How should our top-order be structured for ODIs?

[yxsr]

straight to the point no talking here's a few ways we could form a lineup.

I really adored the imam-fakhar opening duo. Having someone steadily build the runs while other comes aggressive built an opening stand pakistan hadnt witnessed in years or perhaps even the best.

With Fakhar out of form i consider Haider as the perfect replacement for such.


During the national t20 we saw a new and successful approach to our opening with Rizwan.
Instead of playing Rizwan all the way down like weve historically been doing to our keepers. Lets bring him up. This guy bats great when opened kinda like Gilly.


Thus Opening options become:
> Imam and Haider
> Haider and Rizwan


1 down babar. Moving on, no argument here.

Haris has been playing 2 down brilliantly and we'll continue with it. If Haris doesn't please you tbf i wouldn't mind experimenting Fakhar here.


Moving on to 3 down. This depends on how Abdullah comes out really. If he's an asset we should play him here. If he cant we'll just have to push our lower order perhaps. OR we could try something amazingly new.

Imam to mirror Inzi's role. He bats a lot like him. His weakness is his SR but his strength is his reliability. When collapses occur this guy can stabilize and keep our momentum flowing.
Our momentum is affected when Imam opens as without the right partner our innings become slow. This is an option we can try availing.


Moving to 4 down and 5 down is where I want Shadab and Imad to come in, Perfect options. moving on.

6 down is something we can alternate between Khushdil/ Ifthikhar chacha or the newly acquired Danish Aziz for some HARD hitting slogs for our death overs.

7,8,9 belong to our bowlers rightly so.

(Hafeez can be played if you want but im not gonna consider him rn as im thinking for the future as well)

Opinions on this experiment? Do you agree?

 

[zain7077]

Ideally I’d like to see Haider opening but Abdullah should only bat as an opener and I feel he’d adapt better to 4 than Abdullah.

My top 4

Imam
Abdullah
Babar
Haider

Or

Abdullah
Haider
Babar
Saud / Haris

 

[MoJoJoJo]

Imam (Can build innings)
Fakhar (Can Accelerate)
Babar (Accumulator)
Haider (Can Accelerate)
Haris (Accumulator)

With Abdullah and Zeeshan as backup openers. I think the above mentioned names are good enough to match the world's best.

 

[yxsr]

Imam
Fakhar
Babar
Haider
Haris

With Abdullah and Zeeshan as backup openers. I think the above mentioned names are good enough to match the world's best.

Yes, definitely. Alot of us havent realised it yet, but our batting depth and quality is showcasing the strongest Batting Lineup Pakistan has seen over the course of its history.

 

[MoJoJoJo]

Yes, definitely. Alot of us havent realised it yet, but our batting depth and quality is showcasing the strongest Batting Lineup Pakistan has seen over the course of its history.

Indeed it is. It's just about finding the right combination.
The lower order can be like:

Khushdil
Imad
Shadab
Wahab
Shaheen
Naseem/Amir/Rauf

Now just look at the depth we have. Khushdil, Imad and Shadab can go big, Wahab can bat a bit too.. With batting till number 9 and 5 proper bowling options. Even one of shadab n imad can be replaced with a pure bowler n still it wont harm the depth of the batting. I do think we can create a world class lineup from the current lot.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

Yes, definitely. Alot of us havent realised it yet, but our batting depth and quality is showcasing the strongest Batting Lineup Pakistan has seen over the course of its history.

Definitely! It’s crazy. I feel Haris might be unfit by 2023, but this top 4 of Fakhar, Imam, Babar, and Haider can potentially be amazing.

Just to posit a hypothetical scenario, let’s say Haris is unfit. What would your 2023 lineup be?

I keep getting stuck on this lineup, even though I have a few problems with it:

1. Imam ul Haq
2. Haider Ali
3. Babar Azam (c)
4. Fakhar Zaman
5. Mohammad Rizwan (wk)
6. Iftikhar Ahmed
7. Shadab Khan (vc)
8. Zafar Gohar
9. Musa Khan
10. Shaheen Afridi
11. Haris Rauf

Firstly, I’m not sure how comfortable I am with playing Rizwan at 5 in India’s spinning conditions. I am considering demoting him down the order to 8 to play as specialist keeper. He is handy with the bat, but more comfortable against pace and he will be facing that at the tail-end of the innings if placed at number 8. Alternatively, Rohail Nazir can be tried and developed in Limited Overs instead. Would love your opinion on this as I feel there’s no right answer and unlocking the best wicket-keeper is key to the secret of the final lineup’s balance. As long as Rizwan looks shaky against spin at 5, the balance will feel off.

