domestic cricket doesn't guarantee you will be successful at international. Khurum Manzoor and Shaan Masood being the prime example.

 

[ads101]

Very overrated player. He is an improved version of Khurum Manzoor but inferior version of Azhar Ali. In other words he is not a match winner. Scoring at domestic cricket doesn't guarantee you will be successful at international. Khurum Manzoor and Shaan Masood being the prime example.

Masood was tried before he starting succeeding at domestic cricket. And only given test matches where he has a first class average of 34.

Khurram not given many matches, mostly test chances when his first class average is 28. Only given 7 ODIs and averages 33. Never a consistent run.

If anything these two serve as an examples of guys not dominating in domestic cricket but expecting they'd be successful at international. the opposite to what you said.

I think if you score in domestic cricket you don't necessarily do well in internationals. But usually you deserve a chance. If you don't dominate at even domestic level, you won't dominate at internationals. The number of players who somehow magically perform at internationals but can't hack it in domestic is incredibly low.

I'd have ignored Fawad if there were others performing at a similar level. But there aren't. Hardly anyone is scoring over 50 average, and as you mentioned we think of guys averaging mid 30s/low 40s and somehow killing it at domestic.

The bracket of players that perform to a high standard nearly every year in domestic is very small. And Fawad's certainly amongst them. Hence he deserved a go.

The list of players I can think of in recent memory of averaging 50 in domestic first class are Younis Khan, Misbah, Haris Sohail and Fawad Alam. That's it. It's an extremely small list. In LOI cricket there's different demands, playing at right SR, variety of shots etc. But tests really what matters is staying and scoring big.

 

[Mainul]

Pakistan need to give opportunities to batsmen who consistently maintain a strike rate of above 50, provided that they do have gloriously low averages like Asif Ali etc.

All this talk of "strike rate does not matter in Test cricket" is hogwash. Azhar Ali's stellar collection of match-losing innings over the years is a testament to the fact that striking in 30s and 40s do not help the team unless you have 3-4 dynamic batsmen (which we don't). We need to find batsmen in F/C cricket who have around 35 and above and have a strike rate of 50+.

Fawad Alam suits your criteria

 

[Mainul]

Off course Fawad. My favorite.Pakistanis, do some justice to this talented players,You shall be surely be benefitted by his performance

 

[the Great Khan]

Very overrated player. He is an improved version of Khurum Manzoor but inferior version of Azhar Ali. In other words he is not a match winner. Scoring at domestic cricket doesn't guarantee you will be successful at international. Khurum Manzoor and Shaan Masood being the prime example.

he hit a 168 in his first test match against sri lanka as an opener which isnt even his position. He should be there instead of Haris.

 

[Shaka81]

Not necessarily better either. Pakistan produces some really ordinary batsmen, Fawad is just another one. He's good at domestic level, but has usually failed when asked to step up to international level, at least that is my impression, I don't know how his stats stack up.

Fawad did really well in his limited test appearances and seemed to have earned the right to get more opportunities, so they dropped him from the test team and put him in the ODI team where he was effective, so they dropped him down the order and made him play as a finisher. He struggled a little but was improving. So they dropped him and put him in the T20 team as a finisher, where surprisingly enough considering his actual skills, he struggled to hit big and win games after the top order had blocked for half the innings. Based on his struggles as a finisher in limited overs cricket they dropped him from international cricket. Probably to protect the position of inconsistent players like Asad Shafiq and an aging Misbah at the time.

 

[asifp]

Very overrated player. He is an improved version of Khurum Manzoor but inferior version of Azhar Ali. In other words he is not a match winner. Scoring at domestic cricket doesn't guarantee you will be successful at international. Khurum Manzoor and Shaan Masood being the prime example.

And what is your judgement based on on? What is the evidence?

lets put this straight.

Azhar Ali could not score 75 runs against a debutant Aijaz Ali in UAE

Fawad Alam scored 150+ against the greatest spinner (Murali) on a rank turner in Sri Lanka.

