Going by history, do you think Fakhar Zaman will end up having a good international career?

[Major]

I wanted to ask this question before, but due to high emotions i knew i wouldn't had gotten an unbiased answer.

Fakhar Zaman has had a great start to his international career, but there is a problem.

In the past 10 years in Pakistan, any aggressive cricketer who had a great start to his career, ended up failing and being out of the team due to Form, Fitness or some other issue.

The list of players include

Umar Akmal : Great start to his career, ended up being dropped due to poor form and fitness

Ahmed Shezad: Good start to his career, still not a regular member as he is mostly in and out of the team due to form

Sohaib Maqsood: Was a highly rated cricketer by everyone. Started off good. Later in the career, couldn't even manage to cross 30 runs and was dropped.

Asad Shafiq: started off great with performance in England pitches. Ends up being a terrible player for the limited overs format

Haris Sohail: Has a good started, but gets injured, and now after injury he still isn't part of the team(One could only wonder what would had happened to his career uptil now if he wasn't injured)

Mohammad Rizwan: Starts off very good, ends up being dropped for very poor form.

Mukhtar Ahmed: Has a great start, soon gets exposed

If you look back at the list of players from the last 10 years in ODI cricket. Only Azhar Ali and Sarfraz Ahmed have retained their spots.
Azhar Ali retains his spot because he plays cricket differently, just like Misbah and Younis

Meaning Sarfraz is the only aggressive cricketer who has retained his spot based on performance.

Now, out of no where, another player comes, Fakhar Zaman, and performs so brilliantly that he literally wins you the cup final.
But the question is, how will his career end up? Could he also become like Sarfraz, or will he also make it to the list of the above Tried Tested Failures?

Off the note:
I think the reason behind the failures mentioned above is probably because they dont want to work extra hard after reaching international level.

 

[proud_pakistani]

Can't say for now but I will say none of the above mentioned players performed in a high pressure game. They had some good performances but all of the above are mentally weak in ways whereas Fakhar has at least so far proven he has great temperament. He got out on a no ball and really made it count. Performing in a final in an ICC event. None of the guys you mentioned have even played well in a group game of an ICC event.

So yes inshAllah I expect him to end up with an average of 40-45 with SR of 85.

 

[Major]

Another player whos name i forgot to add to the list is Nasir Jamshed

Started off great, got exposed

 

[Square Drive]

Yes. He is a soldier.

 

[ExpressPacer]

I've been wanting to make a similar thread for a long time. There are quite a few flaws in Fakhar Zaman's batting and technique, but everyone has flaws. Nobody's perfect. And that's not worries me. What worries is me is exactly what you've pointed out, Pakistan batsmen having terrific starts to their careers and ending up being abysmal. The recent history of our batsmen is frightening.

Nas, Akmal, Shez, Mukhtar and even Maqsood looked like potential ATG's and I personally thought our batting predicaments had been solved each time. How wrong all of us were. Even Sharjeel Khan has gone down the way of being out of the team - be it through poor form or something else. It's just highly disappointing. To think of it, even the likes of Anwar Ali had an amazing start to his batting career. A quickfire 40 odd not out, match winning innings on debut and then he had been reduced to being a number 11. Disappointing stuff really.

Hope the soldier doesn't go that way.

 

[pakistanisgreat]

I do not think he will have any fitness issues unless he is really careless about it. I think he is mentally stronger than those you mentioned above.

yes form wise he will struggle as many greats in the past struggled. However, if he continues hard work then he might end up second Saeed anwar for Pakistan.

 

[TeymurBlake]

The hope is that Fakhar does not go down that path. But as you mentioned history is not on our side. Hopefully he will continue to develop as a cricketer and hopefuly Mickey helps along the way of his International career

 

[Sarwar89]

Did Inzamam ever performed again in Big World Cup match after 1992 world cup ? Answer is he choked in Bangalore 96 Quarter final ( was dismissed twice after Mongia dropped him) choked in 1999 World cup match against India at Old Trafford and world cup final as well plus fully choked in 2003/2007 world cups. But history remembers him for 92 Semi final and 92 final and to be honest he did his job, gave Pakistan the World cup. Now even if Fakhar Zaman fails miserably, 1 Billion Hindustani awam and cricket history books will never forget him because of his match winning innings in Biggest ODI match ever between India v Pakistan. He has done his job. Rest is all bonus.

 

[birdistheword]

Fitness- Check
Mental Strength- Check
Now the only thing that probably would ruin it if he takes the sharjeel road and find a bookie buddy..hopefully not

 

[troodon]

Another player whos name i forgot to add to the list is Nasir Jamshed

Started off great, got exposed

The way Jamshed played against us in Aane Do series, I thought he would become another Saeed Anwar. But he quickly fell off and disappeared.

