Pakistan openers: Imam-ul-Haq now has the same number of ODI 100s as Mohammad Hafeez (while opening)

[enkidu_]

In lesser matches/with better average and SR as well.

In fact Hafeez' numbers (average of 30/SR 70) would barely look good even in the 90s, whereas Imams has the 3rd SR, after Fakhar/Afridi, but he compensates the latter with the average.

You could say only one of Hafeez' four 100s came against minnows (his HS against Zimbos), while three of Imam's, but IMO that's somehow negated by the appreciable difference of matches played (+100 in Hafeez' favour).

For all his flaws/qualities, that's how he compares with other Pak opening batsmen :

 

[asadee]

Where is Babar Azam?

 

[Syed1]

Now we have to suffer with Imam for atleast the next three series

 

[Khan12]

Where is Babar Azam?

He doesn't open.

 

[Khan12]

Now we have to suffer with Imam for atleast the next three series

You just hate him because of inzi.

 

[Titan24]

Imam has the third highest strike rate after Fakhar and Afridi hopefully he can carry on performing like this in Asia Cup. Looks pretty sound technically and temperament wise.

 

[Abdullah719]

Where is Babar Azam?

The list is for openers.

 

[Arham_PakFan]

Lets hope Imam does equally well against stronger teams like England,New Zealand and South Africa.

 

[coy0607]

The minnow argument isn’t even valid in this case because Hafeez has had a LOT more chances than Imam to minnow bash, Hafeez just hasn’t been good enough to pile up the centuries.

Pathetic opener, pathetic attitude, pathetic selection and pathetic overall player

 

[InziRules]

I made this argument in the Imam thread too. If it was this easy to bash minnows the way these two did, where are Shehzad, Azhar and Hafeez's tons?

 

[world cup captain]

The amount of hate for Imam on PP is incredible. For years we have longed for a solid opening partnership and now that we have one, people cannot wait to break it.

Imam has done absolutely no wrong yet people want him dropped solely due to their own biases but do not realize the harm which would occur to the team. Imam is here to stay, mark my words. This guy is going to be a Pakistani captain and there is nothing these PP nobodies can do to stop it.

 

[enkidu_]

I made this argument in the Imam thread too. If it was this easy to bash minnows the way these two did, where are Shehzad, Azhar and Hafeez's tons?

Azhar Ali's ODI 100s as opener :

102 @ SR of 98 v Zimbabwe in Lahore (2015)
101 @ SR of 90 v Bangladesh in Dhaka (2015)
101 @ SR of 92 v West Indies in Abu Dhabi (2016)

Shehzad's ODI 100s as opener :

124 @ SR of 88 v Sri Lanka in Dubai (2013)
115 @ SR of 105 v New Zealand in Hamilton (2011)
113 @ SR of 94 v New Zealand in Sharjah (2014)
103 @ SR of 83 v Bangladesh in Dhaka (2014)
102 @ SR of 68 v West Indies in Gros Islet (2014)
102 @ SR of 91 v South Africa in Port Elizabeth (2014)

^Imam is basically already ahead of Azhar, considering the numbers of 100s, but what's interesting with Shehzad is the SR of many of his 100s.

 

[InziRules]

Azhar Ali's ODI 100s as opener :

102 @ SR of 98 v Zimbabwe in Lahore (2015)
101 @ SR of 90 v Bangladesh in Dhaka (2015)
101 @ SR of 92 v West Indies in Abu Dhabi (2016)

Shehzad's ODI 100s as opener :

124 @ SR of 88 v Sri Lanka in Dubai (2013)
115 @ SR of 105 v New Zealand in Hamilton (2011)
113 @ SR of 94 v New Zealand in Sharjah (2014)
103 @ SR of 83 v Bangladesh in Dhaka (2014)
102 @ SR of 68 v West Indies in Gros Islet (2014)
102 @ SR of 91 v South Africa in Port Elizabeth (2014)

^Imam is basically already ahead of Azhar, considering the numbers of 100s, but what's interesting with Shehzad is the SR of many of his 100s.

Definitely, and Shehzad has 6 in 80, compared to 4 in 9. Though, his one against South Africa was probably his best.

His strike rate is bad in 2, good in 4.

Overall though, shocking how few tons our openers have

 

[nam]

but is he blessed in all facets of this game?

 

[moghul]

Now we have to suffer with Imam for atleast the next three series

Even Indians don’t suffer, they appreciate if a young talent from Pakistan emerges and performs , what’s you reason for suffering, hope you will get some help.

 

[El Generico]

Now we have to suffer with Imam for atleast the next three series

Suffer? seems a little too early to decide that he is a TTF, for all we know he may turn out to be the ideal partner for Zaman.

