Mistakes by Asad Shafiq as a Selection Committee Member: Is he to blame for Pakistan's white-ball debacle?

[FearlessRoar]

No one is discussing Asad Shafiq's role as a selection committee member, who is currently with the team in Australia for the white-ball tour. Following the ODI series win against Australia, Pakistan lost the T20I series to an inexperienced Australian side with one game to spare and is now on the verge of being whitewashed.

As Asad Shafiq is responsible for selecting the playing XI in the Australia series, why isn't he being held accountable for this series loss? Why isn't his inconsistent selection during the T20I series being questioned?

In the first T20I, Sahibzada Farhan was sent as an opener with Rizwan, but in the second T20I, he was demoted to number three. Why is Asad Shafiq putting pressure on him? Farhan needs a chance to perform at a constant batting position.

With Babar Azam out of form, why didn't Asad Shafiq drop him from the 2nd T20I and bring in Arafat Minhas or Omair Yousuf instead? Haseebullah was selected for the 1st T20I only to be dropped in the 2nd.

I literally don't understand what Asad Shafiq is doing, he seems clueless and lacking a clear strategy.

 

[zarak]

It's not much of a debacle. Both teams have played horrible cricket.

 

[Rana]

Who allowed Babar and Rizwan to open???

 

[Omer2002]

What will.Omair and Minhas do?

Omair.is a test player nothing else Minhas is just a kid

 

[khyberlion]

What will.Omair and Minhas do?

Omair.is a test player nothing else Minhas is just a kid

Omair will definitely show more intent and go after the bowling unlike our openers playing out a draw.

Arafat Minhas won't be much worse with the ball than Naseem but he's far better batsmen and one of the best fielders in Pakistan.

 

[RidiculousMan]

They picked One Day squad for T20 as well. Selection committee have no clue for this format. Even players on bench like Omair and Haseeb are better One Day players.

 

[Aqib_mustafa]

They picked One Day squad for T20 as well. Selection committee have no clue for this format. Even players on bench like Omair and Haseeb are better One Day players.

Ya true bro they actually picked odi team for t20 they got t20 selection horribly wrong.

 

[topspin]

Asad Shafiq wouldn't have a clue about white ball cricket. The guy is another disciple of Misbah. Horror decision to have him in the selection committee.

 

[TeymurBlake]

We need to get real. Pakistan don’t have modern T20 batters who have the SR & power game.

 

[Kianig89]

seems the selectors or some of the selectors have no power, rubber stamp they are. The team is in complete disarray specially when a rookie like Irfan outscores the veteran.

Why Zaman Khan not being selected , they guy is good for t20s

 

[khyberlion]

seems the selectors or some of the selectors have no power, rubber stamp they are. The team is in complete disarray specially when a rookie like Irfan outscores the veteran.

Why Zaman Khan not being selected , they guy is good for t20s

Zaman Khan is atrocious tbh. He gets carted everywhere by domestic players.

 

[Kianig89]

Zaman Khan is atrocious tbh. He gets carted everywhere by domestic players.

And the proof of that.....

 

[khyberlion]

And the proof of that.....

Emerging cup, champions cup. Just look at his stats.

 

[Aami]

We need to get real. Pakistan don’t have modern T20 batters who have the SR & power game.

At last, stating the obvious but so bloody true!

 

[The Bald Eagle]

He can't do anything better to resign now rather than waiting for the doomsday.

 

[emranabbas]

And the proof of that.....

He's conceding 90 runs in 50-over domestic games and over 40 runs in T20 matches,
And you want him international cricket?

What's up with you and backing up trash players?

 

[hafizexpress]

What was the criteria for this guy's appointment for this role? He barely even played limited overs for Pakistan and is now selecting the LOI squads? No wonder Saim isn't around and someone like Agha is.

 

[khyberlion]

What was the criteria for this guy's appointment for this role? He barely even played limited overs for Pakistan and is now selecting the LOI squads? No wonder Saim isn't around and someone like Agha is.

He played 60 odd odis and was one of the worst players for Pakistan in odis. That could explain his selection.

