Pakistan's dot ball consumption in powerplays in ODIs

[Amjid Javed]

Pakistan must be one of the worst teams when it comes to the number of Dot balls the play out in powerplays in ODIs but also across a 50 over inns period as well, With Sharjeel opening i understand there will be a lack of dot balls as he likes to smash the ball around, however Azhar Ali and Hafeez must be two of the poorest strike rotaters in the team, This not only builds pressure at their ends but also adds pressure to an inform batsmen at other end who is starved off the strike, its simply not acceptable to play cricket in ODIs in this manner. Also the length of time Azhar and Hafeez have been playing for they should have at least shown some improvement in this aspect of the game. The same use to be the case with Ahmed shehzad as well when he use to open!

 

[Majestic_Inzi]

Hafeez test match career over and he is trying to save his odi career, too many dot balls..

 

[Amjid Javed]

31 dot balls so far from the 44 balls hes faced! really is poor stuff!

 

[Pete Rose]

He needs to go. but it will take time

 

[Amjid Javed]

Yet another pathetic odi inns from azhar batting like a snail, eating up dot balls galore

 

[Slog]

it can only get better now that the "King of Dot balls" is gone

 

[ethan hunt]

Azhar doesnt seem to be able to rotate strike either

 

[saeedhk]

This has been our problem for the last 6 years.Our coaches seem to overlook such critical aspect of tje modern ODI game.

Sent from my Lenovo A6000 using Tapatalk

 

[pakistanigoneaussie]

it can only get better now that the "King of Dot balls" is gone

To be replaced by the emperor

 

[goran]

The way Azhar plays, even if he bats for full 50 overs, we will barely reach 220-225 which was not enough even in 80s. He is just not suitable for LOI cricket. It was a poor decision to include him in the LOI format and even worse to make him a captain. The sooner we get rid of him, the better it is.

 

[goran]

The problem with Azhar's dot ball consumption is that it puts other batsmen under immense pressure to compensate and try to score quickly which ultimately results in their downfall. The end result of such approach is usually below-par scores and eventual defeat.

 

[Amjid Javed]

The problem with Azhar's dot ball consumption is that it puts other batsmen under immense pressure to compensate and try to score quickly which ultimately results in their downfall. The end result of such approach is usually below-par scores and eventual defeat.

100% brilliant comments and exactly the point i have been trying to make for a long time now.

 

[classic]

Relax ..I think Azer is doing Ok for now , we are 89/2 off 19 which is not too bad . The key is wickets in hand and all guns blazing from 35 overs on wards.


Hoping for 285 plus finish which is pretty handy . Azher need to get a Big one though from here.

 

[Amjid Javed]

41 dot balls out of 64 balls played so far by Azhar! its just pathetic!

 

[cricketInsight]

41 dot balls out of 64 balls played so far by Azhar! its just pathetic!

Yes, Azhar has play a few too many dot balls but had Sharjeel played a few he would have done much better after Woods initial burst. So it is a delicate balance.

Azam looks so good compared to the rest of our ODI batsmen in his ability to rotate the strike.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Yes, Azhar has play a few too many dot balls but had Sharjeel played a few he would have done much better after Woods initial burst. So it is a delicate balance.

Azam looks so good compared to the rest of our ODI batsmen in his ability to rotate the strike.

We know what to expect with sharjeel its either 4/6 or dot balls, you expect better from azhar who simply cant rotate the strike, Am sorry but hes simply not good enough to play ODI cricket. neither will the sharjeel/azhar combo work with the way the two batsmen play.

 

[gunner]

Sharjeel should have batted responsibly.

 

[goran]

Relax ..I think Azer is doing Ok for now , we are 89/2 off 19 which is not too bad . The key is wickets in hand and all guns blazing from 35 overs on wards.


Hoping for 285 plus finish which is pretty handy . Azher need to get a Big one though from here.

Your post shows exactly the obsolete approach of keeping wickets in hand and expecting the lower middle-order to blast the opposition bowlers in the last 10-15 overs. This approach is not going to work anymore, the game has evolved and we are lagging behind.

 

[Seller1984]

Lol at azhar telling sharjeel. To review

 

[Amjid Javed]

Azhar - 58 dot balls from 100 - 52%
Sharjeel - 8 dot balls from 15 - 53%
Hafeez - 10 dot balls from 15 - 67%

overall there was 134 dot balls in the inns and 58 of those from the captain! its clear where the problem lies again with our top order batting.

