"Sharjeel Khan and Babar Azam are pivotal to where we go with our One-Day team now" : Mickey Arthur

[MenInG]

"Sharjeel Khan and Babar Azam are pivotal to where we go with our One-Day team now" : Mickey Arthur

Pakistan Head Coach speaking to the press at the end of the final game of the tour

"Yes, it was a disappointment as we came into this tour thinking we had a real chance in Test matches but we are still a fledgling side in One-Day games"

"There are some gaps in our One-Day side which we need to work to hard to fill; We are ranked 8th in ODIs and you can see the reason for the gap between us and the side rated 1"

"There are so many positives; I thought we batted extremely well on this tour, which for a team outside the sub-continent doesn't happen that often"

"We have worked on our fielding so hard and in the 7 months that my staff and I have been around, this has been a priority"

"Our fitness levels have improved a lot but we are way behind the rest of the pack"

"Fitness and fielding will be priority before we go to the tour of the West Indies"

"We will have a chance to have a camp after the PSL and we intend to put in a hell of a lot of work in that regard (fielding/fitness) because we are just not up to the mark in these areas"

"With the ball and the bat, we compete perfectly well"

"David Warner and our fielding has probably been the key difference between the two teams"

"As a team we take three steps forward and then take step and half back"

"It true and its not an excuse as that's the way how it it is but fatigue has played a major role and as you can see, the guys are mentally tired"

"There is absolute unity in the team and I can't fault the guys for their work ethic; the team has bonded well and they are an extremely pleasant bunch of guys to work with"

"If you look at the strike rates of our guys, they tend to be in the mid 70s or so; For them to chase 300+ scores they need to be playing above the strike rates they have been playing all their careers"

"But Sharjeel Khan is different; he gives us that start and gives us that momentum"

"I was quite hard on Sharjeel Khan after the Brisbane ODI but since then, he has played extremely well for us"

"Tonight's innings was the best that Sharjeel Khan has ever played; One thing he can do is hit boundaries and he hit these at will"

"With Sharjeel going like that it helps Babar play his natural game"

"I have made a lot of statements about Babar Azam but let me say that he will be an outstanding player and he will score a lot of runs for Pakistan"

"In terms of us building a good One-Day unit they [Sharjeel Khan & Babar Azam] are pivotal to where we go with our team now"

 

[Chief Destroyer]

Loving Sharjeel and Babar's partnership. This was as good an attack they're going to face. Now they know they belong.

Need to open Umar with Sharjeel now.

 

[Syed1]

I hope Mickey sits down with Inzi after the PSL and drafts a list of youngsters we need to induct from the Windies series. Mickey is the coach for KK (which is a huge conflict of interest btw) and should have a closer look at someone like Shahzaib Hasan who is scheduled to open for KK.

We desperately need batsmen who can play at a good click and I don't mean just smacking boundaries. Learn from the Aussies, they hardly played any dots last match. That's how you play modern cricket, aim to get 1 or more off of every single delivery.

 

[MRSN]

Loving Sharjeel and Babar's partnership. This was as good an attack they're going to face. Now they know they belong.

Need to open Umar with Sharjeel now.

Sharjeel,Baber,Umar showed they belong to today's cricket as they handled the extreme pace very well..on the other end Hafeez looked like he is always going to get against any little movement,Rizwan and Azhar seemed they were playing some test match and Malik didn't inspire much confidence either.

 

[Mamoon]

Add Haris and another dynamic opener and we can have best LOI top-order in more than a decade, which is why I believe that we are slowly but surely getting better in the shorter formats.

 

[Chief Destroyer]

Sharjeel,Baber,Umar showed they belong to today's cricket as they handled the extreme pace very well..on the other end Hafeez looked like he is always going to get against any little movement,Rizwan and Azhar seemed they were playing some test match and Malik didn't inspire much confidence either.

Yes, they're leagues above the rest.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

Sharjeel,Baber,Umar showed they belong to today's cricket as they handled the extreme pace very well..on the other end Hafeez looked like he is always going to get against any little movement,Rizwan and Azhar seemed they were playing some test match and Malik didn't inspire much confidence either.

Every time Umar scores a decent score he survived early glitches like dropped catches, runouts. Only his age is with him and he can still improve that is the only hope with this hack presumed to be a world class talent

 

[srh]

Sharjeel,Baber,Umar showed they belong to today's cricket as they handled the extreme pace very well..on the other end Hafeez looked like he is always going to get against any little movement,Rizwan and Azhar seemed they were playing some test match and Malik didn't inspire much confidence either.

Arthur did not mention Umar.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

Add Haris and another dynamic opener and we can have best LOI top-order in more than a decade, which is why I believe that we are slowly but surely getting better in the shorter formats.

Yes having Haris and shahzaib as an opener will bring some more fire power and balance to this lineup. They should also try to fix the lower order. I feel they should take Hammad Azar and Usama Mir as lower order hitters and allrounders in the team. I think Imad will fade away with his darting as he is not spinning as much as nawaz. Let's see what magic can PSL do

 

[Bilal7]

Sharjeel, Babar, Akmal and Sarfaraz need to be regulars in the ODI team and batting in the top five. Sandwich them between a classical opener in the mould of Amla and a #6 like Raina and you have a powerhouse batting unit as good as any in the world.

 

[Markhor]

Add Haris and another dynamic opener and we can have best LOI top-order in more than a decade, which is why I believe that we are slowly but surely getting better in the shorter formats.

Agreed, there have been some green shoots of recovery. One only has to be a blind Waqar fan to see otherwise.

We're batting with a more positive approach despite loss of Sarfraz which was big blow to our middle order. Arthur's been proven right in giving Sharjeel and Babar a long run in the top order.

