PCB announce 16-member squad for 2018 Asia Cup; Imad Wasim and Mohammad Hafeez excluded

[Titan24]

Shan Masood is a valid selection, he has been consistent in the last year or so in domestics.

Also post Shehzad and Hafeez there is no other option. Sahibzada needs to perform in the next T20 international game he gets to be considered. Looks nervy atm

Sami Aslam has been the biggest let down as a batsman in the last 3 years or so with so much hype and talent behind him and he couldnt deliver anything substantial on consistent basis. Hopefully he gets selected in PSL to nurture his skills and talent.

 

[Usman Chadda]

If all six of these pace bowlers stay fit till the WC, the world will enjoy watching this Pakistan team. With a bit of experience, five of them can go on to become world class while Faheem can be a more than decent third seamer. The key is to stay humble and work hard.

 

[Bilal Ahmad15]

Perhaps Shahibzada Farhan could've been chosen. Anyways I don't really like imad Nawaz and Shan Masood

 

[Third Man]

Shinwari is a limited bowler. Lacks the pace, swing, seam and bounce that Shaheen does possess. He's a foot shorter and a low 130ks trundler. Not much going for him and Junaid. Shaheen also has a sharper bowling brain and has all the ingredients to be a top bowler in all formats.

It's about time following his successful tri series tournament in Zimbabwe to spearhead Pakistan's bowling attack now alonside with Amir and Hasan Ali. Shinwari and Junaid should play for Pakistan A's limited over matches instead.

Wow! You're dismissing Shinwari as if he's a nothing bowler. The things you mention he doesn't have, he has all of them except the bounce. He's a proper bowler. You must have been watching someone else because I think he's going to be our main bowler in the tournament. Let's just wait and see.

 

[Chief Destroyer]

Need to get rid of Junaid for someone with potential.

 

[shah_1]

Hasan Ali Beats Virat Kohli’s Fitness Test Score, Sarfraz Registers Career Best



Hasan Ali Beats Virat Kohli’s Fitness Test Score, Sarfraz Registers Career Best

The selected players for the Asia Cup underwent a fitness test at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) on Monday.



The result of the Yo-Yo Endurance Test yielded some surprising results as Hasan Ali outperformed all the other players with a career-best score of 20. For reference, Hasan Ali has scored better than Indian skipper Virat Kohli whose latest fitness score was 19.

Sarfraz Ahmed, who has remained largely disappointing in fitness tests, managed to improve his score drastically and registered his career-best score of 18.2 as well.


Imad Wasim and Junaid Khan, both making their comeback for Pakistan, showcased very different results as the former failed the test whereas Junaid ranked in the top-three.

According to the reports, 16 players cleared the 17.4 benchmark of the Yo-Yo Endurance Test and Imad Wasim was the only candidate who will undergo the process again.

Mohammad Hafeez did not take the test due to personal reasons and will undergo the assessment on Tuesday.

The complete list of players with their scores are yet to be released by PCB. Some of the results are as following:

Player Score
Hasan Ali 20
Sarfraz Ahmed 18.2
Shoaib Malik 17.8
Imad Wasim 17.2
Passing Score is 17.4

The coach, Micky Arthur, said that he is happy with the progress of the players. He further said:

The boys are really in good knick; hopefully their fitness would help them in achieving good results in the Asia Cup.

ALSO READ

PSL 4th Edition: AB de Villiers, Warner & Smith Likely To Make Their Debuts

The Asia Cup will commence from 15th September and Pakistan needs to be ready to face the challenge and come on top. In order to do that, the two-session training will start from Tuesday.

This training camp at Gaddafi Stadium will continue till September 10, where players will focus on improving their batting, bowling and fielding skills. Players including captain Sarfraz Ahmed, Shan Masood, Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Haris Sohail, Asif Ali, Babar Azam, Shadab Khan, Muhammad Nawaz, Imad Waseem, Hassan Ali, Usman Khan Shinwari, Muhammad Amir, Junaid Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Faheem Ashraf will participate in the training camp.

https://propakistani.pk/2018/09/04/hasan-ali-beats-virat-kohlis-fitness-test-score-sarfraz-registers-career-best/

 

[Third Man]

Need to get rid of Junaid for someone with potential.

Agree with that. The only boring, run of the mill bowler in the team..

 

[moghul]

One of those rare occasion when I could not find any objection to the selection of any player.

Very happy to Hafeez is out.

I always believe in a 2nd chance. Shaan was dropped in the past but his performance in recent domestic One day tournament he was exceptional, outstanding, deserved a recall.