Second thing I am unsure about is the placement of Fakhar at number 4, when Imam-Fakhar has worked really well as an opening combination so far. The problem is, Haider looks far more comfortable against pace and perhaps he shouldn’t be forced to play in the middle order the way Misbah is making him do right now. However, I’m unsure about Fakhar’s experience in the middle order and whether it’s worth making big shifts to a settled top 3.

Third thing is the number 6 position where Iftikhar and Khushdil are competing for the same position - I really want Khushdil to upgrade his game to play on the off side more often and if he does so he will end up taking the spot. Iftikhar’s part-time abilities will also be handy in the 2023 world cup for the sake of balance. I am against the inclusion of someone like Danish Aziz unless he has a fantastic list A season. Ideally, this coming list A season sorts this out for us.

I have included Gohar over Imad as he is a genuine spinner. Musa Khan’s position is up for grabs. (I am assuming Wahab will have retired by then).

There are definitely some weaknesses in the lineup and it’s difficult to figure out where to fit Haider. Assuming Fakhar’s form slumps again, Haider takes his spot naturally, but Fakhar so far looks in the midst of a resurgence. This complicates matters quite a bit.

Overall though, you are right in saying that this pool of players is one of the strongest in Pakistan’s batting history. May it continue to flourish and improve.

 

[shamaan]

I would go

Fakhar
Imaam
Babar
Haider
Rizwan
Khusdhil
Shadab
Imad
Shaheen
Rauf
Wahab if he can keep fit

You could also try danish aziz qadir musa rohail Abdullah

 

[waheed_sofi]

Abdullah/Saud
Haider
Babar
Haris
Rizwan
Khushdil
Shadab
Zafar
Shaheen
And 2 other Fast Bowlers

 

[Muhammad]

At least Iftikhar now proving he’s our best off spinner since Saqlain has solved one headache.

Add to that heÂ’s a quality batsman, I think we can now start building the team around him.

 

[shamaan]

Abdullah/Saud
Haider
Babar
Haris
Rizwan
Khushdil
Shadab
Zafar
Shaheen
And 2 other Fast Bowlers

Good team but I dont think saud will get a chance anytime soon but hes really good Harris gets injuired to often

 

[TeymurBlake]

For me after much thinking I'm gonna go with:

1. Haider Ali
2. Imam-ul-Haq
3. Babar Azam (C)
4. Mohammad Rizwan (WK)
5. Abdullah Shafique
6. Shadab Khan
7. Khushdil Shah

This would be my top 7. Obviously I would like to some other young players trying to break into the team and hopefully over a couple of domestic seasons they will be able to like Zeeshan Malik, Saud Shakeel, Hasan Mohsin, Rohail Nazir, Qasim Akram, Saif Badar and other aspiring young players.

 

[Bigboii]

Just a suggestion

Fakhar barely scores run I think we should get rid of him asap abid/sharjeel/ Haider can replace him

 

[Bigboii]

For me after much thinking I'm gonna go with:

1. Haider Ali
2. Imam-ul-Haq
3. Babar Azam (C)
4. Mohammad Rizwan (WK)
5. Abdullah Shafique
6. Shadab Khan
7. Khushdil Shah

This would be my top 7. Obviously I would like to some other young players trying to break into the team and hopefully over a couple of domestic seasons they will be able to like Zeeshan Malik, Saud Shakeel, Hasan Mohsin, Rohail Nazir, Qasim Akram, Saif Badar and other aspiring young players.

Pure batsman at number 7
His position in the team would always be shaky because of that (bad average, lack of chances etc)

 

[Bigboii]

At least Iftikhar now proving he’s our best off spinner since Saqlain has solved one headache.

Add to that heÂ’s a quality batsman, I think we can now start building the team around him.

Hafeez is still better than him forget about other off spinners after saq

 

[Bigboii]

[MENTION=151892]Thunderbolt14[/MENTION] musa, ifti, fakhar in star 11?

 

[Artaxerxes]

Abdullah/Saud
Haider
Babar
Haris
Rizwan
Khushdil
Shadab
Zafar
Shaheen
And 2 other Fast Bowlers

Someone like Imam is needed at the top to steady the inning.A more aggressive batsman should open with Imam.