The Sydney and Adelaide ODIs were very winnable had we taken our catches and restricted Australia to more chaseable 300-310 totals. Shambolic fielding inflated their scores in the last two ODIs. We staved off the whitewash everyone was predicting and we have a clear idea of the players we need to persist with and those we need to discard.

Arthur must be given time now to assess the domestic talent which he hasn't done as he's been on the road non-stop and let him rebuild the team after the shambles of the last three years.

 

[Syed1]

Add Haris and another dynamic opener and we can have best LOI top-order in more than a decade, which is why I believe that we are slowly but surely getting better in the shorter formats.

There is no evidence that Haris will be even 50% of the batsman he was before his injury. We will have to see how he fares in the PSL. Should really have played in the domestic ODI tournament.

 

[Nado_]

Add Haris and another dynamic opener and we can have best LOI top-order in more than a decade, which is why I believe that we are slowly but surely getting better in the shorter formats.

I agree with you can be a regular and stable top order but the big question is who will be the other dynamic opener?? If Ahmed shehzad has truely improved his game (in strike roration) what about him?

 

[Mamoon]

The Apocalypse and Pakistan cricket's death didn't last long, eh? )

Pakistan will remain mediocre because the gulf between us and the other top teams is still too great. In this series, we played our best ODI cricket (batting wise) in a long time yet we ended up getting thrashed 4-1.

We will continue to get thrashed against Australia, India, England and SA, but at least we can put up 300+ scores now which was a pipe dream 3-4 years ago.

In Test cricket, we are in free fall as well and are at our rightful position of 6th.

Our improvement in ODIs and T20s is relative. I think we are heading back to the 2000s where we were better in LOIs compared to Tests, but unless we produce 3-4 world class players out of nowhere, we will continue to be mediocre in all three formats, but slightly better in the shorter ones.

This tour has been a big reality check for our deluded fans who thought we would beat the unsettled Aussies and Yasir will run rings around them. Our bowling got badly exposed, especially Yasir who got whooped like there is no tomorrow.

 

[Hasan123]

Need to replace Azhar with a dynamic opener, Umar or Shazaib could be the answer sure they'll both do better than Azhar anyway. Hopefully Harris can get back to full fitness and we can slot him at 4. It's clear we are making some progress in LO formats, sharjeel is giving us some impetus at the start of the innings. Babar is proving to be a solid number 3. The bowling has been okay, the fielding has been awful and has made our bowlers figures even worse with fumbles and dropped catches. If we make the changes I mentioned, improve our fielding,and make Sarfraz the captain I think we'll become a very good LO team.


Interested to know if this fielding camp will have an impact or not. [MENTION=79064]MMHS[/MENTION] your thoughts on the camp?

 

[Pakpak]

Add Haris and another dynamic opener and we can have best LOI top-order in more than a decade, which is why I believe that we are slowly but surely getting better in the shorter formats.

I don't know what drink you've had in your recent absence on PP but you've come back a poster who I rarely disagree with.

I think in ODIs our batting, not bowling is a concern. Every team gets whacked around but then they also whack the other side too. We don't

 

[ExpressPacer]

I don't understand the hate for Mickey by some posters. He's a top coach and an extreme professional. The way he's analysed the situation is absolutely great. I don't know what fans were expecting of him. You can get the best coach in the world but taking a 9th ranked team to beating the bests at home is a gradual process.

 

[Pete Rose]

I think it's so exciting to rebuild a team. I was disappointed by this tour, naturally. But the fact that we are gonna be inducting at least three new batsmen in the line up is going to be intriguing. So much to look forward to in the upcoming psl.
On Haris, not sold on his fitness at all, so will reserve judgment. Potentially Shahazeb or Awais coming could be a very explosive line up. Just throwing out a wildcard but I think Iftikhar Ahmed deserves a look-in.
And most importantly the inclusion of Sharjeel in the test team.

 

[yasir]

Lets hope PSL 2 gave us one batsman like Sharjeel and atleast one 143/145K bowler, we desperately need better players, current lot is awful, lets hope Shazab or somebody else comes up good...

Sharjeel, Babar and Harris are good hope for LOIs, I wish Waqar and Misbah had not ruined NJ and Umar, I bet you they would have ruined Sharjeel too, credit where it is due, It's because of Mickey we have seen guys like Sami, Sharjeel, Babar, Hasan and even Amir this year...He gives them lot of confidence and pushes them to raise their game...Misbah was all about bringing back OLD friends and seniors(from domestic) in to the team


You can also see PCB attitude, so much praise all the time for Misbah and YK, as if world is going to end after they retire...Give me a Fricking Break, they are huge part of the problem, should have gone two years ago, Pakistan did not prepared for these tour properly...Hanging on to too old of a team, Babar, Sami, Harris should have played 10+ test before this year...Culture Misbah has created is really disgusting, Pakistan is such a sissy team right, we cannot play fast bowling, we cannot produce fast bowling, forget about producing, even after Captaining 50 test, he has no clue how to use fast bowlers....You can see why, both Misbah and YK are so good against fast bowlers, they wanted to make sure their strength is heavily exploited at home

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Hopefully we are finally coming round to the fact that the days of building innings patiently for 40 overs then hoping for a blitz at the end are over. Keep the test match specialists for the test matches please. It's not that difficult to figure out.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

Where are the fast bowling all rounders? Previously pakistan used to have atleast one of them in the team.

 

[Markhor]

Lets hope PSL 2 gave us one batsman like Sharjeel and atleast one 143/145K bowler, we desperately need better players, current lot is awful, lets hope Shazab or somebody else comes up good...