 

[New Yorker]

Shan Masood being picked isn't really a surprise due to his form in List A, with that being said I'm happy Hafeez and Imad not picked. I agree with the bro's have said that another spinner should have been picked instead of potentially Amir who could use a rest. Zafar Gohar, Mohammad Asghar and Mohammad Irfan jnr could have been perfect addition's to the team.

agree with this. spin wise the squad looks middling, no certified strike bowler in that department, just players like shadab who can at best be useful with one or two wickets a game. this is the asia cup, not the green-mambas of-new zealand trophy. hafeez or imad would have been useful here, and it bears in mind to recall that pakistan's success during the CT was built in large part on imad drying up the runs, though it is surely the right move to leave them out, if one is looking to build for the world cup. the problem, plain and simple, is that the land of saqlain and ajmal is still struggling to produce world class odi spinners. so i can almost understand the inclusion of yasir in the zimbabwe tourney as a last gasp attempt to see if he can adapt his game for the shorter format. alas.

 

[moghul]

Hasan Ali Beats Virat Kohli’s Fitness Test Score, Sarfraz Registers Career Best



Hasan Ali Beats Virat Kohli’s Fitness Test Score, Sarfraz Registers Career Best

The selected players for the Asia Cup underwent a fitness test at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) on Monday.



The result of the Yo-Yo Endurance Test yielded some surprising results as Hasan Ali outperformed all the other players with a career-best score of 20. For reference, Hasan Ali has scored better than Indian skipper Virat Kohli whose latest fitness score was 19.

Sarfraz Ahmed, who has remained largely disappointing in fitness tests, managed to improve his score drastically and registered his career-best score of 18.2 as well.


Imad Wasim and Junaid Khan, both making their comeback for Pakistan, showcased very different results as the former failed the test whereas Junaid ranked in the top-three.

According to the reports, 16 players cleared the 17.4 benchmark of the Yo-Yo Endurance Test and Imad Wasim was the only candidate who will undergo the process again.

Mohammad Hafeez did not take the test due to personal reasons and will undergo the assessment on Tuesday.

The complete list of players with their scores are yet to be released by PCB. Some of the results are as following:

Player Score
Hasan Ali 20
Sarfraz Ahmed 18.2
Shoaib Malik 17.8
Imad Wasim 17.2
Passing Score is 17.4

The coach, Micky Arthur, said that he is happy with the progress of the players. He further said:

The boys are really in good knick; hopefully their fitness would help them in achieving good results in the Asia Cup.

ALSO READ

PSL 4th Edition: AB de Villiers, Warner & Smith Likely To Make Their Debuts

The Asia Cup will commence from 15th September and Pakistan needs to be ready to face the challenge and come on top. In order to do that, the two-session training will start from Tuesday.

This training camp at Gaddafi Stadium will continue till September 10, where players will focus on improving their batting, bowling and fielding skills. Players including captain Sarfraz Ahmed, Shan Masood, Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Haris Sohail, Asif Ali, Babar Azam, Shadab Khan, Muhammad Nawaz, Imad Waseem, Hassan Ali, Usman Khan Shinwari, Muhammad Amir, Junaid Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Faheem Ashraf will participate in the training camp.

https://propakistani.pk/2018/09/04/hasan-ali-beats-virat-kohlis-fitness-test-score-sarfraz-registers-career-best/

I heard the top scorer was Shaan Masood.

 

[New Yorker]

With the greatest of respect is this how low our standards have now become? We're defending B grade batsmen (at best). Mukhtar and Sami Aslam are not even close to international standards.

Azhar was part of a heroic 100+ run stand with Fakhar in the CT final but that does not warrant him any further selections because he's had a poor ODI career to say the least. There is a reason why between them they have only managed one PSL game.

As mentioned earlier, what distinguishes Fakhar and Sharjeel (prior to his ban) from the others is that they not only hold excellent List A records, but fundamentally they have done it in Pakistan's premier domestic limited overs competition where the standard of cricket is a lot higher than the other domestic tournaments. Speaking of which, Azhar Ali was rightly discarded from Lahore Qalanders (and with no offers from other sides) because they realised he was a poor LOI batsmen. If he was a truly a good limited overs player he would have no difficulty adjusting to the shortest form of the game at domestic level.

Out of the seven top wickets takers in the PSL 2018 six were Pakistani; Faheem Ashraf, Wahab Riaz, Usman Khan, Rahat Ali, and Shahid Afridi. All time legend Samit Patel is no 5 in the list. In other words, the so called bowling stars of the PSL are the same bowlers who we see in every other domestic Pakistani competition. And they include ignominious national side discards like Riaz and Rahat. It is therefore pretty clear that the bowling standard in the PSL is unlikely to be much better than other Pakistani competitions. Batting standards may be another matter. Ergo, it makes little sense to argue that a batsman's performance in the PSL should count for more than his performance in other domestic tourneys. It makes particularly little sense if the PSL, a T20 tourney, is being used to assess his readiness for 50 over cricket. It is pretty silly if he did not in fact even get a chance to play in the PSL, in other words, if he is being graded on a test he never took. As for his performance in Test cricket, I fail to see the relevance. There are plenty of batsmen who have excelled in one form of the game while not impressing in the other, ie who have accordingly, in one format, failed "to perform in international cricket," I am historically no fan of Masood, because I like selection to be based on merit, not nepotism, and his selection for the Test side was clearly a flagrant dereliction of due process, but he merits selection in ODIs on the basis of his domestic performance, which has been not merely good, but head and shoulders above the competition. In the end it does not matter whether the pitches were easy or not; others had their chance to score as heavily as he did on those pitches and they failed.

