ODIs are his strongest format.
That's a myth.
You'll see it in the ODIs. And most importantly over long term, say 10-15 matches.
Worse than Ahmed Shehzad.
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ODIs are his strongest format.
Talat is being set up to fail so Imam keeps his spot.
[MENTION=79064]MMHS[/MENTION]
How can you tell that, without playing a single ODI. I know his List A stats are great - but that's made entirely in PAK domestics where Sami, Asad & Ahmed has equally impressive stats, and Kamran has been king in last 4-5 years.
He has scored lots of runs, so deserves a chance - let him play few games before judging. At current form, I do believe he'll score ODI runs as well, but ODI/T20 isn't his game and he should focus on becoming PAK Test opener for next 10 years, may be Captain as well for few years.
How can you tell that, without playing a single ODI. I know his List A stats are great - but that's made entirely in PAK domestics where Sami, Asad & Ahmed has equally impressive stats, and Kamran has been king in last 4-5 years.
He has scored lots of runs, so deserves a chance - let him play few games before judging. At current form, I do believe he'll score ODI runs as well, but ODI/T20 isn't his game and he should focus on becoming PAK Test opener for next 10 years, may be Captain as well for few years.
Harris Sohail (unfit) dropped for Mohammad Rizwan
Asif Ali (performance) dropped for Hussain Talat
Junaid Khan (unfit) dropped for Mohammad Amir
Inzi seems to be talking directly to us at PP![]()
Shan Masood, worse than even Imam ul Haq in this format.
Yet he gets selected.
Cool. Well, at least they're trying him, right now they don't know what to do so just making random selections.
Correct about Shan here.
The bad thing is, our opening will remain doomed because we're trying a new guy who we will give 2-3 years (SHan). Ruining our team further.
Thats just not true. No one really even comes close to Shan's list A stats.
Why is Asif Ali dropped? Did he not hit 80 odd at a SR of 200 in the Manzi T20 league in Sa recently?
He came in at 5 but remember Pakistan only lost 3 wickets inside 40 overs and he played the finisher role superbly that day.
I don't see any other players in the squad who have any proven hitting ability to bat at 6.
Be that as it may, I don't understand why after 16 years and 203 ODIs, PPers still put together fantasy XIs with him at 6.
It's
not
going
to
happen.
Thats just not true. No one really even comes close to Shan's list A stats.
Shan Masood, worse than even Imam ul Haq in this format.
.
Just to give a comparison, in 80 odd List A innings, Shan has scored around 4K runs @ 56.52/82 stats. Same for the 3 I mentioned, excluding their ODI stats are
Ahmed: 3,311 @57.09/97.84 (ODI: 2,605 @32.56/72.08)
Sami: 3,447 @50.69/86.78 (78 @19.50/66.67)
Asad: 3,108 @58.64/89.98 (1,336 @24.74/67.51 ... and he managed to play 60 ODI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Azhar's List A excluding ODI stats are like 3,982 runs @ 55.31 (SR will be similar to Shan as well)
Not saying Shan will be flop, because he is in red hot form and has improved his overall batting package considerably, but using domestic stats to forecast success in Internationals is risky, more so with PAK's domestic stats. In any case, Shan is much better than Imam whose domestic stats minus bashing of ZIM reserves stands at like 30/70.
Why is Asif Ali dropped? Did he not hit 80 odd at a SR of 200 in the Manzi T20 league in Sa recently?
Ok so where do you want him to bat in the XI?
Azhar would have been a great addition in the side before 300 became par.
Ahmed, tried and tested = failed.
Asad, tried and tested = failed.
Shan deserves a chance based on his numbers, he may or may not fail... We will have to wait and see.
Azhar won't have been an ODI batsman even in 150 per days or when ODI was played for 60 overs, for 245/9 in 60 overs being matching winning.
The reason is his batting capability, not batting approach - he is extremely limited with his shot making ability and any decent International side will choke his scoring areas. Biggest mistake you are making here is cascading his 38/72 stats (mostly made against substandard attacks) into a 220 per era and thinking that in 80s & 90s he would have been great. NO, it doesn't work that way - he would have been even more pathetic that time, when bowlers had something at their favor to bite back - my hunch is his 38/72 stats would have been slashed to straight half - 20/40 level.
It's not that he plays selfishly or playing a particular tactical role, rather it's because of his limitation as a batsman - absolutely no back-foot game, not much in off side either, nothing against short ball at all and one of the worst players even from PAK when it comes to rotate strike. And, he can't loft spinners much like Malik, neither can sweep or deflect them like Javed to keep scorecard moving - blunt dead bat. If he had any shot making ability, after batting for 3 hours, he won't have tried to chase 16 runs in 16 overs with No. 11 at other end - couple of shots should have been enough for a No. 3, batting into 60s.