 

[YousafTheBeast]

SHARJEEL KHAN
FAKHAR ZAMAN
BABAR AZAM
HAIDAR ALI
This is our best top 4

HARIS SOHAIL / IFTHIKAR (5th bowler)
MO RIZWAN / ZEESHAN ASHRAF (WK)
KHUSHDIL SHAH
SHADAB KHAN / ZAFAR GOHAR

WAHAB RIAZ / HASSAN ALI
MOHAMMED AMIR
SHAHEEN AFRIDI / HARIS RAUF

No Imam, no Abid, no Imad and no Faheem.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

[MENTION=151892]Thunderbolt14[/MENTION] musa, ifti, fakhar in star 11?

Well, like I said the third pacer slot is wide open - Musa seems to be the one being backed for this once Wahab retires so I placed him there by default. Otherwise the contenders are:

- Hasnain: seems to have regressed
- Hasan Ali: seems to be injured again
- Mohammad Amir: seems to have lost 5 clicks and his swing along with it
- Naseem: seems a bit fragile and yet to really play white ball in even domestics

So arguably this is one of the biggest holes in the squad we need to fill.

Regarding Fakhar, he had a lean year but he still averages an insane amount at high strike rate and I fully expect him to be in peak form by 2023. Not to mention he’s a gun fielder. Of course, if we find a better number 4 who can play the aggressor role (or an opener, if Haider is at number 4), by all means we should persist with them.

This is another hole in our combination right now.

Lastly regarding Iftikhar, he has consistent domestic performances to back his selection and is only rivaled by Khushdil. Others such as Danish Aziz need a season or two thriving and blowing the domestic charts open, and they can come into contention as well. But Iftikhar does make the squad on merit after his T20 performances in Australia, and his lower order roles in PSL and National T20 Cup. If you replace him with Khushdil, I consider it equivalent.

In my eyes at least, the skeleton of our 2023 team is as follows:

1. Fakhar Zaman
2. Imam ul Haq
3. Babar Azam
4. Haider Ali
5.
6.
7. Shadab Khan
8.
9.
10. Shaheen Afridi
11. Haris Rauf

Fakhar and Haider can be swapped.

1. We need to figure out who the keeper is between Rizwan, Rohail, and Azam Khan, and what position he bats at. Is Rizwan aggressive enough for number 5? Should he be demoted? Can Azam play at number 5? Can Rohail play the cameo role at 7/8 down the order?

2. Who is the middle order number 6 bat between Iftikhar and Khushdil? Can others such as Danish Aziz come into contention via domestic performances in List A this year?

3. Who is the third pacer?

4. Who is the spearhead spinner? Zafar Gohar?

Based on these questions, the rest of the skeleton lineup can then be modified.

 

[Nasty Naz]

My preference in terms of optimal lineup based on what players have produced so far:

Haider
Imam
Babar
Haris
Khushdil (his List A track record shows he is more than a simply slogger)
Rizwan (in ODI's/T20's, WK spot remains the weakest spot because as middle/lower batsmen because they lack the power required)
Imad
Shadab
Shaheen
Pacer
Pacer

Haris gives you that 6th bowler option, a lefty in between Babar/Rizwan and stability in the middle order. Haider seems like someone that can play pretty quick and has the ability to play long innings which is ideal as an opener. This lineup gives you a lefty/righty combination throughout the lineup which Pakistan has basically never had.

Could argue for Fakhar instead of Imam as well if Pakistan is looking to play even quicker.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

My preference in terms of optimal lineup based on what players have produced so far:

Haider
Imam
Babar
Haris
Khushdil (his List A track record shows he is more than a simply slogger)
Rizwan (in ODI's/T20's, WK spot remains the weakest spot because as middle/lower batsmen because they lack the power required)
Imad
Shadab
Shaheen
Pacer
Pacer

Haris gives you that 6th bowler option, a lefty in between Babar/Rizwan and stability in the middle order. Haider seems like someone that can play pretty quick and has the ability to play long innings which is ideal as an opener. This lineup gives you a lefty/righty combination throughout the lineup which Pakistan has basically never had.

Could argue for Fakhar instead of Imam as well if Pakistan is looking to play even quicker.

Assume Haris isn’t available in 2023. Who will you pick at 4?

