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Is Azhar Ali currently the best Test opener in the world?

Cook - Great batsman, but in poor form both batting and captaincy wise atm.
Warner - Beast but has questions in asia.
Vijay & Latham - Not consistent or dominant enough to be the best openers.
Rahul - Can't stay injury free for three matches together.
Tamim - Good record but doesn't play enough matches (for no fault of his).
 
I don't care what anyone else thinks. I believe he is one of the best Test batsman in the world at the moment.
 
This year, he has had a 300 and a 200 as opener so hard to argue against it. Cook and Vijay had middling years, while Warner was as usual rubbish in Asia.
 
His approach is perfectly suited as an opener especially in difficult batting conditions.
 
This thread is going to be bumped so many times everytime he has a bad match or series. :yk3
 
Pity we won't be playing test cricket for another 5/6 months after this.
 
Abdullah719 said:
The tour to West Indies is scheduled to be in March/April.

Alas, the schedule hasn't been finalised yet.
Click to expand...

Ok I was wrong then. We have to win a test series there this time. It's an embarrassing blemish
 
Chief Destroyer said:
Cook.
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I would've normally accepted but he's been in very poor form lately.

The two actually are quite similar when you think about it. Both are monsters in home conditions. Cook is one of the best players of spin while Azhar is having a landmark series in Australia.

The Eng-SA series will be a very important test for Cook. SA has the world's best pace attack and Cook has shown weakness in the past against quality pacers. Interesting that both openers have below par records in South Africa.

Put it this way, who would you bet on to score more runs against Steyn/Philander/Rabada/Abbott?

Atm Azhar looks in peach of a form that it's not too hard to see him performing better.
 
street cricketer said:
I would've normally accepted but he's been in very poor form lately.

The two actually are quite similar when you think about it. Both are monsters in home conditions. Cook is one of the best players of spin while Azhar is having a landmark series in Australia.

The Eng-SA series will be a very important test for Cook. SA has the world's best pace attack and Cook has shown weakness in the past against quality pacers. Interesting that both openers have below par records in South Africa.

Put it this way, who would you bet on to score more runs against Steyn/Philander/Rabada/Abbott?

Atm Azhar looks in peach of a form that it's not too hard to see him performing better.
Click to expand...

Azhar averages 22 against SA.
 
Gilly said:
Azhar averages 22 against SA.
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First series, he has improved a lot since that the series in 2013

He can play well against Hazlewood, Starc, Anderson and Broad then he will do fine against these bowlers.
 
Gilly said:
Azhar averages 22 against SA.
Click to expand...

He's a different player now. That was his first real series after playing on UAE flatbeds for years. Now he has scored 1000+ runs as an opener in a year where Pakistan toured England, NZ and Australia.

Still, SA is one of the tougher challenges for an opener so it would be his biggest test.
 
street cricketer said:
I would've normally accepted but he's been in very poor form lately.

The two actually are quite similar when you think about it. Both are monsters in home conditions. Cook is one of the best players of spin while Azhar is having a landmark series in Australia.

The Eng-SA series will be a very important test for Cook. SA has the world's best pace attack and Cook has shown weakness in the past against quality pacers. Interesting that both openers have below par records in South Africa.

Put it this way, who would you bet on to score more runs against Steyn/Philander/Rabada/Abbott?

Atm Azhar looks in peach of a form that it's not too hard to see him performing better.
Click to expand...

Warner.
 
Abdullah719 said:
He's a different player now. That was his first real series after playing on UAE flatbeds for years. Now he has scored 1000+ runs as an opener in a year where Pakistan toured England, NZ and Australia.

Still, SA is one of the tougher challenges for an opener so it would be his biggest test.
Click to expand...

Warner averages 57 against SA with 4 hundreds, he also averages 59 in the UAE.
 
Gilly said:
Azhar averages 22 against SA.
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Agreed. That's very poor.

But honestly I didn't expect Azhar to score this many runs in Australia. He used to be intimidated by pace in the past. Shows he's constantly improving.

South Africa would be a different beast and yeah, would definitely be his toughest test, infact for any player.
 
Azhar will be our best batsman in South Africa as well. He has improved a lot over the past 3 years.
 
Who would you rather have as the opener for your team?

Azhar or Warner? :azhar2 :warner

P.S.: Can't select both!
 
Warner - Azhar will be a fantastic pair. One blasts the attack for quick scores to set up the match, other grinds the bowling to make it easier for later batsman. At the moment I'll still take Warner for the impact he is capable of, but he has to score runs in Asia. Average below 30, which is also boasted by one innings. Apart from that 144, I think he has only 1 50.
 
