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"I feel that Imam-ul-Haq is not a ready product for red-ball cricket" : Mohammad Wasim

My question: why was Butt chosen instead? He has played more matches, has no international experience (that I know of) and yet still averages the same as Imam in FC. So wouldn't it make more sense to pick Imam who has international experience also?
 
Mohammad Wasim needs to be removed, and bring back Inzi.

Imam should’ve been playing today, and if the chief selector thinks you’re not ready to play against teams like Zimbabwe then you may as well retire from cricket.

The problem with Pakistan is that they never look to the future, their always focusing on the present day. They should be playing as many youngsters as possible and those who perform well will benefit the Pakistan cricket team because it’ll put pressure on the oldies in the team that aren’t performing. It creates competition, and when oldies get competition it’ll bring the best out of their game.
 
This imam is as bad as Abid Ali.He has many technical deficiencies just like Abid.He is not good enough for international cricket and he will never be
 
Yasir_ch said:
This imam is as bad as Abid Ali.He has many technical deficiencies just like Abid.He is not good enough for international cricket and he will never be
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this same imam has won you more matches than Babar in ODIs (and I am a big big Babar fan). Imam has batted well in tough situations were other batters could not, the guy has always been playing with a tag of "parchi" where he was not at fault. Whenever he plays he has this extra pressure, and if he still performs, it tells something about the guy :)
 
Attiq_Lone said:
this same imam has won you more matches than Babar in ODIs (and I am a big big Babar fan). Imam has batted well in tough situations were other batters could not, the guy has always been playing with a tag of "parchi" where he was not at fault. Whenever he plays he has this extra pressure, and if he still performs, it tells something about the guy :)
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Imam's a confident guy and I feel like if he is backed up the way Babar was, he can be the possible captain (post rizwan) at least in tests and ODIs (yes still too early!), the guy's literally your best performing opener in intls
 
Attiq_Lone said:
this same imam has won you more matches than Babar in ODIs (and I am a big big Babar fan). Imam has batted well in tough situations were other batters could not, the guy has always been playing with a tag of "parchi" where he was not at fault. Whenever he plays he has this extra pressure, and if he still performs, it tells something about the guy :)
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He's on about tests not odis imaam needs to learn not to hang his bat outside off and play the short ball he can improve that by playing more domestic.
 
mastimasti said:
My question: why was Butt chosen instead? He has played more matches, has no international experience (that I know of) and yet still averages the same as Imam in FC. So wouldn't it make more sense to pick Imam who has international experience also?
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Imran butt has played 74 first class games I think imaam has only played over half of that.
 
What makes him to come up with that conclusion. Didn't gave any reasons about it. And how he concludes that imam is more suitable for white ball cricket. Reality is that he can be nurtured as as an opener into test cricket as well. Age is with him, he can play long innings as he has shown in ODIs. And also he is not a strokeless wonder like azhar ali or sami aslam. A better batsman than both. He may not be a great prospect but definitely the best among all others right now.
 
The cupboard for test openers in Pakistan is empty. I don't expect Imran Butt or Abid Ali to do good against better bowling attacks on tougher or faster wickets.
Even Fakhar can do better than Abid and Imran in Zim. I hope Imam gets to play some club cricket in UK in the next 3 4 months.
 
Attiq_Lone said:
this same imam has won you more matches than Babar in ODIs (and I am a big big Babar fan). Imam has batted well in tough situations were other batters could not, the guy has always been playing with a tag of "parchi" where he was not at fault. Whenever he plays he has this extra pressure, and if he still performs, it tells something about the guy :)
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LOL Babar is probably the best odi batsman in the world right now.Imam is very poor he is very limited he reminds me of that Ahmed mediocre Shahzad he is just like him.He should be dumped as soon as possible.Rizwan should open in Odis.
 
Heard babar wanted imam for test and thats reason he was upset [MENTION=9]Saj[/MENTION] ?
 