 

[silentkiller187]

Pakistani fans will never be happy. We probably have our most stable opening partnership in years and people are complaining.This is not the first time we have played minnows, how come our other players were not scoring centuries for fun

 

[UN talkz]

I have seen fans from all over the World but Pakistan fans taubah taubah

 

[Bewal Express]

Imam is solid and intelligent but has a long way to go before becoming a player of international quality. Strike rotation will remain a problem as he lacks the range of shots.

 

[Justcrazy]

Good thing about Imam is that he scores hundreds when ever he passes 50. Now Pakistan have top three who can score hundreds , this is where Pakistan were lacking for a long time. Hundreds from top 3 - 4 players were missing.

 

[Stewie]

It’s a miracle hafeez’s career lasted this long!

 

[enkidu_]

Good thing about Imam is that he scores hundreds when ever he passes 50. Now Pakistan have top three who can score hundreds , this is where Pakistan were lacking for a long time. Hundreds from top 3 - 4 players were missing.

Which other Pak cricketer has been associated with "conversion rate", from 50s to 100s ? I think only YK in Tests ?

It’s a miracle hafeez’s career lasted this long!

Yes, basically in the post-Anwar era, he's the most tested&tried ODI opening batsman for Pak (Afridi has some 20 more matches in total, but many of them were of course in partnership with Saeed Anwar.)

He's followed by Shehzad, and then Salman Butt... so much talunt.

 

[New Yorker]

The amount of hate for Imam on PP is incredible. For years we have longed for a solid opening partnership and now that we have one, people cannot wait to break it.

Imam has done absolutely no wrong yet people want him dropped solely due to their own biases but do not realize the harm which would occur to the team. Imam is here to stay, mark my words. This guy is going to be a Pakistani captain and there is nothing these PP nobodies can do to stop it.

This is a bit willful I'd say. He has clearly done something wrong, or not right enough, we might say, which is to score painfully slowly against a very poor attack. To get out cheaply after scoring slowly, a la Shehzad, may have been worse, but fact is he does not look the complete package. If he did plenty of people would have been ready to hail as the next coming of Kohli. For no it is surely not out of place to reserve judgement until he has played real opposition a bit more frequently.

 

[world cup captain]

This is a bit willful I'd say. He has clearly done something wrong, or not right enough, we might say, which is to score painfully slowly against a very poor attack. To get out cheaply after scoring slowly, a la Shehzad, may have been worse, but fact is he does not look the complete package. If he did plenty of people would have been ready to hail as the next coming of Kohli. For no it is surely not out of place to reserve judgement until he has played real opposition a bit more frequently.

No one is claiming that he is a complete package but he has the ingredients that he needs to get to the top. At the moment, people are acting out as if he has only played long vigils with absolutely no results. It's time people set their biases apart and realize that Imam is one of the only openers who have shown a bit of desires to play the long game which we were desperate for a couple of years ago.

 

[New Yorker]

No one is claiming that he is a complete package but he has the ingredients that he needs to get to the top. At the moment, people are acting out as if he has only played long vigils with absolutely no results. It's time people set their biases apart and realize that Imam is one of the only openers who have shown a bit of desires to play the long game which we were desperate for a couple of years ago.

Well, you claimed that he has done nothing wrong and I think this is a stretch. If he hadn't we would not be worried about him. Oit is clear that there are some glaring gaps in his game. The concern is not that he is not bashing the ball from the get go. I would be happy with a SR in the high 80's if he can also play the long game. But he was in the 60's at some point in his innings, which puts tremendous pressure on his opening partner. And this against Zimbabwe B. Again, all credit to him for what he has accomplished, but he clearly needs some work. And I am pessimistic that a batsman can transform his game sufficiently even at this relatively young age. It is one thing to tighten one's technique and concentration, cutting out high risk shots, so that one gets out less often. It is another to learn to play an entirely different kind of game, playing shots that don't yet exist in one's repertoire. Azhar could never do it in ODIs. Hence my pessimism.

 

[New Yorker]

No one is claiming that he is a complete package but he has the ingredients that he needs to get to the top. At the moment, people are acting out as if he has only played long vigils with absolutely no results. It's time people set their biases apart and realize that Imam is one of the only openers who have shown a bit of desires to play the long game which we were desperate for a couple of years ago.

No, he has the ingredients required to be a good Test player; it is not clear yet whether he has the chops for the LOI game. But we will see soon enough. Here's wishing him well.

 

[Sam99]

Wow great stats 4 centuries is 9 matches great stuff idk why few Pakistani people don't like him.

 

[Majid Khan]

Interesting stat - after 44 ODI matches, Hafeez had 0 centuries and 4 fifties. Imam ul haq has 4 centuries in just 9 matches.

But Hafeez thinks hr is a victim of injustice and it is disrespectful to a senior player like him to be dropped presumably to accommodate juniors like Imam ul Has and Fakhar.