Mohammed Hafeez in Test XI

[Shinwari Khan]

This man should be awarded a place in the Test squad. He has a solid batting average of 40. He has scored 9 magnificent centuries in 96 innings career. This includes a 196, 197, 224. His bowling can be an asset, perhaps having a 3rd spinning option since Yasir/Asghar will have a high work load.

 

[Chief Destroyer]

His chucking is not an asset in tests. Don't confuse formats.

 

[Syed1]

Allah na karay



Don't give Inzi any ideas. You know how much he loves selecting Hafeez.

 

[ads101]

He was an asset in his day but time to move on. A 40 average was not bad despite the failures in non-asian countries given the other openers he competed with e.g. Butt, Farhat, Hameed, Shan, Khurram, Taufeeq when he returned etc.

I'd probably go with Imam and Shehzad at this point of time as openers. Fakhar needs to work on his LOI form given he's an integral part of it. Sami needs some time to rework things in domestic. Masood just isn't very good. Probably a better idea to promote Azhar back to opening and partner with either Imam or Shehzad and bring in Usman Salluhuddin middle order.

As for spin, simple, just pick two damn spinners in the UAE. I honestly think we would have won 2-0 the test series had we done that instead of lost it 2-0 such was the small margin of defeat in both.

 

[Shinwari Khan]

He was an asset in his day but time to move on. A 40 average was not bad despite the failures in non-asian countries given the other openers he competed with e.g. Butt, Farhat, Hameed, Shan, Khurram, Taufeeq when he returned etc.

I'd probably go with Imam and Shehzad at this point of time as openers. Fakhar needs to work on his LOI form given he's an integral part of it. Sami needs some time to rework things in domestic. Masood just isn't very good. Probably a better idea to promote Azhar back to opening and partner with either Imam or Shehzad and bring in Usman Salluhuddin middle order.

As for spin, simple, just pick two damn spinners in the UAE. I honestly think we would have won 2-0 the test series had we done that instead of lost it 2-0 such was the small margin of defeat in both.

We need 2 spinners not just in the UAE, but everywhere that we’re playing.

 

[Shinwari Khan]

Allah na karay



Don't give Inzi any ideas. You know how much he loves selecting Hafeez.

Mohammed Yousuf can get a call up. It’s a shame that we dropped him in 2010. He could’ve played to this date amassing 15000 runs. He’s currently 43 years old (SAME EXACT age as Misbah). If Misbah can play, why can’t Yousuf. To be honest, I’d rather have a 50 year old Yousuf than a 30 year old Misbah. MoYo still has at least 5 more years of International cricket left in him, let’s call him up.

 

[ads101]

We need 2 spinners not just in the UAE, but everywhere that we’re playing.

It's a nice luxury to have, but it's not crucial. Haris can bowl a bit of spin too. Don't think it's worth putting on hold the search for the next openers to rely on for the next decade or so for a couple of years with Hafeez. Plus pretty sure Hafeez won't perform as an opener anymore even in UAE, he'd have to play down the order and no real space there. And if there is space, rather try Usman.

 

[JibranAnsari]

Our next test series is in england and hafeez played his last test series in england and scored 102 in 6 innings @ 17 runs per innings. After that we will be paying in south africa as well , hafeez will be redundant against these oppositions on their homegrounds. Not needed anymore.

 

[Hasan123]

No thanks

 

[Sirris]

How about we close down our domestic structure since we have found lifetime long gems in Shehzad, Hafeez, Malik, Imad, Sohail Tanvir and Salman Butt ?

This way the young men in the domestic, working hard to make an impression won't be wasting their time on false hope and could get on with their lives in some other field?

 

[Mirpur express]

Naheeeeeeeee kabhi nahi oi khuda ka khauf karo yaar

 

[Mirpur express]

Well.. if we keep him away from Styen & Jimmy & play him no6 then maybe just maybe but ...

 

[The_Odd_One]

Only in the UAE if he does not chuck. He's still better than Masood.

 

[babajee]

Please. Chup.

It’s time to look to the future.

Azhar needs to go back to opening firstly.

Our top 7 in tests should look something like this:

Azhar
Sami/Imam
Haris
Babar
Usman
Shafiq (ain’t going anywhere unfortunately)
Sarfaraz


And in the UAE we need to play 2 spinners.... we threw away the SL test series because we only played 1.

 

[Shinwari Khan]

Please. Chup.

It’s time to look to the future.

Azhar needs to go back to opening firstly.

Our top 7 in tests should look something like this:

Azhar
Sami/Imam
Haris
Babar
Usman
Shafiq (ain’t going anywhere unfortunately)
Sarfaraz


And in the UAE we need to play 2 spinners.... we threw away the SL test series because we only played 1.

Sami should be indefinitely dropped in place of Imam.

 

[yasir]

Please. Chup.

It’s time to look to the future.

Azhar needs to go back to opening firstly.

Our top 7 in tests should look something like this:

Azhar
Sami/Imam
Haris
Babar
Usman
Shafiq (ain’t going anywhere unfortunately)
Sarfaraz


And in the UAE we need to play 2 spinners.... we threw away the SL test series because we only played 1.

I don't disagree with batting lineup in general, except that we need to play 5 bowlers, means Faheem/Shadab should be playing at no 6, this is only way we can win abroad, we may loose few but will be better team in long run. With this 4 bowlers strategy, we lost 6 matches in a row and 9/10 in two years, out of which 6 last day collpases, why not take the game on with 5 bowlers up front.

The reason Hasan or Amir bowls well in ODI, because they put 15 overs effort in 10 overs, where as in test, they put 10 overs effort in 15 overs, specially Amir(Hasan will do the same if he has to play every test with 4 bowlers, will get injured otherwise), becacause they know they have to bowl atleast 100 overs, three spells (minimum) to get out a team in first innings...This Misbah defensive mentality has to change, padding team with 6/7 batsmen is very defensive, you are playing safe rather than aggressive, that does not work at all in west...

 

[HuzaifaE]

Here we go again...rewarding smashing trundlers on dead wickets will only get you a team comprised of players who can only smash trundlers on dead wickets. Hafeez isn't a TTF against good bowling abroad, he's a fish in a barrel. He's not got age on his side and it's time to move on and invest in someone who can bring what he lacked - performances of note in matches that define you as a cricketer. We don't need someone with a classy cover drive and an even more attractive looking uprooted offstump. Professor had his chances, history will judge him for what he was.

As for a good replacement, we easily have superior pure batting options that I won't even bother naming, but the issue comes from a lack of a proper 5th bowler (not a dilly dallying 5 over bowler like Haris or maybe Azhar etc), which is an asset we took for granted a bit from Hafeez. We need to take a proper allrounder who's ready for 5 day cricket (evidently not Shadab yet) and give him an extended run. It's important to have one such pace option (Ammad or Fahim) and one such spin option (Raza?) depending on pitch variability. Without 5 bowlers, we have an overworked Shah and pace bowlers who aren't willing to put their 100% and if they do and get injured, that's likely a deathly blow to the match. It's one of the more urgent needs to address in the rebuilding of the test side.