Should Imam-ul-Haq be picked in all the three formats for Pakistan?

[RyanRyan10]

He is a proven performer in Odis. Has been consistent since his debut and averages 52.

In other two formats, he hasn't got enough chances.

Should he replace underpeformers like Abid Ali in tests and Fakhar Zaman in T20Is?

 

[msb314]

Not sure about T20’s but definitely needs to be given a go in Tests..

 

[Hasan123]

I would like to see him given another run in tests. But I don't see him as a T20 player.

 

[YousafTheBeast]

Strike rate is just as important as batting average.

I’d rather have a batsman averaging low 40’s with a strike rate of 90+ than someone who averages 50+ with a strike rate of low 80s.

He’s just another Azhar Ali.

 

[Bullet Drive]

Hahahahahha you good bro?

 

[Kaddy]

One word only..........................NO

 

[Manik Rao]

Averages a mighty 23 after playing 11 Tests. Based on that stunning record he should be made captain of the Test side for at least 10 years.

In T20s, he has made an amazing start. Averages a whopping 10 with an ATG S/R of 84. Should get 15 years of captaincy at least.

Averages 37 against Top 4 in ODIs, with an earth shattering strike rate of 72. Should be made Captain + CS till the time he retires.


Sarcasm apart, the guy shamelessly plays for personal milestones. Eats up 50 balls upfront before getting a move on. Failed against all good sides at the WC before minnow bashing Bangladesh. Has been getting a free ride in Tests despite having nothing to show for performance. And here we have people demanding his selection in all formats.

For someone like me who started watching cricket in early 90s, this is nothing short of a torture to see people glorifying mediocrity. Particularly when there are Abdullah Shafiq & Hussain Talat like talented blokes with potential to be match winners on their day, waiting in the wings. A sorry sight.

 

[raashidkhan89079]

You high or what

 

[Abdullah Rabbani]

Averages a mighty 23 after playing 11 Tests. Based on that stunning record he should be made captain of the Test side for at least 10 years.

In T20s, he has made an amazing start. Averages a whopping 10 with an ATG S/R of 84. Should get 15 years of captaincy at least.

Averages 37 against Top 4 in ODIs, with an earth shattering strike rate of 72. Should be made Captain + CS till the time he retires.


Sarcasm apart, the guy shamelessly plays for personal milestones. Eats up 50 balls upfront before getting a move on. Failed against all good sides at the WC before minnow bashing Bangladesh. Has been getting a free ride in Tests despite having nothing to show for performance. And here we have people demanding his selection in all formats.

For someone like me who started watching cricket in early 90s, this is nothing short of a torture to see people glorifying mediocrity. Particularly when there are Abdullah Shafiq & Hussain Talat like talented blokes with potential to be match winners on their day, waiting in the wings. A sorry sight.

 

[Energy]

We need to stop living in gaga land, and assume there are high average, high SR batters available. Fakhar is a disaster and no amount of masquerading behind high SR can do justice to how mediocre he has been.

Imam should be opening the batting in all formats. He values his wicket, is young, and will grow in the role. Has shown his longevity to stay at the crease and is a decent fielder. Going forward, Imam will be as important as Babar if we are to be consistent in our game plan.

 

[shariqnoor]

Not sure about T20s yet, but Imam needs to be the second name of the team sheet in ODIs and Tests. The amount of damage hero-worship of Afridi has caused to Pakistan cricket is staggering. An entire generation of hacks has been produced like Fakhar, Awais Zia, Khalid Latif.

It's mind boggling how people still support Fakhar. I can agree with the notion that we need a dasher at the top but we need runs first. Scoring 9 runs at 200SR is utterly useless. In that case you might have Imam opening in T20s. At least the guy will guarantee you 30 odd runs.

 

[Mamoon]

Imam is a really good opener for Pakistani standards and the over the top criticism that he receives is nonsense.

He should be our first-choice opener in Tests and ODIs.

People talk about explosive openers like Warner, Bairstow, Roy, Finch etc. and how Imam does not fit the bill, but they conveniently forget that these explosive openers are quite consistent as well.

You can be as explosive as you want but if you are not scoring runs consistently then your explosiveness will be counter-productive.

Yes we would all love to have an opener with 40+ average and 100+ SR but we do not have such players.

Imam is the best that we have got.

 

[Mamoon]

Before someone mentions Fakhar’s record which is still very impressive on paper, we need to understand that he is going downhill rapidly and he is not going to improve from this point.

