"Mohammad Rizwan has to know that he can't open in all formats of the game" : Shoaib Akhtar

[MenInG]

"Mohammad Rizwan has to know that he can't open in all formats of the game" : Shoaib Akhtar

Shoaib Akhtar speaking on TV

"Mohammad Rizwan has to know that he can't open all formats of the game because this is not like someone's uncle’s team"

"All that matters is whether Pakistan is winning - each player has to adjust to the role given to him by the team and has to perform and play according to the modern day brand of cricket."

"If this is not to the liking of any player then they are free to leave - such players need not be selected and there is no need to be rude with them"

“I think the PCB must take a notice of the backwards mindset being carried by the national team and a strong message should be sent to the management about this"

"They should be clear about the sort of cricket we want to play, and based on that identify the talent and then select the right people to do the job. They should say clearly what is required of the captain and the strike rates needed in Tests and demand that these directions are followed"

 

[Rauf's_Lungs]

He literally only opens in one format, what's he on about?

 

[gazza619]

Exactly Akhtar! This is not your uncle’s team as well.

And speak with respect when you speak of Rizwan.

 

[UzmanBeast]

Akhtar needs to calm down, he's talking more than what he actually knows about the subject.

Rizwan is only opening in T20s and he is doing a fabulous job. Akhtar, on numerous occasions, has talked about dropping Rizwan down the order despite performing well. He is a joke of a cricketer with no cricketing knowledge. Anyone advocating for Sharjeel ahead of Rizwan has some severe issues that need to get sorted.

Rizwan can't open in ODIs because Fakhar and Imam have solidified their spots, and he won't open in tests either because keeper batsmen can't open in the longest format.

 

[Hasan123]

Well he can't open in tests as he has the gloves but I don't see why he can't open in ODIs. It will only be due to Fakhar and Imams performances he hasn't gotten a chance yet.

 

[Shoaibbtt]

Although i agree with everyone on Rizwan opening, the thing is that Rizwan and Babar have both shown they can bat anywhere and our biggest crisis right now is the middle order so if they do move to the middle order it will really balance our team even more or Babar can move one done and allow Fakhar to open with Rizwan.

 

[Usman Chadda]

Lol where is all this coming from? Rizwan opens in only one format, what’s he so irked about?

 

[Rana]

I hope PCB Misbah management do not secretly have plans to fit Rizwan as an ODI opened just like they did for T20 cricket.

Our top 3 is settled, he should try his luck in the number 5 position.

 

[SangasCoverDrive]

He opens in only one format? What is he on about? Sarfraz lobby is so dumb and illogical. I saw some “journalists” on social media defend Sarfraz failure against SA saying that he scored two boundaries against Maharaj, the same bowler who’s bunny is Babar, so that’s how delusional Sarfraz lobby is.

 

[Mamoon]

Everyone who backed the rubbish Sharjeel has a problem with Rizwan doing well as an opener.

Rizwan should be opening in ODIs as well. He is not comfortable in the middle-order.

Sharjeel should never play for Pakistan again.

 

[Farabi]

He opens in only one format? What is he on about? Sarfraz lobby is so dumb and illogical. I saw some “journalists” on social media defend Sarfraz failure against SA saying that he scored two boundaries against Maharaj, the same bowler who’s bunny is Babar, so that’s how delusional Sarfraz lobby is.

Lol conspiracy! But Shoiba is not Urdu speaking

 

[Farabi]

Everyone who backed the rubbish Sharjeel has a problem with Rizwan doing well as an opener.

Rizwan should be opening in ODIs as well. He is not comfortable in the middle-order.

Sharjeel should never play for Pakistan again.

There are 2 openers in a team in case you keep forgetting. This is how both Sharjeel and Rizwan could open with Babar 1 down, as they did in their last T20 vs Zim

 

[SangasCoverDrive]

Lol conspiracy! But Shoiba is not Urdu speaking

He is not Urdu speaking but he is still part of Sarfraz lobby, probably because of his friends Rashid Latif and Nauman Niaz who for some reason still support Sarfraz.

 

[Mamoon]

There are 2 openers in a team in case you keep forgetting. This is how both Sharjeel and Rizwan could open with Babar 1 down, as they did in their last T20 vs Zim

I am not forgetting anything. Sharjeel is an embarrassment and should not be playing.

Babar and Rizwan opening with Fakhar at 3 is fine in T20Is.

Rizwan is Pakistan’s best batsman at the moment. He should open with both ODIs and T20Is and get the chance to face maximum number of deliveries.

 

[Farabi]

He is not Urdu speaking but he is still part of Sarfraz lobby, probably because of his friends Rashid Latif and Nauman Niaz who for some reason still support Sarfraz.

Lol Nauman Niaz is also pindi boy.
People are not supporting Sharjeel to open, so that Rizwan can move into Middle order and replace Safaraz lol there are 6 batting slots and both Sarfaraz and Rizwan could play in the top 7 of the team management wants, regardless of whether Rizwan opens or not.

