How can we be a good batting side with just 3 specialist batsmen?

[Bleedgreen4ever]

Apart from Imam,Babar and Fakhar we do not have a single specialist bat.

Malik and Hafeez are both AR and struggle against good bowling line ups.

Sarfraz is a WK and his main job is keeping.

Why are we playing with 4 AR?

One of Hafeez or Malik has to go to make space tor a specialist bat.We already have 2 AR in Imad and Shadab and we do not need another.

We need someone like Saud,Saad etc.to improve the MO

 

[Taaya]

Haris in. Imad out.

 

[Stewie]

Hafeez and malik have both done well for us lately.. i really dont see how you can sit them out..

 

[Taaya]

Hafeez and malik have both done well for us lately.. i really dont see how you can sit them out..

They can easily split the 5th bowler's quota amongst them, along with a few overs from Haris Sohail.

 

[Prince of Pakistan]

The sad part being that even Haris looked out of sorts in the Asia cup. What else is left?

 

[TeamPak95]

Let's see how this series goes. To me, eyes will be on both Hafeez and Malik and how their experience with the bat will come into play as the top order is under some pressure. If they fail as a whole, then at best keep one of them (I'd prefer Malik as, to me, he's the better batsman) and replace the other with a specialist batsman. Unpopular opinion maybe, but I feel the team still needs to persist with Asif Ali and groom his power hitting, which doesn't just take a couple of games to develop and now that we're playing quality teams till the WC he needs to be given a longer rope. Personally, I feel this would be a good XI:

Fakhar
Imam/Babar
Babar/Haris
Sarfraz
Malik/new guy (probably Saud, as everyone's raving about him)
Asif
Faheem
Shadab
Hasan
Shaheen
Amir/Junaid/UKS

 

[Bleedgreen4ever]

The sad part being that even Haris looked out of sorts in the Asia cup. What else is left?

Saud?
Rizwan?
Saad?

All good rotators with excellent SR and averages

 

[Bleedgreen4ever]

Haris in. Imad out.

Haris in Hafeez/Malik out.

I am sorry but this is the only way.

Imad Wasim has too much value as a bowler.

 

[holldout]

Apart from Imam,Babar and Fakhar we do not have a single specialist bat.

Malik and Hafeez are both AR and struggle against good bowling line ups.

Sarfraz is a WK and his main job is keeping.

Why are we playing with 4 AR?

One of Hafeez or Malik has to go to make space tor a specialist bat.We already have 2 AR in Imad and Shadab and we do not need another.

We need someone like Saud,Saad etc.to improve the MO

If the three play like Indian top 3

 

[Hawkeye]

It's mostly Mickey and Sarfraz love affair with bits and pieces players.

Plus your post also has incorrect assumptions. Sarfraz's job is NOT to only keep wickets. Anyone in the top 6 or top 7 is expected to properly bat.

Sarfraz is expected to bat like Butler, de Kock, Dhoni. And he's a major fail. Your captain's not performing and leading from the front.


The other batsmen are also not consistent. Babar did so well in NZ in 16 I think. Hafeez was also brilliant. Good in CT final too.

But all have been horrible in the last 1.5 years. Minus Haris maybe.


Saud
Fakhar (preferably some other hard hitter like Sharjeel)
Babar
Haris
Hafeez
Asif

This needs to be our top 6. And we'll win a lot of matches. Of course we need better players, but this is the best we have.


Also, drop one from Shadab or Imad. Both are glorified tail enders.

 

[Syed1]

I don't understand why they can't just pack the batting lineup. We all know batting is our weaker suite so why not play as many proper bats as possible, hopefully one or two of them will come off.

I want us to try something like this for rest of the series:

Fakhar
Imam
Babar
Haris
Malik
Hafeez
Asif
Sarfaraz
Shadab
Shaheen
Hasan/Junaid

 

[New Yorker]

If the three play like Indian top 3

Neither Malik's nor Hafeez's bowling is that useful, but Hafeez's is probably illegal. So they play as batsmen. Looking at the record they are both handy but Malik I would say is more reliable, his struggles against spin notwithstanding, so if you are looking for stability he is a better option. Also a much much better fielder, Hafeez is a liability these days. So I'd drop Hafeez for ODIs, but keep him in T20s. Saud or Haris comes in in their place. A like for like replacement, with either being better batsmen than the old seniors, and capable bowlers

 

[Badsha]

I don't know but it's the most obvious thing and we fail to address this. We need 4 preferably 5 specialist.

 

[Rayyman]

Hafeez and Malik both have god-given rights to be in the team. One of them needs to go. Haris should come in.

 

[waheed_sofi]

Hafeez and malik have both done well for us lately.. i really dont see how you can sit them out..

What has hafeez done since CT2017 final to remain in the odi squad.

 

[Mamba Red]

I wouldn't consider any of those top 3 batsmen LOL.

 

[Sunny_majoka]

Haris in Hafeez/Malik out.

I am sorry but this is the only way.

Imad Wasim has too much value as a bowler.

