Mohammad Hafeez is the biggest roadblock to Pakistan's improvement

[pakistanigoneaussie]

This isn't a knee-jerk thread, nor is this absolving blame from other players, but this bowling performance makes me fear that we will be stuck with Professor for another year, and nothing could be more catastrophic for our team.

To accommodate him, we are destroying our entire batting order for a player who is a proven failure in pressure situations and will be close to 40 come the 2019 world cup.

Now Sarfraz and mickey need to take charge and use their authority. Why have we destroyed a promising line up for the sake of some tidy ten overs and awful batting ?

this is made even more baffling when you consider we have such a promising leg spinner in the ranks

 

[Hamza_]

Hafeez is pathetic, awful, terrible. Whatever you can call him. Look at his batting, It's terrible.

 

[Black Zero]

very true.

We have messed up our top batting order to accommodate non-performing players.

 

[HeavenOrHell]

I have been saying this for a while. Cancerous player.

 

[shady]

One of the most selfish and mediocre players we've ever had on this team.

 

[KhalidRafi]

He does not deserve to be in the middle order! Slows down the tempo of the game and completely sucks out the momentum. If we want him in the team for his bowling play him at six. He has a strike rate of 84 in overs 20-30 and 135 in overs 40-50 compared to a strike rate of 66 in overs 0-20

 

[pakistanigoneaussie]

okay my opening makes no sense now but some context

last time pakistan where here Sarfraz averaged 60 with a strike of 90

batting in the top 5 Sarfraz averages 48 with a strike of 89

Among batters who have faced at least 1000 balls in ODIs in the past five years, Sarfraz's percentage of singles (40.57) is second only to AB de Villiers (42.41).


but we must accommodate the professor

 

[basitmian]

Babar azam also has the same strike rate.

 

[superman]

Op you are spot on and playing till 49 should be the exception not the rule

 

[Confucius]

Hafeez = Nepotism

 

[Pete Rose]

Amen

 

[DRsohail]

ha is the biggest manipulator and most selfish player in the entire world of cricket atm...

 

[fuzail]

You are right but he will keep on getting selected

 

[Ultimate]

Drop everyone above 30 after this tournament, and build a young team for the 2019 WC. We will see drastic improvements for sure.

 

[coy0607]

Hafeez is a true loser

whats mindboggling is how he continues to get selected. Can management really be this stupid

 

[MilkyWay]

Thts the one of the 2 azaab left in the team with azhar. Get rid of these 2 azab e ilahhi and get fahim ashraf n harris sohail in

 

[Confucius]

One of the most selfish and mediocre players we've ever had on this team.

Not quite: Younis King Khan's occupation of the one down ODI position takes the biscuit. Hafeez has learned well from the master.

 

[fawad_wellwisher]

Relax it is not an easy pitch to score on. Even Babar is having difficulty scoring.

 

[SarfiBabarHaris]

Mediocre, bottler, selfish. All in one.
Pathetic player.

 

[TeymurBlake]

How have Pakistan not played Haris here man. The guy was splendid before his injury and him also being a slow left arm spinner makes his case more surprising. God why is Hafeez still in the damn team

 

[Stewie]

Hafeez today proved he is a big burden. 26 off 53 means ur playing to see your team through and yet he gave away his wicket to the only bowler in the team who was taking wickets .. predictably to a biuncer.

Totally unprofessional. He ate up all those overs and then got out when his team needed him to stay.

 

[SarfiBabarHaris]

How have Pakistan not played Haris here man. The guy was splendid before his injury and him also being a slow left arm spinner makes his case more surprising. God why is Hafeez still in the damn team

Haris would have been ideal on today's pitch against good fast bowling.

 

[TeymurBlake]

Haris would have been ideal on today's pitch against good fast bowling.

I know that's what I mean. A left hander in the middle order would perfect set up. One opens (Zaman), one in the middle (Haris) and one lower down the order (Imad)

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

I said in the match thread it was difficult to believe he wasn't trying to throw the match. He was never much of one for consistency, hence his mediocre average, but at least he could score at close to 100% strike rate. In this tournament and for the last couple of years in general it looks like he is purely batting to stay at the crease regardless of the team requirement. He must be thrown out unless we want the loser mentality to infect the next generation as well. He and some of his experienced friends are like a malignant cancer.

