New Zealand v Pakistan | 2nd T20I | Hamilton | Jan 14 | Pre-Match Discussion

[FearlessRoar]

In Shaheen Shah Afridi's debut as T20I captain, Pakistan faced a setback, losing the first T20I against New Zealand by 46 runs. While it marks a challenging start, there are encouraging signs with emerging talents like Saim Ayub and Abbas Afridi giving their all.

Looking ahead to the second T20I, a strategic change could involve omitting Azam Khan and introducing Sahibzada Farhan, who stood out as a top performer in the 2023 Pakistan Domestic season.

What changes would you like to make for the 2nd T20I?

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[YousafTheBeast]

Expect Hafeez to go into panic mode now, Jamal will be dropped for Wasim, Azam will be dropped for Hassebullah and Nawaz will come in for Mir.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Why is Babar Azam playing T20 internationals? or Rizwan for that matter if they are sure of playing the world T20. Shouldn't they use this series to experiment a bit?

 

[Asif321]

Drop usama for Nawaz or zaman.
Fakhar needs to open . Rizwan at 4

 

[MenInG]

Drop usama for Nawaz or zaman.
Fakhar needs to open . Rizwan at 4

Very good suggestions.

 

[hitthestump]

Why is Babar Azam playing T20 internationals? or Rizwan for that matter if they are sure of playing the world T20. Shouldn't they use this series to experiment a bit?

Agreed.

Neither of them need to play this series. They are going to the world t20 no matter what.

The reason they are there is for Shaheen and management.

Job insecurity in Pakistan is bad enough. Losing 5-0 in this series is not an option anyone in a leadership position is willing to take.

 

[Rana]

Why is Babar Azam playing T20 internationals? or Rizwan for that matter if they are sure of playing the world T20. Shouldn't they use this series to experiment a bit?

Matter of Insecurity

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Keep the same side. Give players some breathing space.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Agreed.

Neither of them need to play this series. They are going to the world t20 no matter what.

The reason they are there is for Shaheen and management.

Matter of Insecurity

The problem with these senior players is they assume a role where they are supposed to play more balls than others. In a 120 ball game there will be very little scope for experiment.

 

[hitthestump]

The problem with these senior players is they assume a role where they are supposed to play more balls than others. In a 120 ball game there will be very little scope for experiment.

Pakistan played an 3 match series against Afghanistan without these 2 and got roundly humiliated.

That was the end of that experiment as nobody is willing to take that risk again.

The main issue is that Shaheen, Hafeez, Wahab etc have only just started in their roles. They are thinking about themselves. If they didn’t, they probably wouldn’t even make it to the World Cup before being axed.

Hence I anticipate we’ll see RizBab picked for every game this series…even though they could easily have been left at home entirely while we tested other players.

 

[CerebralPatriot]

Bowling was awful today. Poor lengths galore. It is time for the coaches to do some introspection and bring some talents like Hasnain and Dahani back into the fold. Mir Hamza should also be considered as a viable option. Rather than letting us continue to toil in mediocrity, we need to inject some life into this attack.

 

[shamaan]

Why is Babar Azam playing T20 internationals? or Rizwan for that matter if they are sure of playing the world T20. Shouldn't they use this series to experiment a bit?

They are already experimenting with Azam,Mir,Abbas Afridi pluss the batting order has changed.

 

[shamaan]

Drop usama for Nawaz or zaman.
Fakhar needs to open . Rizwan at 4

Good suggestions but i would give Usama 3 games atleast then he has given a reasonable chance.

 

[Kianig89]

For rotation Babar should be rested rest should continue Farhan should come in.

Saim
Fakhar
Farhan
Rizwan
Ifti
Jamal
Abass
SSA
Azam+
Mir
Rauf
---------
Azam is the one who carries the legacy of Awais Zia, Shahzaib Hasan, Asif Ali, this guy is a low quality hack, give him 2-3 games to end his chapter

 

[shamaan]

I will pick the same xi.

 

[Forum363]

This is the team and positions I want tried. Certain players can be rotated like Babar / Rizwan, and Azam Khan etc

Saim
Farhan
Fakhar
Babar / Rizwan
Haseebullah /Azam Khan
Iftikhar
Nawaz
Jamal / Wasim
Shaheen
Rauf / Zaman
Afraid

 

[Cricket Warrior]

This is the team and positions I want tried. Certain players can be rotated like Babar / Rizwan, and Azam Khan etc

Saim
Farhan
Fakhar
Babar / Rizwan
Haseebullah /Azam Khan
Iftikhar
Nawaz
Jamal / Wasim
Shaheen
Rauf / Zaman
Afraid

I would rather drop fakhar and will keep both Babar and Rizwan into the playing XI

 

[BouncerGuy]

Lost 1st t20 game badly and now I would like Usama to say good bye to this side. he should be dropped and who else will play, Nawaz for him. Also want to see zaman in side for haris. Rest of the team looks fine.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Pakistan cricket team update.

