Rebuilding Pakistan Cricket: A Roadmap for The Future (Potential Prospects + Selections)

[kingusama92]

The system is finished. The parchis are everywhere. The replacements are no better.

These are common sayings (and might even be true) but that's not a sporting mindset. The board has to pick itself up and continue toward the next goal or you end up looking like those guys that sit on the TV moaning after every match without offering solutions.

Yes, long-term systemic changes are needed but the next squad announcement is weeks away. Those changes will need to continue in the background, but what does Pakistan do right now?

This is the real question.

It's time to assess the options available to Pakistan and what can be done when it's time to move into the next bilateral series. The current core has proven useless on the biggest stage multiple times now so changes are necessary. You can hate/love the players but this is a simple and obvious assessment. They don't work well as a unit in ICC or ACC tournaments.

So where do we begin?

ODI XI (Locks):

1) Saim Ayub
2) Fakhar Zaman
3)
4)
5) Salman Ali Agha
6)
7)
8)
9)
10
11)

Yes, I am aware the selectors won't get rid of everyone. But these are the only "locks" and the rest will depend on team composition and leadership roles.

Discarded players are not being removed forever. However, they are not locks anymore and will need to be dropped to work on their game. There should be clear directions on why they're being dropped and what needs to be improved. Don't just send them packing like they've been disowned.

I would also consider making Salman Ali Agha captain (if Rizwan is dropped). He has the right mindset, a well-rounded skill set, and a spot in the team. But this isn't mandatory.

Future Prospects

This is the biggest element that is going to push the team forward. They have one decent prospect in Saim Ayub who will need to be a big part of how the team moves forward but that's just one piece.

Who are some of the possible names available in the system?

Batsmen/WK

* Maaz Sadaqat
* Mohammad Haris
* Irfan Khan Niazi
* Haseebullah

All-Rounders

* Jahandad Khan
* Abbas Afridi
* Arafat Minhas
* Aamer Jamal

Fast Bowlers

* Mohammad Wasim Jr.
* Mohammad Imran
* Khurram Shahzad

Spinners

* Abrar Ahmed
* Mehran Mumtaz
* Faisal Akram
* Sufiyan Muqeem
* Usama Mir

These are just some of the names I can think of that have shown potential. Ali Raza is more of a long-term prospect that will need time to prove himself but I also see him as a good projectable talent.

Assess and select players from this group to rebuild the team. Some of these players should be in the next squad that's announced with a vision to refresh the team's approach to the game. You want a modern, athletic, and aggressive team that will improve its approach to the game.

Will you hit on all of them? Do all of these guys fit modern requirements? No, of course not.

But you find the ones that do and get the process started with an eye on the future. The management is capable of this because they showed great patience with Saim.

What about the current core?

This is the big question!

What do we do about the players that have been developed and worked on over the years? I disagree with just removing everyone because that's senseless and doesn't help when developing young players.

Accumulator (choose one only)

* Babar Azam
* Abdullah Shafique
* Mohammad Rizwan
* Saud Shakeel

Experienced Domestic Batsman (choose one)

* Kamran Ghulam
* Tayyab Tahir

Fast Bowlers (Choose one with a clear role)

* Shaheen Afridi
* Naseem Shah
* Haris Rauf

As you can see, most of the guys should be gone but I would keep around one accumulator, one experienced domestic bat, and one pacer for the squad. But make sure they have clear roles. Everyone else goes back to work on their game.
I think Pakistan can refresh their limited-overs team with the right selections. It is not as dire as people think. Yes, there will be growing pains with the new batch but that's normal in any sport during this phase. They must be patient with the players like they were with Saim.

Possible ODI Squad

Openers

* Saim Ayub
* Fakhar Zaman

Middle Order

* Babar Azam
* Salman Ali Agha
* Irfan Niazi
* Tayyab Tahir/Kamran Ghulam

Wicket Keepers

* Mohammad Haris
* Haseebullah

All-Rounders

* Arafat Minhas
* Abbas Afridi
* Jahandad Khan

Fast Bowlers

* Mohammad Wasim Jr.
* Naseem Shah
* Any young pacer

Spinners

* Abrar Ahmed
* Sufiyan Muqeem/Faisal Akram

Once again, the names are just some I could think of. Apologies if I missed some and I am sure others can be added. This is a great chance for Pakistan to change its mindset and get out of the 90s type of cricket they've been playing. The reality check they just got can be the springboard to something better.

Ideally, you want everyone to be able to bat a bit but that's going to take longer to find. Some of these bowlers are true specialists but it's a starting point.

It's better than just sticking to the status quo and getting butchered in major tournaments.

It will take time but if they start immediately, the team will be ready by 2027.

 

[jnaveen1980]

There was a rumor circulating on social media about Fakhar's retirement.

 

[kingusama92]

There was a rumor circulating on social media about Fakhar's retirement.

I heard about that too.

But he released a video that it's false on Pakistan Cricket's official account. He should be back in a month or two.

 

[Bhaijaan]

After reading this great post, the only thing i realized is that there is no magical combination of talent in Pakistan cricket right now that puts them ahead of the top cricket nations. You can brainstorm, use the best AI models out there to select teams and whatever, but you’re still falling short in front of the major cricketing nations.

The fact that Saim Ayub is the only young batting prospect in this team that people think fits in LOI cricket is scary given he himself missed the entire Champions Trophy and who knows he might have had a bad one too yet people here cannot wait to crown him the next captain.

What Pakistan needs is to work very very seriously on Under 15,17 19 level talent to unearth potential stars that can compete with the best in the world in the future.

You’re cooked at present however and there’s not much you can do about it. Embrace that you’re a mid table team which will win 50% matches on average during the year and will only be competing for the 4th place semi finalist spot in tournaments and count on luck from there on. Worrying too much about this situation and acting crazy like you were tournament favourites after getting knocked out is futile, you have to be realistic in life. 2019, 2023 world cups you ended exactly where you belonged, #5 while having a genuine shot at #4 spot.

