Pakistan really need to look past Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah & Asif Ali in the shorter formats

[Muhammad Saad]

Pakistan really need to look past Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah & Asif Ali in the shorter formats

All trio are not international material and not young exactly to become one , The other options we have is Haider Ali and Haris Khan but we can try Shan Masood as well as he has developed some strokes lately as well , with two world cups coming up , I think now is the time to induct fresh blood.

 

[Muhammad Saad]

Abdullah can be tried in ODi format as well at no.5 surely he can bat better than Ifti and Khushdil and he has some power game as well and puts a heavy Price in his wicket , infact he can be tried in T20s as well as our top order can be in trouble in Aus conditions and wouldn't mind a wicket sticker in the depth who can hit big as well.

 

[hitthestump]

There is nobody in the middle order who can replace them from domestics who haven't been tried.

Hafeez and Malik were part of the middle order in the t20 world cup for a reason.

There is no middle order in Pakistan waiting to be discovered. Haider Ali has been tried, Shan is not a middle order player, Haris is a rookie.

 

[Muhammad Saad]

Sahibzada Farhan has improved lately and can be tried again as well as Kamran Ghulam can absolutely murder spin bowling and can hit sixes at will against spinners, he can also be tried.

 

[Muhammad Saad]

To be honest I wouldn't mind even Malik and Hafeez in place of these trios in T20s.

 

[Usman]

Abdullah Shafiq is the obvious choice. The guy looks a class act - someone capable of batting a prolonged period and score big.

With Ifti, Kushdil and Asif Ali, you just know that if the opposition get through our top order quickly, then these three are walking wickets. They will hit a 6 or two when coming in at the back end of an innings, but they don’t seem capable of consistently playing big innings or playing a long period of time.

Abdullah of course only takes the place of one of these three, which means that two of them are still likely to play. However, our top order is World Class with Fakhar, Imam, Barbar and Rizwaan. Add Abdullah to that and the chances are Ifiti and Kushdil will rarely be asked to play a big innings. Add also Shadab and Imad/Mohammed Nawaz to that line up, and Ifti and Kushdil’s uselessness matters even less.

I would also take Malik ahead of any of these three. I know the management has an ego problem with that, as they don’t want to be seen selecting a 40 something year old. However the fact remains that Malik is remarkably consistent and dependable even now, and it’s not like uncle Ifti is a spring chicken! The justification for picking Ifti and Kushdil is that both can bowl - Malik can do that too and better than both Ifti and Kushdil.

Haider Ali also has potential to take the place of one of these three, albeit his form is on and off. He is however a massively talented player. Imagine this line up in ODIs

Fakhar Zaman
Imam-ul-Haq
Barbar Azam
Abdullah Shafiq
Mohammed Rizwan
Shoaib Malik
Shadab Khan
Mohammed Nawaz
Harris Rauf
Shaheen Shah Afridi
Naseem Shah

Reserves: Haider Ali, Imad Wasim, Mohammed Wasim, Ifti/Kushdil

8 batters. 6 bowlers. Not too many teams are going to be beating that line up.

 

[sali]

They need to bring 5 proper batsman. Abid Ali, Abdl Shafiq, and Shan Masood are better players. Have them adjust to the middle order. I would like to see Fakhar and Shan playing in power play. Only two out of Shadab and Nawaz or Khusdil or Wasim Jr should be there as all rounders. That will give space for 4 specialist bowlers.

 

[indian_sap]

Abdullah Shafiq is the obvious choice. The guy looks a class act - someone capable of batting a prolonged period and score big.

With Ifti, Kushdil and Asif Ali, you just know that if the opposition get through our top order quickly, then these three are walking wickets. They will hit a 6 or two when coming in at the back end of an innings, but they don’t seem capable of consistently playing big innings or playing a long period of time.

Abdullah of course only takes the place of one of these three, which means that two of them are still likely to play. However, our top order is World Class with Fakhar, Imam, Barbar and Rizwaan. Add Abdullah to that and the chances are Ifiti and Kushdil will rarely be asked to play a big innings. Add also Shadab and Imad/Mohammed Nawaz to that line up, and Ifti and Kushdil’s uselessness matters even less.