 

[Farabi]

I am not forgetting anything. Sharjeel is an embarrassment and should not be playing.

Babar and Rizwan opening with Fakhar at 3 is fine in T20Is.

Rizwan is Pakistan’s best batsman at the moment. He should open with both ODIs and T20Is and get the chance to face maximum number of deliveries.

I was just making sure we are clear that Sharjeel is not playing in Rizwan’s slot. If anything, Sharjeel is playing in Fakhar’s slot. Rizwan is taking up Babar’s slot of anchoring the team as an opener.

 

[SangasCoverDrive]

Lol Nauman Niaz is also pindi boy.
People are not supporting Sharjeel to open, so that Rizwan can move into Middle order and replace Safaraz lol there are 6 batting slots and both Sarfaraz and Rizwan could play in the top 7 of the team management wants, regardless of whether Rizwan opens or not.

Why should Rizwan, who is one of the best wicketkeeper in the world right now, should be forced to give up gloves just to let in loud mouth Sarfraz in the team? What type of gundagardi is this? Sharjeel should not be playing for Pakistan, Pakistan never really missed him and Pakistan would be better off with Rizwan or even Imam in T20 than him.

 

[Saj]

Strange comments.

Rizwan isn't the skipper - surely it's the captain's and probably more so the coach's decision who plays and who opens.

 

[Farabi]

Why should Rizwan, who is one of the best wicketkeeper in the world right now, should be forced to give up gloves just to let in loud mouth Sarfraz in the team? What type of gundagardi is this? Sharjeel should not be playing for Pakistan, Pakistan never really missed him and Pakistan would be better off with Rizwan or even Imam in T20 than him.

Now that's a better argument. I agree that Rizwan should keep. If Sarfaraz can't keep, he should improve his fielding.

Well Pakistan was missing him until Rizwan hit his form last year, specially after Fakhar lost his form as well in T20s. Sharjeel was the best opener in QEA 2020/21 season with 43 Avg/80 SR and one of the Top 3 run scorers at the PSL 6. Pakistan is stronger with Sharjeel in the squad than not, at least as a back-up.
Personally I'd like to find a way to fit all of Babar, Fakhar, Sharjeel and Rizwan in the team.

 

[MRSN]

"There is an exite door" how can you say about your national players live on tv? Quite disgusting comment to be frank.

 

[daytrader]

"All that matters is whether Pakistan is winning - each player has to adjust to the role given to him by the team and has to perform and play according to the modern day brand of cricket."

Akhtar as usual is contradicting himself. Rizwan has been given the role to open and is performing.

 

[ahmedzee]

Let him open in t20 where he's in red hot form. No one is making him open in other formats.

 

[Nasty Naz]

lol former players need to stop getting a platform to speak since pretty much all of them sound so illogical and talk like they have never even graduated high school level.

Rizwan is opening in only one format and performing exceptionally well. What's the reason he is opening? Well, because if people recall recently, we were literally using scrubs like Ahsan Ali because they had no opener to use with Fakhar struggling so much at the time. He started opening in NZ because of Babar injury. They were also using Haider Ali & Abdullah Shafique just to give you an idea what was going on at the time.

It's not like he demanded the position. They literally tried him because they had no idea what to do with their openers in T20 and Babar was injured. Rizwan grabbed hold of the opportunity and has been beasting since. Rizwan has been playing better than anyone in recent times (outside of ODI's) so I have no idea where the criticism is coming from. Maybe Shoaib Akhtar forgot to take his meds.

 

[Nasty Naz]

Rizwan has an average of 82.25 with 140 SR(!!) in 13 matches.

In all honestly, it is probably the best position for him since he takes his time earlier in the innings and doesn't just gift away his wicket early on and clearly has the ability to anchor the innings. It's all about surrounding guys around Rizwan & Babar who can slog and bat a high strike rate.

 

[TeamPak95]

Pindi express needs to take a nap. Seriously, what is wrong with this guy?

 

[Pakhs]

Rizwan has an average of 82.25 with 140 SR(!!) in 13 matches.

In all honestly, it is probably the best position for him since he takes his time earlier in the innings and doesn't just gift away his wicket early on and clearly has the ability to anchor the innings. It's all about surrounding guys around Rizwan & Babar who can slog and bat a high strike rate.

This is the way they should go about it. When it comes to T20 WC it will be all up to the bowlers anyway as its very clear Pakistan does not have the fire power of some other teams or most other teams.

 

[gazza619]

Pindi express needs to take a nap. Seriously, what is wrong with this guy?

When you work on multiple talk shows day in day out and then also have your own youtube channel to talk on, there comes a point where you run out of quality material and as such puke. Thats what has happened to Shoiab Actor.

 

[PakLFC]

Rizwan is doing fine. What he needs is support when on the top of his game not criticism for no reason by a attention seeking ex cricketer looking for a contract with some Indian company. As far as I know it is the team management that decides who should open. I have never seen Shoaib ever say anything good about any of our Cricketers even when we win.