Sharjeel, Babar and Harris are good hope for LOIs, I wish Waqar and Misbah had not ruined NJ and Umar, I bet you they would have ruined Sharjeel too, credit where it is due, It's because of Mickey we have seen guys like Sami, Sharjeel, Babar, Hasan and even Amir this year...He gives them lot of confidence and pushes them to raise their game...Misbah was all about bringing back OLD friends and seniors(from domestic) in to the team


You can also see PCB attitude, so much praise all the time for Misbah and YK, as if world is going to end after they retire...Give me a Fricking Break, they are huge part of the problem, should have gone two years ago, Pakistan did not prepared for these tour properly...Hanging on to too old of a team, Babar, Sami, Harris should have played 10+ test before this year...Culture Misbah has created is really disgusting, Pakistan is such a sissy team right, we cannot play fast bowling, we cannot produce fast bowling, forget about producing, even after Captaining 50 test, he has no clue how to use fast bowlers....You can see why, both Misbah and YK are so good against fast bowlers, they wanted to make sure their strength is heavily exploited at home

That's not down to Younis or Misbah - the whole domestic culture is to blame. Look at the leading FC run scorers and many are limited front foot players, weak on the back foot, play for survival and bash spin.

When you play on unprepared, damp surfaces with little pace or bounce in conditions offering excessive seam and swing, against a substandard ball that offers extravagant movement, then you kill off the strokemakers and encourage the survivalists.

The average QEA Trophy 1st inns score was 279 this season. That's lower than the recent Div 1 County Championship and the Sheffield Shield seasons where the avg score was 334 and 300 respectively. 45% of QEA 1st inns scores are below 250 ! So you can see how skewed our domestic cricket is towards bowlers.

That's also why we're not producing quality pacers - any mediocre seamer can land the ball on a length and just let the conditions do all the work. No wonder we've a generation of seamers with no skill in bowling with the new ball.

 

[Seamer]

This can be a goodlineup for the WI tour and champions trophy:

1. Sharjeel Khan
2. Shahzeb Hasan
3. Babar Azam
4. Haris Sohail
5. Sarfaraz
6. Umar Akmal
7. Imad Wasim
8. Aamer Yamin
9. Amir
10. Hassan Ali
11. Junaid Khan

 

[MRSN]

Every time Umar scores a decent score he survived early glitches like dropped catches, runouts. Only his age is with him and he can still improve that is the only hope with this hack presumed to be a world class talent

chances are one thing but possessing the ability to take on world's best bowling attack is what separates him from the hacks like Khalid,Khurrum,Awais,Iftikhar and decent batsmen but lacking skills like Fawad,Rizwan. At the end of the day you won't be facing Sri Lankan,Zim,BD attacks forever so we need to back and hope players like Umar Akmal develop into success story. Our only hope of ODI resurgence lies in players like Umar,Sharjeel and Baber.

 

[MRSN]

This can be a goodlineup for the WI tour and champions trophy:

1. Sharjeel Khan
2. Shahzeb Hasan
3. Babar Azam
4. Haris Sohail
5. Sarfaraz
6. Umar Akmal
7. Imad Wasim
8. Aamer Yamin
9. Amir
10. Hassan Ali
11. Junaid Khan

That's the best batting line up available in Pakistan..but are you sure Aamer Yamin can bowl 10 overs?

 

[JibranAnsari]

Three openers

Sharjeel
Shahzeb
Fakhar ( he can bowl as well)

3 babar
4 haris
5 Sarfraz
6 akmal/latif/saad ali
7 imad/yamin (according to wicket)
8 Amir
9 Hassan
10 Zafar Gohar
11 Junaid

I think Pakistan should have a specialist spinner in the side , they give our bowling a lot more control. We need to find out a couple of more fast bowlers for odis. Personally I like Zia ul Haq though his performance off late have not been great and is erratic at times but I Feel that he can improve a lot under proper supervision.

 

[Hawkeye]

Sharjeel, Babar, Akmal and Sarfaraz need to be regulars in the ODI team and batting in the top five. Sandwich them between a classical opener in the mould of Amla and a #6 like Raina and you have a powerhouse batting unit as good as any in the world.

Lol. )

Sharjeel, Babar and Umar Akmal are GOLD for Pakistan.

Sarfraz Ahmed does not belong in LOIs. He's marginally better than other accumulators like Malik, Hafeez, Azhar.

Please.

But he can still be played because we don't have other dynamic options.

 

[Syed1]

Lol. )

Sharjeel, Babar and Umar Akmal are GOLD for Pakistan.

Sarfraz Ahmed does not belong in LOIs. He's marginally better than other accumulators like Malik, Hafeez, Azhar.

Please.

But he can still be played because we don't have other dynamic options.

In the last 2 years, these are both players stats:

Umar Akmal : Average: 26, Strike Rate: 80

Sarfaraz Ahmed: Average: 42, Strike Rate: 90


Sarfaraz Ahmed wipes the floor with talented batsman.

 

[Ami]

We need a complete re-think...and that HAS to happen.

Im not sure if the PCB, Mickey or Inzy are bold enough.

They need to sit down and select horses for courses type players...now everyone in the world knows that.

But the fact is, that it just wont happen...because even though Mickey might have the team's best interests at heart, people like Inzy, SK, and the rest wont allow it to happen.

People like Hafeez, Malik, Azhar etc are bigger than the game...slight discomfort and they'll make a trip to the PM.

"Hamay bachao..hum marr gaye"...kind of sorry selfish attitude.

So despite all the BS now...it just wont happen cos none of these blokes play for Pakistan, they play for themselves.

They're the most selfish, self centred, talentless no hopers who ever walked across this earth!

(By the way I'm a Pak supporter)

 

[JibranAnsari]

Lol. )

Sharjeel, Babar and Umar Akmal are GOLD for Pakistan.