I would also take Malik ahead of any of these three. I know the management has an ego problem with that, as they don’t want to be seen selecting a 40 something year old. However the fact remains that Malik is remarkably consistent and dependable even now, and it’s not like uncle Ifti is a spring chicken! The justification for picking Ifti and Kushdil is that both can bowl - Malik can do that too and better than both Ifti and Kushdil.

Haider Ali also has potential to take the place of one of these three, albeit his form is on and off. He is however a massively talented player. Imagine this line up in ODIs

Fakhar Zaman
Imam-ul-Haq
Barbar Azam
Abdullah Shafiq
Mohammed Rizwan
Shoaib Malik
Shadab Khan
Mohammed Nawaz
Harris Rauf
Shaheen Shah Afridi
Naseem Shah

Reserves: Haider Ali, Imad Wasim, Mohammed Wasim, Ifti/Kushdil

8 batters. 6 bowlers. Not too many teams are going to be beating that line up.

Very good team that however in the long run I would start thinking at Shoaib Maliks replacement hence possibly get in Shan Masood & Kamran Ghulam in the reserves and no Haider the tukka hack and Imad the no turner please + very URGENTLY need a geniune mystery spinner (Legspinner ideal)

 

[msb314]

I’m fine with Khushdil and Iftikhar coming in at 6 and 7 as long as our top 4 is world class.

Fakhar, Imam and Babar pick themselves. For the number 4 slot - I agree the obvious candidate looks to be Abdullah Shafique but I feel like Saud Shakeel hasn’t gotten the opportunities yet to fully showcase his talent. I feel like there is a lot more he can do and has the potential to be a top batsman. Hopefully our management give him a long rope

 

[Shaka81]

Asif Ali and Iftikhar Ahmed are not good enough but some of the alternatives suggested are just horrifying.... Abdullah Shafique and Shan Masood are not middle order players. They are back-up openers at best and don't look to have the ability to attack which is required in the middle order for Pakistan. Saud Shakeel is a terrible limited overs player. He has not shown anything to warrant the support he gets on here. Haider Ali has devolved into a total hack who looks even worse than Asif Ali at times. I've even seen people mention Haris Sohail elsewhere which I hope was just a joke because no one can seriously be considering recalling him. He would break down and get injured just walking onto the pitch nowadays.

Kamran Ghulam is the only one I would maybe give a chance to but he still needs to work a lot on improving his game if he wants to succeed.

 

[Omer2002]

Abdullah is not a 2020 player but surely with our batting issues he can find a place in one day team

 

[Villager6964]

Asif Ali is Asif Ali he can be trusted for t20is but other two are just awful hacks.
That khushdil hack Shah has way too many technical faults he should be nowhere near the team.
The chach hack is just very poor player.
Both these guys should be nowhere near the team.

 

[Slim]

Khushdil shah is probably one of the worst players i have seen to play for Pakistan.

 

[Naveed99]

But the stats of them both Iftikhar and Khushdil in List A speaks for themselves. I dont understand the dumbness of calling them hacks, while thats the modern brand of cricket game we have to play. Glenn Maxwell is the biggest hack of them all and people recognize him as a batsmen.
We can go back to Malik and put Kamran Ghulam and couple of more technical good looking batsmen there if we dont want to score more then 270.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

There is nobody in the middle order who can replace them from domestics who haven't been tried.

Hafeez and Malik were part of the middle order in the t20 world cup for a reason.

There is no middle order in Pakistan waiting to be discovered. Haider Ali has been tried, Shan is not a middle order player, Haris is a rookie.

Haider was never tried at number four consistently. Misbah gave him chances from number 1-5 scrambled through the batting order, during his time as coach and confused him of his game plan and his shot selection. He is known for this and it is not the first time, he has done this to Maqsood before also.

If Haris is a rookie then what u call Asif Ali, Iftikhar and Khushdil also.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

Asif Ali and Iftikhar Ahmed are not good enough but some of the alternatives suggested are just horrifying.... Abdullah Shafique and Shan Masood are not middle order players. They are back-up openers at best and don't look to have the ability to attack which is required in the middle order for Pakistan. Saud Shakeel is a terrible limited overs player. He has not shown anything to warrant the support he gets on here. Haider Ali has devolved into a total hack who looks even worse than Asif Ali at times. I've even seen people mention Haris Sohail elsewhere which I hope was just a joke because no one can seriously be considering recalling him. He would break down and get injured just walking onto the pitch nowadays.

