Should Abdullah Shafique have been picked for the Test squad against New Zealand?

[Indian_cricket_fan]

I like this lad’s style and technique, given the lack of talent and depth in Pakistan’s current batting lineup. Do you think it makes sense to include him on the test series?

May be as a middle order batsman? Or even instead of Abid Ali who doesn’t look like a long term prospect anyway.

He does have a debut first class century.

 

[KoyoAli]

I like this lad’s style and technique, given the lack of talent and depth in Pakistan’s current batting lineup. Do you think it makes sense to include him on the test series?

May be as a middle order batsman? Or even instead of Abid Ali who doesn’t look like a long term prospect anyway.

He does have a debut first class century.

He is completely untested on this level. I would rather have Rohail Nazir who just made a century against bowlers that our test specialists Shan and Abid failed.

 

[Titan24]

Looking unlikely as of now. For middle order Haris Sohail is there as backup if needed while Imran Butt is their for the role of opener as well as for middle order batsman if necessary. Further, there is a chance Pak might go with 5 bowlers with couple of all rounders in the main XI.

Though he even scored a double hundred and averaged 80 off if I am not wrong in last year’s 2nd xi QAE (not counted in FC stats) as well. Thing is firstly he will have to show some metal in the next two T20s vs NZ to show some adaptability to international level. It wont necessarily means a lot of runs but, atleast that he is ready and confident to play some quality bowling.

 

[Indian_cricket_fan]

Looking unlikely as of now. For middle order Haris Sohail is there as backup if needed while Imran Butt is their for the role of opener as well as for middle order batsman if necessary. Further, there is a chance Pak might go with 5 bowlers with couple of all rounders in the main XI.

Though he even scored a double hundred and averaged 80 off if I am not wrong in last year’s 2nd xi QAE (not counted in FC stats) as well. Thing is firstly he will have to show some metal in the next two T20s vs NZ to show some adaptability to international level. It wont necessarily means a lot of runs but, atleast that he is ready and confident to play some quality bowling.

I agree with you. I would love to see the following squad for the first test

1) Abdullah Shafiq
2) Shan Masood
3) Azhar Ali
4) Babar Azam
5) Harris Sohail
6) Fawad Alam
7) Rohail Nazir
8) Shadab Khan
9) Shaheen Afridi
10) Naseem Shah
11) Mohammed Abbas

Here we have few who can roll their arm and decent fast bowling and very good depth in batting.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Not really.

But Abid Ali is proving to be a passenger with every passing day. I like the guy though.

Still feel like Azhar Ali is better suited as an opener. Haris Sohail would make a better no.3

 

[Rana]

He’s played 1 FC game.

And you are suggesting that we throw him into the deep end against Boult, Southee and Wagner+ Jamieson?

19th December 2020 has to be one of the most extreme days on PP

 

[Markhor]

This fast-track culture needs to end. It shows no respect to international cricket when we debut kids off the street with not even a handful of FC games under their belt.

The gap is too big between our domestic and international game.

I hope Mohammad Wasim adopts a clear selection criteria. A batsman must post 900+ runs in two seasons, and a bowler must be in the top 5 wicket-takers for two seasons before being considered for national selection.

 

[shamaan]

No he should not be played in the first test or second test the attack that new Zealand are going to play is world class

 

[Energy]

Honestly speaking, never heard of him until this series. And just looked at his record now to see he has played only 1 FC game. 1 FC? Even Tendulkar, Wasim and other elite cricketers would have played more domestic games before making their debut.

The atrocious nature of how the PCB works is reaching new heights each year.

 

[Saj]

Well so far the lad's confidence is going to be shot with two ducks.

It's a huge jump from domestic to Zimbabwe to teams like New Zealand.

We have the tendency to hype these guys up, but their true test is when they face the better teams at international level.

 

[Pacy with wisdom]

We have been absolutely unfair on this guy. Thrusting him into the t20 format, which is not his natural format, and that too in alien conditions. Just Misbah's wisdom on display.

 

[Titan24]

Management waisted one domestic season of the guy and possibly his development has been halted. Not sure now if he is gonna be developed with national team or he will go back to domestic setup without any accountability of the damage done by the management.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

We have been absolutely unfair on this guy. Thrusting him into the t20 format, which is not his natural format, and that too in alien conditions. Just Misbah's wisdom on display.

I feel so bad for him. He’s a genuine talent, and we’ve gone and potentially shot his mental confidence.

