Fakhar Zaman's dismissal today shows why Pakistan is far behind other nations

[Savak]

He literally threw it away almost looking deliberate after getting a good start. What a shockingly nothing shot. I know he sucks against spin but was a shockingly poor dismissal and average shot once he got to 40.

A lot of our players think they have done their job after making 40-60 and booking their spots for the next 2 plus games. No one has the hunger, desire to score 150 plus.

Unless the mentality changes, Pakistan will never progress

 

[AamchiMumbaikar]

Too much of analysis, he always plays such shots and is a lottery. Move on.

 

[adil79]

Fakhar is a hack. He doesn't have the technique and temperament, to be at this level. He tries to slog every ball. Pathetic, as he gifted his wicket

 

[IAJ]

one thing is swinging his bat blindly, but another is this kind of stupid shot. Had he gone for a big one and then got out, that would have been his fame. But this was directly dumb.

 

[reversehook]

lolz had that shot connected, you would have made a thread titled "we need This type of modern play"...

however, i do agree that 20-30 is like a 100 to our guys...

 

[Firebat]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Pakistan cricket can be so frustrating. Fakhar Zaman - so you've been batting beautifully, timing the ball so well, placing the ball perfectly and have the base for a big score. And then you play such a pathetic and unnecessary shot to get out <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PAKvSA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PAKvSA</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CWC19?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CWC19</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1142744818227011589?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[MenInG]

Fakhar needs to do better if Pakistan have any chance of making to the final four - needs to learn from mistakes

 

[Suleiman]

He’s the last of our problems. Be happy with what you have. Most of the players that come out of the system are raw and half baked because we don’t develop them properly like India, Eng or Aus. This is the best we’ve got after Sharjeel got banned.

 

[GLORY OF '92]

He timed about 3 shots. He has been exposed.

Time for a new opener.

 

[Barragan]

"He sucks against spin", when did that happen?

He is excellent against spin, it's just that he wants to dominate and whack them out of the attack.

I don't know why he played that stupid shot today against a spinner.

 

[The Viper]

"He sucks against spin", when did that happen?

He is excellent against spin, it's just that he wants to dominate and whack them out of the attack.

I don't know why he played that stupid shot today against a spinner.

Yeah he is a pretty decent player of spin. There was no need for that shot. He should have backed himself to play conventional shots.

 

[leg-side-flick]

Does he drive through covers well ?

 

[junaidji]

He’s the last of our problems. Be happy with what you have. Most of the players that come out of the system are raw and half baked because we don’t develop them properly like India, Eng or Aus. This is the best we’ve got after Sharjeel got banned.

They can bring back Sharjeel in August, 2.5 years of his ban are suspended. Not saying if it's the right or wrong thing to do, but still.

 

[ak619]

"He sucks against spin", when did that happen?

He is excellent against spin, it's just that he wants to dominate and whack them out of the attack.

I don't know why he played that stupid shot today against a spinner.

Actually [MENTION=2501]Savak[/MENTION] has a point here.

From however much I have seen of him, he does seem to struggle against spin.

Already in this WC he has gotten out to spinners thrice in 5 innings.

And I remember even in the 2018 Asia Cup he got out to spinners in 4 of the 5 innings he played.

So clearly he is troubled by spin bowling.

 

[Shafi]

Should not let him play against BD & AFG. We will be 1 batsman shot

 

[Mean&Green]

That’s his game bruv sehwag hacked his way throughout his career he’s one of the greatest ever

 

[Cric_lover4487]

Why don't you accept that he is a hack? He had a lucky start to his career now teams have worked him out.
He needs to work a lot on his technique especially vs spin. Also with his baseball type batting grip, i don't see him playing front foot cover drive in his career.

 

[ak619]

That’s his game bruv sehwag hacked his way throughout his career he’s one of the greatest ever

No offence but you have no idea of the game if you think Sehwag was a hack.

He played with as straight a face of the bat many of the top tier ATGs. You don't average 50 in test cricket by hacking your way through 100+ matches.

