Sarfaraz Ahmed : Test Captaincy Watch

[MenInG]

Are we happy with his performance so far in this series?

Or does he have the wrong team to start with?

 

[ipl_fan]

He has a completely lop sided team to play with. It is either Yasir or bust. Can't blame him much.

 

[Rafa]

Very bad first stint as a Captain in his first series itself.

Pakistan are on the verge of losing the first series at home in last one decade.

 

[Ellipsism]

Very bad first stint as a Captain in his first series itself.

Pakistan are on the verge of losing the first series at home in last one decade.

It's a mediocre team, can't really blame Sarfi here.

 

[Madplayer]

It was expected to be difficult going after younis and misbah retired but boy this performance is absolute shambles.

I think not going in with 2 spinners is a blunder. Mickey has made it into a matter of ego i think. He said he didnt regret selecting 3 seamers in 1st match even after it proved to be a blunder. Now he has done the same in 2nd test.

 

[SarfiBabarHaris]

I thought his on-field captaincy was great in first match after losing the toss and ensuring a result but unfortunately we couldn't chase simple 137.

But his selection and batting order is not good.. Ok it might be understandable in 1st match but going with same batting order and 1 spinner in 2nd match is really poor.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

lacking patience and very naive for a test captaincy.. if doesn't adjust quickly will be sacked as captain soon..

 

[MenInG]

lacking patience and very naive for a test captaincy.. if doesn't adjust quickly will be sacked as captain soon..

first series so not sure how soon you are talking about?

 

[Asif321]

pakistan never played 3 seamers in UAE . not sure why in this series ? may be so much for AMIR he was bound to fail in UAE
plus losing the toss crucial here.

 

[Markhor]

I supported Sarfraz's appointment as captain in all three formats but this has been a massively disappointing start to his Test captaincy.

From the team selections, batting order and on-field tactics - nothing has gone right in this series.

 

[Hasan123]

Not a good start in this series. But can't write him off after 1 series. Needs time as he has started his reign with a new and slightly inexperienced side.

 

[Saj]

Awful body language from Sarfaraz.

Hands on hips, head bowed or arms folded.

Not motivating the players at all.

 

[Big Mac]

Uh-oh.

The age old adage applies, if you see a Captaincy Watch thread at the top of the page then it means the fans aren't happy.

 

[shah_1]

Sarfraz should retrospect this whole test series once it's finished. He himself should know what went with his captaincy and also the whole team. Hopefully he improves himself from now on.

If you are hell bent on picking three seamers then team should have a spinning AR(Nawaz or Imad Wasim) at 7, no justification or logic for this formation in UAE on such harsh condition. The bowlers will break down , especially Yasir Shah being asked too much from the captain.

 

[Boi]

His usage of reviews needs to desperately improve. Been poor with deciding which decisions to review and which not to over these two tests.

 

[Railu Katta]

Now people realize the value of Misbah. He was great at taking reviews and he still got the best out of his bowlers (same bowlers). Sarfi should stick to LOI captaincy only.

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Skipper needs to learn to improve his body language when things aren't going well <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PAKvSL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PAKvSL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a> <a href="https://t.co/AGBPNdKKp1">pic.twitter.com/AGBPNdKKp1</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/916634352506802176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2017</a></blockquote>
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[ask_analyse_act]

first series so not sure how soon you are talking about?

May be in a year I guess. I still feel Azhar is more deserving for test captaincy than Sarfraz. Sarfraz will need super fitness to continue leading the team in tests as he looks unfit, clueless, lacks patience (like looking for reverse swing within 20 overs, bringing yasir in the first hour of the match) need to develop his batting, also team selection is appalling after he had played so many tests in UAE under Misbah as keeper. Normally keepers do have more closer look at the pitch and know more about the pitches that already played. Hope Sarfraz proves me wrong and lead the team well.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Skipper needs to learn to improve his body language when things aren't going well <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PAKvSL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PAKvSL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a> <a href="https://t.co/AGBPNdKKp1">pic.twitter.com/AGBPNdKKp1</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/916634352506802176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7,
2017</a></blockquote>
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Absolutely. Would like to know how many FC matches has he captained. Looks like he is not a test captaincy material

 

[JibranAnsari]

Looks like sarfraz does not have the temperament to be a test captain , lets see how it goes.

 

[arehaan]

One tends to learn from mistakes. We made one big one in the first test by not having 2 spinners yet the sad part with our team management is to justify that mistake they repeat the same mistake and ultimately it will cost us the series against a team of youngsters minus no big names

 

[waleed88]

Azhar Ali lobby is clearly not happy to see Sarfraz in the ascendency as a test captain, will be secretly hoping he loses the test series after he has done so well to bring back credibility of a limited overs side which at one point was struggling to qualify for the World Cups..

