If Imam-ul-Haq is our future, then we are not going to become a modern ODI outfit

[Hawkeye]

Technically you're not wrong.

In the future, ideally we should have Sharjeel and Warner and Rohit type of openers. That's how we can think of becoming top 2 or top 3.

But for 'current' times, Imam is the best opener we have, and the 2nd best we ever had since Saeed Anwar.


The best opener since Saeed Anwar is Sharjeel Khan.

So [MENTION=2016]Rana[/MENTION] what are you crying about?

 

[Fahdi]

One can appreciate his effort and talent while still pointing out that he should have scored an extra 10 runs minimum in the same number of balls. 111(116) would still have been below par by modern day standards but the team total would probably have ended up at 330. It should not go unnoticed that those 10 runs, among other things, probably cost us the match.

 

[Rana]

Technically you're not wrong.

In the future, ideally we should have Sharjeel and Warner and Rohit type of openers. That's how we can think of becoming top 2 or top 3.

But for 'current' times, Imam is the best opener we have, and the 2nd best we ever had since Saeed Anwar.


The best opener since Saeed Anwar is Sharjeel Khan.

So [MENTION=2016]Rana[/MENTION] what are you crying about?

Any decent left handed opener who goes on a decent run ends up becoming the best opener after Saeed Anwar. The same was said about Salman Butt and Nasir Jamshed.

Look at the modern ODI openers and look at Imam, how can you not see that the guy isn’t the way forward!?!?

 

[mesmerizer85]

In modern day cricket both openers need to hit a four in every over like how SA did today and teams like Eng and IND normally do. However, its only in PAK team where we see one batsmen going for the slog and getting out and the other one playing a bit defensively. If one can recall CT final both Fakhar and Azhar were playing good shots from the beginning that set the tempo and eventually PAK set a formidable target around 330s.

 

[Prince of Pakistan]

Any decent left handed opener who goes on a decent run ends up becoming the best opener after Saeed Anwar. The same was said about Salman Butt and Nasir Jamshed.

Look at the modern ODI openers and look at Imam, how can you not see that the guy isn’t the way forward!?!?

It's like @MHHS once said: Imam's slow starts will cost Pak many games. And he has since the Asia cup.

 

[Hasan123]

The other opener is the bigger problem atm. I'd worry about him first.

Who can replace him?

 

[Gabbar Singh]

He’s only 23 - give him another couple of years and his game with develop. At least he has a great foundation upon which to build his game.

 

[Barragan]

I agree, this is the reason Azhar was attacked from all corners, so it shouldn't be any different for him.

Strike rate is very important in this modern era and it should be around 90 or at least 85 as a minimum.

I would give Shan a go next two matches ahead of Zaman (unfortunate about his form) and see how he plays.

 

[gazza619]

Not sure why people are expecting Imam to play like Warner or Sharma.

Imam will play like Imam. We need other guys to fire like Malik etc

 

[BDwarriors]

Obviously imam will improve with time. But who is better than him so he can be replaced? None.

 

[Ilan Bluestone]

He at least has game to score runs.

Something that the majority ignore.

Let's take a fast 10 on 3 balls over a solid 100 on 110 balls.

 

[waleed88]

After failing in 9 innings in South Africa Test Matches, alot of gall to be celebrating like that in an ODI match...

I like the guy, maybe has a point to proof, also maybe want him away from the Test Squad for a while...

 

[Chokli]

With such a professional set up even before 2015, England couldnt produce an ODI side fit enough to compete with the world of cricket. Even decades before there dramatic turn around. Pakistan can do the same as long as the right people are in charge

that's because they obviously didn't care as much about odi cricket..

lol, we've been rebuilding since 2003 and then 2007 and then 2010.

we'll always be an average team that can surprise everyone every now and then

 

[Chokli]

Something that the majority ignore.

Let's take a fast 10 on 3 balls over a solid 100 on 110 balls.

afridi single handedly ruined our cricket

 

[Chokli]

He is extremely limited in strokeplay.

if he's scoring hundreds then what's the issue?

a few years ago we had an interview done by [MENTION=9]Saj[/MENTION] with ahmed shehzad where ahmed shehzad spoke about having too many shots to select from.

what's most important is the runs, not how they come.

some fans like to create problems where there are none and then complain about them

 

[Chokli]

Excellent Thread. Completely agree with what the OP said.

The "wonderkind" won it for Saffers well before our bowling even started. He ate up 116 balls (almost 20 overs) for his 100, which translates to a run rate of 5 per over!

Anyone with an iota of common sense could see from the word go that this pitch had 350 as par score written all over it. But Sir Imam did his best to make sure we get nothing more than 280! Yeh toh bhala ho Hafeez aur Imad (who himself is a big liability) ka, that they dragged us past 300.

