Pakistani players playing for themselves and not for the team is hurting Pakistan

[Mueez]

The title says it all.

The mentality of ‘score a fifty or take 2 or more wickets and your place is booked’ is hurting Pakistan.

After all big knocks and 4-for and 5-for’s wins you matches and not a quick fire fify or a two-over spell.

At the moment, it looks like the players are playing for their places and not for their team.

Discuss.

 

[Savak]

Not sure about the bowling but the batsmen definitely are playing for their spots and stats more than anything.

 

[YousafTheBeast]

With the World Cup coming up, every batsman will be playing for their spot, the only batsman that plays for the team is Fakhar Zaman, you’ll never see another player looking to hit a six when he’s close to his 50, most players would slow the game down just to reach their 50.

 

[topspin]

With the World Cup coming up, every batsman will be playing for their spot, the only batsman that plays for the team is Fakhar Zaman, you’ll never see another player looking to hit a six when he’s close to his 50, most players would slow the game down just to reach their 50.

Very good point. Imam is most guilty of this but these days he gets the most lavish of praises on this forum, whereas Fakhar gets called a "hack" and calls are made for him to be replaced by Shan.

 

[QalandarFan]

With the World Cup coming up, every batsman will be playing for their spot, the only batsman that plays for the team is Fakhar Zaman, you’ll never see another player looking to hit a six when he’s close to his 50, most players would slow the game down just to reach their 50.

Hafeez with a SR of over 100? Or Imad Wasim? Both played very selflessly this series.

 

[QalandarFan]

Very good point. Imam is most guilty of this but these days he gets the most lavish of praises on this forum, whereas Fakhar gets called a "hack" and calls are made for him to be replaced by Shan.

What about Rizwan and Shadab today? Combined they made 29 runs from 12 overs! That's a RR of 2.4 They cost us 40 runs minimum.

 

[YousafTheBeast]

Hafeez with a SR of over 100? Or Imad Wasim? Both played very selflessly this series.

Every batsman excluding Hafeez*

Imad played well, and it was a selfless innings, but what annoyed me was that he let Shaheen face 5 balls in the last 2 overs which were all dots and could’ve been 15-16 runs.

 

[topspin]

What about Rizwan and Shadab today? Combined they made 29 runs from 12 overs! That's a RR of 2.4 They cost us 40 runs minimum.

I think Rizwan was nervous, he was just struggling more than anything. He needs more games before we can establish whether he's better or worse than Sarfraz with the bat, but certainly wasn't playing for himself even though his strike rate may suggest otherwise.

Likewise with Shadab, we shouldn't be in shock with his innings today. That is his level, as proven by his mediocre SR of 67.

Both batsmen were incompetent today as opposed to being selfish.

 

[badsha001]

I think Rizwan was nervous, he was just struggling more than anything. He needs more games before we can establish whether he's better or worse than Sarfraz with the bat, but certainly wasn't playing for himself even though his strike rate may suggest otherwise.

Likewise with Shadab, we shouldn't be in shock with his innings today. That is his level, as proven by his mediocre SR of 67.

Both batsmen were incompetent today as opposed to being selfish.

i blame malik for Rizwan's failure. Malik was there from before and he should have been the one leading and scoring instead of Rizwan. Malik played a selfish innings and got run out.

 

[topspin]

i blame malik for Rizwan's failure. Malik was there from before and he should have been the one leading and scoring instead of Rizwan. Malik played a selfish innings and got run out.

I agree he should have played first fiddle however Malik is just woeful against pace on faster wickets and even on slower surfaces against the 140+ bowlers. Needs to be discarded from this team for good.

 

[fitCricFan]

Individualism typically comes into the game when their issues with retention and job security. Give our players a decent financial contract where they don;t have to be worried when sidelined and you will see a dramatic shift. Sadly it requires deep pockets which PCB seems to be lacking at this time

 

[Rana]

I have nothing against Imam but scoring a hundred and then throwing it away carelessly, then interviewing like you are a WWE superstar shows that he is in it for himself.

Hafeez is playing with nothing to lose mentality and it seems to be working for him on flat tracks.

Malik is incompetent in the top 6. He is selfish because he doesn’t realise his time is up and Pakistan could have groomed a younger talent by now.

Imad played very well. But his urgency when running those singles whilst batting with the tail suggests he doesn’t mind a not out score if the team gets bowled out. Still I feel he is the best choice to lead Pakistan

 

[Syed1]

Imam has to be the cringey-ist player in world cricket. Hits one ton and celebrates as if he won the WC for his side. Then proceeds to tweet about it even though his side lost the match. Shows where his priorities lie. Shehzad type mentality.