I think Imam should bat at 3 and Azhar should open the inns with Fakhar (going on with the recent form he was in ) or play Usman Salahuddin as an opener
 
Decision to keep Imam out for likes of Imran Butt is not looking too clever now.
 
MenInG said:
Decision to keep Imam out for likes of Imran Butt is not looking too clever now.
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Like it or not but Usman Salahuddin is best opener in Pakistan right now.
1.Usman Salahuddin
2. Azhar Ali
3. Babar Azam
4. Saud Shakeel
5. Fawad Alam
6. Muhammad Rizwan
7. Fahim Ashraf / Kamran Ghulam
8. Hassan Ali
9. Zahid Mehmood
10. Nauman Ali
11. Shaheen Shah Afridi

Looks strong top order
 
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ask_analyse_act said:
I think Imam should bat at 3 and Azhar should open the inns with Fakhar (going on with the recent form he was in ) or play Usman Salahuddin as an opener
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why play imam at 3? we have better domestic players like saud shakeel and others who could do a job there.

but lets be clever and pick and a failed test opener and use him at number 3 instead.

A guy who in 4 out of 5 full domestic seasons has averaged between 20-30 with the bat.

what exactly are you thinking? sounds complete and utter garbage.
 
mastimasti said:
My question: why was Butt chosen instead? He has played more matches, has no international experience (that I know of) and yet still averages the same as Imam in FC. So wouldn't it make more sense to pick Imam who has international experience also?
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what would make sense is for pakistan to stop picking 1 season wonders.

imam has played 5 full seasons of domestic cricket and failed in 4 of them.

imran butt has had 1 good season in his last 5.

yet both got selected after 1 good season. common sense would say you pick niether.

mo wasim said imam has to improve his red ball performances which is justified.

however on those same reasons he shud Not have picked Butt.

pakistan need to stop picking these rubbish players.
 
ataullah said:
Heard babar wanted imam for test and thats reason he was upset [MENTION=9]Saj[/MENTION] ?
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looks like we go through another cycle of a pakistan captain backing mediocre players.
 
i think all imam fans need to go for eye tests or start watching cricket on tv instead of the radio. back of such a pathetic player in longer format is comedy at its best.
 
He’s not good enough in ODIs aswell average of 42 and a strike rate of 75 vs the top 8 teams.

This is worse strike rate than Shehzad Azhar Misbah as scores over 300 are very common now in all countries whereas in UAE and some other countries winning scores below 300 were more common previously.

His technical issues are clear in test cricket and will be a sitting duck outside Asia to the best fast bowlers not sure how he will turn into a great opener in the future.
 
Cric1234 said:
He’s not good enough in ODIs aswell average of 42 and a strike rate of 75 vs the top 8 teams.

This is worse strike rate than Shehzad Azhar Misbah as scores over 300 are very common now in all countries whereas in UAE and some other countries winning scores below 300 were more common previously.

His technical issues are clear in test cricket and will be a sitting duck outside Asia to the best fast bowlers not sure how he will turn into a great opener in the future.
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Both of shezad and azhar average less than 40 imaam averages above 50 in odis that is really good.however he should not play tests until he performs in domestic
 
shamaan said:
Both of shezad and azhar average less than 40 imaam averages above 50 in odis that is really good.however he should not play tests until he performs in domestic
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By bashing minnows 3 hundreds against Zimbabwe which was a club level attack in that series.

His strike rate is worse than previous opening batsmen the pitches are the flattest they’ve ever been all top order batsmen need to striking at 90 minimum to win high scoring matches.
 
Agreed. Saud Shakeel has earned the right to best Pakistan’s next debutant. I would hope Kamran Ghulam is not too far behind, what a stellar season he had.
 
Amjid Javed said:
looks like we go through another cycle of a pakistan captain backing mediocre players.
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In all fairness, what other options are left?

Abdullah and Haider don't have enough FC experience.