Kamran Ghulam is the only one I would maybe give a chance to but he still needs to work a lot on improving his game if he wants to succeed.

There is a difference between batsman and hackers

What the other options listed above have is batting skills, which Asif ali lacks

So Kamran should work on improving his skills , then what Asif, Ifthikar, Khusdil hogging places do?
Shan and Shafique are both openers , yes I agree but can they not hold the bat and play at 4

Pakistan are not having batsmen to play for them and the tail starts from no.4
They are constantly believing Rizwan is no.4 and the remaining 567 will be rookies. Rizwan at 4 has avgd 12 in the last 2 years in ODIs, speaks volumes and depth of this batting line up.

They should start playing proper batsman at 4 & 5 especially instead of keeper + rookies / bits and pieces

 

[ask_analyse_act]

Asif Ali is Asif Ali he can be trusted for t20is but other two are just awful hacks.
That khushdil hack Shah has way too many technical faults he should be nowhere near the team.
The chach hack is just very poor player.
Both these guys should be nowhere near the team.

Can’t be trusted in T20s also. He is very inconsistent boundary hitter , to back that ,he can hit sixes and fours only against poor bowling and inexperienced bowling attacks which feast to his hitting area , if not then he looks like a rabbit caught in headlights.

PSL7 teams had a plan for him and kept him quiet , these guys are 1 series wonders at max, once the opposition knows where to bowl at him then it’s all easy against him. Ifthikar and Khusdil are little above them but not the right choices to go further UP

 

[ask_analyse_act]

I’m fine with Khushdil and Iftikhar coming in at 6 and 7 as long as our top 4 is world class.

Fakhar, Imam and Babar pick themselves. For the number 4 slot - I agree the obvious candidate looks to be Abdullah Shafique but I feel like Saud Shakeel hasn’t gotten the opportunities yet to fully showcase his talent. I feel like there is a lot more he can do and has the potential to be a top batsman. Hopefully our management give him a long rope

In modern day cricket , bulk scoring is needed

Top3 has been doing that for years now, but how long can they do it consistently

Shakeel looks like a poor man of Fawad who seems like a another product from slow low Karachi pitches.

Shafique at 4 and Kamran/Haider at 5 would be ideal and this will leverage rebuilding from early breakthroughs when it happens otherwise what happened in England last year will continue to happen and they have to deal those situations with Asif , Ifthikar and Khusdil who will have no answer for it.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Lets be honest here most of are best players in LOI bat in the top 4. For ODIs are middle order options are either weak or we need to be creative with selections and how we use the players. ODI WC is a year a way now and whoever we use in 5-7 batting positions need to step up ans grab a place in side. They also need experience of batting in pressure situations. Situations like 1st ODI or ones where we are 100/4 etc.. are ones which tell us if these players can play like Inzi ul Haq or whether they are donestic Hacks.

We saw with india they have a awesome top 3 but when they fail in a big game in ICC tourney middle order were exposed as under cooked or not good enough.

Same will happen with pakistan if we are not careful.

 

[Saj]

I do worry about Khushdil, Ifthikar and Asif Ali as a middle-order combination.

Yes they might perform now and then but I'm not sure how reliable or consistent they can ever be.

 

[Rana]

Very soon, add Rizwan to this list too.

 

[PakEngFan]

All 3 of them are of no use. Asif the the worst out of the 3 by far. I can’t believe how this guy keeps coming back without any performance.

 

[Amjid Javed]

I do worry about Khushdil, Ifthikar and Asif Ali as a middle-order combination.

Yes they might perform now and then but I'm not sure how reliable or consistent they can ever be.

100% have same reservations, i think all 3 can play a short cameo inns but i dont see many match winning 50s or 100s if they were ever required to make one.

 

[arif_2021]

the top 4 pick themselves...

babar, imam, fakhar and rizwan


they need to bat til 35-40 overs with wickets in hand at 5.5 runs to 6 runs an over, after that, we need explosive hitters to play around them and play cameo innings to push the score to 330+

iftikhar, asif, khushdil, shadab (less likely), and mohammad wasim, hasan ali are sufficient for this

if we keep this strategy in mind, we will be very competitive

pakistan needs to realize their strength. we are not india, england, or australia...we need to play to our strengths and focus on that

we have been trying to look for a finisher since razzaq days...we dont have it. so what we need to do, is never leave the game to the finisher. the top 4 need to make the game for us up front so its easy for the players coming in.