Now you tell me who is the inferior batsman? The lack of logic here is amazing

I dont think people understand how Epic that Fawad Alam 150 was in Sri Lanka. After he got out we lost 7 wickets for like 30 runs....wait did that not happen yesterday.

We really have done a crime. This guy was head and shoulders better than anyone else in Pakistan, could have averaged 50 in test cricket.

 

[Markhor]

Why are we pretending as if we have a whole list of alternative batsmen averaging 50+ in domestic FC cricket to choose from ?

Whether Fawad is too old or not dynamic enough is beside the point. He is one of the FEW domestic batsmen with a proven track record of scoring big and scoring consistently with 29 hundreds to his name. He's fit as a fiddle and can easily play for another 4-5 years.

It's not a question of whether we can afford to pick him due to age or SR or whatever excuse to deny this guy an overdue fair chance, but whether we can afford not to pick him.

 

[Sadozai]

If a guy having 29 centuries, 58 fifties & 11000+ runs in FC cricket doesn't deserve a chance in the international team (specially in pak test team which has a very fragile batting line up) then who else deserves?

 

[mesmerizer85]

The day Inzimam picked his nephew averaging in 30+ and dropped fawad alam, the little hope we had of test teams revival is now fading away. Sorry to say but with this type of culture Pak team won't progress and win against top teams. Same goes for saud shakeel who might be neglected until our current senior lot retires.

 

[umerz]

If a guy having 29 centuries, 58 fifties & 11000+ runs in FC cricket doesn't deserve a chance in the international team (specially in pak test team which has a very fragile batting line up) then who else deserves?

Totally agree. not that we have Kohli and Steve Smith in our line up whom we want to replace with Fawad Alam.

 

[Sarwar89]

People talk about Fawad Alam as if he is Viv Richards or Kohli.
He is 33. Time to move on.

Alaister Cook is 34 and has retired already after 160 Tests.

As a nation we need to be mature enough to move on.

 

[TalentSpotterPk]

No.


Azhar
Imam
Babar
Haris
Asad
Saud is the way to go.



When it's a turner go for allrounder Haseeb ur Rehman at number 7 with Sarfraz at 8.


When it's SA or pacers friendly wickets go for Faheem Ashraf at 7.



When you need another genuine pacer or zafar/asghar in playing eleven than opt for Sarfraz at number 7 and don't play Haseeb or Faheem.


M Ilyas is a talented peshawar pacer. Fawad got his legstump uprooted by this newbie (marginally fast medium pacer). It was an embarassing dismissal for domestic giant. Watch it on Youtube.


Haris & Saud are better, versatile & dynamic batsmen compared to limited Fawad, Usman & Saad. Haris & Saud can rotate strike easily as like Inzamam and Yousaf or like Younis (against spin) whereas Fawad, Usman and Saad do not have this luxury.

Note : A website's statistics won't tell you these things.


[MENTION=53290]Markhor[/MENTION] [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] [MENTION=147875]mesmerizer85[/MENTION]

 

[TalentSpotterPk]

No.


Azhar
Imam
Babar
Haris
Asad
Saud is the way to go.



When it's a turner go for allrounder Haseeb ur Rehman at number 7 with Sarfraz at 8.


When it's SA or pacers friendly wickets go for Faheem Ashraf at 7.



When you need another genuine pacer or zafar/asghar in playing eleven than opt for Sarfraz at number 7 and don't play Haseeb or Faheem.


M Ilyas is a talented peshawar pacer. Fawad got his legstump uprooted by this newbie (marginally fast medium pacer). It was an embarassing dismissal for domestic giant. Watch it on Youtube.


Haris & Saud are better, versatile & dynamic batsmen compared to limited Fawad, Usman & Saad. Haris & Saud can rotate strike easily as like Inzamam and Yousaf or like Younis (against spin) whereas Fawad, Usman and Saad do not have this luxury.

Note : A website's statistics won't tell you these things.


[MENTION=53290]Markhor[/MENTION] [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] [MENTION=147875]mesmerizer85[/MENTION]

Fresh evidence for my claim here.

 

[asifp]

Fresh evidence for my claim here.

the fact you still think Azhar and Asad should be in the team makes you lose all credibility.