He had his peak in 2017-2018 and he is still surviving because of knocks early in his career.

 

[TrentDevil]

Averages a mighty 23 after playing 11 Tests. Based on that stunning record he should be made captain of the Test side for at least 10 years.

In T20s, he has made an amazing start. Averages a whopping 10 with an ATG S/R of 84. Should get 15 years of captaincy at least.

Averages 37 against Top 4 in ODIs, with an earth shattering strike rate of 72. Should be made Captain + CS till the time he retires.


Sarcasm apart, the guy shamelessly plays for personal milestones. Eats up 50 balls upfront before getting a move on. Failed against all good sides at the WC before minnow bashing Bangladesh. Has been getting a free ride in Tests despite having nothing to show for performance. And here we have people demanding his selection in all formats.

For someone like me who started watching cricket in early 90s, this is nothing short of a torture to see people glorifying mediocrity. Particularly when there are Abdullah Shafiq & Hussain Talat like talented blokes with potential to be match winners on their day, waiting in the wings. A sorry sight.

POTW & Tamgha-e-Jurat/Imtiaz etc for this post

 

[Sher Khan]

Imam is a really good opener for Pakistani standards and the over the top criticism that he receives is nonsense.

He should be our first-choice opener in Tests and ODIs.

People talk about explosive openers like Warner, Bairstow, Roy, Finch etc. and how Imam does not fit the bill, but they conveniently forget that these explosive openers are quite consistent as well.

You can be as explosive as you want but if you are not scoring runs consistently then your explosiveness will be counter-productive.

Yes we would all love to have an opener with 40+ average and 100+ SR but we do not have such players.

Imam is the best that we have got.

Imam is unfairly criticised on this forum because of his relation to Inzi. Not only does he average 50 plus in odis, but he already has more hundreds than some "past legends" of Pakistan Cricket. He will score 10000 plus runs in Odis for Pakistan unless something seriously goes wrong for him.

 

[Bewal Express]

No.

 

[moghul]

Will never be a T20 player and we should not try to make him one. Can be a good test and ODI plyer but needs to work hard.

 

[shamaan]

For him to play test cricket he needs to improve outside offstump and needs to improve his batting against short bowling .

In odis am fine with him in the squad/xi

In t20s no way should he be in the team

 

[shamaan]

We need to stop living in gaga land, and assume there are high average, high SR batters available. Fakhar is a disaster and no amount of masquerading behind high SR can do justice to how mediocre he has been.

Imam should be opening the batting in all formats. He values his wicket, is young, and will grow in the role. Has shown his longevity to stay at the crease and is a decent fielder. Going forward, Imam will be as important as Babar if we are to be consistent in our game plan.

How does imaam warrant a place in the t20s what's he done ? You want babar and imaam oppening do you want to see imaam at a strike rate of 115 ?

 

[shamaan]

Not sure about T20s yet, but Imam needs to be the second name of the team sheet in ODIs and Tests. The amount of damage hero-worship of Afridi has caused to Pakistan cricket is staggering. An entire generation of hacks has been produced like Fakhar, Awais Zia, Khalid Latif.

It's mind boggling how people still support Fakhar. I can agree with the notion that we need a dasher at the top but we need runs first. Scoring 9 runs at 200SR is utterly useless. In that case you might have Imam opening in T20s. At least the guy will guarantee you 30 odd runs.

30 runs of 100 strike rate no thankyou

 

[HappyWarsFan]

His technique is too poor to play Tests. The conditions are way too difficult for him.

 

[TeymurBlake]

Personally no.

 

[Last Monetarist]

Rather have Wahab Riaz reincarnate himself as a test match opener.

Nowt wrong in persisting with Abid Ali and Shan Masood as test openers for now.

 

[hitthestump]

Has a mediocre FC average which basically settles this debate for me.

For now he should only be picked in LOI's as that is the only format in which he is performing.

 

[Zaz]

T20s definitely no

Theres a big question mark against him in the other formats too including odis

So its a resounding no he shouldnt

 

[ads101]

He should be playing t20s. He has to learn how to bat aggressive and he’s already cemented an ODI place. What bilateral t20s are for to develop players. He’s had success in both domestic t20s and psl. It’s not like he’s completely hopeless for t20. And if he develops a power game or ups his game with picking up singles better it will benefit us for Odis. Tests for now keep him out. He’s an Loi player for us now. Eventually he should play tests too but for now focus on becoming the perfect Loi player for us. We’ve made this mistake before trying to get players to play every format too soon eg Jamshed, umar akmal.

