"Fakhar Zaman must be handled carefully by the management" : Shahid Afridi

[MenInG]

After bundling out Sri Lanka for 236 and racing to a 74-run start without loss, Pakistan had no business losing the game. But then again, after crashing to 162 for seven, Pakistan should have not won the game either!

From a state of misery, Sarfraz Ahmed and Mohammad Amir forged an unforgettable 75-run alliance to take the eighth-ranked side in the MRF Tyres ICC ODI Team Rankings to the semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017.

It was truly a nerve-wracking encounter between two teams who made quite a few errors in the game. Pakistan owes it to its pugnacious captain and the icy cool Amir for a memorable win in a match that it dominated, yet had to put in a mighty struggle to win.

The fact of the matter is that despite a heroic victory, Pakistan had to once again rely on individual brilliance to pull the team out of the doldrums. There were no demons in the Sophia Gardens pitch, yet Pakistan crumbled in a heap after a blazing start by Fakhar Zaman and Azhar Ali.

In my match preview, I had written that Pakistan’s senior men need to come to the party if they are to score a win. Sarfraz handled the pressure magnificently although he was incredibly lucky with two dropped chances - especially the one put down by Thisara Perera off Lasith Malinga which broke the Sri Lankan spirit.

The fact is that the senior batsmen disappointed again at the big stage. Players like Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik have abundance of experience and both have represented Pakistan for a very long time.

One of them needed to carry the burden today and take the team past the victory target. Unfortunately both fell in quick succession while Azhar Ali also failed to make use of a fine start, which put the lower-order under enormous stress.

I really hope that Malik and Hafeez come good in the semi-final since the team would be pinning its hopes on them, especially against a top-class English unit, which unlike Sri Lanka, isn’t expected to give Pakistan chances of coming back in the game.

We all know that chasing is a real challenge for Pakistani teams regardless of the score. We have traditionally made heavy weather of some small chases and today we almost threw the game away chasing another below-par score.

The semi-final against a confident and in-form England side is going to be an uphill battle for Pakistan, especially if the batting doesn’t fire. I really hope that the seniors can take a leaf out of Fakhar’s book and play with a free mind.

Fakhar has been a revelation and once again played with an uncluttered mind. I feel that he has to work hard against the short ball since teams with a strong pace battery are likely to exploit his weakness against the rising ball.

All in all, his approach at the top of the innings is refreshing indeed and I hope that he continues to bat the same way in the games ahead. Many Pakistani youngsters have lost their natural style of play due to the fear of getting dropped from the team after a string of failures.

Fakhar must be handled carefully by the management as he can be an asset in the future and must be persisted with even if he fails for a few matches.

In the end, I must applaud the outstanding bowling effort by the Pakistani bowlers today. Junaid Khan, Mohammad Amir and Hassan Ali bowled brilliantly and made a grand comeback in the game after the Sri Lankans had set a foundation for a potentially match-winning total.

The Sri Lankan mid-innings slump was largely due to the penetrative bursts by Junaid and Amir, who were ably supported by Hassan in the middle and late overs. The trio found enough movement off the pitch as well as in the air to make life tough for the Sri Lankan middle and lower order.

I was also impressed by young Fahim Ashraf who bowled gainfully for his two wickets.Fahim also looked assured with the bat before his unfortunate run out.

I really hope that Pakistan fights hard against England in the semi-final and we see a real fighting effort by the players. One thing is for sure - that England can’t afford to take the Men in Green lightly. If England does that, it can be in for a real shock on Wednesday.

I am hoping for another spellbinding Pakistani performance.

https://www.icc-cricket.com/media-zone/news/419378

 

[Poison]

Must be careful .. he reminds me a bit of Awais Zia and we all know how that went ..

 

[pakistanigoneaussie]

Must be careful .. he reminds me a bit of Awais Zia and we all know how that went ..

Not as big of lunatic, plus actually had a great domestic record to back him up.

There are plenty of flaws in his game but not to a zia extent

 

[Arham_PakFan]

Must be careful .. he reminds me a bit of Awais Zia and we all know how that went ..