 

[angeldsoul]

I have mentioned this many times before but fawad has a better first class strike rate than of any current Pakistani test batsmen!@@ guy strikes at about 56% he also has a better strike rate then younis- misbsh- inzimam also. He might not hit big strokes but his run scoring is brilliant

 

[letme alone]

170* today

 

[ARK Rafay]

If a guy having 29 centuries, 58 fifties & 11000+ runs in FC cricket doesn't deserve a chance in the international team (specially in pak test team which has a very fragile batting line up) then who else deserves?

Moin Khan's son.

 

[Bilal7]

No. That ship has sailed. Fawad is nearly 35 years of age and is not better than the batsmen we have in the team right now.

Besides, we need to spend time developing Imam, Fakhar, Usman, Haris, Babar, Saud, etc instead of spending resources giving a chance to someone who at most, has another two years left.

Besides, has Fawad worked on his weaknesses at all? Can he now clear the inner circle with his "big shots"? I will support him if he is given a chance because it is true that he has done well at the FC level but I completely understand if the selectors think that he is not worth it.

Inzamam in a recent interview mentioned this. He mentioned that he does not get impressed by domestic averages and everytime statisticians give him a piece of paper showing the top batting and bowling averages, he demands additional answers i.e. what type of conditions did the batsman or bowlers play in most of the times, what was the match situation, he demands video clips to look at the players technique and he also looks at strike rates as well.

He mentioned he is willing to prefer someone averaging 38-40 with a good strike rate over someone averaging 50 plus but with a poor strike rate.

Which is why he has been a breath of fresh air for Pakistan and has refreshed the national team with several talented, promising, young(ish) players.

This does not mean that he's completely against defensive players because he has given them a good run in the side (Sami, Imam) but it is good that he's taking a balanced approach.

 

[Bilal7]

The day Inzimam picked his nephew averaging in 30+ and dropped fawad alam, the little hope we had of test teams revival is now fading away. Sorry to say but with this type of culture Pak team won't progress and win against top teams. Same goes for saud shakeel who might be neglected until our current senior lot retires.

His nephew took his chance with both hands by scoring multiple centuries and looking like a proper international-level batsman. Fawad Alam went downhill after his debut and turned into a meme before memes were a thing.

That is the difference, not the alleged nepotism that you guys cry about constantly.

 

[asifp]

His nephew took his chance with both hands by scoring multiple centuries and looking like a proper international-level batsman. Fawad Alam went downhill after his debut and turned into a meme before memes were a thing.

That is the difference, not the alleged nepotism that you guys cry about constantly.

The level of ignorance in your comment is outstanding.

Fawad had one bad series, that in ODI and he was dropped.

He has only played 3 tests, so there is no trend to suggest he went downwards. He score 150+ on debut in Sri Lanka against Murali. Imam has not even come close to that, so once again another ignorant statement by someone who has not looked at any stats at numbers.

As they say, don't judge a book by its cover, but sadly that is happening with Fawad.

 

[Manager101]

This is his debut test match which showed he can play longer innings under pressure when most of our other legends were getting out for fun except Younus.

Alas !! He became a target of bloody favoritism and Politics

 

[Markhor]

No. That ship has sailed. Fawad is nearly 35 years of age and is not better than the batsmen we have in the team right now.

If age is the excuse why was Hafeez recalled at the age of 38 ? Fawad is 33 - younger than Misbah who was 36 when he was recalled in 2010 and we got another 7 years out of him. If you're good enough you're young enough and Fawad has excellent fitness so we can get at least 3-4 years from him.

By what measure is he not better than the batsmen we have now ? Fawad averages 55 in FC cricket whereas Shafiq, Hafeez, Imam and Babar don't even touch 40. Azhar averages 23 in Tests since the retirements of Younis and Misbah.

Besides, we need to spend time developing Imam, Fakhar, Usman, Haris, Babar, Saud, etc instead of spending resources giving a chance to someone who at most, has another two years left.

This is a false choice. We can address the necessity of the here and now by selecting a batsman like Fawad to stabilise a fragile batting lineup heading for disaster in South Africa, AND develop these youngsters you name.

