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Test Debutant
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2009
- Runs
- 15,467
- Post of the Week
- 4
Watching the match today, seriously highlighted this issue. On a pitch which wasn't particularly tricky, a proper fast bowler with pace and height/bounce ripped through our side. While the lower order did outperform the top, I think they're partly lucky Stanlake bowled out his quota or he would have given them problems too.
We just have a serious lack of top order players to take on the pace. None of the guys today could do it, even Fakhar looks rather shaky against it. They can play spin and medium pace, but pace and bounce they can't. It's as if all our batsmen are better suited lower/mid order, but of course some of them have to play up the order.
Why we're missing Babar today, who's one of the best in Pakistan against it. Haris is probably next best, but struggles to score quick. But I'm struggling to think options outside of that.
Sharjeel could score, but suspended and in general unfit. Umar Akmal could score, but out of form/unfit. Kamran Akmal scores, and is the best against it in domestic, but too old arguably/not in favour. Salman Butt could score but too old/a bit slow/ eternally underperformed. Azhar can only block against pace, he can't score quick against it. From what I've seen of Shahibdaza, his technique didn't look like it'd hold up against pace either, he'd be a bit like Fakhar, hit or miss.
It's a problem we face in both T20s and ODIs, but not sure what we can do about it. We go on about needing aggressive options, but I think what we need more are top order batsmen comfortable against pace to set a good platform at a decent SR. i.e. more players like Babar.
We just have a serious lack of top order players to take on the pace. None of the guys today could do it, even Fakhar looks rather shaky against it. They can play spin and medium pace, but pace and bounce they can't. It's as if all our batsmen are better suited lower/mid order, but of course some of them have to play up the order.
Why we're missing Babar today, who's one of the best in Pakistan against it. Haris is probably next best, but struggles to score quick. But I'm struggling to think options outside of that.
Sharjeel could score, but suspended and in general unfit. Umar Akmal could score, but out of form/unfit. Kamran Akmal scores, and is the best against it in domestic, but too old arguably/not in favour. Salman Butt could score but too old/a bit slow/ eternally underperformed. Azhar can only block against pace, he can't score quick against it. From what I've seen of Shahibdaza, his technique didn't look like it'd hold up against pace either, he'd be a bit like Fakhar, hit or miss.
It's a problem we face in both T20s and ODIs, but not sure what we can do about it. We go on about needing aggressive options, but I think what we need more are top order batsmen comfortable against pace to set a good platform at a decent SR. i.e. more players like Babar.
