Is Pakistan missing a trick by not playing Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq, and Mohammad Nawaz together?

[RidiculousMan]

Now firstly there could be a reason why Usman is not playing much cause maybe the team management thinks of him as a trump card for WT20. But have a look at the stats below.

T20Is Stats in 2025:

Abrar: 22 innings | 28 wickets | 19.25 average | 17.25 strike rate | 6.58 economy
Usman: 2 innings | 6 wickets | 7.33 average | 8.0 strike rate | 5.50 economy
Nawaz: 24 innings | 36 wickets | 13.61 average | 12.4 strike rate | 6.56 economy

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Usman Tariq while haven't played many international games, his t20 record suggest that his bowling more or less reflects this t20I record. Moreover he has a mystery about him as teams haven't played against him much so that will be an advantage for Usman.

Going by this 2025 T20I stats. If Usman, Nawaz and Abrar play and bowl their collective 12 overs (72 balls) in a game. On average they will pick up 6.3 wickets and giveaway only 75 runs.

This means effectively denting opposition with 75/6, in the middle overs mostly. This should break the game then and there.

Bowling Abrar, Usman and Nawaz in tandem would also mean that the opposition would be forced to take chances against them. Abrar and Usman in particular are bowlers that become even more of a wicket taking option when the opposition are charging at them. Bigger teams generally like to play out the premier spinner and then bash the bowler on the other end. But if these spinners and specially the two mystery spinners are operating together. That would force the bigger teams even to take chances against them and potentially give their wickets away.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

It's hard to see all three playing together. It would upset the balance of the team. You have to accommodate Shadab too, who adds value with his batting and fielding. But it's definitely one of the better spin attacks that Pakistan have had at a T20 World Cup in recent times, provided Usman Tariq gets selected too.

 

[RidiculousMan]

It's hard to see all three playing together. It would upset the balance of the team. You have to accommodate Shadab too, who adds value with his batting and fielding. But it's definitely one of the better spin attacks that Pakistan have had at a T20 World Cup in recent times, provided Usman Tariq gets selected too.

How would it upset the team?

The WT20 will be in Sri Lanka for Pakistan. Nawaz already can bat and does bat at no. 6 and 7 and has batted for Pakistan regularly in the past.

If Nawaz, Abrar and Usman are your best bowlers to take wickets. Why won't you play them together rather than looking forward to other all rounders and part timers to fill the overs?

Play Nawaz, Abrar and Usman and your two pacers. Nawaz can bat at 7 and there you have your attack completed.

Why won't you play your best spin attack that will give you 6 wickets in every game on average at an economy of 6-7?

 

[Aqib_mustafa]

Tbh right now pak has the best spin attack in world can you imagine any othere team where likes of sufiyan muqeem are not getting selected pak has so many mystery quality spinners but you have to look at the balance of the team hesson is gora he knows how to balance team with all rounders but pakistan will always have a choice of playing abrar and tariq together that is one hell of a spin attack with nawaz and shadab and saim chipping in.

How would it upset the team?

The WT20 will be in Sri Lanka for Pakistan. Nawaz already can bat and does bat at no. 6 and 7 and has batted for Pakistan regularly in the past.

If Nawaz, Abrar and Usman are your best bowlers to take wickets. Why won't you play them together rather than looking forward to other all rounders and part timers to fill the overs?

Play Nawaz, Abrar and Usman and your two pacers. Nawaz can bat at 7 and there you have your attack completed.

Why won't you play your best spin attack that will give you 6 wickets in every game on average at an economy of 6-7?

 

[BouncerGuy]

Yeah. That is something Pakistan can definitely use in Sri Lanka.... Perfect place for these guys to play together.

 

[amvbfm]

Not unless you are prepared to play with just one fast bowler (other than Faheem), willing to drop Faheem or a batsman.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

How would it upset the team?

The WT20 will be in Sri Lanka for Pakistan. Nawaz already can bat and does bat at no. 6 and 7 and has batted for Pakistan regularly in the past.

If Nawaz, Abrar and Usman are your best bowlers to take wickets. Why won't you play them together rather than looking forward to other all rounders and part timers to fill the overs?

Play Nawaz, Abrar and Usman and your two pacers. Nawaz can bat at 7 and there you have your attack completed.

Why won't you play your best spin attack that will give you 6 wickets in every game on average at an economy of 6-7?

Because the middle-order is already a headache if they plan on playing Babar (which they probably will).

3. Babar
4. Fakhar
5. Agha
6. Usman Khan

Shadab will be a shoe-in because of his batting and because he offers something different with the ball with his leg-spin. If he bowls well in this series then he is almost certain to start.

Nawaz also makes the side because of his all-round abilities and recent form.

Two pacers are a minimum which leaves behind one spot for Abrar or Usman Tariq. And Abrar is likely to play most of the time unless Usman does something extraordinary with the ball.

If anything they are likely to drop another spinner for Faheem Ashraf because Saim is a spin option too.

Not saying I completely agree with it but this seems like what they will probably do.

 

[Kianig89]

Teams balance needs to be sorted , ideally Nawaz should play and bat in top 6 , with Abrar and Tariq as specialist spinners, but inclusion of Shadab had made things difficult , not to.mention the captain who has to be accommodated in this team also

 

[RidiculousMan]

Because the middle-order is already a headache if they plan on playing Babar (which they probably will).