Sarfraz Ahmed does not belong in LOIs. He's marginally better than other accumulators like Malik, Hafeez, Azhar.

Please.

But he can still be played because we don't have other dynamic options.

He does not have big shots but he can't be bogged down. He can't bat below number 5 though.

 

[MRSN]

Lol. )

Sharjeel, Babar and Umar Akmal are GOLD for Pakistan.

Sarfraz Ahmed does not belong in LOIs. He's marginally better than other accumulators like Malik, Hafeez, Azhar.

Please.

But he can still be played because we don't have other dynamic options.

He gets into the team because he is a keeper as well albeit not the best keeper but he does the job.

As I think Ian Healey and Chappell said during the commentary that Pakistan have too many accumulators in their team like Azhar,Baber,Malik,Hafeez. This needs to be changed. This series was clear evidence that this side can't chase 300+ totals because of so many accumulators.

It'll be very very interesting what team does Inzi select for next ODI series.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

In the last 2 years, these are both players stats:

Umar Akmal : Average: 26, Strike Rate: 80

Sarfaraz Ahmed: Average: 42, Strike Rate: 90


Sarfaraz Ahmed wipes the floor with talented batsman.

no matter what and how people like azhar and sarfraz perform , they cant get rid of UA and AS from their minds...

 

[Syed1]

no matter what and how people like azhar and sarfraz perform , they cant get rid of UA and AS from their minds...

Yeah because they are aggressive

Even though the accumulator has better strike rate than them

 

[JibranAnsari]

Yeah because they are aggressive

Even though the accumulator has better strike rate than them

Sarfraz is so underrated , he probably has the 2nd best strike rate after sharjeel in the team. Averages 42 and sr of 91 after his return in 2014. The guy performed at opening position and hasn't done badly down the order , he has no problem with the batting position unlike some other players. That's platinum quality player here for us.

 

[MRSN]

no matter what and how people like azhar and sarfraz perform , they cant get rid of UA and AS from their minds...

mentality like this is the reason why we sit at no.8

scoring runs is one thing but scoring them according to the team's need and with the skills especially for ODI is another thing.

Azhar is completely hopeless in ODIs but Sarfraz can play the spin very well and he can at worst times rotate the strike. Azhar is just like Misbah. Once his tuk tuk mode is on he will only play an ugly hoick to improve his strike rate. If you check the no. of dot balls played by Pakistani batsmen in ODIs in last 2 years Azhar leads by far.

 

[wasimjunior]

Sharjeel,Baber,Umar showed they belong to today's cricket as they handled the extreme pace very well..on the other end Hafeez looked like he is always going to get against any little movement,Rizwan and Azhar seemed they were playing some test match and Malik didn't inspire much confidence either.

Both Limited Overs teams need to be based on
1)Sharjeel
2)Umar
3)Babar

Umar needs to lose weight and stop the slogging though.

 

[marlonbrowndo]

Well said Mickey. Has to be

Sharjeel
Umar
Babar

In both ODIs and t20s

 

[London_Lahori]

I'd either try Umar as an opener to experiment or bring Shazaib in.

Harris has to come into the side once fit and I'd be in favour of Hammad Azam being given a long overdue chance.

 

[fasihulhaq94]

Sharjeel,Baber,Umar showed they belong to today's cricket as they handled the extreme pace very well..on the other end Hafeez looked like he is always going to get against any little movement,Rizwan and Azhar seemed they were playing some test match and Malik didn't inspire much confidence either.

lol at snidely attaching akmal's name with the other two

 

[Hawkeye]

In the last 2 years, these are both players stats:

Umar Akmal : Average: 26, Strike Rate: 80

Sarfaraz Ahmed: Average: 42, Strike Rate: 90


Sarfaraz Ahmed wipes the floor with talented batsman.

He does not have big shots but he can't be bogged down. He can't bat below number 5 though.

I can show you Malik's stats and they look amazing after his comeback.

However, looking at stats, you won't have the slightest idea how bad he's been, especially against half decent bowling or in competitive conditions.

Sarfraz too is in the same accumulator mould, but he's better than Malik when it comes to attacking spin and taking singles/doubles.

Such players, however, can only be accommodated in the team if you have no alternative. He bats as the Wk for now, so that'll save him. We also don't have many great hitters, and he can be fairly consistent with his 'scoring'.

 

[Hamza_]

I can show you Malik's stats and they look amazing after his comeback.

However, looking at stats, you won't have the slightest idea how bad he's been, especially against half decent bowling or in competitive conditions.

Sarfraz too is in the same accumulator mould, but he's better than Malik when it comes to attacking spin and taking singles/doubles.

Such players, however, can only be accommodated in the team if you have no alternative. He bats as the Wk for now, so that'll save him. We also don't have many great hitters, and he can be fairly consistent with his 'scoring'.

Even if he is accumulator, He can effortlessly rotate strike and is one of our fluent batsmen. He well could open the innings along with Sharjeel and I'm sure both will have a good understanding together.

Another option could be to use him at #5, We need to drop Malik and Hafeez then I think. Can't afford too many accumulators

Sarfraz
Sharjeel
Babar
Haris

 

[Pete Rose]

I can show you Malik's stats and they look amazing after his comeback.

However, looking at stats, you won't have the slightest idea how bad he's been, especially against half decent bowling or in competitive conditions.

Sarfraz too is in the same accumulator mould, but he's better than Malik when it comes to attacking spin and taking singles/doubles.

Such players, however, can only be accommodated in the team if you have no alternative. He bats as the Wk for now, so that'll save him. We also don't have many great hitters, and he can be fairly consistent with his 'scoring'.

