Pakistan's Rotten Core – Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Shadab Khan & Naseem Shah: Is the team better without them?

[Cricket Warrior]

PCB calls top white-ball performers for short training and evaluation camp in Lahore

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has called the country’s top white-ball performers for a short training and evaluation camp to be held in Lahore from June 3 to 5, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

According to sources, 22 players, including star cricketers Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi, have been invited to attend the camp.

These players have been selected based on their recent performances in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 10 and domestic white-ball competitions.

The invited cricketers will participate in the camp in three different groups, with each group scheduled for short but intensive sessions.

The primary objectives of the camp are to assess the players’ fitness levels, review individual performances, and engage in strategic discussions regarding Pakistan’s white-ball future.

The camp will be overseen by head coach Mike Hesson, who will be accompanied by other members of the coaching staff.

Hesson is expected to meet individually and in groups with the top performers, discussing future goals and offering tailored guidance to key players.

The PCB also plans to brief the players on long-term plans and selection policies, providing them with clarity on expectations, roles, and development pathways.

PCB calls top white-ball performers for short training and evaluation camp in Lahore

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has called the country’s top white-ball performers for a short training and evaluation camp to be held in Lahore from

24newshd.tv

 

[Mamoon]

It's the overall culture that sucks.

During Sarfi era, Even medicore players like imam, Babar, Hafeez punch > their weight and performed well.

It's because they all have a clear role and game plan and no one was competing for a spot against each other.

The plan was clear, aka fakhar provides the starts, Hafeez and haris sohail finish well.

If this strategy fails, Babar, Imam, Malik and sarfaraz rebuild.

Even players like hasan Ali were performing at peak.

Sarfi kept these guys in line. Didn't allow celebrations, consistently scolded everyone if they got out of line, Wasn't nice and friendly to the opposition. His racism remark was too far I agree but atleast he wasn't buddy buddy with the opposition. He knew cricket was war.

The new gang has no gameplan nor a good leader. It seems the new strategy is to hope that a talent emerges who isn't threatening the roti gang and just happens to ignore team culture and play aggressively.

Are we supposedly to completely ignore the fact that Sarfraz turned Pakistan into a minnow in Tests and ODIs in 2018-19? Do you have any recollection or awareness of Pakistan’s performances in these two formats in those two years?

 

[Mamoon]

It is laughable to group Babar, Rizwan and Shaheen with three mediocre players like Naseem, Rauf and Shadab.

Babar, Rizwan and Shaheen are comfortably Pakistan’s best players over the last few years in spite of having ups and downs. Some of their best moments are bigger than the the entire careers of Naseem, Rauf and Shadab.

Naseem has never performed with the ball but he has been hyped to the moon and his perception and reputation have always been greater than his performances.

Raufs deluded fans hyped him up as the second coming of Akhtar but in reality he is just a right-handed Wahab. A brainless bowler who is a match loser through and through.

As far as Shadab is concerned, his bowling completely deteriorated post 2017. In the last 5-6 years, he has been a glorified tailender with the bat and glorified part-timer with the ball.

Him playing as an all-rounder weakens both the batting and bowling at the same time. For years, he was protected by the fans because of his theatrics in the field and his image, but the 2023 World Cup was the final straw.

These three should be discarded for good, but Pakistan badly needs Babar, Rizwan and Shaheen at the top of their game in all formats.

 

[Rana]

Are we supposedly to completely ignore the fact that Sarfraz turned Pakistan into a minnow in Tests and ODIs in 2018-19? Do you have any recollection or awareness of Pakistan’s performances in these two formats in those two years?

Yes, just like we are supposed to completely forget the fact that Pakistan became the worst ever Pakistan cricket team in history with Babar and Rizwan as their main players in all formats.

 

[mominsaigol]

Are we supposedly to completely ignore the fact that Sarfraz turned Pakistan into a minnow in Tests and ODIs in 2018-19? Do you have any recollection or awareness of Pakistan’s performances in these two formats in those two years?

Sarfi worst era doesnt compare to Babar's worst era. Babar era was utterly atrocious

 

[Mamoon]

Yes, just like we are supposed to completely forget the fact that Pakistan became the worst ever Pakistan cricket team in history with Babar and Rizwan as their main players in all formats.

