What's new

"I think this is the strongest Pakistan batting line-up coming over": Usman Khawaja

MenInG

MenInG

PakPassion Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 2, 2004
Runs
217,231
Usman Khawaja speaking in an interview:

"The last series between Australia and Pakistan was an excellent series. It went very well on and off the field. Shaheen was bowling excellent in Lahore test, and Warner was playing really well. Even when Warner got out, he got pat on the shoulders with a smile on Shaheen's face. It was an epitome of the spirit of cricket. That's what Australians want; you play hard, and when the game is over, you are all good and mates off the field,"

"Pakistan is one of the better teams in the world. They have good batting and always have great fast bowlers. Looking at the past teams, I think this is the strongest Pakistan batting lineup coming over. Babar Azam is one of the best batsmen in the world. Imam ul Haq and Abdullah Shafique has scored a lot of runs. I am very excited about this challenge,"

"Babar Azam is one of the best batsmen in all three formats. Steve Smith is the greatest batsman of our era. When they both will be playing here in the Benaud-Qadir series, it would be exciting. Matching Babar with Smith is almost like matching Smith with Kohli,"

"One of the great things about Babar is he does not score only in Pakistan; he scores runs overseas as well. He has scored a hundred here in the past,"

"I think Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mitchell Starc, both are very fast bowlers, and both can bowl up to 145. We know Starc can swing the new ball. Shaheen has a very good wrist. He definitely swings the ball. When it's overcast in Australian conditions, if a fast bowler is swinging the ball, it makes our job as an opener a bit tough. This is what you play for,"

View attachment UK 1.mp4
View attachment UK 1.mp4

View attachment 5glcb7.mp4

View attachment UK 3.mp4​
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I think this batting line does out shine any other batting line in the past. Ahmed Shehzad,,Khurram and co,... Usman Khawaja is right but will this batting line be tough enough to give hard time to Aussie bowlers?
 
Last edited:
I don’t know about that. Compare the openers and the middle order of that 2004 team and the present one.

2004 had Inzi, Mo Yo and Younis Khan in the middle order. Although Inzi didn’t play after that first Test.

Babar Azam in this team could maybe claim to being better (not certain yet), but I doubt there’s anyone else in the current middle order who could hold a candle to that 2004 group.

Openers - well it’s something of a sameness. The 2004 team had Salman Butt (who would go on to captain) and Imran Farhatt as openers. This one has Shan Masood, Abdullah Shafique and Iman Ul Haq. I guess Shafique shades it for then 2023 team.

In 2004 batsmen Shoaib Malik, Yasir Hameed, and Asim Kamal also performed decently when given the opportunity.

I haven’t analysed for what stages these players were on their careers, but overall I for one can’t say with confidence that this 2023 batting is the best from Pakistan to visit Australia.

As an aside that 2004 team bowling line had Shoaib Akhtar, Kaneria, Afridi and Mohammed Asif (again I haven’t analysed for form or stage of career).

So all in all, that 2004 team was decent on paper. Also note that the 2004 team lost all 3 Tests.
 
The batting in 2004 was ok. Inzi, yousuf and younis were world class but I think it was mainly yo-yo that performed but even then just about adequate with way too many passengers in the remaining batting line up but they were playing against arguably the best team in history.

It’s the bowling that makes me shudder. In 2004 shohaib and Sami lasted all of one test before being injured and it was left to MOHDs Khalil and Asif to carry the attack. Both on debut got slaughtered.

The problem this time round again is the bowling you will need at least 6 fit fast bowlers to rotate a little in the tests. It’s a hard grind.
 
Cryin Out Loud said:
I don’t know about that. Compare the openers and the middle order of that 2004 team and the present one.

2004 had Inzi, Mo Yo and Younis Khan in the middle order. Although Inzi didn’t play after that first Test.

Babar Azam in this team could maybe claim to being better (not certain yet), but I doubt there’s anyone else in the current middle order who could hold a candle to that 2004 group.

Openers - well it’s something of a sameness. The 2004 team had Salman Butt (who would go on to captain) and Imran Farhatt as openers. This one has Shan Masood, Abdullah Shafique and Iman Ul Haq. I guess Shafique shades it for then 2023 team.

In 2004 batsmen Shoaib Malik, Yasir Hameed, and Asim Kamal also performed decently when given the opportunity.

I haven’t analysed for what stages these players were on their careers, but overall I for one can’t say with confidence that this 2023 batting is the best from Pakistan to visit Australia.

As an aside that 2004 team bowling line had Shoaib Akhtar, Kaneria, Afridi and Mohammed Asif (again I haven’t analysed for form or stage of career).

So all in all, that 2004 team was decent on paper. Also note that the 2004 team lost all 3 Tests.
Click to expand...
2016 had a very settled lineup. Azhar, Sami, Babar, Younis, Misbah, Asad, Sarfraz of good test batters. Azhar had a great series. It's the bowling that has let us down in last 2 tours more than batting. The last time our pacers did a good job in Australia was in that wretched 2010 sydney test.
 
Current Australian batsmen are FTBs. THey roll out flat tracks and bully opposition with relentless accuracy. So if you apply yourself you can score runs like PUjara did taking all the blows to his body.
 
Yah, some one needs to do Pujara for Pakistan. Just bat 5 sessions and take plenty of body blows. He just blocked one end.
 