 

[pakistanigoneaussie]

Relax it is not an easy pitch to score on. Even Babar is having difficulty scoring.

post 7

 

[Mamoon]

He is corrupting Babar.

 

[ar2020]

Haris Sohail can do everything Hafeez can do at the minimum. He is an ideal #4 bat.

 

[sam_ahm]

Can't blame Hafeez, he is what he is, blame your selectors and coaches who keep selecting him.

 

[Arham_PakFan]

He is a terrible player who has only played this much because of his sources.Has been found out before and bats selfishly just to secure his position in the squad.

 

[kaayal]

Can't blame Hafeez, he is what he is, blame your selectors and coaches who keep selecting him.

This. He will tuk tuk no matter what they are chasing..

 

[Corridor of Uncertainty]

This thread serves no purpose other than mild catharsis.

Hafeez is here to stay - slow batting or not.

 

[Sherlock]

Spot on [MENTION=57355]pakistanigoneaussie[/MENTION]

The roadblock has been in cement for a few years now, but we have to get around it to see what lies ahead

 

[pakistanigoneaussie]

Spot on [MENTION=57355]pakistanigoneaussie[/MENTION]

The roadblock has been in cement for a few years now, but we have to get around it to see what lies ahead

Knowing Harsoon Rasheed i fear the worst ie salman butt

 

[boomboom6]

Should be dropped for good post CT and Haris should replace him in next match vs SL.

 

[Hasan123]

Clearly playing for himself. A very selfish player and only in the team because he is liked by Inzi and the PCB.

 

[Barragan]

His bowling is handy and if they want him for his bowling, then have him at no. 6 and not as a main batsman at no. 4 because he isn't good enough as a batsman alone.

 

[Sherlock]

Knowing Harsoon Rasheed i fear the worst ie salman butt

I don't think he's worse, but I wouldn't have him anywhere near the side.

 

[Pete Rose]

His bowling is handy and if they want him for his bowling, then have him at no. 6 and not as a main batsman at no. 4 because he isn't good enough as a batsman alone.

this team does not have the luxury batting in the top 7. should be pretty apparent,

 

[pakistanigoneaussie]

I don't think he's worse, but I wouldn't have him anywhere near the side.

He is more selfish than Professor going by recent domestic performances, let alone the other baggage

 

[Barragan]

this team does not have the luxury batting in the top 7. should be pretty apparent,

He'll actually do well at no. 6 and better than Sarfraz there.

Swap the positions, simple.

 

[Pete Rose]

Knowing Harsoon Rasheed i fear the worst ie salman butt

i think we might see the younger guys after this tournament. the way i see it we will win today and maybe sl and either exit on runrate or leave next round. given what hafeez has done so far, I dont see him surviving. Malik might survive till south africa 2018.

 

[Chief Destroyer]

Never have I hated a player more. This manipulator is disgusting to watch. Most selfish player to ever play.

 

[Pete Rose]

He'll actually do well at no. 6 and better than Sarfraz there.

Swap the positions, simple.

can you give me one objective fact based reason based on his career so far for that? like his record against this big boys?
this is a laughable remedy for a guys who has been playing at strike rate of 50 so far.

 

[pakistanigoneaussie]

i think we might see the younger guys after this tournament. the way i see it we will win today and maybe sl and either exit on runrate or leave next round. given what hafeez has done so far, I dont see him surviving. Malik might survive till south africa 2018.

You know better than me what a Professor/ Sri Lanka reunion will most likely result in

 

[PakLFC]

He is not that bad really. On his day can be a very good performer.

 

[faizanafzal]

This isn't a knee-jerk thread, nor is this absolving blame from other players, but this bowling performance makes me fear that we will be stuck with Professor for another year, and nothing could be more catastrophic for our team.

To accommodate him, we are destroying our entire batting order for a player who is a proven failure in pressure situations and will be close to 40 come the 2019 world cup.