You can talk about why Pakistan failed in 2023-2024 in a separate thread. Their failures doesn’t justify why Pakistan under the so-called brilliant leadership of Sarfaraz become a minnow in 2018-19 and couldn’t even ride on the momentum of the fluke CT. The fact that you choose to deflect says everything.

 

[Mamoon]

Sarfi worst era doesnt compare to Babar's worst era. Babar era was utterly atrocious

One doesn’t justify the other.

My point is that Sarfaraz era was absolute garbage in Tests and ODIs (after 2017) and some people exaggerate and overrate his leadership and how the team was performing under him due to nostalgia and blurry memory.

Sarfaraz in 2018-19 oversaw one of the worst periods in history of Pakistan cricket and he deserves to be called out for it just like Babar deserves to be called out for 2023-24 period which was terrible as well.

 

[mominsaigol]

One doesn’t justify the other.

My point is that Sarfaraz era was absolute garbage in Tests and ODIs (after 2017) and some people exaggerate and overrate his leadership and how the team was performing under him due to nostalgia and blurry memory.

Sarfaraz in 2018-19 oversaw one of the worst periods in history of Pakistan cricket and he deserves to be called out for it just like Babar deserves to be called out for 2023-24 period which was terrible as well.

2019 campaign wasnt bad. Much better then our 2023 odi campaign and 2025 ct campaign.

2017 sealed his legacy. No captain post satfi won a trophy, he'll remain > the others by default until it happens

 

[Rana]

2019 campaign wasnt bad. Much better then our 2023 odi campaign and 2025 ct campaign.

2017 sealed his legacy. No captain post satfi won a trophy, he'll remain > the others by default until it happens

It is clear as daylight Pakistan regressed massively from 2019-2023. Trusting Babar and Rizwan as your main players was a big mistake.

 

[cricfan432]

It is clear as daylight Pakistan regressed massively from 2019-2023. Trusting Babar and Rizwan as your main players was a big mistake.

He'll bring 2021 semi final and 2022 final logic. Point is rizwan is not white ball player, and Babar is not t20 and if we get replacements not even an odi player. Even a kid would know this. We reached 2021 semi final due to asif ali and 2022 final due to shadab khan and iftikhar ahmed and muhammad haris vs south africa and due to sa poor performance against netherlands and nz poor performance in semi final.

 

[Mamoon]

2019 campaign wasnt bad. Much better then our 2023 odi campaign and 2025 ct campaign.

2017 sealed his legacy. No captain post satfi won a trophy, he'll remain > the others by default until it happens

2019 campaign was very poor. Pakistan had the third worst NRR among all teams and in spite of having the best preparation among all teams (5 matches series vs England right before the World Cup), their campaign basically ended on opening day vs WI when their NRR got nuked.

Sarfaraz was on top of the world in 2017. He was the most loved player in the country, a cult hero.

Some were calling him the next Imran Khan. The fact that he lost everything within 2 years shows how badly the team regressed under him.

He couldn’t even ride on the momentum of the CT. He really messed up big time from 2018 onwards with one humiliation after the other.

 

[Mamoon]

He'll bring 2021 semi final and 2022 final logic. Point is rizwan is not white ball player, and Babar is not t20 and if we get replacements not even an odi player. Even a kid would know this. We reached 2021 semi final due to asif ali and 2022 final due to shadab khan and iftikhar ahmed and muhammad haris vs south africa and due to sa poor performance against netherlands and nz poor performance in semi final.

Yes, just like we got humiliated in 2024 because of Amir and Imad who bowled the worst super over and played the worst innings in history.

If we are going to give credit to other players for the respectable results in 2021 and 2022 World Cups, let’s blame other players for the 2024 failure as well.

 

[Mamoon]

It is clear as daylight Pakistan regressed massively from 2019-2023. Trusting Babar and Rizwan as your main players was a big mistake.

Pakistan hit rock-bottom in 2018-19. There was no further regression possible, the only way was up and did happen in 2020-22 period under Babar with his, Rizwan’s and Shaheen’s rise.

 

[cricfan432]

Yes, just like we got humiliated in 2024 because of Amir and Imad who bowled the worst super over and played the worst innings in history.