Besides, has Fawad worked on his weaknesses at all? Can he now clear the inner circle with his "big shots"?

Right because that's the lesson from the Abu Dhabi Test - we didn't have enough batsmen to clear the inner circle.

How about picking batsmen who can just score runs ? Batsmen who score on a consistent basis and can concentrate for longer than the duration they make a pretty 30 before gifting their wickets like our champion batsmen in the XI now ?

There always seems to be some excuse about Fawad - not dynamic enough, his technique is unconventional, doesn't have a power game. However 29 FC hundreds and an average of 55 suggests somebody who knows their game and has made it work.

 

[angeldsoul]

If age is the excuse why was Hafeez recalled at the age of 38 ? Fawad is 33 - younger than Misbah who was 36 when he was recalled in 2010 and we got another 7 years out of him. If you're good enough you're young enough and Fawad has excellent fitness so we can get at least 3-4 years from him.

By what measure is he not better than the batsmen we have now ? Fawad averages 55 in FC cricket whereas Shafiq, Hafeez, Imam and Babar don't even touch 40. Azhar averages 23 in Tests since the retirements of Younis and Misbah.


This is a false choice. We can address the necessity of the here and now by selecting a batsman like Fawad to stabilise a fragile batting lineup heading for disaster in South Africa, AND develop these youngsters you name.


Right because that's the lesson from the Abu Dhabi Test - we didn't have enough batsmen to clear the inner circle.

How about picking batsmen who can just score runs ? Batsmen who score on a consistent basis and can concentrate for longer than the duration they make a pretty 30 before gifting their wickets like our champion batsmen in the XI now ?

There always seems to be some excuse about Fawad - not dynamic enough, his technique is unconventional, doesn't have a power game. However 29 FC hundreds and an average of 55 suggests somebody who knows their game and has made it work.

Also he has an incredible first class strike rate. Better
Than any other batsman in the test squad. Infact I can't even find any pak batsman with a better first class strike rate.

 

[badsha001]

View attachment 85833

This is his debut test match which showed he can play longer innings under pressure when most of our other legends were getting out for fun except Younus.

Alas !! He became a target of bloody favoritism and Politics

look at his strike rate as well...he should be selected solely based on his strike rate...

 

[The Viper]

Don't know why clearing the ropes is a prority in test match cricket anyway. Providing Fawad rotates the strike, he is a valuable player. Needs to be drafted in.

 

[mesmerizer85]

Is there some kind of quota for players who can be included from certain provinces ? If that's s the case I wouldn't mind swapping Sarfraz with Fawad in tests If some people are not agreeing to swapping him with Hafeez or Imam

 

[Mohsin123]

Fawad is miles better than Azhar and Asad. He is a more gritty batsman than those 2 timid kittens. I cannot bear to watch Azhar and Asad bat. Both need to go. Induct Fawad which is long overdue and include a youngster like Saad or Saud with him. If Misbah can play selfishly for so long then Fawad definitely deserves a solid run in the test.

 

[gazza619]

For the sake of us fans, for the sake of ifs and buts, and for the sake of Pakistan cricket, selectors should give 3 test matches to Fawad and end this discussion and suspense once and for all.

 

[asifp]

For the sake of us fans, for the sake of ifs and buts, and for the sake of Pakistan cricket, selectors should give 3 test matches to Fawad and end this discussion and suspense once and for all.

A part of me feels selectors are not giving a chance at the risk of facing embarrassment. Imagine if he comes in and average 50+, can you imagine the egg on Inzi's face. His ego is too big to risk this.

 

[Bilal7]

If age is the excuse why was Hafeez recalled at the age of 38 ? Fawad is 33 - younger than Misbah who was 36 when he was recalled in 2010 and we got another 7 years out of him. If you're good enough you're young enough and Fawad has excellent fitness so we can get at least 3-4 years from him.

By what measure is he not better than the batsmen we have now ? Fawad averages 55 in FC cricket whereas Shafiq, Hafeez, Imam and Babar don't even touch 40. Azhar averages 23 in Tests since the retirements of Younis and Misbah.