 

[slipcatch]

Beside Babar, all rounders, and bowlers, Pakistani players aren’t mentally mature enough to play for themselves or a country.

 

[jadaja]

The OP is making it look like this Pakistan is filled with superstars who are underperforming.

The question is the talent level, other than Azam there is nobody in this team who is remotely close to world class.

Bowling there is no single bowler who is world class.Shaheen may become one in future. There is a reason Pakistan team is no 5 in odis and no 7 in tests.

 

[Misia]

The OP is making it look like this Pakistan is filled with superstars who are underperforming.

The question is the talent level, other than Azam there is nobody in this team who is remotely close to world class.

Bowling there is no single bowler who is world class.Shaheen may become one in future. There is a reason Pakistan team is no 5 in odis and no 7 in tests.

Not just superstars who are underperforming, but potential superstars in the making who aren't being given chances to represent they're country because they have no mama chacach tiya connections


Batting lineup needs an overhaul, bowlers being considered unfit to play for country but fit to play bpl


Why isn't sohail Khan playing

 

[light]

Harder to control that bowling OP but batting wise spot on.

 

[QalandarFan]

I think Rizwan was nervous, he was just struggling more than anything. He needs more games before we can establish whether he's better or worse than Sarfraz with the bat, but certainly wasn't playing for himself even though his strike rate may suggest otherwise.

Likewise with Shadab, we shouldn't be in shock with his innings today. That is his level, as proven by his mediocre SR of 67.

Both batsmen were incompetent today as opposed to being selfish.

Can the same not be said for Imam and Malik then also?

 

[giri26]

This happens in an atmosphere where no player feels safe about their spot. Players start to concentrate on making their place secure. It is in the hands of the captain and the team management to make a players feel secure and confident about their position in the X1/squad. This is why leadership is crucial.

 

[Banter]

The title says it all.

The mentality of ‘score a fifty or take 2 or more wickets and your place is booked’ is hurting Pakistan.

After all big knocks and 4-for and 5-for’s wins you matches and not a quick fire fify or a two-over spell.

At the moment, it looks like the players are playing for their places and not for their team.

Discuss.

This is just your frustrations as a fan boiling over. Team fought hard and punched above their weight in the ODI series against SA. You can't expect a Mehran to magically morph into a Ferrari.

 

[Savak]

I agree he should have played first fiddle however Malik is just woeful against pace on faster wickets and even on slower surfaces against the 140+ bowlers. Needs to be discarded from this team for good.

Captain and coach are also on notice for the teams performance. If the team doesn't perform they get criticized and eventually sacked. A lot of the players in the side have been given plenty of chances but have not shown enough but the team management has stuck by them ie Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Mohd Amir and Sarfaraz.

No other country in the world tolerates non performers for long especially if the team is not doing well. If Australia loses a series, careers are terminated.

If the players want to get guaranteed selections in the team, start working hard on your game, win games for your country ie Kohli and no one can touch you

 

[Pete Rose]

This is a garbage point of view perpetuated by people with a simplistic view of the sport. Rather than addressing actual mental and technical shortcomings, it tries to pin performance on attitude. As if somehow that is the magical ingredient holding the team.
You hear it from your neighborhood paan wala and from ex players who have played decades of cricket and should know better.

 

[Baigel]

What about Rizwan and Shadab today? Combined they made 29 runs from 12 overs! That's a RR of 2.4 They cost us 40 runs minimum.

And who would’ve scored these 40 runs? Bad days happen to a team accept it and move on

 

[coy0607]

What about Rizwan and Shadab today? Combined they made 29 runs from 12 overs! That's a RR of 2.4 They cost us 40 runs minimum.

hard to blame Shadab much - he's not a recognized batsmen and was playing in a difficult situation. I would give him credit for hanging around as long as he did.

Rizwan was definitely selfish thou, wanted to cement his place. He came is when Fakhar had set up an okay platform too

 

[saeedhk]

i blame malik for Rizwan's failure. Malik was there from before and he should have been the one leading and scoring instead of Rizwan. Malik played a selfish innings and got run out.

Malik is to blame for Rizwan’s clueless batting? Rizwan is one of the worst batsman. Cant take singles or hit boundaries. He scored 10 from 30 balls, Malik didnt tell him to do that. He is just not a good batsman in international matches.

 

[Hbomb00]

Need to test Shan..our team need a very long lecture on patriotism.