 

[Savak]

That’s his game bruv sehwag hacked his way throughout his career he’s one of the greatest ever

Are you kidding me? Sehwag has plenty of double centuries, triple centuries in test cricket and big scores in ODI cricket. Sehwag very rarely threw it away after getting a good start. Big difference between Indian and Pakistani players

 

[Blistering Barnacle]

Fakhar got Pakistan off to a good start.

His average of almost 50 shows that he does so more often than not.

Yeah, was a bad shot. But I'd rather he keeps doing what he does and scoring at the strike rate he does.

He will screw up once in a while but that's ok if he keeps trying to score.

 

[Blistering Barnacle]

Why do so many PP'ers want to insult a player like Fakhar who averages around 50 at a s/r of near 100 after so many matches?

It's pretty crazy to me.

You want to go back to the days of Ahmed Shahzad or Salman Butt - who struck in the 70s?

What's wrong with you guys?

 

[Forum363]

Why don't you accept that he is a hack? He had a lucky start to his career now teams have worked him out.
He needs to work a lot on his technique especially vs spin. Also with his baseball type batting grip, i don't see him playing front foot cover drive in his career.

Do you have any basis for this statement about his ‘lucky’ start and the fact that now teams have worked him out?

Or are you just spewing out hate based on your biased opinions.

 

[Kraetoz]

Are you kidding me? Sehwag has plenty of double centuries, triple centuries in test cricket and big scores in ODI cricket. Sehwag very rarely threw it away after getting a good start. Big difference between Indian and Pakistani players

Fakhar also has double centuries in ODI, FC and list A. He has only played 3 test matches so far so no debate there. However i agree that Fakhar rarely makes it count and throws it away

 

[Forum363]

Why do so many PP'ers want to insult a player like Fakhar who averages around 50 at a s/r of near 100 after so many matches?

It's pretty crazy to me.

You want to go back to the days of Ahmed Shahzad or Salman Butt - who struck in the 70s?

What's wrong with you guys?

It’s just amazing. Fakhar is called a hack and bashed because he got out to a stupid shot today. Imam is abused for playing too slowly and having a low strike rate. Babar is known as a bottler and doesn’t play impactful innings.

Our fans are ridiculous. For the first time in a long time we’ve got a decent top order. Not saying it’s in the league of India/ Aus / Eng but for our standards it’s brilliant.

Please can someone give me an example of any ODI batsmen we’ve had in the past 15 years who are better than our current top three.

 

[Titan24]

Fakhar is too important player for us to be getting out in soft ways.

 

[aloo paratha]

Yeah the shot was bad, but you guys are way to jazbaati. He's been pretty good for, one bad shot doesn't change that.

 

[GLORY OF '92]

Fakhar lacks power. Cannot time it either. Need Sharjeel ASAP

 

[pakistani pride]

Sucks against spin?
What a thread.

 

[PakHammer]

If Sharjeel and Khalid Latif were not so dumb, we would some decent power hitting openers in this world cup with Fakhar.

Stick with Fakhar, he is the only opener in this squad that can give it a bash from ball one.

 

[Mirpur express]

Fakhar got Pakistan off to a good start.

His average of almost 50 shows that he does so more often than not.

Yeah, was a bad shot. But I'd rather he keeps doing what he does and scoring at the strike rate he does.

He will screw up once in a while but that's ok if he keeps trying to score.

I second that

 

[Blistering Barnacle]

It’s just amazing. Fakhar is called a hack and bashed because he got out to a stupid shot today. Imam is abused for playing too slowly and having a low strike rate. Babar is known as a bottler and doesn’t play impactful innings.

Our fans are ridiculous. For the first time in a long time we’ve got a decent top order. Not saying it’s in the league of India/ Aus / Eng but for our standards it’s brilliant.

Please can someone give me an example of any ODI batsmen we’ve had in the past 15 years who are better than our current top three.

Totally agree.

Our strength is now our batting...in the top 3 particularly. Haris today showed he can make it even stronger.

Imo, we would have done a lot better against Aus and Ind had we batted first and put up a decent total.

Anyway that's besides the point. Point is, these three determine whether we have a good score or not. It's very different to the earlier 2010s and 2000s when it was the middle order who determined that (Yousuf, Inzi, YK).

