Sarfaraz Ahmed is one of the fittest players in the Pakistan team at the moment

[waleed88]

His innings against Karachi Kings yesterday.. 56* (42)

Sarfaraz ran 19 singles = 19 runs

8 x doubles = 16 runs..

Majority of runs came off running between the wickets...

Not to mention the doubles he ran with Riley Roussow at the other end..

If this knock isn't a testament to Sarfaraz's fitness, then I don't know what is

Myths about his weight issues are grossly exaggerated..

 

[Abdullah]

hope he stays at number 5 for national team. brilliant at turning 1s into twos.
obviously it looked great as he had a fit lad at the other end. he would struggle to do it with say an akmal at the other end.

 

[MRSN]

not the fittest. I think Amir has better fitness. Sarfraz is carrying nice belly needs to work out on his fitness to the international standards not Pakistani standards.

 

[Madplayer]

Just imagine how much better he could run if he actually gets fit

 

[waleed88]

not the fittest. I think Amir has better fitness. Sarfraz is carrying nice belly needs to work out on his fitness to the international standards not Pakistani standards.

Don't think you saw the match last night, compare him to Kamran Akmal, its gonna be a race between the tortoise and the rabbit..

 

[msb314]

not the fittest. I think Amir has better fitness. Sarfraz is carrying nice belly needs to work out on his fitness to the international standards not Pakistani standards.

And Rizwan, Malik, YK, Shehzad, Wahab and Misbah.

Sarfraz is probably somwhere in the middle. Definitely more fit than Sharjeel, Umar Akmal, Zulfiqar and Irfan.

 

[badsha001]

Should have watched the game last night, he was out of breathe almost every time when he ran for two runs...

 

[waleed88]

Just imagine how much better he could run if he actually gets fit

Some people just people have a natural tendency to develop in different parts of the body.. you can see from the number of sprints he make, that its not hindering his feet.. his footwork is intact, and accomodates easily to deliveries and unfit player won't be able to do

 

[Madplayer]

Should have watched the game last night, he was out of breathe almost every time when he ran for two runs...

He isnt the fittest but he has heart. He gives it his all.

 

[waleed88]

Should have watched the game last night, he was out of breathe almost every time when he ran for two runs...

8 doubles on his batting...

4 doubles with Riley Roussow.. haven't seen a Pakistani batsman run like this in a while, since maybe Moin Khan..

 

[Madplayer]

Some people just people have a natural tendency to develop in different parts of the body.. you can see from the number of sprints he make, that its not hindering his feet.. his footwork is intact, and accomodates easily to deliveries and unfit player won't be able to do

Idk about the technicalities but to the naked eye he doesnt look very fit.

I think anwar ali is a good example of an extremely fit player.

 

[waleed88]

Just goes to show when a partner at the other end is as fit as you are (Riley Roussow), how easily one's become two's, and singles are available at ease..

Karachi's fielders were out of the breath actually, with the pairs running between wickets

 

[waleed88]

And Rizwan, Malik, YK, Shehzad, Wahab and Misbah.

Sarfraz is probably somwhere in the middle. Definitely more fit than Sharjeel, Umar Akmal, Zulfiqar and Irfan.

which is why Sarfaraz has the highest single's percentage out of all these batsmen, whereas Shehzad is lower than even Misbah... thanks to stats given by [MENTION=136079]ahmedwaqas92[/MENTION]

 

[shariqnoor]

His running between the wickets yesterday was a treat to watch but let's not exaggerate about his fitness. His fitness is nowhere near international standards. He was panting after a couple of two's and we're just talking about a T20 game. He can't sustain this in ODI cricket whereas the likes of Kohli can do this for 5 days in Test matches.

Still a long way ahead for Sarfraz to be mentioned as the fittest member of the team. Misbah at 42 years beats him every time in fitness tests. Says a lot.

 

[waleed88]

Sarfaraz's cultured knock last night was a clean example of how International standard batsmen bat, and how they build a partnership, rotate the strike, keep the run rate in check...

They weren't able to take runs off Amir, but still the output was 7 runs in an over thanks to their running

 

[msb314]

which is why Sarfaraz has the highest single's percentage out of all these batsmen, whereas Shehzad is lower than even Misbah... thanks to stats given by [MENTION=136079]ahmedwaqas92[/MENTION]

single percentage is not the greatest indicator of fitness.

For example - a batsman may have great fitness but a low single percetnage if he keeps placing his shots towards the fielder.

Also, an opener will be default have a lower single percentage since he can go over the top more easily during the PP overs whereas a middle order batsman can rotate the strike easier due to the field being spread out.

 

[waleed88]

His running between the wickets yesterday was a treat to watch but let's not exaggerate about his fitness. His fitness is nowhere near international standards. He was panting after a couple of two's and we're just talking about a T20 game. He can't sustain this in ODI cricket whereas the likes of Kohli can do this for 5 days in Test matches.

Still a long way ahead for Sarfraz to be mentioned as the fittest member of the team. Misbah at 42 years beats him every time in fitness tests. Says a lot.

