Make Imam-ul-Haq the Test captain till 2026

[shah_1]

We have only 5 matches in SENA(Australia and South Africa) till May 2026. All other matches in Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.


SACK BABAR

 

[ArabKnight]

Sarfraz is our best option of captain.

Imam ul Haq does have good personality to succeed as captain. But he needs a lot of grooming.

 

[Mamoon]

If Babar is to be removed, he is one of the obvious choices.

He is certainly a far better option than Masood & also a far better player than him. Anyone who disagrees is a complete idiot.

 

[ArabKnight]

If Babar is to be removed, he is one of the obvious choices.

He is certainly a far better option than Masood & also a far better player than him. Anyone who disagrees is a complete idiot.

Making Shan as captain has to be some kind of joke.

There is no way he is one of the contenders.

Babar as a captain is absolutely dull. Shan would be a duplicate of that.

 

[offstump]

Imam is a steady performer. I never really rated him but he quietly gets runs, the stats don’t lie particularly in ODI’s and he’s getting there in tests too. I’m not sure about his leadership capabilities, however he does exude confidence, appears to have a personality and most importantly, he can speak English (kidding)!

I’m just not sure he’s captaincy material but then again neither is Babar.

 

[Savak]

The most important criteria for the captaincy has got to be game awareness and cricketing intellect. The ability to make good tactical decisions on the field with respect to the opposition, pitch, match situation. Bottom-line must be a good reader of the game.

 

[ArabKnight]

The most important criteria for the captaincy has got to be game awareness and cricketing intellect. The ability to make good tactical decisions on the field with respect to the opposition, pitch, match situation. Bottom-line must be a good reader of the game.

The way Imam ul Haq is batting tells me he ticks all those boxes. Babar Azam lacks those qualities.

 

[MenInG]

We have only 5 matches in SENA(Australia and South Africa) till May 2026. All other matches in Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.


SACK BABAR

Based on what? Let's have a proper justification.

 

[daytrader]

Not sure what the need for that is. Imam is performing in his prime role, let's have him focus on that rather than get involved in politics of captaincy

 

[shah_1]

Based on what? Let's have a proper justification.

Based on Babar being an incompetent captain, he needs to be sacked. As I said already we don't play a lot matches in SENA in next 3 and half years, so Imam's place is not in trouble.

 

[ARK Rafay]

Shadab is the only one in Pakistan team setup so far, that is the captain who has the mind to take Pakistan team and cricket to that next level.

But of course he is not a regular part of test side and has his fair share of issues with injuries.

 

[Dark_Horse]

Scores runs gets out like an idiot to lose test so that he can get captaincy. You don't get stumped out twice in a test unless you want something in return. Maybe he is planning to be captain. Both the outs were disgusting

 

[Dark_Horse]

Pakistan be like remove Babar as captain because
Imam and shan get stumped
Imam drops dolly not for the first time
Sarfraz cannot stump
Sarfraz didn't listen a nick
Chacha cannot turn on a turning pitch
Mir Hamza included by selector cannot get a wicket

 

[ArabKnight]

He is currently at 74* going in Day 3. He is essentially already leading Pakistan with the bat.

A statement is truly being made.

 

[shamaan]

Imaam test will be in SENA we're thier will either be pace and bounce or swing.

 

[Saj]

Any evidence that Imam is a decent captain or is his name being thrown around just because he makes the starting XI?

 

[Bilal7]

There is nothing wrong with Babar's captaincy. What you should want are two good test spinners. Abrar started off well but he seems to be more of a Danish Kaneria than a Yasir Shah.

Any captain would struggle to break partnerships when they have this bowling attack to work with.

 

[Suleiman]

Any evidence that Imam is a decent captain or is his name being thrown around just because he makes the starting XI?

Ofc. The first criteria is do you make the XI on form.

But also, there’s a lack of options and Babar is pretty much at the bottom of the barrel in terms of captaincy material.

Doubt Imam will be worse

 

[Bewal Express]

Any evidence that Imam is a decent captain or is his name being thrown around just because he makes the starting XI?

Don't ask difficult questions, let's experiment and then find out that scoring a few 50s, mostly at home isn't a good indicator of captaincy capabilities.

 

[Local.Dada]

I rate him very highly as a odi player in all conditions but if he becomes test captain he won’t last the next cycle of SENA tours as a player leave alone captain. Oddly I think he will do in England but other 3 countries I don’t think he will cut it in tests.

 

[angrypathan]

Imam shouldn’t even be in the team. Highway specialist in Test cricket

 

[Mamoon]

Imam is no Alastair Cook but those who want him dropped, please suggest alternatives.

You are the same lot who were adamant that the English teacher Masood is better than him & should play ahead of him. We all saw how that worked out.

Please don’t throw random names from domestic cricket who will probably be no good & not better than Imam.

Whether you like it or not, Imam is the best ODI/Test opener in the country & he is going nowhere. He has firmly established himself as the main opener.

 

[ArabKnight]

Imam shouldn’t even be in the team. Highway specialist in Test cricket

He is reminiscent of Inzamam ul Haq. He is a very good opener and anchor of the batting line up.

I rather have a 50 every day player rather than a supposedly looks-good sometimes 20-and-out sometimes duck-specialist lumber-1 batter of the year according to shoddy arbitrary rankings.

 

[ArabKnight]

Imam is no Alastair Cook but those who want him dropped, please suggest alternatives.

You are the same lot who were adamant that the English teacher Masood is better than him & should play ahead of him. We all saw how that worked out.

