How to fit both Haris Sohail and Asif Ali in Pakistan's ODI playing XI?

[mak36]

Asif and Haris have to start in the playing XI. The question is how do we fit both of them in the team? The most likely solution is having one of them open. So which option should be preferred?

Option 1: Haris Opens

Fakhar
Haris
Babar
Shoaib
Sarfaraz
Asif Ali

Benefits

- Fakhar and Haris will complement one another nicely; Haris will rotate the strike whilst Fakhar will provide his usual aggression

- Reduced dot ball consumption

- Haris is an excellent player of pace and lateral movement

- Lets Asif grow in his role as a finisher

- Strengthens the lower order hitting

Drawbacks

- It will be a left/left combo

- Weakens the middle order

- Haris is not used to opening

- Risk of Asif not playing many deliveries

Option 2: Asif Opens

Fakhar
Asif
Babar
Haris Sohail
Sarfaraz
Shoaib

Benefits

- Fakhar and Asif will provide an aggressive partnership; if they get going they will win matches on their own

- Optimises the number of deliveries Asif will face

- Left/Right combo

- Asif has opened in the past

- Strengthens the middle order; lets Babar and Haris bat in tandem

Drawbacks

- Dot ball consumption might be high

- Weakens the lower middle order; finishing will be reliant on Malik, Faheem etc.

- Risk of denting Asif's confidence

 

[Khan12]

I would go for option 1. I have been saying for a long time haris should open in odis.

 

[Markhor]

Fakhar and Babar opens, Haris, Malik and Sarfraz at 3, 4 and 5, and Asif Ali at 6 (though I'd prefer him opening or at 3 in T20s).

 

[cricketerB94]

First of all, Haris needs to work on his fitness. If you want to bat in top order, you need to show intent of making 100s and not throwing the starts away after reaching 40 or 50 runs. He has not shown that yet so he should not be our top order batsman.

And he does not have that extra gear, so he should not bat at lower or middle order too as we already have Babar and Malik there.

So, the best place for him is on bench in current team. But he will surely replace Malik after SA series or WC 2019.

 

[mak36]

Fakhar and Babar opens, Haris, Malik and Sarfraz at 3, 4 and 5, and Asif Ali at 6 (though I'd prefer him opening or at 3 in T20s).

This is a good point. In the same way England have sent Buttler to open in T20s, Pakistan can test out Asif up the order in the shortest format. If it works then they can think about sending him up in ODIs.

 

[Titan24]

Haris Sohail has got potential but throws his wicket away at cruical points of the game.

Imam while is a slow starter but alteast goes onto score and stay till late in the innings which is a key when you are batting in top 3.

At the moment I woulde prefer 22 year old opener who scores big than someone who scores 30 odd runs while batting in top 3.

 

[Titan24]

I dont know what has Haris Sohail done since his come back in International cricket, i dont remeber him winning a single match. Yes few good partnerships here and there.

 

[Sean143]

Asif and Haris have to start in the playing XI. The question is how do we fit both of them in the team? The most likely solution is having one of them open. So which option should be preferred?

Option 1: Haris Opens

Fakhar
Haris
Babar
Shoaib
Sarfaraz
Asif Ali

Benefits

- Fakhar and Haris will complement one another nicely; Haris will rotate the strike whilst Fakhar will provide his usual aggression

- Reduced dot ball consumption

- Haris is an excellent player of pace and lateral movement

- Lets Asif grow in his role as a finisher

- Strengthens the lower order hitting

Drawbacks

- It will be a left/left combo

- Weakens the middle order

- Haris is not used to opening

- Risk of Asif not playing many deliveries

Option 2: Asif Opens

Fakhar
Asif
Babar
Haris Sohail
Sarfaraz
Shoaib

Benefits

- Fakhar and Asif will provide an aggressive partnership; if they get going they will win matches on their own

- Optimises the number of deliveries Asif will face

- Left/Right combo

- Asif has opened in the past

- Strengthens the middle order; lets Babar and Haris bat in tandem

Drawbacks

- Dot ball consumption might be high

- Weakens the lower middle order; finishing will be reliant on Malik, Faheem etc.