Looks like Azhar is the best opener in the world, probably of all time.
 
Only if he can score really fast like Warner. He's a great player but not destructive. I'd bet on an in-form Chris Gayle to win me more games than Azhar.
 
Min 500 runs in last 2 years.

[table=width: 500, class: grid, align: center]
[tr][td]Player [/td][td]Mat [/td][td]Runs [/td][td]Ave [/td][td]SR [/td][td]100 [/td][td]50 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Azhar Ali (PAK) [/td][td]10 [/td][td]1087 [/td][td]67.93 [/td][td]46.53 [/td][td]2 [/td][td]5 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]CJL Rogers (AUS) [/td][td]6 [/td][td]631 [/td][td]63.1 [/td][td]59.36 [/td][td]1 [/td][td]5 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Tamim Iqbal (BDESH) [/td][td]7 [/td][td]606 [/td][td]55.09 [/td][td]58.55 [/td][td]2 [/td][td]2 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]DA Warner (AUS) [/td][td]25 [/td][td]2167 [/td][td]51.59 [/td][td]85.31 [/td][td]7 [/td][td]9 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Imrul Kayes (BDESH) [/td][td]7 [/td][td]527 [/td][td]47.9 [/td][td]51.01 [/td][td]1 [/td][td]3 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]AN Cook (ENG) [/td][td]31 [/td][td]2585 [/td][td]47 [/td][td]47.13 [/td][td]5 [/td][td]15 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]KL Rahul (INDIA) [/td][td]11 [/td][td]791 [/td][td]46.52 [/td][td]56.7 [/td][td]4 [/td][td]1 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Mohammad Hafeez (PAK) [/td][td]10 [/td][td]812 [/td][td]45.11 [/td][td]60.01 [/td][td]2 [/td][td]2 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]SC Cook (SA) [/td][td]8 [/td][td]605 [/td][td]43.21 [/td][td]46.68 [/td][td]3 [/td][td]2 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]S Dhawan (INDIA) [/td][td]10 [/td][td]641 [/td][td]42.73 [/td][td]53.95 [/td][td]2 [/td][td]1 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]M Vijay (INDIA) [/td][td]16 [/td][td]1043 [/td][td]41.72 [/td][td]45.74 [/td][td]3 [/td][td]5 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]D Elgar (SA) [/td][td]17 [/td][td]1025 [/td][td]41 [/td][td]45.19 [/td][td]3 [/td][td]3 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]JA Burns (AUS) [/td][td]11 [/td][td]727 [/td][td]38.26 [/td][td]56.88 [/td][td]3 [/td][td]2 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]KC Brathwaite (WI) [/td][td]18 [/td][td]1077 [/td][td]35.9 [/td][td]45.06 [/td][td]2 [/td][td]6 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]FDM Karunaratne (SL) [/td][td]20 [/td][td]1286 [/td][td]34.75 [/td][td]48.23 [/td][td]3 [/td][td]6 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]TWM Latham (NZ) [/td][td]19 [/td][td]1195 [/td][td]34.14 [/td][td]46.33 [/td][td]3 [/td][td]8 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Sami Aslam (PAK) [/td][td]11 [/td][td]665 [/td][td]33.25 [/td][td]38.82 [/td][td]0 [/td][td]6 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]MJ Guptill (NZ) [/td][td]16 [/td][td]868 [/td][td]28.93 [/td][td]54.59 [/td][td]1 [/td][td]5 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]AD Hales (ENG) [/td][td]11 [/td][td]573 [/td][td]27.28 [/td][td]43.84 [/td][td]0 [/td][td]5 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]JK Silva (SL) [/td][td]19 [/td][td]872 [/td][td]24.91 [/td][td]39.43 [/td][td]1 [/td][td]6 [/td][/tr]
[/table]

Statistically Azhar stand out for his average , Warner for his Strike Rate.
 
Yes, he is. One of the best batsmen in the world too, I would say.
 
Pakistanian said:
Only if he can score really fast like Warner. He's a great player but not destructive. I'd bet on an in-form Chris Gayle to win me more games than Azhar.
Click to expand...

:facepalm:

You don't need to be destructive to win games in test cricket. Amla isn't destructive, Dravid wasn't either.

Azhar is clearly in the top tier now, atleast among the openers.
 
Absolutely.. No doubts at all.

He is having a terrific season currently.
 
No he is not , not at least yet.

he has only 2 hundreds as an opener. He failed in NZ albeit in difficult batting conditions.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Azhar is also Pakistan's best batsman on current form. with all respect to YK, he seems to have past his best, even after today's century. Azhar has tremendously improved since the England tour. HE actually changed his game mid-series and started playing straighter and reduced his shuffle to play across.
 