 

[GoUgandaCranes]

I don't remember who coined this phrase here "If Imam is our future, we have no future" and I totally agree with it.

The current version of Imam has no place in modern cricket. He needs to go back, sit with his uncle, and learn the "badtameezi" that his uncle was mentioning. Back in the 90's we had Saeed Anwar, and now in this era, we have Imam - that's literally traveling back in time while everyone else has moved forward.

 

[Nasty Naz]

Assume Haris isn’t available in 2023. Who will you pick at 4?

Shakeel would be probably be my guy at the moment. Hard to say for sure since we don't know how good Abdullah could be. Who knows, maybe it could be Haider/Abdullah/Babar/Shakeel by 2023. But then again, Pakistan does love their "experience" so that seems unlikely.

I think if Shakeel is given a chance, he could be great and all those guys by 2023, would be in their prime age whereas Fakhar/Haris would be a bit on the older side.

 

[Markhor]

Let's start with the premise that we need two attacking openers. Australia have Warner and Finch, England have Bairstow and Roy. For god's sakes this mindset of being 40-1 after 10 is outdated. The top teams attack the PowerPlay and aim for 60/65 after 10.

So I'd open with Fakhar Zaman (or Zeeshan Malik if Fakhar's form continues to slide) and Haider Ali, and tell them to give it a bloody good smack. Imam wastes too many dots in the PowerPlay, I don't care what his average is. I'd keep an eye on Sharjeel Khan form and fitness depending.

Then you can have a middle order of accumulators like Babar Azam, Haris Sohail (if fit) and Mohammad Rizwan. I'm still unconvinced by Rizwan's powergame and would immediately start grooming Mohammad Haris as he's more innovative with his strokeplay. He MUST be on the New Zealand A tour. Haven't seen enough of Rohail Nazir to comment. If Haris isn't fit, then Saud Shakeel and Abdullah Shafique are obvious replacements, though Shakeel needs to step up in the upcoming Pakistan Cup and score meaningful runs for Sindh. But I wouldn't write Haris off yet, especially since he can provide a 6th bowling option.

As for the problematic #6 spot, I'm totally unconvinced by Khushdil Shah's offside game against pace, but his domestic record merits a run. Iftikhar Ahmed is lethargic in the field, but again his recent List A record means he deserves a run. I'd monitor Danish Aziz and Azam Khan (fitness depending). Shadab can slot in at 7 and Gohar is a decent enough batsmen to play at 8. I've ran out of patience with Imad, he's simply not penetrative enough as a wicket-taker against top teams and his fitness is poor. Yes his lower order runs are useful but he's a backup in 2023 for me.

 

[Abdullah Rabbani]

Shakeel would be probably be my guy at the moment. Hard to say for sure since we don't know how good Abdullah could be. Who knows, maybe it could be Haider/Abdullah/Babar/Shakeel by 2023. But then again, Pakistan does love their "experience" so that seems unlikely.

I think if Shakeel is given a chance, he could be great and all those guys by 2023, would be in their prime age whereas Fakhar/Haris would be a bit on the older side.

Classy player's that's our future

 

[ads101]

I'd open with Rizwan and ask him to be aggressive. If he gets out as a result fine, it's just our wicketkeeper. If he can't play at a good rate up the order where he seems more suited, then find another wicketkeeper.

1. Rizwan
2. Imam
3. Babar
4. Haider Ali
5. Abdullah
6. Iftikhar/Khushdil
7. Imad

 

[yxsr]

I'd open with Rizwan and ask him to be aggressive. If he gets out as a result fine, it's just our wicketkeeper. If he can't play at a good rate up the order where he seems more suited, then find another wicketkeeper.

1. Rizwan
2. Imam
3. Babar
4. Haider Ali
5. Abdullah
6. Iftikhar/Khushdil
7. Imad

This seems great. Absolutely. Having specialist openers means a bit of pressure since thats their only role in the game and if they fail they'll feel guilty. Having Rizwan come up there would be great since he acc is a solid bat and in case if he does get out its fine since he know he can make it up for it with his glove skills

 

[TeymurBlake]

Pure batsman at number 7
His position in the team would always be shaky because of that (bad average, lack of chances etc)

Khushdil is a much better hitter than Shadab.

 

[silentkiller187]

I don't remember who coined this phrase here "If Imam is our future, we have no future" and I totally agree with it.