- Risk of denting Asif's confidence

There are about 5 problems with harris as an opener
(1)He isn't comfortable against shot pitched stuff, and usually ducks bouncers. He simply needs to find a way to put away bad bouncers in the batting powerplay
(2) His overall boundary hitting ability in power play is reduced when the field is set while keeping his scoring shots in mind. He was playing really well against India in 2015 WC group game, but suddenly dhoni packed the off side field and then he was crisply timing cover drives straight to the fielders. He simply needs more release shots in the powerplay
(3)He has been throwing aways start for far too long now, get a solid 30 odd and then throws his wicket away.
(4) His Fitness and Fielding are a big concern, maybe he isn't getting big runs cuz of his fitness
(5)If he is to play in our side as an opener he should be used as a second spinner and sarfaraz should show some faith in him as bowler. If you are going to play him as your 2nd spinner then at least back him.

All these things can be sorted out, but someone has to guide him, and Harris sohail should be faithful to his own cause if he desires success.
If he is able to sort these things out, then he is a perfect candidate. He could support fakhar in the PP, and then just knock it around when the spinners come on.
This would make us play the middle overs very well, and we can have a decent trio of hitters in the form of Asif,Malik and Faheem

 

[Prince of Pakistan]

Imam's 100 meant that we will not see Haris till at the least September.

Sad for a talent like Haris, but that's how it goes in the sports world. If you ain't fit neither meet the expectations people have of you you will miss out.

Sarfraz is lucky that he is captain otherwise the same would have happened to him.

 

[Syed1]

I'm hoping we start playing better teams soon so that a garbage player like Imam is thoroughly exposed.


As for Harry, he can easily slot in place of Malik who isn't doing much in ODIs.

We genuinely need another opener to partner Fakhar. Where is that lad Nasir Nawaz, he ran his mouth against PCB and since then he has faded into oblivion. Quite unfortunate.

 

[Khan12]

I'm hoping we start playing better teams soon so that a garbage player like Imam is thoroughly exposed.


As for Harry, he can easily slot in place of Malik who isn't doing much in ODIs.

We genuinely need another opener to partner Fakhar. Where is that lad Nasir Nawaz, he ran his mouth against PCB and since then he has faded into oblivion. Quite unfortunate.

Nasir Nawaz needs time but man what a sight it would be him and fakhar opening. These loosers didn't even pick him for the u19 world cup and I am sure taking against pcb cost him a pcb contract too.

 

[sadida97]

is haris in the ODI squad ?

 

[Arham_PakFan]

is haris in the ODI squad ?

Yes.

Imam is better than Haris only in terms of availability to play long innings.Haris beats him in terms of shot making and Strike rate.

 

[babajee]

I'm hoping we start playing better teams soon so that a garbage player like Imam is thoroughly exposed.


As for Harry, he can easily slot in place of Malik who isn't doing much in ODIs.

We genuinely need another opener to partner Fakhar. Where is that lad Nasir Nawaz, he ran his mouth against PCB and since then he has faded into oblivion. Quite unfortunate.

Sahibzada Farhan is the obvious choice.

 

[the Great Khan]

Oh here we go again. Another Haris must be in the team.

Why? Why should he be in the team? He is barely an international class player..can't go beyond 30.

I would go as far as saying he''s a dud..overhyped by unknowledgable kids who think he''s the second coming..face facts he''s rubbish. And should warm the bench..

 

[the Great Khan]

Hahaha. .in other words Imam is a proper cricket while Haris is a hack..thanks for confirming that..Imam is twice the player Haris is and he can only get better..

 

[mak36]

Oh here we go again. Another Haris must be in the team.

Why? Why should he be in the team? He is barely an international class player..can't go beyond 30.

I would go as far as saying he''s a dud..overhyped by unknowledgable kids who think he''s the second coming..face facts he''s rubbish. And should warm the bench..

Did he kill your dog or something?

5 fifties in his last 5 ODIs, so this "can't go beyond 30" is utter rubbish. In tough conditions/series he is often the only one who performs:

Was our best batsmen in the Sri Lanka tests.

Was our best batsmen in the NZ ODI series.

Face facts and accept you are talking rubbish.

 

[mak36]

Hahaha. .in other words Imam is a proper cricket while Haris is a hack..thanks for confirming that..Imam is twice the player Haris is and he can only get better..

I've heard it all now )

 

[babajee]

Fakhar
Babar/Haris
Haris/Babar
Sarfraz
Shadab
Talat
Asif
Faheem

Would be my top 8.