 

[Inswing]

He was from navy so he would be knowing the importance of Fitness

He have tasted success so he would be working hard to extract more and more perks after more successes

Lastly, Hardly anyone of above guys have performed in big tournaments and fakhar on his debut made to CT17 playing XI

 

[amvbfm]

His innings in the CT have shown that he does have the temperament to play at the international level but his technique is far from perfect. His initial nervousness against India notwithstanding, he wasn't coping with Bhuvneshwar's early swing very well and looks very suspectible to the short ball (pulls and hooks rather impulsively but it doesn't come off often). From here it all depends on his own efforts. Barring Mukhtar who was a hack, the names you have mentioned failed mostly because none of them learned from their failures and continued making the same mistakes. If Fakhar works on his weaknesses, he has the potential to go a long way, but if he behaves like Shahzad or Akmal then there are enough chinks in his technique for international teams to exploit.

 

[sjsjsj]

I wanted to ask this question before, but due to high emotions i knew i wouldn't had gotten an unbiased answer.

Fakhar Zaman has had a great start to his international career, but there is a problem.

In the past 10 years in Pakistan, any aggressive cricketer who had a great start to his career, ended up failing and being out of the team due to Form, Fitness or some other issue.

The list of players include

Umar Akmal : Great start to his career, ended up being dropped due to poor form and fitness

Ahmed Shezad: Good start to his career, still not a regular member as he is mostly in and out of the team due to form

Sohaib Maqsood: Was a highly rated cricketer by everyone. Started off good. Later in the career, couldn't even manage to cross 30 runs and was dropped.

Asad Shafiq: started off great with performance in England pitches. Ends up being a terrible player for the limited overs format

Haris Sohail: Has a good started, but gets injured, and now after injury he still isn't part of the team(One could only wonder what would had happened to his career uptil now if he wasn't injured)

Mohammad Rizwan: Starts off very good, ends up being dropped for very poor form.

Mukhtar Ahmed: Has a great start, soon gets exposed

If you look back at the list of players from the last 10 years in ODI cricket. Only Azhar Ali and Sarfraz Ahmed have retained their spots.
Azhar Ali retains his spot because he plays cricket differently, just like Misbah and Younis

Meaning Sarfraz is the only aggressive cricketer who has retained his spot based on performance.

Now, out of no where, another player comes, Fakhar Zaman, and performs so brilliantly that he literally wins you the cup final.
But the question is, how will his career end up? Could he also become like Sarfraz, or will he also make it to the list of the above Tried Tested Failures?

Off the note:
I think the reason behind the failures mentioned above is probably because they dont want to work extra hard after reaching international level.

I completely agree with you - 100%. If he is serious about his career and enhancing his skills. He has too keep away from limelight (minimum usage of social media, tv commercials, morning shows, etc). PK players are different that Indian players. Indian players can easily handle limelight but still be grounded like Sachin, MS and Virat. PK players completely different DNA. Yes, once they achieve something big and become more mature then they should get in the limelight.

 

[kingusama92]

This is the ideal era for him to bat in.

His technical weaknesses won't be as exposed in limited overs cricket.

 

[Nil Dhumrojal]

Can be a very good batsman or can be a hack like afridi

 

[Jabo]

If he stays motivated, yes.

 

[j_kazmi]

That's the thing. I was thinking the same thing the other day.Thats why I'm not gonna believe the hype of any of these new players from fakhar zaman to Hasan Ali.

Yes they've performed well recently but I'll only believe in their hype if they carrying on performing over the next few years because we've had way to many players start well and fade away over the last 10-15 years.

 

[iaakash]

Fakhar is not an extra-ordinary player but he is mentally strong (that Shahzad, Sohaib, Mukhtar, Rizwan lack). Hope he will continue with his good form and win us some matches. In the last decade we had just one player with extra-ordinary talent, who could have been there among ABD, Kohli, Root, Williamson and Smith but he ruined himself and that is why I hate him. He is the main culprit behind our poor performance in ODIs. Not everyone is blessed as much. He had to step up. He could have done miracles with his bat just like Kohli has done for his country but his stupidity cost us much. For me Umar Akmal has done same damage to Pakistan Cricket as Butt, Asif and Aamir.

 

[Executioner]

You can't ever say. Prediction is meaningless. Who would have thought Smith would be a 60 average Batsman?

I believe it's all about what he does in the days to come. How he grows. His past attributes won't just help. Whether someone was fit and strong in the past isn't as important as one's hunger to remain fit and determined.

Circumstances changes. Wish him the best. He does not have to have the same fat as Umar and co.