Instead of giving the captain time and giving him support he's criticized for his facial expressions in a losing situation, what bull.

 

[waleed88]

So by that logic Sarf was criticized for having a friendly chat and smiling with Virat Kohli when Pakistan was losing the first match to India in Champions Trophy... when India had crossed 300 and Imad Wasim was bowling... What should the guy need to do honestly???

You don't like the guy when he is angry, you don't like him when is upset

 

[SarfiBabarHaris]

Azhar Ali lobby is clearly not happy to see Sarfraz in the ascendency as a test captain, will be secretly hoping he loses the test series after he has done so well to bring back credibility of a limited overs side which at one point was struggling to qualify for the World Cups..

Instead of giving the captain time and giving him support he's criticized for his facial expressions in a losing situation, what bull.

Well said. Azhar , Misbah , Afridi captaincy fans have come out of hibernation and clearly enjoying Pakistan loses.. his only fault is few mistakes in team selection and for that too it was his first series and i think Mickey had more say.. other than that his on field captaincy was good and great in first match ... What can a captain do if one bowler gets injurer and he has to play with 3 bowlers in this graveyard of bowlers ??

 

[Big Mac]

There's an Azhar Ali for captain lobby?

Analysing body language is utter nonsense 99% of the time as well. When we win, an emotional captain like Sarfraz is praised for being aggressive and pro-active (words which are thrown around so often by Pakistan fans that they are now devoid of all meaning btw) and when we lose the exact same behaviour is a sign that he is easily frustrated, lacks control of the team, doesn't know what he is doing etc.

It's complete rubbish and just another way for people to project their preconceived biases onto any situation.

 

[Chief Destroyer]

He's been great. Apart from playing with one spinner, you can't fault him for anything. Then again, I'm not sure how much trust they have in Asghar.

 

[Abdul]

Thanks to Sarfaraz we're going to lose a series in UAE after almost 10 years.

 

[Saj]

Uh-oh.

The age old adage applies, if you see a Captaincy Watch thread at the top of the page then it means the fans aren't happy.

True. Sarfaraz getting it in the neck but I think he deserves some of the stick he is getting.

 

[Saj]

Absolutely. Would like to know how many FC matches has he captained. Looks like he is not a test captaincy material

He's been captaining for a long time in all formats over the years, so that's why I am surprised why he's looked like a rabbit caught in the headlights.

 

[Mamoon]

It is very early to criticize his Test captaincy, but ever since he has taken over as LOIs captain, his individual performance has been reduced to zero. Apart from the SL match where Perera and Amir walked him across the finish line, his own performance has been non-existent.

He has been hiding too much as a player. At times, he has been a borderline specialist captain. He needs to bat in a more prominent position and make some meaningful, big runs. He hasn't scored a Test hundred since 2015 and there is no better time than tomorrow.

 

[msb314]

It is very early to criticize his Test captaincy, but ever since he has taken over as LOIs captain, his individual performance has been reduced to zero. Apart from the SL match where Perera and Amir walked him across the finish line, his own performance has been non-existent.

He has been hiding too much as a player. At times, he has been a borderline specialist captain. He needs to bat in a more prominent position and make some meaningful, big runs. He hasn't scored a Test hundred since 2015 and there is no better time than tomorrow.

That is because he does not have the technique, endurance or skill against pacers to bat at the top of the order in Tests.

Similar situation in ODI’s where Babar, Haris and even Malik and Hafeez are all superior batsman to him.

Maybe he can hve a case as an opener in Asian conditions but he would have a hard time selling his case over Shehzad, Fakhar and Azhar.

 

[Saj]

His batting has been hiding behind the 'oh but that's the way he plays' excuse, which can only be used for so long.

 

[Mamoon]

That is because he does not have the technique, endurance or skill against pacers to bat at the top of the order in Tests.

Similar situation in ODI’s where Babar, Haris and even Malik and Hafeez are all superior batsman to him.

Maybe he can hve a case as an opener in Asian conditions but he would have a hard time selling his case over Shehzad, Fakhar and Azhar.

Yes that's true, but my point is that Sarfraz needs to utilize himself as a floater. Hiding behind Imad in the CT Final and sitting in the dugout as the best player of spin in the team, when the other batsman are struggling badly against a rampaging Herath is far from inspiring.

He needs to take more responsibility as an individual player because he will not be able to hide behind his captaincy once the results start going against him.

 

[Abdullah719]

Yes that's true, but my point is that Sarfraz needs to utilize himself as a floater. Hiding behind Imad in the CT Final and sitting in the dugout as the best player of spin in the team, when the other batsman are struggling badly against a rampaging Herath is far from inspiring.

He needs to take more responsibility as an individual player because he will not be able to hide behind his captaincy once the results start going against him.

