[PICTURES] Concept of night watchman - A negative mindset?

[karthikc]

I remember Ian Chappell telling that he never believed in sending a nightwatchman to bat and that he always preferred a proper batsman going and surviving the day.

What are your views on the same?

Would be interesting to know if Imran Khan was of the same view as Chappell

 

[Slog]

Id rather send a tailender who can hang around as nightwatchman than a walking wicket is what I know.

Ive seen some sides send clueless tailenders as night watchman who head back to pavillion soon after which makes you wonder what was the point

 

[IndianWillow]

It is a good strategy, but looks ugly whenever the nightwatchman gets out and a proper batsman is sent out to bat again.

 

[LordJames]

I remember Ian Chappell telling that he never believed in sending a nightwatchman to bat and that he always preferred a proper batsman going and surviving the day.

What are your views on the same?

Would be interesting to know if Imran Khan was of the same view as Chappell

It is an aggressive strategy depending on who executes it. If you send you someone with an intent then he can hold one end at the end of the day and then let loose for 45 minutes to an hour the next day.

There is nothing more demoralizing for a fielding side then to see a Tail-ender hanging around and also scoring runs at will. It take the wind out of their Sails and then your actual Batters can make Hay

 

[Madplayer]

Test Matches are a combination of aggressive and defensive moves. Sending a night watchman is a defensive move but not necessarily a negative one. Its a part of strategy and has proved to be effective a lot of times.

 

[zabalestmsm]

Brilliant take from another angle!

 

[Rayyman]

ABSOLUTELY BRAINLESS TO SEND SHAHEEN AS A NIGHTWATCHMAN!

He is a genuine #11 and there were two overs left.

 

[ElRaja]

lolol, dumbest concept in cricket. a batsmans job is to bat.

 

[Indiafan]

It is an aggressive strategy depending on who executes it. If you send you someone with an intent then he can hold one end at the end of the day and then let loose for 45 minutes to an hour the next day.

There is nothing more demoralizing for a fielding side then to see a Tail-ender hanging around and also scoring runs at will. It take the wind out of their Sails and then your actual Batters can make Hay

I have never ever seen a single bight watchman ever been sent with that intend

 

[Savak]

You can't send in a night watchman against a quality bowling attack

 

[Saurav]

Never understood the concept.If you can't back a batsmen to play 5 overs in tough conditions,why play them?and how will a tailender do better?

Also it messes up the batting order and with nightwatchman falling soon sends negativity in dressing room

India's 36-9 in Adelaide included a nightwatchman

 

[AamchiMumbaikar]

You can't send in a night watchman against a quality bowling attack

Imagine Fawad getting out instead of Shaheen would have been so demoralising!

 

[hitthestump]

If the wicket is doing absolute bits then a nightwatchman makes perfect sense.

Today all that was needed was a bit of application and technique.

I don't think there was any reason why Fawad couldn't have simply dead batted the rest of the day out with the intention to kick on tomorrow.

 

[Saurav]

Imagine Fawad getting out instead of Shaheen would have been so demoralising!

He came out to bat anyway and didn't get out

 

[dildilpak]

It does betray a negative attitude. But frankly every team does it. I think only the great Australian team of Steve Waugh consistently resisted this strategy.

 

[dildilpak]

I don't think you can debate the pros and cons of a night watchman based on something that happens in one innings -- if the nightwatchman had not got out, it does not make it the right strategy and vice versa. I think a team should make a consistent call of not playing nightwatchman, not going into a shell at the end of a session etc. I think over the long run this will improve attitude and results. 'Having intent' tells the other team and your fans (and frankly yourself) that you believe in yourself. And that by itself can work wonders.

 

[Rayyman]

I don't think you can debate the pros and cons of a night watchman based on something that happens in one innings -- if the nightwatchman had not got out, it does not make it the right strategy and vice versa. I think a team should make a consistent call of not playing nightwatchman, not going into a shell at the end of a session etc. I think over the long run this will improve attitude and results. 'Having intent' tells the other team and your fans (and frankly yourself) that you believe in yourself. And that by itself can work wonders.

Nightwatchman can only work if the player is actually capable

 

[Hasan123]

Sending a nights watchman is ridiculous. A batter should have the confidence and belief that he can see off a few overs until the close.

 

[mazkhan]

Nothing wrong with the concept of a nightwatchman

Its just other teams tailenders have improved massively that they are pretty competent with the bat and many could be called quasi all-rounders and thus hold their own out in the middle.

Our tailenders are walking wickets and could probably be done over by a 90 yr old granny bowling .