Where Pakistan as well as West Indies are special is that when it comes to playing the knockouts, they’re only clearly behind Australia but almost at par with Bharat and well ahead of South Africa, England, NZ. So in their battle to get that #4 semi finalist spot, when they actually make it, they both turn into tournament contenders immediately. Then the ICC rankings go out of the window.

The aim in the future must be to be the team that can comfortably make the semis being a Top 2 team which is where Australia and Bharat have been, and with a slight dip can still make it being 3-4 level team which is where South Africa, NZ, England have been.

 

[Xoib]

Whoever you bring next in the system just ensure next crop of pacers play red ball cricket and don’t chase leagues money else the same cycle will repeat
Ali Raza, Akif, Azab, Awais Anwar, Mohammad Salman are all good to great prospects but they should be made to focus on 4 day cricket to built stamina , skills and bowling smarts

 

[happydavy]

The first thing get atleast 3-4 educated players, even if they come from wealthy families at the risk of being blamed of nepotism. Pakistan's team need much more than good players, they need educated, secured, well behaved cricketers who are hungry.

 

[kingusama92]

After reading this great post, the only thing i realized is that there is no magical combination of talent in Pakistan cricket right now that puts them ahead of the top cricket nations. You can brainstorm, use the best AI models out there to select teams and whatever, but you’re still falling short in front of the major cricketing nations.

The fact that Saim Ayub is the only young batting prospect in this team that people think fits in LOI cricket is scary given he himself missed the entire Champions Trophy and who knows he might have had a bad one too yet people here cannot wait to crown him the next captain.

What Pakistan needs is to work very very seriously on Under 15,17 19 level talent to unearth potential stars that can compete with the best in the world in the future.

You’re cooked at present however and there’s not much you can do about it. Embrace that you’re a mid table team which will win 50% matches on average during the year and will only be competing for the 4th place semi finalist spot in tournaments and count on luck from there on. Worrying too much about this situation and acting crazy like you were tournament favourites after getting knocked out is futile, you have to be realistic in life. 2019, 2023 world cups you ended exactly where you belonged, #5 while having a genuine shot at #4 spot.

Where Pakistan as well as West Indies are special is that when it comes to playing the knockouts, they’re only clearly behind Australia but almost at par with Bharat and well ahead of South Africa, England, NZ. So in their battle to get that #4 semi finalist spot, when they actually make it, they both turn into tournament contenders immediately. Then the ICC rankings go out of the window.

The aim in the future must be to be the team that can comfortably make the semis being a Top 2 team which is where Australia and Bharat have been, and with a slight dip can still make it being 3-4 level team which is where South Africa, NZ, England have been.

Spot on, there is certainly no saviour coming to save the day.

It's sad how poorly they have developed for the future. Saim is the only one that's remotely good and it's still early days for him. In comparison, India has a tremendous pool of prospects that can be plugged in or out based on what the main team needs.

Even aiming to be a mid-table team is tough for Pakistan with its current core. This is why change is necessary.

I think a nice youthful refresh with 5-6 young prospects will help in the coming year. Even if most struggle, it's a good way to see what's out there and also give the seniors (Babar/Rizwan/Shaheen) a chance to work on their game. Maybe they will come back and be better versions of themselves and that's the solution.

 

[Hellion]

Talent pool is not deep enough to get rid of all these guys .

Saim
Fakhar
Babar
Rizwan
Salman

are all locks in the batting lineup. Only Haseebullah looks like he has a good List A record from the names mentioned in the OP.

Allrounders and bowlers certainly need to be looked at though .

 

[hoshiarpurexpress]

Nope. Nothing will happen. PCB is a gravy train for the corrupt politicians of Pakistan and Pakistan crisis done.. just like Hockey

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Qasim Akram has a pretty high ceiling. Don't know if he's progressed or not. Mubasir should be tried as well. Amir Jamal should be given a run in all formats.

 

[Rana]

You can move Agha to 3 or 4

 

[Rana]

Mohammad Harris should also be at 6 or 7

 

[Rana]

Niazi should not be a 7

Give him a chance at 4

 

[Rana]

Muhammad Harris
Omair Bin Yousuf
Khwaja Nafay
Hassan Nawaz
Arafat Minhas
Maaz Sadaqat
Ali Raza


Inject all of this talent into your first team. Stop caring about winning or losing. Let these boys express themselves

 

[Rana]

Jahandad Khan
Abbas Afridi
Wasim Jr
Aamer Jamal

That’s 4 pacers who can all give it a whack too

 

[jamie smith]

Muhammad Harris
Omair Bin Yousuf
Khwaja Nafay
Hassan Nawaz
Arafat Minhas
Maaz Sadaqat
Ali Raza


Inject all of this talent into your first team. Stop caring about winning or losing. Let these boys express themselves

Add abdul sammad and haider ali to the list also.

 

[Rana]

Add abdul sammad and haider ali to the list also.

Fair call

Indeed. Open up your options

 

[jamie smith]

Jahandad Khan
Abbas Afridi
Wasim Jr
Aamer Jamal

That’s 4 pacers who can all give it a whack too

Aamer jamal is utter trash.

 

[jamie smith]

Naseem should be replaced by his brother Ubaid now

 

[Rana]

Doesn’t matter what XI you pick


The moment you put Babar and Rizwan in the side and that too in pivotal positions, you will suck!

 

[jamie smith]

Yeah dumping them will solve 70% problem.

Doesn’t matter what XI you pick


The moment you put Babar and Rizwan in the side and that too in pivotal positions, you will suck!