 

[mak36]

I'm hoping we start playing better teams soon so that a garbage player like Imam is thoroughly exposed.


As for Harry, he can easily slot in place of Malik who isn't doing much in ODIs.

We genuinely need another opener to partner Fakhar. Where is that lad Nasir Nawaz, he ran his mouth against PCB and since then he has faded into oblivion. Quite unfortunate.

Lol you are too harsh against Imam. He is an excellent test prospect. His game is not ready (yet) for ODIs but he could improve. That said, there are better options at the moment. Nasir Nawaz, Zeeshan Malik, Sahibzada Farhan, Ahsan Ali all need to be developed.

Let's be realistic- Malik isn't going anywhere. That's the dilemna.

 

[hitthestump]

Asif Ali's game seems more suited to the 1,2,3 positions than it does at no 5. I don't think he'll be as effective there unless the top order fires and he can come in the last 10 overs.

 

[mak36]

Nasir Nawaz needs time but man what a sight it would be him and fakhar opening. These loosers didn't even pick him for the u19 world cup and I am sure taking against pcb cost him a pcb contract too.

His best chance is PSL. There were rumours before the last PSL, Islamabad United were looking at him but obviously nothing came of it. Hussain Talat won't be an emerging player next year, so they will definitely have space for Nasir Nawaz in PSL 4 if they want him.

 

[ShahidDar08]

Should open with Fakhar. Imam is pathetic when it comes to strike rate and strike rotation.

 

[mak36]

Should open with Fakhar. Imam is pathetic when it comes to strike rate and strike rotation.

Who should open with Fakhar?

 

[mak36]

Sahibzada Farhan is the obvious choice.

Has a few kinks that need to be ironed out. A lot depends on how quickly he can learn.

Was worrying how much the likes of Wahab were hurrying him for pace in the PSL, especially with the shorter ball.

 

[babajee]

Has a few kinks that need to be ironed out. A lot depends on how quickly he can learn.

Was worrying how much the likes of Wahab were hurrying him for pace in the PSL, especially with the shorter ball.

I feel he is quite similar to Fakhar and will only improve in the international team.

 

[Titan24]

Haris should either play at no 4 or below anything higher than that he doesnt deserve it with him yet to score a century.

Fakhar is a dangerous player and you would want him playing that way and with him Babar and Imam are ideal if you consider 100's per match ratio which is better for these tow guys than the rest around. At the age of 23 and 22 receptively these two have 9 hundreds between them. If we stick with these in the top 3, these guys have a bright future.

Top 3 batsmen are key to any batting lineup, if none go beyond 30 overs regularly than you are gonna struggle more often than not.

 

[Titan24]

I feel he is quite similar to Fakhar and will only improve in the international team.

Agreed but look at two of the most dynamic lineups in international cricket, Ind, Eng. They have one thing in common which is really good top 3 and most of them at least carry the innings around 30 overs.

Fakhar is developing is ling innings gameplay, Babar has already learnt how to built a long innings. If Sahibzada Farhan can learn to play big innings with a good SR than he can be crucial but he isnt part of the squad and Imam is performing in terms of playing long innings and he has solid technique as well. SO I think we are already going towards a solid top 3.

Farhan should perform in the next T20 opportunity he gets to be considered for ODIs/

 

[babajee]

Agreed but look at two of the most dynamic lineups in international cricket, Ind, Eng. They have one thing in common which is really good top 3 and most of them at least carry the innings around 30 overs.

Fakhar is developing is ling innings gameplay, Babar has already learnt how to built a long innings. If Sahibzada Farhan can learn to play big innings with a good SR than he can be crucial but he isnt part of the squad and Imam is performing in terms of playing long innings and he has solid technique as well. SO I think we are already going towards a solid top 3.

Sahibzada has played those long innings in domestics. Scored ~155 in the recent Pakistan cup IIRC. He is the best young List A opener in Pakistan and deserves a chance in the national team over Imam.

 

[mak36]

I feel he is quite similar to Fakhar and will only improve in the international team.