 

[Pete Rose]

Azhar - 58 dot balls from 100 - 52%
Sharjeel - 8 dot balls from 15 - 53%
Hafeez - 10 dot balls from 15 - 67%

overall there was 134 dot balls in the inns and 58 of those from the captain! its clear where the problem lies again with our top order batting.

we all see that. but its an issue that will take time to resolve

 

[#GreenRoars]

Azhar - 58 dot balls from 100 - 52%
Sharjeel - 8 dot balls from 15 - 53%
Hafeez - 10 dot balls from 15 - 67%

overall there was 134 dot balls in the inns and 58 of those from the captain! its clear where the problem lies again with our top order batting.

This team have no top order, this team dont have any lower order. All the players are same.

 

[Abdullah]

This is the series for azhar. He is going to be forced to play up and over much more due to lack of strike rotation.
It will only end one of 2 ways and I think he is sensible enough to step aside if things don't work out

 

[Sherlock]

Sky showed the stats for the best batting PP SRs after the WC and Pakistan were bottom and England came in first. That should tell you everything you need to know.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Sky showed the stats for the best batting PP SRs after the WC and Pakistan were bottom and England came in first. That should tell you everything you need to know.

No shock when we have openers trying to better Sunil gavaskars famous inns of 36 runs in 60 overs.

 

[Amjid Javed]

This is the series for azhar. He is going to be forced to play up and over much more due to lack of strike rotation.
It will only end one of 2 ways and I think he is sensible enough to step aside if things don't work out

I doubt he will step aside, he will need to be pushed at the end of the series and needs to be removed from the team.

 

[yusuf.saya]

Give me one example of a captain stepping aside in Pakistan because he thinks he doesn't have place in the playing 11? misbah may have done it for a match or two but not for good.. so what makes us believe that Azhar Ali will step aside?

Financially it doesn't make sense because captain stays in the category A bracket and there are other sponsorship perks that he will enjoy.. so its not in his interest to leave captaincy.

We will have to live with him till someone like Mickey Arthur gets up and says its his head or mine and then chairman makes a call.

 

[Abdullah]

Let's see what happens. Hope he can start scoring briskly

 

[ask_analyse_act]

Let's see what happens. Hope he can start scoring briskly

Nowadays cricket is more a mind game... For Azhar Ali they will bring in fielders close in the inner ring knowing that he is limited as a batsman, cant pierce into gaps and also will not take risk to go over the in-field, whereas for babar azam knowing he is a dynamic player will have men in the ropes and will expect him to go over the in-field and take the risk of clearing the rope to ease off the pressure created by azhar at the other end playing dot balls...

 

[ExplicitAI]

The key to not playing too many dot balls is to punish every single bad ball you come across, in addition to pinching singles always when there's an opportunity. You also have to try to not hit everything to the fielders, rather you should try to pierce the gaps and force the opposition captain to alter his field.

 

[mojohnson]

Allowing maidens to be bowled in the first ten overs is criminal in my opinion - especially when all wickets are intact like yesterday. See it quite regularly in this Pakistan team. Huge waste of the powerplay.

 

[MenInG]

Shoaib Malik got a lot of stick for not scoring too fast but all Azhar Ali had to do was to do what Malik was doing, keep on accumulating.

 

[AlphaFighter]

The problem with Azhar's dot ball consumption is that it puts other batsmen under immense pressure to compensate and try to score quickly which ultimately results in their downfall. The end result of such approach is usually below-par scores and eventual defeat.

This was the same issue with Misbah but the hypocricy is startling. Misbah does it is fine, if Azhar does it is not okay. I absolutely despise hypocricy and double standards.

 

[MenInG]

This was the same issue with Misbah but the hypocricy is startling. Misbah does it is fine, if Azhar does it is not okay. I absolutely despise hypocricy and double standards.

You obviously are back to old days here.

Let it go.

 

[Xeeebon]

Simple... Irritating..

 

[Amjid Javed]

Azhar needs to watch how jason roy or hasim Amla bat in pp over of an ODI, no one is asking Azhar to slog but there are ways to rotate the strike and work a cricket ball into the gaps.

 

[blue_champion]

Shoaib Malik got a lot of stick for not scoring too fast but all Azhar Ali had to do was to do what Malik was doing, keep on accumulating.

Malik scored at a S/R of 68 coming in around the 36th over? How is that better than Azhar Ali's innings.....178/5 at the 35 th over....even around 8 runs p.o from over no.36 would have meant around 300 for Pak and trust me if Pak had those extra 40 runs,they would have won....so it is not entirely Azhar Ali's fault.