He wasn't needed in the CT final. It's good that he demoted himself as there are far better finishers in the team.

He could have promoted himself in the 136 chase, as he admitted himself.

Anyway, agree that he needs to start showing up with the bat. The dismissal in the aforementioned chase was pretty bad.

 

[Mamoon]

He wasn't needed in the CT final. It's good that he demoted himself as there are far better finishers in the team.

He could have promoted himself in the 136 chase, as he admitted himself.

Anyway, agree that he needs to start showing up with the bat. The dismissal in the aforementioned chase was pretty bad.

In his quest to play some cute shots, Imad wasted quite few deliveries in the final which could have given the team an extra 10-15 runs otherwise. Yes it didn't matter in hindsight, but someone like Sarfraz as captain should be backing himself to take responsibility in situations like these.

Imad hit what, 2 boundaries in 20 odd balls? Sarfraz would probably have done better, and I'm sure he would have been criticized for it if India would have managed to chase the total down.

 

[The_Odd_One]

This is his first test series with abysmal team combination.

Give him time. Anyway, there's no better option.

 

[msb314]

That is because he does not have the technique, endurance or skill against pacers to bat at the top of the order in Tests.

Similar situation in ODI’s where Babar, Haris and even Malik and Hafeez are all superior batsman to him.

Maybe he can hve a case as an opener in Asian conditions but he would have a hard time selling his case over Shehzad, Fakhar and Azhar.

In his quest to play some cute shots, Imad wasted quite few deliveries in the final which could have given the team an extra 10-15 runs otherwise. Yes it didn't matter in hindsight, but someone like Sarfraz as captain should be backing himself to take responsibility in situations like these.

Imad hit what, 2 boundaries in 20 odd balls? Sarfraz would probably have done better, and I'm sure he would have been criticized for it if India would have managed to chase the total down.

Imad’s execution was poor but it was still the right idea.

Sarfraz would have taken several overs to settle down anyway and lacks the power to hit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar etc. which at least Hafeez made up for.

 

[mak36]

His batting has been hiding behind the 'oh but that's the way he plays' excuse, which can only be used for so long.

We complain that none of the batsmen are playing positively, and yet complain when a batsman gets out trying to score.

In the context of the game he was right to try and score runs quickly.

 

[mak36]

Imad’s execution was poor but it was still the right idea.

Sarfraz would have taken several overs to settle down anyway and lacks the power to hit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar etc. which at least Hafeez made up for.

No he didn't. People need to stop spreading this falsehood.

 

[msb314]

No he didn't. People need to stop spreading this falsehood.

HAfeez was the only one who could hit pacers ion our middle order that day.

Babar doesn’t quite have the acceleration at the end whilst Imad and Sarfraz cannot hit pacers. Even Malik struggled to hit and only managed a SR of 75 due to a six of Jadeja lol.

Yes the stats will say Hafeez had a high dot ball % and too many singles but it was far better than what the alternatives did.

 

[mak36]

HAfeez was the only one who could hit pacers ion our middle order that day.

Babar doesn’t quite have the acceleration at the end whilst Imad and Sarfraz cannot hit pacers. Even Malik struggled to hit and only managed a SR of 75 due to a six of Jadeja lol.

Yes the stats will say Hafeez had a high dot ball % and too many singles but it was far better than what the alternatives did.

Have already covered this elsewhere:

Read the title again. It's an innings comparison of Azhar Ali v Hafeez. Not Hafeez v Imad. In any case, I am afraid your argument works against you.

As I have already told you, in the last 10 overs Hafeez faced the majority of deliveries (60%) so he is more culpable for the lack of boundaries in that period.

You have now mentioned the last seven and half overs. I am afraid that worsens your case. In the last 7 and half overs Hafeez again faced the majority of deliveries. He faced 26 deliveries and only hit 4 boundaries. To paraphrase you "that means he faced 22 deliveries without hitting a boundary in the slog overs. That is very poor for a hard hitting AR."

Last 5 overs is even worse, Hafeez faced 17 deliveries (again the majority of deliveries) and he managed to hit two boundaries. To paraphrase you "that means he faced 15 deliveries without hitting a boundary in the slog overs. That is very poor for a hard hitting AR."

You can't run away from the facts i'm afraid.

 

[Eagle_Eye]

Sarfraz is bombing quicker than even I predicted....

Glad that other people are calling out his hiding.... and that he is a complete passenger in the team. How long can they afford to give him a pass even as a player in the team let alone captain. I would boot him from captaincy, leaving him to focus on keeping and batting for next series, which would decide his place in the team for the long run.

 

[htariq25]

He was horrible in his first odi too but win us champions trophy. He's still learning and will eventually come good. Worry is more batting imo. Couldn't chase 136.

