If they are good enough, should unfit or heavy players be picked for the national side?

[MenInG]

Azam Khan and Sharjeel Khan are prime examples.

Unfit in the traditional sense but seem to have a good power game which could be handy for the national side in at least the shorter formats.

If they can bat and win the team some games, can we put aside considerations for fitness and take these players on for the talent they bring to the scene?

 

[gazza619]

Absolutely! Thats a no brainer for me.

 

[offstump]

Heavy vs unfit are two different things. There needs to be a minimum bar set for the guys

 

[Barragan]

If they can do the basics of fielding correctly (i.e. not dropping catches or letting the ball go through their legs) and pile on the runs, then there should be no worries about their fitness.

 

[Colorblind Genius]

Watch how Azam Khan got stumped on the first ball in his last game. If he was fitter, he would've been lot more quicker and perhaps could've saved his wicket.

But more importantly, these bags of fat are prone to do quite horrible in the field. Sharp and quick fielding force is a fundamental demand of modern day cricket. And you can't it with such players.

Do you expect them to dive and save a boundary or be able to make a quick run-out pick n throw in one motion?

If they are good in batting but can't lose weight then it means they are probably not mentally very smart people. Which is OK. There is still hope for them to play for Pak team.

They should sign up the agreement and waivers and then they should be locked in a jail for at least six months where they should be provided with one meal (low calorie) a day (and lots of water) with regular exercise, a tough fitness routine, gym and running at least 5 miles as the daily part of practice.

No internet and no TV. They must get a lot of rest after working out mostly through the entire day.

And within 6 months, they will be lean and mean and mentally very alert, which will make them good fit to play international cricket.

There is nothing scary or wrong in this routine.
If that helps them get into the Pak team, they should happily line up and sign that agreement.

 

[DeadBall]

If they can do the basics of fielding correctly (i.e. not dropping catches or letting the ball go through their legs) and pile on the runs, then there should be no worries about their fitness.

Azam Khan did both of those while fielding today. Took some time getting down for ground fielding and then some time getting up. The opposition players were all smirking in the dug out.

Wicketkeeping is the best option for him atm because all he has to do is lunge sideways at the most and crouch for the spinners. Should keep his head down and continue with the hard work.

 

[TAK]

In this day and age, how can anybody with serious pretensions of being a professional sportsman be in the grotesque shape those two roly poly specimens are in?

 

[shariqnoor]

Pakistan does not have an embarrassment of riches at their disposal. The team is quite mediocre and if someone one who is relatively better than the incumbents despite being overweight, then they need to be drafted into the team. Pakistan should not make fitness paramount to ability.

For other countries, since they have so many talented and skillful players available to choose from, fitness becomes the defining factor for them. For us, it should not.

Shan Masood with his super fitness is absolutely useless to Pakistan when all he's going to do is get out for single digit scores to any decent bowling lineup.

Azam Khan despite being hugely overweight, may not be a great player himself but I could see him being at least better than a few of our current players. Same with Sharjeel. However, Sharjeel is a spot fixer and should not be given any chance with the international team.

If we had Inzamam today, would we not be selecting him just because he doesn't pass the yoyo test? In Pakistan, dynamics are different and since we are short of any real talent in our team, if an overweight player fits the bill in terms of skills, he should be part of the team.

 

[gazza619]

Absolutely! Thats a no brainer for me.

Just to add, we need to be clear on what “good enough” means.

A player shouldn't be picked if he is nowhere to be seen in the top charts of domestic performers.

I havent seen the numbers but Sharjeel or Azam havent been breaking headlines day in day out.

 

[dildilpak]

Azam Khan did both of those while fielding today. Took some time getting down for ground fielding and then some time getting up. The opposition players were all smirking in the dug out.

Wicketkeeping is the best option for him atm because all he has to do is lunge sideways at the most and crouch for the spinners. Should keep his head down and continue with the hard work.

Thats too bad. Should just go on keto diet for a few months & lose all that fat.. thats no way how an international cricketer should be!

 

[TAK]

If we had Inzamam today, would we not be selecting him just because he doesn't pass the yoyo test? In Pakistan, dynamics are different and since we are short of any real talent in our team, if an overweight player fits the bill in terms of skills, he should be part of the team.

Inzi was an exceptional talent, but one can't help but think that if he had devoted a little more time to exercise and a little less time to eating, he wouldn't have been prone to some of those comical dismissals...

