Our lineup vs India with 8 bowling options!

[msb314]

Here it goes!

1) Shehzad
2) Hafeez
3) Babar
4) Haris
5) Malik
6) Sarfraz
7) Imad
8) Fahim
9) Hassan
10) Amir
11) Junaid

IMO this is our best bet.

Hafeez opening in England is risky but I would rather have him open than Azhar. Atleast he play at a faster SR than Azhar and take some advantage of the PP with his strokes.

Babar and Haris are solid accumulators who would come good in the middle order whist Malik and Sarfraz would help neutralize the threat posed by Ashwin and Jadeja.

Down the order - Imad and Fahim would provide much needed firepower!

Bowling wise - a 4 man pace attack with Amir, Junaid, Hassan and Fahim is ideal. With pace and bounce - we can hopefully take early wickets and get Kohli out early Imad, Hafeez and Malik can tie down their scoring and hopefully take a few wickets as well.

If one of the spinners goes for runs - Haris is a good backup option for an over or two just to mix it up and not let their batsman settle.

With this lineup - we bat all the way down to Amir at no. 10 so if we have to chase 300+, so be it and we can atleast give ourselves a chance!

Thoughts?

 

[ahmedwaqas92]

I posted the exact same line up in another thread that's making the rounds since yesterday.

We get two left arm pacers, two right arm pacers, an economical offie (Hafeez), a conventional offie (Malik), a Slow left arm orthodox in the mold of Jadeja (a watered down version of him though) and a handy classical Slow left Arm in Harris who is more than capable of rolling him arm over if need be.

Plus we get batting until #10, with a gun Lower order and a middle order with Babar, Malik, Haris and Sarfraz. The only downside are the openers and Hafeez and Shehzad make it ahead of Fakhir and Azhar (anyday of the week in place of Azhar though)....

This lineup should be played on June 4th

 

[msb314]

I posted the exact same line up in another thread that's making the rounds since yesterday.

We get two left arm pacers, two right arm pacers, an economical offie (Hafeez), a conventional offie (Malik), a Slow left arm orthodox in the mold of Jadeja (a watered down version of him though) and a handy classical Slow left Arm in Harris who is more than capable of rolling him arm over if need be.

Plus we get batting until #10, with a gun Lower order and a middle order with Babar, Malik, Haris and Sarfraz. The only downside are the openers and Hafeez and Shehzad make it ahead of Fakhir and Azhar (anyday of the week in place of Azhar though)....

This lineup should be played on June 4th

Yes.

Fahim gets the nod over Shadab for now.

This is our best chance.

 

[Slog]

having the ability to roll an arm shouldnt count as being a bowling option...

My lineup would be:

Fakhar Zaman
Hafeez
Babar
Haris
Malik
Sarfaraz
Imad
Fahim Ashraf
Hasan Ali
Amir
Junaid

Imad has to play due to his unbelievable batting record in England and slow left armers.
No point of playing conventional spinners like Shadab as India can cart them around for fun. Also Imad gives more in batting anyways and is an unorthodox left arm spinner.

Hafeez gives us a bowling option and can deliver minimum 5 tidy overs. However for bowling hopes rest on Amir and Hasan to keep it tidy and induce chances

Batting line up is deep and arguably with Malik, Babar, Haris and Sarfaraz we have too many accumulators. However with the 2 openers I am taking a big risk in the sense that the hope is for Fakhar and Hafeez to go out all guns blazing and put one of them to put up a 50-75 stand with each other or someone else in no time. To really make a game of it we really HAVE TO TRY TO PUT A BIG OPENING STAND AT A 7+ RUN RATE. Better to atleast attempt that and fail trying than not even put up the effort.

However I admit it is very likely that we could be 10/2 with this pair so you need the accumulators in the order to help get some respectability. But what is for certain is that at start we need to go for a quick stand otherwise we will be well behind the game anyway. It is def for certain you cant bat at under 5 an over till the 25th over and then expect our middle order to go at 7.5+ an over to get to a 300+ score. So WE HAVE TO GIVE OURSELVES THE BEST SHOT of getting a headstart on the game.