Fitness is not just physical ability, but performance on the pitch, Misbah despite being 42 is fit, but despite all that his running between the wickets is pretty poor.. Misbah cannot sustain his performance beyond a 50 in limited overs, which is why he usually gets out after a half century.. fatigue creeps in, muscle metabolism, joint anatomy is not it is when you are young (there is more friction between joints).. its not Misbah's fault it is just age

 

[waleed88]

single percentage is not the greatest indicator of fitness.

For example - a batsman may have great fitness but a low single percetnage if he keeps placing his shots towards the fielder.

Also, an opener will be default have a lower single percentage since he can go over the top more easily during the PP overs whereas a middle order batsman can rotate the strike easier due to the field being spread out.

Example?

Sarfaraz as an opener still had the highest conversion rate of singles.. if you cannot rotate the strike, you are not an International level cricketer

 

[msb314]

Example?

Sarfaraz as an opener still had the highest conversion rate of singles.. if you cannot rotate the strike, you are not an International level cricketer

Basing it on logic and not any particular example.

Another good indication of fitness is cramps that become visible when batsman cross 50. YK, Misbah, Malik etc. can bat forever without getting tired whereas the likes of Afridi start cramping after crossing 40 lol (exaggerating but you still get the point).

Generally - the better fielders tend to be more fit as well due to the fact that they have to move quickly and position themselves for catches or dive to stop the ball which requires physical exertion. Again - YK and Malik's name pops up again as being good fielders. So was Umar Akmal a few years ago.

 

[waleed88]

Basing it on logic and not any particular example.

Another good indication of fitness is cramps that become visible when batsman cross 50. YK, Misbah, Malik etc. can bat forever without getting tired whereas the likes of Afridi start cramping after crossing 40 lol (exaggerating but you still get the point).

Generally - the better fielders tend to be more fit as well due to the fact that they have to move quickly and position themselves for catches or dive to stop the ball which requires physical exertion. Again - YK and Malik's name pops up again as being good fielders. So was Umar Akmal a few years ago.

Misbah YK bat forever in Test Matches because you don't have to play quickly, but specially Misbah gets tired when he has to play at a faster rate in ODIs, which is why between 50-80 runs his strike rate decreases and he usually gets out at this point to a tired looking stroke

 

[Gabbar Singh]

Being fat and being fit are not mutually exclusive.

 

[MRSN]

singles and twos don't show the level of fitness. This is an amusing logic from Waleed. For all we know he played shot in the big gap and with slow outfield he got singles and twos easily. and This was a T20 game. We will see how does he fare with his this fitness in ODIs.

 

[Abdullah719]

His low dot-ball percentage shows that he is very adept at finding gaps, not that he is supremely fit.

 

[silent ischemia]

Sarfraz reckons Moin as his childhood hero and mentor and there are a lot of things common between them especially running between the wickets. Sarfraz's constant chirping behind the wickets and emotions at umpire decisions reminds me very much of Moin. The only big difference is moin was a better striker of the cricket balls. The wrist flicks and timings off the fast bowlers was amazing. Sarfraz to be honest is not a good striker; he is better suited to no 4 or 5 in the Odi team and not suited to T20 format.

 

[MMHS]

What a pathetic correlation - there are too many analysts these days. Taking singles or % of non boundary run is a playing skill, not measurement of fitness - otherwise we'll have to accept that Rantunga was fitter than Viv in old times & now Sarfu is fitter than Warner. Even at 60, Javed will be fitter than Shehzad, if we use capability to rotate strike as a measurement of fitness.

Sarfu is the 3rd most unfit player in the team of all 3 formats combined, if I consider regulars only - ahead of Irfan/Sohail, Sharjeel & may be Umar (that too recently). He is no way fitter than YK, Misbah, Ahmed, Babar, Rizwan, Malik, MoHa, Yasir, Amir, Wahab, Hasan, Imad, Rahat, Nawaz, Sami, Azhar, Asad, Shan, Imran, Latin, whoever else has played for PAK in last 12 months ..... even Zulfi Babar or Gul. And, if I take his role profile of WK, he is probably the unfittest player ever since the Kenyan WK I saw in 1996....


Didn't see yesterday's match as EPL big match was at time, but he must have played well - that's in a 3 hours match & batting for 40 balls & keeping for 20 overs in a format where WK's role is just a bit more tiresome than 1st baseman in baseball.

But yes, he is an exceptional leader in PAK standard, considering what he has done with this QG team, which is below per in comparison in every aspect of PSL. Should be made Captain of LO teams, but not in Test.

 

[waleed88]

What a pathetic correlation - there are too many analysts these days. Taking singles or % of non boundary run is a playing skill, not measurement of fitness - otherwise we'll have to accept that Rantunga was fitter than Viv in old times & now Sarfu is fitter than Warner. Even at 60, Javed will be fitter than Shehzad, if we use capability to rotate strike as a measurement of fitness.