If we are going to give credit to other players for the respectable results in 2021 and 2022 World Cups, let’s blame other players for the 2024 failure as well.

and even usa player who scored at better rate than babar. How much we scored in Powerplay do you remember? We lost the match in powerplay itself. We got better t20 players than imad anyways, but match was lost by Rizwan, he was the set batter.

 

[Mamoon]

and even usa player who scored at better rate than babar. How much we scored in Powerplay do your remember? We lost the match in powerplay itself.

Sequence of events matter. In spite of everything that happened, it all came down to the Super Over and it was 0/0 again. Nothing that happened before mattered.

Pakistan’s fate was in Amir’s hands and he choked massively. Who bowls 3 wides in a Super Over?

100% guaranteed that if Babar didn’t give the ball to Amir and Shaheen or Rauf had bowled and did what Amir did, all the fans would be criticizing Babar for having a personal grudge with Amir and would have claimed that had Amir bowled, he would have won it for Pakistan because he is a pressure performer bla bla.

Same goes for Imad. If Pakistan picked Nawaz instead and he had played the innings that Imad did, everyone would be saying that Imad would have won the match for Pakistan because the situation was perfect for him and he keeps a cool head under pressure bla bla.

 

[cricfan432]

Sequence of events matter. In spite of everything that happened, it all came down to the Super Over and it was 0/0 again. Nothing that happened before mattered.

Pakistan’s fate was in Amir’s hands and he choked massively. Who bowls 3 wides in a Super Over?

100% guaranteed that if Babar didn’t give the ball to Amir and Shaheen or Rauf had bowled and did what Amir did, all the fans would be criticizing Babar for having a personal grudge with Amir and would have claimed that had Amir bowled, he would have won it for Pakistan because he is a pressure performer bla bla.

Same goes for Imad. If Pakistan picked Nawaz instead and he had played the innings that Imad did, everyone would be saying that Imad would have won the match for Pakistan because the situation was perfect for him and he keeps a cool head under pressure bla bla.

Nawaz lost us vs zimbabwe, but that's not the point. Point is rizwan was the set batter and he took the game deep because of his limitations he couldnt hit few boundaries. I wont talk about amir, because my focus is not bowlers, in t20 bowlers get hit. Focus is batsmen, why couldn't we score the target in super over because babar did not select better players in first place.

 

[Rana]

Nawaz lost us vs zimbabwe, but that's not the point. Point is rizwan was the set batter and he took the game deep because of his limitations he couldnt hit few boundaries. I wont talk about amir, because my focus is not bowlers, in t20 bowlers get hit. Focus is batsmen, why couldn't we score the target in super over because babar did not select better players in first place.

for a long time we had warned some posters here about the limitations of Babar and Rizwan especially in the context of them insisting to hog the powerplay. There was one poster here who claimed Babar might not be a six hitter like Travis Head or DeQock, but he is capable of hitting six balls for 4 runs in a super over if need be so, so he isn't really limited according to him.

It was a shame not to see Babar and Rizwan man up to bat in the super over for Pakistan that day. We really could have done with 5 fours on 5 balls!

 

[mominsaigol]

Pakistan hit rock-bottom in 2018-19. There was no further regression possible, the only way was up and did happen in 2020-22 period under Babar with his, Rizwan’s and Shaheen’s rise.

2020 was an ever further regression lol. Pakistan got thrashed by Zimbabwe in a series .

2021 is one outlier event in which Pakistan was on an uphill rise.

2022 was a success achieved by Pakistan relying on other teams for help to qualify. Babar and rizwan averages and strike rates were hilarious in Asia cup and world cup

 

[cricfan432]

for a long time we had warned some posters here about the limitations of Babar and Rizwan especially in the context of them insisting to hog the powerplay. There was one poster here who claimed Babar might not be a six hitter like Travis Head or DeQock, but he is capable of hitting six balls for 4 runs in a super over if need be so, so he isn't really limited according to him.

It was a shame not to see Babar and Rizwan man up to bat in the super over for Pakistan that day. We really could have done with 5 fours on 5 balls!

Babar cant find gaps in powerplay let alone outside powerplay except few shots but that depends on bowler if he bowls smart.