And before someone blames it on the bowling, it's the very same attack that just 2 days ago made 200 run target a very competitive one... It's not their fault that the pitch is super docile, combined with the post rain wet ball.

Nothing personal against Imam. He's a hardworker and I respect him for that, but he's not meant for modern day cricket. The longer he stays in the team and on the crease, the better it is for opposition. Players like him are only good at setting/chasing sub par (250 - 275) totals, which is exception nowadays rather than a norm. As long as Imam stays in the team, we'll always be 30-40 short of what we could score without him.

Unless he gets rid of his timid one dimensional approach, he should stay away from the ODI setup... Should only be allowed back when he learns how to pace his innings and how not to eat up insane amount of deliveries for personal milestones.

you talk as if we have rohit sharmas, david warners waiting on the ranks.

fans like you need to remember that exactly a year ago your team was 32-8 struggling to even bat out the 50 overs and was most of the time 4 or 5 down before the 20th over.... we're still having these issues

if imam had gotten out you could bet your bottom dollar we would have collapsed... it's happened before on flat tracks it can happen again.

 

[Chokli]

Big boys scorecard at the same ground

http://www.espncricinfo.com/series/...-3rd-odi-england-tour-of-south-africa-2015-16


Alex Hales the flamboyant opener got a 100 at SR 87 same as that of Imam's today...

These people deserve Shehzads, and hack like Fakhar who can score double ton against ZIMs and fail against SA in SA..

hales didn't get a 100 but more people need to see the way openers played

 

[Sunny_majoka]

He will apply KAIZEN formula on himself.
He is 22 and is not going to be the same at 28, or 29

 

[ask_analyse_act]

Im not sure where this 350 par score is coming from... when i watched the match it was displayed the par 1st innings total on this ground to 275 and pak made 317..

Only SA has managed to score 350+ in this ground 3 times and that too against weak opposition after 2015 CWC.... http://stats.espncricinfo.com/south...nnings_totals.html?class=2;id=902;type=ground

Even the modern day ENG team could not go pass 318 in the same ground in 2016...

 

[Greenstorm]

Interestingly, he was asked that don't you think that Pakistan is 15-20 runs short to which he replied that no we have enough runs . Show you the mentality.

 

[Snowflake]

Interestingly, he was asked that don't you think that Pakistan is 15-20 runs short to which he replied that no we have enough runs . Show you the mentality.

Easy to facepalm after you have the result of the game in front of you. 99% of the people thought that we have enough to defend.

 

[Greenstorm]

Easy to facepalm after you have the result of the game in front of you. 99% of the people thought that we have enough to defend.

A lot of us including the commentators knew that we were atleast 20 runs short. We lost the game due to Malik and Imam.

 

[Mamoon]

In a country of such pitiful batting resources, only Pakistani fans are capable of turning up their noses at someone like Imam, who:

is mentally tough - knows how to absorb pressure and keep his head.

technically very sound as well, very few Pakistani batsmen have such good basics.

has the appetite for big scores.

These people deserve fluke hacks like Fakhar.

 

[arehaan]

Anyone seeing the game should be able to understand that this game was not lost on batting as our bowling was very poor and rain just made it very easy. A score of even 350 would not have been safe given how South Africa was playing. They scored 187 in 29 overs you double that with all wickets in hand as per cricketing logic and you end with 350 plus.

If anything we should get rid of this age old concept of win toss and bat first especially when it comes to day night games as bowl starts to skid under light and spinners become useless. Saw this in Asia Cup where India won the tournament chasing right through out and we had no clue what to do after winning the toss. Ofcourse the decline has not stopped ever since and results are there for everyone.

 

[Rana]

In a country of such pitiful batting resources, only Pakistani fans are capable of turning up their noses at someone like Imam, who:

is mentally tough - knows how to absorb pressure and keep his head.

technically very sound as well, very few Pakistani batsmen have such good basics.

has the appetite for big scores.

These people deserve fluke hacks like Fakhar.

Oh dear me, He didn’t get selected in the PSL draft either! Surely the best option you have in the country would get an ordinary if not a decent contract in his country’s Premier T20 competition?

6 coaches, managements didn’t consider Imam good enough to lead the charge! This is proof enough about how his limitations are visible to everyone. All ODI openers across the globe are also T20 openers for their countries.

 

[Mamoon]

Oh dear me, He didn’t get selected in the PSL draft either! Surely the best option you have in the country would get an ordinary if not a decent contract in his country’s Premier T20 competition?

6 coaches, managements didn’t consider Imam good enough to lead the charge! This is proof enough about how his limitations are visible to everyone. All ODI openers across the globe are also T20 openers for their countries.

PSL franchises are not convinced with his power game. They have the luxury to pick and choose from not only Pakistani players but also plenty of foreign talent.