This is a false choice. We can address the necessity of the here and now by selecting a batsman like Fawad to stabilise a fragile batting lineup heading for disaster in South Africa, AND develop these youngsters you name.


Right because that's the lesson from the Abu Dhabi Test - we didn't have enough batsmen to clear the inner circle.

How about picking batsmen who can just score runs ? Batsmen who score on a consistent basis and can concentrate for longer than the duration they make a pretty 30 before gifting their wickets like our champion batsmen in the XI now ?

There always seems to be some excuse about Fawad - not dynamic enough, his technique is unconventional, doesn't have a power game. However 29 FC hundreds and an average of 55 suggests somebody who knows their game and has made it work.

Hafeez and Misbah were not solely picked fo their batting. Hafeez has been a good all-round player for us in Asia while Misbah's appointment as captain was a masterstroke. No guarantees that Fawad will be a similar stroke of genius.

Like I said, I'm neutral on this. If Fawad is selected, I would want him to do well but I don't see how his domestic numbers prove that he will be an upgrade on Shafiq and Azhar. These guys outlasted him in test cricket - all of them made their debuts around the same time, I believe - and has gone on to be good players for us. Then you have Haris, Babar, Usman and Imam, players who have shown promise at the highest level and would have their development disrupted if Fawad is brought in now.

If the revolution is well and truly in place, why should we look forwad to another 35 year old coming into the team, rather than looking at youth?

The "inner circle" comment was not a serious one. I don't mind that he's a grafter, run-scoring is what matters.

 

[New Yorker]

NO - he is an Azhar clone, won't add much to the batting line up. Batting first, he'll pile up runs on dead slow UAE track at 2.5 rate; batting second, he'll do the Azhar job.

He scored 168 at SR 68 in his first Test, in which Yousuf and Misbah fell away like flies, and only YK managed to keep him company, at SR 53. Probably the most un Azhar performance you might ever see,

 

[MMHS]

He scored 168 at SR 68 in his first Test, in which Yousuf and Misbah fell away like flies, and only YK managed to keep him company, at SR 53. Probably the most un Azhar performance you might ever see,

He actually has scored a 170* yesterday as well, but that 167 was TEN years ago bro, in SRL. PAK has to move out of this nostalgia .... just about 6 more years back, and you could have said Saeed Anwar played his last ODI innings with a hundred. In almost every post of mine, I have mentioned that Fawad was unlucky, should have played lot more Test for PAK, but that has past 6-7 years back. Any given day, I'll pick Saud over Fawad now - just yesterday he literally counter attacked ENG's 2nd ball in a critical chase.

He is officially 33 now, was poor against Bond at 23 - don't hope much from him against Styen & Co. I do feel sorry for him and definitely he could have been a better version of Azhar Ali, but time moves on. If I were allowed to pick the squad, I actually would have picked Umar Akmal for SAF tour, ahead of Fawad.

 

[New Yorker]

He actually has scored a 170* yesterday as well, but that 167 was TEN years ago bro, in SRL. PAK has to move out of this nostalgia .... just about 6 more years back, and you could have said Saeed Anwar played his last ODI innings with a hundred. In almost every post of mine, I have mentioned that Fawad was unlucky, should have played lot more Test for PAK, but that has past 6-7 years back. Any given day, I'll pick Saud over Fawad now - just yesterday he literally counter attacked ENG's 2nd ball in a critical chase.

He is officially 33 now, was poor against Bond at 23 - don't hope much from him against Styen & Co. I do feel sorry for him and definitely he could have been a better version of Azhar Ali, but time moves on. If I were allowed to pick the squad, I actually would have picked Umar Akmal for SAF tour, ahead of Fawad.

The point is that your characterization of his type of play was manifestly wrong. He is not and has never been an Azhar like player.

He is indeed 33 now. Younis Khan was still breaking record at that age in Tests.

Fawad outbatted Younis in the only Test they played together. While forced to open, a position he usually does not play in.

He has the highest FC average in Pakistani history. He scored 168 on debut against Herath in his prime. He has 30 Fc centuries in 150 some games.