Now Sarfraz and mickey need to take charge and use their authority. Why have we destroyed a promising line up for the sake of some tidy ten overs and awful batting ?

this is made even more baffling when you consider we have such a promising leg spinner in the ranks

Totally agree. He doesn't know how to rotate the strike and keep mounting the pressure on the entire team by playing the dot balls consistently. Had it been the case with Australia, India or any other cricketing nation country, he would have been discarded a long ago. He is such a big loooooooooooooser.

May be we can get his mummy in a museum in Egypt to give him tribute?

 

[Barragan]

can you give me one objective fact based reason based on his career so far for that? like his record against this big boys?
this is a laughable remedy for a guys who has been playing at strike rate of 50 so far.

Do you think he will have the time to play dot balls at no. 6?

Clearly, he bats slow until 50 runs and starts scoring briskly afterwards, but don't give him many overs to bat and he is a very good hitter of the ball.

 

[superman]

Even in this tournament he is preventing someone like harris experience in english pitches aginst SA. Harris will never get an opportunity like that and we are wasting it on a 40yr old has been

 

[fawad_wellwisher]

post 7

Hafeez game has really regressed and it looks like age is catching up to him. His S/R of 75 is just not good enough for modern day cricket. His bowling is still good enough to keep him in the team.

And yes stats do show Sarfaraz to be a better number 4.

 

[Abdullah719]

But he did well against West Indies and in the Pakistan Cup... and has played two important stabilising innings for Pakistan at the Champions Trophy...

 

[Pete Rose]

Do you think he will have the time to play dot balls at no. 6?

Clearly, he bats slow until 50 runs and starts scoring briskly afterwards, but don't give him many overs to bat and he is a very good hitter of the ball.

I dont know what to make of this logic: is that all it takes to make successful hitters, just give them lesser balls?
- ignore the fact that they have failed for two decades against bigger teams
- ignore the fact that the said player barely averages 20 in ICC tournaments
- ignore the fact that he has never ever ever played a single remotely aggressive innings against the big boys?

i tip my hat to you sir, for this faith.

 

[Pete Rose]

But he did well against West Indies and in the Pakistan Cup... and has played two important stabilising innings for Pakistan at the Champions Trophy...

I think OP needs to change the title.
West Indies and SL are the biggest reason that our cricket is held back. we have guys who have build careers around playing these teams.

 

[cricfan14]

I have to make a confession, which is that I had been lumping Hafeez and Malik in together.

They are NOT the same.

Malik vs. India came in and actually showed some intent before he was run out by his joke partner. And today, him coming in is what also helped get Pakistan over the mark and get Babar going too.

Hafeez grinds everything to a halt. I do not understand what possible justification for keeping him on. If it's bowling, Shadab didn't finish his overs today, so between him Malik and Haris they can cover the Hafeez bowling.

There's just no excuse for him to bat at 4 (or at all).

 

[pakistanigoneaussie]

Hafeez game has really regressed and it looks like age is catching up to him. His S/R of 75 is just not good enough for modern day cricket. His bowling is still good enough to keep him in the team.

And yes stats do show Sarfaraz to be a better number 4.

I think professor has taken 5 wickets since he came back into the team and today saw him reverting back to his old action.

We dont need his bowling anymore, especially when you have Imad and Shadab, Fahkar can bowl as well as can Malik.

Professor is doing now what Haris Sohail did in the World Cup, he is doing a job with the ball but nothing that's irreplaceable
PLus nothing he does with the ball outwieghs the damage he does to to the team with the bat

 

[Sherlock]

He is more selfish than Professor going by recent domestic performances, let alone the other baggage

Maybe the reason being he's trying to get back into the international side?

 

[Speedster777]

Hafeez should be dropped. His poor batting has cost us so many games it's disgusting how this sifaarshi player keeps getting selected.

 

[pakistan cricket fan]

Inzamam need to take stand against him.

 

[JimmyGetsBuckets]

I would say hafeez is one of the most overrated players in Pakistan history. I wonder what his average is outside of Asia?

 

[pakistanigoneaussie]

Maybe the reason being he's trying to get back into the international side?

obviously, do you expect that to change if God forbid he worms his way back into international cricket?

 

[Barragan]

I dont know what to make of this logic: is that all it takes to make successful hitters, just give them lesser balls?
- ignore the fact that they have failed for two decades against bigger teams
- ignore the fact that the said player barely averages 20 in ICC tournaments
- ignore the fact that he has never ever ever played a single remotely aggressive innings against the big boys?

i tip my hat to you sir, for this faith.