 

[ahmadharis1]

No no no no no no no no no way absolutely not

 

[Rana]

Tim Southee will be Saudi Arabia in the Test series for sure. :Shoaib

 

[Deewana Mastana]

With zero exposure to bouncy, pacey and swing conditions/wickets, this is expected and his confidence must be rock bottom after 2 ducks in 2 games in just 4 balls faced.

The lad needs to be sent on A tours to NZ, Aus, Eng, SA to train and work on these types of wickets for a year and then be integrated in the Test side.

It will completely destroy him should he be thrown into the deep end this test series and then he goes back with multiple scars for a long time.

Facilities and conditions in Pakistan are the worst when it comes to training for such tours as they still do not possess the right people or have the resources to prepare them against 150kph swing and bounce.

 

[Deewana Mastana]

Tim Southee will be Saudi Arabia in the Test series for sure. :Shoaib

He has always had a blast playing against Pakistan.

This time even Jamieson would too.

 

[Omer2002]

I always said he looked a test batsman and not a 2020 but after his two innings he would have lost lots of confidence no doubt ..its pathetic he has missed all the domestic first class this season

 

[RickyG]

Yea our test team really needs someone who can score ducks. I would send him back to Pakistan now. He is taking the place of actual deserving cricketers. Every time we feel we're moving away from nepotism we have a new breed.

 

[Omer2002]

Yea our test team really needs someone who can score ducks. I would send him back to Pakistan now. He is taking the place of actual deserving cricketers. Every time we feel we're moving away from nepotism we have a new breed.

Which deserving cricketer has been left behind?

 

[Junaids]

This is where the Misbah management has really gone wrong.

Abdullah Shafique is a promising talent who has made two misjudged shots in the T20 format.

The problem is that he is not going to learn to bat red ball innings in domestic cricket - he's not even there - and he's not going to learn playing T20is.

He should have played for the Shaheens in the other match at the same time. That is the development series, and that's where Haider Ali and Abdullah Shafique should be.

 

[RickyG]

Which deserving cricketer has been left behind?

Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel and Hammad Azam have all done very well this year. Especially Kamran Ghulam who has been toiling in domestic cricket with decent returns.

Haider Ali is actually talented. Abdullah Shafique I have no idea how 1 first class century gets you selected.

 

[Omer2002]

Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel and Hammad Azam have all done very well this year. Especially Kamran Ghulam who has been toiling in domestic cricket with decent returns.

Haider Ali is actually talented. Abdullah Shafique I have no idea how 1 first class century gets you selected.

I completely agree how he got selected but he only got selected in 2020s was never in test squad n for that he performed in domestic 20 20.

Kamran gulam n shakeel plus hammad all performed this year..you need to preform over time to get consistency.

Faddy has performed year in year out n after being discarded so many times has got a chance but even then i am sure he will struggle in those conditions. We need to groom players for right format

 

[shamaan]

He should have played in the shaheens and zeeshan malik should have played in the main squad.

 

[JibranAnsari]

he is not ready yet , needs to go back to domestics and play a couple of seasons before playing for pakistan again.

 

[aloo paratha]

No. Ideally he should've been playing all 10 FC games for CP. T20s are not his game. He can be a fantastic ODI and Test player, but he needs to develop.

 

[Flat_Track_Bully]

Honestly speaking, never heard of him until this series. And just looked at his record now to see he has played only 1 FC game. 1 FC? Even Tendulkar, Wasim and other elite cricketers would have played more domestic games before making their debut.

The atrocious nature of how the PCB works is reaching new heights each year.

Same here and from what I've seen, his technique is not international grade at all. Really poor dismissals.

You would expect a top order batter debuting to play with a straight bat with confident defensive shots with intent.

I just don't know how the selectors think sometimes, just no consistency. Worst is we are not producing any top order batters. After Babar who have we produced recently? Shezhad and Umar Akmal?

 

[Energy]

Same here and from what I've seen, his technique is not international grade at all. Really poor dismissals.

You would expect a top order batter debuting to play with a straight bat with confident defensive shots with intent.

I just don't know how the selectors think sometimes, just no consistency. Worst is we are not producing any top order batters. After Babar who have we produced recently? Shezhad and Umar Akmal?

Add to that the formats for which the boys are selected. Whenever we see a T20I specialist come in for other countries they're either mystery spinners, power hitters, fast bowlers etc. Only in Pakistan you have 'normal' batsmen trying to make their way in, start off with T20Is. It is beyond ridiculous, the planning and the ego-centric thick heads we have in the PCB.