What's new

Pakistan’s T20I wicketkeeping issue – Who’s the answer?

Who could be the answer to Pakistan's quest for perfect wicketkeeping batter?

  • Mohammad Rizwan

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Mohammad Haris

    Votes: 2 66.7%

  • Sahibzada Farhan

    Votes: 1 33.3%

  • Usman Khan

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Azam Khan

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Rohail Nazir

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Saad Baig

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Haseebullah Khan

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    3
As the batting order ends up being fluid outside the top 3/4, I would like a template of

2 explosive openers(Farhan and probably Fakhar)
3 babar
4 open spot
5 Rizwan (WK)
6 open spot

For the open spots, I would look at Haider Ali, Irfan Khan and Kamran Ghulam- I think that they can score quickly and with Babar and Rizzy there as insurance, it would give the flexibility to the side.
 
Nafay is not a regular WK. In case PCB forces him to convert into one, his batting may be impacted. We just can't afford to loose him as a batter.

Pak still has no answer to WK issues.
 
mango_bite77 said:
Nafay is not a regular WK. In case PCB forces him to convert into one, his batting may be impacted. We just can't afford to loose him as a batter.

Pak still has no answer to WK issues.
Click to expand...
Just listened to him speaking before his debut. He says he doesn’t follow keeping much, which shows that he wasn’t looking to become a regular keeper. Interestingly, he mentioned that his favourite keeper is Riz and favourite batter is Babar.

I am definitely against asking non-regular keepers to keep wickets for Pak. Either play the guy on his merit or don’t.

Agreed, the wk slot is far from sorted.
 
In T20, you can get away with a part-time keeper.

Pakistan used to use Umar Akmal as the T20 keeper and he was a part-timer.

I think Nafay should continue as the T20 keeper.
 
sweep_shot said:
In T20, you can get away with a part-time keeper.
Click to expand...
That's the general perception which is incorrect. At best, a part time keeper will get you 10-15 more runs than a specialist one but even one missed chance, especially in make or break situations can be worth much much more, not to mention extra runs in the form of byes and leg byes. If Haris wasn't performing and Rizwan was out of favor, we could have tested Saad Baig or Rohail Nazir but instead the team management in line with their preference for bits and pieces players opted for Usman and Nafay. The only way such a tactic works is if the part time keeper brings extraordinary skills as a batter which is not the case here.

I hope they prove me wrong but this will not end well.
 
amvbfm said:
That's the general perception which is incorrect. At best, a part time keeper will get you 10-15 more runs than a specialist one but even one missed chance, especially in make or break situations can be worth much much more, not to mention extra runs in the form of byes and leg byes. If Haris wasn't performing and Rizwan was out of favor, we could have tested Saad Baig or Rohail Nazir but instead the team management in line with their preference for bits and pieces players opted for Usman and Nafay. The only way such a tactic works is if the part time keeper brings extraordinary skills as a batter which is not the case here.

I hope they prove me wrong but this will not end well.
Click to expand...
How many runs Nafay leaked with his WK last game? Mind you conditions were difficult because of wet ball and outfield too.
 
RidiculousMan said:
How many runs Nafay leaked with his WK last game? Mind you conditions were difficult because of wet ball and outfield too.
Click to expand...
I didn't watch the first innings. But i don't need to watch it to know that not giving anything in a rain shortened 12 over, inconsequential game, doesn't mean the guy will consistently do well with the gloves or be up to the task or not lose his nerve when presented with difficult chances or high pressure situations. The guy has 0 stumpings in his entire career - let that sink in - 0 stumpings (most probably because he has not kept in more than a handful of games) and you are thinking about giving him the gloves at the international level and that too at the World Cup! Its foolish, if not insane. And not only will it dent the team's prospects but also the player's long term chances as he will be judged for a skill he most probably doesn't possess.
 