Sarfu is the 3rd most unfit player in the team of all 3 formats combined, if I consider regulars only - ahead of Irfan/Sohail, Sharjeel & may be Umar (that too recently). He is no way fitter than YK, Misbah, Ahmed, Babar, Rizwan, Malik, MoHa, Yasir, Amir, Wahab, Hasan, Imad, Rahat, Nawaz, Sami, Azhar, Asad, Shan, Imran, Latin, whoever else has played for PAK in last 12 months ..... even Zulfi Babar or Gul. And, if I take his role profile of WK, he is probably the unfittest player ever since the Kenyan WK I saw in 1996....


Didn't see yesterday's match as EPL big match was at time, but he must have played well - that's in a 3 hours match & batting for 40 balls & keeping for 20 overs in a format where WK's role is just a bit more tiresome than 1st baseman in baseball.

But yes, he is an exceptional leader in PAK standard, considering what he has done with this QG team, which is below per in comparison in every aspect of PSL. Should be made Captain of LO teams, but not in Test.

Gross exaggeration which is devoid of facts and figures.. people can't accept that he is better than anyone else..

your bias is the only one that makes it difficult for you

 

[waleed88]

His low dot-ball percentage shows that he is very adept at finding gaps, not that he is supremely fit.

I'd like to see any other Pakistani batsman, run these many two's in a t20 game.. if you saw the game yesterday, he ran the opposition ragged.. the fielders were starting to throw it wayward.. the running between the wickets got to them... I haven't seen any Pakistani batsman, put the opposition fielders under pressure like Sarfaraz did in this game... you can't do that unless you are at your A game, and your fitness is very good

Ofcourse it helps that Roussow is supremely fit..

 

[MMHS]

Gross exaggeration which is devoid of facts and figures.. people can't accept that he is better than anyone else..

your bias is the only one that makes it difficult for you

What bias - can you please elaborate? I have listed specific names here - what is fact & figures - unless you are those analyst that think Arjuna was fitter than Viv for his higher % of singles & doubles. Make it easy for me please, by explaining which are the players he is fitter in PAK team as a player, not even as a WK.

He led the side brilliantly - both in defending a small total & than chasing from a tight spot, which I have appreciated not only in this post; but what do you want me to do - explain why he is PAK version of MSD?

 

[waleed88]

[MENTION=79064]MMHS[/MENTION] is apparently saying Sarfaraz is more unfit than Zulfiqar Babar, Gul and Imran Khan.. nice so you're comparing a keeper to a fast bowler.. and lool seriously, lean figure is not equivalent of fitness

secondly Imad Wasim was playing yesterday, he apparently tried to run Sarfaraz out, but he wasn't quick enough and Sarfaraz had gotten back in... but ofcourse Sarfaraz is with 3rd worst fitness so how could he do that?

Like I said your post has no facts... you come up with these random names in your post with logic to back your claims.. I can only laugh at the names you are posting here

 

[waleed88]

Also Arjuna Ranatunga, is a player from a different era... and if he was taking singles and doubles, he was playing in the 90s where 200+ could be a match winning score on its day...

I am just baffled at the comparisons

 

[waleed88]

Without* logic

 

[MMHS]

Also Arjuna Ranatunga, is a player from a different era... and if he was taking singles and doubles, he was playing in the 90s where 200+ could be a match winning score on its day...

I am just baffled at the comparisons

Poor observation, that's why it bluffed you - I expected better. I compared 2 sets - Arjuna & Viv; Sarfu & Warner....

 

[waleed88]

Poor observation, that's why it bluffed you - I expected better. I compared 2 sets - Arjuna & Viv; Sarfu & Warner....

Pretty sure Warner has better single's rate than anyone in Pakistan lineup.. so there are no qualms about that

 

[MMHS]

[MENTION=79064]MMHS[/MENTION] is apparently saying Sarfaraz is more unfit than Zulfiqar Babar, Gul and Imran Khan.. nice so you're comparing a keeper to a fast bowler.. and lool seriously, lean figure is not equivalent of fitness

secondly Imad Wasim was playing yesterday, he apparently tried to run Sarfaraz out, but he wasn't quick enough and Sarfaraz had gotten back in... but ofcourse Sarfaraz is with 3rd worst fitness so how could he do that?

Like I said your post has no facts... you come up with these random names in your post with logic to back your claims.. I can only laugh at the names you are posting here

Zulfi Babar can bowl 40 overs in UAE heat even at 42 & he can bowl for 15-20 overs spell in tandem; while Imran & Gul are fast bowlers in their 30s - to their respective role both are fitter than Sarfu. It surprised you because you missed the little difference between fitness & stamina - both Imran & Gul are ruining out of steam (Sohail as well) because they have 4 to 5 years hidden in their age a they run out of steam after 2nd spell. For Zulfi, unless he was flexible & fit, you would have seen lots of no balls & loose on line - length in longer spells; but that guy is as tight as it comes even after 50 overs. In terms of fitness all 3 are far, far fitter, nimble & flexible than Sarfu, who keeps on his heels, not toes.

The example of Imad is such funny that even you'll laugh at yourself next time when you read it - it just explains that Sarfu was closer to safety than what Imad needed to run him out. Otherwise, you'll have to accept that Inzi was fitter than Jonty as only once in his career Jonty could out sprint him to a run out - other times

 

[MMHS]

Pretty sure Warner has better single's rate than anyone in Pakistan lineup.. so there are no qualms about that

At least this time you have noticed Arjuna & Viv.

