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"I'm an opener but the coach (Andy Flower) is playing me at number 5" : Zeeshan Ashraf

Hawkeye

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So the new sensation Zeeshan who made a brisk 50 today for Multan, after the innings in his interview he complained that he's an opener but the coach is playing him at 5.

Quickly realized he shouldn't have said that and added - I'll prove that I can play at this number too, wherever they want me to play.


Why is Andy Flower not playing this young potentially good opener at his right position?
 
So the new sensation Zeeshan who made a brisk 50 today for Multan, after the innings in his interview he complained that he's an opener but the coach is playing him at 5.

Quickly realized he shouldn't have said that and added - I'll prove that I can play at this number too, wherever they want me to play.


Why is Andy Flower not playing this young potentially good opener at his right position?

He needs to calm down and bat wherever he is told. Score runs, opportunities will come and he can show his talent.
 
He needs to calm down and bat wherever he is told. Score runs, opportunities will come and he can show his talent.

I don't think Jason Roy or Dhawan will be too happy if their teams push them down to the lower middle order...

If Zeeshan is an opener, he should play as an opener.

He can be a potential option for PAK team as well that way. No way playing at #5 will help him.
 
He needs to calm down and bat wherever he is told. Score runs, opportunities will come and he can show his talent.

He said the same thing that I will try to prove myself wherever I am given opportunities.
 
Shan Masood is hogging Zeeshans Spot

Ah, right.

That dud of a batsman, he hasn't contributed anything and plays as if he's playing a Test innings.

Why rob Zeeshan, a proper stroke maker of his spot?!?!
 
I don't think Jason Roy or Dhawan will be too happy if their teams push them down to the lower middle order...

If Zeeshan is an opener, he should play as an opener.

He can be a potential option for PAK team as well that way. No way playing at #5 will help him.

For Pak perspective we have few options appearing in top order so would be good if we can find someone in the middle order as well and he keeps too and kept decently in last match for MS.
 
For Pak perspective we have few options appearing in top order so would be good if we can find someone in the middle order as well and he keeps too and kept decently in last match for MS.

The only top order appears to be Kami who's coming up.

What if Kami fails or what about after him?
 
So the new sensation Zeeshan who made a brisk 50 today for Multan, after the innings in his interview he complained that he's an opener but the coach is playing him at 5.

Quickly realized he shouldn't have said that and added - I'll prove that I can play at this number too, wherever they want me to play.


Why is Andy Flower not playing this young potentially good opener at his right position?

I don't think he said it as a complaint, he was just pointing out that he's normally an opener but the team requires him to bat in the middle-order.
 
I don't think he said it as a complaint, he was just pointing out that he's normally an opener but the team requires him to bat in the middle-order.

Probably not a complaint but he did want to point it out for some reason..

Maybe nerves.

Regardless, Shan Masood & Andy are being super selfish here.
 
The only top order appears to be Kami who's coming up.

What if Kami fails or what about after him?

Sharjeel and Fakhar are also there in contention along with Babar(Who will be one of the openers in T20 WC). Still world T20 is sometime away.
 
Probably not a complaint but he did want to point it out for some reason..

Maybe nerves.

Regardless, Shan Masood & Andy are being super selfish here.

Maybe letting the viewers know that he's competing for the opening slot :kakmal
 
He does look like someone that might be better off opening since it looks like he takes a few deliveries before he gets going.

Looks intriguing though if he is a legit wicketkeeper.
 
So the new sensation Zeeshan who made a brisk 50 today for Multan, after the innings in his interview he complained that he's an opener but the coach is playing him at 5.

Quickly realized he shouldn't have said that and added - I'll prove that I can play at this number too, wherever they want me to play.


Why is Andy Flower not playing this young potentially good opener at his right position?

He complained?

I saw the interview he did no such thing.

It was a fact he pointed out.

He is an opener and he is being played at 5 but he wants to prove himself at any number.

Anything beyond this is your interpretation whether he was complaining or unhappy etc, because he did not say he was unhappy about it which is what the word complaint implies.
 
He looks like a very good batesman and not just a slogger proper cricket shots and also wicket keeps needs to deliver on constant performance to have any chance for world cup
 
guy has the swag and talent to say that given Shan Test Masood is wearing the ball down...
 
I think Zeeshan needs to concentrate more on his game and for the time being let the people higher up decide his slot. But what an innings that was by him. Pakistan is in need of good T20 hitters like him, and he isn´t a mindless slogger either. Some good hitting, very convincing. Really enjoyed his innings. I hope that he carries on his form into further matches.
 
He was huffing and puffing, in an adrenaline pumped innings for the young lad. He only tried to explain he is an opener normally but the coach has asked him to bat at 5 for the team. He never said he was disappointed not to open. But he seems really smart from what we can see and it doesn’t take a magician to realise Shan is below par and just a parchi.

Fantastic guy just stating the obvious with a cheeky smirk 😏.
 
Multan have got some things wrong.

Moeen Ali should be the captain, then you can slot this lad into the opening spot. Shan has no business in T20. Clearly the young franchise owner is mates with Shan so he thinks he would be the ideal leader as they have a similar upbringing
 
I don't think he said it as a complaint, he was just pointing out that he's normally an opener but the team requires him to bat in the middle-order.

