Fawad Alam is the ready made Test team replacement for Misbah-ul-Haq at #5

[Gasman]

So I think the current Test series vs Australia has shown that Misbah needs to retire now, and vacate his #5 slot for a new batsman. I don't think his heart is in it any more, and aged 42 he should enjoy a well earned retirement.

With doubts about when Haris Sohail may recuperate from his long term injury, Fawad Alam for my money MUST be given a prolonged run at 5 in the Test team.

I agree with other recent threads that Younis should be captain for the next year or so, and in this time his presence would help Fawad settle into the team.

Fawad has a FC average of 56, and I am sure he will do a wonderful job of stabilising the late middle order after Misbah's retirement .

What are your thoughts on this?

And who else is around that may be a worthy successor to Misbah?

 

[itsme]

He is indeed the perfect replacement for misbah but we don't need one.

 

[Seamer]

I strongly agree he deserves a chance in the test team with that fc average and yes Younis should be captain for a year or so as the youngsters can learn a lot from him. This is the team I would go with for the next series:

1. Azhar Ali
2. Sami Aslam
3. Babar Azam
4. Younis Khan
5. Fawad Alam
6. Asad Shafiq
7. Sarfaraz
8. Yasir Shah
9. Amir
10. Wahab Riaz
11. Mir Hamza

12. Hassan Ali
13. Asghar
14. Usman Salahuddin
15. Fakhar Zaman

 

[coy0607]

he's the obvious choice, clearly the most deserving candidate in the country. a left hander also gives the middle order a little diversity

I dont know if the PCB will select him thou, they clearly have issues with him / batting technique

 

[Chief Destroyer]

He's the perfect replacement we don't need.

 

[Gasman]

Guys, let's be realistic here. Misbah is 42, in 18 years time he will be eligible for a state pension (if he was in UK!).
He can't carry on indefinitely.
So yes, I believe that we most definitely need a replacement, though there can be no doubts that he has been a great servant to the team over the years, especially post spot fixing 2010.

 

[aloo paratha]

#6, Asad should be at 5.

 

[KingKhanWC]

He's had a run in international cricket, did well at times but poorly at other times.

I would prefer we find a batting allrounder to play at six. Someone young with potential.

 

[shaz619]

He's had a run in international cricket, did well at times but poorly at other times.

I would prefer we find a batting allrounder to play at six. Someone young with potential.

Hammad Azam deserves a run, he displayed potential the last time he was featured but was not given a long rope or managed properly. Since then he has been toiling on the domestic circuit and in the recent premier FC season he averaged 44 with the bat and took 20 wickets at an average of 28 from the 10 games he played for United Bank. Still is young and has a lot to offer, we should carefully develop him and give him plenty of exposure.

We often complain about no A/R but how many have the PCB attempted to give a chance? I guess another issue to debate is the nature of UAE wickets which have also prevented us from scouting an A/R for away tours. They are giving Nawaz a chance and fair enough that's great especially in the UAE but hopefully they think about conditions away as well

 

[KingKhanWC]

Hammad Azam deserves a run, he displayed potential the last time he was featured but was not given a long rope or managed properly. Since then he has been toiling on the domestic circuit and in the recent premier FC season he averaged 44 with the bat and took 20 wickets at an average of 28 from the 10 games he played for United Bank. Still is young and has a lot to offer, we should carefully develop him and give him plenty of exposure.

We often complain about no A/R but how many have the PCB attempted to give a chance? I guess another issue to debate is the nature of UAE wickets which have also prevented us from scouting an A/R for away tours. They are giving Nawaz a chance and fair enough that's great especially in the UAE but hopefully they think about conditions away as well

100% agree. Azam has been bred through the U-19 stage as did Babar and Aslam. He has a very good batting technique with the ability to attack with varied strokes when required. His bowling is about line and length as his pace isn't up there but as an all rounder he can contain from one end when needed. It seems another prospect ruined by the PCB and selectors.