 

[giri26]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Pakistan Asia Cup squad practice during ongoing camp in Lahore (Video courtesy of the PCB) <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AsiaCup?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AsiaCup</a> <a href="https://t.co/0Xo7otngCg">pic.twitter.com/0Xo7otngCg</a></p>— PakPassion.net (@PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/PakPassion/status/1037208261919956992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[hussain.r97]

Really good squad overall, just two things I would probably change:

1.) Nawaz out for Zafar Gohar, you need specialist spinners in the UAE!

2.) It is kind of harsh leaving Rumman Raees out, he was doing a decent job before his injury, and I think he brings something different to the table. Maybe could have given him a shot in the squad over Usman Khan, especially in the UAE.

From this, my ideal XI would probably be:

1.) Fakhar Zaman
2.) Babar Azam
3.) Haris Sohail
4.) Sarfraz Ahmed+
5.) Shoaib Malik
6.) Asif Ali
7.) Shadab Khan
8.) Mohammad Nawaz
9.) Hasan Ali
10.) Mohammad Amir
11.) Shaheen Shah Afridi

I think they will probably end up benching Haris and playing Imam as an opener though.

 

[MenInG]

 

[Titan24]

Really good squad overall, just two things I would probably change:

1.) Nawaz out for Zafar Gohar, you need specialist spinners in the UAE!

2.) It is kind of harsh leaving Rumman Raees out, he was doing a decent job before his injury, and I think he brings something different to the table. Maybe could have given him a shot in the squad over Usman Khan, especially in the UAE.

From this, my ideal XI would probably be:

1.) Fakhar Zaman
2.) Babar Azam
3.) Haris Sohail
4.) Sarfraz Ahmed+
5.) Shoaib Malik
6.) Asif Ali
7.) Shadab Khan
8.) Mohammad Nawaz
9.) Hasan Ali
10.) Mohammad Amir
11.) Shaheen Shah Afridi

I think they will probably end up benching Haris and playing Imam as an opener though.

Appologies but glad you are not a selector. When Usman Shinwari last played ODI in UAE he took 5 wickets in his first 5 overs a feat which I dont remember last time achieved by an opening bowler from any international team. Also in the last year or so he has been the most lethal with the new bowl consistentantly.

While Rumman is an amazing prospect, he was suppsed to deliver some match winning performances which he was unable to do in NZ.

Among the pace bowlers Shinwari has taken most MOMs in the last year or so i.e T20s and ODIs combined.

 

[Titan24]

Asif Ali is gonna be a surprise package as none of the Asian team know his ability as they migt have just seen few videos or that sort of stuff.

 

[Titan24]

Slection of the 3rd seamer would be a big headache along with whether they want to play Nawaz as the 2nd spinner or a 4th pacer instead of him and as malik and fakhar to do bit of a job.

As Asian teams play spinners well but UAE tracks support spinners quite a lot and Nawaz loves bowling on these tracks. These will be the key selection decisions other than that team is settled.

 

[shaaik]

Shan Masood is a valid selection, he has been consistent in the last year or so in domestics.

Also post Shehzad and Hafeez there is no other option. Sahibzada needs to perform in the next T20 international game he gets to be considered. Looks nervy atm

Sami Aslam has been the biggest let down as a batsman in the last 3 years or so with so much hype and talent behind him and he couldnt deliver anything substantial on consistent basis. Hopefully he gets selected in PSL to nurture his skills and talent.

Sami Aslam should hv been drafted into an odi team before selecting him for tests . He was made to debut in a wrong format just like Shan Masood. They both are more suited to limited overs than tests. I'm happy that some sense has finally prevailed in selectors and they have selected Shan for odis , I m sure he will come good there if he's given a long rope.

 

[Abdullah719]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Pakistan players hard at practice ahead of the upcoming Asia Cup in the UAE ( video courtesy of the PCB) <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AsiaCup?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AsiaCup</a> <a href="https://t.co/xU1ctHeQI6">pic.twitter.com/xU1ctHeQI6</a></p>— PakPassion.net (@PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/PakPassion/status/1037223909886763008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[hussain.r97]

Appologies but glad you are not a selector. When Usman Shinwari last played ODI in UAE he took 5 wickets in his first 5 overs a feat which I dont remember last time achieved by an opening bowler from any international team. Also in the last year or so he has been the most lethal with the new bowl consistentantly.