 

[Plumb]

I think OP can add If player has "unusual style of batting" to the list....
I Wouldn't mind playing anyone who can score runs and win games PERIOD.

 

[Colorblind Genius]

Pakistan does not have an embarrassment of riches at their disposal. The team is quite mediocre and if someone one who is relatively better than the incumbents despite being overweight, then they need to be drafted into the team. Pakistan should not make fitness paramount to ability.

For other countries, since they have so many talented and skillful players available to choose from, fitness becomes the defining factor for them. For us, it should not.

Shan Masood with his super fitness is absolutely useless to Pakistan when all he's going to do is get out for single digit scores to any decent bowling lineup.

Azam Khan despite being hugely overweight, may not be a great player himself but I could see him being at least better than a few of our current players. Same with Sharjeel. However, Sharjeel is a spot fixer and should not be given any chance with the international team.

If we had Inzamam today, would we not be selecting him just because he doesn't pass the yoyo test? In Pakistan, dynamics are different and since we are short of any real talent in our team, if an overweight player fits the bill in terms of skills, he should be part of the team.

Azam Khan can perhaps play T20 as this format can accommodate tulla and lapaardu batsmen.

Sharjeel's case is debatable IMO.
If one has done his time and he got punished as per the rules then he is a freeman to compete with the rest and must be allowed exercise his freedom.

What you could argue is that you do not agree with the punishment for fixers. And for this, you don't need to target the player, you need to push for law changes that bans a player for life if convicted based on undeniable evidence in a fair trial.

 

[BigShak]

Silly question. Part of being 'good enough' is meeting the minimum expected fitness standards. Our cricket will never get anywhere until we adopt a professional approach in line with the modern standards. Keep clamouring for fatties and they will always let you down.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

Azam is a very different case to Sharjeel. We need to understand this.

Azam has natural athleticism. That’s why when you see him keep he’s not bad at all despite looking like a similar body type to Sharjeel.

Sharjeel on the other hand is an absolute liability in the field.

We need to redefine our understanding of “fitness”. Fit does not mean slim. Fit means fielding with. Running quick to stop boundaries, diving in the outfield, performing relay throws over the boundary, effecting runouts. Stopping easy singles.

Sharjeel cannot do these things. But neither can Haris Rauf, who is an equal liability. In my mind, there is no difference in fitness between Sharjeel and Rauf.

Azam is fitter than Rauf and fitter than Sharjeel — he can take some pretty good catches behind the wickets, is a safe pair of hands, and has natural athleticism despite the excess fat (which he’s working hard to burn anyways).

Azam, to this end, is fitter than Haider Ali. All of these guys are fitter than Haris Sohail who needs to be dropped across formats ASAP.

My answer is simply, using this definition, we should never compromise on fitness unless there is no other replacement available. Sharjeel has a decent case to make about that, though Fakhar even during his current bad patch will always be more valuable on paper because his fielding is a guarantee even if his runs aren’t. Sharjeel might be a 10% better batsman than Fakhar but Fakhar is 100% better as a fielder (in fact one of our best fielders).

And even then, if we ignore Fakhar, Rizwan already has a claim to the opener spot for at least one more series so we get an idea of how he’s doing. After that, we’ll have the PSL and understand everyone’s capabilities a bit better.

Generally speaking, we need to widen our horizons. Fitness should consist of the following criteria only:
60% fielding ability
30% stamina to convert 50s into 100s (something Haris Sohail does not have, but Inzi did) and 100s into daddy scores
10% ability to steal singles and convert singles to doubles

I couldn’t care less whether you weigh 500 pounds as long as you are better in all these respects than the guy who weighs 100 pounds.

 

[Saj]

The problem is if you lower the bar and bend the rules for a few players then it can become a free for all.

Interestingly Abid Ali wasn't picked by Mickey Arthur because he felt he wasn't fit enough.

 

[Colorblind Genius]

Silly question. Part of being 'good enough' is meeting the minimum expected fitness standards. Our cricket will never get anywhere until we adopt a professional approach in line with the modern standards. Keep clamouring for fatties and they will always let you down.

I am just baffled at the lack of determination and lack of discipline by these players.

For goodness sake, how hard is to lose weight when it's a demand of your God forsaken profession?