Appointing sarfaraz as captain in any format will be a repeat of the Azhar ali experiment. In odis, he doesn't have the game and ppl will see that when we get to the champions trophy.
It will be an even bigger calamity in tests; not a lot of ppl are paying attention the fact that sarfaraz's tests average has plummeted from 47 to 40 in less than year. Add to it that he is poor keeping against spin.
This will be a disaster.
Pcb needs to show some wisdom and punt on a youngster r

 

[srh]

Pakistan Head Coach speaking to the press at the end of the final game of the tour

"Yes, it was a disappointment as we came into this tour thinking we had a real chance in Test matches but we are still a fledgling side in One-Day games"

"There are some gaps in our One-Day side which we need to work to hard to fill; We are ranked 8th in ODIs and you can see the reason for the gap between us and the side rated 1"

"There are so many positives; I thought we batted extremely well on this tour, which for a team outside the sub-continent doesn't happen that often"

"We have worked on our fielding so hard and in the 7 months that my staff and I have been around, this has been a priority"

"Our fitness levels have improved a lot but we are way behind the rest of the pack"

"Fitness and fielding will be priority before we go to the tour of the West Indies"

"We will have a chance to have a camp after the PSL and we intend to put in a hell of a lot of work in that regard (fielding/fitness) because we are just not up to the mark in these areas"

"With the ball and the bat, we compete perfectly well"

"David Warner and our fielding has probably been the key difference between the two teams"

"As a team we take three steps forward and then take step and half back"

"It true and its not an excuse as that's the way how it it is but fatigue has played a major role and as you can see, the guys are mentally tired"

"There is absolute unity in the team and I can't fault the guys for their work ethic; the team has bonded well and they are an extremely pleasant bunch of guys to work with"

"If you look at the strike rates of our guys, they tend to be in the mid 70s or so; For them to chase 300+ scores they need to be playing above the strike rates they have been playing all their careers"

"But Sharjeel Khan is different; he gives us that start and gives us that momentum"

"I was quite hard on Sharjeel Khan after the Brisbane ODI but since then, he has played extremely well for us"

"Tonight's innings was the best that Sharjeel Khan has ever played; One thing he can do is hit boundaries and he hit these at will"

"With Sharjeel going like that it helps Babar play his natural game"

"I have made a lot of statements about Babar Azam but let me say that he will be an outstanding player and he will score a lot of runs for Pakistan"

"In terms of us building a good One-Day unit they [Sharjeel Khan & Babar Azam] are pivotal to where we go with our team now"

I dont see Umar Akmal's name mentioned by Arthur in this interview. Yet some users in their posts in this thread are mentioning Umar Akmal's name. Did Pak Passion missed reporting Umar Akmal's name although Arthur mentioned it? Or those users have reading comprehension issues?

 

[boomboom6]

Sharjeel, Shahzaib, Babar, Umar, Haris, Sarfaraz ... that should be the top 6 for us in ODIs moving forward. Haris & Umar can be swapped depending on match situations.

Mickey is saying all the right things but he needs to show it as well by pushing for players who are actually capable of playing modern LOI cricket. Guys like Azhar, Hafeez, Malik and Asad need to be shown the door for good.

I thought Hafeez could have utility at 6 but his batting is not good enough even at that position I'm afraid and besides both Hafeez & Malik will be 35+ in 2019 so best to move on now rather then wait 2 more years for them to eventually disappoint at the WC.

It's high time Inzi made these tough decisions.

 

[Mamoon]

I agree with you can be a regular and stable top order but the big question is who will be the other dynamic opener?? If Ahmed shehzad has truely improved his game (in strike roration) what about him?

Shehzad isn't a fluent player and comes with a lot of baggage. I'd have him as a backup Test opener but nothing more than that.

Shahzaib should be next in line. The upcoming PSL is going to be massive for him. If he does what Sharjeel did last year, he will tour WI.

 

[Mamoon]

There is no evidence that Haris will be even 50% of the batsman he was before his injury. We will have to see how he fares in the PSL. Should really have played in the domestic ODI tournament.

I think Haris will get picked for the WI tour regardless of his performance in the PSL. He is rated highly by the selectors.

 

[Mamoon]

Agreed, there have been some green shoots of recovery. One only has to be a blind Waqar fan to see otherwise.

We're batting with a more positive approach despite loss of Sarfraz which was big blow to our middle order. Arthur's been proven right in giving Sharjeel and Babar a long run in the top order.

The Sydney and Adelaide ODIs were very winnable had we taken our catches and restricted Australia to more chaseable 300-310 totals. Shambolic fielding inflated their scores in the last two ODIs. We staved off the whitewash everyone was predicting and we have a clear idea of the players we need to persist with and those we need to discard.

Arthur must be given time now to assess the domestic talent which he hasn't done as he's been on the road non-stop and let him rebuild the team after the shambles of the last three years.

We are managing to score 300 regularly now, even against quality opposition. Few years back, we maxed out at around 250, which explains our terrible ODI record in the UAE.

 

[Bilal7]

Lol. )

Sharjeel, Babar and Umar Akmal are GOLD for Pakistan.

Sarfraz Ahmed does not belong in LOIs. He's marginally better than other accumulators like Malik, Hafeez, Azhar.

Please.

But he can still be played because we don't have other dynamic options.

So remind me again, what the point of your post is when you agree that Sarfaraz needs to be a regular in the team as well.

 

[Hawkeye]

Even if he is accumulator, He can effortlessly rotate strike

You don't need many specialist strike rotators in LOIs. That's the point -- not in today's era.

#3 and #4 should take that role already! These positions should be your most fluent stroke-makers. Babar Azam and Haris Sohail fill that role.