 

[wrongun]

His technique looks awkward at best- but then again so does Steven Smith & Warner too when he began was very loose.

The one issue he has ridden his luck on is the short ball- he won't make a test career unless he fixes it and he'll have to improve his play of it if he is to be consistently good in ODI. I think he has the talent and no player comes into the international arena without some weakness or other, the real test is- can they fix it or cover it?

To me he looks to have the right mindset and a clear belief in himself- that's step one. The next step is if he can remain humble & hungry enough to accept & detect his flaws & work ruthlessly to rid them from his game (Steve Waugh with a similar flaw springs to mind) or just find a way to make runs regardless. This one there is no predicting. My hunch says yes, this guy will be a pretty decent ODI opener, but slightly inconsistent & good, rather than work class over a period of years.

 

[Musakhel]

No any ball that leaves him will expose him, but the kookaburra doesn't swing so he should be ok in loi, maybe the proposed ball change will expose him more often than not.

 

[Mamoon]

The difference between him and the others is his character. In some ways, he reminds me of Younis.

You can see the determination in his eyes and his overall body language. In addition, he has great work ethic which shows in his fitness. It is something you inevitably develop through armed forces.

Whilst he has technical problems and does not make you stand up in your seat with his talent, his grit will see him surpass the names that you mentioned. In fact, considering the context, he has already done more.

 

[Bewal Express]

As the op said many have shown something but ended up going backwards quicker than an Italian Warship in wartime. I hope he is different but he has a lot of work ahead of him and he will also need lots of luck. I hope he does it, But come what may he has done his bit for PK.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

Long road ahead. can't say now. He has the temperament to play at the intl level. No problem with fitness, fielding need to improve a little bit. Batting will be taken care by mickey. His work ethic and determination to be there after the early jitters in the final speaks volume.

 

[omcswe]

things going in zamans favor

fitness: does look athletic in the field and doesn't get tired after scoring a pretty thirty
temperament: got pinged on the helmet in every game that he played yet never backed out of the pull shot. . has the big match temperament too
talent: pretty talented against medium pacers and spin bowlers. has issues against pace and is at times late but can go through the storm
usefulness: his ability to bowl a few useful overs will make him critical


things not going in zamans favor

hype: the hype of his century against india may end up harming his career like it did for afridi
technique: won't be batting on flat surfaces all the time.

personally speaking, after seeing him in the t20 in west indies, i had totally given up on him. looked a total legside hack with only one shot, the wallop towards deep midwicket. but then he improved and became such a better player.

i'd really like to see how he goes in test cricket tho. we need some spark in that team as well and he may be more suited to longer format than we may realize just now.

 

[Macho Mann]

luck has favoured fakhar to be honest, has escaped many times as well

but luck has also favoured pak team a lot

too early to declare him solid

but as i said, credit to him his luck is pak's luck and may become even better with that century not to forget his vital innings for pak

but some afridi in him

 

[English August]

Last 2 Pakistani openers who made their name by starting strongly against India: Salman Butt and Nasir Jamshed. We all know what happened to them. You decide!

 

[Monsee]

More than anyone, Fakkhar reminds me of a younger Saeed Anwar (re: his brash stroke play but obviously not the same technique) who went to Australia (1989?) as the ODI opener with Imran as the captain...I remember him dancing down the pitch to McGrath and Co. and hitting them in the innitial opening over for a lofted 4 or a 6; he did that to all the bowlers but would get out after scoring a quick 20-30 runs.

Imran once said 'He gave us a heart attack every time he went down the pitch' referring to how he played; he just was intent on hitting fast bowlers as if he was playing in a T20 Tape Ball game (I think he had come from such a back ground as well) and bowlers didn't have a red shinning new cricket ball but rather were bowling with a taped tennis ball.

I recently saw a video of Fakkhar taking a dip in the local canal with his friends (after returning from CT17), while wearning shalwar qameez and he looked like a very humble and down to earth simple guy. But, with his Navy back ground and mental determination, he looks and seems like a million bucks because he has 'Grit' and probably more than all the ones (combined) mentioned in OP's comments.

I predict a long and very successful limited overs career for him (InshaAllah), in Tests he will need to learn to let go of most short balls and only hit the ones that are genuinely hittable!

 

[theariezman]

Can be a very good batsman or can be a hack like afridi

How long before Afridi perform before being hack...and even being hack he has given performances here and there....and admit or not biggest bowlers of era used to scare him while bowling due to his unpredictable batting which can thrash them any given day which afridi owns.

Now to the OP...it is too early to comment how Fakhar Zaman would end up.

 

[Hasan123]

In the final he was struggling as the start. India had a plan and it was working. Fakhar found a way to survive and than cashed in.

For me that shows the grit and determination he has.