You were a bit upset with me little while ego regarding facts & figures, but now you are pretty sure about Warner without checking the figures - that's convenience, I understand.

However, I do check a bit facts & figures before posting - for example, in ODI,

Sarfu has 33.5% contribution from boundary or 6 (66.5% from running), while Warner for his 3946 runs in ODI, has struck 413 boundaries & 64 sixes, that's just about 52% from standing on his ground (obviously, I am sure you won't educate me that players do need to run even it's a boundary). He has 48% of his scores from running.

So, Sarfu must be fitter than Warner - if I take the stats for T20 or even Test, it'll sound like that I am trying to get under your skin .....

 

[Syed1]

not the fittest. I think Amir has better fitness. Sarfraz is carrying nice belly needs to work out on his fitness to the international standards not Pakistani standards.

Sarfaraz has a Abercrombie model's body if you compare it with the Akmal brothers.

 

[marlonbrowndo]

Sarfaraz has a Abercrombie model's body if you compare it with the Akmal brothers.

This made me laugh. On topic I don't agree at all. [MENTION=79064]MMHS[/MENTION] is spot on

 

[Stallion__]

Unnecessarily relating his game awareness with his fitness

 

[coy0607]

Sarfraz is maybe the best runner we've had in over 10 years, but I dont think that implies he's extremely fit

He's very game aware and that's generally his game

 

[Bouncer]

Gross exaggeration which is devoid of facts and figures.. people can't accept that he is better than anyone else..

your bias is the only one that makes it difficult for you

What Bias can he possibly have? He does not like Sarfraz because he wants another keeper from different city? Which is typical defense argument that you have presented in past very frequently.

Not to forget he is unarguably better poster than 99.999% of people who have ever posted on PP - He backs his arguments with examples and evidence that are easy to understand for anyone willing to read them with open mind and not with a Domicile loving mentality.

 

[waleed88]

What Bias can he possibly have? He does not like Sarfraz because he wants another keeper from different city? Which is typical defense argument that you have presented in past very frequently.

Not to forget he is unarguably better poster than 99.999% of people who have ever posted on PP - He backs his arguments with examples and evidence that are easy to understand for anyone willing to read them with open mind and not with a Domicile loving mentality.

his bias against Sarfaraz and Misbah is well documented, I have lost the number of times he tries to down these two comparing them to others...

When [MENTION=79064]MMHS[/MENTION] compared Sarfaraz's fitness to Zulfi Babar Imad Wasim and Hafeez (the guy who drops many crucial catches and is unfit for most of the year) that just blew my lid

An aged Umar Gul who can't even bend his back anymore

 

[waleed88]

Unnecessarily relating his game awareness with his fitness

I don't think you saw the match last night, his fitness is a testament to the fact that he made opposition tire but he went on and on..

Pollard and a few others started misfielding and throwing waywardly... Amir was a furious with the fielding a couple of shots

 

[Ilan Bluestone]

I don't believe any Pakistani player is truly fit at an international standard barring Misbah, Younis and Malik, and they're simply the best of a bad lot.

The players don't take diet seriously. You have to actually actively cut out the carbs, and oily food, and focus on protein and greens. This however will never be the case for our players. It's difficult to do so in Pakistan because of the culture but I think it also a lack of really wanting. I think though Sarfraz would be one of the people who would want to. The dietitians need to really be strict. 10% body fat should be the bare minimum. You're an athlete. Act like it.

 

[waleed88]

Zulfi Babar can bowl 40 overs in UAE heat even at 42 & he can bowl for 15-20 overs spell in tandem; while Imran & Gul are fast bowlers in their 30s - to their respective role both are fitter than Sarfu. It surprised you because you missed the little difference between fitness & stamina - both Imran & Gul are ruining out of steam (Sohail as well) because they have 4 to 5 years hidden in their age a they run out of steam after 2nd spell. For Zulfi, unless he was flexible & fit, you would have seen lots of no balls & loose on line - length in longer spells; but that guy is as tight as it comes even after 50 overs. In terms of fitness all 3 are far, far fitter, nimble & flexible than Sarfu, who keeps on his heels, not toes.

The example of Imad is such funny that even you'll laugh at yourself next time when you read it - it just explains that Sarfu was closer to safety than what Imad needed to run him out. Otherwise, you'll have to accept that Inzi was fitter than Jonty as only once in his career Jonty could out sprint him to a run out - other times ��

If he was closer to safety, why was he just in by a millimeter, but a superiorly fit Imad had to run all the way to get him out instead of just throwing the ball at the stumps

And Inzi was runout by Jonty so if you are comparing the print of the two Johnty won.. I like how you have a completely random train of thought to prove your point.. how many list of names you gonna put up in your next post now?

 

[waleed88]

Unnecessarily relating his game awareness with his fitness

Seen alot of game aware players like Malik who are supposedly good runners between the wickets but sitting ducks against any pace...

it has alot to do with fitness, if you are aware but can't run a single by outrunning the fieldman, you will either run or you will get out

 

[Abdullah719]

his bias against Sarfaraz and Misbah is well documented, I have lost the number of times he tries to down these two comparing them to others...

