"I want to bat higher but it is about how the team wants me to play" : Asad Shafiq

[Abdul]

People (mostly Babar fans) who love to claim that Shafiq likes hiding down the order can now stop speaking rubbish!

 

[Global Insight]

Shafiq had a great run at no.6, he will now carry the mantle and bat at either 4 or 5.

Fawad Alam should be introduced back into the team and then probably Usman at 6.

 

[Arsalan Pro]

He should play at 4.

 

[ExpressPacer]

You should stay where you are. Heck, you shouldn't even be in the team to begin with. There's at least 10 better and more consistent guys waiting in line to replace you and you dream of replacing Babar. Typical Pakistan defeatist mentality.

 

[Arsalan Pro]

Azhar Ali
Umar Amin
Babar Azam
Asad Shafiq
Haris Sohail
Fawad Alam
Sarfraz Ahmed(C)(WK)
Mohammed Amir
Yasir Shah
Hasan Ali
Mohammed Abbas

 

[srh]

He should play at 4.

+1. #4 is ideal for him. Lets see if Mickey allows him to bat at #4 or continue to force him to bat at #6.

 

[Hawkeye]

Not good enough, and excuses are in order from him/his fans on how his batting position is responsible for his tailender like performances in the last 1-2 years.

Needs to be kicked and make way for better batsmen like Haris.

 

[Slog]

Mickey Arthur really bungled this one

He promotes him up the order and he scores a match winning century

Then next match he scores a 50. Shafiq then has a stinker where he gets ducks in both innings

Arthur panics and puts him back at 6

 

[pakistanigoneaussie]

he has to, only way to revive his career and make sure we have wasted 7 years of near continuous selection

 

[Rayyman]

Mickey Arthur really bungled this one

He promotes him up the order and he scores a match winning century

Then next match he scores a 50. Shafiq then has a stinker where he gets ducks in both innings

Arthur panics and puts him back at 6

Agreed.
Mickey had a good idea to move him up, but didn't give Asad enough time. Babar would've been fine at #6.

 

[idrizzy]

It was a trade off. Either expose Babar at #3 as a long term prospect where even if he fails (as he did in 2nd test) as long as he's showing improvement overall, that'll be good for the long term and him settling down there.
Or put Shafiq there where it'll most likely be for short term stability once Misbah & Younus go, but then you're holding back a younger Babar at #6. Even when Misbah/Younus retire Babar would move to #4 and Shafiq at #3.

It's hard to judge Shafiq at #3. He didn't get enough time and in my opinion he'll move to #4 once the duo retire which isn't bad in my opinion. I still feel that he needs to be more consistent if he wants to stay in the team.

 

[Mamoon]

He play at 4 or 5 in the next series, but cowards are eventually exposed at every position. If you cannot cut it at 4 or 5, you cannot cut it at any position. They are the easiest batting positions in Test cricket.

 

[aloo paratha]

Once he was promoted to 3 he should've never been brought back down, his run wasn't even that bad, scored 100,two scores in the 60s, and 2 ducks, sure it's not amazing but 2 out of 5 failures were enough to send him down the order?

Now that Younis and misbah are gone I want to see him at 4 or 5,get someone else at 6, possibly a day bowling all rounder.

 

[Chief Destroyer]

He'll get his chance now. I don't see him lasting.

 

[SarfiBabarHaris]

Does he have the temperament and technique to score big innings like 150s , 200s at no 4 ?
I dont think so.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

Does he have the temperament and technique to score big innings like 150s , 200s at no 4 ?
I dont think so.

This is the biggest question unanswered so far. Misbah and shafiq are the same 150s and 200s is not there in their career stats. Out of 130 inns Misbah has one in excess of 150 and that is highest score.

 

[Abdul]

Mickey Arthur really bungled this one

He promotes him up the order and he scores a match winning century

Then next match he scores a 50. Shafiq then has a stinker where he gets ducks in both innings

Arthur panics and puts him back at 6

Arthur's boy isn't doing any wonders at #3 himself.

 

[Slog]

Arthur's boy isn't doing any wonders at #3 himself.

Let's see

Very disappointing in Australia. Got some starts here

 

[Rayyman]

Bump
Another low score today

 

[Chief Destroyer]

Well, well, well.

 

[Chief Destroyer]

Seven years wasted.

 

[Adil_94]

this next 12-18 months will be do or die for Shafiq. He has to step up now he is a senior. He reminds me of an inferior version of Moyo pre-2006. Then Moyo had that monster ATG year and cemented his status as a Pakistani great. Its now or never for Shafiq.