 

[Xoib]

T-20
Saim
Nafay
Omer bin yousuf
Salman (c)
Irfan
Haris (wk)
Shadab
Abbas Afridi
Wasim Jr
Akif
Sufiyan

Reseves
Usman Khan
Abrar
Dahani
Minhas
Mubaser

Odi
Saim
Haris (wk)
Saud
Ghulam
Salman(c)
Irfan
Shadab
Wasim jr
Akif
Dahani
Abrar

Reserves
Sufiyan
Haseebullah
Abbas Afridi
Mubasher
Minhas

Tests
Saim
Abdullah
Huraira
Ghulam
Saud
Rizwan(wk)
Salman (C)
Sajid
Nauman
Khurram
Akif

Reserves
Arshadullah
Niaz Khan
Irfan
Rameez Jr
Mohammad Sulaiman

 

[jamie smith]

T-20
Saim
Nafay
Omer bin yousuf
Salman (c)
Irfan
Haris (wk)
Shadab
Abbas Afridi
Wasim Jr
Akif
Sufiyan

Reseves
Usman Khan
Abrar
Dahani
Minhas
Mubaser

Odi
Saim
Haris (wk)
Saud
Ghulam
Salman(c)
Irfan
Shadab
Wasim jr
Akif
Dahani
Abrar

Reserves
Sufiyan
Haseebullah
Abbas Afridi
Mubasher
Minhas

Tests
Saim
Abdullah
Huraira
Ghulam
Saud
Rizwan(wk)
Salman (C)
Sajid
Nauman
Khurram
Akif

Reserves
Arshadullah
Niaz Khan
Irfan
Rameez Jr
Mohammad Sulaiman

How does full toss khan play over Arafat??
Plus need to remove riz from tests also and replace him with rohail/haseeb/Ghazi ghori.

 

[Xoib]

How does full toss khan play over Arafat??
Plus need to remove riz from tests also and replace him with rohail/haseeb/Ghazi ghori.

Yeah I don’t mind Rizwan being dropped from tests also though he dosent deserve it but it betterment of Pak cricket if the stench of big 5(Babar, Rizwan, Shaheen, Naseem and Rauf) is kept away from Thai side for 12 months

 

[Abid Z]

Contract out the whole Pcb and PCT set up to a private enterprise. Preferably English or Indian. Even get Lalit Modhi involved if you have to. Within a couple of years Pak will be cricketing giants and PSL will truly rival IPL.

You can change the players all you like it won’t make one bit of difference. You need at least 30 good players and a very strong domestic structure to keep on feeding the national team. Over reliance on 5-6 players in every format isn’t gonna work.

 

[The Bald Eagle]

Let's give the new comer and domestic performers an extended run....one or two series for them and an eventual snub in big events is pathetic

 

[Asif321]

Good post . I think the players you mentioned have good potential to bring up the Pakistan cricket and yes we can’t afford too many accumulators like Abdullah , Rizwan and Babar . Only one can be played


I Have high hopes from Niazi , Kamran, Tayyab , Abbas , Jahandad, Muqeem

 

[Savak]

Talent or quality available or not, play youngsters and drop the likes of Babar, Rizwan, Shaheen and make them earn their places in the team again.

 

[Savak]

Selections for ODI and T-20 Cricket is very simple. First decide the brand of cricket you wish to play i.e. ruthless aggressive power hitting style and pick players accordingly. Babar and Rizwan need to be dropped from the T-20 and ODI team for certain.

 

[Major]

my my, Pakistan team has even forced the legendary @kingusama92 to make hypothetical roadmaps. Yaye din bhi dekhna par gya

The players are limited in skills, so i agree that make good squad selection, but limit expectations ab.

 

[Rana]

The players are limited in skills

Not as limited as the crap that is promoted by Misbah in SNGPL

 

[JaDed]

I don't see how one can fix the problem of hunger which we see in Afghans.

Only thing that can be done is fix the discipline, for that stability is required, PCB is not known to be stable or have a rational behavior.

I do think Misbah should be brought in as an administrator and then given 1-2 years to make a system.

 

[Major]

Not as limited as the crap that is promoted by Misbah in SNGPL

acha bhai tu Misbah sey lar lay

 

[Rana]

acha bhai tu Misbah sey lar lay

One day. He will remember me. You can believe that.

 

[cricfan432]

Just play everyone who strike at 140-150 in t20s and above 100 in list a’s. Make sure they can negotiate bounce and spin well These should be criterias for selection.
its not hard to search for potential prospoects there are atleast 10-15 batsmen alone who fit above criteria below are stats from recent champions t20 cup of strike rate and average.

 

[pratiktc]

I would suggest give the big three pacers definitely a break and maybe Babar as well after PSL.

Let them try and play a bit of county or league cricket away from cameras to build back rhythm and confidence

 

[pratiktc]

I would still say back Rizwan as a captain and let him try to build up a young team.

Salman Agha, Saud shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Saim and Rizwan is a good batting core. Give an aggressive keeper batter like Usman/Haris a go as well with this.

In bowling build an attack with Wasim Jr, Abbas Afridi and a left armer.

In spin deptmt back Abrar and Muqeem

 

[Rana]

I would still say back Rizwan as a captain and let him try to build up a young team

What will it change?

He will insist to bat at number 4, and insist to bat like a coward. What will it change? You can put 3 world class batsmen before him and 2 very good middle order batsman after him, the fact that he will eat up 10 overs from the game for 20 runs is going nowhere

 

[Marooned]

Ik he isn't popular here but Haseebullah khan deserves his chance in Odis. He should replace Rizwan and be given a run as the anchor or opener if fakhar/saim isn't available. 50 plus list A matches 50 plus average and 9 centuries. He has the strongest case by far and unlike Rizwan he can actually play at high sr too because his range of shots is far superior.

Babar Rizwan should both be dropped. You can't have a new beginning without dropping them both.