Azhar is no dout best among rest

He is very fine player . He has improved a lot he is real example of hardworker.

He has class.
He is not only best opner of world . But he also best player of pakistan. Even youns scored 100 today but his peak is over this is aJu bhie era

He chamged him self from A part time batsman to world best .

Hardworker for r3ason.
I am big fan of aju bhie . May he perform like this in future

Azhar is real example of following 2 qoution
1
form is temporrary but class is perment .

&
2
Hardwork beats the talent when talent doesnot work hard

Ahmed sehzad umar akmal nasir jamshed they all were talneted but he beats them
 
Not a fan of the ftb Warner but he's just ahead as he has more impact on the game. If Azhar can improve his record in South Africa than he could eclipse Warner.
 
For sure. I also feel he's the only opener who can thrive in all conditions which makes him stand out among the rest for me.
 
Pete Rose said:
Pity we won't be playing test cricket for another 5/6 months after this.
Click to expand...

That's why we don't have 10K runs batsmen and 400 wicket club bowlers. Pakistan only play 6/7 test a year. Azhar and Shafiq were playing their first test series in Australia, after been 50 tests veterans and that too a 3 test series, next series they will get in 4/5 years :(
 
With so many limitations , he is still doing great and a class above the rest, people who are saying warner should check his record in SC whereas azhar did a good job in england and now in australia
 
Best Opener and a Pakistani and that too in a year when we visited ENG, NZ and AUS, hard to imagine we would be debating that last year this time around. This is remarkable feet by Azhar, he is easily one of the best opener we ever had, currently stands out in the world. His defense is very solid and can play long innings.
 
yasir said:
That's why we don't have 10K runs batsmen and 400 wicket club bowlers. Pakistan only play 6/7 test a year. Azhar and Shafiq were playing their first test series in Australia, after been 50 tests veterans and that too a 3 test series, next series they will get in 4/5 years :(
Click to expand...

Good news is that,accoring to FTP,our next series in Australia is to be held in 2019.
 
AlphaFighter said:
His approach is perfectly suited as an opener especially in difficult batting conditions.
Click to expand...

What difficult conditions? He scored on UAE and flat pitches in Aus.

Granted he played well. But difficult conditions? Not sure.
 
Azhar is not just the best opener but THE BEST TEST BASTMAN on the planet, PERIOD. It's not even a contest, he's is ahead of his competitors by levels
 
Bilal7 said:
It's a shame he's 31 and not a couple of years younger. So many Pakistani players have only hit their peaks after the age of 30, in recent times.
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Problem is not with players, its the number of games we get every year. Pakistan plays 6/7 test every year where as big guys (ENG/AUS/IND) play 10/12 every year, they mature at 26/27, we get that amount of games and in different conditions by 30, you cannot blame batsmen for that. This was Azhar's first tour in AUS, how that's his fault??
 
On current form, definitely. He could end up as the best opener from the 2010 generation because he is now ahead of Vijay. Can't take Warner seriously.
 
massive fan here of the player and the person but do think that he should move back to number three.

we are literally always his wicket away from a batting collapse actually.
 
Yes but he needs to continue the good run for a longer time i.e.to average 47-48 over 100 tests if he deserves to be regarded in elite club list of great players.
 
In terms of run-scoring and consistency, yes. Still lacks the impact that some other openers do.

Can be a complete package if somehow he manages to pickup his SR just a bit.
 
He is the kind of opener likes of Sehwag or Hayden needed on other end. In this Pakistani team however, he might end up piling on the misery.
 
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GoUgandaCranes said:
massive fan here of the player and the person but do think that he should move back to number three.

we are literally always his wicket away from a batting collapse actually.
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Disagree, he is the best opener we had since I am watching Cricket (35 years or so)...Blunting new ball is his best skill, he should always open, he is our Cook...Sami and Azhar are the prefect openers, I don't know why Inzi messed up that spot...
 
yasir said:
Disagree, he is the best opener we had since I am watching Cricket (35 years or so)...Blunting new ball is his best skill, he should always open, he is our Cook...Sami and Azhar are the prefect openers, I don't know why Inzi messed up that spot...
Click to expand...

don't disagree with the best bet to blunt new ball option but our batting is way too fragile to risk him too. for away tests we do need someone solid at one drop and babar does not look that person at all.
 
Lacks impact - if he was impactful as an opener, Pakistan would've scored way more than 50% of the matches when he scores a century.
 
He believes in playing risk free cricket. Just defend, defend and defend. This won't work in situations where Pakistan will have to score at 4 rpo. He should learn to rotate the strike and put unnecessary pressure on the other batsman.
 
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