Shadab Khan’s batting position in Limited Over Internationals

[TeymurBlake]

The team and Shadab needs a break. They all look fatigued and they need to be proper taken care of. Regarding his batting position, I think it would be best to continue him at No.8. I would prefer to see Faheem at No.7 but the team doesn't seem to have confidences in his batting.

 

[MMHS]

If Shadab doesn't improve his bowling with an accurate big turning leggi as stock ball, with in few years time, he'll lose his spot in PAK team.

Today is 23rd SEP, 2018 - I had to put the date, because today IND has hammered PAK by 9 wickets inside 40 overs .... so, usual trolls won't come to bite back today, but PP memory stays for 24 hours - tomorrow is a new day, troll will come back and I don't want to dig another hole.

Someone should open Shadab's threat where most people are convinced that his batting talunt should led him to Steve Smith's path ... and I thought it should follow Richie Benaud (or Upul Chandana, depending on his talunt & genetics, hard work isn't required).

Remember the day: 23 SEP 2018.

 

[TeamPak95]

It will create a problem that does not exist at this point. I know people don’t like Imam, but he is performing 10x better than what Shadab will perform as an opener.

If Imam is proven to be a failure vs top teams (meaning he plays the Asia Cup fully + perhaps NZ in its entirety to get the full picture) then would Shadab as an opener be worth a try? Or try a Farhan, or Babar (with Haris coming in at 3)? Shan? Apart from that, and assuming Shehzad/Hafeez aren't recalled, there really isn't much to go for.

 

[Officer Barbrady]

I agree that Haris should be in the lineup, but the biggest roadblock is our captain who cannot bat, but he has to play because no one else can keep.

Haris cannot break into the ODI team till Malik retires. However, opening with the likes of Shadab will weaken the batting further.

Our batting is already weak and we cannot afford to give the likes of Shadab and Faheem prominent roles in the lineup.

Agree Sarfraz has to play (though after the WC Rizwan can get another look).

I don’t think we can go to England with Sarfraz at #4. I guess the other option would be: Imam still opens, Haris at #4 and we just make do with 4 frontline bowlers and Malik/Haris filing in as the 5th.

 

[Kroll]

The team and Shadab needs a break. They all look fatigued and they need to be proper taken care of. Regarding his batting position, I think it would be best to continue him at No.8. I would prefer to see Faheem at No.7 but the team doesn't seem to have confidences in his batting.

Need a break? They've hardly played.

 

[ManFan]

Shadab was selected for his bowling and should remain a bowler.

If he can contribute 10-15 runs down the order than that is a bonus in LOI’s.

But he needs to develop a bit of muscle for that as he simply lacks the strength to hit over the top right now.

 

[TeymurBlake]

Need a break? They've hardly played.

They all seem lethargic. They definitely need something maybe it is a break from cricket for a while

 

[ManFan]

They all seem lethargic. They definitely need something maybe it is a break from cricket for a while

They’ve only played 5 ODI’s against ZIM since January.

Hardly had a tough year so far.

The upcoming season will be rapid.

 

[babajee]

They all seem lethargic. They definitely need something maybe it is a break from cricket for a while

Yeah they do look lethargic but I think they need to play more and more to get back into the swing of things. Too many gaps in our cricket this year.

 

[TeymurBlake]

Yeah they do look lethargic but I think they need to play more and more to get back into the swing of things. Too many gaps in our cricket this year.

They are gonna have a tough season ahed. Maybe we need to have a wide array of depth in our team.

 

[Justcrazy]

Shadab will eventually become Cameroon White or Steve Smith .

 

[cricketerB94]

Should bat at 6 before slog overs.

 

[FastBowlingAllrounder]

Shadab should either develop a power-hitting game and bat at 7 or 8, or develop his batting enough to earn the right to bat in the top 6.

He can either improve his batting and become a batsman who plays the support spinner role, or he can improve his leg spin and play the main spinner who bats a bit role. Right now, I think he is somewhere in the middle....

 

[Mamoon]

If Imam is proven to be a failure vs top teams (meaning he plays the Asia Cup fully + perhaps NZ in its entirety to get the full picture) then would Shadab as an opener be worth a try? Or try a Farhan, or Babar (with Haris coming in at 3)? Shan? Apart from that, and assuming Shehzad/Hafeez aren't recalled, there really isn't much to go for.