 

[chinaman00]

There’s no roadmap with this team, just an abyss. The whole PCB structure as well as the culture needs to be changed for any hope for Pakistan cricket.

 

[Greenstorm]

My lineup for T20I in NZ on 15th March.

1. Saim
2. M Harris
3. Hassan Nawaz (if Fakhar injured)
4. Shadab
5. Jamal
6. Iftikhar
7. Niazi/Arafat/Mehran
8. Wasim jr
9. Abbas Afridi
10. Akif Javed
11. Abrar/Sufyan

 

[Greenstorm]

Ik he isn't popular here but Haseebullah khan deserves his chance in Odis. He should replace Rizwan and be given a run as the anchor or opener if fakhar/saim isn't available. 50 plus list A matches 50 plus average and 9 centuries. He has the strongest case by far and unlike Rizwan he can actually play at high sr too because his range of shots is far superior.

Babar Rizwan should both be dropped. You can't have a new beginning without dropping them both.

I have seen Haseebullah bat in Australia. He is not the answer.

 

[Savak]

Bizzare how a bunch of 7-8 average cricketers ended up being so powerful to hold the entire team hostage for the past 4-5 years. They should have been benched and replaced from 2023 onwards.

 

[pakistani pride]

Its over guys.
Pak cricket is done and dusted.

 

[Nabeel23]

My lineup for T20I in NZ on 15th March.

1. Saim
2. M Harris
3. Hassan Nawaz (if Fakhar injured)
4. Shadab
5. Jamal
6. Iftikhar
7. Niazi/Arafat/Mehran
8. Wasim jr
9. Abbas Afridi
10. Akif Javed
11. Abrar/Sufyan

Batting seems thin, if I had to use those players I would change the batting positions.

Shadab and Jamal can only play at 7 and 8. Iftikhar usually needs time to get set so should play at 4 or 5 but personally, I think his time is up.

Niazi on the other hand can be a good finisher so should be at 6, his competition is really only Khushdil at the moment.

5. Iftikhar/Salman
6. Niazi/Khushdil
7. Shadab/Arafat
8. Jamal/Mo Wasim

This still leaves 3 and 4 vacant. I would preferably try Haris and Haider in those positions and maybe open with Saim and Khwaja or another hard hitter. The bowling line up you posted looks good and worth a try from 8 downwards.

 

[usman.sandhu]

The system is finished. The parchis are everywhere. The replacements are no better.

These are common sayings (and might even be true) but that's not a sporting mindset. The board has to pick itself up and continue toward the next goal or you end up looking like those guys that sit on the TV moaning after every match without offering solutions.

Yes, long-term systemic changes are needed but the next squad announcement is weeks away. Those changes will need to continue in the background, but what does Pakistan do right now?

This is the real question.

It's time to assess the options available to Pakistan and what can be done when it's time to move into the next bilateral series. The current core has proven useless on the biggest stage multiple times now so changes are necessary. You can hate/love the players but this is a simple and obvious assessment. They don't work well as a unit in ICC or ACC tournaments.

So where do we begin?

ODI XI (Locks):

1) Saim Ayub
2) Fakhar Zaman
3)
4)
5) Salman Ali Agha
6)
7)
8)
9)
10
11)

Yes, I am aware the selectors won't get rid of everyone. But these are the only "locks" and the rest will depend on team composition and leadership roles.

Discarded players are not being removed forever. However, they are not locks anymore and will need to be dropped to work on their game. There should be clear directions on why they're being dropped and what needs to be improved. Don't just send them packing like they've been disowned.

I would also consider making Salman Ali Agha captain (if Rizwan is dropped). He has the right mindset, a well-rounded skill set, and a spot in the team. But this isn't mandatory.

Future Prospects

This is the biggest element that is going to push the team forward. They have one decent prospect in Saim Ayub who will need to be a big part of how the team moves forward but that's just one piece.

Who are some of the possible names available in the system?

Batsmen/WK

* Maaz Sadaqat
* Mohammad Haris
* Irfan Khan Niazi
* Haseebullah

All-Rounders

* Jahandad Khan
* Abbas Afridi
* Arafat Minhas
* Aamer Jamal

Fast Bowlers

* Mohammad Wasim Jr.
* Mohammad Imran
* Khurram Shahzad

Spinners

* Abrar Ahmed
* Mehran Mumtaz
* Faisal Akram
* Sufiyan Muqeem
* Usama Mir

These are just some of the names I can think of that have shown potential. Ali Raza is more of a long-term prospect that will need time to prove himself but I also see him as a good projectable talent.

Assess and select players from this group to rebuild the team. Some of these players should be in the next squad that's announced with a vision to refresh the team's approach to the game. You want a modern, athletic, and aggressive team that will improve its approach to the game.

Will you hit on all of them? Do all of these guys fit modern requirements? No, of course not.

But you find the ones that do and get the process started with an eye on the future. The management is capable of this because they showed great patience with Saim.

What about the current core?

This is the big question!

What do we do about the players that have been developed and worked on over the years? I disagree with just removing everyone because that's senseless and doesn't help when developing young players.

Accumulator (choose one only)

* Babar Azam
* Abdullah Shafique
* Mohammad Rizwan
* Saud Shakeel

Experienced Domestic Batsman (choose one)

* Kamran Ghulam
* Tayyab Tahir

Fast Bowlers (Choose one with a clear role)

* Shaheen Afridi
* Naseem Shah
* Haris Rauf

As you can see, most of the guys should be gone but I would keep around one accumulator, one experienced domestic bat, and one pacer for the squad. But make sure they have clear roles. Everyone else goes back to work on their game.
I think Pakistan can refresh their limited-overs team with the right selections. It is not as dire as people think. Yes, there will be growing pains with the new batch but that's normal in any sport during this phase. They must be patient with the players like they were with Saim.