The signs look good.

 

[Arham_PakFan]

He may not have the best technique but he has said that he concentrates a lot on his fitness.He is also an ex-Navy man so he knows the importance of fitness.

He is also mentally strong,as we could see how he toughed it out at the start against India.

He obviously needs to work on his technique,especially the hook and pull,but In Sha Allah he has a bright future ahead.

 

[coy0607]

1. I dont think any of the players you listed had as strong a domestic record as Fakhar. Everyone has the occasional good innings, but if you don't have the basics you can't sustain it. Fakhar's domestic records tells me he is capable of sustained success

2. A lot of players you listed weren't even all that special.

Rizwan, Mukhtar, Maqsood were never great to begin with.

Shafiq doesn't belong in the list, he's always been an average batsmen, he was never someone most people rated as a world beater. He is what he is...

Umar Akmal and Shehzad just weren't hard workers. They are concerned with other stuff besides cricket

Harris had a pretty brutal injury, not much you can do with that. Its part of the game...

 

[cricketAXEpert]

Fakhar Zaman needs to get a county contract. So he can learn and correct his flaws. He was very successful in the CT2017, but he was living dangerously to be frank. He was a little lucky that many of his risky shots did not resulted in his dismissal. So he needs to polish his technique and County stint will be perfect for it.

 

[Nil Dhumrojal]

How long before Afridi perform before being hack...and even being hack he has given performances here and there....and admit or not biggest bowlers of era used to scare him while bowling due to his unpredictable batting which can thrash them any given day which afridi owns.

Now to the OP...it is too early to comment how Fakhar Zaman would end up.

Always overhyped than performance.

 

[Kroll]

If anything. At least he has a fantastic case study to learn from and pre-empt the pitfalls mentioned in this thread.

 

[Syed1]

Fakhar may or may not fail but he has already shut up a whole bunch of PP experts who were calling him a leg-side hack, slogger, off-side hack, sitting duck, Hacky McHackerface etc etc etc. You know who you are I don't need to tag you in every post.


He has that self-confidence in his demeanor and fire in his eyes. I hope he continues performing and giving shut up calls to people who think cricket is played via a keyboard.

 

[ahsan_888]

Thing about Fakhar is he is 27 at the moment he has a lot of cricket behind him and a lot of cricket in front of him , he has got the experince the temperament which was shown , problem about those players where that they were exposed to the intl circuit to early which destroyed them . Rizwan stil has chances available so does haris and they are great players no rejection on that . Fakhar has played all over the world and has consistent performances he has batted in the middle order as well so can handle every situation
He is a bright star for Pakistan one for the future

 

[sadida97]

[MENTION=141557]Chief Destroyer[/MENTION] what are your views on Fakhar ? Should we invest in him ?

 

[theariezman]

Always overhyped than performance.

He is 3rd in the list of player/man of the match award in ODIs equaling Jacquis Kallis and Ricky Ponting...only Jayasuriya and Tendulkar above him. I think it is enough to overhype him.

 

[Chief Destroyer]

[MENTION=141557]Chief Destroyer[/MENTION] what are your views on Fakhar ? Should we invest in him ?

He's earned a run just by showing great courage alone. Despite putting up performances, he's ridden his luck in favourable conditions. The technical flaws are too many, I cannot say whether he'll be able to correct them at 27. He'd need a complete changeover if he does because his current technique will fall apart if he starts moving the front foot. Teams will eventually pounce on that stagnant front foot and those mistimed pulls at deep square leg will have a fielder waiting in place next time.

 

[BDwarriors]

He is technically not so good. Wish saeed anwar were there and could have help him little bit. I afraid if he doesnt improve his skill and defence he will be exposed even more quickly than ahmad shehzad or like other.

 

[zulfiqar]

Haven't read the rest of the posts, but my assessment is that he will average less than 35 if he continues to play Int'l cricket. This does not mean he cannot be successful though. As long as he never loses his bravery, I think he can continue to open for Pakistan for a long time. At the moment though, we just need him to continue his form for 2 years for the 50-over World Cup!

 

[zulfiqar]

Also I mentioned that he can open for Pakistan... but truthfully, he looks like a great 4-down or 5-down batsman! Yes, we need an opener right now but if a better opener comes along, I think Fakhar will be awesome at #5!

 

[Syed1]

He is technically not so good. Wish saeed anwar were there and could have help him little bit. I afraid if he doesnt improve his skill and defence he will be exposed even more quickly than ahmad shehzad or like other.

Technique is over-rated. Tell me which technique does one of the best batsmen in the world, Steve Smith, follow? Technique is just a fancy word thrown around by experts and analysts, meanwhile cricket is played not on a computer but in the field. Fakhar averages 50+ in domestics and in his brief international career he has played against SA, SL, ENG and IND and has come out victorious each time.

