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Should Azhar Ali go back to opening in Tests?

Hasan123

Hasan123

Test Star
Joined
Mar 25, 2016
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Azhar Ali is now a certainty to play now that he has been made captain.

I think he needs to go back to opening as his game isn’t suited to batting at 3 especially outside of Asia. I think he is massively on the decline as a player but if he is going to play, I would like to see him open and just grind the opposition down.

Honestly if he is batting at 3, expect more embarrassment in tests like we have seen under Sarfraz in the UAE defeats to NZ and Sri Lanka.
 
It is the only position where this stroke-less wonder can hide, but he doesn’t like to open so I don’t think it is going to happen.
 
Pretty much kills the whole teams batting momentum when he comes out to bat. Doesnt rotate strike, allows bowlers to gain confidence in bowling long spells without going for runs. Shouldnt be in the side anymore.
 
Should have opened for his entire career before instead of playing at 3. It suited his game more and would have allowed us to play an extra middle order bat.

Ironically now he actually shouldn't open because his reflexes have slowed, and you need to hide him down the order now.

I think he could use his experience to forge an innings if he manages to not get out early. Won't be particularly dynamic, but he'll get a decent score I think.
 
Honestly, after watching him bat in South Africa, I think the only position left is nightwatchman.
 
Pete Rose said:
Honestly, after watching him bat in South Africa, I think the only position left is nightwatchman.
Click to expand...

Wasnt even that a good night watchmen, cant protect himself or other batsmen.
 
ads101 said:
Should have opened for his entire career before instead of playing at 3. It suited his game more and would have allowed us to play an extra middle order bat.

Ironically now he actually shouldn't open because his reflexes have slowed, and you need to hide him down the order now.

I think he could use his experience to forge an innings if he manages to not get out early. Won't be particularly dynamic, but he'll get a decent score I think.
Click to expand...

Him batting 3 didnt help side, we coukd have groomed a good young middle order player for future if Azhar hadnt moved to 3, in longtern that move has damaged pakistan.
 
Hes always been best suited to opening and that’s where he should definitely bat.

Azhar
Abid
Shan
Babar
Haris

That should be the top order imo.
 
Him opening will provide a better combination maybe however, he is better judge of his reflexes at this age.
 
3 would suit him perfectly imam and shan or abid ali should open then let azhar haris babar and Shafiq can come
 
Pakistan don't have that many great openers in Test cricket. Azhar should open in my opinion.
 
Considering we have openers like Shan Masood (34.22 FC AVG in 198 innings) and Imam (35.52 AVG in 84 innings), the answer is resounding yes.

Azhar never should have moved off that spot in the first place. Pakistan have options in the middle order they can plug in, but they lack good opening options and have for decades.
 
Why he was moved away from his opening spot where he had a golden run in 2016/17 is baffling.

He's declining as a batsman but he can at least blunt the new ball effectively as he did today.
 
Make Babar Azam captain and make Azhar Ali open the batting
 
Its possible that he can put his new found confidence to good use.
 
The best openers throughout history have been defensively sound, but they’ve also accelerated there scoring rate once the ball has softened, our openers seem to spend there whole innings trying not to get out, then get out rather cheaply
 
it was pure pakistani strategy to send him to open, he averaged mid 45s, with a low s/r (so on average he was playing lots of balls to blunt the new ball) and then send him back to three for some reason. hes at best a low 40s averaging batsmen which is acceptable as an opener, but his defensive style does not suit the counter attacking requirements of a true number 3.

but its too late now, should plan for life after azhar ideally.
 
I think he should have opened more earlier in his career. The time has gone though for him as an opener. He has struggled at 3, so he will fail as an opener. He normally starts very slow, but once he is in he plays some good shots. Maybe batting him at 5 could be worth a shot.
 
Azhar Ali should leave cricket, open a business and give the cricket fans something to cheer about.
 
This is one reason you should never make batting captains. They often shy from batting at their ideal position.
 
Azhar should have opened the batting a few years ago only when he was making 200 in Australia and 300 vs West Indies. Now it's too late. He has performed in this match but his record is very poor in last three years and is past his date.

Pakistan missed the trick a few years ago and now it's time to move on. All in all a good batsmen for Pakistan.
 
He still knows how to make a hundred. Though his reflexes have waned and he struggles far more against the new ball. If he somehow gets himself in, he can grind out a hundred. Best idea would to shunt him down the order so he can make centuries just like YK and Misbah who probably wouldn't have made them up the order in their latter ages. Unfortunately Azhar's a bit more one dimensional, and his natural game would be an opener, but if he's all we have, wouldn't mind him batting down at say 5.
 
Bump

He basically opened yesterday

He came in early I think within 1 or 2 overs and than went on to score 93

I think if we are to play him than make him open otherwise he is a walking wicket
 
I think losing his wicket early won’t effect us much so I am down for it.
 
There seems to be more options to change the middle order then openers. If Azhar opens, it’s only 1 opener to find. He is good at blocking the new ball. I would prefer to see him open. But I think Misbah likes having Azhar at 3.
 
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