 

[arif_2021]

All 3 of them are of no use. Asif the the worst out of the 3 by far. I can’t believe how this guy keeps coming back without any performance.

if you need 50 runs in 3 overs, asif ali is probably the only guy who can do that in our team...

 

[PakEngFan]

if you need 50 runs in 3 overs, asif ali is probably the only guy who can do that in our team...

Yes if he’s playing in his street not in international cricket.

 

[arif_2021]

rest of our players cannot do that on street cricket either

 

[PakEngFan]

rest of our players cannot do that on street cricket either

Rest of our players are not as bad as him either. He’s comfortably the worst player to have played for Pakistan. An awful player who seems to have connections. Who is their right mind will select him over some of the other players.

 

[Amjid Javed]

the top 4 pick themselves...

babar, imam, fakhar and rizwan


they need to bat til 35-40 overs with wickets in hand at 5.5 runs to 6 runs an over, after that, we need explosive hitters to play around them and play cameo innings to push the score to 330+

iftikhar, asif, khushdil, shadab (less likely), and mohammad wasim, hasan ali are sufficient for this

if we keep this strategy in mind, we will be very competitive

pakistan needs to realize their strength. we are not india, england, or australia...we need to play to our strengths and focus on that

we have been trying to look for a finisher since razzaq days...we dont have it. so what we need to do, is never leave the game to the finisher. the top 4 need to make the game for us up front so its easy for the players coming in.

What happens when team is 50/3 or 100/4 in an ODI game, you think these guys are going to bail the team out?

 

[TheSultan]

People are writing off Haidar Ali way too quickly. He has a much much higher ceiling than the bits n pieces of Khushdil Shah and Iftikhar “I still don’t know what he’s in the team for” Ahmed.

Asif Ali prob should stick to t20s but I have no problem trying him above Khushdil and Iftikhar in ODIs.

If you are going to select players and keep backing them, then please do this with Haidar, not neverending selections of Iftikhar for no apparent reason. Most pointless cricketer ever.

Also as Rob Key alludes to, we must have King Viv, BC Lara, Ponting in our team if we can’t slot in Abdullah Shafique somewhere

 

[arif_2021]

What happens when team is 50/3 or 100/4 in an ODI game, you think these guys are going to bail the team out?

well, the way our batting is set up - it cannot tolerate those kind of collapses.

neither can any other good team. not india nor australia...england would probably do worse in those situations.

if that happens, then you just put up your hands and accept poor batting.

 

[arif_2021]

Rest of our players are not as bad as him either. He’s comfortably the worst player to have played for Pakistan. An awful player who seems to have connections. Who is their right mind will select him over some of the other players.

Really? Go watch T20 WC highlights against NZ and Afghanistan.

Those are two HUGE performances in pressure situations.

Asif Ali, despite what you think is a mentally tough player. And for Pakistan, thats more important than "talent" which he also has plenty of.
He has not been given many chances.

He is by far the cleanest striker in Pakistan.

 

[Muhammad Saad]

Abdul wahid bangalzai , Kamran , sahibzada, Haris Khan all can hit big and also can play longer innings if required, add Abdullah in the mix as well , the talent beyond these trios is definitely available, it's up to Babar and mgt to realize that.

 

[Amjid Javed]

well, the way our batting is set up - it cannot tolerate those kind of collapses.

neither can any other good team. not india nor australia...england would probably do worse in those situations.

if that happens, then you just put up your hands and accept poor batting.

Whether collapses are tolerated or not to be constantly a good ODI side we will need players from 5-7 to be able to do a job. For me the 3 players in question are all T20 specialists and probably the best of a worst bunch of options we have. i think we need another genuine quality batsmen at 5 and then maybe you look at all rounder or hitters at 6 and 7.

 

[Barragan]

Khusdil and Asif Ali are made for T20's.

Absolute must in T20's and they are made for that format.

Question their position in ODI's.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

The problem with our fans is that they think they know everything. When the truth is that alot of them don't know anything at all.

I don't know if either of these guys are international material. But that doesn't mean they haven't all earned the right to prove themselves.