Also Hopefully Fahim Ashraf and Hasan can do some tullay baazi at end if need be.

Also 6 bowling options with Malik adding cover. (Not counting Haris).

I really think this is the best we can go with considering the players available and conditions.

 

[ahmedwaqas92]

having the ability to roll an arm shouldnt count as being a bowling option...

My lineup would be:

Fakhar Zaman
Hafeez
Babar
Haris
Malik
Sarfaraz
Imad
Fahim Ashraf
Hasan Ali
Amir
Junaid

Imad has to play due to his unbelievable batting record in England and slow left armers.
No point of playing conventional spinners like Shadab as India can cart them around for fun. Also Imad gives more in batting anyways and is an unorthodox left arm spinner.

Hafeez gives us a bowling option and can deliver minimum 5 tidy overs. However for bowling hopes rest on Amir and Hasan to keep it tidy and induce chances

Batting line up is deep and arguably with Malik, Babar, Haris and Sarfaraz we have too many accumulators. However with the 2 openers I am taking a big risk in the sense that the hope is for Fakhar and Hafeez to go out all guns blazing and put one of them to put up a 50-75 stand with each other or someone else in no time. To really make a game of it we really HAVE TO TRY TO PUT A BIG OPENING STAND AT A 7+ RUN RATE. Better to atleast attempt that and fail trying than not even put up the effort.

However I admit it is very likely that we could be 10/2 with this pair so you need the accumulators in the order to help get some respectability. But what is for certain is that at start we need to go for a quick stand otherwise we will be well behind the game anyway. It is def for certain you cant bat at under 5 an over till the 25th over and then expect our middle order to go at 7.5+ an over to get to a 300+ score. So WE HAVE TO GIVE OURSELVES THE BEST SHOT of getting a headstart on the game.

Also Hopefully Fahim Ashraf and Hasan can do some tullay baazi at end if need be.

Also 6 bowling options with Malik adding cover. (Not counting Haris).

I really think this is the best we can go with considering the players available and conditions.

This will practically mean that you're throwing Fakhar, who's essentially a better bat than Shehzad, in the deep end and if God Forbid he fails. We have Shehzad FOR THE DECIDER with SA

I'd rather Shehzad fail right now and we have a proper batsmen to count on if it came down to do or die....

I trust Shehzad would, similar to Hafeez, totally bottle it if a pressure game with SA happens to be the deciding factor between qualifying and 1st round exit.

What do you think ??

 

[Slog]

This will practically mean that you're throwing Fakhar, who's essentially a better bat than Shehzad, in the deep end and if God Forbid he fails. We have Shehzad FOR THE DECIDER with SA

I'd rather Shehzad fail right now and we have a proper batsmen to count on if it came down to do or die....

I trust Shehzad would, similar to Hafeez, totally bottle it if a pressure game with SA happens to be the deciding factor between qualifying and 1st round exit.

What do you think ??

To be fair Fakhar isnt some Godsent savior either.

Play the guy most likely to help you win. Thats Fakhar at this point. And I dont think he will warrant drop after one failure. Hafeez has to play due to bowling option

 

[msb314]

having the ability to roll an arm shouldnt count as being a bowling option...

My lineup would be:

Fakhar Zaman
Hafeez
Babar
Haris
Malik
Sarfaraz
Imad
Fahim Ashraf
Hasan Ali
Amir
Junaid

Imad has to play due to his unbelievable batting record in England and slow left armers.
No point of playing conventional spinners like Shadab as India can cart them around for fun. Also Imad gives more in batting anyways and is an unorthodox left arm spinner.

Hafeez gives us a bowling option and can deliver minimum 5 tidy overs. However for bowling hopes rest on Amir and Hasan to keep it tidy and induce chances

Batting line up is deep and arguably with Malik, Babar, Haris and Sarfaraz we have too many accumulators. However with the 2 openers I am taking a big risk in the sense that the hope is for Fakhar and Hafeez to go out all guns blazing and put one of them to put up a 50-75 stand with each other or someone else in no time. To really make a game of it we really HAVE TO TRY TO PUT A BIG OPENING STAND AT A 7+ RUN RATE. Better to atleast attempt that and fail trying than not even put up the effort.

