To not feel for Fawad would make one heartless in my opinion.
Fawad scored a century on debut on the road in Sri Lanka. That isn’t to say it was particularly difficult conditions but how many players have scored a test on debut? As an impartial judge, his home scoring and off technique proved that he can at least in Asian conditions score runs.
Had a few mediocre innings, true, but he was young and was still scoring runs in oodles against the same bowlers we trot out there on a daily basis against international competition. He isn’t a world beater but he decided to get a chance.
Now more than a decade later he returns for duck in English conditions where our so called seniors with hundreds of combined innings score ducks and single digits and they will constantly get backing and chances because of their “technique”.
Give him a legitimate chance.
He also had a solid start to his ODI career and that too having scores in England, in Australia and had some solid scores against South Africa.
What exactly is our criteria now?
“He only scored in Asian conditions”
Well in ODIs he’s scored in conditions our best batsmen with incredible technique have struggled.
“He has poor technique and will get figured out”
Those with “spectacular” technique are scoring ducks left right and centre, I feel more comfortable with the ugly technique who scores in bunches at home.
“Who cares about at home record”
Are we not trotting our these bowlers against international competition? Why is it that the same players who are scoring our beautiful technique 0s are not scoring like this in domestic?
“He’s too old”
I agree here but it’s not like this goes against the norm in Pakistan. Misbah came into the squad around the same time. Fawad has paid his dues and at worst deserves a couple of series to get comfortable.
“He failed today, that’s it, he’s a failure”
Let me posit a scenario for you, you have not played international cricket for a decade, your dream, you have been constantly told your technique is flawed despite the fact that you have been the highest domestic scorer in your nations history, other players have “elite technique” and score ducks on ducks and are even named captain and still constantly get chances, and you finally get an opportunity and know if you fail that this is likely the end of your dream to come true.
How much pressure is that player under? In all likelihood more pressure than almost any player in the history of Pakistan cricket or at the very least, right up there.
It’s sad that players left right and centre have gotten ample opportunities to play without the pressure of losing their spot where seemingly failure has no impact on their spot, whereas Fawad is playing from behind where it’s do or die from the go.
It must be hard to watch your contemporaries score little to no runs and have their position not in jeopardy and seemingly having a different standard for yourself because you have an unorthodox stance.
Maybe Fawad would fail at the international level of given a proper run, no one is denying that, but he never really got that and all he has seen is hypocrisy and cronyism left and right.
He has never complained and just been happy with any opportunity given.
I know this will be his first and last test and it will be the knives out I told you so’s and not thought that maybe, just maybe, if we gave him 2-3 series, his unorthodox technique and his ability to put runs on the board as he has done for 15 years in Pakistan, would translate to the international scene.
Given how many players have gotten opportunities and failed since his debut, we definitely could have easily given him a run and would have definitively known instead of the what if? 1 test match and that too with the ridiculous pressure of this is your only opportunity and if you fail this is it, how fair is that?
Again, Fawad could easily be a bust, but we’ve given plenty of busts a lot more rope, given them captaincy and vice captaincy, and never put them under this pressure of you must perform or your career is over.
If this is your last match Fawad, don’t be disappointed in yourself, the cards were stacked against you from the start. You should be proud of your domestic accomplishments. It’s no small feat and no matter what anyone says, they can never take that away from you.