However, the PCB does not have that luxury and can only choose from the available talent in the country.

Again, there is no point in giving examples of ODI openers across the globe. Imam is not competing with them for a spot - he is not as good as Rohit, Dhawan, de Kock, Finch, Warner, Guptill, Roy, Hales, Bairstow etc., but he doesn’t have to be.

He plays for Pakistan, a mid-table, mediocre team. For Pakistan, a technically sound opener who can maintain a SR of 85-87 at a very healthy average and appetite for big scores is more than good enough to be a fixture in the team.

If we start selecting players based on how they match up to their corresponding players in the top teams, we will hardly be able to pick 2-3 players at best.

Judge Imam with his local competition not international competition. Your tirade is based on the irrational assumption that Imam is keeping several, elite openers out of the team, which is simply not true at all.

He is better than his competition and that is all that matters when it comes to selection.

 

[Snak3eye5]

We have Saad, Saud, Rizwan and Sharjeel who’s twice the player imam is and can play at a higher strike rate than Imam. Even Shan Masood is better than Imam.

 

[IMMY69]

Was impressed with Imam when he made his debut and nothing since has changed my mind...

Definitely a long term opening option for both Tests and ODI’s.

 

[Haripotter]

Pakistan either produces dashers or a slow snail batsman. There is no one "in the middle " kind of batsman like Rohit or Yuvraj who can accelerate or slow down based on match situation.
Someone like Fakhar needs to be moulded into a long innings player but I feel Pak fans only want afridi kinds

 

[Hawkeye]

We have Saad, Saud, Rizwan and Sharjeel who’s twice the player imam is and can play at a higher strike rate than Imam. Even Shan Masood is better than Imam.

Saad, Rizwan, Masood?

Shows how clueless you are when it comes to batting and cricket.

They're 10x inferior and won't last more than 40 balls in international limited overs cricket.

Reading these kind of posts, I'm so glad PPers are not selectors.

And start having even more faith in Imam. Whose competition is other domestic grade batsmen only.

 

[Hawkeye]

Pakistan either produces dashers or a slow snail batsman. There is no one "in the middle " kind of batsman like Rohit or Yuvraj who can accelerate or slow down based on match situation.
Someone like Fakhar needs to be moulded into a long innings player but I feel Pak fans only want afridi kinds

What kind of dashers have you seen from Pak except sharjeel Khan?

Yes, Hafeez is a Dasher on his day, but quite inconsistent.

 

[Rana]

PSL franchises are not convinced with his power game. They have the luxury to pick and choose from not only Pakistani players but also plenty of foreign talent.

However, the PCB does not have that luxury and can only choose from the available talent in the country.

Again, there is no point in giving examples of ODI openers across the globe. Imam is not competing with them for a spot - he is not as good as Rohit, Dhawan, de Kock, Finch, Warner, Guptill, Roy, Hales, Bairstow etc., but he doesn’t have to be.

He plays for Pakistan, a mid-table, mediocre team. For Pakistan, a technically sound opener who can maintain a SR of 85-87 at a very healthy average and appetite for big scores is more than good enough to be a fixture in the team.

If we start selecting players based on how they match up to their corresponding players in the top teams, we will hardly be able to pick 2-3 players at best.

Judge Imam with his local competition not international competition. Your tirade is based on the irrational assumption that Imam is keeping several, elite openers out of the team, which is simply not true at all.

He is better than his competition and that is all that matters when it comes to selection.

Right ok...so let me think from Trevor Baylis’s perspective. It won’t be accurate but I can try...

What does anyone have to lose by Swapping Imam for Umar Akmal to start with? Now before you come back with the basic argument of Imam is an opener and UA is middle order, or they have different styles and techniques against pace bowlers...let me nullify the response by stating that coaches like Baylis identity the proper limited overs players and select 4-5 of them in the team to bat in any position. If I am correct, Sharma and Bairstow began their careers lower down the order. Eventually they moved up the order to express their explosive prowess at a time when the team would gain full value for it (First powerplay). So first and foremost, I am adamant that you don’t even need to look for an opener in specific to replace Imam at the top. The answer can be found in the ranks itself. I would also look at Hussain Talat as a potential choice to do this job, I’m sure Kirsten, Bayliss would! The guy is built to play big strokes, the potential is there. We must take this psychological barrier out of our mind that only a specialist opener can negotiate the new ball. Babar is practically opening for Pakistan as one of our openers is bound to get out in the first few overs as it is.

Secondly, Imam is no doubt a fine player but his strength is his ability to constantly take singles in the middle overs. Imam should be in the XI, ideally at number 4 or 5 to continue the scoreboard ticking and providing support to Imam or any other set batsman. Utilise his strength, he is solid and will keep the scoreboard ticking. He is only going to hit 6-8 boundaries in a score of 100, That’s not opener material

 

[Mamoon]

Right ok...so let me think from Trevor Baylis’s perspective. It won’t be accurate but I can try...