 

[Rana]

From Twitter:

“Thank God 152-0 happened , it has taken PCT T20I batting to dark ages ....from Imran Nazir Kamran Akmal to RizBar ....it's like moving from Bugatti to ride on a donkey.”

 

[Mamoon]

Yes we really miss Kamran and Nazir. They won so many matches for Pakistan with their pathetic inconsistency.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

From Twitter:

“Thank God 152-0 happened , it has taken PCT T20I batting to dark ages ....from Imran Nazir Kamran Akmal to RizBar ....it's like moving from Bugatti to ride on a donkey.”

Criticizing Babar and Rizwan is one thing, but please don't play revisionist history and try to glorify these useless players. Some of us here are actually old enough to have seen these guys play and lose countless matches for Pakistan.

You love to rip on Babar and Rizwan's strike-rates, and rightfully so, but do you even know what Kamran Akmal's T20I SR is? Look it up, it will only take a minute.

 

[Rana]

Criticizing Babar and Rizwan is one thing, but please don't play revisionist history and try to glorify these useless players. Some of us here are actually old enough to have seen these guys play and lose countless matches for Pakistan.

You love to rip on Babar and Rizwan's strike-rates, and rightfully so, but do you even know what Kamran Akmal's T20I SR is? Look it up, it will only take a minute.

Yeah unfortunately you don’t understand the difference in eras unfortunately

Do you know what Sanath Jaysuriya’s T20i strike rate is?

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Yeah unfortunately you don’t understand the difference in eras unfortunately

Do you know what Sanath Jaysuriya’s T20i strike rate is?

Oh okay, so which era do you reckon were guys like McCullum, Yuvraj, KP a part of? The 1990s? Because they didn't have anything close to as pathetic of a SR as Akmal. The only thing that was different in that early era of T20 cricket was a higher number of anchors in a team. But when teams had anchors, those players generally had higher averages. This useless excuse for a cricketer even had an average of 21.

Yeah Jayasuria's SR is 129 which is significantly higher than a SR 119.

Like I said, you might be able to fool some of the newer fans on this forum but any self-respecting Pakistan cricket fan who lived through the career of Kamran Akmal knows that nobody has lost Pakistan more matches than him. Not even Afridi.

 

[Rana]

Oh okay, so which era do you reckon were guys like McCullum, Yuvraj, KP a part of? The 1990s? Because they didn't have anything close to as pathetic of a SR like Akmal. The only thing that was different in that early era of T20 cricket was a higher number of anchors in a team. But when teams had anchors, those players generally had higher averages. This useless excuse for a cricketer even had an average of 21.

Yeah Jayasuria's SR is 129 which is significantly higher than a SR 119.

Like I said, you might be able to fool some of the newer fans on this forum but any self-respecting Pakistan cricket fan who lived through the career of Kamran Akmal knows that nobody has lost Pakistan more matches than him. Not even Afridi.

Yeah i might be able to fool newer fans having been right about Rizwan for the past 5 years?

 

[Rana]

Misbah fans are the ones who struggle to differentiate between T20 and ODI cricket

Misbah fans are the ones who think cricket being played in 2004 is the same cricket being played in 2024

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Yeah i might be able to fool newer fans having been right about Rizwan for the past 5 years?

The only thing you were right about was the fact that Rizwan shouldn't be playing T20 cricket. You have been right about nothing else. But whatever, you are entitled to your opinion and entitled to hate a player as much as you want.

But please don't try to rewrite history when you have seen Kamran Akmal play. Have you forgotten about the 2009 Sydney test? Have you forgotten about the birthday gift he have to Ross Taylor on his birthday in the 2011 World Cup? And those are just two of the high-profile examples.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Misbah fans are the ones who struggle to differentiate between T20 and ODI cricket

Misbah fans are the ones who think cricket being played in 2004 is the same cricket being played in 2024

You know its funny how you call me a Misbah fan, but I rarely even talk about Misbah. You are the one who has dedicated his life to creating and propagating the Misbah Cinematic Universe. Where any player that has ever even come into contact with Misbah is considered to be the scourge of the earth. Their performance or who they are doesn't matter. If they talked to Misbah then they must be awful.

