Is the current ODI batting line-up the best Pakistan has ever had?

[Sher Khan]

Okay, amongst all the negatives we should accept that Pakistan are now scoring totals in excess of 300 a lot more often then they have done in the past. The top order in particular looks settled and consistent. With imam, fakhar,azam and haris all averaging close to 50.

Yes, we mainly face minnows but we to accept that this is our best odi batting generation. We are lacking a reliable power hitter but we are still scoring 300 plus.

 

[sweep_shot]

Saeed Anwar
Aamir Sohail
Ijaz
Inzamam
Moin
Azhar Mahmood
Afridi
Wasim Akram
Saqlain
Waqar
Shoaib

This one was better.

 

[msb314]

Saeed Anwar
Aamir Sohail
Ijaz
Inzamam
Moin
Azhar Mahmood
Afridi
Wasim Akram
Saqlain
Waqar
Shoaib

This one was better.

The problem here is that our tail started at 5 where Moin was batting! Azhar and Afridi were simply too inconsistent to pull us out of trouble when needed.

When our top 4 clicked - this team was great but that was often not the case.

 

[Joseph Gomes]

Not the best but pretty close. Fakhar is not that good but Imam and Babar are very consistent.

 

[cricketerB94]

Replace Sarfaraz with Rizwan or any other wk/bat from domestic and we are quite close.

 

[MMHS]

1. Fakhar - Mazid
2. Imam - Sadiq
3. Babar - Zaheer
4. Haris - Javed
5. Sarfraz - Mushtaq (Later Mudassar)
6. Ifthekhar/Asif - Asif (Iqbal)
7. Imad - Wasim Raza
8. Shadab - Intekhab (Qadir)
9. Faheem/Hasan - Imran
20. Amir - Bari
11. Wahab/Shinwari - Sarfraz

Take your pick.

Clue: one of the sides is border line minnow, other one was arguably only 2nd to Lloyd’s WIN.

 

[Sher Khan]

1. Fakhar - Mazid
2. Imam - Sadiq
3. Babar - Zaheer
4. Haris - Javed
5. Sarfraz - Mushtaq (Later Mudassar)
6. Ifthekhar/Asif - Asif (Iqbal)
7. Imad - Wasim Raza
8. Shadab - Intekhab (Qadir)
9. Faheem/Hasan - Imran
20. Amir - Bari
11. Wahab/Shinwari - Sarfraz

Take your pick.

Clue: one of the sides is border line minnow, other one was arguably only 2nd to Lloyd’s WIN.

Different eras bro. Could that team from the past score 300s with ease?

 

[MMHS]

Different eras bro. Could that team from the past score 300s with ease?

I can ask the same question from other end - would this team survive 25 overs with ease in that era? Therefore, I didn’t go to stats route.

For a comparative analysis - Mazid had a stats of 38/75; Asif 55/71; Zaheer 48/86 - in an era when Grineedge, Haynes & Gooch had an openers’ SR of ~60; average around 40-45 while at middle order Allen Border had stats like 30/70 ..... for that PAK middle order 3 (Javed is the 3rd guy), only guy with distinctive better stats was Viv 47/91...... but, Zaheer & Asif matched him almost and they faced an attack that Viv never faced.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

Anwar
Afridi
Ijaz
Inzi
Salim Malik / Yousuf
Moin
Razzaq
Azhar Mahmood
Wasim Akram
Akthar
Saqlain

 

[Danyaalr01]

It's up there but it can get even better if Rizwan replaces Sarfaraz and Abid Ali can replace Imam or Fakhar.

 

[Bhaijaan]

Not only in Pakistan but i think this could be the best ever non Indian batting line up ever from Asian bloc.

 

[BalluBalleBaaz]

I enjoy watching Pakistan batting these days much more than bowling. There are number good looking upcoming batsmen in the team, it's just they have no one to look up to.

Imam, Babar, Haris should be playing as many games together to build that batting core group so next gen could look upto them. Batting culture 101

 

[msb314]

Our run chase vs SL!

Forgot to post this earlier but our run chase in the 3rd ODI was our highest run chase since August 2016 and our highest in Asia since March 2014!

It was also our 3rd highest run chase in Pakistan!

Was a pleasure to see us chase with such composure and hopefully more of the same in the near future

 

[Danyaalr01]

Forgot to post this earlier but our run chase in the 3rd ODI was our highest run chase since August 2016 and our highest in Asia since March 2014!

It was also our 3rd highest run chase in Pakistan!

Was a pleasure to see us chase with such composure and hopefully more of the same in the near future

It's because we finally have a solid top order who also have the ability to accelerate. If Abid can replace Imam then that would be great. The other opening slot should be between Fakhar amd Imam. On current form Fakhar gets that spot.

Our batsmen are getting better at building a chase, and even though it still isn't our strong suit, we are getting better. Gone are the days of Misbah when we couldn't chase a score of 200. I hope Misbah doesn't tamper with the ODI combination like he is with the t20i side at the moment.

 

[shantanu]

Not only in Pakistan but i think this could be the best ever non Indian batting line up ever from Asian bloc.

Srilankas 96 squad was much more ferasome:
Jayasuriya, kaluvitharna, arvinda desilva, mahanama, gurusinghe, ranatunga, vaas

Paks 99s world cup squad had crazy good batting. I remember razzaq coming down the order and smashing some really ugly but very long sixes.
Far too many travelers in this batting line up. Only Babar and Haris seem classy.

 

[Rana]

It should be

Abid
Imam
Babar
Harris
Iftikhar
Fakhar
Sarfaraz

Fakhar needs to be in the side and play as the power hitter so that we can utilise Abid properly instead of depending on the unreliability of Fakhar

 

[Danyaalr01]

It should be

Abid
Imam
Babar
Harris
Iftikhar
Fakhar
Sarfaraz

Fakhar needs to be in the side and play as the power hitter so that we can utilise Abid properly instead of depending on the unreliability of Fakhar

No harm in trying I guess. But it would mean Abid has to get going straight away as Imam does take a while. Also Sarfaraz should be dropped and Rizwan comes in at 5 with Ifti and Fakhar as floaters.

The only problem is that we will only have 4 front line bowlers so maybe Ifti will have to sit out if his bowling isn't good enough, but his bowling was decent against Sri Lanka.

 

[Bhaijaan]

Srilankas 96 squad was much more ferasome:
Jayasuriya, kaluvitharna, arvinda desilva, mahanama, gurusinghe, ranatunga, vaas

Paks 99s world cup squad had crazy good batting. I remember razzaq coming down the order and smashing some really ugly but very long sixes.
Far too many travelers in this batting line up. Only Babar and Haris seem classy.

Pakistan in 1999 world cup had a mediocre batting line up.

The team lost 4 times in the tournament mostly due to poor bowling.
[MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] brother why is the 1999 team so overrated by Pakistani fans. It was crushed and humiliated and only made it to finals with fluke