He's less of a hack than Zia was.

 

[Poison]

Not as big of lunatic, plus actually had a great domestic record to back him up.

There are plenty of flaws in his game but not to a zia extent

He's so open stanced though; looks like a prime candidate to nick off in any sort of difficult conditions.

 

[ExpressPacer]

If Fakhar Zaman is the definition of "hack", then I'm afraid a hack is everything we need! He looks miles better than everyone else we have and he's just played 2 matches in foreign conditions against some of the world's best bowlers.

I fail to understand what our sophistaced and technique loving fans want. He causes carnage by hitting repetitive boundaries over and over again, and not just boundaries, but beautiful cover drives, timed to perfection. His shots are grounded and therefore safe. He is eager to run singles, doubles and to keep the run flow moving. You labelled him as a "leg side hack" and he scored 50 runs without playing a single shot towards the legside. What now? An off-side hack?!

Frankly, us fans don't deserve good batsman because as soon as we get a couple, we start criticising them of having no technique and label them as hacks..

 

[Canistani Hero]

wow well written Lala

 

[Arham_PakFan]

If Fakhar Zaman is the definition of "hack", then I'm afraid a hack is everything we need! He looks miles better than everyone else we have and he's just played 2 matches in foreign conditions against some of the world's best bowlers.

I fail to understand what our sophistaced and technique loving fans want. He causes carnage by hitting repetitive boundaries over and over again, and not just boundaries, but beautiful cover drives, timed to perfection. His shots are grounded and therefore safe. He is eager to run singles, doubles and to keep the run flow moving. You labelled him as a "leg side hack" and he scored 50 runs without playing a single shot towards the legside. What now? An off-side hack?!

Frankly, us fans don't deserve good batsman because as soon as we get a couple, we start criticising them of having no technique and label them as hacks..

I labelled him as less of a hack than Zia.That isn't a bad thing.Sharjeel was also a hack,but developed his game with time.There is no reason he can't improve his game.

Frankly I'm all for giving more hacks a place in the team because our current batting lot aren't doing wonders anyway.

 

[Poison]

If Fakhar Zaman is the definition of "hack", then I'm afraid a hack is everything we need! He looks miles better than everyone else we have and he's just played 2 matches in foreign conditions against some of the world's best bowlers.

I fail to understand what our sophistaced and technique loving fans want. He causes carnage by hitting repetitive boundaries over and over again, and not just boundaries, but beautiful cover drives, timed to perfection. His shots are grounded and therefore safe. He is eager to run singles, doubles and to keep the run flow moving. You labelled him as a "leg side hack" and he scored 50 runs without playing a single shot towards the legside. What now? An off-side hack?!

Frankly, us fans don't deserve good batsman because as soon as we get a couple, we start criticising them of having no technique and label them as hacks..

Don't get me wrong mate I love the guy - Ijaz the Axeman Ahmed had a woeful technique but got runs everywhere. It's just a matter of management and given his first class record I'm hoping he's aware of his limitations and plays within them.

 

[ExpressPacer]

Please enlighten me on what your definition of a "hack" exactly is..

 

[ExpressPacer]

Don't get me wrong mate I love the guy - Ijaz the Axeman Ahmed had a woeful technique but got runs everywhere. It's just a matter of management and given his first class record I'm hoping he's aware of his limitations and plays within them.

I'm pretty sure he's aware of his technique. He appears to be a mature individual. Anyone who's seen him play can identify that his stronger suit is playing towards the off-side and the good thing is, he realises that. He didn't play a single shot towards the legside until his fifty in order to prevent himself from getting out.

You see, while playing at a quick rate, he's also playing risk free cricket, which I think is absolutely great.

 

[Hamza_]

This era is of hacks. You can't win games by having Azhar Alis and MoHas in the team.

 

[Abdullah]

wow well written Lala

Absolutely . I was shocked by the whole piece. The only thing wrong he said was the run out was unfortunate for Faheem. But it was his own fault he plonked his bat down

 

[Zabbaz]

All in all, his approach at the top of the innings is refreshing indeed and I hope that he continues to bat the same way in the games ahead. Many Pakistani youngsters have lost their natural style of play due to the fear of getting dropped from the team after a string of failures.