Depends how you mean. This attitude won't take him far:

During the recently concluded PSL tournament, my team Islamabad United and Karachi Kings were practicing at the same venue. Waqar Younis was trying to help me practice to score runs off my weak areas. He worked on me for a few hours with not much luck. Mohammad Rizwan, who was watching from a distance, came over and told Waqar that you can keep on practicing for as long as you like at Farhan’s weak spots and things will not improve. But, he could bet anything with Waqar, that if the ball came in the right place for Farhan in his strong area, it would be deposited outside the boundary in no time. After Waqar heard this, he told me to come out of the nets and just play the way I normally play. I did not disappoint as in the game I hit Usman Khan Shinwari for a six and also struck a six off Tymal Mills as well. My point is that, yes, I will look to play responsibly but I will never miss an opportunity to score when the ball is in the right place for me to hit.

I've backed him since day one but if he's not planning on improving then he will be found out pretty quickly. He needs Fakhar's work ethic to improve and succeed.

Btw, if you want to play him as opener, you can't play the line up you posted earlier in this thread. Who are you dropping?

 

[SARJ_BD]

✓Haris should not open due to his lack of ability to play bouncers.
✓Haris till now did not show any big performance, neither in international NOR IN DOMESTIC.
✓Imam scored two centuries in 4 matches, why will anyone think of dropping him?

 

[The_Odd_One]

Oh here we go again. Another Haris must be in the team.

Why? Why should he be in the team? He is barely an international class player..can't go beyond 30.

I would go as far as saying he''s a dud..overhyped by unknowledgable kids who think he''s the second coming..face facts he''s rubbish. And should warm the bench..

Completely agree. He is all hype. Even Fawad Alam had the better capability of playing longer innings.

 

[babajee]

Depends how you mean. This attitude won't take him far:

I've backed him since day one but if he's not planning on improving then he will be found out pretty quickly. He needs Fakhar's work ethic to improve and succeed.

Btw, if you want to play him as opener, you can't play the line up you posted earlier in this thread. Who are you dropping?

Yes the attitude conveyed in the interview was quite shocking but I hope his message was lost in translation.

To be honest from that lineup I would drop Haris ... whilst he is very good against pace he often gets tied down against the spinners and sucks the momentum out of the innings. I would keep him on the bench as a backup for Babar.

 

[coy0607]

I see no reason to hurt the team combination for the overhyped, unfit, and ageing Haris Sohail

 

[TeymurBlake]

Personally Option 3. Play both of them. Open with Fakhar Zaman and Sahibzada Farhan or for this series likely Imam. Babar at 3 followed by Haris and Sarfaraz. The lower order can be Asif, Faheem and Shadab. Haris comes in for Shoaib Malik and Asif easily slots in at No.6. The main issue is Malik, he needs to go.

 

[Ahson8]

Open with Haris.

 

[Abdul]

There is no need for Haris Sohail to be in the team.

 

[Square Drive]

Open with Fakhar and Babar.

However, I suspect we might have to wait until Malik's retirement after the WC to see Haris play regularly.

 

[Hasan123]

Haris should be playing instead of Malik who seems past his best versus teams with good bowling attacks.

 

[mak36]

Haris should be playing instead of Malik who seems past his best versus teams with good bowling attacks.

Don't see him going anywhere until after WC19. Do you?

 

[Hasan123]

Don't see him going anywhere until after WC19. Do you?

No he will play till 2019 WC. He will also play the 2020 World T20. He isn't needed imo.

Hussain Talat,Haris Sohail,and Asif Ali are better investments now.

 

[moghul]

Harris's physical fitness is not good enough for a modern day ODI player.

 

[mak36]

This thread was written on the assumption that Malik, whether we like it or not, is in the starting XI. For all those suggesting Malik is dropped, do you honestly see him going anywhere?

 

[the Great Khan]

Did he kill your dog or something?

5 fifties in his last 5 ODIs, so this "can't go beyond 30" is utter rubbish. In tough conditions/series he is often the only one who performs:

Was our best batsmen in the Sri Lanka tests.

Was our best batsmen in the NZ ODI series.

Face facts and accept you are talking rubbish.

Please..how many Hundreds?? only one who performs? lol in which world?
he can barely stay fit..is way too lose around his ofstump and has a belly!!

plz he doesnt deserve the adulation the kiddie brigade give him..he's a hack and should be dropped..if this is our saviour then God help our cricket..

 

[mirza105]

he will be discarded from odi set up unless he improves rapidly
one good psl for talat or farhan will be curtains for him.