While Rumman is an amazing prospect, he was suppsed to deliver some match winning performances which he was unable to do in NZ.

Among the pace bowlers Shinwari has taken most MOMs in the last year or so i.e T20s and ODIs combined.

I don't want to drop Usman because he isn't good or anything, I just think that we need to rotate our fast bowlers a bit and get a feel of who's in the best form before the World Cup. Ideally, Afridi, Usman, and Rumman should all get game time over the next few months.

 

[moghul]

Unfortunately, we are stuck with Sarfraz till WC 2019. I would be too late to drop him at this point as keeper and the captain. It was lack pf planning from the selectors we never had any plan to replace Sarfraz who has not been performing and been unfit for some time.

 

[Hasan123]

Would have liked to have seen another specialist spinner selected. You don't need 6 pacers for UAE conditions. Also Shan has been selected on merit but I personally don't think he is good enough. I would have liked to have seen a younger batsmen selected. Imam needs to show he can score at a good tempo in the next couple of series to cement his place .

Malik needs to score in the series to come , if he is strugglingafter the South Africa tour I would drop him. He is rubbish outside of Asia, so why waste a spot on him when he is out form? So a big series to come for him.

A settled squad but would have liked to have seen a couple of new players tried to freshen up the squad.

I think we will win the Asia cup with this squad. The test for me is the series against Australia,New Zealand,and South Africa.

 

[Ami]

Always talk of Shan and nepotism...who is he related to?

 

[kingusama92]

Always talk of Shan and nepotism...who is he related to?

His dad was a part of PCB's Board of Governors.

 

[TeymurBlake]

agree with this. spin wise the squad looks middling, no certified strike bowler in that department, just players like shadab who can at best be useful with one or two wickets a game. this is the asia cup, not the green-mambas of-new zealand trophy. hafeez or imad would have been useful here, and it bears in mind to recall that pakistan's success during the CT was built in large part on imad drying up the runs, though it is surely the right move to leave them out, if one is looking to build for the world cup. the problem, plain and simple, is that the land of saqlain and ajmal is still struggling to produce world class odi spinners. so i can almost understand the inclusion of yasir in the zimbabwe tourney as a last gasp attempt to see if he can adapt his game for the shorter format. alas.

Yeah. The requirement for an offspinner in the ODI set up is crucial. Its important to have variety, now we can mention the potential Haris Sohail has with the bowl or Shoaib Malik ability to cover the 6th bowling option but this should not take away from the fact that Pakistan doesn't have an Offspinner. Shadab is a allrounder, some goes Nawaz so the requirement of an offspinner is very important.

 

[MMHS]

Since there is 3 lefti openers + Haris also lefti, good idea should be to open with Babar & put a lefti at 3. My preference is FZ to bat at 3 in UAE because he is better against spin while Babar & Imam were weak against spin (& Shan weak against most types). I think, more than blasting in PP, teams will need better spin players between 15-40 overs in this Asia cup as every team apart from PAK is loaded with spinners.

Imam, Babar
FZ, Sarfraz, Malik, Asif
Shadab, Nawaz, Fahim/Shinwari/Afridi
Hasan, Amir

should be the starting XI from IND game.

Weak link is Nawaz - 2nd spinner. He is not good enough to be lead finger spinner, but UAE wickets are not conducive to play 4 pacers; it's essential to have 2 genuine spinners in playing XI. So, either option is to drop Fahim for a 3rd pacer or play Haris as 7th batsman and risk 10 overs between make-shift spinners.

Ideally, had they picked a genuine spinner in between Raja, Gohar or Asghar in position of Nawaz, then could have played Fahim as 3rd pacer without hurting batting or bowling much. Playing Nawaz & 3rd pacer makes the tail weak - only combination can be to drop both Nawaz & Fahim, play an extra batsman in Haris at 5 (& Asif at 7), then Shadab & 3 specialist bowlers, regardless of their batting. Even in that formation, a specialist spinner was better suited than Nawaz to make it 40 top quality overs.

 

[AFM]

So our first game is against HK? Would you guys play our strongest XI to get the momentum going, or play some of the reserve players to ease them in?

I would play this team against HK;

S Masood
I Ul-Haq
H Sohail
S Ahmad (c/wk)
S Malik
A Ali
S Khan
F Ashraf
M Nawaz
U Shenwari / J Khan
S Afridi

Have the top 3 compete for the 2nd opener's spot with Fakhar. Bowl Nawaz his full quota of 10 overs to see how he performs. And give Afridi an easy opponent for his debut and to settle him into ODI cricket.