 

[Chief Destroyer]

this next 12-18 months will be do or die for Shafiq. He has to step up now he is a senior. He reminds me of an inferior version of Moyo pre-2006. Then Moyo had that monster ATG year and cemented his status as a Pakistani great. Its now or never for Shafiq.

A bit generous, aren't we? What is this? Club cricket? He's had enough time.

 

[Haz95]

Oh no [MENTION=135196]waleed88[/MENTION], this our worst nightmare: Asad fails again while rubbish Babar scores a 50

 

[Big Mac]

this next 12-18 months will be do or die for Shafiq. He has to step up now he is a senior. He reminds me of an inferior version of Moyo pre-2006. Then Moyo had that monster ATG year and cemented his status as a Pakistani great. Its now or never for Shafiq.

I will kind of give him a bit of slack for today's dismissal but yeah, when he moves up to 4 or 5 after this series he needs to really take that responsibility seriously.

 

[Rayyman]

A bit generous, aren't we? What is this? Club cricket? He's had enough time.

Played okay for 7 years until this moment.
Might as well give him a series.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

This guy is simply not gonna improve much now. Average has also fallen below 40 and he is already 31 years old. Score far too many soft runs and even when he does score, he doesn't have the ability to score em daddy hundreds. Mediocre cricketer!

 

[SarfiBabarHaris]

Played okay for 7 years until this moment.
Might as well give him a series.

you have to pick the best you have.
7 years playing majority of his cricket on roads and cant even avg 40 ?
Technically not good enough and mentally isnt strong either. Failed investment.

 

[Adil_94]

[MENTION=141557]Chief Destroyer[/MENTION] ideally id give him 2 series to prove himself. But clearly the higher ups in Pakistan cricket are a big fan of him. Misbah is a big fan of him and Sarfraz is good friends with Shafiq too. Shafiq will get at least a year of failures before he is dropped unless he is literally getting single figure dismissals for 5-6 tests in a row. If he gets a couple of 50s here there maybe a 100 in between all the low scores he will remain in the team.

Also the fact he has been groomed for 6.5 years now means that they wont want to see their investment go to waste. Being a senior now also gives him money in the bank soon as a youngster fails a series. the experience will be recalled just like we have seen actual TTFs like Farhat K Akmal Younis (ODIs) getting undeserved recalls for years.

 

[Rayyman]

you have to pick the best you have.
7 years playing majority of his cricket on roads and cant even avg 40 ?
Technically not good enough and mentally isnt strong either. Failed investment.

Bro you just want your boy Haris in. Unfortunately Shafiq is 2x as fit and the former always gets injured. We can't call Asad a failure as a batsman because we haven't invested in him at #s 3-5.

 

[SarfiBabarHaris]

Bro you just want your boy Haris in. Unfortunately Shafiq is 2x as fit and the former always gets injured. We can't call Asad a failure as a batsman because we haven't invested in him at #s 3-5.

Haris will eventually come for Misbah or Younis but Shafiq isnt good enough with or without Haris.
As i said you have to pick the best in the country. There are and were better players than Shafiq in domestic.

 

[Stallion__]

Looks like bad form has put him into Akmalsque mindset.

 

[Fahdi]

He can have one or maybe 2 more series but that is it. He either steps up his game or he gets dropped. The biggest issue is that our selectors who are always looking to bring in youngsters will replace him Muhammad Hafeez if it comes down to it with the usual excuse of, "We want a balance of youth and experience".

 

[Hamza_]

Shafiq should be gone for good.

 

[Rayyman]

Haris will eventually come for Misbah or Younis but Shafiq isnt good enough with or without Haris.
As i said you have to pick the best in the country. There are and were better players than Shafiq in domestic.

We have to try Shafiq first because he is already in team and has been invested in. If he fails next series, then by all means drop him.

 

[ChinMusic]

Asad Shafiq is highly overrated and useless cricketer... most of his scores are xtremly lucky scores... most of his 100z, you will find that atleast a catch was dropped if not more.... only good on sub-continent type pitches and that too against sub-standard bowling attack and folds easily under pressure.... would drop him sooner rather than later...

 

[marlonbrowndo]

Lmao why name Babar in the op? Watch how Babar becomes twice the batsman that Shafiq is in Test cricket and ten times the batsman he is in LOIs. Time for Shafiq to be rested for a couple of games

 

[Mamoon]

My guess: him and Ishant Sharma will be the most undeserving players in history to play 100 Tests.