Remember during the SL match when the rest of our batting was failing, Fakhar was the one man who made it look super easy.

 

[The_Odd_One]

More than technique, mental strength is important in this era of flat tracks. Not sure about tests but he is going to have a good limited overs career.

 

[Saj]

He has a great eye and a big heart.

Bowlers will work him out though if he doesn't work on some areas of his battin particularly against the short ball.

 

[Monsee]

He is 3rd in the list of player/man of the match award in ODIs equaling Jacquis Kallis and Ricky Ponting...only Jayasuriya and Tendulkar above him. I think it is enough to overhype him.

A further dissection of these MOM awards could reveal how that myth could be the case of a bully pouncing on weaker attacks as well as an example of 'if an All Rounder plays so many ODI's, he will stack up some MOM awards along the way anyway'

 

[MoAamer]

Mickey will improve him. Same way Mickey will revive Hafeez. Fakhar has 10+ years INSHALLAH whilst Hafeez has 4-6 more years. Give both of them some time. Mickey was so successful with Sharjeel transformation

 

[BDwarriors]

Technique is over-rated. Tell me which technique does one of the best batsmen in the world, Steve Smith, follow? Technique is just a fancy word thrown around by experts and analysts, meanwhile cricket is played not on a computer but in the field. Fakhar averages 50+ in domestics and in his brief international career he has played against SA, SL, ENG and IND and has come out victorious each time.

Remember during the SL match when the rest of our batting was failing, Fakhar was the one man who made it look super easy.

The first over fakhar faced against bhuvi, i had facepalm till he got lucky chance... his confidence was praiseworthy but in a long run its not gonna help like he got chance when he was on crease with 3 run.

 

[Syed1]

The first over fakhar faced against bhuvi, i had facepalm till he got lucky chance... his confidence was praiseworthy but in a long run its not gonna help like he got chance when he was on crease with 3 run.

He got lucky chance from Bumrah and not Bhuv. And why do you say it was lucky chance? It's not Fakhar's fault that the bowler over-stepped, had the bowler not over-stepped perhaps the length of the ball had been an inch shorter and the ball instead of catching Fakhar's edge may have caught the middle of his bat and flown to the boundary.


Also it's not like after the no-ball dismissal Pakistan and India signed a pact of "Don't get Fakhar out"... the Indians bowled 100 odd balls to him AFTER the no-ball dismissal and couldn't get him out.

 

[Arham_PakFan]

Mickey will improve him. Same way Mickey will revive Hafeez. Fakhar has 10+ years INSHALLAH whilst Hafeez has 4-6 more years. Give both of them some time. Mickey was so successful with Sharjeel transformation

Hafeez should retire with immediate effect.His actual age is 39,as several other posters have said.

Mickey didn't have much to do with Sharjeels transformation,maybe improving his consistency thats all.

 

[MoAamer]

Hafeez should retire with immediate effect.His actual age is 39,as several other posters have said.

Mickey didn't have much to do with Sharjeels transformation,maybe improving his consistency thats all.

Hafeez still has a lot of potential for Pakistani cricket.. like Azhar, he's like a back bone for batting line up.. he performed in the final.. I think he should bat lower.. many youngsters down the order have trouble batting at quicker paces. And Hafeez can help them. The last thing we want is a collapse due too many youngsters under pressure.

 

[Arham_PakFan]

Hafeez still has a lot of potential for Pakistani cricket.. like Azhar, he's like a back bone for batting line up.. he performed in the final.. I think he should bat lower.. many youngsters down the order have trouble batting at quicker paces. And Hafeez can help them. The last thing we want is a collapse due too many youngsters under pressure.

Hafeez normally doesn't bat well under pressure e.g the first game against India and the SL game.He hit some good,but soft runs in the semi final.He played well against India in the final though.He's been mediocre against the top sides for quite a while and is good at bashing WI and SL in bilaterals.

 

[MoAamer]

Hafeez normally doesn't bat well under pressure e.g the first game against India and the SL game.He hit some good,but soft runs in the semi final.He played well against India in the final though.He's been mediocre against the top sides for quite a while and is good at bashing WI and SL in bilaterals.

Well.. he's 'experienced' and he has a taste of a lot of situations. As usual he likes batting on slow wickets at his normal pace of 80 SR. Whenever he plays a long Innings, we kinda have to rely on our bowling. Nonetheless, he's a solid bat

 

[theariezman]

A further dissection of these MOM awards could reveal how that myth could be the case of a bully pouncing on weaker attacks as well as an example of 'if an All Rounder plays so many ODI's, he will stack up some MOM awards along the way anyway'

Well I am not defending Afridi here or his stats not argumenting on it...but given the same reason there are other guys who could get the same number of award given the same or more number of matches played even people argue on this that kohli is a flat track bully.

