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Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Sharjeel Khan and Ahmed Shehzad - even Zeeshan Ashraf all have failed to impress in the PSL so far - worrying signs?
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Pakistan's potential T20 World Cup openers not doing well in the PSL?
- Thread starter MenInG
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Canistani Hero
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Incredibly harsh to have Babar in this list. He's got 78, 26, 13, 0 (poor guy was run out by Sharjeel), 70* and 38
I still think Babar and Sharjeel should open at WT20 with Haider at 3 -- Sharjeel will enjoy the tracks in Australia.
I still think Babar and Sharjeel should open at WT20 with Haider at 3 -- Sharjeel will enjoy the tracks in Australia.
Babar is doing just fine. Sharjeel should be the other opener he needs to pick up his form and fitness. Got unlucky last inning with run out with the bowler in his way, but with better fitness he would have dived and got home.
Fakhar unfortunately seem to lost it big time.
Fakhar unfortunately seem to lost it big time.
These are flat pitches not the same as austrlia conditions but similar conditions sharjeel needs one big innings atleast
Mobashir
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Haider is an opener but he has shown such a good range of shots that I will play kamran Akmal at 3 and Haider at 4.
Opening we don't have many choices, it has to be Babar and Sharjeel.
globalcitizen
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Kamran akmal is ur t20 opener who can be blistering at top but don’t play him as a WK. it’s a joke people suggesting sharjeel who has not even scored 20 runs in an innings !
Babar is someone who needs a fast scorer at other end like hales, otherwise he gets exposed in big games and big scoring games, he does not have power game himself unfortunately
Babar is someone who needs a fast scorer at other end like hales, otherwise he gets exposed in big games and big scoring games, he does not have power game himself unfortunately
salman24
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If we are being fair, it should really be Kamran Akmal opening with Babar.
Haider Ali should come in at 3 or 4.
Sharjeel or Fakhar can play at 3 if they start performing but right now they have not showed that they deserve it.
Haider Ali should come in at 3 or 4.
Sharjeel or Fakhar can play at 3 if they start performing but right now they have not showed that they deserve it.
I know it's not going to be a popular opinion, but given that we are short of options, and given that we are looking for a short-term solution only, Kamran Akmal is the way to go in my view.
I'm not saying he should keep wickets and yes, I appreciate he is an utter liability in the field too. However, he has performed consistently and I have no doubt that on current form, he is the best of the lot.
I'm not saying he should keep wickets and yes, I appreciate he is an utter liability in the field too. However, he has performed consistently and I have no doubt that on current form, he is the best of the lot.
for the past 30+ yrs we have introduced short term solutions only and that's why pak cricket is where we are today. HAider Ali is young and looks promising give him a go with Babar. Kami will only succeed against weaker teams. 145kph bowlers will trouble him big time.
hafizexpress
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Why are people acting like Kamran has been head and shoulders above all the other Pak batsmen in the PSL? Guy had 2 good innings.
Why not Abid Ali. He is the most underrated batsmen in LOIs. In his last ODIs, he played at 100+ strike rate easily. In fact, he was the aggressor in the ODI opening partnership with Fakhar vs SL recently. He also pushes the tempo in test.
Was surprised to see him unpicked and hence untested in PSL.
Abid plays from a solid technique which is going to be needed to play international quality bowling attacks on Aus tracks.
He is also a wicket-keeper batsman...
Absolutely spot on.
Ultimately, we have to choose from the options available to us. We cannot select David Warner, Jason Roy or Rohit Sharma to open for PAK.
Considering that, it's a no-brainer that Kami is the best local option as an opener. Nowhere near the best in the world, just the best in PAK, for our mediocre T20 batting.
It's no guarantee that he'll score a 50-100 in every match.
But, even his quick-fire 30s and 40s will help us significantly in getting off to flyers. We need that momentum up-front, within the power play overs, and absolutely smash the pace bowlers. Get as many boundaries as possible.
Unfortunately, nobody else can do that, even on their "good" days. So, we have to take a chance with Kamran Akmal, who actually can do it and has done it.
It's simple, yet people don't understand, or their hate for Kami overcomes their logical thinking.
Kamran Akmal despite his 100 has only passed 30 once since in 6 games. He is inconsistent as they come. No personal agenda but the guy has had plenty of chances. He is not going to improve and guarantee along with Hafeez will fail when the heat is really on . No point taking them in the name of " experience".