What do you think A/R's like Razzaq and co. were successful for?

So, you are telling me Razzaq should have batted at no. 4?

 

[Nothing matters]

Today,last match and all the matches against top .teams its pure torture watching him bat.Needs to go.

 

[MRSN]

Terrible batsman. Should be competing with Imad at 7 and not an automatic selection as a batsman at 4. Looked like a joke of a batsman playing pacers today and he is
batting at 4.

 

[Sherlock]

obviously, do you expect that to change if God forbid he worms his way back into international cricket?

I don't know and frankly don't care. Butt is the last man I want back.

 

[MRSN]

Today,last match and all the matches against top .teams its pure torture watching him bat.Needs to go.

The quality of a batsman is known how he bats against quality bowlers. Hafeez looked like no.11..can't count no. of times he missed an edge.

 

[Confucius]

Somebody please initiate a poll as to whether the professor ought to be retired.

 

[GrandMaster]

Hafeez & Malik need to stay with this young team for a year or two. They can be a mentor and provide valuable advice to the captain.

 

[Muhammad10]

Never found a cricketer more irritating than this gentleman.

 

[Chief Destroyer]

Our best player of pace, ladies and gentlemen.

 

[Bowled]

Sarfaraz has already lost two of this four brothers. One by bowling too fast and the other due to an untreatable phycological disorder. I doubt his ability to banish the remaining two, who happen to be contemporary greats of Pakistan as well, and no Shoaib Malik is not one of them. Unlike the brothers, Shoaib always tries to win matches, not just to keep his place in the team.

 

[Justcrazy]

If hafeez is such a good bowler , he should play as a bowler and compete with other spinners to be in the side.

 

[shady]

Worst part about his performance today was how it affected Babar, as soon as Malik came in Babar was showing intent once again. Obviously some of that is on Babar, but Hafeez is a supposed "experienced player" and it's part of his responsibility to guide the youngsters and give them confidence. For me this coward represents everything that has been bad about Pakistan cricket the last few years and I really hope he's dropped after this tournament(Probably wishful thinking though).

 

[Pete Rose]

If hafeez is such a good bowler , he should play as a bowler and compete with other spinners to be in the side.

Yes this is fair

 

[IAJ]

Can't blame Hafeez, he is what he is, blame your selectors and coaches who keep selecting him.

Finally a good post here.

 

[PakSarZameen]

If hafeez is such a good bowler , he should play as a bowler and compete with other spinners to be in the side.

Hafeez is a direct competition to Imad in my opinion. Only one of them can be in the team.

 

[Khan12]

He is comfortably the most hated player by me. Can't wait for him to get lost. A pathetic batsmen and a shameless person.

 

[Rayyman]

Needs to move down to bat at 6.

 

[sjahmed23]

He's been a roadblock for quite a while I think. He's never performed the way you want him to against any half decent opposition. He gets most of his runs from weak sides, but apparently he's a senior so he cannot be dropped or be asked to change his position. I would've liked Pakistan to have him play as a slogger (7/8) but I guess even that won't happen. Hopefully CT is his last tournament with Pakistan we desperately need to get rid of these one dimensional players like him and shehzad who bring down the rhythm of entire team with their blocking and failure to rotate strike.

 

[itsme]

We won't be able to score more than 150 nor restricting opposition to less than 350,we are already struggling to score 200 since misbah is gone.

 

[saqibjamil]

As mentioned in the comments, he easily is the reason for Pak's batting pace to become sluggish. Notice the difference how a few positive shots from Malik opened up Babar as well. Previously against India, Azhar came under pressure due to Hafeez's selfish batting.
The guy's bowling is okay - but his batting had definitely not improved over the years. The coach and selection should get rid off him and not waste Haris's career.

 

[Abdullah]

Needs to pick up his strike rate and be told in no uncertain terms that Azhar and Haris are anchoring through 50 overs and he needs to get on with it.
His bowling keeps him in the side for now. He is a sly operator with the ball. The number 1 all rounder in ODI cricket isn't he?