Don't agree with usman khawaja. Pak had better batting line ups before. It appears he is just doing fanfare for series promotion tbh. Have a look on 2019-20 squad

Azhar Ali (c)
Mohammad Abbas
Shaheen Afridi
Iftikhar Ahmed
Abid Ali
Babar Azam
Imran Khan
Shan Masood
Muhammad Musa
Mohammad Rizwan (wk)
Asad Shafiq
Naseem Shah
Yasir Shah
Haris Sohail
Imam-ul-Haq
 
Buffet said:
Yah, some one needs to do Pujara for Pakistan. Just bat 5 sessions and take plenty of body blows. He just blocked one end.
Click to expand...
Problem is they have Pujara style batsmen minus the grit, but you need a Pant too to put some runs on the board. I’m so looking forward to a whitewash like nobody’s business. At one point I did have a soft corner but after how many posters behaved after India’s loss, I have no sympathy left for them underdogs!
 
I agree this batting line up is as strong as pakistan have had in the previous series.

I think Australia will win 2-0 or 2-1 Australia
 
shamaan said:
I agree this batting line up is as strong as pakistan have had in the previous series.

I think Australia will win 2-0 or 2-1 Australia
Click to expand...

1999 lineup had Inzamam, Saeed Anwar, Muhammad Yousuf, Ijaz Ahmed etc. That was one legendary lineup.

Do you think this 2023 side have a better batting lineup than that?
 
sweep_shot said:
1999 lineup had Inzamam, Saeed Anwar, Muhammad Yousuf, Ijaz Ahmed etc. That was one legendary lineup.

Do you think this 2023 side have a better batting lineup than that?
Click to expand...

No not as strong as that one but definitely stronger than the last couple of batters we have taken.
 
Khawaja is just hyping for more eyeballs and viewership. Reality is aus will trounce pak 2-0. Not the best line up in aus -- not even close.
 
The best case scenario is Pakistan winning and Khawaja being the only Aussie batsman who scores.

The worst case scenario is Pakistan getting thrashed but Khawaja struggling against the mediocre pace "attack" we're sending over (not you Shaheen, you've been great).
 
deltexas said:
Khawaja is just hyping for more eyeballs and viewership. Reality is aus will trounce pak 2-0. Not the best line up in aus -- not even close.
Click to expand...
Still way better than what we sent to Australia last time.

atleast players with better stats got selected on merit this time.

Only concern is the bowling unit of pakistan.
 
I watch cricket since 1997. I think this is the 3rd best team Pakistan are sending to Australia (since 1997).

Best one was 1999 one. 2nd best was 2004 one.
 
These SENA teams always butter us up before annihilating us.
 
Firebat said:
These SENA teams always butter us up before annihilating us.
Click to expand...
This is so true of Pak though from Aus ex-players and current ones as well ! They say Pak players are great and will be very difficult to beat and what not. Come game day total demolition :)
 
We may have a young team but most of them are technically sound batsmen who can handle the autralian brust on bouncy tracks quite easily.
 
he's trolling, otherwise he would have not said "babar azam is one of the best batsmen in the world"
 
lol they always do this, hype us up hoping we put up a fight and to generate excitement. And then we get thrashed 4-0.

Conditions are just too difficult in Australia, and when we don't have a team as strong or even stronger than Australia, we're not going to put up a fight. We do stuff in England and New Zealand. But Australia we just do nothing. Similarly miserable in South Africa.
 
He’s probably referring to recent teams - specifically the ones who have came over to Australia to play while he’s been playing for the Australian team.

It’s without a doubt one of our stronger batting line ups. Feeling a bit disappointed that it seems Sarfraz Ahmed will be starting over Rizwan though and think it certainly weakens our batting lineup. Sarfraz’s overseas record is absolutely horrible while Rizwan’s is very good for a WK Batsmen. Out of all the SENA countries, Australia is the one where Sarfraz has played the best though so let’s hope for the best.
 
Think Uzzie Bhai is just playing hype man here and mildly trolling. The Aussies love doing stuff like that.

Remember Warner talking about PAK attack being tough and skiddy to face last time . This after he was done smashing them for an unbeaten triple :facepalm
 
Khawaja trolled Pakistan big time!
Younis, Yousuf, Misbah etc at least looked more reliable.
 
You know there is no hype in AUS when the AUS team has to resort to hyping up the opposition to generate some interest
 
The leading run scorers for Pakistan in Test cricket in 2023 so far:

Saud Shakeel
Matches 5, 513 Runs
Abdullah Shafique
Matches 5, 353 Runs
Agha Salman
Matches 5, 330 Runs
Shan Masood
Matches 5, 238 Runs
Sarfaraz Ahmed
Matches 4, 235 Runs
Imam Ul Haq
Matches 5, 234 Runs
Babar Azam
Matches 5, 163 Runs

It's sad that in 2023, Babar Azam hasn't scored as many runs as other Pakistani batters in Test, Even though he's a key player of the team.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Sher Khan
Is this Pakistan's strongest T20 squad ever?
2
Replies
102
Views
2K
Kroll
Kroll
RyanRyan10
Does Pakistan possess the strongest T20I bowling lineup in the world?
2
Replies
97
Views
2K
Human786
H
FearlessRoar
Usman Khawaja named as the ICC Men's Test Cricketer of the Year (2023)
Replies
24
Views
955
DeadlyVenom
D
FearlessRoar
  • Poll
[PICTURES] Usman Khawaja charged by the ICC for black armband protest
2
Replies
102
Views
3K
Cricket Warrior
C
C
"I don't think anyone has doubts over the ability of Shadab Khan & Azam Khan, they play and perform all over the world": Mohammad Amir
Replies
16
Views
451
BouncerGuy
B
Back
Top