Pakistan's batting statistics since Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan left: Who passes and who fails?

[Junaids]

We hear a lot about the value of experience or the commodity of youth.

But Pakistan has now played 16 Test matches in the two and a half years since Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan retired.

That gives a huge sample size in determining who has stepped up to the plate and who has failed. So of the players still in active Test contention, here is how their numbers stack up, from best to worst. I have put in a requirement that a player has played at least 2 Tests, and scored at least 150 runs.

ACHIEVING ENOUGH TO BE RETAINED

1. Babar Azam, age 25. 16 Tests, 27 innings, 1111 runs, 3 hundreds and 8 fifties, AVERAGE 48.30

2. Mohammad Rizwan, age 27. 3 Tests, 4 innings, 177 runs, 1 fifty, AVERAGE 44.25

3. Asad Shafiq, age 34 next month. 16 Tests, 28 innings, 1034 runs, 2 hundreds and 7 fifties, AVERAGE 36.92

4. Haris Sohail, age 31, 12 Tests, 21 innings, 735 runs, 2 hundreds and 2 fifties, AVERAGE 36.75

5. Shadab Khan, age 21, 5 Tests, 9 innings, 240 runs, 3 fifties, AVERAGE 34.28

6. Shan Masood, age 30, 8 Tests, 15 innings, 487 runs, 4 fifties, AVERAGE 32.46

BATSMEN WHO HAVE FAILED

7. Azhar Ali, 35 years old in 8 weeks, 16 Tests, 30 innings, 799 runs, 1 hundred and 6 fifties, AVERAGE 26.63

8. Imam-ul-Haq, 24 years old, 11 Tests, 21 innings, 485 runs, 3 fifties, AVERAGE 25.52

The figures don't lie.

16 Tests over 30 months is an incredibly long rope to give a player to hang himself with, and both Azhar Ali and Imam-ul-Haq are now well past the Jeet Raval "Every Other Team In The World Would Have Sacked You By Now" stage.

For the record, Raval is viewed as Unselectable after 7 bad Tests. Azhar Ali has had a horror run for the last 16 Tests and Imam-ul-Haq has for his last 11 Tests.

The other notable features of this analysis?

1. The two highest performing batsmen are aged 25 and 27.
2. None of the four batsmen aged over 30 even average a paltry 37 in the last two and a half years. You would think that - like Younis Khan and Misbah himself - you would have to be averaging over 40 in your thirties or forties to keep your place in the team. But now it seems that even low achievers averaging less than 40 can keep their place at that advanced age.
3. The only batsman aged over 30 who has improved his career average is Shan Masood, but he is on fairly unsafe ground averaging 32.46.
4. Asad Shafiq remains infuriating, but has barely declined at all from his career average of 38.82 to 36.92 in this period.

Yes, one of Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq should be made to retire immediately. But it's not Asad Shafiq - it's Azhar Ali.

I don't have a problem with Abid Ali or Fawad Alam being selected for Pakistan. But not in addition to failing oldies - instead of them.

 

[MenInG]

So basically Azhar Ali and Imam are misfits.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Apart from Babar, Rizwan and Shadab i dont think any other batsmen has made a claim to be retained in the sides. Before anyone says we have had tough tours to SA and Aus, just remember most of these players shamefully lost in UAE defeats to SL and NZ.

Batting line up

Abid Ali
Opener 2 - Spot up for Grabs
Azhar or Asad - One of these two needs the boot - Ideally both and Usman Salahuddin or some one else come in.
Babar Azam
Fawad Alam
Shadab or Haris Sohail
Rizwan

I think pakistan need to identify two new middle order players to slot into side and ideally need to find a decent opener to compliment Abid Ali.

Also longterm we need a quality player at number 3 home and away. We cant keep sending in a nightwatchmen regardless of the situation of the match.