 

[Sunzi]

It was a poor dismissal but he is beyond reproach forever for his CT2017 Final knock :fakhar

 

[leg-side-flick]

It’s just amazing. Fakhar is called a hack and bashed because he got out to a stupid shot today. Imam is abused for playing too slowly and having a low strike rate. Babar is known as a bottler and doesn’t play impactful innings.

Our fans are ridiculous. For the first time in a long time we’ve got a decent top order. Not saying it’s in the league of India/ Aus / Eng but for our standards it’s brilliant.

Please can someone give me an example of any ODI batsmen we’ve had in the past 15 years who are better than our current top three.

I think Yohanna / Mohd Yousuf was better than all 3....

 

[Zaz]

Fakhars fine at the top Giving the team a good start more often than not He just needs to stop throwing his wkt away so often A little more thought needed

 

[topspin]

It disgusts me whenever I see him being called a "hack" on this forum. Yes he's not the most orthodox, but cricket is a sport which caters players of all styles - that's the beauty of the game. We should cherish his runs today and how he's always played selflessly, with the team's best interests at heart, so no he should not be dropped after this WC. He's a quality player, who will be needed in the 2023 WC, given his prowess against spin bowling.

After this WC, I would like to see Fakhar bat at 3 with Babar moving up as an opener because the former is susceptible to the new ball in the first 5 overs, whereas the latter has displayed his technical qualities not just to negotiate but score a flurry of boundaries in the first powerplay.

Also OP, if you think he sucks against spin, perhaps you need to watch the CT final again. If anything he's superior against spin than pace.

 

[Visaal-E-Yaar]

Fakhar lacks power. Cannot time it either. Need Sharjeel ASAP

Replacing one hack with another one.

But i dont think he is hack. He is good batsman. Need more hard work.

 

[Syed1]

Honestly had he executed it all will be doing wah wah.... it happens sometimes it comes off and looks spectacular other times it doesn't and looks very ungainly.

 

[Boi]

Why do so many PP'ers want to insult a player like Fakhar who averages around 50 at a s/r of near 100 after so many matches?

It's pretty crazy to me.

You want to go back to the days of Ahmed Shahzad or Salman Butt - who struck in the 70s?

What's wrong with you guys?

Innit. Either these lot don’t remember the days of Shehzad/Farhat/Butt or are genuinely stupid. Fakhar is quality.

 

[Hasan123]

The problem isn’t the way he plays the game, the issue here is his shot selection. He is good at hitting spinners through the legside so why try that shot? His limited shot range was exposed, he wasn’t in a awful position to play that shot. Also hit the top part of the bat hence it ballooning up like that.

 

[Syed1]

Why do so many PP'ers want to insult a player like Fakhar who averages around 50 at a s/r of near 100 after so many matches?

It's pretty crazy to me.

You want to go back to the days of Ahmed Shahzad or Salman Butt - who struck in the 70s?

What's wrong with you guys?

Also goes to show that if we back domestic performers they may come good in internationals. Same Fakhar Zaman averaged 50+ at 100 SR in domestics and has been performing spectacularly since debut. Despite our domestic not being the best there is still some merit in rewarding its best performers. Instead our selectors have over the years sidelined cold hard numbers and relied on their "eye" to identify talent.

 

[Boi]

The problem isn’t the way he plays the game, the issue here is his shot selection. He is good at hitting spinners through the legside so why try that shot? His limited shot range was exposed, he wasn’t in a awful position to play that shot. Also hit the top part of the bat hence it ballooning up like that.

It happens bro. Butler has got out playing the scoop many a time but England just let him play his game. No point criticising Fakhar for this, give him the freedom to go again and execute better next time.

 

[Hasan123]

It happens bro. Butler has got out playing the scoop many a time but England just let him play his game. No point criticising Fakhar for this, give him the freedom to go again and execute better next time.

It didn’t cost us today, but if he gets a start he needs to go. Better shot excuation is needed.