 

[RyanRyan10]

Averages a mighty 23 after playing 11 Tests. Based on that stunning record he should be made captain of the Test side for at least 10 years.

In T20s, he has made an amazing start. Averages a whopping 10 with an ATG S/R of 84. Should get 15 years of captaincy at least.

Averages 37 against Top 4 in ODIs, with an earth shattering strike rate of 72. Should be made Captain + CS till the time he retires.


Sarcasm apart, the guy shamelessly plays for personal milestones. Eats up 50 balls upfront before getting a move on. Failed against all good sides at the WC before minnow bashing Bangladesh. Has been getting a free ride in Tests despite having nothing to show for performance. And here we have people demanding his selection in all formats.

For someone like me who started watching cricket in early 90s, this is nothing short of a torture to see people glorifying mediocrity. Particularly when there are Abdullah Shafiq & Hussain Talat like talented blokes with potential to be match winners on their day, waiting in the wings. A sorry sight.

He has played just 2 T20is. It's wrong to judge a player on the basis of just two innings. Fakhar Zaman is failing consistently and averages 10.68 in last 16 innings. Imam performed well in the National T20 Cup where he scored with an impressive strike rate of 144. What's wrong in giving Imam a run in this format?

In Odis, his average his overall average is 50 and against top 5 teams is 42. He replaced the likes of Ahmed Shehzad and Azhar Ali whose records were worst than the openers of Bangladesh.

In tests, yes he has been poor but again he has played just 11 tests. Abid Ali is 33 and was poor in Eng. Abid can get another couple of series but giving him a long run wouldn't be a smart move.

How many matches has Abdullah Shafique played at domestic level? He might be a great talent but he shouldn't be rushed. Hussain Talat is a middle order batsman who can bowl and isn't competing with Imam.

 

[RyanRyan10]

Before someone mentions Fakhar’s record which is still very impressive on paper, we need to understand that he is going downhill rapidly and he is not going to improve from this point.

He had his peak in 2017-2018 and he is still surviving because of knocks early in his career.

+1

Fakhar averages just 10.68 in his last 16 t20i innings.

Since 2019, his odi average is 32, in the same period Imam averages 46.

Fakhar is a problem for Pakistan but most Pakistan fans keep criticizing Imam even though he is one of the most consistent performer for Pakistan odi side.

 

[RyanRyan10]

He should be playing t20s. He has to learn how to bat aggressive and he’s already cemented an ODI place. What bilateral t20s are for to develop players. He’s had success in both domestic t20s and psl. It’s not like he’s completely hopeless for t20. And if he develops a power game or ups his game with picking up singles better it will benefit us for Odis. Tests for now keep him out. He’s an Loi player for us now. Eventually he should play tests too but for now focus on becoming the perfect Loi player for us. We’ve made this mistake before trying to get players to play every format too soon eg Jamshed, umar akmal.

Fair point.

But he needs to be drafted into t20i side quickly, considering Fakhar has been failing consistently.

 

[badsha001]

This guy is Professor v2. He bats in ODI slower than some batsmen in Test Cricket. His artificial high avg in ODI is because opposition teams are happy to have him playing slower. Imam does more internal damage while batting than the opposition team. He will never succeed in Test either because opposition teams want to quickly get those 10 wickets hence they will attack him more and try to get him out ASAP.

If he really got something to prove in any of the format then he needs to go play in domestic/county and wreck havoc there first.

 

[shamaan]

He has played just 2 T20is. It's wrong to judge a player on the basis of just two innings. Fakhar Zaman is failing consistently and averages 10.68 in last 16 innings. Imam performed well in the National T20 Cup where he scored with an impressive strike rate of 144. What's wrong in giving Imam a run in this format?

In Odis, his average his overall average is 50 and against top 5 teams is 42. He replaced the likes of Ahmed Shehzad and Azhar Ali whose records were worst than the openers of Bangladesh.

In tests, yes he has been poor but again he has played just 11 tests. Abid Ali is 33 and was poor in Eng. Abid can get another couple of series but giving him a long run wouldn't be a smart move.

How many matches has Abdullah Shafique played at domestic level? He might be a great talent but he shouldn't be rushed. Hussain Talat is a middle order batsman who can bowl and isn't competing with Imam.

You cant have babar and imaam oppening in t20s even if he scoring at 144 he starts of slowly.fakhar will be replaced soon.