Possible ODI Squad

Openers

* Saim Ayub
* Fakhar Zaman

Middle Order

* Babar Azam
* Salman Ali Agha
* Irfan Niazi
* Tayyab Tahir/Kamran Ghulam

Wicket Keepers

* Mohammad Haris
* Haseebullah

All-Rounders

* Arafat Minhas
* Abbas Afridi
* Jahandad Khan

Fast Bowlers

* Mohammad Wasim Jr.
* Naseem Shah
* Any young pacer

Spinners

* Abrar Ahmed
* Sufiyan Muqeem/Faisal Akram

Once again, the names are just some I could think of. Apologies if I missed some and I am sure others can be added. This is a great chance for Pakistan to change its mindset and get out of the 90s type of cricket they've been playing. The reality check they just got can be the springboard to something better.

Ideally, you want everyone to be able to bat a bit but that's going to take longer to find. Some of these bowlers are true specialists but it's a starting point.

It's better than just sticking to the status quo and getting butchered in major tournaments.

It will take time but if they start immediately, the team will be ready by 2027.

I appreciate you taking the time to look into the future, but let's be very clear on one important point -

We need to get rid of Babar, Rizwan, Shaheen, Haris and Naseem

They've had enough chances and have proven time and again that they cannot win us anything... It is time to move on...

They are not brave enough to win... We have to get rid of this toxic mentality from our team..

 

[usman.sandhu]

Batting seems thin, if I had to use those players I would change the batting positions.

Shadab and Jamal can only play at 7 and 8. Iftikhar usually needs time to get set so should play at 4 or 5 but personally, I think his time is up.

Niazi on the other hand can be a good finisher so should be at 6, his competition is really only Khushdil at the moment.

5. Iftikhar/Salman
6. Niazi/Khushdil
7. Shadab/Arafat
8. Jamal/Mo Wasim

This still leaves 3 and 4 vacant. I would preferably try Haris and Haider in those positions and maybe open with Saim and Khwaja or another hard hitter. The bowling line up you posted looks good and worth a try from 8 downwards.

Let's not bring back garbage like Shadab and Iftikhar back please...

 

[Nabeel23]

Let's not bring back garbage like Shadab and Iftikhar back please...

Yh I would select Arafat Minhas over Shadab and keep Salman/Niazi at 5/6. Iftikhar should stick with league Cricket, Shadab could potentially make a comeback but he needs a long stint in domestics to iron out his deficiencies.

 

[kingusama92]

Talent pool is not deep enough to get rid of all these guys .

Saim
Fakhar
Babar
Rizwan
Salman

are all locks in the batting lineup. Only Haseebullah looks like he has a good List A record from the names mentioned in the OP.

Allrounders and bowlers certainly need to be looked at though .

I think you and others have touched on one of the more defining decisions for Pakistan's future.

The decision is whether to keep Babar + Rizwan as the 3-4 duo or not.

Three paths are available...

1) Keep Babar + Rizwan

This option means maintaining the status quo and hoping the openers fire. This is the current strategy. Aqib and company can simply say our openers were injured which messed up everything.

2) Keep Only One (Accumulator role)

This involves keeping one as an accumulator. It's common for teams to have one player like this in their XI, so it's fine for Pakistan to have one too. But everyone around the player will be more aggressive or at least like Salman Ali Agha.

This is my preference. It's the best way for a smooth transition heading into the 2027 WC.

3) Remove Both

This is a nuclear option. You simply reset the middle order and strategy entirely while asking them to go back and work on their game.

 

[IMMY69]

I think k best way forward would be to reinstate Babar as the all format captain

 

[Kroll]

Fitness, fitness and more fitness - did I say fitness? At present we are the most unfit international team around and that's a disgrace, there's no excuses for it given all the access to information and coaches.

With good fitness standards, our performance levels would increase by 10-20% even with the current crop of mediocre players. The amount of catches that go down or fielding mishaps is truly shocking. We should be taking more catches and conceding less runs.

We can't win games on jazba junoon, badmaashi and daleri as we no longer have even that as a fallback.

 

[YousafTheBeast]

I think k best way forward would be to reinstate Babar as the all format captain

 

[usman.sandhu]

I think k best way forward would be to reinstate Babar as the all format captain

surely you are being sarcastic, he does not deserve to be a part of the team...

 

[Greenstorm]

Batting seems thin, if I had to use those players I would change the batting positions.

Shadab and Jamal can only play at 7 and 8. Iftikhar usually needs time to get set so should play at 4 or 5 but personally, I think his time is up.

Niazi on the other hand can be a good finisher so should be at 6, his competition is really only Khushdil at the moment.

5. Iftikhar/Salman
6. Niazi/Khushdil
7. Shadab/Arafat
8. Jamal/Mo Wasim

This still leaves 3 and 4 vacant. I would preferably try Haris and Haider in those positions and maybe open with Saim and Khwaja or another hard hitter. The bowling line up you posted looks good and worth a try from 8 downwards.

Shadab has done well at 4. His stats reflect that. That is because he is very good at attacking spinners during middle overs. His technique is not suited for 7-8.

Iftikhar is not an innings builder. He can hardly rotate strike. He has done well in PSL when he arrives late and has license to attack straightaway. Therefore, he should never bat above 6. His only replacement can be Abdul Sammad but we are yet to see him in PSL.

Khushdil's weakness is pace bowling. He will certainly fail in NZ. He can hardly play short bowls and considering next ODI WC is in SA, it is useless to invest in him unless he improves drastically. He can be considered in T20Is as next tournaments are in Asia and he is decent against spin but I think Jamal is overall better than him.

Aamir Jamal is not a number 7 or 8. His technique is more attuned to number 5 position as he can attack spinners (seen in Aus tour and PSL) and is good at attacking pacers specially on short balls.