 

[Eagle_Eye]

He was horrible in his first odi too but win us champions trophy. He's still learning and will eventually come good. Worry is more batting imo. Couldn't chase 136.

They won CT inspite of him not because of him.

 

[msb314]

Have already covered this elsewhere:

Read the title again. It's an innings comparison of Azhar Ali v Hafeez. Not Hafeez v Imad. In any case, I am afraid your argument works against you.

As I have already told you, in the last 10 overs Hafeez faced the majority of deliveries (60%) so he is more culpable for the lack of boundaries in that period.

You have now mentioned the last seven and half overs. I am afraid that worsens your case. In the last 7 and half overs Hafeez again faced the majority of deliveries. He faced 26 deliveries and only hit 4 boundaries. To paraphrase you "that means he faced 22 deliveries without hitting a boundary in the slog overs. That is very poor for a hard hitting AR."

Last 5 overs is even worse, Hafeez faced 17 deliveries (again the majority of deliveries) and he managed to hit two boundaries. To paraphrase you "that means he faced 15 deliveries without hitting a boundary in the slog overs. That is very poor for a hard hitting AR."

You can't run away from the facts i'm afraid.

So if Hafeez faced 60% of the deliveries in the last 10 overs - he would have faced 60% x 60 = 36 balls

In the last overs - Imad faced 21 balls.

Now we can know that Hafeez hit 3 fours and 3 sixes (he hit 1 boundary off his first ball with Babar so lets remove that from discussion)

So that will be 6 boundaries off of 36 balls which is a boundary % of 16.7%

However, Imad is worse off here as he hit only 2 boundaries of 21 balls for a boundary % of 9.5%

 

[Big Mac]

True. Sarfaraz getting it in the neck but I think he deserves some of the stick he is getting.

He isn't really doing anything different from what he has always done, the only difference is that now he is the captain so fans are suddenly looking at him instead of blaming Misbah/Waqar/Dav/Hafeez etc.

For the last couple of years 35 from 45 balls was held up as a shining beacon of 'aggression', 'intent', 'bravery' etc. and used to bash the 'cowardly', 'defensive' tactics but now it's irresponsible and not good enough?

Some fans need to have a long, hard look at themselves because this is what they have been clamouring for and when they finally get what they wanted they're cussing out Sarfraz? Hell, just this summer he was a genius captain for beating India and now he's useless?

 

[Hamza_]

Needs to remove all that fuss and frustration.

Its annoying and terrible. Let the bowlers do their job.

 

[Hawkeye]

He was like this when he started in LOIs as well, everyone calling for his head for having a loser's body language, shouting and screaming at his players et al. Well, ended up winning the CT!

But, things would get better. We just lost Misbah and Younus who kept our team together in Tests.

Will take some time and can't judge Sarf for anything yet.

 

[todfod 11]

I m big fan of his captaincy but not at all impressed with him this time... If a captain cant have say in team selection even after winning champ trophy then it s a sorry state.. How can he play an unfit Amir then select wahab for second game. no second spinner and when Harris can bowl he didnt give him a chance to bowl yesterday. This is just totally absurd.
we lost the first test just because of him and no one to be blamed for it.. aecond inning batting disaster was bound to happen. He should have batted up the order there is just no excuse for it

 

[ahmedwaqas92]

Needs to tone it down a bit, this is test cricket, you give your bowlers a plan and let them execute it. No point in shouting and screaming after every delivery. Expected better from him.

 

[sachin100]

They won CT inspite of him not because of him.

his captaincy is getting praised so much just like indians did with dhoni .like him dhoni is a passenger in every icc cup we won.

 

[Abdul]

He is so bad at taking reviews, another one wasted.

 

[Arham_PakFan]

Not off to a good start.

 

[mak36]

SL with a 220 run lead.

Lose Amir to injury.

Pakistan reduced to a 3 man attack, which includes a tiring Yasir, a wayward Wahab and a tidy but perhaps un-threatening Abbas.

End result: SL are 34-5 Yes, 34-5.

Exceptional captaincy from Sarfaraz. Used his resources well, backed his bowlers and rotated them well, set aggressive fields, motivated the fielders and never looked like giving up. Win or lose, I am glad the haters have been silenced.

 

[Abdul]

SL with a 220 run lead.

Lose Amir to injury.

Pakistan reduced to a 3 man attack, which includes a tiring Yasir, a wayward Wahab and a tidy but perhaps un-threatening Abbas.

End result: SL are 34-5 Yes, 34-5.

Exceptional captaincy from Sarfaraz. Used his resources well, backed his bowlers and rotated them well, set aggressive fields, motivated the fielders and never looked like giving up. Win or lose, I am glad the haters have been silenced.

If he's that great then why did he disappear in the first innings?