 

[Tabishbeigh]

Haris Sohail brings pleasure to ones eyes when he bats well, but his entertainment index won't win you matches. I rather have a grafter with taller than someone who is most certainly going to throw his wicket away.

 

[Prashant]

Shocked to see the topic. Imam just scored a centuary, why all of a sudden want harris or asif to open with fakhar

 

[Markhor]

Depends how you mean. This attitude won't take him far:



I've backed him since day one but if he's not planning on improving then he will be found out pretty quickly. He needs Fakhar's work ethic to improve and succeed.

Btw, if you want to play him as opener, you can't play the line up you posted earlier in this thread. Who are you dropping?

Probably more a reflection of Waqar's coaching abilities - what young batsmen ever improved on his watch ?

When he is seen by professional coaches like Mickey and Flower they will rectify any issues.

 

[Khan12]

Please..how many Hundreds?? only one who performs? lol in which world?
he can barely stay fit..is way too lose around his ofstump and has a belly!!

plz he doesnt deserve the adulation the kiddie brigade give him..he's a hack and should be dropped..if this is our saviour then God help our cricket..

We know you hate haris but please don't be so desperate. He's got 5 fifties in his last 5 games. If you think he's a hack then I may God help you. Do you even know what a hack is?

 

[Nasty Naz]

I'd like to see Sarfraz open if they really want to keep Asif Ali in the lineup. Sarfraz simply doesn't possess the ability to consistently play long innings and I just don't trust at 4/5 especially if top order struggles. He's done well as an opener before as well. Sarfraz is good at rotating the strike and finding gaps which works well for the powerplay.

It allows Haris to play at 4 and keep Malik at 5 where he is at his best. Trusting Malik at 4 is a mistake if the top order falters because Malik cannot be reasonably relied upon to build and play a long inning under pressure situation. He is at his best when he coming in a bit later in the game and can destroy spin and play his big shots.

 

[mak36]

Probably more a reflection of Waqar's coaching abilities - what young batsmen ever improved on his watch ?

When he is seen by professional coaches like Mickey and Flower they will rectify any issues.

Perhaps, but Farhan's cavalier attitude is a little worrying.

 

[Arham_PakFan]

Oh here we go again. Another Haris must be in the team.

Why? Why should he be in the team? He is barely an international class player..can't go beyond 30.

I would go as far as saying he''s a dud..overhyped by unknowledgable kids who think he''s the second coming..face facts he''s rubbish. And should warm the bench..

Look,I agree he often gets out after getting starts.But he is not a hack.He is a strokeplayer.

I don’t like how he has been raised to a pedestal by some fans,as if he is the answer to all our batting problems.He should be criticised for his mistakes,as every other player should be.

 

[Angrez Pakistani]

Sarfraz can bat as an opener.

 

[mak36]

We know you hate haris but please don't be so desperate. He's got 5 fifties in his last 5 games. If you think he's a hack then I may God help you. Do you even know what a hack is?

There are valid criticisms to be made, but for that poster to call Haris a "hack" reveals a level of cricketing ignorance previously thought impossible.

 

[Khan12]

There are valid criticisms to be made, but for that poster to call Haris a "hack" reveals a level of cricketing ignorance previously thought impossible.

Criticism is perfectly fine if he's not performing but some prople just hate certain players without justification.

 

[Chief Destroyer]

According to Mickey, Haris' place was set in ODIs. So, what the hell was that in the last game? Mickey's being a fool and judged him off T20s. Against better bowling, we will need Babar and Haris at 3-4, there are no two ways about it.

 

[Khan12]

According to Mickey, Haris' place was set in ODIs. So, what the hell was that in the last game? Mickey's being a fool and judged him off T20s. Against better bowling, we will need Babar and Haris at 3-4, there are no two ways about it.

Malik will do a terrific job when we play a good team. He will teach rabada a lesson soon just watch.

 

[Khan12]

According to Mickey, Haris' place was set in ODIs. So, what the hell was that in the last game? Mickey's being a fool and judged him off T20s. Against better bowling, we will need Babar and Haris at 3-4, there are no two ways about it.

Do you like the idea of haris opening.

 

[mak36]

According to Mickey, Haris' place was set in ODIs. So, what the hell was that in the last game? Mickey's being a fool and judged him off T20s. Against better bowling, we will need Babar and Haris at 3-4, there are no two ways about it.