I rather take a Haider Ali.
I rather take a Haider Ali.
Another thing Akmal averages 20.96 in 30 T20 world cup matches! He is a bonafide choker at the world level . I expect very little from him apart from looking at the sky whenever he hits a boundary and making a crying face when he is walking off after he is dismissed.
gazza619
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I am a risk taker and if it was me my top 6 will be:
1. Sharjeel Khan
2. Fakhar Zaman (on his day he can turn a game)
3. Babar Azam
4. Kamran Akmal
5. Haider Ali
6. Muhammad Hafeez (Need this bowling)
Bench
7. Shoaib Malik
8. Iftikhar Ahmed (poor PSL but did OK in Australia)
1. Sharjeel Khan
2. Fakhar Zaman (on his day he can turn a game)
3. Babar Azam
4. Kamran Akmal
5. Haider Ali
6. Muhammad Hafeez (Need this bowling)
Bench
7. Shoaib Malik
8. Iftikhar Ahmed (poor PSL but did OK in Australia)
Mujtaba2900
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Babar Actually likes bouncy pitches so Australia pitches are actually better for Babar .Big Gaps Easy timing
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Fakhar Zaman seems to be back in form!
last_knight
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Back among runs though, not form. Not yet.
Cpt. Rishwat
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He's still a hack, this innings was more of a support one where the lead was taken by Lynn at the other end who was playing all the quality shots. Babar is the only quality Pakistan batsman, the rest are either more suited to ODIs, or just blind sloggers. The only matchwinner potentially is Sharjeel, but he is very hit and miss.
Ironically, it is the bowling allrounders like Shadab and Imad who have impressed more with the bat, relatively speaking. Pakistan hitters look a rung or two below most of the foreign batsmen.
Allah Kay liya maaf karo, Kamran Akmal ka bhai nahi khelay ga to woh bhi nahi khelay ga.
Kamran is 38 years old, please let him go let’s move on
I would like to see
Babar
Fakhar/Sheerjeal
Haider Ali
Shohaib Malek
Babar, Haider and shohaib all can rotate strokes and can play at decent strike rate they also complement each other very well
No place for Haffeez and imad
Kamran is 38 years old, please let him go let’s move on
I would like to see
Babar
Fakhar/Sheerjeal
Haider Ali
Shohaib Malek
Babar, Haider and shohaib all can rotate strokes and can play at decent strike rate they also complement each other very well
No place for Haffeez and imad
Agreed babar better against pace but I was more on about sharjeel hasnt shown anything at all yet
Nope... False hope!!! Haider Ali should bat with Babar and open. Once again Haider showed he can bat.
Sunny_majoka
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babar , seriously?
i reckon we should try haider ali as an openner
i reckon we should try haider ali as an openner
I wouldn't mind seeing him as a opener but I prefer him against the spinners hes a spin basher although hes decent against pace thou
I would play him the middle overs hes a spin basher but decent against pace might learn with babar with controlled aggression
ShahidDar08
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01. Sharjeel Khan
02. Fakhar Zaman
03. Babar Azam [C]
04. Haider Ali
05. Iftikhar Ahmed
06. Khushdil Shah[wk]
07. Shadab Khan
08. Imad Wasim
09. Mohammad Aamir
10. Mohammad Hasnain
11. Shaheen Shah
Bench
12. Naseem Shah
13. Zafar Gohar
14. Asif Ali
15. Shoaib Malik
02. Fakhar Zaman
03. Babar Azam [C]
04. Haider Ali
05. Iftikhar Ahmed
06. Khushdil Shah[wk]
07. Shadab Khan
08. Imad Wasim
09. Mohammad Aamir
10. Mohammad Hasnain
11. Shaheen Shah
Bench
12. Naseem Shah
13. Zafar Gohar
14. Asif Ali
15. Shoaib Malik
alishahid
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Sohail Akthar - a potential option for the t20 wc opening slot
Considering how well the guy has played since the second phase of the psl, ever since he started taking responsibility and opened the innings. The guy has been consistent throughout when opening
Considering how well the guy has played since the second phase of the psl, ever since he started taking responsibility and opened the innings. The guy has been consistent throughout when opening
Rana
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100%
saeed5646
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A new low ..