When [MENTION=79064]MMHS[/MENTION] compared Sarfaraz's fitness to Zulfi Babar Imad Wasim and Hafeez (the guy who drops many crucial catches and is unfit for most of the year) that just blew my lid

An aged Umar Gul who can't even bend his back anymore

You are making correlations between completely different factors.

Hafeez dropping catches has nothing to do with fitness. He is a choker. For comparison, Sharjeel is a reasonably good catcher.

Similarly, Sarfraz has great game awareness and knows how to pick gaps in the field precisely. If you hit the ball at an angle that means the fielder has to run a few more yards, you create room to take a double instead of a single. This doesn't mean that Sarfraz is magically running like Usain Bolt or that he is super-fit and the fielders can't compete with his speed.

I don't think he is the most unfit person for sure and I feel he may have improved a bit lately. But claiming that he is 'one of the fittest' does not make sense.

 

[MMHS]

If he was closer to safety, why was he just in by a millimeter, but a superiorly fit Imad had to run all the way to get him out instead of just throwing the ball at the stumps

And Inzi was runout by Jonty so if you are comparing the print of the two Johnty won.. I like how you have a completely random train of thought to prove your point.. how many list of names you gonna put up in your next post now?

What's your point here - unfit Imad decided to test his sprinting ability rather than throwing down the stick? Like today Umar did the same?

I don't need to bring many names as you know - just 3 did quite a bit of damage you know - Arjuna, Viv, Warner. Here Jonty was called for a comparison - since Imad failed to beat Sarfu in sprint to run him out, you can take every cricketer upto club level as unfit, whoever has failed to run a batsman out sprinting ...

 

[waleed88]

You are making correlations between completely different factors.

Hafeez dropping catches has nothing to do with fitness. He is a choker. For comparison, Sharjeel is a reasonably good catcher.

Similarly, Sarfraz has great game awareness and knows how to pick gaps in the field precisely. If you hit the ball at an angle that means the fielder has to run a few more yards, you create room to take a double instead of a single. This doesn't mean that Sarfraz is magically running like Usain Bolt or that he is super-fit and the fielders can't compete with his speed.

I don't think he is the most unfit person for sure and I feel he may have improved a bit lately. But claiming that he is 'one of the fittest' does not make sense.

and my second point about him bein unfit most of the year? He's went on record saying he was unfit aganst England, but he still played..

He was also unfit in the t2o world cup..

So for most of 2016 he has been unfit.. also I haven't seen him play all 3 formats like Sarfaraz has since 2015... his age is also on the wrong side of 30

How is he exactly fitter than Sarfaraz?

 

[MMHS]

his bias against Sarfaraz and Misbah is well documented, I have lost the number of times he tries to down these two comparing them to others...

When [MENTION=79064]MMHS[/MENTION] compared Sarfaraz's fitness to Zulfi Babar Imad Wasim and Hafeez (the guy who drops many crucial catches and is unfit for most of the year) that just blew my lid

An aged Umar Gul who can't even bend his back anymore

Can you bring any of these documents?

I have never posted anything that I can't back, and obviously my backings are a bit better than the figures & facts of Warner.......

 

[waleed88]

What's your point here - unfit Imad decided to test his sprinting ability rather than throwing down the stick? Like today Umar did the same?

I don't need to bring many names as you know - just 3 did quite a bit of damage you know - Arjuna, Viv, Warner. Here Jonty was called for a comparison - since Imad failed to beat Sarfu in sprint to run him out, you can take every cricketer upto club level as unfit, whoever has failed to run a batsman out sprinting ...

Lets put it the other way... If Sarfaraz was run out by Imad? Would that have been enough to satisfy your ego regarding Imad's fitnessz? A guy Wasim Akram has also pointed out as being unfit.

But yes the guy with 3rd worst fitness should be captain of Pakistan.. all those ex cricketers couln't see what you've spotted regarding his fitness..

and now please don't say you appreciated his captaincy skills because Im not talkiing about that..

would you really think Sarfaraz would be captaining the side if people saw him having fitness worse than Zulfiqar Babar?? Answer this for me and don't try and go around my question

 

[waleed88]

Can you bring any of these documents?

I have never posted anything that I can't back, and obviously my backings are a bit better than the figures & facts of Warner.......

I can pull out any number of threads here where you compare 20 random names to the aforementioned person just to get your point across.. which makes no sense because it has nothing to do with the topic most of the time

 

[waleed88]

You are making correlations between completely different factors.

Hafeez dropping catches has nothing to do with fitness. He is a choker. For comparison, Sharjeel is a reasonably good catcher.

Similarly, Sarfraz has great game awareness and knows how to pick gaps in the field precisely. If you hit the ball at an angle that means the fielder has to run a few more yards, you create room to take a double instead of a single. This doesn't mean that Sarfraz is magically running like Usain Bolt or that he is super-fit and the fielders can't compete with his speed.

I don't think he is the most unfit person for sure and I feel he may have improved a bit lately. But claiming that he is 'one of the fittest' does not make sense.