Pretty worrying. The optimistic reading is Mickey is certain about Haris and wanted to Asif to debut and force his way into the team.

Who's your opener?

 

[Baigel]

Why not and try opening with the likes of Shadab,Faheem,Asif? It may not seem a good decision but if anyone of these becomes 3 quarters of what Afridi did as an opener than it will be a good couple of years for Pakistan. Specially, Asif or Faheem are batsmen who can work on their defense and become proper batsmen that can open the innings

 

[Mirpur express]

The obsession with Sohail * Still to prove his worth.

 

[Chief Destroyer]

Do you like the idea of haris opening.

Pretty worrying. The optimistic reading is Mickey is certain about Haris and wanted to Asif to debut and force his way into the team.

Who's your opener?

Haris opening in the current setup can work but don't expect blistering starts from him. His job would be bat out the 50 and score centuries at run a ball which he is capable of. It'll help us post 300 consistently which is all we need.

With the outfield open in the first 10, he can get off to positive starts and play run a ball from there.

 

[Baigel]

Haris opening in the current setup can work but don't expect blistering starts from him. His job would be bat out the 50 and score centuries at run a ball which he is capable of. It'll help us post 300 consistently which is all we need.

With the outfield open in the first 10, he can get off to positive starts and play run a ball from there.

But we can't have anymore run-a-ball starts...We need to maintain a strike rate of over a 100, 300 is simply to common nowadays to consider a good target. We need a dominant opening batsman who can play like Bairstow

 

[babajee]

But we can't have anymore run-a-ball starts...We need to maintain a strike rate of over a 100, 300 is simply to common nowadays to consider a good target. We need a dominant opening batsman who can play like Bairstow

Unlike England, if we score at least 300 we will defend it 9/10 times.

 

[mak36]

Haris opening in the current setup can work but don't expect blistering starts from him. His job would be bat out the 50 and score centuries at run a ball which he is capable of. It'll help us post 300 consistently which is all we need.

With the outfield open in the first 10, he can get off to positive starts and play run a ball from there.

What's your objection (if any) to Asif opening and letting Babar and Haris form the core of the middle order?

 

[Chief Destroyer]

But we can't have anymore run-a-ball starts...We need to maintain a strike rate of over a 100, 300 is simply to common nowadays to consider a good target. We need a dominant opening batsman who can play like Bairstow

Our Bairstow is banned and there are none coming up that you can plug in instantly. Our bowling lineup will be more than happy if we can post 300 consistently which we did not do once in NZ.

 

[Chief Destroyer]

What's your objection (if any) to Asif opening and letting Babar and Haris form the core of the middle order?

He's a bottom handed striker for late order hitting when the ball has lost its shine. Against the new ball, you need to play on top of the bounce, late and square of the wicket. You will be beaten if you try down the ground shots.

 

[mak36]

He's a bottom handed striker for late order hitting when the ball has lost its shine. Against the new ball, you need to play on top of the bounce, late and square of the wicket. You will be beaten if you try down the ground shots.

In the shorter formats at least, there has been an increase in openers who are bottom hand dominant.

Plus, Asif's range is pretty good and he is strong square of the wicket.

Worth bearing in mind it won't be the first time he has opened.

 

[the Great Khan]

We know you hate haris but please don't be so desperate. He's got 5 fifties in his last 5 games. If you think he's a hack then I may God help you. Do you even know what a hack is?

Yes Haris is a Hack..about time you accept this fact!!

 

[Chief Destroyer]

In the shorter formats at least, there has been an increase in openers who are bottom hand dominant.

Plus, Asif's range is pretty good and he is strong square of the wicket.

Worth bearing in mind it won't be the first time he has opened.

Personally, I just don't feel he's compact enough. I'd just continue with what's working and let him establish himself at 6. If we can now get Rana to fire, we'd have a dangerous combo down the order.

 

[Abdullah719]

Yes Haris is a Hack..about time you accept this fact!!

Yes Malik is Bradman..about time you accept this fact!!

--------------------------

See, neither of these ^^^ sentences make any sense.

--------------------------

Haris has fitness issues and is currently (seemingly) overweight.

Haris is struggling with making starts count, and going on to make hundreds after getting starts.