What does anyone have to lose by Swapping Imam for Umar Akmal to start with? Now before you come back with the basic argument of Imam is an opener and UA is middle order, or they have different styles and techniques against pace bowlers...let me nullify the response by stating that coaches like Baylis identity the proper limited overs players and select 4-5 of them in the team to bat in any position. If I am correct, Sharma and Bairstow began their careers lower down the order. Eventually they moved up the order to express their explosive prowess at a time when the team would gain full value for it (First powerplay). So first and foremost, I am adamant that you don’t even need to look for an opener in specific to replace Imam at the top. The answer can be found in the ranks itself. I would also look at Hussain Talat as a potential choice to do this job, I’m sure Kirsten, Bayliss would! The guy is built to play big strokes, the potential is there. We must take this psychological barrier out of our mind that only a specialist opener can negotiate the new ball. Babar is practically opening for Pakistan as one of our openers is bound to get out in the first few overs as it is.

Secondly, Imam is no doubt a fine player but his strength is his ability to constantly take singles in the middle overs. Imam should be in the XI, ideally at number 4 or 5 to continue the scoreboard ticking and providing support to Imam or any other set batsman. Utilise his strength, he is solid and will keep the scoreboard ticking. He is only going to hit 6-8 boundaries in a score of 100, That’s not opener material

Sure, but there are two opening spots. One is occupied by Imam and the other by a hack who has been exposed. If you want to tinker and try Umar Akmal or Hussain Talat, sure go ahead. However, at this point, Fakhar is the one who has to make way, not a batsman who is averaging 64 at a SR of 83 against an elite bowling attack.

 

[Rana]

Sure, but there are two opening spots. One is occupied by Imam and the other by a hack who has been exposed. If you want to tinker and try Umar Akmal or Hussain Talat, sure go ahead. However, at this point, Fakhar is the one who has to make way, not a batsman who is averaging 64 at a SR of 83 against an elite bowling attack.

9/10 times the world’s Elite coaches would prefer the Aggressive option over the conservative one. Maybe if Imam doesn’t usually play out maidens or scores 1 off 6 first up then Fakhar doesn’t have to be so agricultural with his strokeplay up front these days. I await the day when Fakhar is paired up with a more dynamic opener. In the PSL also, I’m sure you will understand the point I am trying to make then.

 

[Pakpak]

Big boys scorecard at the same ground

http://www.espncricinfo.com/series/...-3rd-odi-england-tour-of-south-africa-2015-16


Alex Hales the flamboyant opener got a 100 at SR 87 same as that of Imam's today...

These people deserve Shehzads, and hack like Fakhar who can score double ton against ZIMs and fail against SA in SA..

And the other openers from the same scorecard made 100's in almost above 100 SR. Good cherry picking. And even then, Hales's innings was one off. Unlike Imam he batters the opposition.

 

[Rana]

[MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION]

What I find bizarre is that I actually rate you as a guy that is good at calling a spade ‘a spade’. Your reading of the game is second to none on this forum and the issues that you identify with Pakistan cricket are mostly correct. You know this team’s deficiencies yet you fail to acknowledge the missing, weak points especially in this case. You cannot say that the inflated average of Imam and his mediocre strike rate of 80 is now going to improve Pakistan’s mediocrity? At least you out of all people should point this out!

 

[Darkrai]

Right ok...so let me think from Trevor Baylis’s perspective. It won’t be accurate but I can try...

What does anyone have to lose by Swapping Imam for Umar Akmal to start with? Now before you come back with the basic argument of Imam is an opener and UA is middle order, or they have different styles and techniques against pace bowlers...let me nullify the response by stating that coaches like Baylis identity the proper limited overs players and select 4-5 of them in the team to bat in any position. If I am correct, Sharma and Bairstow began their careers lower down the order. Eventually they moved up the order to express their explosive prowess at a time when the team would gain full value for it (First powerplay). So first and foremost, I am adamant that you don’t even need to look for an opener in specific to replace Imam at the top. The answer can be found in the ranks itself. I would also look at Hussain Talat as a potential choice to do this job, I’m sure Kirsten, Bayliss would! The guy is built to play big strokes, the potential is there. We must take this psychological barrier out of our mind that only a specialist opener can negotiate the new ball. Babar is practically opening for Pakistan as one of our openers is bound to get out in the first few overs as it is.