Because Shadab is not a batsman. His batting is only slightly better than the likes of Amir, Hasan and Wahab, who are not bunnies but are still classified as tail-enders.

Shadab as an opener means a free wicket to the opposition - strong or weak - 9/10 times.

Imam is not perfect but he is one of the best we have. He is not keeping out Rohits and Dhawans from getting into the team.

 

[Something]

Shadab as opener? Now I've heard everything.

 

[Cric_lover4487]

I don't get it why talks of Shadab as a middle order batsman are coming up. Haven't seen any batting ability in him so far. I don't see him as an allrounder. If a spinner is ineffective in UAE conditions than i don't know how come he will be effective elsewhere. Seems like he can only capitalize when Amir n co. take early wickets and opposition is under high pressure. Otherwise, he seems clueless most of the time. Most overrated player in recent times.

 

[iiqbal]

Hassan Ali, Faheem Asharf and Shadab friendship have destroy them self. There is not a single improvement in all three

 

[Officer Barbrady]

Is opening the batting with Shadab Khan a viable option for Pakistan?

Really think this is a viable option. Shadab opens in place of Imam of course. And we can have Asif Ali in the middle order available to us.

Shadab is technically pretty decent, he’s wasted down the order since his game isn’t suited to quick hitting and Imam isn’t exactly lighting things up.

It’s a gamble that can pay off. Thoughts?

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

Lol what? If anyone deserves to get dropped then that is Zaman not Imam.

 

[Titan24]

While Imam isnt setting the stage on fire he is regularly seeing of the new ball and providing a base.

Successfully facing the new ball spells of Archer, Rabada, Boult is not an easy task for someone who isn’t technically well equipped. Imam has been saving Pak from loosing number of quick wickets especially when Fakhar is also out of form.

 

[Zeshan547]

And the Most LOL worthy thread title goes to the OP, Plz add satire with the title. And drop imam, Wao Sir u r a living legend.

 

[freezerburn]

Shadab opening with Amir makes sense. The left right combination works perfectly. Amir is good square of the wicket and Shadab is good hitting over the top.

 

[Madplayer]

incredibly creative idea. Nobel prize worthy.

 

[saeedhk]

Is this a serious thread?

Shadab is a mediocre batsman who carries an oversized bat and falls sideways when hitting the ball. His batting is on par with Chris Martin.

 

[yasir]

Some of these threads we are seeing lately, shows how low is cricketing IQ amping fans. They are more emotional than substantive, flick after every match. Pakistan top order is fine. Imam, Babar, Harris are our best bet to see us through tough periods and build partnerships. This is best we got. I would prefer Harris at 4, that is only chance I would do, rest is more than fine.

We have to keep in mind, we have faced toughest spin conditions in last two matches in batting second, that too must win games, it’s not easy but some how we survived. If we batted first in both of these games, who knows we could have won both by 50ish runs.

I hope we win toss and bat first. Secondly, heat wave is passed, we may not see such difficult wicket, batting second against BD.

 

[Mean&Green]

Kahan se atein hein ye log

 

[saeedhk]

Yup. Open with a mediocre fake allrounder who can’t even keep his balance when batting.

 

[sshakir411]

Bhanja has booked a permanent spot in the 11 because of family connection. He ain’t going anywhere

 

[usmanraheel]

No disrespect, but Shadab can barely bat. He needs to keep his focus on bowling and keep building his batting.

 

[MRSN]

Imam played a horrible shot otherwise he looked well set to get a ton. He gave a promising start. Imam is not a problem. It is hack Fakher who is enjoying free ride. People compare him with Sharjeel. Sharjeel was a solid batsman. Fakher is hack in thr leagues of Awais zia and Mukhtar Ahmed.

 

[AamchiMumbaikar]

No. Silly idea.

 

[MRSN]

Some of these threads we are seeing lately, shows how low is cricketing IQ amping fans. They are more emotional than substantive, flick after every match. Pakistan top order is fine. Imam, Babar, Harris are our best bet to see us through tough periods and build partnerships. This is best we got. I would prefer Harris at 4, that is only chance I would do, rest is more than fine.

We have to keep in mind, we have faced toughest spin conditions in last two matches in batting second, that too must win games, it’s not easy but some how we survived. If we batted first in both of these games, who knows we could have won both by 50ish runs.

I hope we win toss and bat first. Secondly, heat wave is passed, we may not see such difficult wicket, batting second against BD.