 

[topspin]

It’s just amazing. Fakhar is called a hack and bashed because he got out to a stupid shot today. Imam is abused for playing too slowly and having a low strike rate. Babar is known as a bottler and doesn’t play impactful innings.

Our fans are ridiculous. For the first time in a long time we’ve got a decent top order. Not saying it’s in the league of India/ Aus / Eng but for our standards it’s brilliant.

Please can someone give me an example of any ODI batsmen we’ve had in the past 15 years who are better than our current top three.

Why do so many PP'ers want to insult a player like Fakhar who averages around 50 at a s/r of near 100 after so many matches?

It's pretty crazy to me.

You want to go back to the days of Ahmed Shahzad or Salman Butt - who struck in the 70s?

What's wrong with you guys?

Very well said guys. You both need to post more often.

 

[Savak]

Fakhar Zaman looked all at see against Kuldeep and Chahal. The shot he played to get out after Babar's dismissal was criminal and allowed the Indians to tee in against our remaining batsmen. His game against spin is very limited, he cannot play the sweep shot to save his life.

 

[Abdullah]

We want our players to play "modern day" cricket.
These things are forgiven in modern day cricket and everyone moves on

 

[gazza619]

Hope he deletes this stroke from his system for future games. A nothing shot and unsuitable for his game.

 

[Forum363]

I think Yohanna / Mohd Yousuf was better than all 3....

He only played at number 3 in 45 innings out of 300ish.

But the very fact that you have to bring up one of our best ever all format batsman who was at the tail end of his career by 2010 shows you how poor our resources with the bat have been.

Just backs up why our current top three are like gold dust for us.

 

[Uzi]

Pakistan is not exactly blessed with great openers. He is one of the best we have. It was a bit of a brainless shot as he had just scored a boundary or two before that. He just needs to be a bit smarter with his shot selection.

Dropping him isn’t the way to go. He has given us half decent starts more often than not. I’m hoping he can get some big runs in our next three matches.

 

[Ronaldo7]

Hope he deletes this stroke from his system for future games. A nothing shot and unsuitable for his game.

Played it against eng and now thinks he's one with it.

 

[Savak]

The point of this thread is that every batsman who gets in needs to score big and score 150 plus. That is how you win games.

 

[GLORY OF '92]

The point of this thread is that every batsman who gets in needs to score big and score 150 plus. That is how you win games.

Fakhar has already played the knock of his life. He used up a lot of luck there. We need Babar Harris and Hafeez to score 70% of the runs now.

 

[Usman Chadda]

Fakhar has been unlucky all this tournament. Nothing has come off for him.

Here's hoping things go his way in the upcoming games.

 

[shah_1]

He is a tullybaaz so what do you expect?

Fakhar is never a long term option

 

[Shafi]

Even Afridi with little bit of application is better than Fakhar. This guy only know how to slog blindly. If it hits correctly it will be 4s or 6s otherwise a nick.

 

[Shafi]

Fakhar has been unlucky all this tournament. Nothing has come off for him.

Here's hoping things go his way in the upcoming games.

I think he is lucky to score this much. He survived so many potential edges even again S Africa.

 

[Pakistanian]

Regardless of what you think, Fakhar is a champion. He's won a world title for Pakistan and that's the most important feat in world sports - winning chips.

 

[zulfiqar]

Not worried about fakhar! Hes during a big one soon

 

[Tapeballcricket]

I think guys here are forgetting the terrible run we had with openers since Saeed Anwar and Amir Sohail combo?

It has taken us years to get to this point where at least our openers are not sure shot getting murdered out there in the first 2-3 overs consistently.

These guys with their hack/luck whatever are at least giving us a good start...

 

[Markhor]

Attacking batsman like Fakhar Zaman will frustrate from time to time but such players need to be backed.

We complain about SRs all the time yet people are asking to drop the batsman with one of the best SRs ! Crazy.

 

[Fahdi]

What I find surprising is that Fakhar is getting criticized far more than Imam even though Fakhar has performed much better in this WC. Even in the last match both openers scored 44 but Imam took an extra 8 deliveries.

 

[miandadrules]

He along with Sharjeel are the only two batsmen equipped to play the modern game.