However I admit it is very likely that we could be 10/2 with this pair so you need the accumulators in the order to help get some respectability. But what is for certain is that at start we need to go for a quick stand otherwise we will be well behind the game anyway. It is def for certain you cant bat at under 5 an over till the 25th over and then expect our middle order to go at 7.5+ an over to get to a 300+ score. So WE HAVE TO GIVE OURSELVES THE BEST SHOT of getting a headstart on the game.

Also Hopefully Fahim Ashraf and Hasan can do some tullay baazi at end if need be.

Also 6 bowling options with Malik adding cover. (Not counting Haris).

I really think this is the best we can go with considering the players available and conditions.

Although Fakhar deserves a chance - the CT is not the right time to throw him in the deep end. He should be eased into the side via a couple of easy bilaterals.

Shehzad should open with Hafeez.

 

[ahmedwaqas92]

To be fair Fakhar isnt some Godsent savior either.

Play the guy most likely to help you win. Thats Fakhar at this point. And I dont think he will warrant drop after one failure. Hafeez has to play due to bowling option

At the moment, no one is the savior. This lineup consist of blokes who don't necessarily have the skill set but fight tooth and nail with the opposition and I expect the same under Sarfraz on June 4th. However, given how our system works Fakhar will be surely dropped if we play the India game and lose so I'd probably make Shezzy the sacrificial lamb here as opposed to Fakhar.

Because as you said, you play the best bat that helps you win and in a decider I'd go with Fakhar but for that to happen you need a Shezzy failure cushion so that the swap at least makes some cricketing sense....

 

[New Yorker]

having the ability to roll an arm shouldnt count as being a bowling option...

...Imad has to play due to his unbelievable batting record in England and slow left armers.
No point of playing conventional spinners like Shadab as India can cart them around for fun. Also Imad gives more in batting anyways and is an unorthodox left arm spinner....

....I really think this is the best we can go with considering the players available and conditions.

We haven't seen enough of Shadab to make that comparison, but my hunch which I think is shared by a few others, is that he is both a better batting prospect than Imad Wasim and will in time also be a more incisive bowler. The question is when one gives him a proper run.

 

[ExpressPacer]

I disagree. There is no need to have both Hafeez and Shehzad in the same team. You can really just choose one of Azhar/Hafeez/Ahmad. And personally, I would opt for Ahmed Shehzad because he has good fitness, is one of our best fielders and has the ability to play quick, I just don't understand why he chooses not to when he CAN. Also, playing Hafeez as opener literally means that either you're a wicket down in the very first over because frankly, he can't play Kumar OR you end up with a start of 60-1 after 20 overs because that's how he plays.

And honestly, his bowling has been overrated to the moon on PP. India has a love of playing spinners and they will take him apart like no tomorrow. Not to forget he still chucks so lets save ourselves from some embarrassment.

My team would be:

1) Sarfraz Ahmed - Has experience of opening and has had a lot of success doing so in major tournaments. This spot is most suited to his style of play as he takes the pressure of the other player and is not under pressure of finishing the game either.
2) Ahmed Shehzad.
3) Babar Azam.
4) Harris Sohail.
5) Shoaib Malik.
6) Imad Wasim - Has found tremendous success in England and continues to do so, also his unknown bowling will be vital against the likes of India as he doesn't spin it and the ball goes through after pitching.

7) Shadab Khan - Can play the role of finisher because he certainly has the firepower as he's shown below. His bowling and googlies will be especially vital vs India who have not seen him before.

8) Fahim Ashraf - a good option with the ball in hand and a more than handy batsman.
9) Mohammad Amir.
10) Hasan Ali.
11) Wahab Riaz or Junaid Khan.

This attack gives you the same amount of bowling options, a better opener than the guys we have, bowlers who India have never seen before and a bunch of guys who can (possibly) finish the game off vs Indian trundlers. If Bumrah has a not-so-good day with the ball in hand, we could possibly have a great finish.