And my point was that whenever Sarfaraz drops a catch, his weight is talked about.. Hafeez being a fitter fieldsman should take more catches then? Why doesn't he? It doesn't have to do with fitness then? Maybe its the knees? Who knowsA?

 

[Abdullah719]

and my second point about him bein unfit most of the year? He's went on record saying he was unfit aganst England, but he still played..

He was also unfit in the t2o world cup..

So for most of 2016 he has been unfit.. also I haven't seen him play all 3 formats like Sarfaraz has since 2015... his age is also on the wrong side of 30

How is he exactly fitter than Sarfaraz?

Hafeez is 36 years old and has been struggling with injuries since a couple of years. Before that, he was playing in all formats for quite a while but he was no better as a catcher.

Being injured less often than a 36-year-old should not be the benchmark for Sarfraz, anyway.

I still do not understand your point.

The likes of Azhar and Asad play a lot of dots, does that mean they are unfit?

I don't follow.

 

[msb314]

You are making correlations between completely different factors.

Hafeez dropping catches has nothing to do with fitness. He is a choker. For comparison, Sharjeel is a reasonably good catcher.

Similarly, Sarfraz has great game awareness and knows how to pick gaps in the field precisely. If you hit the ball at an angle that means the fielder has to run a few more yards, you create room to take a double instead of a single. This doesn't mean that Sarfraz is magically running like Usain Bolt or that he is super-fit and the fielders can't compete with his speed.

I don't think he is the most unfit person for sure and I feel he may have improved a bit lately. But claiming that he is 'one of the fittest' does not make sense.

Don't mean to derail this thread but thats not what I remember from the Australian ODI series

Anyhow, on topic - fitness and fielding is correlated IMO especially when we look at ground fielding. Fit and agile fielders have cover more ground quickly and prevent runs and also are able to dive quickly to stop boundaries. The unfit ones are slow and lethargic and hence cannot field as well.

 

[waleed88]

Hafeez is 36 years old and has been struggling with injuries since a couple of years. Before that, he was playing in all formats for quite a while but he was no better as a catcher.

Being injured less often than a 36-year-old should not be the benchmark for Sarfraz, anyway.

I still do not understand your point.

The likes of Azhar and Asad play a lot of dots, does that mean they are unfit?

I don't follow.

See my qualms were exactly this... when Sarfaraz was not keeping well.. people said its the weight he is carrying...

However when you see him bat he is one of the quickest around.. his running and his sprint is pretty quick, maybe not as quick as Rizwan but he is at the other end pretty quickly...

comparisons to Hafeez, Zulfi Babar and Imad Wasim are made by our very own MMHS.. which is bizzare to say the least..

Now Azhar and Shafiq have always been limited batsmen, but Sarfaraz is on-level with them on fitness as far as I'm concerned.. I haven't seen anything performance wise, or fielding wise to suggest Sarfaraz is inferior to them

 

[Abdullah719]

Don't mean to derail this thread but thats not what I remember from the Australian ODI series

Anyhow, on topic - fitness and fielding is correlated IMO especially when we look at ground fielding. Fit and agile fielders have cover more ground quickly and prevent runs and also are able to dive quickly to stop boundaries. The unfit ones are slow and lethargic and hence cannot field as well.

Reasonably good in comparison to Hafeez, who I recall from a statistic some time back - drops 2 out of every 5 catches.

I think the main reason why Sarfraz's fitness is talked about is because he has put on weight. I believe he was leaner a couple of years back. When cricketers gain weight, it irks people - another reason for why Umar Akmal's fitness is talked about a lot these days.

 

[Bouncer]

his bias against Sarfaraz and Misbah is well documented, I have lost the number of times he tries to down these two comparing them to others...

When [MENTION=79064]MMHS[/MENTION] compared Sarfaraz's fitness to Zulfi Babar Imad Wasim and Hafeez (the guy who drops many crucial catches and is unfit for most of the year) that just blew my lid

An aged Umar Gul who can't even bend his back anymore

IMO, It is because he was trying to dumb down his point so that you could understand it better. Thus doing you a favor

 

[Abdullah719]

See my qualms were exactly this... when Sarfaraz was not keeping well.. people said its the weight he is carrying...

However when you see him bat he is one of the quickest around.. his running and his sprint is pretty quick, maybe not as quick as Rizwan but he is at the other end pretty quickly...

comparisons to Hafeez, Zulfi Babar and Imad Wasim are made by our very own MMHS.. which is bizzare to say the least..

Now Azhar and Shafiq have always been limited batsmen, but Sarfaraz is on-level with them on fitness as far as I'm concerned.. I haven't seen anything performance wise, or fielding wise to suggest Sarfaraz is inferior to them

That's because performance ≠ fitness.

Let's take another example. Younis Khan in ODIs. Terrible at rotating strike. Was that due to bad fitness???

I do not know technicalities of wicket-keeping so I won't go into that.

Do you, or do you not think that Sarfraz has put on weight over the past couple of years?

 

[MMHS]

Lets put it the other way... If Sarfaraz was run out by Imad? Would that have been enough to satisfy your ego regarding Imad's fitnessz? A guy Wasim Akram has also pointed out as being unfit.

