How many match winners does current Pakistan have at the moment?

[Ozeirk]

Pakistan has a lot prove before they can be categorized as a top team in the world. They have had successes at home and abroad recently and they seem to be on right trajectory. Rizwan, Fakhar, Babar, Hafeez, Shaheen and Hassan have proven themselves to be true match winners for Pakistan. They at different times have single handedly provided successes to Pakistan. It will not be far fetched to say that in the white ball format they can win a game against any opposition.

Are we seeing the emergence of a good Pakistan side for the near future? What does Pakistan have to do to get on the top tier of teams atleast in white ball cricket?

 

[Sunzi]

I don't think we have a bonafide match-winner. It's a case of who performs on the day from a collection of wildcards IMO.

I'd class Babar as a match-maker; his contributions help Pakistan to be competitive but the game-changing/match-winning knocks are few and far between.

Rizwan has been in imperious form save for a couple of ODI failures and has delivered match-winning performances lately - he'd be as close as Pakistan have to a match-winner but wouldn't say it was without doubt - more consistency needed for me.

 

[Markhor]

Well we're definitely on the right trajectory especially compared to where we were 6-7 years ago when we put out the following lineup vs Australia in a T20:

Ahmed Shehzad
Awais Zia
Umar Amin
Sohaib Maqsood
Saad Nasim
Umar Akmal (wk)
Shahid Afridi (c)
Anwar Ali
Wahab Riaz
Raza Hasan
Mohammad Irfan

Now for the first time I can remember, there's genuine depth and competition for places in the top four batting positions in ODIs and T20s with several different options we can try.

Rizwan is the best keeper batsmen we've had in decades with plenty of reserve options to keep him honest.

However the middle order in ODIs, especially the #6 position, remains problematic. I think Imad makes his way back after this tour, despite my misgivings about his ODI bowling contributions.

The bowling is not as good as the top sides. Qadir's lack of control as our frontline spinner is concerning - and while Nawaz is an improvement over Shadab we await to see how he'll fare against stronger teams. We're still lacking a new ball partner for Shaheen. Rauf blows hot and cold, Hasnain loses the plot at the death and Hasan is just coming back after a long layoff.

I honestly think it's a rare moment in our history where the batting edges our bowling, which remains a work in progress.

 

[OMB]

Current Pakistan lot have 11 of them matchwinners.

Not all of the will perform every-time but any one of them can perform on different days and can pull off upsets in T20I.
Regarding Tests I cant say the same as everything must click over an extended period of time.

 

[hitthestump]

Babar is the only consistent LOI matchwinner that we have.

In tests we have nobody except for Yasir at home.

Everyone else is either mediocre or wildly inconsistent.

 

[Mesozoic]

"Match winner" is a subjective term and depends on various other factors.

The likes of Babar, Rizwan and Shaheen are match-winners against every mid-low tier teams and arguably even New Zealand.

Yasir Shah and Hasan Ali are match winners in Asia against most teams.

Likes of Faheem Ashraf, Imam ul haq, Imad Wasim etc are match winners against bottom tier teams like SL , Ban, Zim etc...

Hafeez 3.0 can be a match winner in T20s against every non big 3 side...

Right now, I'd say the closest thing that Pak have to an out and out match winner against each and every team out there is Fakhar Zaman.

 

[rockyboy2018]

None. Hafeez should have been but given how many chances he got and the way he got out in his last tenty20. He has the biggest safarish in the Pak cricket board, being selected on seniority but not on merit.

The standard of cricket has really got down iN Pakistan.

 

[Last Monetarist]

Yasir Shah, Shaheen Shah, and Hasan Ali can arguably win test matches in a couple of spells. None of the batsmen at this stage are good enough to win a match on their own.

 

[MHN1293]

"Match winner" is a subjective term and depends on various other factors.

The likes of Babar, Rizwan and Shaheen are match-winners against every mid-low tier teams and arguably even New Zealand.

Yasir Shah and Hasan Ali are match winners in Asia against most teams.

Likes of Faheem Ashraf, Imam ul haq, Imad Wasim etc are match winners against bottom tier teams like SL , Ban, Zim etc...

Hafeez 3.0 can be a match winner in T20s against every non big 3 side...

Right now, I'd say the closest thing that Pak have to an out and out match winner against each and every team out there is Fakhar Zaman.

Hafeez 3.0 smashed back to back 80s against england in t20is.

 

[Ozeirk]

Current Pakistan lot have 11 of them matchwinners.