 

[Rana]

Sequence of events matter. In spite of everything that happened, it all came down to the Super Over and it was 0/0 again. Nothing that happened before mattered

This is a pathetic cop out! It just goes to show how Babar and Rizwan fans have resigned to the fact that they are happy to see Pakistan become the minnow they have become under their watch.

 

[Rana]

Babar cant find gaps in powerplay let alone outside powerplay except few shots but that depends on bowler if he bowls smart.

Yes, bowlers like Hunain Shah and Aamer Jamal. Sometimes Abbas Afridi too when he insists on trying to bowl down a batter's pads.

 

[cricfan432]

This is a pathetic cop out! It just goes to show how Babar and Rizwan fans have resigned to the fact that they are happy to see Pakistan become the minnow they have become under their watch.

It shouldnt have gone to superover against usa in first place. I wont even blame tepiya for this, only batting. Shadab hitting saved babar's innings that day.

 

[Mamoon]

This is a pathetic cop out! It just goes to show how Babar and Rizwan fans have resigned to the fact that they are happy to see Pakistan become the minnow they have become under their watch.

Only cop out is by Imad’s shameless fans who spent a whole month advertising his ability to handle pressure in run chases and then tried to deflect the blame onto others after he played the worst innings in history.

 

[Mamoon]

Nawaz lost us vs zimbabwe, but that's not the point. Point is rizwan was the set batter and he took the game deep because of his limitations he couldnt hit few boundaries. I wont talk about amir, because my focus is not bowlers, in t20 bowlers get hit. Focus is batsmen, why couldn't we score the target in super over because babar did not select better players in first place.

Pakistan lost to USA because of Amir’s Super Over. I ask again: who bowls 3 wides in a Super Over?

 

[Mamoon]

2020 was an ever further regression lol. Pakistan got thrashed by Zimbabwe in a series .

2021 is one outlier event in which Pakistan was on an uphill rise.

2022 was a success achieved by Pakistan relying on other teams for help to qualify. Babar and rizwan averages and strike rates were hilarious in Asia cup and world cup

Pakistan drew a series in England in 2020. It was a good result.

As far as 2022 is concerned, Pakistan made the final fair and square. No one asked South Africa to lose to Pakistan and Netherlands and no one asked New Zealand to lose the semifinal either.

 

[Rana]

Only cop out is by Imad’s shameless fans who spent a whole month advertising his ability to handle pressure in run chases and then tried to deflect the blame onto others after he played the worst innings in history.

Stop looking for scapegoats. They wont save you from the embarrassing truth, and that is Rizwan and Babar up to is a disaster waiting to happen every time in T20. Its the cold, hard truth. Accept it now. Stop behaving like those criminals who keep denying the crime even though the evidence is shown to them right before their eyes! Scapegoats have not saved you anymore.

 

[Mamoon]

Stop looking for scapegoats. They wont save you from the embarrassing truth, and that is Rizwan and Babar up to is a disaster waiting to happen every time in T20. Its the cold, hard truth. Accept it now. Stop behaving like those criminals who keep denying the crime even though the evidence is shown to them right before their eyes! Scapegoats have not saved you anymore.

Only embarrassing truth is that Imad played the worst innings in history after spending the whole year on tv criticizing the players for doing exactly what he did. It was a lesson in humility for him and his supporters, and it was beautiful to watch.

 

[Rana]

Only embarrassing truth is that Imad played the worst innings in history after spending the whole year on tv criticizing the players for doing exactly what he did. It was a lesson in humility for him and his supporters, and it was beautiful to watch.

Everything Imad said about Babar and Rizwan is 100% true.

They are fraud T20 openers. They are selfish T20 players. They are not T20 players at all.

You can look for as many scapegoats as you want to give yourself some sort of coping mechanism, it will not change the fact that Imad was accurate in his assessment. He will be consulted and hired for cricketing expertise going forward too. He is an intelligent man who tried to open the eyes of the Pakistan fans.

You should learn from his example and use your 150iq for the benefit of the people, instead of misguiding them. You know what you are saying and doing is misleading.

 

[mominsaigol]

Pakistan drew a series in England in 2020. It was a good result.