 

[zee-za-man]

Funny how Fakhar is being targeted, if one watches dismissals of babar and imam how they've gifted their wickets on same delivery in 3-4 innings one would quit watching Pakistan team for good. Imam has been giving away his wicket on soft dismissals mostly caught and bowled while babar serves a huge gap between his leg and bat facing spinners. Kuldeep yadav has bowled him out twice with the same delivery.

 

[Captain caveman]

Funny how Fakhar is being targeted, if one watches dismissals of babar and imam how they've gifted their wickets on same delivery in 3-4 innings one would quit watching Pakistan team for good. Imam has been giving away his wicket on soft dismissals mostly caught and bowled while babar serves a huge gap between his leg and bat facing spinners. Kuldeep yadav has bowled him out twice with the same delivery.

You tell them zee-za-man!

 

[TeymurBlake]

He played such an unnecessary shot that it wasn't needed. He should have looked to rotate strike after the first ball boundary.

 

[Kaka4pope]

Fakhar is a hack. He doesn't have the technique and temperament, to be at this level. He tries to slog every ball. Pathetic, as he gifted his wicket

He DOES belong at this level, and his stats back that up.

 

[Kaka4pope]

Unbelievable, some thorough bashing going on of Zaman in LOIs. Just call the thread Anwar or bust, because that's what it appears to be.

 

[silentkiller187]

when he hits a six hes a hack when he tries to build an innings our players are stuck in an old era and do not show intent. Leave the guy be, have you seen how many times Jos Butler got out to that shot in his career, not comparing the two at all but let him practise and perfect his skills, when it comes off Pakistan will be somewhere near getting on the right track and up to speed with the rest of the teams.

 

[sunnykhan]

Pathetic shot! Should've been dropped for that shot alone. But it's WC and we can't do drop him.

He needs to work hard on his batting. He is lucky to be playing, should make the most of it.

 

[Barragan]

Actually [MENTION=2501]Savak[/MENTION] has a point here.

From however much I have seen of him, he does seem to struggle against spin.

Already in this WC he has gotten out to spinners thrice in 5 innings.

And I remember even in the 2018 Asia Cup he got out to spinners in 4 of the 5 innings he played.

So clearly he is troubled by spin bowling.

Well, you haven't seen enough of him because he absolutely creams spinners.

It's a shame, he hasn't been in great form in this WC, otherwise you would have seen his dominance against spin.

 

[Savak]

Fakhar is a hack against spinners, he relies on hitting himself out of trouble, he was all at sea against Chahal, Kuldeep in both the Asia Cup and here as well. Even Bangladesh used spinners to get him out early.

 

[Hasan]

Worry not he will come good.

 

[Abdullah]

Worry not he will come good.

I'm cool as he will explode the QF or semi inshaAllah and win us a game.
Hafeez owes us one of those 2

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

Fakhar is a hack against spinners, he relies on hitting himself out of trouble, he was all at sea against Chahal, Kuldeep in both the Asia Cup and here as well. Even Bangladesh used spinners to get him out early.

BD will open with Shakib against him.

Expect 0/1 again

Can Pakistan afford to bench him against BD?

 

[zulfiqar]

He's in shocking form this tournament and it's quite disappointing. Despite that - we only have one more group game left now and I wouldn't change him because that would require potentially shifting Hafeez up and bringing in Asif Ali - and I'd rather just keep Fakhar.

Hopefully he comes good against Bangladesh! People are saying that he's at sea against spinners.. but the truth is that almost everyone in this tournament has looked clueless against the spin we've seen in the latter half of the group stages (most of our own batsmen barring Babar, most of the Indian batsmen barring Kohli, the entire English team, to name a few).

 

[adil79]

He can't pick spinners off the hands. So, bowl a googly and you are gold. as he wont know which way it will turn unless he sees it off the pitch/ He is as good as Asif Ali, who is pathetic against spin. Hit and miss type of player, with abysmal technique. He will fail 9 out of 10 times if the ball is spinning. But before that, he will gift his wicket away to a pacer. A hack through and through.