3. Babar
4. Fakhar
5. Agha
6. Usman Khan

Shadab will be a shoe-in because of his batting and because he offers something different with the ball with his leg-spin. If he bowls well in this series then he is almost certain to start.

Nawaz also makes the side because of his all-round abilities and recent form.

Two pacers are a minimum which leaves behind one spot for Abrar or Usman Tariq. And Abrar is likely to play most of the time unless Usman does something extraordinary with the ball.

If anything they are likely to drop another spinner for Faheem Ashraf because Saim is a spin option too.

Not saying I completely agree with it but this seems like what they will probably do.

This is just a desperate attempt to fit in some players. If the management does this.

The way I see it. You pick your best players and those three spinners are doing so well that you can effectively restrict them to low totals continuously.

 

[RidiculousMan]

Teams balance needs to be sorted , ideally Nawaz should play and bat in top 6 , with Abrar and Tariq as specialist spinners, but inclusion of Shadab had made things difficult , not to.mention the captain who has to be accommodated in this team also

Nawaz should bat at 7. There's you balance. Then you have your two pacers and two spinners. How difficult is that?

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

This is just a desperate attempt to fit in some players. If the management does this.

The way I see it. You pick your best players and those three spinners are doing so well that you can effectively restrict them to low totals continuously.

That's fair... can't say I disagree that those are the three best spinners for Pak right now. But I think Shadab makes the team for his batting. I would much rather take Shadab over Babar, who seems incapable of even cracking a SR of 120 and getting to a score of 30 right now..

 

[RidiculousMan]

That's fair... can't say I disagree that those are the three best spinners for Pak right now. But I think Shadab makes the team for his batting. I would much rather take Shadab over Babar, who seems incapable of even cracking a SR of 120 and getting to a score of 30 right now..

If Shadab is in as a batting all rounder then he simply bats in top 6

 

[Kianig89]

Saim Farhan Babar Agha Fakhar Usman, the likely top 6 , 2 pacers are a must , then leaves with 3 places ,

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

If Shadab is in as a batting all rounder then he simply bats in top 6

1. Farhan
2. Saim
3. Fakhar
4. Agha
5. Usman
6. Shadab
7. Nawaz

This is the only batting line-up that makes some sense..

 

[mazkhan]

Usman tariq is useless in the field and with the bat , abrar is a much better bowler

The spinners should be nawaz and abrar with shadab chipping in .

 

[RidiculousMan]

1. Farhan
2. Saim
3. Fakhar
4. Agha
5. Usman
6. Shadab
7. Nawaz

This is the only batting line-up that makes some sense..

Btw I believe it is time and people will realize soon enough that if Salman and Shadab are going to be compulsory in our XI then pressure will be put on batters like Fakhar and Saim. Saim's bowling card in fact would be useless for him now with the induction of Shadab. So Saim has to start performing consistently with the bat.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Btw I believe it is time and people will realize soon enough that if Salman and Shadab are going to be compulsory in our XI then pressure will be put on batters like Fakhar and Saim. Saim's bowling card in fact would be useless for him now with the induction of Shadab. So Saim has to start performing consistently with the bat.

Saim hasn't done well with the bat but I still consider him among the least of our problems because he has the ability to play according to the modern demands. He needs consistency, but investing in him is the right move.

Biggest issue is Salman, who is also the captain and therefore impossible to drop.

I like Fakhar and he is probably the one batsman who has the ability to switch on when it matters most, but he also plays alot of dot-balls. He's just better at finding the boundary than the others.

 

[CricVet]

If Pak wins today, I am thinking this might be an EXPERIMENT done in the last contest - tariq for wasim/mirza

 

[Devadwal]

1. Farhan
2. Saim
3. Fakhar
4. Agha
5. Usman
6. Shadab
7. Nawaz

This is the only batting line-up that makes some sense..

Very light batting after fakhar who is also hit and miss, are you playing Faheem as well in the playing eleven?

 

[RidiculousMan]

Saim hasn't done well with the bat but I still consider him among the least of our problems because he has the ability to play according to the modern demands. He needs consistency, but investing in him is the right move.

Right now the concern for Pakistan is not investing in best but rather winning the world cup. If there's a better batter than Saim then he has to play. After WT20. Saim can comeback.

India did it with Jaiswal when Rohit and Virat opened.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Very light batting after fakhar who is also hit and miss, are you playing Faheem as well in the playing eleven?

I never said it was good..

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Right now the concern for Pakistan is not investing in best but rather winning the world cup. If there's a better batter than Saim then he has to play. After WT20. Saim can comeback.

India did it with Jaiswal when Rohit and Virat opened.

Who's better than Saim for that position though? Saim has a SR of 135, which is good for Pakistan standards. And while some people may not like it, fact is he does add value with the ball too.

I don't think we should be comparing our T20 team to India. For the past 2-3 years we haven't even been in the same stratosphere. We also don't have players like Rohit and Kohli who have such a rich body of work behind them.

 

[RidiculousMan]

Who's better than Saim for that position though? Saim has a SR of 135, which is good for Pakistan standards. And while some people may not like it, fact is he does add value with the ball too.

What has been Saim's average during this?

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

What has been Saim's average during this?

Somewhere in the 20s? Which is probably higher than most of the batsmen in this team

 

[sweep_shot]

I think Sufiyan is better than Abrar. Sufiyan should play over him.

 

[BouncerGuy]

I think Sufiyan is better than Abrar. Sufiyan should play over him.

sufiyan can switch with usman tariq but abrar ??? nope... he is no. 1 choice atm...