 

[Junaids]

So I think the current Test series vs Australia has shown that Misbah needs to retire now, and vacate his #5 slot for a new batsman. I don't think his heart is in it any more, and aged 42 he should enjoy a well earned retirement.

With doubts about when Haris Sohail may recuperate from his long term injury, Fawad Alam for my money MUST be given a prolonged run at 5 in the Test team.

I agree with other recent threads that Younis should be captain for the next year or so, and in this time his presence would help Fawad settle into the team.

Fawad has a FC average of 56, and I am sure he will do a wonderful job of stabilising the late middle order after Misbah's retirement .

What are your thoughts on this?

And who else is around that may be a worthy successor to Misbah?

Fawad Alam is the perfect clone for a pointless and self-destructive role.

You already have three senior players in the 29-32 age band in your Top Seven - Azhar, Shafiq and Sarfraz.

Plus a fourth short-term in the shape of Younis.

You need to surround them with players preferably under 25 and at worst under 28.

The Misbah Experiment was to pick a mature captain who had never been good enough to hold down a place as a batsman in his 20's.

And outside Asia it was an unmitigated disaster. Even in Australia 7 years ago and South Africa 4 years ago his batting was exposed.

Fawad Alam would just repeat the failed experiment, but his weird and wacky technique would make him a sitting duck for opposition attacks.

Ideally now would be when Babar Azam would take over, but he has missed 15 Tests when Misbah somehow occupied his place and so is not appointable as skipper until he is established in the team on merit.

And neither is Fawad Alam.

You all know that I consider Salman Butt to have the best offside game if any Pakistani. But I think at 32 he is too old to recall.

And so, by the same token, is Fawad Alam. Too old and not good enough.

 

[shaz619]

100% agree. Azam has been bred through the U-19 stage as did Babar and Aslam. He has a very good batting technique with the ability to attack with varied strokes when required. His bowling is about line and length as his pace isn't up there but as an all rounder he can contain from one end when needed. It seems another prospect ruined by the PCB and selectors.

Some posters on PP who've read Mickey Arthers book that he's really big on A/R and a great team balance so there's hope that maybe he'll bat for a guy like Hammad, Misbah's retirement is imminent so someone ought to be given a look soon hopefully. I'd not complain so much about Fawad given that a Test recall is something he has earned but an A/R would be a better investment in the long run

 

[hussain.r97]

Fawad is a disaster.

Ideally, Haris Sohail should come into the fold.

 

[New Yorker]

Fawad Alam is the perfect clone for a pointless and self-destructive role.

You already have three senior players in the 29-32 age band in your Top Seven - Azhar, Shafiq and Sarfraz.

Plus a fourth short-term in the shape of Younis.

You need to surround them with players preferably under 25 and at worst under 28.

The Misbah Experiment was to pick a mature captain who had never been good enough to hold down a place as a batsman in his 20's.

And outside Asia it was an unmitigated disaster. Even in Australia 7 years ago and South Africa 4 years ago his batting was exposed.

Fawad Alam would just repeat the failed experiment, but his weird and wacky technique would make him a sitting duck for opposition attacks.

Ideally now would be when Babar Azam would take over, but he has missed 15 Tests when Misbah somehow occupied his place and so is not appointable as skipper until he is established in the team on merit.

And neither is Fawad Alam.

You all know that I consider Salman Butt to have the best offside game if any Pakistani. But I think at 32 he is too old to recall.

And so, by the same token, is Fawad Alam. Too old and not good enough.

He may be many things, including not pretty too watch, but this is sad to read, from someone who has spoken so admirably on the need to respect empirical evidence. FV Ave 56, 168 on debut, Test Ave of 40+. No question he is good enough to get a run. If he is not good enough fine, discard him after 5 Tests.