Not all of the will perform every-time but any one of them can perform on different days and can pull off upsets in T20I.
Regarding Tests I cant say the same as everything must click over an extended period of time.

I think a best place for Pakistan to be just under the top 2 to 3 teams but have the ability to beat them when they can. This is an ideal position as it keeps them away from pressures of expectation.

 

[Usman Chadda]

Fakhar Zaman. No other player in the team can be classed as a ‘match-winner’.

 

[Greenstorm]

For LOIs

Batsmen:

Fakhar
Sharjeel

Bowling:

Shaheen

 

[GreenKhan]

Hafeez is not a match winner . He usually goes missing when the stakes are high . That’s why he averages in the 20s in the 8-9 world cups he has played .

Fakhar has a knack of delivering when the stakes are high and his two innings in two finals CT17 and the tri nation show that .

Rizwan has led Pakistan to some very good t20 wins recently by leading a chase successfully. He has some mental toughness about him .

Babar is there or thereabouts . No doubt a fine player but he is yet to take the game by the scruff of its neck when Pakistan’s chances of winning are not high .

 

[Saj]

There are a number of players who can turn a match now and then.

But for me, Babar, Rizwan and Shaheen are the stand-out players at the moment.

 

[Usman Chadda]

There are a number of players who can turn a match now and then.

But for me, Babar, Rizwan and Shaheen are the stand-out players at the moment.

I would maybe give you Shaheen, although he hasn’t really produced a match-defining spell at international level. Babar and Rizwan are very good players, who need other members of the team to step up to deliver wins.

Fakhar is inconsistent, but the only one who has the skillset to turn matches in our favor. A probability of a Pakistan win skyrockets if Fakhar performs. I think there’s a stat somewhere indicating the same.

 

[HussainZ]

Babar, Rizwan, Haider Ali, Fakhar, our whole pace attack

This team is full of match winners. There are a couple of weak links in our #6 hitter and all rounders who often disappoint with the bat. Once we sort out these issues, we will become the team to beat Insha Allah

 

[moghul]

Proven match winners

1-Babar
2-Fakhar:
3-Amir

Potential to become one, almost there .

1-Afridi
2-Rizwan

 

[Ramsay]

Apart from the usual suspects. I am banking big on Faheem Ashraf. This lad has the potential to become a match winner for Pakistan in the coming years. The straight six he hit of Lizaad Williams was pure class.

 

[Mamoon]

Well we're definitely on the right trajectory especially compared to where we were 6-7 years ago when we put out the following lineup vs Australia in a T20:

Ahmed Shehzad
Awais Zia
Umar Amin
Sohaib Maqsood
Saad Nasim
Umar Akmal (wk)
Shahid Afridi (c)
Anwar Ali
Wahab Riaz
Raza Hasan
Mohammad Irfan

Now for the first time I can remember, there's genuine depth and competition for places in the top four batting positions in ODIs and T20s with several different options we can try.

Rizwan is the best keeper batsmen we've had in decades with plenty of reserve options to keep him honest.

However the middle order in ODIs, especially the #6 position, remains problematic. I think Imad makes his way back after this tour, despite my misgivings about his ODI bowling contributions.

The bowling is not as good as the top sides. Qadir's lack of control as our frontline spinner is concerning - and while Nawaz is an improvement over Shadab we await to see how he'll fare against stronger teams. We're still lacking a new ball partner for Shaheen. Rauf blows hot and cold, Hasnain loses the plot at the death and Hasan is just coming back after a long layoff.

I honestly think it's a rare moment in our history where the batting edges our bowling, which remains a work in progress.

We are not on the right track. It is 2017-18 all over again, where we created the same illusion by besting weak and underpowered teams before we got a lovely dose of reality-check starting with the 2018 Asia Cup.

The interesting thing to note is that we are winning on the back of the same set of players that took Pakistan to 21 defeats in 25 matches leading into the World Cup, where they finished with the third worst NRR among all teams and had to scrape past Afghanistan due to umpiring blunders.

So in reality, nothing has changed at all. This team will be beaten black and blue by the top sides when the time comes, just like they have in the past.

A series with India or full-strength England in white ball cricket (not the England Lions we drew with in the T20Is last year) would mean all this so-called improvement goes into the water.

The only difference in 2021 and 2018 is the Rizwan factor. No doubt, he is a big upgrade on Sarfraz and is the best WK batsman Pakistan have had since the first 2-3 years of Kamran Akmal (2004-06).

However, his emergence alone is not that big a factor especially against the top sides.