The current version of Imam has no place in modern cricket. He needs to go back, sit with his uncle, and learn the "badtameezi" that his uncle was mentioning. Back in the 90's we had Saeed Anwar, and now in this era, we have Imam - that's literally traveling back in time while everyone else has moved forward.

Spot on, pretty much every line up on this thread has Imam in it, unfortunately he is one of the causes to our problems, too many dot balls up front leaves us behind the pack before the innings even start, we need two attacking openers, Haider could be a potential, Sharjeel if he ever comes back, that should be the next focus of the PSL scouts.

 

[Mobashir]

For me the top order should be
1. Fakhar Zaman
2. Abdullah Shafique
3. Babar Azam
4. Haider Ali

This top order has good chances of winning us matches regularly. In few years time, when Abdullah Shafique and Haider Ali will be at a good level, it can be a tremendous top 4 with Babar.

At 5 and 6 I will have :
Harris Sohail and an attacking wicket keeper batsman.

 

[Bigboii]

Well, like I said the third pacer slot is wide open - Musa seems to be the one being backed for this once Wahab retires so I placed him there by default. Otherwise the contenders are:

- Hasnain: seems to have regressed
- Hasan Ali: seems to be injured again
- Mohammad Amir: seems to have lost 5 clicks and his swing along with it
- Naseem: seems a bit fragile and yet to really play white ball in even domestics

So arguably this is one of the biggest holes in the squad we need to fill.

Regarding Fakhar, he had a lean year but he still averages an insane amount at high strike rate and I fully expect him to be in peak form by 2023. Not to mention he’s a gun fielder. Of course, if we find a better number 4 who can play the aggressor role (or an opener, if Haider is at number 4), by all means we should persist with them.

This is another hole in our combination right now.

Lastly regarding Iftikhar, he has consistent domestic performances to back his selection and is only rivaled by Khushdil. Others such as Danish Aziz need a season or two thriving and blowing the domestic charts open, and they can come into contention as well. But Iftikhar does make the squad on merit after his T20 performances in Australia, and his lower order roles in PSL and National T20 Cup. If you replace him with Khushdil, I consider it equivalent.

In my eyes at least, the skeleton of our 2023 team is as follows:

1. Fakhar Zaman
2. Imam ul Haq
3. Babar Azam
4. Haider Ali
5.
6.
7. Shadab Khan
8.
9.
10. Shaheen Afridi
11. Haris Rauf

Fakhar and Haider can be swapped.

1. We need to figure out who the keeper is between Rizwan, Rohail, and Azam Khan, and what position he bats at. Is Rizwan aggressive enough for number 5? Should he be demoted? Can Azam play at number 5? Can Rohail play the cameo role at 7/8 down the order?

2. Who is the middle order number 6 bat between Iftikhar and Khushdil? Can others such as Danish Aziz come into contention via domestic performances in List A this year?

3. Who is the third pacer?

4. Who is the spearhead spinner? Zafar Gohar?

Based on these questions, the rest of the skeleton lineup can then be modified.

Rizwan should bat number 4 in odis but Rizwan is not made for t20

So for t20 he should be replaced by Azam Khan (but only with better fitness and keeping skills)

For number 5 we need someone like Hafeez to fill that role for 23 (Hafeez 3.0 is so underrated)

But maybe Haris can fill that role (management can ask him to play his shots maybe that'll work in odis)

We have so many pacers but no idea who to invest in

Naseem Shah in odis? I don't know that can work hopefully (but for that he needs to play list A)
(But I really think a fit Hasan Ali is a great option for any loi team a fit HA gets my vote for third pacer)

Zafar Gohar is way better than any other spinner for Lois because all the other spinner lack control (just look at qadir's bowling you'll know what I am talking about)

 

[Thunderbolt14]

Rizwan should bat number 4 in odis but Rizwan is not made for t20

So for t20 he should be replaced by Azam Khan (but only with better fitness and keeping skills)

For number 5 we need someone like Hafeez to fill that role for 23 (Hafeez 3.0 is so underrated)

But maybe Haris can fill that role (management can ask him to play his shots maybe that'll work in odis)

We have so many pacers but no idea who to invest in

Naseem Shah in odis? I don't know that can work hopefully (but for that he needs to play list A)
(But I really think a fit Hasan Ali is a great option for any loi team a fit HA gets my vote for third pacer)

Zafar Gohar is way better than any other spinner for Lois because all the other spinner lack control (just look at qadir's bowling you'll know what I am talking about)

Hafeez has retired from ODI and I’m assuming Haris will be unfit given his history. 3 years down the road it would be miraculous for him to be fit. That’s the chief issue to be honest, otherwise they would both be there in the mix.