Five players from the Pakistan cricket team, Mohammad Nawaz, Haseebullah, Sahebzada Farhan, Wasim Junior, and Zaman Khan, participated in a two-hour practice session in Hamilton today.

The second T20 international will be played in Hamilton tomorrow.

 

[BouncerGuy]

I am looking at 1 change for tomorrow's match, Nawaz in for Usama. Jamal might sit out for wasim but I guess there is less chance for this to happen.

 

[Rana]

What’s the ground dimensions for this one?

Hopefully another belter and 400 runs scored in the day

 

[gazza619]

I think we should reserve Jamal for ODIs & Tests. There are better T20 options for Pakistan such as Zaman Khan.

I would also replace the useless Azam Khan with the dynamic Haseebullah.

Usama Mir should be replaced with M Waseem Jnr

 

[SamNJ]

Why nobody talks about Fakhar being a liability in T20Is.
He was a flop in opening slot, didn't get dropped instead moved to no. 3. Has been below average there too.

 

[FearlessRoar]

What’s the ground dimensions for this one?

Hopefully another belter and 400 runs scored in the day

Professional players should be prepared for all ground dimensions. I believe our players should refrain from making such excuses.

 

[Rana]

Professional players should be prepared for all ground dimensions. I believe our players should refrain from making such excuses.

I could honestly care about what the players think. I’m more into the entertainment factor, I wanna see mis hits going for sixes

 

[FearlessRoar]

I could honestly care about what the players think. I’m more into the entertainment factor, I wanna see mis hits going for sixes

And I'm not ready to hear excuses about short boundaries from our players. I want to hear about their preparations and at least 50% execution. I don't expect them to be 100% perfect, but at least show 50% results of their preparations.

 

[PakPremi]

Good suggestions but i would give Usama 3 games atleast then he has given a reasonable chance.

Usama was given quite a few games in the ODI world cup without once impressing and has already played some T20s in which he has been poor. I would personally not give him any more cahnces, he was easily tge worst bowler in the last match, and his so call useful batting is never seen at international level. Nawaz as he is in the only other spinner in the squad has to play, atleast he has some control and can score 15 to 20 runs.

 

[Markhor]

Bowling was awful today. Poor lengths galore. It is time for the coaches to do some introspection and bring some talents like Hasnain and Dahani back into the fold. Mir Hamza should also be considered as a viable option. Rather than letting us continue to toil in mediocrity, we need to inject some life into this attack.

Are there cricketers from other cities available besides Karachi ?

Consider a change to a more accurate handle like OvertRegionalist.

 

[Shafi]

Talentless Hack like Azam Khan, Mir need to be dropped. Jamal isn't T20 material so As Fakhar. Ifti needs to be retired and golden boy Nawaz needs to be shown the door.

 

[Abdullah]

Why is Babar Azam playing T20 internationals? or Rizwan for that matter if they are sure of playing the world T20. Shouldn't they use this series to experiment a bit?

You play your best team. We are Pakistan so these guys need to learn their new roles, and the experimentation happens in the rest of the eleven.
Also we have not played t20s for a bit, so they should play whilst the series is alive

 

[FearlessRoar]

Zaman Khan - when will he play?

 

[Dr_Bassim]

So the entire reason Babar and Rizwan are playing is that Pakistan doesn't get humiliated and lose the series badly and management gets fired.

But what if do play and Pakistan still ends up losing 5-0 (unlikely. but just saying).

What then?

 

[Rana]

So the entire reason Babar and Rizwan are playing is that Pakistan doesn't get humiliated and lose the series badly and management gets fired.

But what if do play and Pakistan still ends up losing 5-0 (unlikely. but just saying).

What then?

The excuse is ready:

“They broke up the greatest opening pair in cricket history”

 

[LegendAli]

Why do they keep changing the time of these games at the last moment?

When I checked yesterday game was set to start 5PM MST and now bumped up by 6 hours to 11PM MST?

 

[Kianig89]

Time to check the young players regardless of results, hopefully Rizwan and Babar are rested turn by turn

 

[Rana]

Time to check the young players regardless of results, hopefully Rizwan and Babar are rested turn by turn

Babar should play all games at 3 and make that position his own. It’s his best position and no one in Pakistan can play this position better. So he needs to get on with it.

Rizwan, yeah do whatever you want with him. Find a good place where he can play his one shot

 

[Flat_Track_Bully]

So the entire reason Babar and Rizwan are playing is that Pakistan doesn't get humiliated and lose the series badly and management gets fired.

But what if do play and Pakistan still ends up losing 5-0 (unlikely. but just saying).

What then?

Then the the T20 WC will be a disaster. They need to find form ASAP.

 

[Rana]

Then the the T20 WC will be a disaster. They need to find form ASAP.

It won’t be as bad. We should beat Canada, USA and Ireland (fingers crossed)

We will probably beat our perennial jobbers NZ too

Maybe South Africa will have an off day against us?

 

[hitthestump]

So the entire reason Babar and Rizwan are playing is that Pakistan doesn't get humiliated and lose the series badly and management gets fired.

But what if do play and Pakistan still ends up losing 5-0 (unlikely. but just saying).

