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Shoaib Malik's inability to play pace bowling - Liability for the World Cup!

Hawkeye

Senior T20I Player
Joined
Jul 14, 2013
Runs
19,923
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The biggest dud against the fast bowlers in our team.

How can we take him to England and Australia?! Beyond me.

Discuss.
 
Bat him at 6 even below Sarfraz. It's still nice to at least have someone good against spin. It's a concern but we don't have many other options right now.
 
Malik is okay when it comes to accumulating against pace. It's hitting where he struggles. Which is why I think he should bat at #4 in ODIs and T20Is.

Sarfraz should be at #5.

If Hafeez is playing, then #6 is the only spot open.
 
Sohaib is probably the best player of spin in the world right now, that alone guaranteed a spot in the playing xi considering the number of subcontinent teams in the world cup. Plus he is not a sitting duck against pace which he used to be, he probably won't fare good against Steyn or Starc but he is good enough to nudge them
 
He is OK. Should bat at no 4 in LOI. Spin will play a part during the WC and Malik is WC vs spin.

They somehow need to convince Hafeez to bat at no 6.
 
Talat should replace him in ODIs as he is good against both, spin and pace.
 
Sohaib is probably the best player of spin in the world right now, that alone guaranteed a spot in the playing xi considering the number of subcontinent teams in the world cup. Plus he is not a sitting duck against pace which he used to be, he probably won't fare good against Steyn or Starc but he is good enough to nudge them

He is good against spinners in Asia but he along with Hafeez could not score big when needed against Zampa in Australia. He also struggled to score against Williamson(yes the NZ captain) earlier this year in NZ.
 
He has been very consistent scorer past 2 years so obviously he played well against pavers as well. No opposition just had slow bowlers. I have seen him hitting good pacers. Hafeez just proved you need some experience players in the squad.
 
Shoaib somehow scores important runs most of the times since 2-3 years.....no obvious replacement in sight .......... i should not probably mention umar akmal as potential replacement
 
Malik and Sarfraz are both poor versus pace . Both are going to the World Cup. We just have to deal with it.
 
Talat should replace him in ODIs as he is good against both, spin and pace.

Talat is good. We need to develop him in ODIs but are not giving him the required chances.

Needs to be a regular till World Cup and will greatly reward us.

Malik and Sarfraz are both poor versus pace . Both are going to the World Cup. We just have to deal with it.

Sad reality, that is what's indeed going to happen.
 
We're not exactly blessed with a reservoir of talented batsmen. What we got is what we got.

Regarding Malik, assuming no quick wickets fall, he should bat at 4-5.
 
Malik is doing just fine. He is a brilliant fielder, good part time bowler and absolutely milks the spinners and medium pacers. Most opposition bowling attack consist mostly of medium pacers and spinners so i dont see any problem.
 
Same Malik played all right in the Champions Trophy against fast-bowlers so not sure what the issue is?
 
I think the problem with malik is that when he tries to hit he gets out, he should play along the ground. Maybe he has lost power to hit big, but I would keep him hes more of a player to construct an innings.
 
we need malik and his experience. just make sure to send him in once the ball is a bit old and spinners are operating between 20 to 36 40 overs he can be mainstay of our middle order in world cup
 
Same Malik played all right in the Champions Trophy against fast-bowlers so not sure what the issue is?

He got out twice on short deliveries against pacers and this has been his weakness since the beginning.
 
I think the problem with malik is that when he tries to hit he gets out, he should play along the ground. Maybe he has lost power to hit big, but I would keep him hes more of a player to construct an innings.

Yes. All he can do against the pacers is "nudge" the ball towards the 3rd man.

That cut is his only shot.

Won't work.
 
Malik didn’t cross 20 runs even once during the champions trophy.



Not fair to judge him like that

v India - run out
v South Africa - not out
v England - did not bat
v India - had to hit out, was caught. Not down to inability to play pace.

His only poor game was against Sri Lanka in that high pressure game. Was caught down the leg side.
 
Not fair to judge him like that

v India - run out
v South Africa - not out
v England - did not bat
v India - had to hit out, was caught. Not down to inability to play pace.

His only poor game was against Sri Lanka in that high pressure game. Was caught down the leg side.

And where we needed him the most
 
It's a known fact that if he's made to bat at 6, just to pace up the innings, than he's of no use since that's not his game.

Asif scoring 34 of 30 at no. 3 against spin, Malik can score the same 30 in 15-20 deliveries and Asif can score the same 25-30 in 12-17 deliveries in the last few overs against pacers, that's what he does best!

The batting order has been changed after criticism over Asif and Sarfraz's inability, and Malik has been made the sacrificial goat, like earlier Hafeez was.

However, even if Malik bats at 6 and on some bad day, Pakistan sees an early collapse, everybody knows, Malik's the last hope. His game is to rotate strike with hitting sixes in between.
 
It's a known fact that if he's made to bat at 6, just to pace up the innings, than he's of no use since that's not his game.

Asif scoring 34 of 30 at no. 3 against spin, Malik can score the same 30 in 15-20 deliveries and Asif can score the same 25-30 in 12-17 deliveries in the last few overs against pacers, that's what he does best!

The batting order has been changed after criticism over Asif and Sarfraz's inability, and Malik has been made the sacrificial goat, like earlier Hafeez was.

However, even if Malik bats at 6 and on some bad day, Pakistan sees an early collapse, everybody knows, Malik's the last hope. His game is to rotate strike with hitting sixes in between.

So, you're indirectly admitting that he's a glorified accumulator, has a one-dimensional game and is not suitable for modern LOI cricket.

In particular, not for high scoring matches in ICC tournaments, with good batting pitches.
 
Same Malik played all right in the Champions Trophy against fast-bowlers so not sure what the issue is?

And what was his record? As far as I remember he had an average CT. He has failed in almost every series outside UAE since his return and yet people think as if he's some kind of World class player.
 
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