No body is asking you to get a PhD degree in rocket science from Harvard University.

And you are not a 65 years old accountant who spends all day sitting in the office, and has gotten lazy over the years, and now finds it hard to lose weight ? (even those guys also able to lose drastic weight if they have determination).

But these professional sportsmen letting them look like humpty dumpties? It's unreal.
This is your bread and butter and you got no other heavy burden of responsibilities or lack of time that you can use an excuse.

 

[shariqnoor]

Also batsmen can be overweight. That's not a huge problem. Just look at Paul Stirling. Terrific batsman but massively unfit. Does Ireland impose fitness regimens on him? No. Because Ireland knows they do not have the talent to replace Stirling. They don't care if Stirling weights 70kg or 140kg as long as he's producing the runs that he is producing right now. We should be going the same route until we get fitter batsmen with better skillset.

 

[moghul]

One of the reasons India is way ahead of Pakistan in cricket now is there fitness level. They don't have anyone like Azhar, Yasir shah, Abbas , Harris Sohail and we're talking about someone obese like Sharjeel and Azam Khan.

Not only India, lower level teams like SL, BD and Afghanistan have better fitness level than Pakistan team, how low we want to go by including fat ones ?

 

[UP]

One of the reasons India is way ahead of Pakistan in cricket now is there fitness level. They don't have anyone like Azhar, Yasir shah, Abbas , Harris Sohail and we're talking about someone obese like Sharjeel and Azam Khan.

Not only India, lower level teams like SL, BD and Afghanistan have better fitness level than Pakistan team, how low we want to go by including fat ones ?

Shaw, Sharma, Pant say Hi.

Most importantly did you see Shaw?

 

[Zaz]

No chance these two should be considered

I mean no ones asking them to have six pack abs and run a mile in 4mins How hard as a sportsman can being lean be?

It goes to show these guys are mentally weak if they cant control what goes in their mouth for a few weeks

Being so overweight will let the team down in sport whether its running fast 2-3s or in the field diving around

Pakistan cant make exceptions There has to be a bare minimum standard in this day and age and these two dont make it

 

[wajid]

At least they should be able to survive 4-5 days of continuous long format cricket without getting an injury or tiredness that causes dip in form.

 

[moghul]

Shaw, Sharma, Pant say Hi.

Most importantly did you see Shaw?

Those are not the fittest player by Indian standard but probably much fitter than average Pakistani player.

 

[TAK]

So...we're going to use Ireland's selection policy as a benchmark for Pakistan's?

Words fail me

 

[Colorblind Genius]

lol at folks talking about Sharma.

Seriously, if Sharjeel and Azam Khan and Harris Sohail could match the statistics of Rohit, I will be more than happy to welcome them in the team.

But here, they have double the weight of Sharma and not even 1/10th of his game, but they want to be put in the same breadth.

 

[shariqnoor]

So...we're going to use Ireland's selection policy as a benchmark for Pakistan's?

Words fail me

Actually words should fail you because the truth of the matter is, Paul Stirling is head and shoulders above any ODI opener right now in Pakistan. If he was to be available for selection for Pakistan, we would bite Ireland's hand off.

That is the sorry state of Pakistan openers. So yeah, words should be failing you.

But if you really tried to understand the post, you would have understood the underlying similarity facing both Pakistan and Ireland. Both countries do not have any openers that are fit and possess great ability at the same time. So both need to resort to playing an unfit player who has some ability over a fit player (like Shan Masood in Pakistan's case) with zero ability.

 

[Ertugrul_Bey]

Azam Khan is more fitter than Inzi was through out his career so I am not sure what the fuss is about. He is an excellent keeper and running between the wicket is quick. When it comes to clean power hitting all around the park, there’s no one better in Pak at the moment.

 

[hitthestump]

Azam Khan is more fitter than Inzi was through out his career so I am not sure what the fuss is about. He is an excellent keeper and running between the wicket is quick. When it comes to clean power hitting all around the park, there’s no one better in Pak at the moment.

No comparison. Inzi was ATG at times, was a leader and played in an era where his lack of fitness wouldn't be ruthlessly exploited like it would now. He might have been fat but he was a feared member of the opposition. Precious few batsmen in history have earnt that right.