 

[SarfiBabarHaris]

SL with a 220 run lead.

Lose Amir to injury.

Pakistan reduced to a 3 man attack, which includes a tiring Yasir, a wayward Wahab and a tidy but perhaps un-threatening Abbas.

End result: SL are 34-5 Yes, 34-5.

Exceptional captaincy from Sarfaraz. Used his resources well, backed his bowlers and rotated them well, set aggressive fields, motivated the fielders and never looked like giving up. Win or lose, I am glad the haters have been silenced.

His on-field captaincy has always been great but selections need to be better. Batting is going down the hill which is a worry. I remember he played much better against SL against a peak Herath when others failed.
Expecting better selections and batting form in future.

 

[waleed88]

Now people will say why was he overly jubilant when Srilanka still leads by 250 runs?

 

[mak36]

His on-field captaincy has always been great but selections need to be better. Batting is going down the hill which is a worry. I remember he played much better against SL against a peak Herath when others failed.
Expecting better selections and batting form in future.

I agree, but so many posters here were criticising his on-field behaviour and tactics which is nonsense.

He obviously has some involvement with selections but I would be interested to know how much input he actually has.

Yes, his batting form hasn't been great recently. In LOIs he should be batting in top five and I think that would solve a lot of issues. His batting in tests will improve once he has settled in.

 

[mak36]

It's funny how no-one bumps this thread when he does well.

Yet again, excellent captaincy from Sarfaraz. Bowling out SL for 96 with only three front line bowlers is big achievement. Oh, and his "body language" was great.

To think Ramiz was complaining Sarfaraz looked "panicked." )

 

[Mamoon]

It's funny how no-one bumps this thread when he does well.

Yet again, excellent captaincy from Sarfaraz. Bowling out SL for 96 with only three front line bowlers is big achievement. Oh, and his "body language" was great.

To think Ramiz was complaining Sarfaraz looked "panicked." )

As long as his own performance continues to be nil, he is not going get praised for his captaincy. Secondly, it is a bit rich (to say the least) to criticize people for not praising a captain who is "doing well" when he has lead the team to a whitewash in home conditions against SL

 

[pkwdpassion]

A really pathetic thread putting all the onus on Sarfraz Ahmed.

Noo ne wants to question the real problem that is inzimam and his crony batting team selections. What resources Inzimam provided to the Pakistan Team, to Mickey Arthur or captain Sarfraz. Sarfraz is also at fault but the way Fawad Alam, Sahibzada Farhan and other cricketers have been ignored is infront of everyone.

Inzimam has not selected, but played a game of revolving door to help Akmals, Wahab Riaz, Shehzad and his nephew Imam to be brought into the XI.

Up until Inzimam is not removed from selection cmmte., no reason to blame Sarfraz and Mickey Arthur who also brought laurels for the country.

 

[MenInG]

A really pathetic thread putting all the onus on Sarfraz Ahmed.

Noo ne wants to question the real problem that is inzimam and his crony batting team selections. What resources Inzimam provided to the Pakistan Team, to Mickey Arthur or captain Sarfraz. Sarfraz is also at fault but the way Fawad Alam, Sahibzada Farhan and other cricketers have been ignored is infront of everyone.

Inzimam has not selected, but played a game of revolving door to help Akmals, Wahab Riaz, Shehzad and his nephew Imam to be brought into the XI.

Up until Inzimam is not removed from selection cmmte., no reason to blame Sarfraz and Mickey Arthur who also brought laurels for the country.

Thread is about his captaincy. You are free to add your opinion, like others are.

 

[Big Mac]

A really pathetic thread putting all the onus on Sarfraz Ahmed.

Noo ne wants to question the real problem that is inzimam and his crony batting team selections. What resources Inzimam provided to the Pakistan Team, to Mickey Arthur or captain Sarfraz. Sarfraz is also at fault but the way Fawad Alam, Sahibzada Farhan and other cricketers have been ignored is infront of everyone.

Inzimam has not selected, but played a game of revolving door to help Akmals, Wahab Riaz, Shehzad and his nephew Imam to be brought into the XI.

Up until Inzimam is not removed from selection cmmte., no reason to blame Sarfraz and Mickey Arthur who also brought laurels for the country.

Calm down and have a read through this thread

http://www.pakpassion.net/ppforum/showthread.php?111409-The-Misbah-ul-Haq-Captaincy-Analysis-Thread

 

[RickyG]

As long as his own performance continues to be nil, he is not going get praised for his captaincy. Secondly, it is a bit rich (to say the least) to criticize people for not praising a captain who is "doing well" when he has lead the team to a whitewash in home conditions against SL

This is not a joke, but every time you've criticized a player (usually Sarfraz) for the sake of criticizing, you've lost credibility.