Pakistan lost the last test, in the UAE, because an unreliable middle order who folded against spin.
Just like they did against Lanka in the UAE some years ago. There was no Bond to be seen in any of those Tests.

Fawad's last FC scores were 170* and 85*

I like Saud, but I don't see a better candidate than Fawad to fill one of those middle order position.

I won't even bother to argue about Umar Akmal. If there was ever a player who lost the plot he is that player.

 

[Shandarchowka]

It's beyond me how the selectors have just discarded a potential 50+ average batsman to just fade away in domestic cricket.. sad really!

 

[TalentSpotterPk]

View attachment 85833

This is his debut test match which showed he can play longer innings under pressure when most of our other legends were getting out for fun except Younus.

Alas !! He became a target of bloody favoritism and Politics

look at his strike rate as well...he should be selected solely based on his strike rate...

This is a silly analogy I am afraid.



Just highlighting his best Test Innngs while ignoring everything else ? Why ?


What happened after this Test Innngs ? What are his numbers in Test Cricket besides this knock ?



In domestic Cricket who are the prolific run scorers ? Yes Fawad is consistent and has Gigantic average but in last 14 years how many times Fawad Alam has been amongst top 3 rungetters in a season ?



Fawad Alam bats at number 5 and mostly at number 6 where batting is the easiest on Pakistani tracks. The only players who have actually scored runs in tough domestic conditions in FC in last 10 years consistently in top 4 batting slots are :


1. Naeemudeen (SNGPL)

2. Ayub Dogar (Sialkot)

3. Haris Sohail



Fawad Alam is a decent domestic performer with record F.C. average but his average is skewed up immensely because of the number at which he bats in F.C. Cricket.


M Ilyas of Peshawar is no Shoaib Akhtar who had terrorised Darren Lehman with his pace. Ilyas is hardly fast medium. Although Ilyas is talented upcoming pacer but he dismissed timid, limited, ugly looking domestic giant Fawad Alam in such a embrassing and ugly way. Watch 1:17 onwards


It is time for Saud Shakeel to make Test debut by saying good buy to unfit injured Hafeez.


[UTUBE]be/ZhI5Qux3FVg[/UTUBE]



Cc
[MENTION=9]Saj[/MENTION] [MENTION=53290]Markhor[/MENTION] [MENTION=139754]New Yorker[/MENTION] [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION]

 

[Manager101]

This is a silly analogy I am afraid.



Just highlighting his best Test Innngs while ignoring everything else ? Why ?


What happened after this Test Innngs ? What are his numbers in Test Cricket besides this knock ?



In domestic Cricket who are the prolific run scorers ? Yes Fawad is consistent and has Gigantic average but in last 14 years how many times Fawad Alam has been amongst top 3 rungetters in a season ?



Fawad Alam bats at number 5 and mostly at number 6 where batting is the easiest on Pakistani tracks. The only players who have actually scored runs in tough domestic conditions in FC in last 10 years consistently in top 4 batting slots are :


1. Naeemudeen (SNGPL)

2. Ayub Dogar (Sialkot)

3. Haris Sohail



Fawad Alam is a decent domestic performer with record F.C. average but his average is skewed up immensely because of the number at which he bats in F.C. Cricket.


M Ilyas of Peshawar is no Shoaib Akhtar who had terrorised Darren Lehman with his pace. Ilyas is hardly fast medium. Although Ilyas is talented upcoming pacer but he dismissed timid, limited, ugly looking domestic giant Fawad Alam in such a embrassing and ugly way. Watch 1:17 onwards


It is time for Saud Shakeel to make Test debut by saying good buy to unfit injured Hafeez.


[UTUBE]be/ZhI5Qux3FVg[/UTUBE]



Cc
[MENTION=9]Saj[/MENTION] [MENTION=53290]Markhor[/MENTION] [MENTION=139754]New Yorker[/MENTION] [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION]

By your genius logic, most No. 5 positioned FC batsmen in Pakistan should average above 50 with lots of hundreds and fifties, where are those No. 5 hacks hiding ? Are they in moon smelling white sand ?