Iftikhar is easily the most consistent domestic List-A performer of the last 4-5 years. Khushdil has done brilliantly in the PSL and just finished a match where we were chasing 350 a few days ago while Asif Ali quite literally finished off two tense games at the World Cup for us and has one of the very best T20 SRs in the world at the death.

But OP wants us to select 'young talent' that has done NOTHING to get selected.

I don't think any group of fans in the world buys into the hype of their young players more than Pakistani fans. Its an absolute obsession here. You people need to get a grip of reality, for your own sake.

 

[CricketingMinds]

Very soon, add Rizwan to this list too.

Why do you hate Rizwan so much? Is it something personal?

 

[Rana]

Why do you hate Rizwan so much? Is it something personal?

Nothing personal

I just don’t understand why he is given extra leeway as compared to others.

If you want to criticise and ridicule certain players but deflect the same criticism towards Rizwan, well that’s not going to happen on my watch.

 

[Kroll]

Khushdil has more upside than Iftikhar and Asif Ali who should be nowhere near the squad. He'll probably take the no.6 spot for now.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Khushdil, Iftikhar and Asif are fine for t20is but in ODIs, it's scary to have them occupying 5,6,7 spot together.

Our ODI batting is still top 3 heavy. If they fail, we lose. Rizwan hasn't proven himself at no.4 in ODIs. He should start doing more there.

 

[cricketerB94]

The problem with our fans is that they think they know everything. When the truth is that alot of them don't know anything at all.

I don't know if either of these guys are international material. But that doesn't mean they haven't all earned the right to prove themselves.

Iftikhar is easily the most consistent domestic List-A performer of the last 4-5 years. Khushdil has done brilliantly in the PSL and just finished a match where we were chasing 350 a few days ago while Asif Ali quite literally finished off two tense games at the World Cup for us and has one of the very best T20 SRs in the world at the death.

But OP wants us to select 'young talent' that has done NOTHING to get selected.

I don't think any group of fans in the world buys into the hype of their young players more than Pakistani fans. Its an absolute obsession here. You people need to get a grip of reality, for your own sake.

Well said. And the alternatives for these players according to the "fans" are Bangalzai (who opens in domestic), Farhan (who bats in top 4 in domestic), Kamran (who bats in top 4 in domestic) and Haris (who succeeded in PSL while opening).

They do not have the common sense to come up with the names who perform consistently in domestic in the positions where they are going to play in international cricket. And when they will need to do it, the top contenders for these positions will emerge who are already there in these positions.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Well said. And the alternatives for these players according to the "fans" are Bangalzai (who opens in domestic), Farhan (who bats in top 4 in domestic), Kamran (who bats in top 4 in domestic) and Haris (who succeeded in PSL while opening).

They do not have the common sense to come up with the names who perform consistently in domestic in the positions where they are going to play in international cricket. And when they will need to do it, the top contenders for these positions will emerge who are already there in these positions.

None of these guys have done nearly what the other three have done in domestic and PSL. Khushdil and Iftikhar have multiple List A seasons where they scored runs consistently. And their List A numbers are evidence of that. Asif Ali on the other hand has lead IU to multiple titles by playing clutch knocks in high-pressure games, and replicated that form for Pakistan in the World Cup too.

Haris has one good PSL season where he played less than half of the games and few noteworthy performances in the NT20 Cup behind him. Bangalzai has done well sporadically but still has major fundamental flaws in his game such as an inability to rotate the strike consistently. And Ghulam has one good QeA season and a highly mediocre PSL season behind him.

How does that even compare to what Khushdil, Iftikhar and Asif have done to get selected?

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Well said. And the alternatives for these players according to the "fans" are Bangalzai (who opens in domestic), Farhan (who bats in top 4 in domestic), Kamran (who bats in top 4 in domestic) and Haris (who succeeded in PSL while opening).

They do not have the common sense to come up with the names who perform consistently in domestic in the positions where they are going to play in international cricket. And when they will need to do it, the top contenders for these positions will emerge who are already there in these positions.

Farhan on the other hand has done well. But his failures in the PSL were sad to see. And even he is behind Shan Masood in the pecking order who has performed far more consistently across formats in domestic. So even if you want to have a back-up opener in there it should be Masood, instead of Farhan.