IQ level of some fans don't need to get tested when you see them supporting Sarfraz blindless despite his pathetic running in a very crunch game with no batsman to come. Feels sad how much hopes they have from mediocre players.

 

[shah_1]

Worse thread ever

He is a tail ender

 

[hadi123]

Really? Reallly?

 

[Hasan123]

He has a strike rate of about 70. And how is that someone who can open?

 

[GoUgandaCranes]

Shadab opening with Amir makes sense. The left right combination works perfectly. Amir is good square of the wicket and Shadab is good hitting over the top.

Followed by Shaheen at one down as he's tall and can have a long stride to negate the spinners.

 

[TeymurBlake]

Shadab Khan can bat no doubt about it. But he there are improvements needed in his batting. I wouldn't be against him coming in at No.6 or No.7.

 

[pakistani pride]

Oh bhai bas kar..

 

[Bewal Express]

I want to see Shaheen Shah. I once saw him hit a 6!

 

[FreePalestine]

Should Shadab Khan bat up the order for Pakistan in T20I cricket?

He is useless at number 8. He played a decent innings for IU yesterday. Will he be able to better express his batting talent at 4? If we get a good wicket-keeper batsman who can hit a long ball (Azam Khan type) at 7 or 8, I think it would be a much more balanced T20 line up.

 

[MenInG]

Lets see if he can repeat that type of performance again - then maybe worth a shot

 

[Kroll]

Nope, batting at 4 is too high for sure, need your premium bats in those positions. Batting in PSL and batting at international level is a completely different ball game.

 

[trickyone]

The only reason, he got so many runs because bowlers start bowling him freebies (They all were trying to york or bounce him out and they failed badly), if they have bowled him like any other batsman he wouldn't have crossed more than 10 runs

 

[gazza619]

OMG. Are we this bad now that Shadab will be our no.4?

Please can we not focus on bits and pieces players.

Shadab’s has been a weak link in the Pakistan side for quite a while now. He would do well to get back his bowling rhythm and also become a solid no.8 batsman.

 

[Waleed93]

Not at all.

He doesn't deserve to be a part of the team and we are thinking about him batting at No.4. He is a poor batsman who needs to work really hard to play as a specialist batsman. At the moment, he can't play the role of an anchor as he doesn't have the ability to survive or score at a run a ball against any decent bowler, and he can't assume the responsibility of a power-hitter, his pathetic ODI strike rate of 66 shows it.

His bowling is mediocre and nothing special either. Yesterday's fluke innings doesn't matter much if he can't repeat even 30% of that innings in international games.

 

[Markhor]

This after one innings ?

We have descended to appalling depths as a cricket nation if Shadab is being touted as a number 4 batsman given the greats we've had in that position over the years.

 

[Hawkeye]

Nope.

Need Umar Akmal-like or Haceez-like stroke makers and dynamic batsmen there in T20s.

Who do we have? Let's see.

Apart from Hafeez, I don't see anyone.

Very weak batting lineup.

 

[Hawkeye]

This after one innings ?

We have descended to appalling depths as a cricket nation if Shadab is being touted as a number 4 batsman given the greats we've had in that position over the years.

Given the greats? Ok, who are those greats who batted at #4 in T20s for Pakistan?

We're very curious to know Markhor bhai.

 

[MMHS]

This after one innings ?

We have descended to appalling depths as a cricket nation if Shadab is being touted as a number 4 batsman given the greats we've had in that position over the years.

It’s the PSL impact ........

 

[FreePalestine]

T20 is a different game. Strike rates are more important than averages. Without a doubt, there will be way more capable no. 4’s in different teams around the world, but his style of batting would undoubtedly be more suited to no. 4 than no. 8, if he has to play in the side as an a/r, which, atm, he does. Actually, he is more than capable of rotating strike and going at a run a ball. The real weakness in his game is the lack of power hitting. I don’t think this deficiency can ever be fully overcome, but he clearly does have a decent range of strokes and seems to be the type of batsmen who needs to go at a run-a-ball for his first ten deliveries or so before trying to hit big shots. This is not possible at 8, but with Pakistan’s brittle line-up, prone to collapses, batsmen who are capable of ‘building an innings’, may be able to do a job. Whether he can do it in Australia against international bowlers remains to be seen. But one thing is undoubtedly clear in my mind - he cannot perform the role of a lower order hitter.