 

[Waleed93]

I had a lot of respect for Misbah the Test player and the Test captain, and he is losing that respect very quickly.
Only he can appoint a player like Azhar as the captain when the latter should be the first one to get booted out of the team.

 

[Boi]

I would say Asad is also a failure when he’s averaging less than his career average in period when he was meant to step up and perform. Both Azhar and Asad need to go and it’s time to invest in others.

 

[Shoaibbtt]

I would say Asad is also a failure when he’s averaging less than his career average in period when he was meant to step up and perform. Both Azhar and Asad need to go and it’s time to invest in others.

Same sick of those 2 now. Azhar cracked under pressure in that one New Zealand game and it was unbelievable he didn’t even just go for it. I see good talents to replace them with Zeeshan ashraf/usman salhuddin/saud shakeel/Zeeshan malik and one for the future rohail nazir.

 

[Shoaibbtt]

Apart from Babar, Rizwan and Shadab i dont think any other batsmen has made a claim to be retained in the sides. Before anyone says we have had tough tours to SA and Aus, just remember most of these players shamefully lost in UAE defeats to SL and NZ.

Batting line up

Abid Ali
Opener 2 - Spot up for Grabs
Azhar or Asad - One of these two needs the boot - Ideally both and Usman Salahuddin or some one else come in.
Babar Azam
Fawad Alam
Shadab or Haris Sohail
Rizwan

I think pakistan need to identify two new middle order players to slot into side and ideally need to find a decent opener to compliment Abid Ali.

Also longterm we need a quality player at number 3 home and away. We cant keep sending in a nightwatchmen regardless of the situation of the match.

Opener 2- Imran Butt or Sami Aslam, preferably want to see Imran Butt however Sami will offer left and right combo.

Top middle order batsman- Lots to choose from but I’m sold on Saud Shakeel.

 

[kingusama92]

Asad Shafiq is a complete failure.

36.92 AVG as a senior batsman is unacceptable considering how much time was spent developing him. He was probably developed better than any other Pakistani Test batsman in terms of usage. They protected him in the lineup for years and as soon as the others retired, he fell apart.

He should be there with Azhar Ali and Imam.

 

[Fahdi]

How does a captain and management command a dressing room when the captain is the player who deserves to play the least.

 

[Junaids]

So basically Azhar Ali and Imam are misfits.

More than that.

Sure, we see that Pakistan has suffered unnecessary home and away defeats because of undeserved deference for seniority and nepotism.

But really, I don’t understand why you would ever retain a batsman aged 30+ unless his recent average is 40+, or a bowler aged 30+ unless his bowling average is less than 30.

Surely you only let veterans block the progression and development of younger players if they are still performing.

But Azhar, Shafiq, Haris and Masood are all under-performing. So why keep them in the team?

 

[topspin]

More than that.

Sure, we see that Pakistan has suffered unnecessary home and away defeats because of undeserved deference for seniority and nepotism.

But really, I don’t understand why you would ever retain a batsman aged 30+ unless his recent average is 40+, or a bowler aged 30+ unless his bowling average is less than 30.

Surely you only let veterans block the progression and development of younger players if they are still performing.

But Azhar, Shafiq, Haris and Masood are all under-performing. So why keep them in the team?

Do you think Abid Ali at 32 holds much of a test future for Pakistan?

Also do you think he has the technique to succeed in outside Asia in red ball cricket?

I think you're a bit harsh on Shan Masood, he was our second best batsman during the SA test tour and he followed in Australia he also managed to average in the 35-40 range. For a mediocre team for Pakistan, you can't ask for much from an opener in alien conditions.

 

[Amjid Javed]

How does a captain and management command a dressing room when the captain is the player who deserves to play the least.

Azhar is just a hand puppet, its clear to see Misbah is pulling the strings with the team.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Lets be honest with a test tour of england in early UK conditions (1st half of summer) - the likes of Imam, Azhar etc.. will be walking wickets and already proven failures in these conditions. so lets pick new players and give them experience of these conditions instead.