Harris in Fakher out
Babar to open
ATM the only way i am seeing

 

[Sunny_majoka]

I don't understand why they can't just pack the batting lineup. We all know batting is our weaker suite so why not play as many proper bats as possible, hopefully one or two of them will come off.

I want us to try something like this for rest of the series:

Fakhar
Imam
Babar
Haris
Malik
Hafeez
Asif
Sarfaraz
Shadab
Shaheen
Hasan/Junaid

Good batting lineup. But i think there is another important part which you forgot that is bowling. And in your time there is not enough resources to bowl full 50 overs

 

[waheed_sofi]

Hafeez should be kept out of the team asap. He is clearly influencing sarfaraz. The way he took reveiw. It was clearly not out. Since it was of hafeez's bowling he took it otherwise he would not taken it.
Also, when hafeez rhodes took catch of someone SK was near him. The way he showed his expression to him as if hafeez is an all time great. SK didn't celebrated as he is.

 

[todfod 11]

Shoaib malik should only play T20

 

[blackanhyellow]

I don't understand why they can't just pack the batting lineup. We all know batting is our weaker suite so why not play as many proper bats as possible, hopefully one or two of them will come off.

I want us to try something like this for rest of the series:

Fakhar
Imam
Babar
Haris
Malik
Hafeez
Asif
Sarfaraz
Shadab
Shaheen
Hasan/Junaid

Not going to work.

40 overs from Hassan, Shaheen, Sadab, and Hafeez.

Then 10 overs left over between Haris, Malik, and Fakhar.

Teams will target the 10 overs of the part timers, and if even one of the full time bowlers has a bad day we are in a world of hurt.

Instead of chasing 230-260, we will be chasing 300ish scores and even by adding the extra batsmen probably not going to be able to chase it down on these types of pitches.

 

[msb314]

I don't understand why they can't just pack the batting lineup. We all know batting is our weaker suite so why not play as many proper bats as possible, hopefully one or two of them will come off.

I want us to try something like this for rest of the series:

Fakhar
Imam
Babar
Haris
Malik
Hafeez
Asif
Sarfaraz
Shadab
Shaheen
Hasan/Junaid

The only problem with this lineup is that we will have to fill in 20 overs from Hafeez (new action), Malik and Haris - that could spell trouble and we might end up chasing 350...

 

[Gullycricket]

I don't understand why they can't just pack the batting lineup. We all know batting is our weaker suite so why not play as many proper bats as possible, hopefully one or two of them will come off.

I want us to try something like this for rest of the series:

Fakhar
Imam
Babar
Haris
Malik
Hafeez
Asif
Sarfaraz
Shadab
Shaheen
Hasan/Junaid

Bhai T20 nahi hai.50 over hain.

 

[aukhan]

Sarfraz is a liability with the bat...He doesn't merit a place in the side. A batting team like Pakistan can't afford a big liability like him.

Hafeez and Malik will always fail against top sides. We are now left with three batsmen. Babar, Fakhar and Imam.

 

[Gullycricket]

I know people here are not happy with any batting line up but we should remember that this squad is only in response to our Asia Cup debacles.
The big problem for us is we don't have a plan B incase Fakhar gets out cheaply.We won CT because Fakhar clicked in almost every game and masked our problems.We need another hard hitting opener to complement Fakhar rather than these Sauds,Saads,Haris.When will we understand this.Look at every top ODI team they have two gun blazing batsman at top (Bairstow,Roy:Guptill:Munro,Warner:Finch).This is where the game is going.Sadly Sharjeel is not these other wise he was perfect.Imam has to go inspite of what he is doing.
We will continue to fail against top teams unless we sort this problem.Thats why I believe we should try Asif as opener as he plays fast bowling well.
Any suggestions are welcome

 

[Justcrazy]

One out of malik and hafeez should play , both cannot be in the playing XI.

 

[Markhor]

The sainted seniors Hafeez and Malik, who the others are meant to look to for leadership, average 29@81 and 26@65 respectively against nonminnows in ODIs in 2018.

If we played two proper batsmen in their place like Haris and Saud/Saad it would make some difference but I guess we will carry them to the World Cup and only pension them off once they fail.

 

[happydavy]

Pakistan is not a great batting side, I think we all know that. But they are not bad either. They can't chase 275+ total but they are pretty comfortable chasing under 240s total.

 

[cricketAXEpert]

Apart from Imam,Babar and Fakhar we do not have a single specialist bat.

Malik and Hafeez are both AR and struggle against good bowling line ups.

Sarfraz is a WK and his main job is keeping.

Why are we playing with 4 AR?

One of Hafeez or Malik has to go to make space tor a specialist bat.We already have 2 AR in Imad and Shadab and we do not need another.

We need someone like Saud,Saad etc.to improve the MO

Malik & Hafeez are batsmen If they can bowl that is an additional ability. That does not mean they are not frontline batsmen. Even Kane williamson, joe Root, Viv Richards all are bowlers would you not consider them Batsmen because they can bowl.

 

[iPakistani]

Same problem even if we do integrate Saud or Saad as part of our team, it lacks firepower in the middle/lower order.