 

[shahidbhai]

Hahahaha... off 1 performance, where apart from a few shots he was literally just slogging, and lucky to still be out there?

Lets all just calm down...take a breath before we get overly excited and make him t20 world cup captain of Pakistan or something.

Thanks for posting the question, definitely did make me LOL.

 

[PakPremi]

Shadab is a very useful player but for T20 internationals has to bat at 7 or 8 for Pakistan.
Good to see his bowling and batting returning to his normal quality standards.

 

[Titan24]

No cant be given a fixed position in top six but surely can be rotated based upon match situation and team requirements.

 

[Baigel]

Did we forget, he was caught behind and no one appealed. And then, he was caught of a no ball?

 

[Pakhs]

He is a handy batsmen who should be used either at 6 if few overs are remaining or not used at all (drop down the order) to accommodate further hitters. He could also be used as a pinch hitter along with Babar azam against stronger attack just as bonus if he clicks.

But overall he needs to fulfill his potential with the bat in 50 over ODIs and maybe in tests as a second spinner who can bat in subcontinent.

 

[SensiblePakFan]

He needs to start bowling well before even thinking about batting

 

[Rana]

He needs to start bowling well before even thinking about batting

Tbh no I disagree.

If he feels he can become a good batsman then he needs to express himself more. Steve Smith did start off as a leg spinner who could bat, look at how that turned out. Not saying Shadab will become our Smith, but if he reckons he can bat, I wouldn’t hold it against him for not bowling well.

 

[Abdullah719]

He mentioned that the plan was for him to come in at #4 if they lost a couple of early wickets in the powerplay. Basically as a pinch-hitter. So no, but he can be utilised in a similar role at times, if needed.

 

[ARK Rafay]

OMG. Are we this bad now that Shadab will be our no.4?

Please can we not focus on bits and pieces players.

Shadab’s has been a weak link in the Pakistan side for quite a while now. He would do well to get back his bowling rhythm and also become a solid no.8 batsman.

This.

One guy plays a good innings, he is the best player we have in that position. He should play for Pakistan.
One bad game. He is such a poor player, should be dropped from the side immediately or sometimes he should never play in PSL.

Pakistani fans are just....

 

[FreePalestine]

OK, lol, everyone seems to be heavily disagreeing with me on this, so will accept the hive mind’s criticisms. Especially the very reasonable people above who have said you cannot extrapolate based on one innings. I think this is fair enough.

Still have not figured out what we are going to do with Shadab. My main problem has still not been addressed -

He does not have the power game to bat at no. 8

Actually he is naturally an accumulator and not a power-hitter at all. That is why I thought a promotion in a team that collapses more often than not might help him play an accumulator role, going for bigger shots after he has faced 10 balls or so. This is not an assessment based on one innings. I have seen him bat multiple times (including his test fifties) and so I know that he is better at accumulation and strike rotation than he is at hitting big sixes, so he should not be batting at 8, which can become a crunch position in T20 cricket.

 

[aukhan]

Shadab the fraud all rounder will not fool me. Imad who i don't rate highly has out performed him consistently in the last 1 year.

 

[Rellu_Katta]

1 inning and we are all shouting abt him being the all-rounder....

let him play the PSL season and then some in international cricket

i would much rather have him being the premier spinner who picks wickets in the middle of the innings than a bits n pieces player

he could be looking to go Smitthy way (his idol was steve smith to begin with) but for that he needs to out-perform babar and harris and Shan and Abid and rizwan.... highly doubt it though

 

[Hasan123]

His batting seems better suited to tests than LO. Look at his strike rate in ODIs. His batting and bowling really haven't developed for the amount of time been invested in him if we are really being honest.

 

[Titan24]

His batting seems better suited to tests than LO. Look at his strike rate in ODIs. His batting and bowling really haven't developed for the amount of time been invested in him if we are really being honest.

I guess he was never known for his big hitting even in his younger days and that is what is required at no 8. Its good that he is working a bit on his stroke play by the looks of it. Same was the case with Faheem, problem with Pak has been expectations vs development and preparation. Shadab and Faheem were assumed to start hitting in lower order which was never possible without developing their game accordingly.

 

[angrypathan]

I guess he was never known for his big hitting even in his younger days and that is what is required at no 8. Its good that he is working a bit on his stroke play by the looks of it. Same was the case with Faheem, problem with Pak has been expectations vs development and preparation. Shadab and Faheem were assumed to start hitting in lower order which was never possible without developing their game accordingly.