Regarding the spinner and 3rd pacer, hopefully someone comes to the front during the New Zealand Shaheens tour as well as the List A tournament this year. That includes Zafar Gohar and Hasan Ali who hopefully rise above the crowd again.

The good news is there is time! Let’s see what happens over the next year. Lots of tournaments between PSL, National T20, and List A for white ball players to really throw their name into the ring, all the way up until PSL 8 in 2023!

 

[Mrhandsome]

Rizwan and Shadab should be nowhere near the ODI team. Shadab has to be the most overrated player in last 20 years. I honestly just can't see what he brings to the team especially when he is replacing the legacy of Afridi and Ajmal as our ODI spinners. Imad the poor man's Jadeja is pretty ordinary too and should only be at most a back up. Less said about Iftikar, Malik and Abid Ali, the better. The core of the team should be made up of the following players.

Haider
Abdullah
Babar
Haris Sohail
Sharjeel
Hafeez ( the unpopular choice, deserves one last hurrah given the form he is in)
Danish Aziz
Hussain Talat
Azam Khan
Khushdil Shah
Imam Ul Haq
Zafar Gohar
Shaheen
Rauf
Wahab
Naseem
Husnain

 

[shamaan]

Rizwan and Shadab should be nowhere near the ODI team. Shadab has to be the most overrated player in last 20 years. I honestly just can't see what he brings to the team especially when he is replacing the legacy of Afridi and Ajmal as our ODI spinners. Imad the poor man's Jadeja is pretty ordinary too and should only be at most a back up. Less said about Iftikar, Malik and Abid Ali, the better. The core of the team should be made up of the following players.

Haider
Abdullah
Babar
Haris Sohail
Sharjeel
Hafeez ( the unpopular choice, deserves one last hurrah given the form he is in)
Danish Aziz
Hussain Talat
Azam Khan
Khushdil Shah
Imam Ul Haq
Zafar Gohar
Shaheen
Rauf
Wahab
Naseem
Husnain

So your assumption that rizwan shouldn't be in the squad is based upon a series or two or more than that ?

As for shadab do you no anyone better who can replace him his stats are decent and hes only going to get better other that that it's a good team but realistically sharjeel azam khan talat Aziz wont be given a chance anytime soon but I hope they do

 

[smkk]

When we are selecting team, there must be some ground rule. No matter what these rule must be obeyed else a good team can never be formed. No compromise in these rules.
1. Team must be selected based on long term planning. Therefore team should be selected for and beyond world cup 2023.
2. No player over or approaching 32 yrs of age. So no iftikhar chacha, Fakhar.
3. No unfit player, no matter how much talented you are. If you do not have motivation to get fit for your country, then you do not deserve to be selected for the country, so no harris sohail, azam khan.

After this rules been set, let us pick a side that can form the foundation of Pak cricket team in future.
1. Imam Haque – he plays a little slow and selfish, but a guy at less than 24 yrs of age, 7 centuries and over 50 average is too good to be left out. Most importantly, he shows mentality to improve, unlike his more famous previous partner. All his shortcomings can be iron out, he have got time and mentality to improve. So he should be permanent in this position.
2. Haider Ali – tremendously talented, after Babar never has been this excited for him and Abdullah Shafiq. But he should be given extend run at this position. At least for 25 matches he should be ensured by the authority to be in the calling sheet.
3. Babar(C) – no need to clarify, but I must request the public to get off from his back about captaincy. Let him be the captain until world cup 2023. With or without Babar captaining, Pakistan do not have any chance to win. So in order for him to grow mentally and skill wise except him to the captain for next few years. This is for the sake of Pak cricket of recent time but also for future.
4. Rizwan(Wk) – he should come down lower than this. A very gritty batsman, who will grow in this slot in future immensely.
5. Hafeez / Hussain Talat – PCB needs to ensure to Hafeez that if he can continue his recent form, he will play in world cup 2023 in this slot. Having said that, after world cup Hussain Talat can replace him after that. So in between Hussain Talat should be played in most of the unimportant games. If he is not up to the mark in international, then Saud Shakil can be tried. But a replacement must be made available in advance.
6. Khusdil / Danish Aziz – like previous slot, use this slot in rotation for at least next 1.5 year, before we decide who is prepare to go to the world cup. But no Asif Ali or Iftikhar, they are just not international materials. Also golden rule 2, age is not at their side.
7. Shadab / Imad – you need a genuine spinner, and part time spinner will not work anymore. So decide whom to persist with between these 2. Personally I would prefer Shadab, with Imad only playing T20s.
8. Zafar Gohar / Usman Qadir – both are good genuine spinner, and both can bat. They must be bought to team in urgent basis and tried, else it would be too late.
9. Wahab / Ehshan Adil – a pace bowler with batting capability, also good death bowling capability. Exactly what happened to Hassan Ali, can any one tell me, he would had been perfect in this slot with above criteria.
10. Haris Rauf / Hasnain / Musa
11. Shaheen / Naseem / new player - pace bowler must rotated frequently.
Bench
12. Abdullah Shafiq – one guy I could not slot in any where no matter how much I tried. Regardless he must be part of the team, he would learn a lot by this.
In my humble opinion, this team can at least be a good foundation for future team. I am not trying to select everyone who is at the top of his form. But laying down a foundation which Pak selector must follow to improve the team. This structure can be further improved or change based on future needs.