 

[zyrus]

One thing is for sure, he's gonna get tested much. So far he's been up against sites that wasnt able to spot his weaknesses. India was the first one to do that but their internal blunders made it easy for Zaman to score as bundle or spinners were put forward against him. He wasnt able to hit Pandya. Its all about how much he's gonna learn an improve.

Another player whos name i forgot to add to the list is Nasir Jamshed

Started off great, got exposed

More than being exposed, that over-fitness thing took the energy out of his batting making him look like a rookie.

 

[pakistanigoneaussie]

Fahkar has shown more mental strength than of those mentioned in the OP. That's what gives me hope. That and the fact he has achieved something that no other Pak player ever has before.




Have not included Haris Sohail in my response because his absence has nothing to do with performance

 

[Ellipsism]

Technique is over-rated. Tell me which technique does one of the best batsmen in the world, Steve Smith, follow? Technique is just a fancy word thrown around by experts and analysts, meanwhile cricket is played not on a computer but in the field. Fakhar averages 50+ in domestics and in his brief international career he has played against SA, SL, ENG and IND and has come out victorious each time.

Remember during the SL match when the rest of our batting was failing, Fakhar was the one man who made it look super easy.

Smith still has a solid technique, it just isn't conventional. I don't think anybody is saying Fakhar isn't going to succeed because his technique isn't from the MCC's manual on how to play cricket, rather the fact that there are some major flaws in his own technique. One only needs to look at how Bumrah tied him down by not providing him with any width, which subsequently resulted in zero movement of the feet when the tempter came along.

 

[MoAamer]

Zaman is no Akmal. At least, by genetics.

 

[hadi123]

Even if he flops for the rest of his career, he will remain a hero for the rest of his life for scoring a match winning century against India in a final. But I do feel like he can have a good career, he is very suited to the modern game

 

[Monsee]

Smith still has a solid technique, it just isn't conventional. I don't think anybody is saying Fakhar isn't going to succeed because his technique isn't from the MCC's manual on how to play cricket, rather the fact that there are some major flaws in his own technique. One only needs to look at how Bumrah tied him down by not providing him with any width, which subsequently resulted in zero movement of the feet when the tempter came along.

A few things that have either been listed but not highlighted or just not mentioned in here:

- His domestic averages are pretty good or exceptional and point to a much more stable player with lots of grit as well than the one we saw in CT because he was just making his debut so he was far away from being close to settled. Someone who averages 40+ in domestic, List A: 50+ (95+ SR) and T20: 28+ (with 134+ SR) suggests that he can be even better than what he has done so far and be more settled, calm, and methodical (if that happens, it will be scary for other teams)

- He has a double hundred (in domestic), a 180 in List A and a 100* in T20, which shows that he can play longer innings in all format as highlighted by his 100 in Final which was only his 4th game in his short ODI career that has consisted pf playing nothing but top 6 teams in the world

- With his Navy back ground, him being mentally strong and physically fit are almost a given and if we go based on his recent interviews, where he promised to try twice harder to make improvments to his game, fitness etc, we might be witnessing the start of a player who can play for a long time like Misbah and YK, provided everything else clicks for him and he never stops learning

- He seems very humble from what I have seen so far, saw him taking a dip in a local canal with his buddies after coming to visit them after the CT final; talk about someone who has not gotten one inch of extra hot air in his head after such fame and money he has already made from these 4 games

- He seems very mature for a 27 year old and is willing to work on his technique to get better, let's wish him the best; one thing he said stayed with me was "I don't hook/pull all the time, I usually only hook those balls that are hittable and I know for sure I can score on them without trying too hard" (something to that effect)...this gives me hope that his short ball issue might not be as bad as it has been made out to be because he was just trying his utmost best to get the score going in all these pressure matches; maybe if the pressure is not on, he can try more ground shots like he initially did against SA.

I am just being very hopeful and am very excited and praying that this guy has a long career, he will win us lots of games just like Anwar did in his brief career. He reminds me of the early days of Anwar when he used to try and hit the first ball of an ODI out for a 6 by dancing down the pitch to McGrath, Reckman, and Co!