RidiculousMan said:
That's all I needed to know. Thank you
Click to expand...
As i said, i don't need to. If Wasim Jnr opened the batting or Farhan was asked to bowl at the death would you need to watch the game to judge if they are suitable for those positions? Obviously not. While i admit that might not be a totally fair comparison it is still not wrong because that's kind of what you are asking Nafay to do: take up a specialist job without prior experience of doing it on a regular basis, even at the domestic level. It just doesn't work that way in professional sports. And the logic that you don't need a specialist keeper in T20s is equally faulty. Such compromises work with bowlers and batsmen but not keepers. What would be the compromise here? We'd be ok with a dropped chance every game for a quickfire 20 at number 5? Also, its not as if Nafay has set the world on fire with his batting. Its alarming that we are considering fast tracking a batsman averaging consistently in the mid twenties as a specialist keeper in a World Cup squad!
 
amvbfm said:
As i said, i don't need to. If Wasim Jnr opened the batting or Farhan was asked to bowl at the death would you need to watch the game to judge if they are suitable for those positions? Obviously not. While i admit that might not be a totally fair comparison it is still not wrong because that's kind of what you are asking Nafay to do: take up a specialist job without prior experience of doing it on a regular basis, even at the domestic level. It just doesn't work that way in professional sports. And the logic that you don't need a specialist keeper in T20s is equally faulty. Such compromises work with bowlers and batsmen but not keepers. What would be the compromise here? We'd be ok with a dropped chance every game for a quickfire 20 at number 5? Also, its not as if Nafay has set the world on fire with his batting. Its alarming that we are considering fast tracking a batsman averaging consistently in the mid twenties as a specialist keeper in a World Cup squad!
Click to expand...
Nafay is much better batter than Hack Usman and pretty much on par as a keeper.

If team doesn't need part timer then option is Haris. As Rizwan has been pathetic in this format as a batter.
 
RidiculousMan said:
Nafay is much better batter than Hack Usman and pretty much on par as a keeper.

If team doesn't need part timer then option is Haris. As Rizwan has been pathetic in this format as a batter.
Click to expand...
Should be a regular keeper whoever it is.
 
You can't really get away with a part time keeper in any format if majority of the overs are to be bowled by spinners.
Hope Nafay does well.
 
PCB fails to develop good players.. Simple but harsh truth... We have got a name Shahqaiz irfan whom rashid Latif also praised. He vanished....

Haseeb is where??? Might not be good for t20s but he is nowhere in ODis also which is his strongest format

We brought Haris but he failed miserably. Then we brought Usman who was also a useless domestic bully atm

Now we have brought in Nafay, who can bat but he is untested...

We are doomed
 
RizwanT20Champ said:
Answers to wicket keeping

1/ UAE reject Usman Khan - next Gilchrist
2/ Azam Khan - big arms big chikkay @YousafTheBeast @RedwoodOriginal
3/ Mo Harris - classy against Oman @TheSultan
Click to expand...
You must be out of your mind if you think I support the idea of Azam Khan playing professional cricket again, let alone playing for Pakistan.

Maybe you should take some time to actually understand people's views who have been here since long before you were born, before talking out of your... well you get the point
 
Whoever is the keeper will have a good test of his credentials as next series is against Australia
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
You must be out of your mind if you think I support the idea of Azam Khan playing professional cricket again, let alone playing for Pakistan.

Maybe you should take some time to actually understand people's views who have been here since long before you were born, before talking out of your... well you get the point
Click to expand...
Babar has been winning matches long before you were born. Whether Azam or Farhan, you are one of the hypocrites getting excited by chikkay and berating Rizwan and Babar all the time.
 
I would stick with Harris at 6.

If he scores then great if not then no real impact given the batting position.

Rizwan is too steady for T20 and Usman will find it difficult against international bowlers
 
RizwanT20Champ said:
Babar has been winning matches long before you were born. Whether Azam or Farhan, you are one of the hypocrites getting excited by chikkay and berating Rizwan and Babar all the time.
Click to expand...
...as opposed to getting excited by dot-balls, batting at a strike-rate of 99-114 and clearing the boundary once every five matches?
 
Pakistan have discarded Rizwan, but are yet to find a suitable replacement. A safe keeper and a reliable batsman the task is daunting, many have failed from Azam Khan to OBY to Haris to Usman
 
Concerned said:
I would stick with Harris at 6.

If he scores then great if not then no real impact given the batting position.