This current lot is simply not capable of making Pakistan a top 4 team in any format. India, England, Australia and New Zealand are and will remain better than us, so I don’t any reason for excitement.

 

[Markhor]

We are not on the right track. It is 2017-18 all over again, where we created the same illusion by besting weak and underpowered teams before we got a lovely dose of reality-check starting with the 2018 Asia Cup.

The interesting thing to note is that we are winning on the back of the same set of players that took Pakistan to 21 defeats in 25 matches leading into the World Cup, where they finished with the third worst NRR among all teams and had to scrape past Afghanistan due to umpiring blunders.

So in reality, nothing has changed at all. This team will be beaten black and blue by the top sides when the time comes, just like they have in the past.

A series with India or full-strength England in white ball cricket (not the England Lions we drew with in the T20Is last year) would mean all this so-called improvement goes into the water.

The only difference in 2021 and 2018 is the Rizwan factor. No doubt, he is a big upgrade on Sarfraz and is the best WK batsman Pakistan have had since the first 2-3 years of Kamran Akmal (2004-06).

However, his emergence alone is not that big a factor especially against the top sides.

This current lot is simply not capable of making Pakistan a top 4 team in any format. India, England, Australia and New Zealand are and will remain better than us, so I don’t any reason for excitement.

I've said it before - Pakistan should focus on being the best of the rest and not have any illusions about being in the top 3. Top 5 in all formats is more realistic.

If we're to achieve that, we must beat teams like South Africa.

 

[ChTab]

For LOIs

Batsmen:


Sharjeel

Seriously?? the guy hasn't played any international cricket since 2017 & back then he was pretty ordinary. Now more than 4 years has passed & he hasn't improved a bit, his fitness is even worse & he will definitely fail when he gets his chance. Although I hope that the fixer never gets a chance.

 

[ChTab]

IMO Pakistan has Rizwan who is a clear match winner & does possess nerves of steel. IMO Babar is probably the most talented Batsman to come out of Pakistan but he is weak & cannot be classified as a match-winner because he chokes on crucial times. Babar will definitely end his career as a leading run-scorer for Pakistan in both ODI's & Test matches but most of his knocks will have zero impact.

You can also make a case for Fakhar being a match-winner but he is too inconsistent.
In bowling, SSA is a clear match-winner & he will perform better on most occasions.

Other than these players I don't think you can make a case for anyone else. Imam can be a match-winner but atm he is too slow but he can be a match-winner in Test matches if given a proper chance.

Haider Ali can be a match-winner in future but for that he has to overcome his deficines first.

 

[Greenstorm]

Seriously?? the guy hasn't played any international cricket since 2017 & back then he was pretty ordinary. Now more than 4 years has passed & he hasn't improved a bit, his fitness is even worse & he will definitely fail when he gets his chance. Although I hope that the fixer never gets a chance.

Nah he wasn't ordinary.
Sharjeel is the most destructive batsman in Pakistan. We aren't spoilt for choices either so he must be backed.

 

[ChTab]

Nah he wasn't ordinary.
Sharjeel is the most destructive batsman in Pakistan. We aren't spoilt for choices either so he must be backed.

Have a look at these stats & tell me again they weren't ordinary now he's more unfit than before plus he's 4 years, plus he is a fixer who sold his team for some $.

His ODI stats


His T20I stats

 

[Greenstorm]

Have a look at these stats & tell me again they weren't ordinary now he's more unfit than before plus he's 4 years, plus he is a fixer who sold his team for some $.

His ODI stats
View attachment 108598

His T20I stats
View attachment 108599

I am well aware of these stats that you have pasted. Strike rate of 130+ with 20+ avg in T20s is not ordinary by our standards. In his short career, he scored a wonderful fifty against England in Manchester some five years ago. No Pakistani opener has played that kind of an innings since. His debut fifty vs Srilanka and his brilliant 40 something vs NZ in WT20 weren't ordinary either.

In ODIs, his strike rate is world class and his average was improving with each game under Mickey. Again, Sharjeel was not ordinary if compared to the duds that played as openers during the 2013-17 period (Shehzad, Farhat, Jamshed). Infact he should have played more.

 

[gazza619]

Fakhar, Babar, Rizwan, Hassan, Shaheen, Hafeez.
Not a bad list!

 

[hitthestump]

Fakhar, Babar, Rizwan, Hassan, Shaheen, Hafeez.
Not a bad list!

You sure?

Fakhar - Not consistent.
Babar - Yes he is a match winner but with big limitations as we saw today.
Rizwan - No. A very good wk/bat but definitely not a match winner.
Hassan - Lol no.
Shaheen - So overrated it's ridiculous. When was the last time he won a match for Pak with the ball?
Hafeez - Maybe, but only in one format and for how much longer?