As far as 2022 is concerned, Pakistan made the final fair and square. No one asked South Africa to lose to Pakistan and Netherlands and no one asked New Zealand to lose the semifinal either.

They made the final, their is no denying it.

However they had to rely on other teams and you're conveniently ignoring how big of a role haris played especially against Bangladesh to get us over the line.

Please quote the stats of babar and rizzu in that event.

 

[Mamoon]

They made the final, their is no denying it.

However they had to rely on other teams and you're conveniently ignoring how big of a role haris played especially against Bangladesh to get us over the line.

Please quote the stats of babar and rizzu in that event.

Haris did well in the World Cup, but he has been completely rubbish in the last 3 years except this BD series, but his ego would suggest that he is some world beater. That is why he is unlikable.

And every team relies on other results in tournaments. Not sure what that is supposed to mean. Pakistan beat SA fair and square and deserved to qualify ahead of them.

 

[mominsaigol]

Haris did well in the World Cup, but he has been completely rubbish in the last 3 years except this BD series, but his ego would suggest that he is some world beater. That is why he is unlikable.

And every team relies on other results in tournaments. Not sure what that is supposed to mean. Pakistan beat SA fair and square and deserved to qualify ahead of them.

And every team relies on other results in tournaments.

Not always. Wasnt the case with emgland in 2019, nor the case with Australia in 2023, nor the case with india in 2024 and 2025, nor the case with aus from 1999 to 2007 or Aus from 2015.

They didn't rely on anyone.

 

[Mamoon]

Everything Imad said about Babar and Rizwan is 100% true.

They are fraud T20 openers. They are selfish T20 players. They are not T20 players at all.

You can look for as many scapegoats as you want to give yourself some sort of coping mechanism, it will not change the fact that Imad was accurate in his assessment. He will be consulted and hired for cricketing expertise going forward too. He is an intelligent man who tried to open the eyes of the Pakistan fans.

You should learn from his example and use your 150iq for the benefit of the people, instead of misguiding them. You know what you are saying and doing is misleading.

I don't need to a scapegoat. Imad presents himself like an escort on the streets of Amsterdam by playing the worst T20 innings in history. It was a torture to watch, absolutely embarrassing. I wonder where his intelligence was on that day when he tried to do exactly what he was not supposed to do on that pitch.

Imad lost all credibility and the fake aura that he had manufactured for himself. He got exposed as the fraud that he is who is not good enough to walk the talk. People conveniently forget how rubbish he was in 2021 when he was axed but they got a timely reminder last year. An absolute garbage cricketer.

 

[Mamoon]

And every team relies on other results in tournaments.

Not always. Wasnt the case with emgland in 2019, nor the case with Australia in 2023, nor the case with india in 2024 and 2025, nor the case with aus from 1999 to 2007 or Aus from 2015.

They didn't rely on anyone.

You always need other results to go your way unless you are winning every single league/group match. Of course if you have a 100% winning record it won't matter, but they are only a handful of teams who have maintained a 100% winning record before the knockouts though.

England 2019 is a good example of results going your way. England were pretty ordinary in the group stage, they lost 3 out of 9. Had Pakistan won one more match and had NZ beaten India in the match that was washed out, England would've been eliminated, so of course England benefited from other results that went their way.

 

[BouncerGuy]

All three of them are currently participating in white ball camp under Hesson. Is this the first sign of thier return???

 

[Rana]

All three of them are currently participating in white ball camp under Hesson. Is this the first sign of thier return???

Return to what? T20s?

They were called up with Saud Shaqeel too. So that’s a sign Saud is also in T20 contention?

 

[BouncerGuy]

Return to what? T20s?

They were called up with Saud Shaqeel too. So that’s a sign Saud is also in T20 contention?

This is about white ball bro... It was meant for ODI to what I said... Shaheen might return to T20 side though..

Hesson really wants Babar for t20 I think. Many reports circulating on SM about it so you enver know.

 

[cricketmania22]

This is about white ball bro... It was meant for ODI to what I said... Shaheen might return to T20 side though..

Hesson really wants Babar for t20 I think. Many reports circulating on SM about it so you enver know.

In present state Babar shouldn’t be selected for T20Is. He has become a liability.