Secondly, Imam is no doubt a fine player but his strength is his ability to constantly take singles in the middle overs. Imam should be in the XI, ideally at number 4 or 5 to continue the scoreboard ticking and providing support to Imam or any other set batsman. Utilise his strength, he is solid and will keep the scoreboard ticking. He is only going to hit 6-8 boundaries in a score of 100, That’s not opener material

Give me a break. Umar Akmal, seriously? The guy, after playing 116 matches, has a SR of 85.94. His SR in T20Is is 122.90. Not to mention he averages 35 and 26. This is the guy you want?

 

[srh]

Pakistan is a mediocre ODI team we all agree. But should not we be trying to make Pakistan a better ODI team? If this is the goal then we should not be playing an opener who bats at 20ish strike rate in first 6 power play overs and spend most of his time playing with 50ish strike rate and then trying to catch-up later. The ODI game has moved on and we should move on with the new way.

 

[Gullycricket]

[MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION]

What I find bizarre is that I actually rate you as a guy that is good at calling a spade ‘a spade’. Your reading of the game is second to none on this forum and the issues that you identify with Pakistan cricket are mostly correct. You know this team’s deficiencies yet you fail to acknowledge the missing, weak points especially in this case. You cannot say that the inflated average of Imam and his mediocre strike rate of 80 is now going to improve Pakistan’s mediocrity? At least you out of all people should point this out!

He never said Imam is world class.He says Imam is the best we got and we need to stick with as he is young and has shown willingness to improve

 

[ask_analyse_act]

Give me a break. Umar Akmal, seriously? The guy, after playing 116 matches, has a SR of 85.94. His SR in T20Is is 122.90. Not to mention he averages 35 and 26. This is the guy you want?

They want UA by any case. They can even think of swapping him with the coach or masseur even haha. So dont worry abt them.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

He never said Imam is world class.He says Imam is the best we got and we need to stick with as he is young and has shown willingness to improve

Well it is said to them 100 times already and they are just stubborn. Ask them the options that they have to swap with for imam, u will get more interesting options.

 

[GoUgandaCranes]

We need to be ruthless and get rid of guys who are not up to the mark with modern batting requirements. An intention to score at a strike rate of 100 is a bare minimum on all kinds of tracks. Having the shots to evade the inner circle is a realistic requirement. I do not see these qualities in Imam ul Haq although his record suggests we are being harsh on him. England could have rebuilt their ODI side with Alistair Cook as their opener considering how solid of a player he is, but it was clear that his limitations to not be able to score freely besides a couple of go to shots was not going to allow them to play the modern game like the other teams.

Something needs to be done now or after the wc as it may be too late. This guy will keep us in the 90s forever otherwise. Its a shame because hes an honest, hardworking lad but we simply cannot move out of this weak mentality if players like him are our ODI stars. A strike rate of 50 on a track like this an opener is criminal!

That's why Sharjeel angers me so much. The man had made it, a PSL career, international cricket for a couple of years with the goodwill established in Australia, and a coach in Arthur who was backing him openly and even had made him play test cricket and the guy goes ahead and does that.

Imam if he doesn't improve is not going to solve any problems for us. Maybe if we had quality bowling, he'd fit right in but our bowling is woeful so we can't defend small totals anymore. Maybe they work out a way and get him some powergame but if that doesn't happen, this is just a wasted investment.

 

[Chokli]

if you replace south african players' names on their scorcard with pakistans for todays match, this forum would have had a meltdown because we're not playing "modern cricket"

 

[Mamoon]

[MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION]

What I find bizarre is that I actually rate you as a guy that is good at calling a spade ‘a spade’. Your reading of the game is second to none on this forum and the issues that you identify with Pakistan cricket are mostly correct. You know this team’s deficiencies yet you fail to acknowledge the missing, weak points especially in this case. You cannot say that the inflated average of Imam and his mediocre strike rate of 80 is now going to improve Pakistan’s mediocrity? At least you out of all people should point this out!

Pakistan is a mid-table team and will be one whether Imam plays or not. It is not a question of what Imam brings to the team and what his role is in ending Pakistan's mediocrity (which he cannot). It is a question of how he fares against his competition.

Everyone would love an opener who can go toe to toe with the best in the world but we don't have such options. As a result, it is ridiculous to demand that Imam should be dropped when he comfortably beats his local competition.

 

[Rana]

What are we being subjected to here in the year 2019? 17* off 40 in Abu Dhabi on Day 1 of an ODI

 

[Hawkeye]

What are we being subjected to here in the year 2019? 17* off 40 in Abu Dhabi on Day 1 of an ODI

[MENTION=2016]Rana[/MENTION] Bhai, Imam sadly hasn't shown me good signs despite me fully backing him earlier.

When it comes to playing at an acceptable strike rate, he just doesn't have the strokeplay or skills.

I was very disappointed seeing him come down the pitch ball after ball, swinging the bat blindly. His only scoring shot.