If you watch his last few games, almost every boundary has come through leg side and even in his hay days, he had to bat till Tea to hit his first boundary through covers - ODI never gave that much time even in 1970s. To give a comparison, take 5 TOP class batsmen of that era with every shots in books - Gooch 38/60, Grineedge 45/60, Haynes 42/65, Turner 48/60, Border 32/70 ..... imagine Azhar with his range of shots what could have achieved with longer boundaries, slower out field, inferior bat and much more penetrative attacks without Power play (Now, at least 5 fielders in circle for 40 overs). Mike Atherton left ODI to focus on his Test career (& a bad back didn't help), so did Cook, but this guy Azhar is totally different beast - he was dropped from ODI after 2 horrible innings in IND (2012-13), and somehow PCB thought 2 years later he was the guy to Captain ODI team!!!!
Gladly, PCB has found their successor of Ahar Ali in Imam, so this farce will continue.
Azhar won't have been an ODI batsman even in 150 per days or when ODI was played for 60 overs, for 245/9 in 60 overs being matching winning.
The reason is his batting capability, not batting approach - he is extremely limited with his shot making ability and any decent International side will choke his scoring areas. Biggest mistake you are making here is cascading his 38/72 stats (mostly made against substandard attacks) into a 220 per era and thinking that in 80s & 90s he would have been great. NO, it doesn't work that way - he would have been even more pathetic that time, when bowlers had something at their favor to bite back - my hunch is his 38/72 stats would have been slashed to straight half - 20/40 level.
If he had any shot making ability, after batting for 3 hours, he won't have tried to chase 16 runs in 16 overs with No. 11 at other end - couple of shots should have been enough for a No. 3, batting into 60s.
If you watch his last few games, almost every boundary has come through leg side and even in his hay days, he had to bat till Tea to hit his first boundary through covers - ODI never gave that much time even in 1970s. To give a comparison, take 5 TOP class batsmen of that era with every shots in books - Gooch 38/60, Grineedge 45/60, Haynes 42/65, Turner 48/60, Border 32/70 ..... imagine Azhar with his range of shots what could have achieved with longer boundaries, slower out field, inferior bat and much more penetrative attacks without Power play (Now, at least 5 fielders in circle for 40 overs). Mike Atherton left ODI to focus on his Test career (& a bad back didn't help), so did Cook, but this guy Azhar is totally different beast - he was dropped from ODI after 2 horrible innings in IND (2012-13), and somehow PCB thought 2 years later he was the guy to Captain ODI team!!!!
Gladly, PCB has found their successor of Ahar Ali in Imam, so this farce will continue.
3 of top 4 for Pak. is settled though. Fakhar, Babar and Harris. Need one more decent player. I think Umar Amin, Saad Ali and Saud Shakeel should each get chances to make that spot their own. Ideally it should've been the Zim. series (when Imam played), but now it has to be the Australia series in UAE. The 5 ODIs in England should be played with the same squad at WC.
Which isn't true? I know Shan's List A average is 59. Sami's average is ~50, Ahmed's close to 50, Asad's probably over 50. What you missed is looking at their List A career, which is significantly discounted for ODI stats (which are also List A). Shan hasn't played a single ODI, hence his entire List A stats are from domestics & against A teams. Take out Asad's 25/60 stats of 50+ ODI from his List A career, or same for Sami (probably 20/70 ODI stats), and for Ahmed - then compare their List A vs Shan's List A for a better comparison.
Just to give a comparison, in 80 odd List A innings, Shan has scored around 4K runs @ 56.52/82 stats. Same for the 3 I mentioned, excluding their ODI stats are
Ahmed: 3,311 @57.09/97.84 (ODI: 2,605 @32.56/72.08)
Sami: 3,447 @50.69/86.78 (78 @19.50/66.67)
Asad: 3,108 @58.64/89.98 (1,336 @24.74/67.51 ... and he managed to play 60 ODI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Azhar's List A excluding ODI stats are like 3,982 runs @ 55.31 (SR will be similar to Shan as well)
Not saying Shan will be flop, because he is in red hot form and has improved his overall batting package considerably, but using domestic stats to forecast success in Internationals is risky, more so with PAK's domestic stats. In any case, Shan is much better than Imam whose domestic stats minus bashing of ZIM reserves stands at like 30/70.
This squad is for the ODI series.
And in 11 matches that's the only time he scored.
Sharjeel Khan probably the only one who showed he is worth the 50+ in list A.
That's not true at all. His record is pretty decent if the par scores were around 250.
I'm talking about before 2012ish.
He wouldn't win matches on his own but he'd definitely contribute a lot to the win... And your basing this off of Tests.
Again talking about Test matches.
The innings of 9 off 34 balls versus India was bad but it helped take the shine off the ball, Bhuvi was making the ball talk.
Just the way he batted in the tests, I think he will do even better in ODIs against a kookaburra ball that does not move an inch on flat tracks. That combined with his list A stats should mean that he should atleast be given next 10 ODIs to prove himself. His shots were very impressive and I think he will do well as opener. . Better than fakhar anyway.
Indeed, I explained that in following posts. Shan is scoring runs by playing shots (not as a factor of time in middle), he should do well in ODI as well. He is in great form, and PAK should cash on that - however, I am still not sure if he or Imam will play in 1st ODI.
Ok, Thanks. So you mean it was justified dropping him then?
Willing to bet we will see a top 6 of Fakhar, Imam, Babar, Hafeez, Malik and Sarfraz in the first ODI.