I remember countless posts during the Champions Trophy criticizing Sarfraz and lo and behold Pakistan won the tournament.

Today you weren't able to criticize his captaincy after his team bowled Sri Lanka out for a very a low score in 2 consecutive matches. So you criticize his performance and he has responded with quite possibly the most mature innings of his career thus far.

This is not a personal criticism of you. It's a criticism of bigoted posters that are waiting like sharks for someone to fail so they can claim to be know-it-all expert analysts of cricket.

This is Sarfraz first test series with a very weak batting line up. There's things he probably deserves criticism for (batting order/team selection) but it's not enough for the point scoring that you're attempting. You really want to judge him based on his first 2 test matches as captain? Go ahead by all means but you're increasing the likelihood of you looking liking an idiot for the confirmation bias methods that you tend to fall back on.

 

[Mamoon]

This is not a joke, but every time you've criticized a player (usually Sarfraz) for the sake of criticizing, you've lost credibility.

I remember countless posts during the Champions Trophy criticizing Sarfraz and lo and behold Pakistan won the tournament.

Today you weren't able to criticize his captaincy after his team bowled Sri Lanka out for a very a low score in 2 consecutive matches. So you criticize his performance and he has responded with quite possibly the most mature innings of his career thus far.

This is not a personal criticism of you. It's a criticism of bigoted posters that are waiting like sharks for someone to fail so they can claim to be know-it-all expert analysts of cricket.

This is Sarfraz first test series with a very weak batting line up. There's things he probably deserves criticism for (batting order/team selection) but it's not enough for the point scoring that you're attempting. You really want to judge him based on his first 2 test matches as captain? Go ahead by all means but you're increasing the likelihood of you looking liking an idiot for the confirmation bias methods that you tend to fall back on.

Sarfraz has not scored a Test hundred for 2 years and has developed the habit of throwing his wicket away in reckless fashion. His brain-fade on day 5 of the first Test was the most critical moment of the match and completely killed off our chances of chasing the total.

Yes he has played well in this innings so far and he can take Pakistan to victory tomorrow, he will deserve to be applauded. His on-field tactics have been good at times but his body language has been really poor, and he also deserves criticism for playing one specialist spinner only.

If that was Arthur's decision, then perhaps Sarfraz should man up a bit and make his presence felt. Strong captains don't let coaches dictate terms, India recently sacked Kumble because he was not seeing eye to eye with Kohli. A Captain has the upper hand in decision making because he is their for the long-term unlike the coach.

Secondly, and more importantly, I was conveying to [MENTION=142670]mak36[/MENTION] that he will have a hard time convincing people to appreciate Sarfraz's captaincy under these circumstances since we are on our way of losing a home series for the first time in a decade and Sarfraz's own performance so far (except for the current innings) has been frustrating.

Whether Sarfraz will prove to be a good Test captain in the long run or not is something time will tell, and same goes for his individual performances which have not been up to the mark.

 

[SarfiBabarHaris]

Sarfraz is missing a world class player against spin like Younis.
I am not a Younis fan but there is no denying that Younis is arguably the best test batsman against spin in last 15 years.
Younis once set scored fast against spinners and had more impact compare to for example players like Azhar.

No way we would have lost the 1st match with Younis in the side.

 

[Majestic_Inzi]

The way Sarfraz starts barking at his players it is not healthy, he is becoming a dictator, they will eventually go against him and he will lose his captaincy..

 

[Eagle_Eye]

One performance in a blue moon is not going to cut it any more. He may well go on to score a ton and win for Pakistan and fair dos to him.... but he needs to be a consistent performer now if he is going to keep his place long term.

Those posters who are either forgetful or too young to remember, even Kamran akmal produced some outstanding performances from the dead... 100 at Karachi to put Pakistan back on track after a disasterous start, and in mohali to draw a test. May have batted the whole day with Razzak if my memory serves me correctly.

 

[Savak]

Too early to criticize him right now. Needs some time in the job.

 

[Forum363]

One performance in a blue moon is not going to cut it any more. He may well go on to score a ton and win for Pakistan and fair dos to him.... but he needs to be a consistent performer now if he is going to keep his place long term.

Those posters who are either forgetful or too young to remember, even Kamran akmal produced some outstanding performances from the dead... 100 at Karachi to put Pakistan back on track after a disasterous start, and in mohali to draw a test. May have batted the whole day with Razzak if my memory serves me correctly.

His batting performances recently have not been good enough but to compare him to someone like Kamraan Akmal to make the point that anyone scores once in a while is laughable. Sarfaraz has already outdone what Kami did in his whole miserable career, so even if he never scores above ten runs again and is dropped from the team, he will have had a much better career than Kamraan as a batsman alone despite much less chances (and that's ignoring his vastly superior wicket keeping and trophy winning captaincy).