Please don’t throw random names from domestic cricket who will probably be no good & not better than Imam.

Whether you like it or not, Imam is the best ODI/Test opener in the country & he is going nowhere. He has firmly established himself as the main opener.

I do not want Imam to be dropped. But I would introduce Sharjeel as a opening partner.

 

[moghul]

Imam is not a bad choice among very very limited choices we have , but Babar has to go.

It might be just a purple patch but with his recent form Imam has earned some recognition for possible choice to lead the test team.

He is young , but experienced enough , can serve as captain for sometime and give the team a much needed stability.

Also, its not a must but is important for captain to have goof communication skill and he possesses that. Its not just the Eglish, Babar's communication in Urdu is also embarrassing.

Shan for obvious reasons has lost whatever chance he had.

 

[moghul]

Imam shouldn’t even be in the team. Highway specialist in Test cricket

Agree , particularly when have Lara, Richard, Pontings and Tendulakar on the bench.

 

[Blistering Barnacle]

Forget captain, make him pm.

 

[shaz619]

Imam is a better option then Shan but it seems that Pakistan fans are getting really really desperate, I can’t see any leader other than Babar right now

 

[Rana]

I do not want Imam to be dropped. But I would introduce Sharjeel as a opening partner.

Honestly speaking, I only back Sharjeel for T20is as an opener and want him to open with Fakhar.

In ODI cricket, I would be extremely tentative to change our top 3. Only add Sharjeel for Imam or Fakhar if either of the two is injured or totally out of form

Yes I would love for the Sharj/Fakh combo to open ideally in ODI but not sure how them to make the most of Imam. Babar is the perfect no.3. Imam might then be useful at 4

 

[TheSultan]

Not a bad shout about Imam. It’s either him or Sarfraz as interim.

Babar should do himself a favour and give it up.

 

[ArabKnight]

Honestly speaking, I only back Sharjeel for T20is as an opener and want him to open with Fakhar.

In ODI cricket, I would be extremely tentative to change our top 3. Only add Sharjeel for Imam or Fakhar if either of the two is injured or totally out of form

Yes I would love for the Sharj/Fakh combo to open ideally in ODI but not sure how them to make the most of Imam. Babar is the perfect no.3. Imam might then be useful at 4

I am a big fan of the Sharjeel/Fakhar opening combo, and have been for almost 5 years. I sincerely sob that these two haven’t had the opportunity to bat and open together for Pakistan.

I want these opening combos:

Tests:
Imam ul Haq / Sharjeel Khan

ODIs:
Fakhar Zaman / Sharjeel Khan

T20Is:
Fakhar Zaman / Sharjeel Khan

I would push down Imam to number 3. I think he is a great opener but I would rather have Fakhar and Sharjeel Guns blasting sixes in PowerPlay. Imam is the defacto opener if any of them fail (which is ok because 25 (9) means a lot)

 

[Concerned]

Good to see the international team is used for trial.

What experience does Imam have being a captain?

 

[Rana]

Good to see the international team is used for trial.

What experience does Imam have being a captain?

What about Babar? What was his experience?

 

[James]

Pakistan is in a tricky position wherein Babar is not a good quality red ball captain and has not shown significant signs of improvement towards becoming competent either, but they are very short on options.

Perhaps appoint Sarfaraz as an interim Test captain and select a new vice captain who can learn from him, with a view to taking over in the medium term.

 

[Savak]

Pakistan is in a tricky position wherein Babar is not a good quality red ball captain and has not shown significant signs of improvement towards becoming competent either, but they are very short on options.

Perhaps appoint Sarfaraz as an interim Test captain and select a new vice captain who can learn from him, with a view to taking over in the medium term.

Babar is not a good captain in any format period.

 

[MenInG]

Not impressed with his batting in the 2nd innings.

 

[Farabi]

I am a big fan of the Sharjeel/Fakhar opening combo, and have been for almost 5 years. I sincerely sob that these two haven’t had the opportunity to bat and open together for Pakistan.

I want these opening combos:

Tests:
Imam ul Haq / Sharjeel Khan

ODIs:
Fakhar Zaman / Sharjeel Khan

T20Is:
Fakhar Zaman / Sharjeel Khan

I would push down Imam to number 3. I think he is a great opener but I would rather have Fakhar and Sharjeel Guns blasting sixes in PowerPlay. Imam is the defacto opener if any of them fail (which is ok because 25 (9) means a lot)

Only problem is that Fakhar and Sharjeel rarely score at that clip.
Fakhar’s SR in ODI’s was lower than Imam’s in 2022 both in and beyond the PP.
Sharjeel used to attack more in PP though now he tends to accelerate overtime as we’ll

 

[Amjid Javed]

Pakistan is in a tricky position wherein Babar is not a good quality red ball captain and has not shown significant signs of improvement towards becoming competent either, but they are very short on options.

Perhaps appoint Sarfaraz as an interim Test captain and select a new vice captain who can learn from him, with a view to taking over in the medium term.

That would just be 2017 all over again when Azhar was test skipper and not good enough to even be in the side. Only viable option is shaheen afridi but he's no fit at moment.

 

[James]

That would just be 2017 all over again when Azhar was test skipper and not good enough to even be in the side. Only viable option is shaheen afridi but he's no fit at moment.

Sarfaraz looks more than good enough to be in the side as far as I can see. Upon his recall he already looks like one of Pakistan’s best red ball batters. Make him the captain.