 

[hitthestump]

I just don't see why Azam and Sharjeel can't just lose the weight. Like i really don't get it. If you want to play for Pakistan then become fit. It seems so simple to me. Look at Afridi in t10 fgs.

The most the PCB should do is hook both guys up with top personal trainers in the country. The rest is up to them.

 

[Savak]

Pakistani players still have the fitness and eating habits of the players in the 90's when the benchmarks were not high. The rest of the world has moved on while we are still stuck in the same

 

[moghul]

I just don't see why Azam and Sharjeel can't just lose the weight. Like i really don't get it. If you want to play for Pakistan then become fit. It seems so simple to me. Look at Afridi in t10 fgs.

The most the PCB should do is hook both guys up with top personal trainers in the country. The rest is up to them.

Why exactly PCB has to do this , they are not central contacted players or not once in a generation talent that PCB should give them a special treatment. They are professional players and have to do it themselves.

" you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink ".

 

[DeadBall]

Azam is a very different case to Sharjeel. We need to understand this.

Azam has natural athleticism. That’s why when you see him keep he’s not bad at all despite looking like a similar body type to Sharjeel.

Sharjeel on the other hand is an absolute liability in the field.

We need to redefine our understanding of “fitness”. Fit does not mean slim. Fit means fielding with. Running quick to stop boundaries, diving in the outfield, performing relay throws over the boundary, effecting runouts. Stopping easy singles.

Sharjeel cannot do these things. But neither can Haris Rauf, who is an equal liability. In my mind, there is no difference in fitness between Sharjeel and Rauf.

Azam is fitter than Rauf and fitter than Sharjeel — he can take some pretty good catches behind the wickets, is a safe pair of hands, and has natural athleticism despite the excess fat (which he’s working hard to burn anyways).

Azam, to this end, is fitter than Haider Ali. All of these guys are fitter than Haris Sohail who needs to be dropped across formats ASAP.

My answer is simply, using this definition, we should never compromise on fitness unless there is no other replacement available. Sharjeel has a decent case to make about that, though Fakhar even during his current bad patch will always be more valuable on paper because his fielding is a guarantee even if his runs aren’t. Sharjeel might be a 10% better batsman than Fakhar but Fakhar is 100% better as a fielder (in fact one of our best fielders).

And even then, if we ignore Fakhar, Rizwan already has a claim to the opener spot for at least one more series so we get an idea of how he’s doing. After that, we’ll have the PSL and understand everyone’s capabilities a bit better.

Generally speaking, we need to widen our horizons. Fitness should consist of the following criteria only:
60% fielding ability
30% stamina to convert 50s into 100s (something Haris Sohail does not have, but Inzi did) and 100s into daddy scores
10% ability to steal singles and convert singles to doubles

I couldn’t care less whether you weigh 500 pounds as long as you are better in all these respects than the guy who weighs 100 pounds.

Agree with the Azam/Sharjeel comparision. Azam has been obese since childhood and thus his body composition is different. I used to also be an obese child (from 7 after my tonsils operation to about 14) due to a various number of factors but this fat also develops the calf and thigh muscles more and even when I weighed around 95 kgs I was quite sprightly and playing foot ball in the baking sand further developed my lower body muscles. By the time I shed all the fat I had bigger calfs and thigh muscles than the other kids without doing as much weight lifting/training as them. Upper body needed more work though. If Azam can show the dedication so far then he can lose enough weight to be athletic enough with losing power. The last 10-15 kilos or so now will be the hardest.

If he will just keep and bat then his pysique is even ok now (will take a toll on his knees later though) but as I saw today even though he can sprint for runs and dive while keeping, he had difficulty bending down while fielding due to his gut (no amount of athlecism can fix that, its simple physics) and had trouble getting up later on. However if he continues to gradually lose mass and that belly plus build muscles then he could be in peak condition in a year or so.

Sharjeel on the other hand is just lazy and someone who does not want to put in the hard yards as his case isn't so severe and just excercie and a controlled diet could have him get rid of his belly. Its the same as Inzimam who has thin at the start but just got complacent later on because of the era he played in and because he was so good that his weight didn't matter that much and also I don't think he was really THAT fat at anytime but just lazy. Sharjeel doesn't have have the benefit of the era nor the talent that Inzi possessed so he should get his shiz sorted. Although if he didn't work on his fitness in all the years during his ban, I doubt he will now.