True.

Personally speaking he should be opening instead of Shan.
 
They are giving Shan a chance to prove himself, I don't see any problem with that. He had an excellent Domestic T20 last year and even scored a century. This is what PSL is for; for our indigenous players to shine and improve themselves.
 
They are giving Shan a chance to prove himself, I don't see any problem with that. He had an excellent Domestic T20 last year and even scored a century. This is what PSL is for; for our indigenous players to shine and improve themselves.

Shan Masood's hundred was in the 2017 edition of the National T20 Cup. In that tournament, he was the 8th highest run-scorer after Kamran Akmal, Ahmed Shehzad, Salman Butt, Mukhtar Ahmed, Imam-ul-Haq, Sohaib Maqsood and Sahibzada Farhan.

He didn't play in the 2018 edition of the National T20 Cup.

In 2018, he played 2 T20s against England Lions and made 2 and 42.

He made 112 runs in 4 matches of PSL 2019.

In National T20 Cup 2019 (the most recent T20 tournament), he made 36 runs in 5 innings at an average of 7.

In the match against MCC a few days ago, he made 1. However, he was run out then, so gets a little leeway.

Captaincy?
 
Remember that Umar Siddiq was probably the best batsmen of Sultans last season and now he’s not even in the team and the guy who displaced is the captain
 
Shan Masood's hundred was in the 2017 edition of the National T20 Cup. In that tournament, he was the 8th highest run-scorer after Kamran Akmal, Ahmed Shehzad, Salman Butt, Mukhtar Ahmed, Imam-ul-Haq, Sohaib Maqsood and Sahibzada Farhan.

He didn't play in the 2018 edition of the National T20 Cup.

In 2018, he played 2 T20s against England Lions and made 2 and 42.

He made 112 runs in 4 matches of PSL 2019.

In National T20 Cup 2019 (the most recent T20 tournament), he made 36 runs in 5 innings at an average of 7.

In the match against MCC a few days ago, he made 1. However, he was run out then, so gets a little leeway.

Captaincy?

Ali Tareen claims he hired 3 analysts to have no biases whatsoever, guess that excludes the captaincy.
 
Ali Tareen claims he hired 3 analysts to have no biases whatsoever, guess that excludes the captaincy.

Like [MENTION=2016]Rana[/MENTION] said, Shan is in the side because of who?

Don't know why the owner wants to keep Shan no matter what, even though he doesn't even deserve a selection based on his pathetic T20 game.
 
Like [MENTION=2016]Rana[/MENTION] said, Shan is in the side because of who?

Don't know why the owner wants to keep Shan no matter what, even though he doesn't even deserve a selection based on his pathetic T20 game.

Why is it so hard to imagine that maybe the owner thought Shan is the best option for captaincy. No like there is anyone better to take his place as captain. And if he is being given a chance to prove himself why not wait and see how he does rather than sharpening the knives before he has done anything.
 
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I found Zeeshan good in the field but not on the MIC

The comment he made "I came today to make an impact and see what I did" was kind of show-off.

Teams need to groom their players.
 
I found Zeeshan good in the field but not on the MIC

The comment he made "I came today to make an impact and see what I did" was kind of show-off.

Teams need to groom their players.

That's excellent.

Need such players with self-confidence and arrogance.
 
Why is it so hard to imagine that maybe the owner thought Shan is the best option for captaincy. No like there is anyone better to take his place as captain. And if he is being given a chance to prove himself why not wait and see how he does rather than sharpening the knives before he has done anything.

Moeen Ali is 10000000 times a better T20 captain than him or for that matter anyone in that squad. The guy is criminally underrated on this forum.
 
Moeen Ali is 10000000 times a better T20 captain than him or for that matter anyone in that squad. The guy is criminally underrated on this forum.

Passing off opinions as facts don't make them so.
 
Blame the captain here. Shandaaar opener is your captain. Why would he give up his spot for you?
 
Keep it up if he can perform in this position shows he can adapt and will most likely do better opening if that's were he bats keep it up kid
 
WOW.

Clueless, mediocre Shan Masood still hogging the opener slot and pushing Zeeshan late in the order!!
 
WOW.

Clueless, mediocre Shan Masood still hogging the opener slot and pushing Zeeshan late in the order!!

Shan batted at 3, though I see your point. I am assuming Andy Flower is also part of the decision-making process.
 
Zeeshan Ashraf should be opening he got brilliant timing unlucky dismiss moen should be batting down the order
 
Ashraf should open with James Vince. Initially I thought Flower is trying to protect the captain (Shan Masood) but he came today at one down position while Moeen Ali was made to open quite a =n uunusual decision.

Let Ashraf open and tell him to play his natural game. Ashraf would increase the strike rate in first 6 overs.
 
Multan's top order has flopped so far. Zeeshan is timing the ball really well, he needs to be opening. Moeen Ali has experience of batting in the middle order for England and for RCB.
 
Shan is holding him back for sure. Why would you open with a joker like Moeen Ali :facepalm:

Insecure captains are a disease. That's what happen when on merit you don't deserve your spot and there are better alternatives in the squad.
 
Looks like they saw my thread.

He's finally opening today!

:najam
 
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