Abid and Butt have only performed against Zimbabwe so far, and it remains to be seen how they perform against quality oppositions.

Azhar won't open because his reflexes are declining.

So Imam is really our third-choice opener whether we like it or not. A system that produces no opening batsmen of substantial quality does not get the right to sift and sort between an entire group of batsmen filled with mediocrity.

Imam is the best spare opener that we have, and he's quite young. I agree that he needs time in domestic, but there aren't any more options besides him.
 
UzmanBeast said:
In all fairness, what other options are left?

Abdullah and Haider don't have enough FC experience.

Abid and Butt have only performed against Zimbabwe so far, and it remains to be seen how they perform against quality oppositions.

Azhar won't open because his reflexes are declining.

So Imam is really our third-choice opener whether we like it or not. A system that produces no opening batsmen of substantial quality does not get the right to sift and sort between an entire group of batsmen filled with mediocrity.

Imam is the best spare opener that we have, and he's quite young. I agree that he needs time in domestic, but there aren't any more options besides him.
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Zain Abbas is better than imam
 
He is awful just like that mediocre Abid Ali.He has so many technical flaws and he is very limited batsman like Ahmed Shahzad.I would drop him from Odis as well.Should not play international quality.
 
Cric1234 said:
By bashing minnows 3 hundreds against Zimbabwe which was a club level attack in that series.

His strike rate is worse than previous opening batsmen the pitches are the flattest they’ve ever been all top order batsmen need to striking at 90 minimum to win high scoring matches.
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Shezad couldn't even dominate minnows or top class teams his strike rate against Zimbabwe was 56!when did shezad or azhar strike at 90 in odis!

Williamson and root don't even strike at 90 and Taylor I guess they are not top players ey ;)
 
UzmanBeast said:
Nothing from his stats even shows that he is near the level of Imam.

There are no better options than Imam in our domestic system.
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He scored with Dukes ball on uncovered pitched in that season when teams were getting all-out for 125-160. He is by far better than Imam
 
b.lesner said:
He scored with Dukes ball on uncovered pitched in that season when teams were getting all-out for 125-160. He is by far better than Imam
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Where is he now?

I have never heard of this guy. If he was really that good against the Dukes, he should be farming runs against the Kookaburras on these flat decks.

He had one fluke season from the looks of it.
 
UzmanBeast said:
Where is he now?

I have never heard of this guy. If he was really that good against the Dukes, he should be farming runs against the Kookaburras on these flat decks.

He had one fluke season from the looks of it.
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He has 600+ odd runs in 7 matches this season didn't play first couple of matches
 
We all know, and I can almost guarantee most people here, that the best 3 batsman in Pakistan right now are...BABAR, RIZWAN & IMAM.

So, it makes no sense not to give Imam another try at test level.

He is a must!
 
Its criminal that Zeeshan malik is yet to debut for Pakistan as he was best batsman in New Zealand A tour , just because he wasn't available for FC season due to that otherwise 800-900 he could have easily scored its a curse to get selected for A tours in Pakistan because i have seen A tour performaners never get picked since 2011 Sadaf hussain wasan of ther series in A tours in 2011-12 , Adil Amin averages 79 in A tours, Bismillah khan has performed, Shahzaib Ahmed Khan was best bowler in A tours took 5 wickets against Full strength West indies too.
 
Yasir_ch said:
This imam is as bad as Abid Ali.He has many technical deficiencies just like Abid.He is not good enough for international cricket and he will never be
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This is not a nepotism case. In fact he has suffered because of his relationship with his uncle. The guy averages 50 plus in limited over cricket. He has generally performed.
 