 

[Shaka81]

No they shouldn't get picked. If they can't show a bit of professionalism and maintain a good standard of fitness, then they should be kept out the team until they realise that they are paid to be professional sportsmen and not sumo wrestlers.
Also there is always the risk that when they try to dive while fielding, they may cause an earthquake somewhere on the planet! It's not worth it!

 

[hitthestump]

Why exactly PCB has to do this , they are not central contacted players or not once in a generation talent that PCB should give them a special treatment. They are professional players and have to do it themselves.

" you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink ".

Well if we believe they are talented then we ought to nurture that talent to a reasonable extent as it will only benefit Pakistan.

Some players can do it independently but in Pakistan we often find people need an approach which will force them out of their comfort zone. Azam and Sharjeel are textbook comfort zone guys.

 

[Shoaibbtt]

Mikey Arthur school of thought, you can score a 10 ball century but if you can’t field then there is no point picking which is why the akmal brothers weren’t picked.

 

[Shoaibbtt]

No they shouldn't get picked. If they can't show a bit of professionalism and maintain a good standard of fitness, then they should be kept out the team until they realise that they are paid to be professional sportsmen and not sumo wrestlers.
Also there is always the risk that when they try to dive while fielding, they may cause an earthquake somewhere on the planet! It's not worth it!

Exactly, if anything Azam looks fatter from what I saw in the t10 league.

 

[Shoaibbtt]

I just don't see why Azam and Sharjeel can't just lose the weight. Like i really don't get it. If you want to play for Pakistan then become fit. It seems so simple to me. Look at Afridi in t10 fgs.

The most the PCB should do is hook both guys up with top personal trainers in the country. The rest is up to them.

Absolutely not required. If people from normal walks of life can do it, why can’t they??? Waste of money in getting a personal trainer. There are plenty of fitness apps out there that help with getting in shape fast, plus in terms of diet they can do keto (provided they aren’t diabetic)

 

[MRSN]

No. because it sets a very bad example for everyone else. Fitness should be one of the factors for picking up a player. We are not some Kenya or Namabia.

 

[MRSN]

if Azam Khan or Sharjeel want to play despite being unfit then why should Baber Azam work on his fitness? because criteria is performance not fitness..right? He could grow a belly as well.

 

[viveks]

Well the definition of 'unfit' implies that someone is not fit to do something. Therefore if they are unfit then they shouldn't play, if they are heavy but they pass fitness tests then it's fine.

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

Absolutely not. There should be no excuse used for selecting unfit players.

 

[Hyperion66]

An unfit player is not good enough, period. The word 'heavy' may mean like a hundred different things so I am not getting into that.

 

[MenInG]

On Shahid Afridi's FB:

He is walking on the beach with Sohail Tanvir, Sharjeel and he makes Sharjeel promise to shed weight

Sharjeel says:

"Shahid Bhai has given me tips and after PSL you will see a different Sharjeel"

Afridi says

"If Sharjeel wants to play cricket, he should reduce 8kgs of weight and I have also told him to shift to Karachi fro Hyderabad"

 

[UzmanBeast]

Unless that unfit player is oozing with talent, like Inzamam, we don't need them.

Especially nowadays, where dietary means and gyms are available anywhere, these players should not be overweight at all.

Azam Khan and Sharjeel both need to reduce their weight.

 

[Mamoon]

Sharjeel is a poor batsman who does not have the skill to be a consistent batsman at the international level.

People overhype him based on three useless half-centuries on pitches where Australia were piling up 370+, whilst ignoring the mediocre performance he has put in since 2013.

He never was and never will be good enough for international cricket. The notion that he was turning a corner under Arthur before he got banned is a delusional opinion. If he didn’t get banned, he would be history by now anyway.

In general, you have to strike a balance. If a player demonstrates good enough performances in spite of not looking like an athlete, you have to pick him.

A quality player with poor fitness will still be better than a poor player with great fitness.

Masood is one of the fittest players in Pakistan who puts in the hard yards in the gym, but it doesn’t matter because he is a terrible batsman with no talent and skill to perform in international cricket.

Azam Khan looks to be a very talented player and he should not be body-shamed as long as he performs.

He has a long way to go before he is ready for international cricket but he can do it with his current fitness levels.

Ultimately, you can get a talented player in shape. Fitness is something that you can work on.