Agha Salman is not a T20 batter yet. Rizwan is a better T20 bat (specially in NZ) than him.

A good number 7 is someone who can bludgeon the ball straight and who can dispatch attempted yorkers for six and can improvise to play scoops and sweeps. Iftikhar, Niazi and Jahandad are your best number 7s. I haven't seen Arafat bat much. Therefore for a T20I in NZ, I will stick with this lineup;

M Harris
Saim (if injured then Usman Khan)
Fakhar (if injured then Hassan Nawaz)
Shadab
Jamal
Niazi
Iftikhar/Arafat
Wasim Jr
Abbas Afridi
Akif Javed
Abrar/Sufyan

Btw, knowing Aqib Javed. I will be surprised if even two from this lineup will be playing on 15th.
Sha

 

[Hellion]

I think you and others have touched on one of the more defining decisions for Pakistan's future.

The decision is whether to keep Babar + Rizwan as the 3-4 duo or not.

Three paths are available...

1) Keep Babar + Rizwan

This option means maintaining the status quo and hoping the openers fire. This is the current strategy. Aqib and company can simply say our openers were injured which messed up everything.

2) Keep Only One (Accumulator role)

This involves keeping one as an accumulator. It's common for teams to have one player like this in their XI, so it's fine for Pakistan to have one too. But everyone around the player will be more aggressive or at least like Salman Ali Agha.

This is my preference. It's the best way for a smooth transition heading into the 2027 WC.

3) Remove Both

This is a nuclear option. You simply reset the middle order and strategy entirely while asking them to go back and work on their game.

It's important not to be too reactionary in the aftermath of this tournament.

Batting records | One-Day Internationals | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo.com

stats.espncricinfo.com

If you look at PAK's batting over the last couple of years, these players have formed the core .

It's difficult in this day and age to replace the core of your batting lineup with so few bilateral ODIs being played.

Babar's record looks the most vulnerable and PAK can maybe try someone else.

Rizwan as keeper/bat - I'm not convinced there is anyone better and his record is solid, if not spectacular.

The real issues for PAK still revolve around the combination and the pace attack.

Khushdil has performed but you might still need an allrounder at #7 and Rauf, the weak link of the bowling attack, maybe needs to be moved on from.

 

[BouncerGuy]

We all PCB does not believe in any roadmap... They will pick players out of nowhere and we will keep watching this team lose game after game.

T20 team should take a 360 degree turn. Rizwan, Babar, Salman should be rested for eternity from that team. Bring players like Arafat minhas, mubasir who are genuine all-rounders. Mohammad haris can have a shot in that team as well. Fakhar Saim, haris will be a good top order.

 

[Dr_Bassim]

Nice idea.

But we all know who will be on the plane to NZ.

Infact, right after Champions Trophy, I am sure NZ will field their C string side.

Babar and Rizwan will feast on those crap bowlers and chase some 200 scores.

The circle will be complete again.

Raucous calls about how Babar and Rizwan have been wronged will be raised by @heddie19 and @RizwanT20Champ.

Their fan backing will continue to gain momentum as they pillage C class attacks.

Excuses will be given that they can only play whats in front of them.

They will play in T20 World Cup in 2026 as fans will somehow expect them to replicate their performances vs C sides.

And Pakistan will go home early again.

Good luck everyone.

 

[Xoib]

More then Babar and Rizwan I think pace attack is culprit apart from CT these blokes concede 600 to Bangladesh and 800 vs England I have not seen worse fast bowlers then these and they think they are Wasim and Waqar.

 

[samiakh]

T20
Saim
Fakhar
Mohd Haris
Haider Ali
Qasim Akram
Irfan Niazi
Jahandad
Abbas Afridi
Shaheen
Akif Javed
Abrar Ahmed
—————-
Sufiyan Muqeem
Shadab Khan
Mohammed Ali
Hassan Nawaz
Yasir Khan

ODI
Saim
Imam
Babar
Agha
Rizwan
Irfan Niazi
Jehandad
Mehran Mumtaz
Shaheen
Mohammed Ali
Abrar
—————
Sufiyan
Kamran Ghulam
Naseem Shah
Akif Javed
Azan Awais

 

[Marooned]

I have seen Haseebullah bat in Australia. He is not the answer.

Deserves his chance regardless. You can't just reject domestic performers like this without even trying them.

It'll be nothing short of injustice if he isn't given a proper chance in odis.

 

[khyberlion]

Shadab has done well at 4. His stats reflect that. That is because he is very good at attacking spinners during middle overs. His technique is not suited for 7-8.

Iftikhar is not an innings builder. He can hardly rotate strike. He has done well in PSL when he arrives late and has license to attack straightaway. Therefore, he should never bat above 6. His only replacement can be Abdul Sammad but we are yet to see him in PSL.

Khushdil's weakness is pace bowling. He will certainly fail in NZ. He can hardly play short bowls and considering next ODI WC is in SA, it is useless to invest in him unless he improves drastically. He can be considered in T20Is as next tournaments are in Asia and he is decent against spin but I think Jamal is overall better than him.

Aamir Jamal is not a number 7 or 8. His technique is more attuned to number 5 position as he can attack spinners (seen in Aus tour and PSL) and is good at attacking pacers specially on short balls.

Agha Salman is not a T20 batter yet. Rizwan is a better T20 bat (specially in NZ) than him.

A good number 7 is someone who can bludgeon the ball straight and who can dispatch attempted yorkers for six and can improvise to play scoops and sweeps. Iftikhar, Niazi and Jahandad are your best number 7s. I haven't seen Arafat bat much. Therefore for a T20I in NZ, I will stick with this lineup;

M Harris
Saim (if injured then Usman Khan)
Fakhar (if injured then Hassan Nawaz)
Shadab
Jamal
Niazi
Iftikhar/Arafat
Wasim Jr
Abbas Afridi
Akif Javed
Abrar/Sufyan

Btw, knowing Aqib Javed. I will be surprised if even two from this lineup will be playing on 15th.
Sha

Tail starts at 4 with shadab. That middle order is with Jamal at 5 and iftikhar. I hope this is not a serious post.