Rizwan is too steady for T20 and Usman will find it difficult against international bowlers
Click to expand...
I’d have liked to have tried out Usman at top order as that’s what he did in domestic when he succeeded. But it’s clear he’s not getting those chances. And while I think his domestic prowess deserves those chances I get he does look awful and unconvincing at the crease.

Since Usman is not given top order I agree Haris down the order at 6 makes sense. I think we hoped too far with Haris, we should have accepted him for what he is right now as a useful slogger and left him down the order. His promotion back up really unsettled things, it put too much focus on his batting and messed up positions for Hasan Nawaz. But of course if that happened Haris has to focus on his keeping first, his batting becomes secondary.
 
RizwanT20Champ said:
So as predicted you can't answer? Why don't you answer what I asked without dancing and I will give you the answer you seek.
Click to expand...
What does the Asia Cup have to do with anything? Is the World Cup in UAE? It's a bit sad to see a little Boobzy fanboy like you crutching at straws. But then again, it has been a tough day for you. With Bobby taking that one-way flight out of Australia and all :vk2
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
What does the Asia Cup have to do with anything? Is the World Cup in UAE? It's a bit sad to see a little Boobzy fanboy like you crutching at straws. But then again, it has been a tough day for you. With Bobby taking that one-way flight out of Australia and all :vk2
Click to expand...
Babar left for national duty and has a test century in Australia. Farhan cannot wipe his shoes.
:inti
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
What does the Asia Cup have to do with anything? Is the World Cup in UAE? It's a bit sad to see a little Boobzy fanboy like you crutching at straws. But then again, it has been a tough day for you. With Bobby taking that one-way flight out of Australia and all :vk2
Click to expand...
By this logic what does Babar's 2025 have to do with anything? Babar has not even played an international T20 in SL all his career. Self goal?
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
Yes, and pigs can fly.

Yasir Shah has a test century in Australia too. Your point? Babar also averages 25 in Australia.
Click to expand...
Cummins has a "chikka" against Bhumrah so why are you fainting over Farhan? We can all play the same game. Farhan is not worthy to tie Babar and Rizwan's shoe laces. Believe that!
 
RizwanT20Champ said:
By this logic what does Babar's 2025 have to do with anything? Babar has not even played an international T20 in SL all his career. Self goal?
Click to expand...
A full year is a pretty commonly used sample-size for a batsman's recent form. I know cricket for you began when Babar hit his first century against Zimbabwe but believe it or not, this is something people do to discuss a batsman's recent form.
 
RizwanT20Champ said:
Cummins has a "chikka" against Bhumrah so why are you fainting over Farhan? We can all play the same game. Farhan is not worthy to tie Babar and Rizwan's shoe laces. Believe that!
Click to expand...
You're right, nobody is worthy of tying Dot Bradman and W.G Brace's shoe-laces. @Rana
 
To me, the main contenders are:
Usman Khan, Mo Haris and Rizwan

But, foremost, you need someone who can actaully keep. Haris and Usman are terrible with the gloves and consistently miss opportunities that cost us games. But Riz batting up the order also costs us games.

But as we all know, Rizwan is great with the gloves, but is a crap batter.

So it's a trade off.

But personally, I'd rater go with Riz as a keeper, but bat him at #10, just ahead of Abrar
 
Another series another change of keeper, Nafay Benched Usman back. Post Rizwan the merry Go continues
:dw
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

BouncerGuy
  • Poll Poll
Should Babar Azam make Pakistan’s ICC T20 World Cup (2026) squad?
2 3
Replies
211
Views
3K
RidiculousMan
RidiculousMan
BouncerGuy
  • Poll Poll
[PICTURE] Who emerged as Pakistan’s best Test batter in 2025?
Replies
22
Views
933
hassan918
hassan918
BouncerGuy
  • Poll Poll
[PICTURE] Who was Pakistan’s best T20I bowler in 2025?
Replies
7
Views
621
hassan918
hassan918
indian_sap
What should Pakistan’s squad look like for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026?
2 3
Replies
178
Views
6K
Devadwal
Devadwal
Cricket Warrior
  • Poll Poll
Mohammad Naeem vs Saim Ayub: Who Deserves a Spot in Pakistan’s T20I Side?
Replies
25
Views
911
YousafTheBeast
YousafTheBeast
Back
Top