However, fitness does not bring success unless you have the ability. You cannot turn a talentless but fit player into a world beater, but you can turn an unfit, world beater into a fit world beater.

 

[Pakhs]

Depends what is good enough? If you are good enough like Inzimam and giving phanty to the likes of harbhajan and kumble on Asian tracks all day then for sure you should play.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

Sharjeel is a poor batsman who does not have the skill to be a consistent batsman at the international level.

People overhype him based on three useless half-centuries on pitches where Australia were piling up 370+, whilst ignoring the mediocre performance he has put in since 2013.

He never was and never will be good enough for international cricket. The notion that he was turning a corner under Arthur before he got banned is a delusional opinion. If he didn’t get banned, he would be history by now anyway.

In general, you have to strike a balance. If a player demonstrates good enough performances in spite of not looking like an athlete, you have to pick him.

A quality player with poor fitness will still be better than a poor player with great fitness.

Masood is one of the fittest players in Pakistan who puts in the hard yards in the gym, but it doesn’t matter because he is a terrible batsman with no talent and skill to perform in international cricket.

Azam Khan looks to be a very talented player and he should not be body-shamed as long as he performs.

He has a long way to go before he is ready for international cricket but he can do it with his current fitness levels.

Ultimately, you can get a talented player in shape. Fitness is something that you can work on.

However, fitness does not bring success unless you have the ability. You cannot turn a talentless but fit player into a world beater, but you can turn an unfit, world beater into a fit world beater.

What's your T20 team?

 

[Mamoon]

What's your T20 team?

Haven’t thought about, but even if I do, I am not going to pick Sharjeel.

I don’t see the point of picking a mediocre player in his 30’s when I can pick a mediocre player in his 20’s, since there is no shortage of mediocrity in Pakistan.

 

[BalluBalleBaaz]

Azam Khan has really good timing from whats shown so far.

Fitness shouldn't be discussed when it comes to national selection, it should be a given.

 

[Rightarmfast]

NO!

They must be made examples to prove a point that fitness cannot be compromised. These are hard decisions which one has to make for a better future. Suffer today, but be sure that tomorrow will be better.

 

[shortbread]

Being fit is an excellent example of discipline. Being able to control ones diet and religiously train shows how committed an athlete is towards his craft. If he does not have the mental aptitude to achieve these standards, then it simply means he does not have the mental aptitude to be in the national side.

If Azam Khan can shed half his weight and match standards expected from an international cricketer, it proves that he is able to set and achieve his goals. Rather that than instead say that my talent will make up for my physique.

 

[moghul]

Being fit is an excellent example of discipline. Being able to control ones diet and religiously train shows how committed an athlete is towards his craft. If he does not have the mental aptitude to achieve these standards, then it simply means he does not have the mental aptitude to be in the national side.

If Azam Khan can shed half his weight and match standards expected from an international cricketer, it proves that he is able to set and achieve his goals. Rather that than instead say that my talent will make up for my physique.

Well said.

 

[Firebat]

Fitness is one of the requirements for being good enough, you should not be good enough despite your fitness.

We are in 2021, there are no room for free-loaders in the field anymore. No room for getting out stupidly at a crucial moment because you are too tired, no room for not getting around to a catch because your "talent makes up for fitness".

 

[cricket4all]

Fitness should be a criteria, and a high criteria, but not the final criteria. Performance and consistency should be the overall factor.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

The problem is if you lower the bar and bend the rules for a few players then it can become a free for all.

Interestingly Abid Ali wasn't picked by Mickey Arthur because he felt he wasn't fit enough.

There were tons of players Mickey thought weren't good enough or fit enough, eg Junaid, Sami Aslam, Abid, Fawad, Akmals etc etc, yet fit players with inferior skills like Shan Masood, Hasnain, Umar Amin, Wahab Riaz, Fahim, Asad Shafiq, Amir(in tests), Imam etc were given a free ride in the team.

In hindsight, Mickey really played with the careers of a lot of domestic performers just because he didn't like them. He just labelled them as being not good enough or fit enough.

No other fast bowler from Pakistan has ever received the pick and choose option for tests that was afforded to Amir. This sort of preferential treatment has messed up player's mentality.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Has Azam Khan set the domestic scene alight with his below par fitness yet? No.

How many runs will Sharjeel give away in the field when he can't even move? Will he outscore the extra runs he usually gives away in the field? No.