 

[godzilla]

he is the perfect choice, and should be given a long rope. he should on the basis of fact rather than rank idiotic speculation have been given a long run years ago. pakistan need to pick its very best players, not players who 'might at some point down the line possibly do something, i dont know, maybe whatever'.

if they havent or cant perform at the domestic level, all the evidence would suggest that the greatest likelihood is that they wont be spectacular at the international level. so far it seems the numbers are being born out precisely in that fashion for players eg babar tendulkar azam, and younis not-really-too-old-to-play-in-australia-after-all khan.

he has outstripped everyone else by such a massive margin, its ridiculous not to have selected him and to give him a good year to settle. the whole nonsense about technique has been exposed a billion times over with so called technique experts consistently flopping, and so called technique-less disco dancers producing the goods.

the point of technique is to create the greatest possibility of scoring runs most consistently, and so the best measure of technique is performance. no single side in the history of the game was awarded a game for showcasing technique, they always win because they score more runs. that, then, is the sensible criterion.

he has blown everyone else apart on the domestic circuit for ever:

http://www.pakpassion.net/ppforum/s...-us-about-our-test-team&p=8753922#post8753922

 

[LordJames]

You don't consistently outscore everyone else by a country mile with a faulty technique, not year after year.


He needs to be given the Number 5 Slot and kept there.

 

[Junaids]

You don't consistently outscore everyone else by a country mile with a faulty technique, not year after year.


He needs to be given the Number 5 Slot and kept there.

Fawad Alam didn't.

He played nine matches this season and was the 22nd highest run scorer.

 

[Junaids]

Fawad Alam didn't.

He played nine matches this season and was the 22nd highest run scorer.

He only hit 1 century in eleven innings this year, and that was only 108. He bloated his average with several not outs and of course faced the old ball.

While Fawad Alam was making 1 century this season:

Kamran Akmal hit 5
Salman Butt hit 4
Asif Zakir hit 4.

Case closed.

 

[ads101]

He should be back in the squad, he's consistently performed year after year in domestic with a decent international record, especially in tougher conditions. Think he's fine to slot in at five for Misbah, would be a good decision. I'm not a fan of picking guys who just perform in one year, Fawad's done it year after year proving it's no fluke. Plus he brings great fielding, a part time bowling option if needed and captaincy experience which could help out captain after Misbah.

With Sami and Babar already in the team still trying to cement their place, adding in someone like Fawad would be ideal. We can always bring another youngster in when Younis retires.

 

[godzilla]

He should be back in the squad, he's consistently performed year after year in domestic with a decent international record, especially in tougher conditions. Think he's fine to slot in at five for Misbah, would be a good decision. I'm not a fan of picking guys who just perform in one year, Fawad's done it year after year proving it's no fluke. Plus he brings great fielding, a part time bowling option if needed and captaincy experience which could help out captain after Misbah.

With Sami and Babar already in the team still trying to cement their place, adding in someone like Fawad would be ideal. We can always bring another youngster in when Younis retires.

precisely. its unfortunate that very few people seem to have the intelligence to understand that statistics are only meaningful with large sample sizes. one season means nothing at all. facts bear this position out time and time again.

 

[Bewal Express]

I would give Sharjeel a decent run because he brings something different and open him with Azhar. We all know that Shazad will be recalled sooner or later, so put him at 3. I would keep YK at 4 and promote Shafiq at 5, and move Babar to 6-PK cannot afford not to develop Babars talents. For me Fawad has an ugly batting style and more importantly, any half decent fast bowler would really fancy his chances.

 

[On_the_up]

Fawad definitely has had a rough deal and he could possibly be the solution for next 2-3 years but not for long.

I wouldn't mind giving Imad Wasim a go at no 6, with Shafiq moving to 5. This will give us a 5th bowler who if not taking lots of wkts, could definitely do a holding job and give the other main bowlers a breather.

 

[New Yorker]

I would give Sharjeel a decent run because he brings something different and open him with Azhar. We all know that Shazad will be recalled sooner or later, so put him at 3. I would keep YK at 4 and promote Shafiq at 5, and move Babar to 6-PK cannot afford not to develop Babars talents. For me Fawad has an ugly batting style and more importantly, any half decent fast bowler would really fancy his chances.

Irfan, Sharjeel, Wahab, all thought to bring "something different," all so far not quite up to scratch. Sometimes it feels as if we are debating the makeup of a circus troupe.