 

[RickyG]

Sarfraz has not scored a Test hundred for 2 years and has developed the habit of throwing his wicket away in reckless fashion. His brain-fade on day 5 of the first Test was the most critical moment of the match and completely killed off our chances of chasing the total.

Yes he has played well in this innings so far and he can take Pakistan to victory tomorrow, he will deserve to be applauded. His on-field tactics have been good at times but his body language has been really poor, and he also deserves criticism for playing one specialist spinner only.

If that was Arthur's decision, then perhaps Sarfraz should man up a bit and make his presence felt. Strong captains don't let coaches dictate terms, India recently sacked Kumble because he was not seeing eye to eye with Kohli. A Captain has the upper hand in decision making because he is their for the long-term unlike the coach.

Secondly, and more importantly, I was conveying to [MENTION=142670]mak36[/MENTION] that he will have a hard time convincing people to appreciate Sarfraz's captaincy under these circumstances since we are on our way of losing a home series for the first time in a decade and Sarfraz's own performance so far (except for the current innings) has been frustrating.

Whether Sarfraz will prove to be a good Test captain in the long run or not is something time will tell, and same goes for his individual performances which have not been up to the mark.

He should incite a revolt against Arthur after 1 test match? I'm an advocate for strong captains but Pakistan don't have a history of strong captains. Only larger than life cricketers managed to have complete control and the only two I can think of are Inzi and Imran. Almost every other time, a captain has tried to stamp his authority on the time he has been undermined by the board (Wasim, Rashid Latif, Younis Khan etc). And two test matches is hardly going to tell you how strong of a captain Sarfraz is going to be is it?

The criticism isn't the problem. A lot of the criticism has been warranted (his own batting and team selection) but it's not indication enough to suggest he is a failure. There's been posts about replacing him with Azhar Ali as captain already.

It has been two test matches, you shouldn't be convinced either way yet. It was the same reactions when Pakistan lost a T20 and Odi against the West Indies. Many posters figured it was enough to brand him a failure. Give him a bit of time and then we'll see what happens.

Also the overreaction is a bit odd to me. This isn't the first time, Pakistan has lost a home series to Sri Lanka. In fact, far stronger Pakistan teams have lost to Sri Lanka in the past. And in Sarfraz's defense, this team is in transition. Losing to Sri Lanka also gives Pakistan an excuse to permanently dump Shan Masoon and temporarily dump Babar Azam.

 

[Mamoon]

He should incite a revolt against Arthur after 1 test match? I'm an advocate for strong captains but Pakistan don't have a history of strong captains. Only larger than life cricketers managed to have complete control and the only two I can think of are Inzi and Imran. Almost every other time, a captain has tried to stamp his authority on the time he has been undermined by the board (Wasim, Rashid Latif, Younis Khan etc). And two test matches is hardly going to tell you how strong of a captain Sarfraz is going to be is it?

The criticism isn't the problem. A lot of the criticism has been warranted (his own batting and team selection) but it's not indication enough to suggest he is a failure. There's been posts about replacing him with Azhar Ali as captain already.

It has been two test matches, you shouldn't be convinced either way yet. It was the same reactions when Pakistan lost a T20 and Odi against the West Indies. Many posters figured it was enough to brand him a failure. Give him a bit of time and then we'll see what happens.

Also the overreaction is a bit odd to me. This isn't the first time, Pakistan has lost a home series to Sri Lanka. In fact, far stronger Pakistan teams have lost to Sri Lanka in the past. And in Sarfraz's defense, this team is in transition. Losing to Sri Lanka also gives Pakistan an excuse to permanently dump Shan Masoon and temporarily dump Babar Azam.

The overreaction has everything to do with the fact that Sarfraz has managed to end our unbeaten run at home in his first, a record which lasted for a decade.

This series has been a total shambles and Sarfraz himself performed poorly apart from a half-decent innings in the last one, so this is not the right time to question why people are not showering him with praises.

 

[Abdul]

Thank you, Sarfaraz. The legend only needed two matches to end our unbeaten run that had been intact for seven years.

 

[RickyG]

The overreaction has everything to do with the fact that Sarfraz has managed to end our unbeaten run at home in his first, a record which lasted for a decade.

This series has been a total shambles and Sarfraz himself performed poorly apart from a half-decent innings in the last one, so this is not the right time to question why people are not showering him with praises.

No one is asking you to shower anyone with praise, only telling you to stop jumping to judgments based on 1 series.

Maybe it's time to accept that your team isn't as good as you think it is. Especially your batting. 4 out of your top 7 have never even scored a test 100.

Sarfraz had a poor series personally but ultimately your batting collapses are to blame.

Your delusions and hallucinations will have you believe that replacing Sarfraz with Azhar Ali will solve all your problems though.