Meanwhile when it comes to talking about rubbish hacks like Asif Ali and Sharjeel Khan or utterly useless match losers like Akmal, you are more than happy to rewrite history.

Talk about being intellectually dishonest to the core.

 

[Dr_Bassim]

Rizwan shouldnt be playing cricket.

Period.

Only in Pakistan would you reward a mediocre player like Rizwan with captaincy.

 

[Rana]

The only thing you were right about was the fact that Rizwan shouldn't be playing T20 cricket. You have been right about nothing else. But whatever, you are entitled to your opinion and entitled to hate a player as much as you want.

But please don't try to rewrite history when you have seen Kamran Akmal play. Have you forgotten about the 2009 Sydney test? Have you forgotten about the birthday gift he have to Ross Taylor on his birthday in the 2011 World Cup? And those are just two of the high-profile examples.

Did I write that tweet??

Imran Nazir and Kamran Akmal verses RizBar as T20 openers. Who in their right mind would say Rizwan and Babar are better than Imran Nazir and Kamran Akmal?

 

[Aqib_mustafa]

Rizwan shouldnt be playing cricket.

Period.

Only in Pakistan would you reward a mediocre player like Rizwan with captaincy.

I mean do you even think before writing that rizwan is the best keeper batsmen in your country if you cant digest that i cant say anything who do you want to replace him with that tulla harris or haseebullah lol

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Did I write that tweet??

Imran Nazir and Kamran Akmal verses RizBar as T20 openers. Who in their right mind would say Rizwan and Babar are better than Imran Nazir and Kamran Akmal?

How many matches have Imran Nazir and Akmal won for Pakistan?

 

[khyberlion]

Rizwan shouldnt be playing cricket.

Period.

Only in Pakistan would you reward a mediocre player like Rizwan with captaincy.

Shouldn't be playing cricket? We must have Gilchrist's in every corner in Pakistan then. Where are they?

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Who gives a rat’s…? Did they bat like a bunch of p….ys when they went out there to play?

Why can’t you Misbah fans understand this issue with powerplay batting??

So let me get this straight, you care more about players going out there and batting recklessly than winning?

This may come as a surprise to you, but the point of this sport is to win matches. Oh and yeah, Kamran Akmal did go out there and play like a coward.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

I don't even understand how any self-respecting Pakistan cricket fan can defend Kamran Akmal. You would have to be at a point where you have completely lost your marbles to defend a player as atrocious as that idiot.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Yeah let me put it straight for you, and no more nonesense from you on this subject with me. I don’t debate, I state ultimatums.

Kamran Akmal the T20 batter>> Babar and Rizwan

Imran Nazir the T20 batter>> Babar and Rizwan


Iss pe mazeed behs nahi hogi ab.

Babar and Rizwan did more in that one match against India that any of these two managed to do in their entire miserable T20 careers. Babar and Rizwan may not be good T20 players. But who are you even comparing them to lmao? Imran Nazir had the IQ of a fence post whereas Akmal is arguably one of the worst major cricketers that Pakistan has ever produced. And easily the worst wicketkeeper that Pakistan has ever produced.

 

[Dr_Bassim]

Kamran Akmal made us lose many test matches so I don't rate him.

But its not hard to eclipse Babar and Rizwan as T20 players and Kamran and Nazir were comfortably better.

I mean if you needed any proof, the two combined to help Pakistan score 40 runs in 10 overs while opening for Pakistan today in a T20I !

Tells you the story.

 

[The Bald Eagle]

Guys no more off topic stuff would be tolerated

 

[shaz619]

Kamran Akmal made us lose many test matches so I don't rate him.

But its not hard to eclipse Babar and Rizwan as T20 players and Kamran and Nazir were comfortably better.

I mean if you needed any proof, the two combined to help Pakistan score 40 runs in 10 overs while opening for Pakistan today in a T20I !

Tells you the story.

Kamran understood the purpose of his opening position and need to get Pakistan off to a flier in the PP overs, he didn’t care about his average and Pakistan benefited massively from the cushion of his batting during the 2009 WT20 & for similar reasons Imran Nazir in 2007.