 

[asifp]

This is a silly analogy I am afraid.



Just highlighting his best Test Innngs while ignoring everything else ? Why ?


What happened after this Test Innngs ? What are his numbers in Test Cricket besides this knock ?



In domestic Cricket who are the prolific run scorers ? Yes Fawad is consistent and has Gigantic average but in last 14 years how many times Fawad Alam has been amongst top 3 rungetters in a season ?



Fawad Alam bats at number 5 and mostly at number 6 where batting is the easiest on Pakistani tracks. The only players who have actually scored runs in tough domestic conditions in FC in last 10 years consistently in top 4 batting slots are :


1. Naeemudeen (SNGPL)

2. Ayub Dogar (Sialkot)

3. Haris Sohail



Fawad Alam is a decent domestic performer with record F.C. average but his average is skewed up immensely because of the number at which he bats in F.C. Cricket.


M Ilyas of Peshawar is no Shoaib Akhtar who had terrorised Darren Lehman with his pace. Ilyas is hardly fast medium. Although Ilyas is talented upcoming pacer but he dismissed timid, limited, ugly looking domestic giant Fawad Alam in such a embrassing and ugly way. Watch 1:17 onwards


It is time for Saud Shakeel to make Test debut by saying good buy to unfit injured Hafeez.


[UTUBE]be/ZhI5Qux3FVg[/UTUBE]



Cc
[MENTION=9]Saj[/MENTION] [MENTION=53290]Markhor[/MENTION] [MENTION=139754]New Yorker[/MENTION] [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION]

he played 3 test matches!, you make it sound like he failed in 10 just like Azhar Ali.

 

[Sunny_majoka]

He will not do any better than Azhar Ali alATM

 

[hussain.r97]

No way, Fawad Alam is the last thing we need. He offers no more than a few years, and he was also brutally exposed by Australia, after which, he couldn't even buy a run against the likes of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Stats are not the only criteria for selection, the selectors assess the technique, potential, and possible role of each player. That is why we have selectors, and PP don't select the team. Where technique is concerned, Fawad Alam is more suited to horse riding than batting.

 

[Manager101]

No way, Fawad Alam is the last thing we need. He offers no more than a few years, and he was also brutally exposed by Australia, after which, he couldn't even buy a run against the likes of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Stats are not the only criteria for selection, the selectors assess the technique, potential, and possible role of each player. That is why we have selectors, and PP don't select the team. Where technique is concerned, Fawad Alam is more suited to horse riding than batting.

The Australian series that you are talking about is ODIs. Even Azhar/Shafiq were exposed at ODI level.

In tests, he was forced to open the innings thanks to Misbah/Shoaib lobby and still did well in just 3 Tests. If Mr. Technique Asad Shafiq with no skills can play lots of test matches with no match winning performance then suspicion will always be there on our politicized Selectors.

 

[Hawkeye]

To be fair to Fawad, he hasn't been tried as much he should've.

More suited to Tests than ODIs and could've been our Chanderpaul.

 

[Cric1234]

His technique looks awkward at first but he gets into line quite well once the bowler is about to bowl he doesn't have the power game to be a great limited overs batsman but in tests he can be decent he has more strokes than Azhar who on flatter UAE wickets struggle to score.
Judging him from one dismissal is ludicrous the best batsmen have been bowled by part timers turning their arm over it doesn't make them bad batsmen.

 

[Mainul]

Pak selectors has to face the Lord to give explanation for this, such an injustice to Fawad. I hate Inji and his predecessors selecors for this cruel injustice. I can bet that if Fawad had played like Azhar and Asad he would have outscored them by huge distance. Pakistan is unlucky not to get service if Fawad.

 

[mesmerizer85]

Hell even indian news are mentioning about his 170 and not getting selected :
http://youngtimesofindia.com/2018/1...-not-good-enough-for-the-pakistani-test-team/

 

[mesmerizer85]

I think the reason why he was dropped in Test matches after his 168 and also his performance in Asia Cup return was clear indicator of selectors being biased. If he had got a longer run he would have proved them wrong for negligence . Hence they decided best to drop him altogether.