 

[khyberlion]

Odis
Saim
Fakhar
Maaz
Salman
Irfan
Haris
Qasim Akram / Arafat Minhas
Abbas
Jahandad
Akif
Abrar

Bench
Wasim Jnr/ Amir Jamal
Ali Raza
Rohail
OBY/ Khawaja nafay / Hasan Nawaz

 

[emranabbas]

I have seen Haseebullah bat in Australia. He is not the answer.

When Rizwan started at number 7, he struggled with the bat and averaged less than 20 in his first five years of international cricket. Yet, you're ready to dismiss Haseeb after just three games. Where do you all get your cricket analyst certificates from?

 

[Rana]

Its over guys.
Pak cricket is done and dusted.

I can guarantee that the moment you know Rizwan and Babar will not feature for Pakistan in white ball cricket teams as key players ever again,

Pakistan cricket will automatically revive.

 

[Greenstorm]

When Rizwan started at number 7, he struggled with the bat and averaged less than 20 in his first five years of international cricket. Yet, you're ready to dismiss Haseeb after just three games. Where do you all get your cricket analyst certificates from?

Some of us actually watch cricket. Rizwan did not started at 7. He played a fine innings on his ODI debut. Anyone who saw that knock knew that he was one for the future. Rizwan could not cement his place in internationals because of emergence of Sarfaraz. It gave enough time to Rizwan to go to domestics and pile up runs. He never looked back once he came back.

Haseebullah is too young and unprepared for internationals. His backfoot game is weak and he has even fewer shots than Rizwan. I don't think you need to remove Rizwan from ODIs, he should stay as captain. Still if you want to remove him, you don't replace him with an inferior batter like Haseebullah. Even Rohail Nazir or Usman Khan are better options specially in foreign conditions.

 

[Greenstorm]

Tail starts at 4 with shadab. That middle order is with Jamal at 5 and iftikhar. I hope this is not a serious post.

Shadab is one of your best T20 batters. He has done well at 4 in PSL. Jamal at 5 is purely based on potential. How many players in Pakistan can cut and pull Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood for sixes in Aus ? That backfoot game can be useful in NZ. Iftikhar is strong on backfoot and still your best six hitter of pace after Fakhar and Saim.

If you think safe and steady middle/lower order like Tayyab, Salman, Khushdil, Faheem in T20s is the answer then I don't have much else to say.

 

[Greenstorm]

Deserves his chance regardless. You can't just reject domestic performers like this without even trying them.

It'll be nothing short of injustice if he isn't given a proper chance in odis.

Rizwan doesn't deserve to be dropped. Haseebullah is young, his time will come.

 

[kingusama92]

It seems there's more of a consensus on replacing the bowlers.

Should all of them be dropped? Should 1-2 be retained out of Shaheen, Naseem, and Haris?

I am guessing Mohammad Wasim Jr. is going to get a serious look as one of the replacements. But who will handle the new ball? Can they just rely on Jahandad + Abbas Afridi to go with Wasim? Pakistani cricket has serious questions to answer with the lack of development behind these pacers.

This is another reason why playing your strongest XI every time is ridiculous.

 

[Marooned]

Rizwan doesn't deserve to be dropped. Haseebullah is young, his time will come.

That's where I've to disagree. For me Rizwan must be dropped from both white ball formats.

 

[Marooned]

It seems there's more of a consensus on replacing the bowlers.

Should all of them be dropped? Should 1-2 be retained out of Shaheen, Naseem, and Haris?

I am guessing Mohammad Wasim Jr. is going to get a serious look as one of the replacements. But who will handle the new ball? Can they just rely on Jahandad + Abbas Afridi to go with Wasim? Pakistani cricket has serious questions to answer with the lack of development behind these pacers.

This is another reason why playing your strongest XI every time is ridiculous.

For short term, drop all three.

Ultimately, you will have to go back to Shaheen Afridi though. There's no doubt about that.

 

[Farabi]

Doesn’t matter what XI you pick


The moment you put Babar and Rizwan in the side and that too in pivotal positions, you will suck!

It’s fair to say. You won. Today, I don’t see anyone defending Rizbabar’s place in the side.
You took a lot of flak but didn’t budge from what you believed in for years.. and you were right!

 

[Farabi]

@Rana
Also Mohd Haris is back in flavor. When I was posting about him, people were taking me down. But now everyone seems to be done with timid batting. But not for long, safety first culture will be back. It’s our DNA….

 

[Farabi]

I can guarantee that the moment you know Rizwan and Babar will not feature for Pakistan in white ball cricket teams as key players ever again,

Pakistan cricket will automatically revive.

Not if they replace them with similar players, which they probably will.
Unless there is a renaissance of fearless cricket, which doesn’t appear to be the case.

 

[Xoib]

It seems there's more of a consensus on replacing the bowlers.

Should all of them be dropped? Should 1-2 be retained out of Shaheen, Naseem, and Haris?

I am guessing Mohammad Wasim Jr. is going to get a serious look as one of the replacements. But who will handle the new ball? Can they just rely on Jahandad + Abbas Afridi to go with Wasim? Pakistani cricket has serious questions to answer with the lack of development behind these pacers.

This is another reason why playing your strongest XI every time is ridiculous.

Haris and Shaheen needs to be gone with Haris going for good . Naseem they can look in to retain as last chance saloon.

 

[hoshiarpurexpress]

75 comment here... Nothing is going to change. Rizwan and Babar will be back after a couple of series losses.

 

[Rana]

75 comment here... Nothing is going to change. Rizwan and Babar will be back after a couple of series losses.