Pakistan lost this series not because the batsmen failed to score quickly enough, but because they collapsed over and over again. That's usually how Tests are lost.

I for one would love some boring old fashion quality and reliability. It is baffling that Asad Shafiq, FC ave 40 something, Test Ave 40 something, and at 30 as unreliable as ever, had a career instead of Fawad FC ave 56.

 

[New Yorker]

I would give Sharjeel a decent run because he brings something different and open him with Azhar. We all know that Shazad will be recalled sooner or later, so put him at 3. I would keep YK at 4 and promote Shafiq at 5, and move Babar to 6-PK cannot afford not to develop Babars talents. For me Fawad has an ugly batting style and more importantly, any half decent fast bowler would really fancy his chances.

They'd fancy their chances with Babar much more.

Fawwad must be so lucky to play an entire FC career and never face a half decent fast bowler.

 

[New Yorker]

He only hit 1 century in eleven innings this year, and that was only 108. He bloated his average with several not outs and of course faced the old ball.

While Fawad Alam was making 1 century this season:

Kamran Akmal hit 5
Salman Butt hit 4
Asif Zakir hit 4.

Case closed.

Absolutely agree Akmal should be selected if he keeps this up. You perform you get a chance.

By which logic the next guy up should be the guy who topped the charts for the last 10 years.

Give him 4-5 Tests and see what he can do, if he fails we move on. Nothing controversial here.

 

[Junaids]

Absolutely agree Akmal should be selected if he keeps this up. You perform you get a chance.

By which logic the next guy up should be the guy who topped the charts for the last 10 years.

Give him 4-5 Tests and see what he can do, if he fails we move on. Nothing controversial here.

Except Fawad Alam wasn't even in the Top Twenty rungetters this year.

So how can he be next in line?

 

[SARJ_BD]

What is the recent form of Hamad Azam? Did you follow QeA2016 or Departmental odi 2016? What was his performance?
If history is the indicator, than Nasir Jamshed also deserve a place

Hammad Azam deserves a run, he displayed potential the last time he was featured but was not given a long rope or managed properly. Since then he has been toiling on the domestic circuit and in the recent premier FC season he averaged 44 with the bat and took 20 wickets at an average of 28 from the 10 games he played for United Bank. Still is young and has a lot to offer, we should carefully develop him and give him plenty of exposure.

We often complain about no A/R but how many have the PCB attempted to give a chance? I guess another issue to debate is the nature of UAE wickets which have also prevented us from scouting an A/R for away tours. They are giving Nawaz a chance and fair enough that's great especially in the UAE but hopefully they think about conditions away as well

 

[daytrader]

Except Fawad Alam wasn't even in the Top Twenty rungetters this year.

So how can he be next in line?

Motivation my friend. If you continue to be ignored even after topping charts for years than there is no motivation to give it your all. Give him a whiff of a chance and watch how he pays off

 

[ExpressPacer]

I don't care whether how good Fawad was this season or not, he deserves to be there solely on the basis of merit of all of his performances throughout the years. Another important aspect of this would be that as we have seen in all these matches, we have no person who can survive a day, Misbah used to fill this role earlier but as it can be seen, he no longer has the capability of doing so, thus, Fawad Alam is an obvious selection given his ability to hold ground and survive.

Also, his experience and never say die attitude would also inspire the youngsters of our team. His athleticism and fielding ability has always stood out and I think nobody would disagree with the fact that he easily saves 15-20 runs in the field.

That being said, his handy left-arm spin can prove to be vital.

 

[Manager101]

Fawad Alam is one of the most unlucky Pakistan players who were left out of test team just like Asim Kamal in past.

Even after scoring 168 runs in debut match, moreover all other batsmen failed big time in that particular match. He just played 4 test matches and was left out. Lastly he has been a prolific FC batsman for long time now.

I request the selectors to please don't create another Asim Kamal in Pakistan cricket.

 

[Markhor]

Would be unjust given his record if he wasn't at least given a chance.