Faheem isn't good at accumulation either. He's just a very ordinary batsman who can hit the ball when it's rarely in his arc

 

[silent ischemia]

Faheem isn't good at accumulation either. He's just a very ordinary batsman who can hit the ball when it's rarely in his arc

I agree. It was Micky's obsession with Faheem to make him an all-rounder that he has been given an extended run, otherwise Yamin is much better option

 

[Titan24]

Faheem isn't good at accumulation either. He's just a very ordinary batsman who can hit the ball when it's rarely in his arc

Yes he has limited technique as of now but his domestic record shows he is a better longer format batsman and even his limited test record also shows that. However, due to an outlier innings against BD in a warm up match before CT17 made management and people think that he is a big hitter of the ball which he never was other than bowl is completely in his arc as you have mentioned. He does play some unexpected and impressive strokes on off side though on occasions.

Since that CT17 warm up match he was made to play catch up to the player he was assumed to be. I hope he is working on his range and power hitting as that is a basic requirement for any all rounder who bats at 7 or 8.

 

[TeymurBlake]

He needs to play in the top order more to warrant a place in that spot for the international team. Right now he's better suited to either No.7 or No.8. The problem with this then becomes the lack of power hitters down the order for LOI which we don't have anyone for at all. We've tried Asif, Faheem, Shadab and Aamir Yamin. Yet the management have yet to be satisfied with any of them despite not giving Aamir Yamin more opportunities. Khushdil Shah seems to be the player up but we will have to wait and see how he does. As for Shadab, I probably would have him as No.8 but I'm personally not sure If would him the LOI sides right now.

 

[FastBowlingAllrounder]

T20 is a different game. Strike rates are more important than averages. Without a doubt, there will be way more capable no. 4’s in different teams around the world, but his style of batting would undoubtedly be more suited to no. 4 than no. 8, if he has to play in the side as an a/r, which, atm, he does. Actually, he is more than capable of rotating strike and going at a run a ball. The real weakness in his game is the lack of power hitting. I don’t think this deficiency can ever be fully overcome, but he clearly does have a decent range of strokes and seems to be the type of batsmen who needs to go at a run-a-ball for his first ten deliveries or so before trying to hit big shots. This is not possible at 8, but with Pakistan’s brittle line-up, prone to collapses, batsmen who are capable of ‘building an innings’, may be able to do a job. Whether he can do it in Australia against international bowlers remains to be seen. But one thing is undoubtedly clear in my mind - he cannot perform the role of a lower order hitter.

Shadab isn't a sustainable 'anchor the innings' type of batsman. We already have Babar to do that role and then on top of that we're forced to fit Rizwan into our XI for international T20's. If he gets a run a ball 10 every time he comes in at #4 we will be under pressure and then everyone will form a queue to get out before we know it.

What we need is a genuine batsman who can attack. Simply put, if you hit the bad balls to the fence and the good balls to the gaps then that's it. Somehow due to our inept structure we have been unable to produce such a batsman barring Babar.

 

[MMHS]

Shadab is wasting his opportunity and that 56 in a T20 can only dilute his thought process.

He is not a batsman and he won't be one ever, who can average 35-38 in Test/ODI. Skill/technique can be improved with experience and practice, but the psychology/mindset doesn't change - Shadab isn't a guy who can grind out first hour to survive and then cash on a hundred.

His best bet is to become a quality leggi,’cement his place in the playing XI on leg-spin merit and then bring marginal improvement in his batting so that that he can contribute from No. 8 or may be 7. He should sharpen his attacking batting, so that against tiered attack he can add quick fire 35 before 2nd new ball and then focus on bowling. At present, he isn't moving in any direction, but backwards - his batting isn't good enough to be 6th batsman; bowling isn't good enough to be 4th bowler (1st spiner). So, he is trying for the most useless role of cricket - 7th batsman & 5th bowler (2nd/3rd spinner).

In fact, if had this guy Yasir focused on his fitness & batting few years earlier, would have comfortably kept Shadab out of all 3 formats, because a full fit Yasir is a brilliant bowler and last Australia your does suggest that guy had much higher batting ceiling had he put heat & sweat in it.

 

[shah_1]

MMHS is 100%

Plus leg spinner can never be bit and pieces bowlers like finger spinners, you have to be good enogh as front line bowler alone. His batting is added bnous.