What then?

Same as always.

The fans will call Shaheen, Wahab, Hafeez and co. 'useless', 'clueless' 'pathetic' and claim that this team desparately needs (insert any random name here e.g. Salman Butt, Mickey Arthur, Harsha Bhogle) to win trophies.

They don't step down so we enter the WC under a backdrop of how we have 'no hope under this current management', which is something we hear under every management.

They are then blamed entirely for the performance of the team and a bunch of fans convince themselves that if it was for this person or that individual, Pakistan would have won the World Cup.

They get fired. The cycle then begins again.

 

[LegendAli]

It won’t be as bad. We should beat Canada, USA and Ireland (fingers crossed)

We will probably beat our perennial jobbers NZ too

Maybe South Africa will have an off day against us?

Against Canada and USA, 50/50.

Against Ireland, only 25% chance tbh.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

Keep the same side. Give players some breathing space.

Azam khan had enough breathing space , give him 10 more matches and he will still be the same non performer occupying the match finisher position.

The sooner they realise he is not cut out for intl cricket the better for the team

 

[ask_analyse_act]

So the entire reason Babar and Rizwan are playing is that Pakistan doesn't get humiliated and lose the series badly and management gets fired.

But what if do play and Pakistan still ends up losing 5-0 (unlikely. but just saying).

What then?

Very likely be 5-0 or 4-1 after NZL win first 4 games and decides to play second string side resting their main players.

 

[The Bald Eagle]

I hope the team green wins tomorrow. If they can't win it tomorrow then no way they can win this series.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Azam khan had enough breathing space , give him 10 more matches and he will still be the same non performer occupying the match finisher position.

The sooner they realise he is not cut out for intl cricket the better for the team

This series is meaningless in the grand scheme of things. Give him all 5 games and if he fails it will close the chapter and shut his fans up.

 

[Mohraheem]

This is the team and positions I want tried. Certain players can be rotated like Babar / Rizwan, and Azam Khan etc

Saim
Farhan
Fakhar
Babar / Rizwan
Haseebullah /Azam Khan
Iftikhar
Nawaz
Jamal / Wasim
Shaheen
Rauf / Zaman
Afraid

Ifthikhar is bad choice, he hasn’t proved anything. Don’t know why and with what knowledge he is on this team

 

[Asad T]

Ifthikhar is bad choice, he hasn’t proved anything. Don’t know why and with what knowledge he is on this team

His domestic reccord is very good, had an incredible National T20 cup also. But even his T20i stats are decent:
bat: 28 average, 133 sr
ball: average is 65, but econ is just 7

in fact, he could bowl all of Nawaz's overs, and can play a specialist batter instead.

 

[PakEngFan]

Babar should play all games at 3 and make that position his own. It’s his best position and no one in Pakistan can play this position better. So he needs to get on with it.

Rizwan, yeah do whatever you want with him. Find a good place where he can play his one shot

Rizwan with his one shot is the by far the greatest wk Pakistan ever produced. Imagine how awful the others were.

 

[Mohraheem]

His domestic reccord is very good, had an incredible National T20 cup also. But even his T20i stats are decent:
bat: 28 average, 133 sr
ball: average is 65, but econ is just 7

in fact, he could bowl all of Nawaz's overs, and can play a specialist batter instead.

given so many chances even t20 World Cup and ODI World Cup! The way he is performing. Even Harris or Salman agha can perform better Thn him. It’s time we move on from his Selection conspiracy.

 

[Rana]

Rizwan with his one shot is the by far the greatest wk Pakistan ever produced. Imagine how awful the others were.

Actually that’s not true at all I’m afraid. He isn’t even better than Kamran Akmal.

 

[PakEngFan]

Actually that’s not true at all I’m afraid. He isn’t even better than Kamran Akmal.

His stats in all formats are miles better than anyone is Pakistan history. It might not be in your book but it's facts. Infact rizwan test SENA stats are far better than most of our greats and here you are talking about drop machine akmal who's stats in odis and t20s are borderline no 9 batting stats these days.

 

[Rana]

His stats in all formats are miles better than anyone is Pakistan history. It might not be in your book but it's facts. Infact rizwan test SENA stats are far better than most of our greats and here you are talking about drop machine akmal who's stats in odis and t20s are borderline no 9 batting stats these days.

Yeah I don’t think his stats are too great either

Not are his achievements (which are zero basically)

No point claiming you are Pakistan’s greatest keeper+batsman with ZERO wins in SENA actually.

 

[PakEngFan]

Yeah I don’t think his stats are too great either

Not are his achievements (which are zero basically)

No point claiming you are Pakistan’s greatest keeper+batsman with ZERO wins in SENA actually.

Great today I found out that cricket is not a team sports. No point having a discussion with someone who hates him with passion.

 

[Suleiman]

Saim is basically the new Virat + Rohit + Viv. So this will be an easy win as long as he doesn’t bottle running between wickets.

 

[ElRaja]

if wasim or zaman replace jamal, and haseebullah or farhan replace azam khan i will be ok with that.