In all likelihood, I think this will be the XI for the first game against Ind:

F Zaman
I Ul-Haq
B Azam
S Ahmad (c/wk)
S Malik
A Ali
S Khan
F Ashraf
H Ali
M Amir
U Shenwari

 

[Abdullah719]

<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 55.000%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/s/7nvjr/hidzmt" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="100%" allowfullscreen style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe></div>.

 

[AFM]

<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 55.000%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/s/7nvjr/hidzmt" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="100%" allowfullscreen style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe></div>.

"Brilliant Junaid!"

"That is a beautiful shot Masood"

PP is not going to like that

 

[New Yorker]

So our first game is against HK? Would you guys play our strongest XI to get the momentum going, or play some of the reserve players to ease them in?

I would play this team against HK;

S Masood
I Ul-Haq
H Sohail
S Ahmad (c/wk)
S Malik
A Ali
S Khan
F Ashraf
M Nawaz
U Shenwari / J Khan
S Afridi

Have the top 3 compete for the 2nd opener's spot with Fakhar. Bowl Nawaz his full quota of 10 overs to see how he performs. And give Afridi an easy opponent for his debut and to settle him into ODI cricket.

In all likelihood, I think this will be the XI for the first game against Ind:

F Zaman
I Ul-Haq
B Azam
S Ahmad (c/wk)
S Malik
A Ali
S Khan
F Ashraf
H Ali
M Amir
U Shenwari

Makes no sense to use one 11th hour game against HK to evaluate players when players need to get into rhythm and form for tougher games.

 

[ads101]

So our first game is against HK? Would you guys play our strongest XI to get the momentum going, or play some of the reserve players to ease them in?

F Zaman
I Ul-Haq
B Azam
S Ahmad (c/wk)
S Malik
A Ali
S Khan
F Ashraf
H Ali
M Amir
U Shenwari

Strongest team. Not the place to experiment, early matches should just be gelling together as a team. And if there are problems with the team, better to find them out now and make the changes than trying later on in the tournament.

The last team what you have posted is what I'd play for HK too.

Not the biggest fan of Faheem, but he did finally perform in a series, even though it was only with the ball against Zimbabwe. And too late to change. Will be a test to see whether he can perform against non-minnows too and finally be an asset with the bat. I would bat Ashraf at 7 though, let Shadab focus on bowling at 8. Yes Shadab's good at holding down the tail, but he's not a fast hitter that we need at 7. Faheem's supposed to be a fast hitter, hence he's got to play at 7 for us to make use of that. If he bats at 8 there's no point of playing him if he doesn't contribute with the bat, he doesn't bowl enough.

 

[cricketAXEpert]

Shan Masood Failed to replicate his domestic first class Performance in tests matches, his test average is well below what he did in domestic. His Domestic Odi average is good but Pakistan is not in need of a new ODI opener, We already have Fakhar Zaman And Imam ul Haq, with Shaibzada Farhan & Azhar Ali waiting on the sidelines. Pakistan needs a middle order batsman at the moment to fill in the position that Professor Hafeez was performing at.

 

[Nelson on]

<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 55.000%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/s/7nvjr/hidzmt" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="100%" allowfullscreen style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe></div>.

Shaheen in his run up absolutely amazing to see just can’t wait to see him in a test.

 

[New Yorker]

Strongest team. Not the place to experiment, early matches should just be gelling together as a team. And if there are problems with the team, better to find them out now and make the changes than trying later on in the tournament.

The last team what you have posted is what I'd play for HK too.

Not the biggest fan of Faheem, but he did finally perform in a series, even though it was only with the ball against Zimbabwe. And too late to change. Will be a test to see whether he can perform against non-minnows too and finally be an asset with the bat. I would bat Ashraf at 7 though, let Shadab focus on bowling at 8. Yes Shadab's good at holding down the tail, but he's not a fast hitter that we need at 7. Faheem's supposed to be a fast hitter, hence he's got to play at 7 for us to make use of that. If he bats at 8 there's no point of playing him if he doesn't contribute with the bat, he doesn't bowl enough.

If there is a wobble in the top and middle order I would much rather have Shadab, who has shown he can bat for the long haul, come in ahead of Asif, who is there as a late order biffer . Have not seen any signs yet that Shadab's bowling suffers when he also bats. But perhaps I am mistaken? I personally think he can be as good a batsman as he is a bowler, if not better. Someone who averages 52 with the bat after 22 games, but hardly ever gets to bat, is being wasted too low down the order. Ideally, Shadab could bat ahead of Sarfraz, or replace Malik in the future.

Curious factoid, by statistical coincidence, if Shadab comes in at 4, after Babar, and is followed by Asif, we would have a top order of 5 ODI bats averaging: 76, 68, 54, 52, and 57.