 

[Abdullah]

This was the same issue with Misbah but the hypocricy is startling. Misbah does it is fine, if Azhar does it is not okay. I absolutely despise hypocricy and double standards.

Bro there is a difference doing it when the innings starts and u r 0-0 with only 2 boundary fielders and doing it at 35-3 after 10 overs.
Don't u think?

 

[yasir]

This was the same issue with Misbah but the hypocricy is startling. Misbah does it is fine, if Azhar does it is not okay. I absolutely despise hypocricy and double standards.

It was never fine for Misbah to do that either. How many matches Misbah had won against quality opposition?? - He was never good at strike rotation, because of that could never build a partnership... He made lot of useless 50s, but rarely something to win matches... There is no need to continue such terrible traditions

 

[Pakprideuk]

Shoaib Malik got a lot of stick for not scoring too fast but all Azhar Ali had to do was to do what Malik was doing, keep on accumulating.

I'm sorry but that is awful comparison from an experienced poster like you. Azhar batted at a better strike rate than Malik and Malik was batting when the entire field was spread with 4 men on the boundary so it naturally is easier to rotate the strike. As soon as the field spread, even azhar was rotating the strike well and that was shown in the stats. The issue with Azhar atm is his sr in the first 10 but I'm sure he'll work that out. Let's not even talk about Malik batting in the first 10 - wouldn't last a few overs.

 

[Pakprideuk]

Bro there is a difference doing it when the innings starts and u r 0-0 with only 2 boundary fielders and doing it at 35-3 after 10 overs.
Don't u think?

Its easier to rotate and take singles after the first 10. Its difficult in the first 10 when fielders are inside the circle and bowlers bowl one side of the wicket.

 

[Abdullah]

Its easier to rotate and take singles after the first 10. Its difficult in the first 10 when fielders are inside the circle and bowlers bowl one side of the wicket.

He should be going over the top anyway. There are naturally more dots in the first 10 bit that should be offset by more boundaries
Misbah was overdoing his thing but I get why he did it . The amount of games where we didn't bat 50 overs was criminal in misbahs time. Yesterday that was nit really a threat

 

[Amjid Javed]

Azhar, shezi and hafeez king of dot balls, still doing pakistan team proud!

 

[Amjid Javed]

Shezi and Babar doing pakistan proud once again in PPs

 

[Abdullah719]

Shezi and Babar doing pakistan proud once again in PPs

 

[Plumb]

Shezi and Babar doing pakistan proud once again in PPs

You have said something which ll make lots of PakPassion crowd upset. Babar is a great player without a doubt but the dot balls he plays are way too many.

 

[htariq25]

Shezi and Babar doing pakistan proud once again in PPs

Babar plays much less dot balls than the rest of the line up I'm sure. He takes many singles which others struggle to do. The bigger problem is shehzad taking up more than 10 for balls in an innings that lasts for only 15 balls sometimes.

 

[mak36]

This is beyond embarrassing. There is nothing to justify his inclusion in the side. The two players with a worse % are from Ireland and Zimbabwe respectively, which should tell you something.

 

[MMHS]

You have said something which ll make lots of PakPassion crowd upset. Babar is a great player without a doubt but the dot balls he plays are way too many.

I am sure, Babar's Dot % is much lower, probably only after Malik in PAK team batting in PP. His all-round game is quite good and he is a busy player - his dot % will be lower than 60%, may be even below 50%. In that list only 2 players can match him in shot making ability - Tamim & Rahne; both are Test specialists & sweet boundary hitters. Still in last year or 2, I am sure his stats has improved in this regard; Ahmed's probably has gone down

 

[giri26]

The only Indian in the top 10 is Ajinkya Rahane and he is playing ahead of Lokesh Rahul in the ODI's.

 

[hamaadqureshi819]

almost every one in that list makes up for the dot ball consumption by going ruthless once set except Ahmad Shahzad, Azhar Ali and Ajinkya Rahane

 

[JibranAnsari]

I am sure, Babar's Dot % is much lower, probably only after Malik in PAK team batting in PP. His all-round game is quite good and he is a busy player - his dot % will be lower than 60%, may be even below 50%. In that list only 2 players can match him in shot making ability - Tamim & Rahne; both are Test specialists & sweet boundary hitters. Still in last year or 2, I am sure his stats has improved in this regard; Ahmed's probably has gone down

Babar's dot ball percentage must be low as his boundary percentage is low too , he scores 37% of his runs in boundaries and still has managed a good overall SR so far.