 

[Hawkeye]

He needs to play in the top order more to warrant a place in that spot for the international team. Right now he's better suited to either No.7 or No.8. The problem with this then becomes the lack of power hitters down the order for LOI which we don't have anyone for at all. We've tried Asif, Faheem, Shadab and Aamir Yamin. Yet the management have yet to be satisfied with any of them despite not giving Aamir Yamin more opportunities. Khushdil Shah seems to be the player up but we will have to wait and see how he does. As for Shadab, I probably would have him as No.8 but I'm personally not sure If would him the LOI sides right now.

There's no genuine late order hitter in PAK.

Currently they're relying on Imad and Shadab but both are trash. Can't play this role properly.

Yamin and Khushdil are even worse.

 

[iniqbal223]

You need late order batsmen , if your top order batsmen are rubbish. If we take an example of India for that matter or great Australian team, their top 3 or 4 do amazing job in seeing new ball, knows when to accelerate and how to do that. If I recall they hardly have consistent late order hitter. And very rarely they won the match because of late order hitting (except that fluke innings from Dinesh Karthik who smacked Soumya Sarkar, poor captaincy from BD).

India had MSD, and Great Australian team had Bevan, and Hussey (later) to play sensibly with tail enders, rather than swinging wildly, and lose games... We truly misinterpreted the definition of lower order batsmen, and wasted our time in looking for power hitters.

In ODIs, You would need late order hitter only 1 in 10 matches. In other 9 matches, either he will come too early, or will be too late and too much for him to do any thing. So, team management should stop wasting spots on likes of Asif Ali as specialist late order batsmen. Hasan Ali could or Wahab could do better job if needed to be.

In T20s, again you have to have your top 6 going, and to contribute enough to win the game, rather than saying we have power hitter and will come to save us. In my last 30 + years of cricket watching, only Lance Klusner/ MSD (to some extent) were someone who could be labelled as best late order hitter, he knew how to play with the tail enders, and they had power and more importantly brain, and calmness to get the job done. We can not expect that kind of awareness, skills, maturity and calmness from Umar Akmals, Asia Alis's etc. They have not grown yet to a level to get the job done for you. Might hit some fancy boundaries to tell the world they have potential, but that potential of what use if you can not win games for your country.

In summary : We should not focus only on 1 power hitting spot as a matter of big concern, we still have 5 spots in top 6 that are up for grabs for good batsmen. If your top 6 can't do the job for you, then don't expect anything from 7th batsman, that will be pure gamble.

 

[iniqbal223]

You do not need late order batsmen , if your top order batsmen are rubbish. If we take an example of India or great Australian team, their top 3 or 4 do amazing job in seeing new ball, knows when to accelerate and how to do that. If I recall they hardly have consistent late order hitters. Yuvi played role at #4 or #5 most of the time. MS in his days came at # 5 or #6. And very rarely they won the match because of late order hitting (except that fluke innings from Dinesh Karthik who smacked Soumya Sarkar, poor captaincy from BD).

India had MSD, and Great Australian team had Bevan, and Hussey (later) to play sensibly with tail enders, rather than swinging wildly, and lose games... We truly misinterpreted the definition of lower order batsmen, and wasted our time in looking for power hitters.

In ODIs, You would need late order hitter only 1 in 10 matches. In other 9 matches, either he will come too early, or will be too late and too much for him to do any thing. So, team management should stop wasting spots on likes of Asif Ali as specialist late order batsmen. Hasan Ali, Amir or Wahab could do better job if tasked with 30 runs in 3 overs like situation. I don't expect Asif Ali to do any good in that case.

In T20s, you have to have your top 6 going, and to contribute enough to win the game, rather than saying we have power hitter and will come to save us. In my last 30 + years of cricket watching, only Lance Klusner/ MSD (to some extent) were someone who could be labelled as best late order hitter with huge impact. They knew how to play with the tail enders, and they had power and more importantly brain, and calmness to get the job done. We can not expect that kind of awareness, skills, maturity and calmness from Umar Akmals, Asia Alis's etc. Can we?? They have not grown yet in all these years to a level to get the job done for you. Might hit some fancy boundaries to tell the world they have potential, but that potential of what use if that can not win games for your country.

In summary : We should not focus only on 1 power hitting spot as a matter of big concern, we still have 5 spots in top 6 that are up for grabs for good batsmen. If your top 6 can't do the job for you, then don't expect anything from 7th batsman, that will be pure gamble.