 

[Ellipsism]

A few things that have either been listed but not highlighted or just not mentioned in here:

- His domestic averages are pretty good or exceptional and point to a much more stable player with lots of grit as well than the one we saw in CT because he was just making his debut so he was far away from being close to settled. Someone who averages 40+ in domestic, List A: 50+ (95+ SR) and T20: 28+ (with 134+ SR) suggests that he can be even better than what he has done so far and be more settled, calm, and methodical (if that happens, it will be scary for other teams)

- He has a double hundred (in domestic), a 180 in List A and a 100* in T20, which shows that he can play longer innings in all format as highlighted by his 100 in Final which was only his 4th game in his short ODI career that has consisted pf playing nothing but top 6 teams in the world

- With his Navy back ground, him being mentally strong and physically fit are almost a given and if we go based on his recent interviews, where he promised to try twice harder to make improvments to his game, fitness etc, we might be witnessing the start of a player who can play for a long time like Misbah and YK, provided everything else clicks for him and he never stops learning

- He seems very humble from what I have seen so far, saw him taking a dip in a local canal with his buddies after coming to visit them after the CT final; talk about someone who has not gotten one inch of extra hot air in his head after such fame and money he has already made from these 4 games

- He seems very mature for a 27 year old and is willing to work on his technique to get better, let's wish him the best; one thing he said stayed with me was "I don't hook/pull all the time, I usually only hook those balls that are hittable and I know for sure I can score on them without trying too hard" (something to that effect)...this gives me hope that his short ball issue might not be as bad as it has been made out to be because he was just trying his utmost best to get the score going in all these pressure matches; maybe if the pressure is not on, he can try more ground shots like he initially did against SA.

I am just being very hopeful and am very excited and praying that this guy has a long career, he will win us lots of games just like Anwar did in his brief career. He reminds me of the early days of Anwar when he used to try and hit the first ball of an ODI out for a 6 by dancing down the pitch to McGrath, Reckman, and Co!

At the age of 27 major reforms of a batsmans' technique is very dangerous; it can potentially completely destroy a batsman. There are currently a plethora of issues with Fakhar's batting ranging from those stagnant feet to the inability to play the short ball, so on and so forth. A very qualified and experienced batting coach could maybe rectify a few of the issues but as I stated previously major reforms are very, very difficult at his age.

 

[Mainul]

Good thread. I still can't sort it out how rapidly Nasir Jamshed had fallen.Fakhar has weakness in playing outswingers.If he can sort it out,he is here to stray.He plays for the team not for himself unlike Shehzad,Asad.He has got wider range of shots unlike Maqsood.He is fit unlike Jamsed,Haris.He is a disciplined soldier unlike Umar Akmal.He is confident determined unlike Rizwan.I just can't see any similarity with the names mentioned here with his.What is the reason for him not to be successful?May be it's too early to tag these compliments besides his name,but we all know that morning shows the day.

 

[TQ89]

I think he will be worked out by opposition bowlers these days especially on the backfoot. Will have to wait and see how he adapts in international format from now on.

 

[Major]

A few more things i would like to add.

Sohaib maqsood also came in with a solid domestic stats. I remember back in the day he was avg 50 in domestic crciket and he was the first player i ever witness who had journalists writing about him for team selection. This happened even before he got fame and all.

Before sharjeel khan failed at his first stint in international crixket. He posted 3 back to back centuries in list a cricket.

Technique wise and talent wise, ahmed shezad was the best out of all of them. Shezad had every shot in his book. The reason why shezad was hyped because of the shots he had in his arsenal.

Mohammad rizwan avg 40 during his domestic career. I have followed him alot before 2015. I have watxhed his innings the way he plays and all.

Out of all the mentioned players, rizwan is best because of the way he approaches a target. I remember where he once guided rafatullah to play sensibly.

So some of the players did have domestic performance on their backs before coming to national team

 

[Nil Dhumrojal]

He is 3rd in the list of player/man of the match award in ODIs equaling Jacquis Kallis and Ricky Ponting...only Jayasuriya and Tendulkar above him. I think it is enough to overhype him.

Most of those MOM is for bowling performance or all round performance,not for batting. We are talking about batting only and he was rubbish most of the time after playing so many ODIs

 

[CricMylifr]

One thing most ppl r underestimating is the position he bats.. when was the last time pak had a decent opener? . going back to saeed anwar.. that happened because Aamir sohail was somewhat decent in the other side..

So for zaman to succeed it is imperative to have a decent solid partner in the other end.. azhar should be kept and open with him in both odi and test matches..

 

[theariezman]

Most of those MOM is for bowling performance or all round performance,not for batting. We are talking about batting only and he was rubbish most of the time after playing so many ODIs

He himself admitted that after failing in batting he turned himself into a bowler so there's no point of talking about his batting performances although if he could have performed it's an added bonus.

 

[CricFan2012]

Should have a decent career, high strike rate, mid 30s to high 30s average.

 

[ads101]

Think he'll be fine. He isn't an outstanding talent like Umar, Babar or Jamshed. But he scores a lot of runs, and doesn't find it hard to score quickly.