But yes the guy with 3rd worst fitness should be captain of Pakistan.. all those ex cricketers couln't see what you've spotted regarding his fitness..

and now please don't say you appreciated his captaincy skills because Im not talkiing about that..

would you really think Sarfaraz would be captaining the side if people saw him having fitness worse than Zulfiqar Babar?? Answer this for me and don't try and go around my question

Let me answer one by one, if it helps -

Had Imad ran Sarfu out, I would have only said that Sarfu backed too far & it wasn't possible for him to return - that doesn't prove Imad is unfit or super fit.

Wasim was indeed unfit, but he had other qualities - just like Sarfu is unfit, still he is far better than the 2nd man available, for his other attributes. Sarfu's single taking ability doesn't make him "one of the fittest" in the team; just like despite fitness issues, Wasim still bowled over 35K International balls of highest quality - again that didn't make him "one of the fittest" in the team. A fitter Wasim would have been far better - still a diabetic & poor-fit Wasim was one of the ATGs & far better than the 2nd man PAK could find for 2 decades.

Sarfu can be the LO Captain, because with his fitness, he can manage that workload & he has other qualities to be the Captain. For example, Misbah is still one of the fittest cricketer in PAK, may be his fitness is not enough to keep his Captaincy now. More importantly, Sarfu can be just good enough with bat in LOs, if in case he can't carry WKeeping - PAK can play him as specialist bat & play Rizwan (or some new kid) as WK - the loss could be the probables for the loose opener's spot.

PAK had been led by Imran, Ramiz, Waquar, Afridi, Saeed & MoYo in last 25 years, when some of them could barely move in field - let alone bowl 40 overs of spin in UAE; therefore I am not sure what correlation is there. For example, Rambo Raja was called back in 1994 & made Captain - he goofed up, so they threw him like rotten potato. 3 years later, PAK went to India, for Independence Cup - a last minute decision, hence Wasim couldn't come as he was already contracted with Lancashire (PCB had to pay Lancashire if they wanted Wasim released) - so, they called back Rambo as Captain again & he was a treat to watch in field. Or talk about Saeed Anwar - one of the unique piece in history, who was often a non fielding Captain, if he had batted for 75+ overs in 1st innings.

Do you think, PCB ever thinks of fitness & durability of their Captain before appointing? Chairman PCB is requesting a 43 years old gentleman to continue for couple more years, which might answer your question.

I actually don't think that everyone is confident about Sarfu's fitness or his durability as a long term Captaincy solution - that's the only reason still he is not Captain for all 3 formats; otherwise by this time the 2 Gentleman would have been history as PAK Captain (one at least left himself). Sarfu has led PAK from U19 level with great track record, in PSL as well - had he been up to the mark on fitness, probably would have been Captain of PAK, long before 2016.

 

[Syed1]

Haters trying to find some way in which they can put down Sarfaraz.


They thought he is not a good tactician - he proved them wrong

They thought he is not a good batsman - he proved them wrong

Now they are targetting his fitness - he showed he is fitter than a lot of youngsta beauties and some of their favourites.



It's been a bad few weeks for haters.

 

[MMHS]

IMO, It is because he was trying to dumb down his point so that you could understand it better. Thus doing you a favor

Our friend Waleed88 has a tendency to over hype his favorite players (like Misbah or Azhar) or over kill those he doesn't like (say Babar) - hence often gets caught off guard. Nothing personal - I just found it dumb to think that Sarfu is extremely fit for his capability to rotate strike; just like Inzi was one of the best in that regard.

 

[SaadAliG]

Our friend Waleed88 has a tendency to over hype his favorite players (like Misbah or Azhar) or over kill those he doesn't like (say Babar) - hence often gets caught off guard. Nothing personal - I just found it dumb to think that Sarfu is extremely fit for his capability to rotate strike; just like Inzi was one of the best in that regard.

We've all seen Saifi for long enough to say that he's an excellent athlete(regardless of the fact that he's carrying a belly which he has always had, he also has gynocomastia which means he stores a lot of fat around his chest), which, the guys you're giving examples of weren't for a fact.
Waleed made a valid point. Spotting gaps is not down to fitness but converting singles into doubles proves that the batsman is both situationally aware and very fit. He was running faster than Roussov(who is an excellent athlete) and completing the doubles before him.
Saifi also forced Roussov into taking doubles. Well, you said it yourself that you didn't watch the game. I suggest you to watch it on replay before coming up with a ridiculous and irrelevant comparison, "facts" according to you.
I actually love it when saifi hatters have meltdowns and it happens very often because the guy performs every time under pressure.

 

[MMHS]

We've all seen Saifi for long enough to say that he's an excellent athlete(regardless of the fact that he's carrying a belly which he has always had, he also has gynocomastia which means he stores a lot of fat around his chest), which, the guys you're giving examples of weren't for a fact.
Waleed made a valid point. Spotting gaps is not down to fitness but converting singles into doubles proves that the batsman is both situationally aware and very fit. He was running faster than Roussov(who is an excellent athlete) and completing the doubles before him.
Saifi also forced Roussov into taking doubles. Well, you said it yourself that you didn't watch the game. I suggest you to watch it on replay before coming up with a ridiculous and irrelevant comparison, "facts" according to you.
I actually love it when saifi hatters have meltdowns and it happens very often because the guy performs every time under pressure.