 

[Mamoon]

No one is asking you to shower anyone with praise, only telling you to stop jumping to judgments based on 1 series.

No one is 'jumping to any judgments'. This is what I stated in this very thread (post #65):

"Whether Sarfraz will prove to be a good Test captain in the long run or not is something time will tell, and same goes for his individual performances which have not been up to the mark."

Does that sound like 'jumping to judgments' to you?

Maybe it's time to accept that your team isn't as good as you think it is. Especially your batting. 4 out of your top 7 have never even scored a test 100.

I don't think you have to tell me that the team is not as good as people think.

Sarfraz had a poor series personally but ultimately your batting collapses are to blame.

Sarfraz is part of the batting unit and he is part of the collapses. He deserves as much blame as the others. He had a great run with the bat in 2014 but his performances in the last two years have been mediocre, and he has been guilty of batting very irresponsibly.

Wicket-keeping and captaincy doesn't mean he is not responsible for scoring runs, and his idiotic shot in the 4th innings of the first Test was a very key moment in the game and the series.

Your delusions and hallucinations will have you believe that replacing Sarfraz with Azhar Ali will solve all your problems though.

Erm, what?

You sound terribly confused and it is ironic that you are accusing me of hallucinating. No one has even remotely suggested that Azhar should replace Sarfraz as Test captain.

In fact, I would quote a post of mine from another thread which should clear your doubts:

Sarfraz can achieve only as much as the team allows him to achieve. He is not a game-changing player so he is not going to change the fortunes of the match with his bat.

He is an okay player who is neither good or bad. However, he has shown enough tactical acumen to indicate that he maximize the potential of the team which sadly is not great at all. What can he achieve as captain? sadly not much.

This is a rubbish team that cannot win or even draw matches outside its comfort-zone, and even in its comfort-zone, it has a 50-50 record in terms of winning and losing.

Our current ranking is a fair reflection of where we stand as a team and Sarfraz doesn't have a magic wand to turn these hopeless cowards into a top 3 unit. The best we can hope for is the 5th position, but even that will be a tall order considering our tough tours next year.

http://www.pakpassion.net/ppforum/s...t-will-Sarfaraz-Ahmed-achieve-as-Test-captain

The problem is that you expect Sarfraz to be shield from all criticism because of the CT. Unfortunately that is not going to happen, and Sarfraz is being rightfully criticized for his mediocre performance and captaincy in this series. That clearly does not mean that people are being judgmental, and no one has said that he should be sacked. I don't understand why you are driving a false narrative and inventing arguments in your head to prove a point.

 

[mak36]

So if Hafeez faced 60% of the deliveries in the last 10 overs - he would have faced 60% x 60 = 36 balls

In the last overs - Imad faced 21 balls.

Now we can know that Hafeez hit 3 fours and 3 sixes (he hit 1 boundary off his first ball with Babar so lets remove that from discussion)

So that will be 6 boundaries off of 36 balls which is a boundary % of 16.7%

However, Imad is worse off here as he hit only 2 boundaries of 21 balls for a boundary % of 9.5%

Please read what I actually wrote. I specifically said I wasn't comparing Hafeez v Imad. My point was both did poorly. You made the claim Hafeez is the only one capable of "powerhitting", which is wrong. The reality is the last ten overs were wasted by both of them.

In any case this is the wrong thread to discuss this.

 

[mak36]

Captained well in England by all accounts.

Now coming to this series vs Australia, he had a (below) average first session, but Sarfaraz nailed his tactics/bowling changes/field placements after that. As a result, Australia collapsed and conceded a huge deficit. Hopefully this is a sign he has cracked captaining in UAE tests.

Combined reverse swing and spin well.

 

[SarfiBabarHaris]

Captained well in England by all accounts.

Now coming to this series vs Australia, he had a (below) average first session, but Sarfaraz nailed his tactics/bowling changes/field placements after that. As a result, Australia collapsed and conceded a huge deficit. Hopefully this is a sign he has cracked captaining in UAE tests.

Combined reverse swing and spin well.

Sad day for those who say he doesnt know how to use spinners. Shows their poor knowledge and feel for the game when Sarfraz thrives using his spinners and has led Quetta to 2 PSL finals with average spinners.

 

[Hasan123]

Nothing special in his captaincy today. Just bowl the offies for long spells and these Aussies will fall apart .

Stop doing banghra over simple decisions.

 

[Pakhs]

Nothing special in his captaincy today. Just bowl the offies for long spells and these Aussies will fall apart .

Stop doing banghra over simple decisions.

Well no give credit where its due! His got most things right in this test match so far. To start with played a correct team with an inclusion of an off spinner and then stayed patient when the big opening partnership was developing for Australia.