 

[Nasty Naz]

Based on Khushdil and Iftikhar List A record, they both deserve a shot in the middle order but Asif needs to stop being selected in ODI's period. I get it, a power hitter is needed down the order but an ODI lineup also needs to be dynamic enough to make a comeback in case the top order fails. If Asif is ever coming into the game prior to the 40th over, it means Pakistan lineup is crumbling and Asif isn't good enough to stop the bleeding.

He has been given so many chances in ODI's and he has been so poor. I would be willing to at least give him more chances if his List A record was better but even that is poor.

Haider Ali warrants being in the mix as he is young and dynamic enough to really excel in this role.

 

[Lfc4life786]

Khushdils recent upturn in bowling where hes starting to look a genuine bowler makes him a real feasible option at 6 for me. Don't think he'll ever be consistent enough to be a frontline batsman but for me he's a very good 6th bowler and an excellent 3rd spin option behind shadab and Nawaz. Whatever you get from him with the bat is a bonus and you know whatever he scores it'll be above a 120 SR which is what you need from your 6.

Ifti is done out here sadly. He's actually been one of the best batsmen on the domestic circuit, if not the best for the past couple of years but cannot translate that form in the green of Pakistan and looks completely out of his depth. Time to get rid of him.

I'm a big fan of Saud and would be happy to persist with him but I'm not sure he's built for the limited over setup in the modern game. Not sure he has the power hitting ability that is required at this level from a middle order limited over batsman. We have enough touch and elegant players in our batting line up with babar, imam and rizzy. We need some power in there there to compliment fakhar and Khushdil. 3 touch players, 3 players who can clear the boundary with ease. Either way persist with saud or don't.
If not, then I'd like to see Abdullah, Kamran Ghulam or Haris brought into the squad. I feel like we know what we are getting with Abdullah, a class player but not sure he has the ability to strike comfortably over 100 YET with the field spread. Kamran has been a domestic beast, is very athletic/fit and looks to be able to clear the boundary with ease. He deserves a go undoubtedly but Mohammad Haris is the one that really excites me. He plays all around the wicket, values aggression and clears the boundary with ease. We need to groom him ASAP, he could be our very own De Villiers.

Haider Ali should also not be written off at this stage as one so young. He clearly hasn't developed as well as we would've though from when he made his debut in 2019 but there's a serious amount of talent and boundary hitting potential there. He needs games and coaching on what balls to hit and what to leave. He's quickly going down the route of imran nazir and umar akmal imo but we need to work on him as he's the most talented of the lot.

Either way id like to see us line up with this team for future series:

Fakhar
Imam
Babar
Kamran/Haris
Rizzy
Khushdil
Shadab
Nawaz
Naseem/wasim jr
Shaheen
Rauf

Dhani, abdullah, zahid, qadir, saud/haider on the bench.

Serious team, serious squad with all bases covered.

 

[TheSultan]

Hold on - Why is Iftikhar getting pass from everyone? I have never seen anything decent from him. He can be bradman in domestic, but if you have already failed in international cricket, see you later

 

[silentkiller187]

I think this is a genuine problem Pakistan need to find a solution for rather than the other problems suggested with this Pak team i.e. opening combos or Rizwans odi form.

Kamran Ghulam looked good in PSL not sure what his list A numbers are, could be worth a try, Kushdil may have a role as a 6/7 bowling option, Haider Ali not sure how many chances he has left, and not sure if Saud Shakeel is international quality. Asif Ali and Ifti should be discarded i am afraid.

If we can tighten our middle order this Pak team could start going places, solid at the top , got enough variation in the bowling ranks, just a shaky middle order.

 

[shamaan]

Abdullah can be tried in ODi format as well at no.5 surely he can bat better than Ifti and Khushdil and he has some power game as well and puts a heavy Price in his wicket , infact he can be tried in T20s as well as our top order can be in trouble in Aus conditions and wouldn't mind a wicket sticker in the depth who can hit big as well.

I think Abdullah can bat at 4/5 and then 1 position should be between Khushdil and Iftikhar at number 6.

 

[shamaan]

Sahibzada Farhan has improved lately and can be tried again as well as Kamran Ghulam can absolutely murder spin bowling and can hit sixes at will against spinners, he can also be tried.

I seen kamean Ghullam in the psl he looked ok and also farhaan is top order

 

[shamaan]

Abdullah Shafiq is the obvious choice. The guy looks a class act - someone capable of batting a prolonged period and score big.