Zaman at least due to his background he will stay fit I'm sure which always helps. And seems mentally strong, didn't look fazed when he was dropped or hit by the short balls. Also has a great domestic record to back himself up.

He does look more of a lower order batsman than top order, but he keeps performing keep him at the top order. But I think if the technical deficiencies become too much, reckon he could just slip down the order and do better.

 

[ads101]

Should have a decent career, high strike rate, mid 30s to high 30s average.

Ideally I'd like him to average 40+. Mid/high 30s is just average for a batsman. 40 at a SR 90 is what I hope from him and the way he's going think he'll get it. Even Hafeez averaged something like 38 since 2009. What I like about Fakhar too is he's a very busy player, proactively looking for runs in boundaries or in singles, he doesn't get tied down much. He has a lot right except for a few technique problems, but I'm hopeful he'll fix/work around them somewhat or today's era pitches might mask them a bit.

 

[90MPH]

I think there's a lot to like but I really does hope he works hard to improve his technique.

Remember your hand eye coordination can only take you so far - in certain conditions it will not work and also the more you age the less effective it will be.

A good technique means at least you have something to fall back on.

Now regarding the short ball I don't have a big problem with it. He's not backing away and he's still prepared to hit the short ball as well. Remember only 2 allowed per over in ODI cricket - that too at shoulder height.

The main issue I have is footwork against the pacers - sometimes feet are totally glued so he has to reach for the ball. Just needs to get a good stride when driving against them - especially early on.

Btw his footwork against spin is very good, goes right forward and then right back when needed.

Overall an excellent talent but needs to work hard to keep improving.

 

[Gasman]

Yes but all these batsmen didn't score a hundred at a strike rate over 100 in a global event final against India.
He is cool, calm and collected, and looks super fit.
I pray that he will come good over the next 10 years or so inshaAllah

 

[Syed1]

All those proponents of technique, Asad Shafiq has the best technique in Pakistan, how successful has he been in ODI cricket?

 

[emranabbas]

most of the players you mentioned had a debut under misbah [MENTION=135038]Major[/MENTION]

 

[Haz95]

Did Inzamam ever performed again in Big World Cup match after 1992 world cup ? Answer is he choked in Bangalore 96 Quarter final ( was dismissed twice after Mongia dropped him) choked in 1999 World cup match against India at Old Trafford and world cup final as well plus fully choked in 2003/2007 world cups. But history remembers him for 92 Semi final and 92 final and to be honest he did his job, gave Pakistan the World cup. Now even if Fakhar Zaman fails miserably, 1 Billion Hindustani awam and cricket history books will never forget him because of his match winning innings in Biggest ODI match ever between India v Pakistan. He has done his job. Rest is all bonus.

Came here to say this tbh. On the grand stage, he's already left a mark and that's what mainly counts....just ask Carlos Brathwaithe wrt to t20s.

On topic, I believe he can be a good FTB as it's an era of FTBs and the best openers in the world are all FTBs. He should be fine providing he keeps showing intent, it's what happens when you play someone with a disciplined and/or educated background...

 

[Hugo Reyes]

Fakhar Zaman, has shown courage, determination and self belief which none of the mentioned players ever had. He played fearless and agressive cricket (again most of the mentioned players never really did).

Yes! Rightly stated that he has flaws and needs to really work on his technique which i believe he will and if he does do that, with his hunger and self belief, i am confident in saying that we will have a devastating, explosive and brilliant opener. Personally i have never seen that bravery and fearless in any pakistani openers eyes after the great (in cricket) Saeed Anwar particularly playing against India in an very important match.

 

[Hasan123]

All those proponents of technique, Asad Shafiq has the best technique in Pakistan, how successful has he been in ODI cricket?

His problem in odis isn't his technique though. It's his mentality and the fact he doesn't believe in himself.

But yes I agree with what you said about technique above. I'm sure Fakhar will improve working with a pro coach like Arthur.

 

[New Yorker]

So-called aggressive batsmen are not the only ones to have failed. Is Shehzad an aggressor? Was Hameed? Among those who have succeeded are not only tuk tuckers. Sarfraz's SR is higher than everyone on that list barring Sharjeel. Nor is the problem always that batsmen fade away too soon. Both Hafeez and Malik have clung on much too long, and Azhar does not quite yet have the game to play ODI cricket. Fakhar should not be burdened with spurious historical analogies, he will cop enough critique anyway as per above. If he fails let's just have a plan B, and make sure the bench is strong. So give chances to other batsmen too.

 

[shah_1]

Management should play Sharjeel as an opener(if he clears) and Fakhar at 4 because of his ability to play spin so well. We all saw the in the final and PSL matches.