 

[The_Odd_One]

What are we being subjected to here in the year 2019? 17* off 40 in Abu Dhabi on Day 1 of an ODI

Please suggest alternatives. There is no better opener than Imam in entire Pakistan. He may be far behind Sharma, Warner, De Kock, etc but he is easily better than the likes of Shehzad, Fakhar, Shaan, Farhan, etc.

 

[srh]

need Fakhar and Sharjeel opening in ODIs and T20Is

 

[TeymurBlake]

He does take his time to get going and his down the track slogs are always going to pay dividends. But there is a solid opener there and for me, must be stuck with.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Always starts of like a snail in run chases which adds pressure at other ends which doesnt help.

 

[Cric1234]

Looking at the response of some of the posters, Pak fans truly deserve players like Imran Farhat, and the Akmal brothers. No inch of gratitude whatsoever.

Thank you Imam 3 matches 3 flying starts setting the tone.

 

[Sher Khan]

Don't worry when sharjeel comes back we can throw this timid guy out.

 

[Asif321]

People here think he is god of batting
just because other batsmen fail in some matches and imam score some runs he is labelled as saviour
Actually he is a trouble in this line up . Can’t believe have to deal with him in WC
Add to that his foolish attitude as if has scored 20 centuries

 

[zn426]

People here think he is god of batting
just because other batsmen fail in some matches and imam score some runs he is labelled as saviour
Actually he is a trouble in this line up . Can’t believe have to deal with him in WC
Add to that his foolish attitude as if has scored 20 centuries

I'm supremely disappointed in Sharjeel. He was banned for a reason and he won't be back until after the WC. There was no motive for him to do what he did. Following his batting on cricinfo while working was exciting- I always feared him getting out from his aggression (perhaps because I wasn't used to it), yet he consistently provided a strong opening score to set up the rest of the team nicely. He was developing well and now he's sitting on the sidelines at what should have been the peak of his career.

There's no guarantee he will come back strong. He could feel slighted either because he was in fact innocent of that which he was convicted of, or guilty and motivated because he did in fact fix. His fitness was already not great-of course CMA would have made him improve but no guarantee it would have been enough to be a David Warner level opener. Who knows what his belly looks like now.

 

[Cric1234]

Imam has played 13 matches in the UAE averages 48 at a strike rate of 71 that's the problem average will drop and the strike rate is losing matches with slow starts that's in the modern era with flatter wickets.

 

[Rana]

So is he laying the foundation for a definite counter attack by our powerful, reliable lower order of Sarfaraz, Asif, Imad and Hassan Ali?

 

[mon858]

So is he laying the foundation for a definite counter attack by our powerful, reliable lower order of Sarfaraz, Asif, Imad and Hassan Ali?

haha... to be fair though today conditions are not same as earlier games and credit to england opening bowlers, if anything today was a good today to have someone like imam on one hand, however, if we had pinched 5-8 more singles would have been ideal.

what i found a bit odd was predictviz indicating 274 with our score an over or so back, which is almost impossible unless the partnerships go big or asif/imad have some amazing day today.

 

[The_Odd_One]

I do not understand the fascination with strike rate. Pakistan has no Shrarma, Bairstow, Warner, De Kock etc. Heck, there are no Guptill, Hales, Roy, etc. The so called aggressive and selfless Fakhar cannot even cross single digits these days. The world class Babar can only bash SL and WI. Hafeez and Malik cannot face any decent fast bowler. Asif is very poor man's Afridi. Haris is happy to hit 100s at 80 SR.

Yet, Imam is the root of all evil in the Pakistan batting lineup.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

I do not understand the fascination with strike rate. Pakistan has no Shrarma, Bairstow, Warner, De Kock etc. Heck, there are no Guptill, Hales, Roy, etc. The so called aggressive and selfless Fakhar cannot even cross single digits these days. The world class Babar can only bash SL and WI. Hafeez and Malik cannot face any decent fast bowler. Asif is very poor man's Afridi. Haris is happy to hit 100s at 80 SR.

Yet, Imam is the root of all evil in the Pakistan batting lineup.

The fascination with strike rate is because if you can't score quickly in limited overs, then all you will do is build a losing score steadily every time.

Is it Imam's fault he's not good enough? No. I'm not so bothered about his S/R as I am he can't handle short bowling.

Is Babar world class despite 'only bashing SL and WI'? Yes he is in my opinion.

 

[superman]

If Fakhar was performing at the other end it would've been an easy swap for Imam with Shan

No it would not have been, maybe Abid or someone else but shan is no where near odi opener level.