With Ifti, Kushdil and Asif Ali, you just know that if the opposition get through our top order quickly, then these three are walking wickets. They will hit a 6 or two when coming in at the back end of an innings, but they don’t seem capable of consistently playing big innings or playing a long period of time.

Abdullah of course only takes the place of one of these three, which means that two of them are still likely to play. However, our top order is World Class with Fakhar, Imam, Barbar and Rizwaan. Add Abdullah to that and the chances are Ifiti and Kushdil will rarely be asked to play a big innings. Add also Shadab and Imad/Mohammed Nawaz to that line up, and Ifti and Kushdil’s uselessness matters even less.

I would also take Malik ahead of any of these three. I know the management has an ego problem with that, as they don’t want to be seen selecting a 40 something year old. However the fact remains that Malik is remarkably consistent and dependable even now, and it’s not like uncle Ifti is a spring chicken! The justification for picking Ifti and Kushdil is that both can bowl - Malik can do that too and better than both Ifti and Kushdil.

Haider Ali also has potential to take the place of one of these three, albeit his form is on and off. He is however a massively talented player. Imagine this line up in ODIs

Fakhar Zaman
Imam-ul-Haq
Barbar Azam
Abdullah Shafiq
Mohammed Rizwan
Shoaib Malik
Shadab Khan
Mohammed Nawaz
Harris Rauf
Shaheen Shah Afridi
Naseem Shah

Reserves: Haider Ali, Imad Wasim, Mohammed Wasim, Ifti/Kushdil

8 batters. 6 bowlers. Not too many teams are going to be beating that line up.

Malik will struggle on bouncy pitches and should not be considered in SENA conditions also malik has retired in odis I think.

 

[shamaan]

Pakistan should keep Iftikhar and Khushdil in the squad fighting for that 6th batting position who can bowl a couple of overs.

Abdullah or Haris should bat at 4/5 kamran ghullam can be tried to.

In t20s in SENA conditions both Khushdil and Iftikhar should be in the team batting at 5 and 6.

In t20s SENA

Babar
Rizwan
Fakhar
Haider Ali/Muhammed Haris
Iftikhar
Khushdil
Shadab
Nawaz
Shaheen
Rauf
Dahani

In odis
Imaam
Fakhar
Babar
Rizwan
Abdullah
Khushdil
Shadab
Nawaz
Shaheen
Rauf
Dahani/wasim Jnr

 

[Saj]

I wonder if Kamran Ghulam is worth a go in ODIs.

He's had a decent Pakistan Cup, 531 runs at an average of 44.

 

[Abstraction1]

The problem with our fans is that they think they know everything. When the truth is that alot of them don't know anything at all.

I don't know if either of these guys are international material. But that doesn't mean they haven't all earned the right to prove themselves.

Iftikhar is easily the most consistent domestic List-A performer of the last 4-5 years. Khushdil has done brilliantly in the PSL and just finished a match where we were chasing 350 a few days ago while Asif Ali quite literally finished off two tense games at the World Cup for us and has one of the very best T20 SRs in the world at the death.

But OP wants us to select 'young talent' that has done NOTHING to get selected.

I don't think any group of fans in the world buys into the hype of their young players more than Pakistani fans. Its an absolute obsession here. You people need to get a grip of reality, for your own sake.

Agreed

Ifti, Asif and Kushdil are okay in my book

 

[MenInG]

Think Iftikhar Ahmed business is not helping Pakistan

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[da_don]

i dont know why we cant get past ifti chacha persisting with him in this t20 after no performance in odis and persisting with sajid and nauman in all 3 tests after no performances sad

 

[We Bleed Green]

Khushdil innings is disgusting even if he makes up for this at the end.

Very selfish player

 

[Dagestani_Eagle]

What are alternatives?

 

[Villager6964]

They have to kick these embarrassing players out.
They offer nothing to the team.
They will make mockery of Pakistan in T20 world cup in Australia.

 

[m.shah]

Khushdil innings is disgusting even if he makes up for this at the end.

Very selfish player

He is just limited player. He has only one shot leg side hoick that too he connects when it is a length ball in his slot.

 

[Saj]

Poor trio.

As I said before you'll get the occasional fluke innings from them, but most of the time they will flop.