 

[Junaids]

Do you think Abid Ali at 32 holds much of a test future for Pakistan?

Also do you think he has the technique to succeed in outside Asia in red ball cricket?

I think you're a bit harsh on Shan Masood, he was our second best batsman during the SA test tour and he followed in Australia he also managed to average in the 35-40 range. For a mediocre team for Pakistan, you can't ask for much from an opener in alien conditions.

I’m fine with Abid Ali as the senior (in age) batsman, but only if he replaces Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq. You can’t pick all three.

Shan Masood has improved hugely, but he is 30 and he will never lift his average above 35. That makes him comparable to Rameez Raja, Sadiq Mohammad or Mohsin Khan.

To me, you only retain Shan Masood if you are going to use him as a short-term specialist captain, a bit like Misbah who averaged less than 30 away in Australia, England, NZ and South Africa. That would save Babar from premature captaincy.

The thing is, Sami Aslam, Imran Butt and Shadab Khan are being kept out of the team - and blocked from developing - because veterans like Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq and Haris Sohail are occupying their positions at a time when their ages and current averages are basically identical.

And that’s unforgivable.

 

[shaz619]

[MENTION=132916]Junaids[/MENTION] age theory has proven to be true, we musn't include anyone 30+ , maybe 1 or 2 who are not on the wrong side

 

[Bullet Drive]

I’m fine with Abid Ali as the senior (in age) batsman, but only if he replaces Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq. You can’t pick all three.

Shan Masood has improved hugely, but he is 30 and he will never lift his average above 35. That makes him comparable to Rameez Raja, Sadiq Mohammad or Mohsin Khan.

To me, you only retain Shan Masood if you are going to use him as a short-term specialist captain, a bit like Misbah who averaged less than 30 away in Australia, England, NZ and South Africa. That would save Babar from premature captaincy.

The thing is, Sami Aslam, Imran Butt and Shadab Khan are being kept out of the team - and blocked from developing - because veterans like Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq and Haris Sohail are occupying their positions at a time when their ages and current averages are basically identical.

And that’s unforgivable.

Imran Butt averages 36 in first-class cricket.

Sami Aslam is not 23. He was 23 when he captained in the 2014 u-19 WC.

 

[topspin]

I’m fine with Abid Ali as the senior (in age) batsman, but only if he replaces Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq. You can’t pick all three.

Shan Masood has improved hugely, but he is 30 and he will never lift his average above 35. That makes him comparable to Rameez Raja, Sadiq Mohammad or Mohsin Khan.

To me, you only retain Shan Masood if you are going to use him as a short-term specialist captain, a bit like Misbah who averaged less than 30 away in Australia, England, NZ and South Africa. That would save Babar from premature captaincy.

The thing is, Sami Aslam, Imran Butt and Shadab Khan are being kept out of the team - and blocked from developing - because veterans like Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq and Haris Sohail are occupying their positions at a time when their ages and current averages are basically identical.

And that’s unforgivable.

Sami Aslam looks a bit older than 24. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if he was around Shan Masood's age.

The other reason why I'm against his selection is because his batting is far too sedate for my liking. I always wonder what this fascination is on PP over someone who has scored his runs at a sub-40 strike rate after 13 tests. He's great for occupying the crease, but he is a timid character who simply isn't cut for international cricket.

I agree that Abid Ali should only come in if he replaces Azhar Ali. We cannot afford to have a top 3 with an average age of 32-33.

 

[coy0607]

How is Masood, with 4 fifties in 15 innings at an average of 32 good enough to be retained. That’s hot garbage!

And it’s not like he hasn’t been given enough opportunity. He’s played 35+ innings at this point.

Let’s not be happy with one fifty every 3-4 innings, that is not good enough

 

[Saj]

There used to be a time when anything under 40 average for Pakistan was considered poor.

How times have changed.