 

[New Yorker]

Shaheen in his run up absolutely amazing to see just can’t wait to see him in a test.

Given his recent form Shinwari should absolutely open the bowling; by the same token, Amir shouldn't. I would much rather see Shaheen take the new cherry instead of him. But we know this won't happen.

 

[New Yorker]

So our first game is against HK? Would you guys play our strongest XI to get the momentum going, or play some of the reserve players to ease them in?

I would play this team against HK;

S Masood
I Ul-Haq
H Sohail
S Ahmad (c/wk)
S Malik
A Ali
S Khan
F Ashraf
M Nawaz
U Shenwari / J Khan
S Afridi

Have the top 3 compete for the 2nd opener's spot with Fakhar. Bowl Nawaz his full quota of 10 overs to see how he performs. And give Afridi an easy opponent for his debut and to settle him into ODI cricket.

In all likelihood, I think this will be the XI for the first game against Ind:

F Zaman
I Ul-Haq
B Azam
S Ahmad (c/wk)
S Malik
A Ali
S Khan
F Ashraf
H Ali
M Amir
U Shenwari

It's actually shocking to think Sohail would miss out for Malik given their recent form, particularly in pressure situations. Though the NZ series was a debacle for the team, Haris was one of the few players to acquit himself honorably, given his limited opportunities, ending up the second highest averaging batsman of the series, with two back to to back fifties at Ave 56. Only Guptill did better average wise. In fact, Sohail has scored a half century in every ODI he has played since April 2015, his last scores since Adelaide Australia 2015 included, being 41, 51, 44, 52, 89*, 52*, 50 and 63. Seems the kind of player who really takes responsibility, even if he can certainly be faulted for not kicking on a bit more often. Malik, meanwhile, was all but useless in New Zealand, as expected, averaging 12, and has, for all the hype about his renaissance as an ODI middle order stalwart, proved pretty inconsistent in the last couple of years. Was anonymous in the CT, apart from his locker room speech, and in recent years averages a miserable 71 with the ball. I'd go for Haris all the way.

 

[ads101]

If there is a wobble in the top and middle order I would much rather have Shadab, who has shown he can bat for the long haul, come in ahead of Asif, who is there as a late order biffer . Have not seen any signs yet that Shadab's bowling suffers when he also bats. But perhaps I am mistaken? I personally think he can be as good a batsman as he is a bowler, if not better. Someone who averages 52 with the bat after 22 games, but hardly ever gets to bat, is being wasted too low down the order. Ideally, Shadab could bat ahead of Sarfraz, or replace Malik in the future.

Curious factoid, by statistical coincidence, if Shadab comes in at 4, after Babar, and is followed by Asif, we would have a top order of 5 ODI bats averaging: 76, 68, 54, 52, and 57.

Shadab has a lot of potential. Perhaps more so than a lot of actual batsmen. But I think that average is misleading, I don't think he has the same ability right now to forge a big innings at a decent strike rate and accelerate when needed. I don't think he has the potential to become a big hitter either. Shadab knows how to stick at his wicket and forge out a score. A player that you want when you're having a collapse or provide support to the specialist bats at the other end.

His bowling has while still good has been incredible in ODIs, he didn't do incredible against the stronger teams in England (like India, SA, England) or in New Zealand against New Zealand. Yeah conditions might not have favoured him as much but spinners can make it work in these places, especially England. And Shadab is our sole spinner. We need him to regularly perform and while impressive at his age, he doesn't look like a spinner who will control and dominate a game like Ajmal did. A long way to go. And I feel there is no point concentrating with the bat when we needs to focus on his bowling.

It's easy to say Shadab's wasted, which might be true. But Faheem's being wasted much more. Faheem doesn't even regularly bowl full quota, yet he's batting at 8. And he got into the team mainly on the reputation he was a big hitter. Not really because of his bowling, which he isn't trusted to bowl full quota a lot anyway. If Shadab solely bowls, he will still be an asset. If Faheem does nothing with the bat, he's a passenger who bowls 5/6 overs every game. Not ideal.

If we want to go the route of turning Shadab into more of an allrounder, we need to include another spinning allrounder/ spin bowler. Which would come in the place of Faheem. Someone like Zafar perhaps. Which I'm not opposed to.

Dropping a batsman for Shadab isn't a wise decision IMO makes the batting too weak. Our batting still isn't strong enough, it's not hitting 300 consistently despite the increase in averages. We'll get there eventually I'm sure, but we can't afford to weaken it further. And Shadab in his current state I'm sure won't average 50 batting at 4. It'll be a lot lower. He just isn't refined enough as a batsman yet, he's not relied on making those big scores. The other specialist bats will outperform him.