 

[Syed1]

I do not understand the fascination with strike rate. Pakistan has no Shrarma, Bairstow, Warner, De Kock etc. Heck, there are no Guptill, Hales, Roy, etc. The so called aggressive and selfless Fakhar cannot even cross single digits these days. The world class Babar can only bash SL and WI. Hafeez and Malik cannot face any decent fast bowler. Asif is very poor man's Afridi. Haris is happy to hit 100s at 80 SR.

Yet, Imam is the root of all evil in the Pakistan batting lineup.

Babar:

vs Aus - 56 @ 83
vs SA - 56@ 80

 

[Chokli]

If you drop Imam this team will drop like a pack of cards.

Used to happen when Misbah was there too.

Your batsmen just aren't good enough to stay at the wicket which is why they excel at T20s

 

[The_Odd_One]

Babar:

vs Aus - 56 @ 83
vs SA - 56@ 80

Imam averages 54 @ 82 SR against South Africa.

Babar's 50+ average against Australia should be taken with a grain of salt. He batted at 70 SR chasing 360+.

Try better next time.

 

[Syed1]

Imam averages 54 @ 82 SR against South Africa.

Babar's 50+ average against Australia should be taken with a grain of salt. He batted at 70 SR chasing 360+.

Try better next time.

Funny you didn't bring Imam's average of 21 @ 60 vs Australia.


Perhaps you should heed your own advice and try better next time before you try and act like an expert.

 

[The_Odd_One]

Funny you didn't bring Imam's average of 21 @ 60 vs Australia.


Perhaps you should heed your own advice and try better next time before you try and act like an expert.

Because I am not foolish to judge a player based on two bad ODIs when he has done superbly overall. Babar on the other hand has been playing cricket for a much longer time and has always failed when the going gets tough. He's nothing but a poor man's Kane Williamson so far.

Imam is one of the first names on the team sheet and a very likely future captain when the specialist captain is shown the door. Deal with it.

 

[Syed1]

Because I am not foolish to judge a player based on two bad ODIs when he has done superbly overall. Babar on the other hand has been playing cricket for a much longer time and has always failed when the going gets tough. He's nothing but a poor man's Kane Williamson so far.

Imam is one of the first names on the team sheet and a very likely future captain when the specialist captain is shown the door. Deal with it.

So we should discard Imam's 3 matches vs Australia but take into account Babar's 5 match against Australia which btw were played in Australia.


Do continue mr. wanna be expert. Ripping your own logic appart is thoroughly enjoyable.



Imam's career won't last long enough for him to be captain.

 

[The_Odd_One]

The fascination with strike rate is because if you can't score quickly in limited overs, then all you will do is build a losing score steadily every time.

Is it Imam's fault he's not good enough? No. I'm not so bothered about his S/R as I am he can't handle short bowling.

Is Babar world class despite 'only bashing SL and WI'? Yes he is in my opinion.

A healthy strike rate is nice to have for a mediocre team like Pakistan. The so called aggressive batsmen like Fakhar, Umar, and Asif cannot even score a 50 collectively. For Pakistan, Imam is the perfect choice to open with hit or miss Fakhar.

Have you noticed Babar's SR recently? No wonder, even Mickey had to say that Babar needs to increase his SR.

 

[The_Odd_One]

So we should discard Imam's 3 matches vs Australia but take into account Babar's 5 match against Australia which btw were played in Australia.


Do continue mr. wanna be expert. Ripping your own logic appart is thoroughly enjoyable.



Imam's career won't last long enough for him to be captain.

What the heck? it was you who brought up the averages.

My opinion on Babar is NOT based on his averages against other teams but his tendency to go missing when the team needs him. His 50+ averages did not bear any fruits. Pakistan lost 4-1 to Australia and 3-2 to SA.

So, a random poster on the Internet thinks Imam's career won't last long when he has the full support of the selector, the coach, and the captain. I get it.

 

[Bonafide Hustler]

They should drop Imam and play Hafeez as an opener or maybe even Sarfraz. Sarfraz is useless down the order anyway. Imam just doesn't have any natural shots. Even of batting friendly wickets he bats slow. He is only a decent option in low scoring matches where wickets are tumbling all around him. I highly doubt there will be many low scoring games in the world cup. England has good batting wickets especially in June/July.

 

[gazza619]

Imam must say to himself, ‘gosh what do i need to do to win over some fans’

 

[Sunny_majoka]

They should drop Imam and play Hafeez as an opener or maybe even Sarfraz. Sarfraz is useless down the order anyway. Imam just doesn't have any natural shots. Even of batting friendly wickets he bats slow. He is only a decent option in low scoring matches where wickets are tumbling all around him. I highly doubt there will be many low scoring games in the world cup. England has good batting wickets especially in June/July.