Haris has been away from cricket for a long time due to a botched knee surgery and therefore has not yet gotten back to the levels he was at in the early 2010s. If he doesn't get back to those levels soon, he is unlikely to have a long career for Pakistan.

--------------------------

That ^^^ makes sense because these are all visible things backed up by facts and commonly accepted by most people who have knowledge of Pakistan cricket.

What doesn't make sense is to call someone a hack because you don't rate him. He isn't a wild slogger, he doesn't try to smash every ball on the leg-side, he doesn't play airy shots all the time, he isn't a spin bully or a bully against poor bowling. These are all traits of a hack, but he doesn't appear to have those. Let's stick to the facts.

 

[mak36]

Yes Malik is Bradman..about time you accept this fact!!

--------------------------

See, neither of these ^^^ sentences make any sense.

--------------------------

Haris has fitness issues and is currently (seemingly) overweight.

Haris is struggling with making starts count, and going on to make hundreds after getting starts.

Haris has been away from cricket for a long time due to a botched knee surgery and therefore has not yet gotten back to the levels he was at in the early 2010s. If he doesn't get back to those levels soon, he is unlikely to have a long career for Pakistan.

--------------------------

That ^^^ makes sense because these are all visible things backed up by facts and commonly accepted by most people who have knowledge of Pakistan cricket.

What doesn't make sense is to call someone a hack because you don't rate him. He isn't a wild slogger, he doesn't try to smash every ball on the leg-side, he doesn't play airy shots all the time, he isn't a spin bully or a bully against poor bowling. These are all traits of a hack, but he doesn't appear to have those. Let's stick to the facts.

This is too much


) )

 

[ads101]

I think we need to progress to trying to have our players average 50 at a decent strike rate. Can afford to average 40 or so if their strike rate is great. Fakhar and Babar are already there. Imam is there now at least. It's early days but Asif is currently performing at that level too. Hence the problem is the other three.

Sarfraz, Malik, Fahim are currently the weak links in the batting side. They average the least, and aren't amongs the biggest hitters. Sarfraz keeps his place since he's captain, wicket keeper and quite frankly I think is the best batsman out of the three. But needs to up his game.

Malik's been poor as of late, and can easily see him losing his place to Haris. Both have their pros and cons, Haris is a bit younger and far better against pace and did better against tougher opposition. Malik's quicker between wickets, more experienced and a better ability to hit.

Fahim offers a 12 batting average which brings down our batting strength majorly. A 35 average batsman at 7 would be great. Either needs to up his batting, or get someone who can achieve with the bat.

At the moment however not the case. I'm truly of the belief despite how our good or bad current batsmen are, if we are batting with one batsman short how are we expected to meet the batting teams of other nations? We've handicapped ourselves. And if we continue to go with the strategy best to bolster our bowling, it's our strength, we're never going to become a good batting side.

If we look at India for example we can see they're trying to play an allrounder, trying out more bowlers etc. They're not just banking on their batting side carrying them through anymore. Need to be more serious in fixing our weakness. And even then India's playing a legitimate batting allrounder at 7 unlike us.

Make the tough decision and pack the batting. Shows confidence in our bowling that we do not need to rely on playing an extra bowler. Gives confidence to our batting line up knowing they have an extra batsman to rely on.

 

[iniqbal223]

I think Harris is competing with slot with Faheem, batting wise, Faheem does not offer anything atm.He might have scored against IRL in test, but that was due to so many catches dropped by IRL. Against good teams, they rarely give2 chance. Also, unless he bats sensibly in this series, there is no point carrying him. Instead we can play an extra batsman/spinner/fast bowler.

 

[Khan12]

Yes Malik is Bradman..about time you accept this fact!!

--------------------------

See, neither of these ^^^ sentences make any sense.

--------------------------

Haris has fitness issues and is currently (seemingly) overweight.

Haris is struggling with making starts count, and going on to make hundreds after getting starts.

Haris has been away from cricket for a long time due to a botched knee surgery and therefore has not yet gotten back to the levels he was at in the early 2010s. If he doesn't get back to those levels soon, he is unlikely to have a long career for Pakistan.

--------------------------

That ^^^ makes sense because these are all visible things backed up by facts and commonly accepted by most people who have knowledge of Pakistan cricket.

What doesn't make sense is to call someone a hack because you don't rate him. He isn't a wild slogger, he doesn't try to smash every ball on the leg-side, he doesn't play airy shots all the time, he isn't a spin bully or a bully against poor bowling. These are all traits of a hack, but he doesn't appear to have those. Let's stick to the facts.