Adding Sarf at 5 isn't ideal, but maybe we can't help it at the moment.

Appointing sarfaraz as captain in any format will be a repeat of the Azhar ali experiment. In odis, he doesn't have the game and ppl will see that when we get to the champions trophy.
It will be an even bigger calamity in tests; not a lot of ppl are paying attention the fact that sarfaraz's tests average has plummeted from 47 to 40 in less than year. Add to it that he is poor keeping against spin.
This will be a disaster.
Pcb needs to show some wisdom and punt on a youngster r

All what you've said is going to come true -- wait till CT!

 

[Hawkeye]

So remind me again, what the point of your post is when you agree that Sarfaraz needs to be a regular in the team as well.

No, there's a difference in accepting him as a "majboori" and someone who definitely deserves to be there.

No. 3 and no. 4 should be your fluent strike rotators and dynamic enough to accelerate too. We have batsmen for these 2 positions.

The rest should be folks who have a power game. Sarf doesn't.
[MENTION=139150]aliasad1998[/MENTION] it's well known here that I was a Sarf supporter, but I never claimed he's an ideal LOI bat. Unlike Rizwan, who was "the best finisher in the country".

 

[Bilal7]

No, there's a difference in accepting him as a "majboori" and someone who definitely deserves to be there.

No. 3 and no. 4 should be your fluent strike rotators and dynamic enough to accelerate too. We have batsmen for these 2 positions.

The rest should be folks who have a power game. Sarf doesn't.
[MENTION=139150]aliasad1998[/MENTION] it's well known here that I was a Sarf supporter, but I never claimed he's an ideal LOI bat. Unlike Rizwan, who was "the best finisher in the country".

He isn't a majboori, he's a pretty good ODI batsman as we saw in England. An ideal #5, with Akmal at #4.

 

[iniqbal223]

What pakistan lacking is the attitude era!

I think except for Imad, no body is close to it.

He should be the captain of the T20/ODI side.

Imad, Haris Sohail, Malik, Sarfaraz can become core of this team..
And they can even bowl 20-30 overs per match..

 

[Brilliance]

I seriously hope Umar Akmal is thrown out of the team. Such a garbage player he has become. He is just an overweight slogger now who has nothing left in his game now.

 

[Kaiser_Soze]

If I am an opposition captain ,the only Pakistani batsman I would be worried about will be Sharjeel . Rest are just supporting cast in LOI.

 

[Analyze1]

yes pls induct young talent plssssssssssssssssssssss

I hope Mickey sits down with Inzi after the PSL and drafts a list of youngsters we need to induct from the Windies series. Mickey is the coach for KK (which is a huge conflict of interest btw) and should have a closer look at someone like Shahzaib Hasan who is scheduled to open for KK.

We desperately need batsmen who can play at a good click and I don't mean just smacking boundaries. Learn from the Aussies, they hardly played any dots last match. That's how you play modern cricket, aim to get 1 or more off of every single delivery.

for the past 2 years or may be more i am say yong pls play youngster hamesha saying talent nahi hai yar kisi ko chance dey go youngster achay player ko talent baney gah plsssss try to understand khilo lo 3 ,4 ko pls ssss

 

[Analyze1]

yes pls no malik pls

 

[Analyze1]

i deffinately pls jaan chor un player abb baabaa loag pls retire ho jou pcb and mickey pls

 

[CricketAnalyst]

Pakistan will remain mediocre because the gulf between us and the other top teams is still too great. In this series, we played our best ODI cricket (batting wise) in a long time yet we ended up getting thrashed 4-1.

We will continue to get thrashed against Australia, India, England and SA, but at least we can put up 300+ scores now which was a pipe dream 3-4 years ago.

In Test cricket, we are in free fall as well and are at our rightful position of 6th.

Our improvement in ODIs and T20s is relative. I think we are heading back to the 2000s where we were better in LOIs compared to Tests, but unless we produce 3-4 world class players out of nowhere, we will continue to be mediocre in all three formats, but slightly better in the shorter ones.

This tour has been a big reality check for our deluded fans who thought we would beat the unsettled Aussies and Yasir will run rings around them. Our bowling got badly exposed, especially Yasir who got whooped like there is no tomorrow.

It isn't great. The gulf is the fielding. Pakistan would have won the last two games. They dropped Warner, Smith, Maxwell and Head in the 4th game and dropped Warner on a duck in the 5th one. If that's Australia fielding, he's out and Australia score a good 50/60 runs less in either case and Pakistan chase it down.

 

[Analyze1]

pls one more kakool trip with army and pls tour outside asia in at least after 2 year

 

[ask_analyse_act]

mentality like this is the reason why we sit at no.8

scoring runs is one thing but scoring them according to the team's need and with the skills especially for ODI is another thing.

Azhar is completely hopeless in ODIs but Sarfraz can play the spin very well and he can at worst times rotate the strike. Azhar is just like Misbah. Once his tuk tuk mode is on he will only play an ugly hoick to improve his strike rate. If you check the no. of dot balls played by Pakistani batsmen in ODIs in last 2 years Azhar leads by far.

I wrote that in support of Sarfraz not Azhar.. Sarfraz has always been a consistent performer, keeps scoring runs in whichever the format it is and scoring them at good pace... He is one of the modern LOI cricketer that pak have, but ppl judge players by the ability to hit sixes and discount the dot balls the afridi mentality. As u said If you check the no. of dot balls played by Pakistani batsmen in ODIs in last 2 years Sarfraz would be the last one in the list, even UA will be above him as he also make quite a few dot balls..

Sarfraz SR in all three formats reads as below.

Tests: 74+
ODIs: 88+
T20Is: 122+

Dont know why ppl say he doesnt belong to the LOI format...