Fakhar must be handled carefully by the management as he can be an asset in the future and must be persisted with even if he fails for a few matches.

This is key. It has been a big issue for past 5-6 years. Unfortunately there are some signs that it could happen again.

On another thread: http://www.pakpassion.net/ppforum/s...owling-to-surprise-England-quot-Misbah-ul-Haq



From the other thread

Fakhar Zaman
With time Fakhar needs to learn to play long innings. Pakistan want him in an attacking role, they don't want him to leave balls and play conservatively but once you've got a start and you're dominating the opposition and need four an over then you can think about batting long. If you're batting first or chasing a big target, you can continue in the same manner but otherwise you need to adapt according to the situation. You don't need to be defensive but you can be choosy. - See more at: http://www.pakpassion.net/ppforum/s...gland-quot-Misbah-ul-Haq#sthash.oN8218fQ.dpuf

 

[gazza619]

Must be careful .. he reminds me a bit of Awais Zia and we all know how that went ..

You mean Viv?

I would love to have an Awais Zia in the team..even if he clicks once in 5 times...
its much better than seeing Azhar Ali and Shehzad doing tik tak toe tuk tuk

 

[shaz619]

If Fakhar Zaman is the definition of "hack", then I'm afraid a hack is everything we need! He looks miles better than everyone else we have and he's just played 2 matches in foreign conditions against some of the world's best bowlers.

I fail to understand what our sophistaced and technique loving fans want. He causes carnage by hitting repetitive boundaries over and over again, and not just boundaries, but beautiful cover drives, timed to perfection. His shots are grounded and therefore safe. He is eager to run singles, doubles and to keep the run flow moving. You labelled him as a "leg side hack" and he scored 50 runs without playing a single shot towards the legside. What now? An off-side hack?!

Frankly, us fans don't deserve good batsman because as soon as we get a couple, we start criticising them of having no technique and label them as hacks..

Totally agree, I understand that he's not the finished article and work in progress who is not perfect, some flaws he needs to work on but the negative criticisms have been OTT; like you say he has easily been our best bat thus far and we should support our players as fans, there is potential there!

It's not great when we put newbies under pressure and come to shocking conclusions so soon, people also forget he faced some of the best in the business; that Saffer attack bowled a ferocious spell and quiet frankly given our standards in recent times a 30 at 100+ S/R is gold for a pakistani opener.

Shameless fans need to take a good look at themselves, no one is saying he is Adam Gilchrist but beggars can't be choosers and we should support those who do well and advocate their development with the help of a long rope from NCA, management and coach's.

 

[ExpressPacer]

Totally agree, I understand that he's not the finished article and work in progress who is not perfect, some flaws he needs to work on but the negative criticisms have been OTT; like you say he has easily been our best bat thus far and we should support our players as fans, there is potential there!

It's not great when we put newbies under pressure and come to shocking conclusions so soon, people also forget he faced some of the best in the business; that Saffer attack bowled a ferocious spell and quiet frankly given our standards in recent times a 30 at 100+ S/R is gold for a pakistani opener.

Shameless fans need to take a good look at themselves, no one is saying he is Adam Gilchrist but beggars can't be choosers and we should support those who do well and advocate their development with the help of a long rope from NCA, management and coach's.

Exactly. And what really amazes me is that he's getting all this criticism (and mind you, its A LOT) despite having been comfortably the best batsman from our side in BOTH games, on his DEBUT, in a major tournament in totally alien conditions. Had he failed, which could've been very likely, Fakhar would have been crucified and completely written off and all this talent/hard work would have gone down the drain.

....And then we cry of having no modern day batsman.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

Must be careful .. he reminds me a bit of Awais Zia and we all know how that went ..

have u seen zia played or have u seen fakhar played.... not sure how it reminds u of Zia...