The thing is we don't even have good enough players with below par fitness to even consider giving them a go.

Hamish Rutherford is twice the batter and cricketer Sharjeel is yet can't get a look in for NZ because they already have better players in his place. We start making our players "superstars" even without any performance and are already talking about giving them preferential treatment. This sort of treatment and sense of entitlement destroys cricketers.

 

[Ami]

Pretty simple criteria...can these two field anywhere and to a high standard?

If the answer is no...no where near an international team.

 

[Zaz]

Mikey Arthur school of thought, you can score a 10 ball century but if you can’t field then there is no point picking which is why the akmal brothers weren’t picked.

The akmal brothers couldnt score intnl runs or pass fitness tests When it comes to a 60-40 between players in terms of output i and most people will always go for the player who has a higher level of fitness

If you cant keep urself fit ur not dedicated to ur craft and dont have the aptitude required to perform when the going gets tough

 

[Shoaibbtt]

The akmal brothers couldnt score intnl runs or pass fitness tests When it comes to a 60-40 between players in terms of output i and most people will always go for the player who has a higher level of fitness

If you cant keep urself fit ur not dedicated to ur craft and dont have the aptitude required to perform when the going gets tough

Most definitely my brother that if you ain't keeping fit then frankly you don't care and that will reflect in the performances. I think i still remember a game in the CPL when the big unit Rakheem Cornwall was batting well and then retired hurt cause he was tired more so than anything, he then got scrutinized by Kieron Pollard when he was walking back.

There needs to be bar set for players to qualify and right now the competition to get in the team is already quite high, M. Wasim did right by not selecting these players in my view. Performing in B leagues doesn't merit selection in my view.

I don't know what training regime these guys do but honestly it's not good enough. They should also have an outside hobby like hill walking, cycling, swimming or even going to the sauna. I mean this is why Indians excel in cricket better than us because of their love for keeping fit and healthy.

 

[SensiblePakFan]

If they were good enough then this thread wouldnt exist now would it.

 

[Colorblind Genius]

If they were good enough then this thread wouldnt exist now would it.

That depends on what do you consider as "good enough"?
It's a very subjective term that could vary from person to person.

 

[Smbhayi]

Heavy doesn't mean unfit by the way..

 

[TheSultan]

If you’re good enough, that’s enough. Both Sharjeel and Azam have ability. I’d prefer they were fitter, but I’ll take them as is for now

 

[TheSultan]

I don’t understand why people have issues with their fielding. Show me a pak XI that can be considered a great fielding side and then we can discuss fitness or lack of.

 

[TheSultan]

Inzi was an exceptional talent, but one can't help but think that if he had devoted a little more time to exercise and a little less time to eating, he wouldn't have been prone to some of those comical dismissals...

He did for the 2003 World Cup and he made 19 runs in total in the whole tournament

 

[Saj]

I guess it's a case of:

Good players who are not the most agile or fit versus not as good players who are agile and fit.

 

[shamaan]

Absolutely! Thats a no brainer for me.

They have to pass the basic fitness test all players should if they cant they should not be picked even if they have a medical condition

 

[shamaan]

If they can do the basics of fielding correctly (i.e. not dropping catches or letting the ball go through their legs) and pile on the runs, then there should be no worries about their fitness.

so bisicaly play them and then if they drop catches then drop them but not set the standard before anyone plays for Pakistan

 

[Colorblind Genius]

I guess it's a case of:

Good players who are not the most agile or fit versus not as good players who are agile and fit.

Both can improve, however, its A LOT easier to shed off some extra pounds, rather than being an agile and fit player but lack talent, quality, potency and effectiveness.

No one is asking them to look like a Tarzan.
And I just can't believe why is it so hard to understand and do it?

I mean, "Afridi told me to lose some weight and Yonus Khan told me to lose some weight, so I am very Thankful to them". Can you sense the mental intellect and no concept of having focus on discipline?

 

[Madplayer]

NO

Reasons:

*Fitness standards have improved and unfit players will almost always have to be hidden in the field. These "good but unfit players" will always get tired while batting and hence you will see 30s-40s from them but after that they will usually get out. The international cricket is way too demanding these days.