. At the moment, I don't see any power hitter in Pakistan better than Hafeez/ Malik.. I know people will not like it. But I think they are better in playing old ball rather than trying to survive swinging ball. And they are good at against spin bowling too..

 

[Markhor]

There's no genuine late order hitter in PAK.

Currently they're relying on Imad and Shadab but both are trash. Can't play this role properly.

Yamin and Khushdil are even worse.

Imad averaged 47 at SR of 131 in ODIs in 2019. There's no comparison with Shadab !

 

[Hawkeye]

Imad averaged 47 at SR of 131 in ODIs in 2019. There's no comparison with Shadab !

And Pak is ranked #1 in T20s. Fakhar Zaman averages over 40.

These are all laughable things with no substance.

You, I or anyone else will never trust Imad to be our late order hitter. That's because he can only hit loose deliveries that are in the slot.

Just like Anwar Ali won us an impossible match. He's no better than Anwar Ali as a hitter.

 

[FreePalestine]

Shadab isn't a sustainable 'anchor the innings' type of batsman. We already have Babar to do that role and then on top of that we're forced to fit Rizwan into our XI for international T20's. If he gets a run a ball 10 every time he comes in at #4 we will be under pressure and then everyone will form a queue to get out before we know it.

What we need is a genuine batsman who can attack. Simply put, if you hit the bad balls to the fence and the good balls to the gaps then that's it. Somehow due to our inept structure we have been unable to produce such a batsman barring Babar.

Yes, actually I agree with you. Also it is difficult to accomodate both Shadab and Rizwan in the side, especially if they are both going to bat in the lower order. They need an explosve wicket keeper batsman badly. Problem is Kamran can’t keep. I think Sarfraz might be the best bet for T20 world cup and he can bat in the lower order (though not ideal). If we had a hard-hitting wk batsman (someone like Azam Khan) then you could keep Shadab at 8, and have Malik, Iftikhar, Azam Khan (wk), Imad for example.

But I agree that Shadab is an inadequate no. 4. And, actually, if you had a hard hitting wk batsman who was ready for intl cricket, you can keep Shadab lower down. If Rizwan is playing, don’t think you can have both of them in the lower order. The batting line up is a real mess and we do not have a hard hitting no. 4 in the current Pak batting line up.

 

[FastBowlingAllrounder]

Yes, actually I agree with you. Also it is difficult to accomodate both Shadab and Rizwan in the side, especially if they are both going to bat in the lower order. They need an explosve wicket keeper batsman badly. Problem is Kamran can’t keep. I think Sarfraz might be the best bet for T20 world cup and he can bat in the lower order (though not ideal). If we had a hard-hitting wk batsman (someone like Azam Khan) then you could keep Shadab at 8, and have Malik, Iftikhar, Azam Khan (wk), Imad for example.

But I agree that Shadab is an inadequate no. 4. And, actually, if you had a hard hitting wk batsman who was ready for intl cricket, you can keep Shadab lower down. If Rizwan is playing, don’t think you can have both of them in the lower order. The batting line up is a real mess and we do not have a hard hitting no. 4 in the current Pak batting line up.

Yes, furthermore, Rizwan is most likely going to play WCT20. It will be difficult to get Azam Khan into the side to quickly - we usually rush players and the result is never good. Also, he might not perform that well in Aus.

 

[FreePalestine]

Yes, furthermore, Rizwan is most likely going to play WCT20. It will be difficult to get Azam Khan into the side to quickly - we usually rush players and the result is never good. Also, he might not perform that well in Aus.

I have a feeling Sarfraz might go ahead of Rizwan. I think it would be the right decision if he has a good PSL. He seems fitter and more focussed on his batting. Yes, of course, they should not rush Azam Khan. We haven’t even seen how well he keeps yet.

 

[TeymurBlake]

There's no genuine late order hitter in PAK.

Currently they're relying on Imad and Shadab but both are trash. Can't play this role properly.

Yamin and Khushdil are even worse.

I don't think Yamin is a bad option, I just think the lack of opportunities given to him were awful and Imad has been good but his shot selection is limited. As for the Khushdil, I'm still not sure about him honestly, I feel like there is a sense of desperation with him to work out for Pakistan, but deep down I think we should try and find other hitters. One I'm not against trying is maybe Zeeshan Ashraf.