Zia was a leg side hack... Fakhar scored nearly all his boundaries from the offside square of the wicket, hardly see any shot that he played leg side or trying to pull an outside off side ball to legside like the akmals do...

 

[last_knight]

First Misbah and now Afridi.

During a tournament, specially going into a Knock Out, you don't discuss your players. You are a player who retired not long ago, You are supposed to discuss members of opposition teams at this stage of tournament.

May be My friend [MENTION=79064]MMHS[/MENTION] can give a better insight into this.

 

[Chief Destroyer]

This era is of hacks. You can't win games by having Azhar Alis and MoHas in the team.

No, it isn't. The team with the hacks are sitting outside. Australia lost England because they lacked proper batsmen in the middle order. SA's lower order hacks are all failures. SLA capitulated when their main batsmen were dismissed. NZ's lower order hacks have amounted to nothing either.

England and India put up 300+ regularly but they do so playing conventional cricket shots. None of them hack at the ball.

 

[Hamza_]

No, it isn't. The team with the hacks are sitting outside. Australia lost England because they lacked proper batsmen in the middle order. SA's lower order hacks are all failures. SLA capitulated when their main batsmen were dismissed. NZ's lower order hacks have amounted to nothing either.

England and India put up 300+ regularly but they do so playing conventional cricket shots. None of them hack at the ball.

[MENTION=141557]Chief Destroyer[/MENTION] definition of a hack is very vague. Roy, Hales, Stokes and Butter could be termed as HACKS.

Anyone who plays fluently or uses his shots/power= Hack, Specially on this forum. Sharjeel was also labelled as a hack because he used to trust his shots and look to score/be dominant. So my comment was in that perspective, These solid technical or classy coverdrivers like MoHa/Azhar can't get the team to 320+.

 

[pakistani pride]

Absolutely . I was shocked by the whole piece. The only thing wrong he said was the run out was unfortunate for Faheem. But it was his own fault he plonked his bat down

LOL he expects a choker a mental midget like hafeez to come good in the KOs. That can never be a good piece.

 

[MMHS]

First Misbah and now Afridi.

During a tournament, specially going into a Knock Out, you don't discuss your players. You are a player who retired not long ago, You are supposed to discuss members of opposition teams at this stage of tournament.

May be My friend [MENTION=79064]MMHS[/MENTION] can give a better insight into this.

It's call irony - Misbah praising a young player & Afridi talking about handling career carefully.

Personally, I don't feel Misbah is the right person to ask about play book, in a domain which deals with 300+ scores at par.

Afridi has shared his wisdom, which is fine.

 

[TahirFan]

Fantastic decision to select him

I love this guys positive attitude.

 

[Zabbaz]

It's call irony - Misbah praising a young player & Afridi talking about handling career carefully.

Personally, I don't feel Misbah is the right person to ask about play book, in a domain which deals with 300+ scores at par.

Afridi has shared his wisdom, which is fine.

This is true. However, I do not know whether he was actually praising him. It seemed more like he was diplomatically telling him to play slower and be more careful. The code word he used was "play a longer innings". It might seem like a logical statement since who does not want Zaman to play a longer innings? Of course everyone does, but my interpretation is that this just a diplomatic way of getting him to alter his game. This is based on the context of Misbah’s carrier and the approach that he and his team applied during his playing days.

 

[MMHS]

This is true. However, I do not know whether he was actually praising him. It seemed more like he was diplomatically telling him to play slower and be more careful. The code word he used was "play a longer innings". It might seem like a logical statement since who does not want Zaman to play a longer innings? Of course everyone does, but my interpretation is that this just a diplomatic way of getting him to alter his game. This is based on the context of Misbah’s carrier and the approach that he and his team applied during his playing days.

I don't want him to play longer innings, if it brings his SR from 140 to 70. He doesn't have the best defense - trying to play longer innings doesn't ensure longer stay for him.

If that is what Misbah said, he is basically asking him to score similar amount of runs for twice the number of balls - in a game that's limited by number of balls, which I can't accept, particularly when his partner is Misbah's prodigy. Asking to alter one's game is the last thing a senior should do, because what was applicable for Misbah isn't applicable for this guy, neither the need of the hour. Without Fakhar's innings, almost certainly PAK would have lost both games - therefore, I don't see any reason to discourage Fakhar in his mode of operation.