If it were up to me, I'd include Zafar, drop Faheem and keep Shadab at 7. Shadab can focus more on the bat, with a fellow spinner to share the load, and I think Zafar will be trusted to bowl full quota most matches. So no one is being carried. ATM in the current set up however Faheem is being very underutilised. And that's only going to change if somehow he starts hitting big at 8 consistently which is tough for any player.

 

[New Yorker]

Shadab has a lot of potential. Perhaps more so than a lot of actual batsmen. But I think that average is misleading, I don't think he has the same ability right now to forge a big innings at a decent strike rate and accelerate when needed. I don't think he has the potential to become a big hitter either. Shadab knows how to stick at his wicket and forge out a score. A player that you want when you're having a collapse or provide support to the specialist bats at the other end.

His bowling has while still good has been incredible in ODIs, he didn't do incredible against the stronger teams in England (like India, SA, England) or in New Zealand against New Zealand. Yeah conditions might not have favoured him as much but spinners can make it work in these places, especially England. And Shadab is our sole spinner. We need him to regularly perform and while impressive at his age, he doesn't look like a spinner who will control and dominate a game like Ajmal did. A long way to go. And I feel there is no point concentrating with the bat when we needs to focus on his bowling.

It's easy to say Shadab's wasted, which might be true. But Faheem's being wasted much more. Faheem doesn't even regularly bowl full quota, yet he's batting at 8. And he got into the team mainly on the reputation he was a big hitter. Not really because of his bowling, which he isn't trusted to bowl full quota a lot anyway. If Shadab solely bowls, he will still be an asset. If Faheem does nothing with the bat, he's a passenger who bowls 5/6 overs every game. Not ideal.

If we want to go the route of turning Shadab into more of an allrounder, we need to include another spinning allrounder/ spin bowler. Which would come in the place of Faheem. Someone like Zafar perhaps. Which I'm not opposed to.

Dropping a batsman for Shadab isn't a wise decision IMO makes the batting too weak. Our batting still isn't strong enough, it's not hitting 300 consistently despite the increase in averages. We'll get there eventually I'm sure, but we can't afford to weaken it further. And Shadab in his current state I'm sure won't average 50 batting at 4. It'll be a lot lower. He just isn't refined enough as a batsman yet, he's not relied on making those big scores. The other specialist bats will outperform him.

If it were up to me, I'd include Zafar, drop Faheem and keep Shadab at 7. Shadab can focus more on the bat, with a fellow spinner to share the load, and I think Zafar will be trusted to bowl full quota most matches. So no one is being carried. ATM in the current set up however Faheem is being very underutilised. And that's only going to change if somehow he starts hitting big at 8 consistently which is tough for any player.

I'd do the same for the Asia cup certainly. But precisely because that would mean using Shadab as a proper allrounder, rather than a specialist bowler who sometimes bats. For which he is far too good. I encourage you to look at some of his knocks in the PSL; then join that to his batting in Ireland and England. Here is someone who can play proper Test innings on difficult pitches when everyone else is collapsing around him, but who can also play proper 360 degrees T20 cricket, ramping and hitting balls all around the park. In my own opinion, he should groomed to burst Malik's shoes. And it would not be the first time that a would-be-bowler excels as a specialist bat. Unlike you I am quite confident that he can keep his average close to 50.

 

[New Yorker]

Shadab has a lot of potential. Perhaps more so than a lot of actual batsmen. But I think that average is misleading, I don't think he has the same ability right now to forge a big innings at a decent strike rate and accelerate when needed. I don't think he has the potential to become a big hitter either. Shadab knows how to stick at his wicket and forge out a score. A player that you want when you're having a collapse or provide support to the specialist bats at the other end.

His bowling has while still good has been incredible in ODIs, he didn't do incredible against the stronger teams in England (like India, SA, England) or in New Zealand against New Zealand. Yeah conditions might not have favoured him as much but spinners can make it work in these places, especially England. And Shadab is our sole spinner. We need him to regularly perform and while impressive at his age, he doesn't look like a spinner who will control and dominate a game like Ajmal did. A long way to go. And I feel there is no point concentrating with the bat when we needs to focus on his bowling....

There absolutely is if he is potentially a better bat than he is a bowler. I agree that it is early days to judge his batting, but he has bowled enough for us to know that he is not an instant match winner yet. Yet the full extent of his batting prowess remains untested. So it makes all the sense in the world to give him more responsibility with the bat. He is a natural replacement for Malik as a middle order lynchpin. I think the question of what to do with him gets distorted by the fact that 1) he came into the team primarily as a bowler 2) the team appears to need a spinner far more than it needs a middle order bat. But these are precisely distorting considerations, which will prevent him from reaching his full potential.

 

[New Yorker]

...

Dropping a batsman for Shadab isn't a wise decision IMO makes the batting too weak..

And this is certainly true. But with Malik nearing 40 and loosing form, one can think of batting him higher up.