 

[RyanRyan10]

In limited formats

Fakhar, Hasan, Hafeez, Shaheen

 

[rhony]

Haider looks too green. Sharjeel, Fakhar, Babar, Rizwan can be a match winning top 4.

Bowling looks weak with Shaheen not doing as well. He needs some competition in the team.

It's surprising that after such a rich history neither Pakistan nor India has a match winning spinner that can turn the game in the middle overs.

 

[PakLFC]

Babar, that's all.

 

[GreenKhan]

I am well aware of these stats that you have pasted. Strike rate of 130+ with 20+ avg in T20s is not ordinary by our standards. In his short career, he scored a wonderful fifty against England in Manchester some five years ago. No Pakistani opener has played that kind of an innings since. His debut fifty vs Srilanka and his brilliant 40 something vs NZ in WT20 weren't ordinary either.

In ODIs, his strike rate is world class and his average was improving with each game under Mickey. Again, Sharjeel was not ordinary if compared to the duds that played as openers during the 2013-17 period (Shehzad, Farhat, Jamshed). Infact he should have played more.

Are you being serious ? That 50 against England , I was there and recall Khalid latif also scoring a 50!

There’s been plenty of innings since then by our openers . Mate are you on a windup .

 

[jeeteshssaxena]

Rizwan ,Hafeez, Hassan

 

[ChTab]

In ODIs, his strike rate is world class and his average was improving with each game under Mickey. Again, Sharjeel was not ordinary if compared to the duds that played as openers during the 2013-17 period (Shehzad, Farhat, Jamshed). Infact he should have played more.

Definitely, he should have played more but then he decided to sell his team out for some easy money plus Jamshed at his peak was 10 times better than Sharjeel & whatever you say about Shezad at least he isn't a traitor.

 

[Kaddy]

For LOIs

Batsmen:

Fakhar
Sharjeel

Bowling:

Shaheen

The only LOIs match winner in the world, who actually hasn't won any match for his team (excluding Ireland).

He doesn't have a single MOM award in ODIs.

 

[Uzi]

Babar, Rizwan, Shaheen, Nawaz, Qadir and Rauf.

Rauf being the biggest.

 

[Greenstorm]

Definitely, he should have played more but then he decided to sell his team out for some easy money plus Jamshed at his peak was 10 times better than Sharjeel & whatever you say about Shezad at least he isn't a traitor.

So you are convinced that he wasn't ordinary (according to our standards) ?
And he was available during 2013-16 period.

 

[Greenstorm]

Are you being serious ? That 50 against England , I was there and recall Khalid latif also scoring a 50!

There’s been plenty of innings since then by our openers . Mate are you on a windup .

Well I may have exaggerated a bit there but my point is that Sharjeel has some decent performances in the past and apart from Fakhar, there is simply no one in Pakistan who can perform power hitting against top attacks.

 

[Saj]

To me a match-winner is someone who can win you a match on a regular basis not once in a blue moon and someone who can win you a match against all opposition in all conditions.

 

[Energy]

Another outdated, bull, useless terminology that is still popular in Pakistan cricket. Match winners that hardly win matches are in high demand.

 

[HussainZ]

Another outdated, bull, useless terminology that is still popular in Pakistan cricket. Match winners that hardly win matches are in high demand.

Would you term Shahid Afridi as the match winner?

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

Batting: Babar

Bowling: Shaheen and Yasir

Likes of Fakhar, Rizwan and Hasan Ali are inconsistent.

What do we need to do? Simple, we must play to our strength by selecting balanced playing XIs and hope for the best

 

[Energy]

Would you term Shahid Afridi as the match winner?

No he wasn't. He contributed heavily in some of our wins, like every other player in the team. He also contributed to many losses when expected to perform his job which obviously he couldn't.

Players score 100s, take 5 wickets for other teams too. That's why they are part of their respective national cricket teams.

 

[shamaan]

Babar,shaheen,hassan ali,rizwan,fakhar

 

[shamaan]

You sure?

Fakhar - Not consistent.
Babar - Yes he is a match winner but with big limitations as we saw today.
Rizwan - No. A very good wk/bat but definitely not a match winner.
Hassan - Lol no.
Shaheen - So overrated it's ridiculous. When was the last time he won a match for Pak with the ball?
Hafeez - Maybe, but only in one format and for how much longer?

Have you seen shaheen stats !