 

[idrizzy]

If Fakhar Zaman is the definition of "hack", then I'm afraid a hack is everything we need! He looks miles better than everyone else we have and he's just played 2 matches in foreign conditions against some of the world's best bowlers.

I fail to understand what our sophistaced and technique loving fans want. He causes carnage by hitting repetitive boundaries over and over again, and not just boundaries, but beautiful cover drives, timed to perfection. His shots are grounded and therefore safe. He is eager to run singles, doubles and to keep the run flow moving. You labelled him as a "leg side hack" and he scored 50 runs without playing a single shot towards the legside. What now? An off-side hack?!

Frankly, us fans don't deserve good batsman because as soon as we get a couple, we start criticising them of having no technique and label them as hacks..

Couldn't agree more. Players like Hales, Roy don't have perfect technique and are succeptible to soin but no one is complaining about them. I think Fakhar has looked extremely good - punishes bad balls while looks to rotate the strike. What more do you want?

 

[Haroon786]

Must be careful .. he reminds me a bit of Awais Zia and we all know how that went ..

Nothing like Zia was - Fakhar's not the best hack I've seen but he has shots all round the ground and I think he can perform to a similar level that Sharjeel was producing before he sold his soul.

Zia FYI was a solely leg-sided hack who only had the mid wicket slog as a shot. His temperament was so bad that he tried to whack each ball. Fakhar otoh takes singles, does play some conventional strokes and is also more receptive to the match situation - his temperament is not diabolical unlike the past pinch hitters we have had.

 

[ExpressPacer]

Couldn't agree more. Players like Hales, Roy don't have perfect technique and are succeptible to soin but no one is complaining about them. I think Fakhar has looked extremely good - punishes bad balls while looks to rotate the strike. What more do you want?

100%. You gave a very good example of Roy, he hasn't scored a 50 in 10 games YET England persisted with him for so long because they know that these "hacks" are who win you games. Same goes for Hales. Another person I'd add to the list is Guptill who everyone called a hack too.

 

[Zabbaz]

I don't want him to play longer innings, if it brings his SR from 140 to 70. He doesn't have the best defense - trying to play longer innings doesn't ensure longer stay for him.

If that is what Misbah said, he is basically asking him to score similar amount of runs for twice the number of balls - in a game that's limited by number of balls, which I can't accept, particularly when his partner is Misbah's prodigy. Asking to alter one's game is the last thing a senior should do, because what was applicable for Misbah isn't applicable for this guy, neither the need of the hour. Without Fakhar's innings, almost certainly PAK would have lost both games - therefore, I don't see any reason to discourage Fakhar in his mode of operation.

What you are saying is gold, especially the bold part, but that is how Misbah has operated throughout his captaincy. I remember Jamsheed when he was at the peak of his form after his hundreds against India. In a post-match press conference (ironically I think it might have been during the champions trophy), Misbah mentioned that Jamsheed needed to bat 50 overs and put a price on his wicket. He then proceeded to say that Jamsheed’s wicket was the turning point in the match. Basically inferring that he had lost the match.

After that Jamsheed never even looked half the player that he had been. He started to play in a strange and stifled manner where he was neither really defending nor attacking. He seemed completely lost. He would bat slowly and then go for a big shot without the conviction that his strokes use to previously have. He seemed confused and frankly, he seemed lost.

To some extent, the same can be said about a few other players that were brought in during Misbah’s time. Not that the players were blameless, especially Jamsheed who has always seemed a bit lazy at times, but I feel this is something that people often gloss over when talking about the former captain.

 

[Zabbaz]

100%. You gave a very good example of Roy, he hasn't scored a 50 in 10 games YET England persisted with him for so long because they know that these "hacks" are who win you games. Same goes for Hales. Another person I'd add to the list is Guptill who everyone called a hack too.