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Innings break:<br>Shoaib Malik XI 297 all out in 49 overs<br><br>Shan Masood 74, 9x4s, 80 balls, Shoaib Malik 52, 61 balls,3x4s, Fahim Ashraf 66, 6x4s,3x6s, 43 balls, Shadab Khan 3-58, Junaid Khan 2-52 <a href="https://t.co/Zc4wPb7krO">pic.twitter.com/Zc4wPb7krO</a></p>— PCB Official (@TheRealPCB) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRealPCB/status/1038348329124548609?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Match update:<br>Sarfraz XI 84-0 in 15 overs<br>Imam ul Haq 39, 2x4s, 1x6, 51balls<br>Fakhar Zaman 42, 5x4s, 40 balls <a href="https://t.co/JF8VmhL9J2">pic.twitter.com/JF8VmhL9J2</a></p>— PCB Official (@TheRealPCB) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRealPCB/status/1038372383026032640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[MenInG]

Innings update:
174-0 in 22 overs
Fakhar Zaman 114*(Retired Out),13x4s, 4x6s, 68 balls
Imam ul Haq 51*, 3x4s, 1x6, 63 balls

Looks like Fakhar in excellent form

 

[Amirforpresident]

Innings update:
174-0 in 22 overs
Fakhar Zaman 114*(Retired Out),13x4s, 4x6s, 68 balls
Imam ul Haq 51*, 3x4s, 1x6, 63 balls

Looks like Fakhar in excellent form

Good lord! Who were those poor bowlers? I know one of them was Amir.

 

[MenInG]

PCB Official @TheRealPCB
2m
Innings update:
258-0 in 38 overs
Fakhar Zaman 114*(Retired Out),13x4s, 4x6s, 68 balls
Imam ul Haq 65*(Retired Out), 3x4s, 2x6s, 71balls, Babar Azam 49*, 4x4s, 1x6, Sarfraz Ahmed 22, 41 balls

 

[shahidafridi123]

Innings update:
258-0 in 38 overs
Fakhar Zaman 114*(Retired Out),13x4s, 4x6s, 68 balls
Imam ul Haq 65*(Retired Out), 3x4s, 2x6s, 71balls, Babar Azam 49*, 4x4s, 1x6, Sarfraz Ahmed 22, 41 balls

 

[MenInG]

Sarfraz XI 293-5 in 43 overs
Fakhar Zaman 114*(Retired Out),13x4s, 4x6s, 68 balls
Imam ul Haq 65*(Retired Out), 3x4s, 2x6s, 71balls, Babar Azam 57, 5x4s, 1x6, 56 balls, Sarfraz Ahmed 30, 2x4s, 45 balls
Mohammad Amir 1-48, Usman Shinwari 1-47, Haris Sohail 1-23


Target Match:
Shoaib Malik XI 297 all out in 49 overs

Shan Masood 74, 9x4s, 80 balls, Shoaib Malik 52, 61 balls,3x4s, Fahim Ashraf 66, 6x4s,3x6s, 43 balls, Shadab Khan 3-58, Junaid Khan 2-52

 

[MenInG]

 

[cricketerB94]

No performance from Asif Ali?

 

[Hasan123]

1 thing I would like to see is Shadab step up with the ball. He has shown potential but hasn't consistently run through teams. He is young but I would like to see more contribution with the ball .

With the bat ,he doesn't bat high enough to have impact . But you can see his talent with the oppuritines he has had.

 

[Abdullah719]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Match update:<br>Sarfraz XI 84-0 in 15 overs<br>Imam ul Haq 39, 2x4s, 1x6, 51balls<br>Fakhar Zaman 42, 5x4s, 40 balls <a href="https://t.co/JF8VmhL9J2">pic.twitter.com/JF8VmhL9J2</a></p>— PCB Official (@TheRealPCB) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRealPCB/status/1038372383026032640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Imam's strike-rate

 

[nextover666666]

Will be interesting to see who they will open with for the first game, imam does have his stirke rate issues, could their be a possibility they go with shan and fakhar

 

[hadi123]

Will be interesting to see who they will open with for the first game, imam does have his stirke rate issues, could their be a possibility they go with shan and fakhar

After the Zimbabwe series, they will start with Imam and Fakhar.

 

[MenInG]

The squad, with exception of Imam-ul-Haq who is sorting his visa, have arrived in Dubai

 

[MenInG]

The squad, with exception of Imam-ul-Haq who is sorting his visa, have arrived in Dubai

Imam will be joining the squad tomorrow morning as visa is now sorted

 

[giri26]

Update: Opener Imam-ul-Haq has joined the team in Dubai.

 

[Varun]

The Pakistan Team at the Training Camp ahead of the Asia Cup

Pictures are from the PCB Facebook Page.