 

[MenInG]

I dont see Umar Akmal's name mentioned by Arthur in this interview. Yet some users in their posts in this thread are mentioning Umar Akmal's name. Did Pak Passion missed reporting Umar Akmal's name although Arthur mentioned it? Or those users have reading comprehension issues?

No his name wasnt mentioned.

Umar's name mentioned for discussion purposes by some.

 

[imranyounus]

we need some big hitters in the lower order if we can get at 2 of those like Razaq than the team can come to terms with moderen cricket. other wise it no use with just sharjeel and babar.

 

[Mamoon]

It isn't great. The gulf is the fielding. Pakistan would have won the last two games. They dropped Warner, Smith, Maxwell and Head in the 4th game and dropped Warner on a duck in the 5th one. If that's Australia fielding, he's out and Australia score a good 50/60 runs less in either case and Pakistan chase it down.

The gulf is great because Pakistan has only one batsman who can consistently strike at 110+. Other teams like Australia, England, India and SA have 3-4.

Australia managed to get 350+ in this series because of our appalling fielding, but they along with the other said teams are capable of putting on those totals without having to rely on pathetic fielding, which is why we see big totals when these teams play each other, and they field much better than Pakistan.

 

[MRSN]

I wrote that in support of Sarfraz not Azhar.. Sarfraz has always been a consistent performer, keeps scoring runs in whichever the format it is and scoring them at good pace... He is one of the modern LOI cricketer that pak have, but ppl judge players by the ability to hit sixes and discount the dot balls the afridi mentality. As u said If you check the no. of dot balls played by Pakistani batsmen in ODIs in last 2 years Sarfraz would be the last one in the list, even UA will be above him as he also make quite a few dot balls..

Sarfraz SR in all three formats reads as below.

Tests: 74+
ODIs: 88+
T20Is: 122+

Dont know why ppl say he doesnt belong to the LOI format...

yes he is a very good player and our team needs him. I don't deny his importance as he is a wicket keeper and can anchor the innings very well but we should not develop false hopes. He is an anchor like Baber. He is not a power hitter as you are trying to make from his strike rate. If you want to see his power hitting skills you can see the series against England and WI. His strength is rotating the strike against fast bowlers and dominating the spinners. Therefore I don't think he should bat lower than 4.

He's a good modern day ODI batsman to have at no.4 who can keep as well. If it wasn't for his keeping he would be as good as Malik.

 

[srh]

No his name wasnt mentioned.

Umar's name mentioned for discussion purposes by some.

Thanks. Arthur has circled 2 players (Sharjeel and Babar) so Umar Akmal still has to prove his worth to Arthur.

 

[Seamer]

I think pcb need to groom some young lower order hitter in the meantime for ct .

1. Sharjeel Khan
2. Shahzeb Hasan
3. Babar Azam
4. Haris Sohail
5. Sarfaraz
6. Khalid Latif
7. Imad Wasim
8. Amad Butt
9. Amir
10. Hassan
11. Junaid

This way we have 4 pace options and 3 spin options.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

yes he is a very good player and our team needs him. I don't deny his importance as he is a wicket keeper and can anchor the innings very well but we should not develop false hopes. He is an anchor like Baber. He is not a power hitter as you are trying to make from his strike rate. If you want to see his power hitting skills you can see the series against England and WI. His strength is rotating the strike against fast bowlers and dominating the spinners. Therefore I don't think he should bat lower than 4.
He's a good modern day ODI batsman to have at no.4 who can keep as well. If it wasn't for his keeping he would be as good as Malik.

In the record chase in England in the 5th ODI. He did bat at no. 5 also made a 100 in the 2nd match from nowhere. If that 100 was made by UA u guys would tell that forever to keep him in the team even if he fails zillion times. Sarfraz has no problem in batting position, only ppl like u and [MENTION=134608]Hawkeye[/MENTION] want him to bat in top4 and say Sarfraz not belong to LOI. But Sarfraz has been answering ur critics with bat and serving pies every time.

 

[Madplayer]

I wrote that in support of Sarfraz not Azhar.. Sarfraz has always been a consistent performer, keeps scoring runs in whichever the format it is and scoring them at good pace... He is one of the modern LOI cricketer that pak have, but ppl judge players by the ability to hit sixes and discount the dot balls the afridi mentality. As u said If you check the no. of dot balls played by Pakistani batsmen in ODIs in last 2 years Sarfraz would be the last one in the list, even UA will be above him as he also make quite a few dot balls..

Sarfraz SR in all three formats reads as below.

Tests: 74+
ODIs: 88+
T20Is: 122+

Dont know why ppl say he doesnt belong to the LOI format...

He can't play an impactful innings while chasing a score of 330+ , something modern day batsmen joe root, steven smith and even kane williamson can do. He has just that one good innings against england while chasing 300 odd to show. We have to accept that sarfaraz doesn't have that kind of ability.

I didnt mention kohli because he is almost an ATG in ODIs and it would be unfair to compare safraz with him.

Having said that, beggars can't be choosers so sarfaraz has to be there until Pakistan find their butler or de kock.

 

[The_Odd_One]

Selectors should really start preparing this team for CT if they do not want Pakistan to get embarrassed in yet another multi-nation tournament.

1. Sharjeel
2. Shahzaib
3. Babar (vc)
4. Sarfraz (c/wk)
5. Harris/Latif
6. Akmal
7. Yamin
8. Imad
9. Ammad/Hammad/Nawaz
10. Aamir
11. Hassan

 

[The_Odd_One]

He can't play an impactful innings while chasing a score of 330+ , something modern day batsmen joe root, steven smith and even kane williamson can do. He has just that one good innings against england while chasing 300 odd to show. We have to accept that sarfaraz doesn't have that kind of ability.