Some tough calls there.
Hard on Junaid Khan, he was the 2nd most experienced bowler after Amir but he only played one match against NZ due to fitness issues.
Asif Ali played some good knocks in the SA T20 league so knew the conditions but cant argue much.
Just to gauge the merit of all the criticism around Imam's selection, can anyone please post his last 10 ODI scores?
I can give last 10 but that run of last 10 games would start midway through Zimbabwe series so it makes more sense to just post his scores from that Zimbabwe series onwards rather than just the last 10 games
128 (134) vs Zimbabwe
44 (51) vs Zimbabwe
0 (1) vs Zimbabwe
113 (122) vs Zimbabwe
110 (105) vs Zimbabwe
50* (69) vs Hong Kong
2 (7) vs India
80 (104) vs Afghanistan
10 (20) vs India
83 (105) vs Bangladesh
34 (46) vs NZ
16* (34) vs NZ (He retired not out as he got hit by a bouncer)
So it's not like he's been flopping hugely.
He has played 16 ODI in total. These are his first 4 innings -
100 (125) vs Srilanka
2 (3) vs Srilanka
45* (64) vs Srilanka
2 (11) vs New Zealand
Which makes his stats against IND & NZ
Games/Innings 5, 64 runs at 16.00/54.23 stats with highest being 34 (46) at Abu Dhabi.
And I have no doubt with the incompetence of the selectors and the first team coaches, Asif Ali would be inducted on the eve of the World Cup and asked to perform miracles.
Why not have him in the team in the first place and give him that extended run so that he becomes the finisher that the team desperately needs in the World Cup.
Willing to bet we will see a top 6 of Fakhar, Imam, Babar, Hafeez, Malik and Sarfraz in the first ODI.
Pathetic team selection.
The whole team is consisted of mediocre all rounders and bowlers and no specialist batsman in the middle order.
Why on earth we play ODIS with three batsman, 1 keeper and 7 bowlers including all rounders.
The whole point of having all rounders is that it allows you to play extra batsman or bowler. If we have bowling all rounder then we must play extra batsman.
We need to play with five specialist batsman, 1 keeper batsman (Not specialist but useless Captain), 1 batting all rounder, 2 bowling all rounders and 2 bowlers. Or four specialist batsman with an extra bowler.
But we must not have more than six bowling options. Six is the max limit. If you increase it further then it makes our mediocre batting line up even weaker.
That was the argument always for LO cricket - a batsman can bat for whole innings, but a bowler can bowl only 20% of overs; therefore the team combination must allow at least 80% or 4 solid bowlers; for T20, may be 5 is better, because you don’t need 7 batsmen for 20 overs.
Don’t understand this latest logic of playing so many bowling options in playing XI when Captain isn’t sharp enough with his bowling changes - too many options means, he’ll end up under bowling some regular bowlers, like he has done in recent times. MS used to extract few overs from Sehwag, Raina, even Kohli but for simpleton Captain like Sarfaraz, ploy should be made easier - 4 specialist bowlers (of which Amir & Hasan can bat a bit; 3rd on can be Fahim or a 2nd spinner like Gohar or Irfan who can bat), one all-rounder (which can be (Shadab), and 5 batsmen of which may be one can bowl some overs in crisis (Haris/Saud), and a WK good enough to make XI simply as batsman (Rizwan/Umar).
And top 5 must, must be judged only for their batting - no point having “All-rounders” at 3-4-5, who can make a nice 35 with bat & then bowl 5/6 overs without much penetration. Latest team to adopt this all-round syndrome is SRL and they have gone down to minnow level in that route. SAF with their all-round formula has dominated ODI cricket for last 3 decades, only to choke every time it mattered - that all-round syndrome went to madness level when Woolmer dropped Donald for Symcox & another all rounder (forgot name), for the 1996 WC QF against WIN - Arthur is from same school.
This was our best chance to try Abbass in ODIs
I want them to play this XI in the 1st match.
1. Imam ul-Haq
2. Fakhar Zaman
3. Babar Azam
4. Mohammad Hafeez
5. Shoaib Malik
6. Sarfraz Ahmed*+
7. Imad Wasim
8. Faheem Ashraf
9. Shadab Khan
10. Shaheen Afridi
11. Usman Shinwari
Rest Amir and Hasan for the 1st match at least. They will be tired from the Test matches and there is a lot of cricket coming up in the next few months.
We can rest them once the series is decided, need to win it first and play the best possible team.
Doesn't matter who wins the series. Players rested is more important with WC coming up. We all saw what happened to Amir and Hasan in Asia Cup.
I want them to play this XI in the 1st match.
1. Imam ul-Haq
2. Fakhar Zaman
3. Babar Azam
4. Mohammad Hafeez
5. Shoaib Malik
6. Sarfraz Ahmed*+
7. Imad Wasim
8. Faheem Ashraf
9. Shadab Khan
10. Shaheen Afridi
11. Usman Shinwari
Rest Amir and Hasan for the 1st match at least. They will be tired from the Test matches and there is a lot of cricket coming up in the next few months.