Exactly! These days hack is another word for someone who plays for the team and is not satisfied with a 50 at 70-80 strike rate, before getting out trying to slog a half decent ball to make up for his slow strike rate. A “proper player” is someone like AA who batted with Zaman yesterday.

 

[MMHS]

What you are saying is gold, especially the bold part, but that is how Misbah has operated throughout his captaincy. I remember Jamsheed when he was at the peak of his form after his hundreds against India. In a post-match press conference (ironically I think it might have been during the champions trophy), Misbah mentioned that Jamsheed needed to bat 50 overs and put a price on his wicket. He then proceeded to say that Jamsheed’s wicket was the turning point in the match. Basically inferring that he had lost the match.

After that Jamsheed never even looked half the player that he had been. He started to play in a strange and stifled manner where he was neither really defending nor attacking. He seemed completely lost. He would bat slowly and then go for a big shot without the conviction that his strokes use to previously have. He seemed confused and frankly, he seemed lost.

To some extent, the same can be said about a few other players that were brought in during Misbah’s time. Not that the players were blameless, especially Jamsheed who has always seemed a bit lazy at times, but I feel this is something that people often gloss over when talking about the former captain.

I am not saying that it's the only reason - but Shehzad's game changed completely after coming back to PAK team at the expense of Jamshed & Umar - later Maksood joined the 2. Ahmed figured out his best way to stick in that team.

Playing 50 overs is the best thing, if it doesn't hurt the run rate. One must look to convert hundreds, but not being bogged down to a extent that team finishes 25 runs short with wickets at hand. Indians will get upset, but I can point several such play-out innings, which didn't come to use much in teams cause.

 

[Zabbaz]

I am not saying that it's the only reason - but Shehzad's game changed completely after coming back to PAK team at the expense of Jamshed & Umar - later Maksood joined the 2. Ahmed figured out his best way to stick in that team.

Playing 50 overs is the best thing, if it doesn't hurt the run rate. One must look to convert hundreds, but not being bogged down to a extent that team finishes 25 runs short with wickets at hand. Indians will get upset, but I can point several such play-out innings, which didn't come to use much in teams cause.

Thank you for your honesty brother. What you have just said is considered taboo by many people, but is in fact the correct interpretation of what happened.

 

[MenInG]

Pakistan has defied expectations to book a place in the semi-finals following two resolute performances against South Africa and Sri Lanka but Sarfraz Ahmed’s side now faces the biggest test against hot favourite England in Cardiff.

I have discussed Pakistan’s strategy more than once, so I will start this piece by focusing on England and how it has played consistent cricket for the last two years.

Under Eoin Morgan, England has rejuvenated beyond recognition and is now one of the leading limited overs sides. The English batsmen play the game with a great degree of freedom and positivity and are always ready to assert their superiority over the opposition.

England has posted 300-plus scores with unerring regularity in recent games, which is largely due to the abundance of talent, power and skill in its batting line-up, which runs deep. For Pakistan, the wicket of Joe Root would be extremely crucial tomorrow. Root is their pivotal player at number three and if he is sent packing early on, Pakistan can cause jitters in the English camp.

But I should caution to add that it’s not about Root alone, as we have seen in earlier matches of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017. Morgan, Ben Stokes, Jos Butler, etc are all more than capable of playing match- winning innings. In fact, no team in the world can match the host’s strength and sheer number of match-winners in both batting and bowling.

Pakistan bowlers would have to make regular inroads if they are to restrict England’s free-flowing batting line-up.

Jason Roy’s lack of form at the top of the innings is a worry for England and if it replaces him with Jonny Bairstow tomorrow it can provide Pakistan an opportunity of targeting a new player who hasn’t featured in the tournament yet.

Besides Root, Morgan would be another key player in the English line-up. As a captain and batsman, Morgan has an unflappable temperament as he has displayed in the tournament already.

Like its batting, England possesses a formidable bowling unit that can dismantle any batting line-up in the world on its day. Pakistan’s top and middle-order would have to make their presence felt against the English attack in no uncertain terms. We can’t afford to slack the way we did against Sri Lanka since a top fielding side like England would not give us chances on a platter.