I'm not sure how many more chances Ifthi and Asif can be given.

 

[silentkiller187]

What are alternatives?

Better of going for "test" specialists like Abdulah Shafique or Shan Masood, atleast you will have some security in comparison to these close their eyes and swing "big hitters".

 

[Energy]

They are all clowns, and cannot last more than 5 overs combined. Just not used to playing long and cannot be trusted in any match situation.

 

[Wahid1234]

Poor trio.

As I said before you'll get the occasional fluke innings from them, but most of the time they will flop.

I'm not sure how many more chances Ifthi and Asif can be given.

Time to bring back Umar akmal, sharjeel khan and Haider Ali and bat wasim jr up the order these lot are the best hitters we have got.

We don’t have the best talent going around anyway atleast with these players they will win you more games than lose with the trio we have

 

[Kianig89]

The FAB4 NOT helping Pakistan Khusdil Ifti Saud Asif
White Irani Holliake Ealham were better than these rellu kattas

 

[Saj]

The FAB4 NOT helping Pakistan Khusdil Ifti Saud Asif
White Irani Holliake Ealham were better than these rellu kattas

Fab 4. I could think of a few other words than Fab to describe them.

I'll go with Fluke4 for now

 

[PakEngFan]

Time to bring back Umar akmal, sharjeel khan and Haider Ali and bat wasim jr up the order these lot are the best hitters we have got.

We don’t have the best talent going around anyway atleast with these players they will win you more games than lose with the trio we have

Hhah under akmal sharjeel tbh he’s will be better then these rubbish and a massive lol at wasim. He looked a genius no 11 today.

 

[Slim]

Harris (from Zalmi), Haider, Adullah Shafiq, Imad - easy replacements.

 

[Ahsanax]

This should be the end of Asif Ali and Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil was a little better

 

[Ahmed216]

Sadly a great player like babar can't see the light

 

[arif_2021]

Iftikhar out

Maybe look at Sohaib masood again

Definitely worth trying Abdullah shafique

 

[hitthestump]

Harris (from Zalmi), Haider, Adullah Shafiq, Imad - easy replacements.

So one debutant, a failed hack, a rookie opener, and someone who's already been dropped.

This needs to go in the 'when things are bad' thread.

 

[hitthestump]

What are alternatives?

Recalling Malik and begging Hafeez to come back out of retirement.

And this is not a joke post. The joke is our domestic system which has not produced even one middle order batsman in several years.

 

[hitthestump]

This should be the end of Asif Ali and Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil was a little better

Khushdil cannot rotate strike, he cannot play intelligently. He is a swing, miss or hit kind of guy. Occasionally he will get one in his arc but because of his other limitations he will always end up as a 15(12) batsman at international level.

 

[Maher96]

I think they knew it’s one of T20, Iftikhar missed the World Cup for a reason. He played Test instead Ghulam, he played in ODI instead of Abdullah and in T20 he was chosen over Haider. All three players were better than him.

Umar Akmal outperformed him in the PSL. I think this should be his last series. They can back Asif and Kushdil but Iftikhar is a poor mans Malik.

 

[msb314]

The FAB4 NOT helping Pakistan Khusdil Ifti Saud Asif
White Irani Holliake Ealham were better than these rellu kattas

Unfair to lump in Saud Shakeel with these other three..

 

[Saj]

I reckon the likes of Shadab, Nawaz and Imad would do better than these 3 with the bat if they were given the chance.

 

[TheSultan]

All three are very poor. I like to give Asif a bit of rope for the World Cup heroics.

Khushdil pretty poor apart from the end of one innings. No idea why Iftikhar is selected at all

 

[TheSultan]

I think they knew it’s one of T20, Iftikhar missed the World Cup for a reason. He played Test instead Ghulam, he played in ODI instead of Abdullah and in T20 he was chosen over Haider. All three players were better than him.

Umar Akmal outperformed him in the PSL. I think this should be his last series. They can back Asif and Kushdil but Iftikhar is a poor mans Malik.

Exactly what are they obsessed with Iftikhar for?

 

[RyanRyan10]

M Haris and Qasim Akram should be tried. They are the future. Will improve if backed properly.

 

[Rana]

M Haris and Qasim Akram should be tried. They are the future. Will improve if backed properly.

100% Qasim Akram at 4-5

He’s a good bowler too