Kamran wasn’t the best catcher of the ball and because of that, people forget he was an outstanding stumper and actually bearable in T20’s, in fact his dismissals per innings ratio compared to Rizwan is vastly superior and he was arguably the standout Keeper in the 2009 WT20 as well.

Rizwan only has that India game to fall back on chasing a low total in friendly home like conditions, but Kamran goes to bed with a World Cup in his arms.

 

[Farabi]

I mean do you even think before writing that rizwan is the best keeper batsmen in your country if you cant digest that i cant say anything who do you want to replace him with that tulla harris or haseebullah lol

I don’t understand this debate.
Rizwan is the best keeper batter in the country, but that doesn’t necessarily make him the best option to open in T20s. @Rana is spot on that Kamran/Nazir’s tempo was in-line for their era, and the same cannot be said about Rizbabar.
Rizwan’s style of play is better suited to Test and ODI cricket. He can offer more in T20 cricket but it would require a change in his approach, role and skills, probably all of them.

 

[BouncerGuy]

There are some blunders made by a selection committee and the first one was not taking Fakhar with you.

letting rizbabar open again in the 2nd game when Farhan was the guy who opened in the 1st game but he was removed (although he is worse than them but at least give him a consistent run).

Not giving chance to Jahandad instead of Naseem or Shaheen who looked washed out in t20s still

 

[Mamoon]

The only thing you were right about was the fact that Rizwan shouldn't be playing T20 cricket. You have been right about nothing else. But whatever, you are entitled to your opinion and entitled to hate a player as much as you want.

But please don't try to rewrite history when you have seen Kamran Akmal play. Have you forgotten about the 2009 Sydney test? Have you forgotten about the birthday gift he have to Ross Taylor on his birthday in the 2011 World Cup? And those are just two of the high-profile examples.

This “era” excuse is one of the biggest myths in T20I cricket. The reality is that batting approach in this format hasn’t changed much and the concept of good/bad SR today is pretty much the same as it was 10-15 years ago.

This is the same excuse used by Dhoni fans when they try to make the SR of Rizwan and Babar look worse than it is.

No sane and intelligent fan would take failed players like Kamran and Nazir over Rizwan and Babar. They have done far, far more than those two could ever hope to achieve.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

This “era” excuse is one of the biggest myths in T20I cricket. The reality is that batting approach in this format hasn’t changed much and the concept of good/bad SR today is pretty much the same as it was 10-15 years ago.

This is the same excuse used by Dhoni fans when they try to make the SR of Rizwan and Babar look worse than it is.

No sane and intelligent fan would take failed players like Kamran and Nazir over Rizwan and Babar. They have done far, far more than those two could ever hope to achieve.

I think there was a greater tolerance for anchors during that time than there is now. But even if a player was an anchor they generally tended to have higher averages. This clown even had an average if 21. And if that really was a different era then players like KP, Yuvraj, McCullum, Michael Hussey, AB wouldn't have had significantly better strike-rates in excess of 135.

Not liking Babar and Rizwan is one thing, but whitewashing history is something else altogether.

 

[mominsaigol]

This “era” excuse is one of the biggest myths in T20I cricket. The reality is that batting approach in this format hasn’t changed much and the concept of good/bad SR today is pretty much the same as it was 10-15 years ago.

This is the same excuse used by Dhoni fans when they try to make the SR of Rizwan and Babar look worse than it is.

No sane and intelligent fan would take failed players like Kamran and Nazir over Rizwan and Babar. They have done far, far more than those two could ever hope to achieve.

The era excuse isn't a myth. In 2007 Asian teams clearly adjusted quicker to the t20 format then SENA did.

In 2010 they caught up and arguably surpassed every Asian team in the format with the exception of India who to this day have not only kept pace but are probably ahead atm.

I agree it's overblown to some extent however 2007-2009 was a different brand of T20 cricket then what we see now.

 

[Shaka81]

Rizwan shouldnt be playing cricket.

Period.

Only in Pakistan would you reward a mediocre player like Rizwan with captaincy.

"Shouldn't be playing cricket", there's hyperbole and then there's this.