 

[asfandyar]

This is a farcical rhetoric. You work best when you are doing it for yourself. If you work to benefit someone else, you lose interest. This is how your average human works.

Playing cricket is not philanthropy, and the cricketers are not passionate saviors who are there to defend the country's prestige. They are paid professionals who are in the sport for the wealth and fame it brings.

 

[Dr_Bassim]

This is a farcical rhetoric. You work best when you are doing it for yourself. If you work to benefit someone else, you lose interest. This is how your average human works.

Playing cricket is not philanthropy, and the cricketers are not passionate saviors who are there to defend the country's prestige. They are paid professionals who are in the sport for the wealth and fame it brings.

I'd have thought it was synonymous.

You can't be losing every match with personal performances and still get wealth and fame.
.

 

[topspin]

Captain and coach are also on notice for the teams performance. If the team doesn't perform they get criticized and eventually sacked. A lot of the players in the side have been given plenty of chances but have not shown enough but the team management has stuck by them ie Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Mohd Amir and Sarfaraz.

No other country in the world tolerates non performers for long especially if the team is not doing well. If Australia loses a series, careers are terminated.

If the players want to get guaranteed selections in the team, start working hard on your game, win games for your country ie Kohli and no one can touch you

I don't think it's fair to throw Mickey Arthur under the bus for the team's shortcomings. He's doing the best with the modest talent pool and resources available along with the constraints he has to contend with i.e. poor captain in Sarfraz and a terrible selector in Inzy whose services to Pakistan cricket would be better served as a batting coach for the side.

If we want to remove Mickey as coach, it will just pave way for the return of Waqar Younis who for me is the worst Pakistan coach I've come across in the 19-20 years of following the sport. He's the most tactically inept individual you'll ever come across from all the greats of the game. If it isn't him, it will be another a substandard Pakistani coach. The only guy who gives me hope in the future is perhaps Younis Khan particularly in tests because he has an intelligent cricket brain but not sure if he would be suited for ODIs.

We should grateful the side is coached by a well accomplished international coach who holds an impressive CV and is actually emotionally invested in Pakistan cricket unlike Geoff Lawson who seemed very passive and disinterested. Yes he is clueless when it comes to deploying spinners as evident from the UAE tests but when he leaves the role I can assure you won't find many or perhaps any decent coaches who will want to coach this side. It's not a attractive role for a world class coach given the substandard cricket system and the mediocre talent pool.

It's Sarfraz and Inzy who need to be sacked. We need a foreign selector who is analytically sound with an an intrigue in Pakistan cricket and would be willing to scope domestic talent.

As for players it's time part ways with Azhar Ali, Shafiq, Sarfraz and Shoaib Malik are gone for good. I believe Rizwan will improve if he's given more opportunities, it's unfair that our fans are drawing to conclusions after one bad game. I can safely say he's a much better than what was on display from him yesterday.

 

[topspin]

Can the same not be said for Imam and Malik then also?

Malik yes to an extent because everyone knows how shoddy he is against pace particularly outside Asia. But with his experience I also expect more intent and to play first fiddle when he was batting with Rizwan. He didn't play the lead role as he should have.

Imam is an in-form player and not an incompetent batsman like Malik, Rizwan and Shadab. His knock in the 3rd ODI was a selfish innings. For the first half of his innings his SR was sub-70 and he ended his knock facing over 110 balls without managing to bat at a run ball. That is simply unacceptable in such batting friendly conditions.

Dare I say it but Imam's early dismissal yesterday actually allowed Fakhar to less risk inside the first 10 overs because Babar showed intent from the get-go. FZ has been getting a lot of stick on here of late but what I will say in response to these delusional so-called fans, he's the only competent selfless batsman in the side, but notice Imam was the recipient of most of the praise on here during the series. Hardly anyone has noted that there is common trend with his batting - Imam bats at a SR half of Fakhar's during the PP overs. I'm not expecting Imam to match his opening partner with his rate of scoring runs, I want him to bat at 80+ in the first ten overs as a bare minimum and aim to bat the whole innings with a overall SR of 90-110 (in accordance to the conditions). Fakhar's batting will continue to be affected by Imam's lack of intent because simply too much is being asked of him.

 

[Majid Khan]

Interesting fact here as we are talking about selfish players who play for themselves and often for stats and achieving milestones etc. How many people know that only one captain in test cricket history has declared while he himself was batting with score in 90s , to give his team the best chance to win.. see scorecard here:

https://www.pcb.com.pk/sri-lanka-in-pakistan-199192/match/4463.html