Thanks a lot couldn't have put it any better myself. What a way to shut someone up.

 

[mak36]

Personally, I just don't feel he's compact enough. I'd just continue with what's working and let him establish himself at 6. If we can now get Rana to fire, we'd have a dangerous combo down the order.

Fair enough. I wouldn't mind him opening in T20s and then going from there but I see what you are saying.

I am hoping the emergence of Asif Ali motivates Rana. There would be fireworks if the two of them get going.

 

[the Great Khan]

Yes Malik is Bradman..about time you accept this fact!!

--------------------------

See, neither of these ^^^ sentences make any sense.

--------------------------

Haris has fitness issues and is currently (seemingly) overweight.

Haris is struggling with making starts count, and going on to make hundreds after getting starts.

Haris has been away from cricket for a long time due to a botched knee surgery and therefore has not yet gotten back to the levels he was at in the early 2010s. If he doesn't get back to those levels soon, he is unlikely to have a long career for Pakistan.

--------------------------

That ^^^ makes sense because these are all visible things backed up by facts and commonly accepted by most people who have knowledge of Pakistan cricket.

What doesn't make sense is to call someone a hack because you don't rate him. He isn't a wild slogger, he doesn't try to smash every ball on the leg-side, he doesn't play airy shots all the time, he isn't a spin bully or a bully against poor bowling. These are all traits of a hack, but he doesn't appear to have those. Let's stick to the facts.

YAWN...He's not worth the effort you kiddies put into him..lacks temperament, cant score beyond a certains score and is not our saviour..Also hits stupid shots when not required...he may not be a slogger but he is brainless at times and hence deserves the designation of Hack..

His knee injury is an excuse he was the same before it..overhyped..will never really amount to anything in a green shirt..

Im happy to be proven wrong but I cant see it..

 

[Abdullah719]

YAWN...He's not worth the effort you kiddies put into him..lacks temperament, cant score beyond a certains score and is not our saviour..Also hits stupid shots when not required...he may not be a slogger but he is brainless at times and hence deserves the designation of Hack..

His knee injury is an excuse he was the same before it..overhyped..will never really amount to anything in a green shirt..

Im happy to be proven wrong but I cant see it..

Look, there's a lot of people who post nonsense on PP but I only replied to you because you're one of the more respected posters around here who has been around for a while so I expect some strong points or logic behind your posts, not 'he is a hack' and 'you kiddies'.

His knee injury is not an EXCUSE, it's a reality. You may not be aware of the mismanagement of his injury, or the goof ups that he had to endure in order to regain full fitness. However, I am aware of what happened which is why I have sympathy for him.

Tired of the saviour talk, there is no such thing as a saviour be it Imran Khan with regards to Pakistan politics or Haris Sohail/Babar Azam with relation to Pakistan batsmanship.

Before his injury, he had three strong seasons of first-class cricket, hitting 10 hundreds and 12 fifties between 2010 and 2013. This is not a fluke. This is not the output of a hack, or a brainless cricketer.

He is rated highly because of his ability. He has time when he plays the pacers - Anyone with a keen eye can see that and Mickey Arthur has mentioned it as well. It's a natural gift, not something you can learn. He is generally capable against lateral movement - You can see people hopping around when the ball is moving but he is technically decent and knows how to survive. These are qualities that are hard to find with Pakistani batsman and the main reason for why people support him and hope that he can turn his career around.

His current issues are lack of fitness, confidence and concentration. These are all issues that can be rectified with some effort, once he starts playing regular cricket once again. A full season of cricket would do him good.

People don't simply rate him because they are part of some Haris Sohail fan club, or because they like a couple of fancy off-drives. Who knows, he may bounce back and regain the form he had in the early 2010s, or he may fail like umpteen other Pakistan batsman. At the end of the day, there are reasons for rating a player but that's no guarantee of success (and vice versa). And for that matter, reasons for disliking a player - But logic and facts have to be the focal point of the argument, not buzzwords.

 

[mak36]

[MENTION=133760]Abdullah719[/MENTION] bhai is spot on.

 

[babajee]

Is it possible for a mod to have post of the week [MENTION=133760]Abdullah719[/MENTION]