*The FAT and HEAVY players will always be prone to getting lethargic over a period of time even if they try to "appear energetic" for some time. They will become an embarrassment to the team. Its not just physical, it is mental as well. If they had the right mindset and seriousness towards being professional athletes, they would already be in the best shape possible despite genetics. Please dont tell me the current fitness of Sharjeel and Azam khan is the best they can do. Thats just an excuse.

*It will set the wrong precedent for future as well.

* Cosgrove from Aus and Richard Levi from SA were dropped/not picked despite their talent because they couldnt maintain a fitness standard. Learn from these examples.

 

[MenInG]

Paul Stirling bucking the trend

 

[proud_pakistani]

I think there has to be a minimum baseline for fitness which currently is the yo-yo test. I guess they keep a bar for how much time the yo-yo is to be completed in. It is fair if u ask me. If a player is a good batsman but struggles in running between the wickets he will struggle in the modern game.

 

[MenInG]

Paul Stirling bucking the trend

 

[light]

Heavy and unfit/overweight is two different things. A player like Finch is heavy and built well, but some like Azam is just ... stop eating too much biriyani type of body. That kind of overweight will have an effect down the line, not only for his health but for his game as well.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

A minimum level of fitness should be in place and needs to be passed to get selected (for players who are deemed "good enough"). Not meeting the bare minimum would lead to complacency and further lack of effort in fitness. The country is already ripe with preferential treatments for special/powerful people in every industry. It has poisoned the minds already. Cricket is one profession where the players/coaches involved are under a microscope with strong emotional investment from fans due to which there is some level of fairness.

 

[Colorblind Genius]

A minimum level of fitness should be in place and needs to be passed to get selected (for players who are deemed "good enough"). Not meeting the bare minimum would lead to complacency and further lack of effort in fitness. The country is already ripe with preferential treatments for special/powerful people in every industry. It has poisoned the minds already. Cricket is one profession where the players/coaches involved are under a microscope with strong emotional investment from fans due to which there is some level of fairness.

Not at all.

Modern day cricket has a HUGE emphasis on the fielding. And fielding requires a good amount of fitness, agility and strength.

Many great players who were/are supposedly look unfit and/or overweight, have gotten into this shape after playing years and years and have achieved greatness. If player like Rohit or in the past, like Ranatunga or Inzi looked out of shape, then we can give it to them because they have achieved so much. You should surely get some leeway AFTER achieving greatness.
Look at the shape a young Rohit or a young Inzi or a young Ranatunga, and you will see what I am talking about.

But here, these bags of fat, have not even started their int'l careers and yet, they want to be compared with Rohit Sharma's current physical appearance and feel better about themselves.

Pehlay Rohit Sharma jesa record banao, phir usi jesi shape bana leyna.

 

[shamaan]

I think they need to reach a minimum standard once they have reached this then they should have a diet or fitness plan in place and have set targets by the fitness coach.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Not at all.

Modern day cricket has a HUGE emphasis on the fielding. And fielding requires a good amount of fitness, agility and strength.

Many great players who were/are supposedly look unfit and/or overweight, have gotten into this shape after playing years and years and have achieved greatness. If player like Rohit or in the past, like Ranatunga or Inzi looked out of shape, then we can give it to them because they have achieved so much. You should surely get some leeway AFTER achieving greatness.
Look at the shape a young Rohit or a young Inzi or a young Ranatunga, and you will see what I am talking about.

But here, these bags of fat, have not even started their int'l careers and yet, they want to be compared with Rohit Sharma's current physical appearance and feel better about themselves.

Pehlay Rohit Sharma jesa record banao, phir usi jesi shape bana leyna.

I haven't vouched for their inclusion. I actually said they need to meet atleast the minimum set benchmark for fitness to be eligible for selection.

Plus there's a lot of difference not just in quality but even the shapes of Sharjeel and Azam in comparison to Rohit.

Anyone saying Azam will lose his power etc after weight loss doesn't really know the rationale of whether it is true or just a myth.

 

[Stewie]

Only if they bring so much else to the table that their inability on the field can be ignored. I am pretty sure Gayle had been a liability in the field for the last 8/9 years, plus he stopped bowling plus he stopped running between the wickets and yet he played franchise cricket everywhere and was also playing for WI.


But let’s not compare Sharjeel or Azam with Gayle.

 

[Kianig89]

Not sure if Sachin, Kallis & Lara were exemplary fit players yet arguably the top 5 of the best ever