If hafeez and fakhar are our openners then we will be 10/2 most of the time

 

[Gullycricket]

Wonder what poor Imam has to do to get some of these blind haters off his back.
Lad scored literally a 71, 86 and a 100 against SA on SA pitches, Pak finally has a solid top 3 after countless years, and it seems some Pakistanis just don't want the betterment of the team, but rather push forward their conceited claims of Imam being in the team due to Inzi. Insane.

 

[Dr_Bassim]

Most Pakistani fans suffer from confirmation bias.

"The guy was selected due to nepotism and because of his uncle so he is quite useless."

Once you start off with this line, the remaining story is a lore of bad SR, bad attitude, not good enough, will always fail dialogues ending with the self-confirmatory attitude that we were right.

Had he come up the system as a random lad, people would be going gaga for his mental strength and fortitude and give him a longer rope.

 

[Hitman]

One question here for his critics, whether he is a good batsman by world standards or not is not my question. Is there any other batsman warming the bench who is better than him? Who played his part better yesterday between him, Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam?

It's a curse in the subcontinent for any young upcoming talent to be related to a famous cricketing personality. Arjun Tendulkar is an 18 year old lad who is trying his best to do well in the game, and has been playing the game since the age of around 16. And yet all he gets is ridicule and abuse simply because of who his father is. Imagine, he hasn't even been selected for Ranji Trophy yet, and he still gets abuses for selecting cricket as a profession. Maybe offsprings or relatives of former cricketers should be banned from playing the game, that would give a lot of delight to the critics.

 

[topspin]

Imam is nowhere near ready for this WC and his SR of 71 against the top 5 (SENAI) proves that.

Keep him in the squad as a backup opener for now and bring him back into the team once the WC is over. I have faith he will develop, but at the moment he doesn't have the array of shots and is far too susceptible against the short ball to be playing in this tournament.

I would like to see Abid Ali be given chances in this series and if he's not up to the task, then we should use Babar as an opener (just like in T20Is) and promote Haris at 3.

A poor WC for Imam will dent his confidence and development. I really don't want to see that happen.

 

[MRSN]

They should drop Imam and play Hafeez as an opener or maybe even Sarfraz. Sarfraz is useless down the order anyway. Imam just doesn't have any natural shots. Even of batting friendly wickets he bats slow. He is only a decent option in low scoring matches where wickets are tumbling all around him. I highly doubt there will be many low scoring games in the world cup. England has good batting wickets especially in June/July.

Lol. Sarfraz is useless anywhere.

 

[Hitman]

Imam is nowhere near ready for this WC and his SR of 71 against the top 5 (SENAI) proves that.

Keep him in the squad as a backup opener for now and bring him back into the team once the WC is over. I have faith he will develop, but at the moment he doesn't have the array of shots and is far too susceptible against the short ball to be playing in this tournament.

I would like to see Abid Ali be given chances in this series and if he's not up to the task, then we should use Babar as an opener (just like in T20Is) and promote Haris at 3.

A poor WC for Imam will dent his confidence and development. I really don't want to see that happen.

What is the new criteria of SENAI now?

 

[Afhan Ali]

Imam is nowhere near ready for this WC and his SR of 71 against the top 5 (SENAI) proves that.

Keep him in the squad as a backup opener for now and bring him back into the team once the WC is over. I have faith he will develop, but at the moment he doesn't have the array of shots and is far too susceptible against the short ball to be playing in this tournament.

I would like to see Abid Ali be given chances in this series and if he's not up to the task, then we should use Babar as an opener (just like in T20Is) and promote Haris at 3.

A poor WC for Imam will dent his confidence and development. I really don't want to see that happen.

Who is better than him in this Pakistan team?
Maybe Babar

Against SA the strike rate of Imam and Babar is not much different.

Against England Imam played only once and Babar mostly failed against England

Against Australia, Imam never plays

Against NZ, Babar is ahead

 

[topspin]

What is the new criteria of SENAI now?

For a mediocre team like Pakistan, a minimum strike rate of 80. Babar's is 81-82.

 

[Afhan Ali]

Imam is nowhere near ready for this WC and his SR of 71 against the top 5 (SENAI) proves that.

Keep him in the squad as a backup opener for now and bring him back into the team once the WC is over. I have faith he will develop, but at the moment he doesn't have the array of shots and is far too susceptible against the short ball to be playing in this tournament.

I would like to see Abid Ali be given chances in this series and if he's not up to the task, then we should use Babar as an opener (just like in T20Is) and promote Haris at 3.

A poor WC for Imam will dent his confidence and development. I really don't want to see that happen.

Who will be the opener if you want to replace Imam?

The mediocre Shahzad or Shan Masood ( failed against Aus B on flat pitches )
Abid is also new in International cricket he score 1 hundred but also score duck in next inning.

Sahibzada Farhan, Awais Zia, Khuram, Salman butt, Sami Aslam, Imran farhat etc are not good enough to replace a run machine like Imam