I haven't seen the match, but I have appreciated his stamina & fitness indeed in my initial post, which also has few other clues, that suggests that he is a perfect choice for T20, may be ODI Captaincy as well, but that's it -


"Didn't see yesterday's match as EPL big match was at time, but he must have played well - that's in a 3 hours match & batting for 40 balls & keeping for 20 overs in a format where WK's role is just a bit more tiresome than 1st baseman in baseball."

 

[waleed88]

That's because performance ≠ fitness.

Let's take another example. Younis Khan in ODIs. Terrible at rotating strike. Was that due to bad fitness???

I do not know technicalities of wicket-keeping so I won't go into that.

Do you, or do you not think that Sarfraz has put on weight over the past couple of years?

I think he hasn't put on weight... some people just look 'bulky' or different on cameras... lets not forget he is very short, so when you zoom into a short person with more mass, he looks heavier.. however when you see him standing with someone tall you can see that he is fine.. ofcourse being lean and being fit are completely different, he is not lean and that is fine, some people just naturally have more muscle mass than others..

 

[waleed88]

IMO, It is because he was trying to dumb down his point so that you could understand it better. Thus doing you a favor

Tried too hard, now he's trying to cover up

 

[waleed88]

Our friend Waleed88 has a tendency to over hype his favorite players (like Misbah or Azhar) or over kill those he doesn't like (say Babar) - hence often gets caught off guard. Nothing personal - I just found it dumb to think that Sarfu is extremely fit for his capability to rotate strike; just like Inzi was one of the best in that regard.

Yes, we should make Babar test captain, because he has been outstanding in his last 10 innings, and supremely fit I must add

 

[waleed88]

That's because performance ≠ fitness.

Let's take another example. Younis Khan in ODIs. Terrible at rotating strike. Was that due to bad fitness???

I do not know technicalities of wicket-keeping so I won't go into that.

Do you, or do you not think that Sarfraz has put on weight over the past couple of years?

The guy has been playing all three formats since 2015, if he was anyone else he would've broken down atleast once... I think one of the few in Pak to be playing all 3 right now, and he should be credited for keep his performance levels right up there.. If that isn't a sign of good fitness then I don't know what is..

Ofcourse there are few lapses, but if Mathew Wade or Johnny Bairstow didn't drop 2-3 catches per series I would be chewing my nails.. however they did drop catches against us

its not down to their 'weight'

Its a very popular myth regarding Sarfaraz..

Also...

I just remembered Roussow said post match 'me and Sarfaraz will be taking the next training sessions off' (it took alot out of them)

If Roussow can run around like that and mention that it was very tiring, then I'm sure it was
[MENTION=79064]MMHS[/MENTION]

 

[Mamoon]

I thought it was quite hilarious to see the specialist captain drenched in sweat after 12 deliveries, huffing and puffing for his life, and shouting at the dressing room for not giving him a bottle of water.

If he is one of the fittest players in the country, I really don't know what to say.

 

[Hasan123]

Disgraceful fitness levels shown today. Because he is the captain and a senior player, he is allowed to get away with his poor fitness.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Shoaib Malik is the fittest of the current lot.
Apart from that, I think Shadab is very fit.

 

[Railu Katta]

He's really unfit and was huffing and puffing after running a few doubles. Whereas Hafeez was there for much longer and he was fine and he's at least 5 years older than Sarfi. Also, what was up with that dive when he was run out. He needs to lose some weight....

 

[Abdul]

He should start focusing on dieting. It's disgusting how these players despite being professionals can't keep themselves fit. Even the best nutritionist in the world wouldn't be able to do anything in this case as long as players aren't willing to put in a slightest amount of effort.

Bas Biryani thoosnay ke ilawa kuch nahi aata.

 

[MABA]

Lol Sarfraz is very far from being fit. You can tell just by looking at his physique.

 

[rashmin]

It's OK to make Kohli a role model if fitness is concerned, he is at another level compred to other cricketers, KL Rahul is next close one

 

[Suleiman]

But but but he ran 12 doubles vs Karachi Kings.

 

[Alamgeer]

No. Immad wasim is the fittest.

 

[Rayyman]

He should start focusing on dieting. It's disgusting how these players despite being professionals can't keep themselves fit. Even the best nutritionist in the world wouldn't be able to do anything in this case as long as players aren't willing to put in a slightest amount of effort.

Bas Biryani thoosnay ke ilawa kuch nahi aata.

100% agree

In fact, this video exposes him: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8ruZv_My4U

 

[Abdul]

100% agree

In fact, this video exposes him: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8ruZv_My4U

What the hell? Can't believe this guy is for real. I just said it as a joke but he's taken it to next level. )

 

[Chief Destroyer]

He's a below average athlete but at least shed that body fat man. Yes, he'll never be able to condition himself to run doubles consistently without burning out but he can at least look professional. He's got way too much bodyfat and it shows on his face.