Rizwan might not be the best wicket-keeper in the world but he's comfortably the best in Pakistan right now. He's also far, far superior to Kamran Akmal.

There's so much revisionism going on in this thread. Firstly there's a reason he was known as Dropmal, secondly his batting was extremely inconsistent and overrated, and finally a lot of the divisions in the team were the result of him and his brother.

 

[Rana]

How many matches have Imran Nazir and Akmal won for Pakistan?

It’s debatable how much their impact has allowed Pakistan to win games,

What’s unquestionable is the 3 clear matches Rizwan has lost for Pakistan with his batting:

1. Sri Lanka final
2. India v Pakistan NY
3. Australia v Pakistan Sydney 2024

These are 3 clear cut games which Pakistan lost and Rizwan has a HUGE input in their loss. Tell me games which Pakistan clearly lost because of Imran Nazir, Kamran Akmal because of their crap batting?

There are definitely more kaarname of Rizwan if I start digging up!

 

[Dr_Bassim]

It’s debatable how much their impact has allowed Pakistan to win games,

What’s unquestionable is the 3 clear matches Rizwan has lost for Pakistan with his batting:

1. Sri Lanka final
2. India v Pakistan NY
3. Australia v Pakistan Sydney 2024

These are 3 clear cut games which Pakistan lost and Rizwan has a HUGE input in their loss. Tell me games which Pakistan clearly lost because of Imran Nazir, Kamran Akmal because of their crap batting?

There are definitely more kaarname of Rizwan if I start digging up!

Also to add, scoring 16 off 5 balls and departing adds 16 runs and leaves 115 balls for other players to add runs.

Scoring 16 off 25 balls kills balls, leaves you with 95 balls and you didnt do much for the team, rather increased the chances of a loss.

T20 is quite simple guys.

The faster you score, the more chances of winning the game.

I dont understand why this consolidaton nonsense is advocated to help Rizwan and Babar open.

There is no such thing in T20.

Utter nonsense.

 

[Farabi]

This “era” excuse is one of the biggest myths in T20I cricket. The reality is that batting approach in this format hasn’t changed much and the concept of good/bad SR today is pretty much the same as it was 10-15 years ago.

This is the same excuse used by Dhoni fans when they try to make the SR of Rizwan and Babar look worse than it is.

No sane and intelligent fan would take failed players like Kamran and Nazir over Rizwan and Babar. They have done far, far more than those two could ever hope to achieve.

It’s data-driven not myth. The evolution of strike rates in T20 cricket over the past 15 years highlights the format's increasingly aggressive nature and the growing emphasis on high-scoring games. Here's a summary of how strike rates have progressed:

2005–2010: Strike rates typically ranged between 120-130, with only a few players like Chris Gayle or AB de Villiers exceeding 150.
2010–2015: A wave of big-hitting players pushed strike rates to 130-140 on average, with some middle-order finishers achieving 150+.
2015–2023: In the modern era, strike rates of 140+ have become standard, with elite players often striking above 150. Finishers now routinely exceed 200 in some games.

Strike rate is arguably the most critical metric in T20 cricket. Players like Imran Nazir and Kamran Akmal had strike rates that matched the expectations of their era. However, the debate is not about overall contributions but about playing in line with the tempo of the current era, specifically in T20 cricket.

Today, openers for top teams strike at 140+ on average, with the best surpassing 150. In comparison, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan play at a much slower tempo. What’s the heartburn in admitting it? Do you think Warner, Rohit Sharma, Buttler cannot beef up their T20 averages to 40 or 50 if they slowed down?

This doesn't diminish the duo’s significant
contributions to Pakistan cricket—it simply highlights a gap between their style of play and the demands of modern T20 cricket's pace in the opening slots. There is no comparison between Rizbabar and Imran/Akmal overall quality wise and in test and ODI cricket.

 

[FearlessRoar]

LOL, rested Rizwan for the 3rd T20I so he wouldn't get the record of being whitewashed in a T20I series on debut as captain and why didn't Asad Shafiq rest Babar to let Omair bin Yousuf play for Pakistan?