I didnt mention kohli because he is almost an ATG in ODIs and it would be unfair to compare safraz with him.

Having said that, beggars can't be choosers so sarfaraz has to be there until Pakistan find their butler or de kock.

Root, Smith, and Williamson are not wicket-keeper batsmen and I am sure nobody rates Sarfraz as high as Kohli, Smith, etc.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

He can't play an impactful innings while chasing a score of 330+ , something modern day batsmen joe root, steven smith and even kane williamson can do. He has just that one good innings against england while chasing 300 odd to show. We have to accept that sarfaraz doesn't have that kind of ability.

I didnt mention kohli because he is almost an ATG in ODIs and it would be unfair to compare safraz with him.

Having said that, beggars can't be choosers so sarfaraz has to be there until Pakistan find their butler or de kock.

yes u r right there are no. of occasions sarfraz came in at a period where he had to slog, but only in that 5th ODI he came in when the score was 70 odd for 3 in 15 overs.. rest of the time while chasing 300+ he came in at 220-5 in 42 overs and he cant take the team from there to win or play an impactful innings here yes i agree.. but at the same time he can make an impact if he comes in at 120-3 in 20 overs...he is the batsman every team has now to play the 20-35 overs...In this 15 overs he will make 100-110 runs , many chase loses at this period of time because of STRIKE ROTATION was only able to make 70-75 runs in the 15 overs and kill the chase... being in 120-3 in 20 overs and reaching 230-3 in 35 overs compared to 190-3 in 35 overs has massive 45 runs which will decide the difference between two sides eventually... having said this now UA fans will say UA also come in at a period where he need to slog, also there was no. of occasions when UA came in at 110-3 in 20 overs and he didnt make it big...

 

[ZoabKhan]

Why are you guys throwing in Umar Akmal name with Sharjeel and Babar? Umar Akmal flopped big time for where he was batting.

If we have batsman core right now, its Sharjeel, Babar, Sarfraz and Amaad.
With bowling not sure we have a core...but Amir, Yasir seems all.

 

[Haz95]

The difference isn't as bad as some people are claiming. This is an era of FTBs of which there may be in Pakistan if anyone who follows Pak cricket closely can suggest....

The only actual thing Pakistan is missing is two more [who can be FTB] sloggers. Examples of other teams having this are...England with Buttler/Stokes, Australia with Marsh/Maxwell, India with Yadav...., South Africa with Miller/Duminy and etc....

Shahzaib 110+
Sharjeel 110+
Babar 90+
Haris 90+
Sarfraz 90+
?????? 110+
?????? 110+
bowlers

Compare that to any other modern day team and you'd realise the gulf is nowhere near the amount people claim...

ODIs are useless anyway. Who likes to see useless batsmen like Guptill, Sharjeel, Hales dominate bowlers on hyper flat wicket? The only time they are entertaining is whenever there is a low scoring game dominated by bowlers and batsman who can ride thru the storm.

 

[Syed1]

Why are you guys throwing in Umar Akmal name with Sharjeel and Babar? Umar Akmal flopped big time for where he was batting.

If we have batsman core right now, its Sharjeel, Babar, Sarfraz and Amaad.
With bowling not sure we have a core...but Amir, Yasir seems all.

It is a defense mechanism by the Akmal fans who are unable to accept that Umar Akmal is finished and his international career should be ended. The guy averages 26 in the last 2 years for God's sake. If I had to I'd even take Shehzad over Akmal. Atleast Shehzad is good in the field.

 

[Sherlock]

If this wasn't a massive hint as to what Arthur wants from the side, and what we need, then nothing will ever work. Kick the non-performers out and groom some darn youngsters for goodness sake!

 

[Seamer]

I would have a pace bowling allrounder because it's in England I would choose either Aamer Yamin/Amad Butt/Hammad Azam

 

[Madplayer]

Root, Smith, and Williamson are not wicket-keeper batsmen and I am sure nobody rates Sarfraz as high as Kohli, Smith, etc.

I used the names root smith and williamson because they aren't considered power hitters just like sarfaraz. But unlike sarfaraz, these guys can find boundaries regularly and make an impactful contribution while chasing mamoth totals.

I could have used the names of wicketkeepers like de kock, butler and dhoni etc but sarfaraz wouldn't have been able to hold a candle in front of them. These are power hitters who can score 20 ball 50s or 60 ball 100s which sarfaraz cant. Hence the comparison with batsmen like root, williamson and co. which looks more reasonable.

 

[Madplayer]

yes u r right there are no. of occasions sarfraz came in at a period where he had to slog, but only in that 5th ODI he came in when the score was 70 odd for 3 in 15 overs.. rest of the time while chasing 300+ he came in at 220-5 in 42 overs and he cant take the team from there to win or play an impactful innings here yes i agree.. but at the same time he can make an impact if he comes in at 120-3 in 20 overs...he is the batsman every team has now to play the 20-35 overs...In this 15 overs he will make 100-110 runs , many chase loses at this period of time because of STRIKE ROTATION was only able to make 70-75 runs in the 15 overs and kill the chase... being in 120-3 in 20 overs and reaching 230-3 in 35 overs compared to 190-3 in 35 overs has massive 45 runs which will decide the difference between two sides eventually... having said this now UA fans will say UA also come in at a period where he need to slog, also there was no. of occasions when UA came in at 110-3 in 20 overs and he didnt make it big...

If sarfaraz can score 100-110 runs from 20-35 overs regularly, I dont think anyone would have a problem.

 

[Pete Rose]

Have either of these players captained?

 

[Chief Destroyer]

Have either of these players captained?

Yes, Babar captained the A team on the England tour.