 

[ElRaja]

the concept of a nitghwatchman is self defeating

if they cant bat they surely increase risk of losing an extra wicket before the close of play putting u in a worse sitaution

if they can bat, surely it stands to reason they would be more likely to contribute in easier conditions lower down the order.

nightwatchmen are a remnant of the sports amateur past, if there really was any benefit to avoiding having a batsmen playing out the last few overs of a session why not do it before lunch too, or if it looks like players are going to go off for bad weather.

if i was a batsmen, id feel bad about sacrificing a weaker batsmen just because i dont have the confidence in my own ability to bat 3 or 4 overs.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

I've never really understood the concept but lets assume conventional cricketing wisdom is right and the nightwatchman benefits the team. In this case surely you send someone capable of hanging around for a bit? A walking wicket like Shaheen makes no sense.

 

[Robert]

It can work if the night watchman hangs around the next days and annoys the bowling team. Perhaps better in a match-saving situation where he has to bat anyway and you don’t want to lose a top order man in iffy light.

 

[ElRaja]

also just as a point of logic, surely if a nightwatchmen is dismissed, it would make sense to send another as there are now less overs to survive in the day.

to send a nightwatchmen, only for him to be dismissed and replaced by a proper batsmen is a logically inconsistent.

 

[Hyperion66]

Nope, it is a rather orthodox approach or kinda like a tactical retreat is all. Nothing negative about wanting to protect your top bats during the last overs of the day.

 

[Hyder]

When Abbas was there it made sense. But Shaheen. Surely he can smack a few but he can not block.

 

[Zaz]

Only pakistan would send the worst batsman in the team as a nightwatchman

At least send someone competent on holding the bat What was the point with fawad coming in anyway after the tailenders dismissal?

 

[sharmaji]

I am always worried for the bowler who is sent in as a night watchman. Usually they have to face fired up fast bowlers at the end of the day under poor light, and they don't always have the best technique to defend their wicket as well as their bodies.

 

[Buffet]

Nightwatchman concept has its place sometimes, but you need to send someone who can hang around. Normally you don't send the worst batsman. Usually it's one of the better tail who puts a price for his wicket.

 

[Saj]

The problem at the moment is that Pakistan has about 8 or 9 nightwatchmen in the starting XI.

Seriously though, the decision today was another example of the negative mindset and defensive approach of the current team management.

 

[unemployedgm]

It would be useful to do a thesis on a nightwatchmen. I'm serious!!!

 

[Savak]

The problem at the moment is that Pakistan has about 8 or 9 nightwatchmen in the starting XI.

Seriously though, the decision today was another example of the negative mindset and defensive approach of the current team management.

Lol, Misbah ul Haq is there. What do you expect?

 

[FearlessRoar]

Ben Duckett went back to the pavilion after scoring 28 (27), leaving England at 67/1.

Rehan Ahmed has come out as the night watchman alongside Zak Crawley during the second innings of the second Test against India.

 

[Suleiman]

Ben Duckett went back to the pavilion after scoring 28 (27), leaving England at 67/1.

Rehan Ahmed has come out as the night watchman alongside Zak Crawley during the second innings of the second Test against India.

Hardly… compared to the absolute mugs Pakistan sends as nightwatchmen with single digit averages, Rehan still averages 31 with the bat in FC cricket. Only 8 points lower than Pakistan captain Shan Masood.

 

[AAli98]

Eng & Bazball don’t send out night watchmen they send out night hawks.

 

[ElRaja]

england keep doing stuff that would look stupid if it fails, but then it doesnt fail, and everyone's like yep, sure, a nighthawk is a thing, lol

 

[Cricket Warrior]

concept of a night watchman is useless as it means you're not confident that your main batter will survive. So how a tailender can survive there?

 

[FearlessRoar]

Mohammed Siraj going out as a nightwatchman during 3rd Test against New Zealand and then wasting a review as a tailender sums up Indian cricket right now

 

[Ab Fan]

The night watchmen concept worked back when the drawn test matches had some purpose. Now it is a waste because a night watchmen main job is to shield the next batter by frustrating the bowling attack by batting for 1 hr next day.

 

[BouncerGuy]

This concept has not worked today for India in the 4th test. I don't know why teams send nightwatchman.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

This concept has not worked today for India in the 4th test. I don't know why teams send nightwatchman.

Batsmen being lazy, nothing else. Some of them don't love the idea of 'starting again' the next day.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

I'm not sure what the fuss is about. Kohli played a good knock for a night Watchman.

 

[FearlessRoar]

Khurram Shahzad as night watchman has done his job pretty well at least more than I expected from him.

 

[sweep_shot]

I personally don't like the concept of nightwatchman.

If he gets out, other batter has to come out anyway.