Shoaib Malik on Imam-ul-Haq

"Imam should be in the Test squad for the main reason that he is young, and the record he has in ODIs will allow him to do consistently well in Tests also"
 
MenInG said:
Shoaib Malik on Imam-ul-Haq

"Imam should be in the Test squad for the main reason that he is young, and the record he has in ODIs will allow him to do consistently well in Tests also"
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He is encouraging the usual Pakistani approach of selecting a player for one format based on performances in a different one. This is one time the selectors got it right. If Imam wants to be an international test opener then he needs to put in the hard yards at the domestic level. Play the full Quaid e Azam trophy as an opener and top the batting charts (in terms of openers). Ideally for more than one season. If he does, then select him. If he is as good as posters here are saying then this wont be difficult for him. Especially given how poor the domestic fast bowling standards are.
 
Imam will only be motivated to improve his game following this statement by M Wasim.

No player should be deemed the saviour of Pakistan cricket and Imam is no exception.
 
Hasn't played a Test since Adelaide 2019, but chief selector Wasim has him in the squad for this crucial home series against Australia. Is he now a ready prospect to open in red-ball against a world-class attack?

Seems like a straight shootout between Imam and Shan for the remaining opening spot (alongside Shafique), will we see Imam get his chance this series?
 
Firebat said:
Hasn't played a Test since Adelaide 2019, but chief selector Wasim has him in the squad for this crucial home series against Australia. Is he now a ready prospect to open in red-ball against a world-class attack?

Seems like a straight shootout between Imam and Shan for the remaining opening spot (alongside Shafique), will we see Imam get his chance this series?
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Defies logic based on Wasim's earlier comments on Imam.
 
Mark my words, if Imam plays the first test tomorrow, he will get out 4th or 5th lbw to a straight ball.
 
If imam does play he will get lots of chin music like he did from NZ when they played pakistan in UAE. Aussies will scent blood on imam's technical weaknesses against short ball.
 
Firebat said:
Hasn't played a Test since Adelaide 2019, but chief selector Wasim has him in the squad for this crucial home series against Australia. Is he now a ready prospect to open in red-ball against a world-class attack?

Seems like a straight shootout between Imam and Shan for the remaining opening spot (alongside Shafique), will we see Imam get his chance this series?
Click to expand...

Shan should be opening the batting with Abdullah Shafique
 
Back in the team after 3+ years and back with a bang! Maiden Test century and what a day to get it.

Opening spot cemented for the series?
 
Imam's style suits red ball cricket. He is probably not good for white ball cricket.
 
Good to see that Imaam is taking his chance a brilliant Innings with powers of concentration.
 
Imam has always looked like a player with temperament but until now he hadn't really played an impactful innings in test cricket barring that match-winning knock against Ireland. Only time will tell if this is an impactful innings but gotta give full credit to him for gritting it out and playing a brilliant innings full of concentration and focus. He gave the Australians very little and needs to carry on tomorrow so that Pakistan can post a mammoth total.
 
Should now look to score a double ton and remain not out if possible
 
The most impressive thing about Imam's innings was the maturity he showed at the crease. He had a plan and he stuck to it with great discipline.

He regularly hit Lyon off his length whenever Lyon tried to bowl length balls and extract some spin from the surface. But he rarely did anything but defend on the fuller deliveries.

Against Starc he did the opposite. Hitting the full-length deliveries whenever Starc overpitched...which greatly nullified any chances of reverse-swing. But at the same time he was also content with simply seeing through the bouncer barrage and tire the Australian pacers out instead of giving them something.

He went through a tough phase initially but didn't give his wicket away. And above all, probably knew that he was going to get easier periods when Australia would be out of ideas. And when they came he cashed in big time. Head's three over spell being one such period, where Imam hit 3 boundaries to release all the pressure that had been created by Lyon and the pacers previously.

Till now I was not convinced about him as a test batter because he had given me very little reason to be convinced. But he showed alot of character, patience and game awareness in the way he approached his innings and definitely changed my opinion of him.

Major props to him and hope he hits a double ton today.
 
Babar gives his best friend a chance on flattest of wickets possible. Nothing to see here.

Law of averages will catch up with Imam soon, who averages in 30s even at domestic level
 
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