I have spoken in detail about the contribution of senior players for Pakistan: tomorrow the likes of Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik must come good and deliver a commanding performance.

Knockout games at ICC events are memorable occasions; these are the times when a senior player can leave a legacy behind with a match-winning contribution and justifying his presence in the team.

The game tomorrow provides Hafeez, Malik and other seniors in the team this opportunity and I really hope that they raise their hand and deliver an inspired performance that can be remembered for years to come.

Pakistan’s game plan should be simple - repeat the bowling performance against Sri Lanka and search for breakthroughs all the time. With the bat and while fielding, the team would need a major improvement, especially in the middle-order.

I have confidence in our bowling department and if the other two can come close to matching the bowlers, Pakistan can surely spring another surprise and continue its fine run in the competition.

I wish Pakistan the very best and hope the team fights hard and gives England a real run for its money. We are in for a cracking game at Cardiff. As always I am rooting for my team

 

[Chief Destroyer]

[MENTION=141557]Chief Destroyer[/MENTION] definition of a hack is very vague. Roy, Hales, Stokes and Butter could be termed as HACKS.

Anyone who plays fluently or uses his shots/power= Hack, Specially on this forum. Sharjeel was also labelled as a hack because he used to trust his shots and look to score/be dominant. So my comment was in that perspective, These solid technical or classy coverdrivers like MoHa/Azhar can't get the team to 320+.

A hack is one who hacks at the ball because he struggles to get to the pitch of the ball. This term has been abused by idiots who can't differentiate between players. Hales is the only hack in that lineup. The rest just play at a fast pace relying on conventional or improvised shots. Everyone can play cricketing shots, it's just the players with superior hand-eye and intent will play them more often and with more confidence. England have stacked their team with them. If one doesn't work, the other will, all the way through to 9.

 

[Square Drive]

Yeah, otherwise he'll end up like you, Lala.

 

[Abdullah]

LOL he expects a choker a mental midget like hafeez to come good in the KOs. That can never be a good piece.

We've all got to hope. As he will be playing for his bowling as we r on a used wicket

 

[KingKhanWC]

He's so open stanced though; looks like a prime candidate to nick off in any sort of difficult conditions.

England will target him exactly there and with the short ball. He wont be getting many pitched up. Hopefully he can overcome his limitations and get a few quick runs.

 

[Hamza_]

A hack is one who hacks at the ball because he struggles to get to the pitch of the ball. This term has been abused by idiots who can't differentiate between players. Hales is the only hack in that lineup. The rest just play at a fast pace relying on conventional or improvised shots. Everyone can play cricketing shots, it's just the players with superior hand-eye and intent will play them more often and with more confidence. England have stacked their team with them. If one doesn't work, the other will, all the way through to 9.

Yes, It has been misused. But we do need these sort of players like Hales, Roy, Morgan.etc who can play shots and smash it all around.

I can't figure out what sort of players these Azhar Alis and Professors are. They are not hacks but what are they then.

 

[Hasan123]

[MENTION=141557]Chief Destroyer[/MENTION] definition of a hack is very vague. Roy, Hales, Stokes and Butter could be termed as HACKS.

Anyone who plays fluently or uses his shots/power= Hack, Specially on this forum. Sharjeel was also labelled as a hack because he used to trust his shots and look to score/be dominant. So my comment was in that perspective, These solid technical or classy coverdrivers like MoHa/Azhar can't get the team to 320+.

Buttler and Stokes are not hacks. Not even close.

 

[Rayyman]

Is it just me or is anybody else excited to see Fakhar Zaman open the batting for Pakistan in T20Is?

 

[mak36]

Is it just me or is anybody else excited to see Fakhar Zaman open the batting for Pakistan in T20Is?

Not just you.

He should have opened in the IT20s vs Windies. Not sure what they were thinking sending him in at six.

 

[Markhor]

Yeah, you're the one to be advising management about selection issues Shahid - shame you didn't "carefully handle" Aamer Yamin when you dropped him after 1 T20.