 

[shamaan]

When we are selecting team, there must be some ground rule. No matter what these rule must be obeyed else a good team can never be formed. No compromise in these rules.
1. Team must be selected based on long term planning. Therefore team should be selected for and beyond world cup 2023.
2. No player over or approaching 32 yrs of age. So no iftikhar chacha, Fakhar.
3. No unfit player, no matter how much talented you are. If you do not have motivation to get fit for your country, then you do not deserve to be selected for the country, so no harris sohail, azam khan.

After this rules been set, let us pick a side that can form the foundation of Pak cricket team in future.
1. Imam Haque – he plays a little slow and selfish, but a guy at less than 24 yrs of age, 7 centuries and over 50 average is too good to be left out. Most importantly, he shows mentality to improve, unlike his more famous previous partner. All his shortcomings can be iron out, he have got time and mentality to improve. So he should be permanent in this position.
2. Haider Ali – tremendously talented, after Babar never has been this excited for him and Abdullah Shafiq. But he should be given extend run at this position. At least for 25 matches he should be ensured by the authority to be in the calling sheet.
3. Babar(C) – no need to clarify, but I must request the public to get off from his back about captaincy. Let him be the captain until world cup 2023. With or without Babar captaining, Pakistan do not have any chance to win. So in order for him to grow mentally and skill wise except him to the captain for next few years. This is for the sake of Pak cricket of recent time but also for future.
4. Rizwan(Wk) – he should come down lower than this. A very gritty batsman, who will grow in this slot in future immensely.
5. Hafeez / Hussain Talat – PCB needs to ensure to Hafeez that if he can continue his recent form, he will play in world cup 2023 in this slot. Having said that, after world cup Hussain Talat can replace him after that. So in between Hussain Talat should be played in most of the unimportant games. If he is not up to the mark in international, then Saud Shakil can be tried. But a replacement must be made available in advance.
6. Khusdil / Danish Aziz – like previous slot, use this slot in rotation for at least next 1.5 year, before we decide who is prepare to go to the world cup. But no Asif Ali or Iftikhar, they are just not international materials. Also golden rule 2, age is not at their side.
7. Shadab / Imad – you need a genuine spinner, and part time spinner will not work anymore. So decide whom to persist with between these 2. Personally I would prefer Shadab, with Imad only playing T20s.
8. Zafar Gohar / Usman Qadir – both are good genuine spinner, and both can bat. They must be bought to team in urgent basis and tried, else it would be too late.
9. Wahab / Ehshan Adil – a pace bowler with batting capability, also good death bowling capability. Exactly what happened to Hassan Ali, can any one tell me, he would had been perfect in this slot with above criteria.
10. Haris Rauf / Hasnain / Musa
11. Shaheen / Naseem / new player - pace bowler must rotated frequently.
Bench
12. Abdullah Shafiq – one guy I could not slot in any where no matter how much I tried. Regardless he must be part of the team, he would learn a lot by this.
In my humble opinion, this team can at least be a good foundation for future team. I am not trying to select everyone who is at the top of his form. But laying down a foundation which Pak selector must follow to improve the team. This structure can be further improved or change based on future needs.

So hafeez is younger than 32