 

[The cricket enthusiast]

In other words, Mohammad Rizwan has to know that he can't 'PERFORM' in all formats of the game" : Shoaib Akhtar

 

[mastimasti]

Akhtar jee must know more than me but doesn't Rizwan only open in T20s?

 

[Manzy2599]

I think people are taking his statement out of context. He probably meant that Rizwan may be suited to open in tests and odis but shouldn’t in t20is which I agree with. Rizwan has done well as makeshift opener but we all know he’s not actually an opener and while he’s been consistent he only has 1 good innings against a decent side which was vs NZ at Napier. All his other knocks were against South Africa C and Zimbabwe. The question is will he be able to continue his form against the top sides? I don’t think so especially with Babar opening at the other end. I fail to understand this incompetent managements mindset when they know they have a fragile middle order and 2 proper openers available they still choose Babar and Rizwan. Fakhar and Sharjeel should definitely be opener with Babar coming in at 3. This is t20 cricket where you need a proactive mindset. Not misbahs defensive timid mindset of conserving wickets and making up later. No other top side uses that method anymore. They attack from the start and utilize the first 6 overs powerplay unlike Pakistan who sent two accumulators to get their eye in.

All those arguing that Fakhar and Sharjeel is a risky combo and we could be 20-2 in 4 overs need to understand that if Babar and Rizwan move into the middle order with Hafeez Haider/Malik or whoever they pick at 6 it solves their middle order crisis and allows them to build the innings with Imad Faheem and hasan at the end to hit a few boundaries if they get out. There’s only 120 balls why wouldn’t you attack from the start and carry the form through. Fakhar and Sharjeel might perform 5/10 games but in the games they do it will a most gaureentee pak a win because we know batting is their weak suit. In the other 5 well atleast this middle order can make up for top order failures unlike if babar and Rizwan fail and Misbah has the likes of danish, asif and Khusdil in the middle order who bat like tail enders.
Common sense guys.. babar and Rizwan might be doing the job now but deep down everyone knows fakhar and Sharjeel are proper openers which is what Pakistan needs right now cause it also solves their middle order crisis.

 

[Farabi]

I think people are taking his statement out of context. He probably meant that Rizwan may be suited to open in tests and odis but shouldn’t in t20is which I agree with. Rizwan has done well as makeshift opener but we all know he’s not actually an opener and while he’s been consistent he only has 1 good innings against a decent side which was vs NZ at Napier. All his other knocks were against South Africa C and Zimbabwe. The question is will he be able to continue his form against the top sides? I don’t think so especially with Babar opening at the other end. I fail to understand this incompetent managements mindset when they know they have a fragile middle order and 2 proper openers available they still choose Babar and Rizwan. Fakhar and Sharjeel should definitely be opener with Babar coming in at 3. This is t20 cricket where you need a proactive mindset. Not misbahs defensive timid mindset of conserving wickets and making up later. No other top side uses that method anymore. They attack from the start and utilize the first 6 overs powerplay unlike Pakistan who sent two accumulators to get their eye in.

All those arguing that Fakhar and Sharjeel is a risky combo and we could be 20-2 in 4 overs need to understand that if Babar and Rizwan move into the middle order with Hafeez Haider/Malik or whoever they pick at 6 it solves their middle order crisis and allows them to build the innings with Imad Faheem and hasan at the end to hit a few boundaries if they get out. There’s only 120 balls why wouldn’t you attack from the start and carry the form through. Fakhar and Sharjeel might perform 5/10 games but in the games they do it will a most gaureentee pak a win because we know batting is their weak suit. In the other 5 well atleast this middle order can make up for top order failures unlike if babar and Rizwan fail and Misbah has the likes of danish, asif and Khusdil in the middle order who bat like tail enders.
Common sense guys.. babar and Rizwan might be doing the job now but deep down everyone knows fakhar and Sharjeel are proper openers which is what Pakistan needs right now cause it also solves their middle order crisis.

I used to think the same and wanted to see Fakhar/Sharjeel open. But then I saw data in one of Osman's article which showed another story. Here's the break-down:

Since the start of December in all T20s, here is Rizwan's strike rate through the three phases:
-133.55 during PP
-132.24 during Middle overs
-201 during death

In Rizwan's case his death-overs strike rate sets him slightly apart. AND his striking during the PP is better than Sharjeel and Fakhar. In fact, SR of 133.55 makes him 11th best (among those who have played at least ten innings), not far off Buttler and ahead of Jason Roy, Martin Guptill, Azam, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan.

Pakistan is lucky to have a player like Rizwan opening currently. Here's my suggested order:

Rizwan
Sharjeel (with license to kill)
Babar
Fakhar
Hafeez

 

[Firebat]

He only opens in one format - T20Is - and his stats since moving to opener in that format have been literally out of this world. He is playing out of his skin, one of the best T20Is players in the world right now on form and by far the best in the team, and all since he moved to the opener spot. It would be ludicrous to change the only consistently amazing part of our team.