He is not international material
He is not international material
Hales is not out of the team for cricketing reasons. He has been ignored ever since he tested positive for drugs just before the World Cup.
alishahid
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Was not a big fan of him. But now starting to like the way he plays.
Cpt. Rishwat
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Has he shown anything against short pitched bowling? Evey big shot I am seeing seems to be when the ball is pitched up.
Mamoon
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Don’t let this half-century gift wrapped by Lahore fool you.
Sharjeel is pathetic and this nonsense talk of selecting him for the WT20 needs to end.
Sharjeel is pathetic and this nonsense talk of selecting him for the WT20 needs to end.
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Good news for Pakistan both Sharjeel and Babar in good form
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Not sure about Babar but Sharjeel in hot form at the moment.
gazza619
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Sharjeel has his weaknesses but his hitting capabilities makes him a hot T20 entity.
Like it or not but he will make it to the Pakistan T20 squad and will demolish some bowling attacks at World stage.
I have seem him butcher some real quality bowlers so this assumption that he is a minnow basher is nothing but trash talk. A quick fire 30-40 by Sharjeel is good enough to brighten our chances at the WC.
Stewie
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On form sherjeel needs to be considered.
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Another dismal showing for Babar Azam today - 32 off 34 balls!
Have to say, Babar just seems disinterested. This is all too easy for him. With Imad in charge, he seems to be barely trying, but not in an under performing way. It just seems like he's bored. He's had the likes of Sharjeel and Hales blazing away at the other end. He hasn't really needed to go hard. Treating the whole PSL like a net session, he has quietly built up a gap at the top of the run scorers, albeit at a lowish strike rate. But still - he's averaging 49 again. The consistency is ridiculous.
He is just waiting for International cricket and probably Tests to return.
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Hope you are right but not that great for the franchise as they want more from him.
Well he's the tournament's highest scorer and has seen Karachi through to the playoffs. He has more than returned the investment in him.
Mamoon
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Sharjeel is a minnow-basher at the international level and has consistently failed against non-associate sides throughout his sorry international career.
The only time he performed against good bowling in his mediocre stint in international cricket was in the ODI series in Australia in 2017, where he scored three quick but ultimately impact-less half-centuries on extremely flat pitches where Australia scored 360 and 370 and Warner blasted us all over the ground.
We only won one match in that series - the second ODI which was on a relatively tricky wicket, and it is not surprising that Sharjeel failed in that match.
When three inconsequential ODI half-centuries against Australia is all that you have to show for after four years in international cricket, it pretty much sums up everything that needs to be said about your caliber as an international cricketer.
Sharjeel failed in his first stint in international cricket in 2013-14, and after returning to the side in 2016 after a hundred in the PSL 1 play-off against Zalmi, he failed in the Asia Cup, he failed in the WT20, he failed in the England ODI series and he failed in the only Test that he played.
Even in this PSL, he has been strictly average and has been carried this far by Babar and Hales, who had to bat at 3 to accommodate this overweight mediocrity at the top.
Sharjeel has not changed a bit. He still has the same weaknesses as a batsman that prevented him from performing consistently, and his fitness is still embarrassing. Moreover, at the age of 31, there is no chance of him improving as a batsman.
He had all the time in the world to adopt a healthier lifestyle and get his fitness up to professional standards, but the lack of effort sums up his lack of desire and determination.
He has clearly done nothing to deserve a recall to international cricket. However, unfortunately, the “number one ranked” T20I side in the world does not have a hack at the top of the order since the other hack (Zaman) has been completely found out, so they are likely to award him with a recall so that he can once again fail in international cricket in his third stint.
In truth, Sharjeel is just another Fakhar/Jamshed type average southpaw batsman but his deluded fans think he is the next Warner.
In fact, getting banned in 2017 was the best thing to happen to his reputation and career because otherwise, he would have been history by now.
Both Sharjeel and his supporters deserve the humiliation that is coming their way as he returns for his third and final mediocre stint in international cricket.
The_Odd_One
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I would not worry too much about Babar. He's in a a different league with respect to other Pakistani batsmen. The second opener slot is open and that has to go to a hack. So, it can be either Kamran or Sharjeel. Fakhar has totally lost it and should not be even considered anymore.
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