This is the truth

Evil doesn’t die. It hides in the shadows.

 

[hass]

For me everything stems from the issues Hafeez touched on here in his very brief tenure as team director.

Nowhere else in sport have I heard of a personal relationship between members of the boardroom and the players which supersedes that of all layers of staff in between.

As in, the players know they have more protection of the board and more power than the coaches, the team directors, everyone in between players and the board. The players outright ignoring and laughing off the coaches is outright disgusting. While onboarding senior staff, the board telling the players that this guy will be gone soon don’t pay notice of him is sickening.

And the fact that even a suggestion by Hafeez of creating a simple alignment of the grassroots system pathway met such heavy resistance by regional officers is a typical example of the failure of Pakistan as a nation.

The roadmap is being built in an utterly broken system with no professionalism or any care towards the long term success of cricket in Pakistan. Yes I want domestic performers to get their chance, but the main reason they don’t is this mafia of players and board members that have hijacked this team. The rapid decline since 2022 is startling and a huge eye opener how fraudulent the whole set up has been.

There has been absolutely zero improvement from the likes of Babar, Shaheen, Rizwan, Shadab and to a lesser extent Rauf. Many who showcased promise have disappeared into the wayside like Wasim, Jamal, Haris.

Shaheen has to be the most stupid and arrogant fast bowling talent in a long time. Clearly his early success with yorkers has convinced him he does not need to evolve even one bit. Clown. Red ball bowlers needed like Mohammed Ali. Astonishing how he has been left in the dust.

And for any limited overs batter coming in the number one criteria has to be strike rate. Averages are highly fraudulent as Babar and Rizwan have proven. If you are not able to score runs quickly, you should have a very small window to making it to limited overs.

Cut down the anchors to just one who still has power hitting or a long innings in their repertoire. So that leaves either Rizwan or Saud. I’d say Saud given how Rizwan has recently displayed incredible cowardice again. Babar should be out of contention completely as he has zero power nor the ability to rotate strike at a good rate.

Too many areas to go into but the only way for any improvements is for this corrupt backdrop to take a backseat to enable cricketing minds with good intentions to push towards improvement like Hafeez was doing.

 

[Rana]

For me everything stems from the issues Hafeez touched on here in his very brief tenure as team director.

Nowhere else in sport have I heard of a personal relationship between members of the boardroom and the players which supersedes that of all layers of staff in between.

As in, the players know they have more protection of the board and more power than the coaches, the team directors, everyone in between players and the board. The players outright ignoring and laughing off the coaches is outright disgusting. While onboarding senior staff, the board telling the players that this guy will be gone soon don’t pay notice of him is sickening.

And the fact that even a suggestion by Hafeez of creating a simple alignment of the grassroots system pathway met such heavy resistance by regional officers is a typical example of the failure of Pakistan as a nation.

The roadmap is being built in an utterly broken system with no professionalism or any care towards the long term success of cricket in Pakistan. Yes I want domestic performers to get their chance, but the main reason they don’t is this mafia of players and board members that have hijacked this team. The rapid decline since 2022 is startling and a huge eye opener how fraudulent the whole set up has been.

There has been absolutely zero improvement from the likes of Babar, Shaheen, Rizwan, Shadab and to a lesser extent Rauf. Many who showcased promise have disappeared into the wayside like Wasim, Jamal, Haris.

Shaheen has to be the most stupid and arrogant fast bowling talent in a long time. Clearly his early success with yorkers has convinced him he does not need to evolve even one bit. Clown. Red ball bowlers needed like Mohammed Ali. Astonishing how he has been left in the dust.

And for any limited overs batter coming in the number one criteria has to be strike rate. Averages are highly fraudulent as Babar and Rizwan have proven. If you are not able to score runs quickly, you should have a very small window to making it to limited overs.

Cut down the anchors to just one who still has power hitting or a long innings in their repertoire. So that leaves either Rizwan or Saud. I’d say Saud given how Rizwan has recently displayed incredible cowardice again. Babar should be out of contention completely as he has zero power nor the ability to rotate strike at a good rate.

Too many areas to go into but the only way for any improvements is for this corrupt backdrop to take a backseat to enable cricketing minds with good intentions to push towards improvement like Hafeez was doing.

Hafeez sahib finds an extra gear to his b.s when Shoaib Akhtar isn’t sitting there to call him out.

 

[Markhor]

What's baffling is how after the T20 WC debacle, major surgery became the buzzword, and we saw some new names for the white-ball tours of Australia, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

However the CT squad was announced and the previous three months was thrown out the window. I don't know how successful Sufyan Muqeem or Arafat Minhas will prove to be but on what grounds were they omitted from the CT squad ?

It's reminiscent of Babar flopping as captain at the 2023 WC, being removed amidst talk of a brand new era under a young leader - then reinstated as skipper for the T20 WC.

Nobody knows why these decisions are being made or who is making them. Until there's clarity and competent individuals in the boardroom, and senior players held accountable, it's impossible to create a meaningful blueprint to ensure the next tournament isn't another trainwreck.

 

[Rana]

What's baffling is how after the T20 WC debacle, major surgery became the buzzword, and we saw some new names for the white-ball tours of Australia, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

However the CT squad was announced and the previous three months was thrown out the window. I don't know how successful Sufyan Muqeem or Arafat Minhas will prove to be but on what grounds were they omitted from the CT squad ?

It's reminiscent of Babar flopping as captain at the 2023 WC, being removed amidst talk of a brand new era under a young leader - then reinstated as skipper for the T20 WC.

Nobody knows why these decisions are being made or who is making them. Until there's clarity and competent individuals in the boardroom, and senior players held accountable, it's impossible to create a meaningful blueprint to ensure the next tournament isn't another trainwreck.

Exactly

You can’t trust anything with PCB