If I had to choose I woulsnt have abid or imaam in the test side.

Imaam should focus just on odis hes good in that format.

 

[Energy]

He should be playing t20s. He has to learn how to bat aggressive and he’s already cemented an ODI place. What bilateral t20s are for to develop players. He’s had success in both domestic t20s and psl. It’s not like he’s completely hopeless for t20. And if he develops a power game or ups his game with picking up singles better it will benefit us for Odis. Tests for now keep him out. He’s an Loi player for us now. Eventually he should play tests too but for now focus on becoming the perfect Loi player for us. We’ve made this mistake before trying to get players to play every format too soon eg Jamshed, umar akmal.

Finally a sensible post, they are far are few on PP these days. Imam is the only batsman, after Babar who has shown that he can hold a bat. You don't score centuries if you are not a batsman. Bat slowly, bat fast, bat up and bat down shenanigans hold lower value and all you'll end up is someone like Fakhar, Asif, Hafeez, and the rest bits and pieces merchants.

The more Imam plays, the more his confidence will build up. Rather than pulling the guy down it is good to invest in him and give him the opportunity. Build the batting unit around him and Babar.

 

[Arsal_AK]

Averages a mighty 23 after playing 11 Tests. Based on that stunning record he should be made captain of the Test side for at least 10 years.

In T20s, he has made an amazing start. Averages a whopping 10 with an ATG S/R of 84. Should get 15 years of captaincy at least.

Averages 37 against Top 4 in ODIs, with an earth shattering strike rate of 72. Should be made Captain + CS till the time he retires.


Sarcasm apart, the guy shamelessly plays for personal milestones. Eats up 50 balls upfront before getting a move on. Failed against all good sides at the WC before minnow bashing Bangladesh. Has been getting a free ride in Tests despite having nothing to show for performance. And here we have people demanding his selection in all formats.

For someone like me who started watching cricket in early 90s, this is nothing short of a torture to see people glorifying mediocrity. Particularly when there are Abdullah Shafiq & Hussain Talat like talented blokes with potential to be match winners on their day, waiting in the wings. A sorry sight.

A hint of movement and he is all over the place. It was evident in the NT20 too.

There is absolutely no way he plays test cricket.

And in ODIs too, unless he can improve his for ball percentage, fix his short comings, he is not going to last. That 50 average doesn't tell the whole picture, and it has been steadily on the decline. It was the same thing with Fakhar. A few good knocks, ridiculous levels of soft runs and voila.

I agree with the point about Abdullah. Watching them both bat it's clear that Abdullah has a much higher ceiling and isn't a sitting duck as soon as the ball starts moving. Haider is also better. Talat should play down the order so he is not a direct competition.

For now he is hanging in there and I guess that is okay. We have bigger problems in Fakhar, Iftikhar and the fact that we have no lower order. But he certainly hasn't nailed down one spot. The only two people who can say that are Babar and Shaheen.

 

[RyanRyan10]

With Babar out due to injury

Should Pakistan include Imam-Ul-Haq in their T20 line up?

 

[Titan24]

With Babar out due to injury

Should Pakistan include Imam-Ul-Haq in their T20 line up?

Unfortunately his left thumb is also fractured.

 

[shamaan]

With Babar out due to injury

Should Pakistan include Imam-Ul-Haq in their T20 line up?

No this is perfect chance for abdullah to see what he can do

 

[Amjid Javed]

Imam in test cricket has already shown to be failure, but he should replace Abid according to OP that must be joke of 2020.

His game isnt suited to T20s batting at a snail like pace compared to others is helping no one.

In ODI his overakl figures are misleading, hes scored most of his runs against minnows. Imam bats to slow early on in odis and rarely then picks up pace required later in the inns.

Pakistan using him in ODIs going into 2023 world cup will be asking for troublem

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Not good enough for Tests. Would take Abid Ali over him

 

[UzmanBeast]

Averages a mighty 23 after playing 11 Tests. Based on that stunning record he should be made captain of the Test side for at least 10 years.

In T20s, he has made an amazing start. Averages a whopping 10 with an ATG S/R of 84. Should get 15 years of captaincy at least.

Averages 37 against Top 4 in ODIs, with an earth shattering strike rate of 72. Should be made Captain + CS till the time he retires.


Sarcasm apart, the guy shamelessly plays for personal milestones. Eats up 50 balls upfront before getting a move on. Failed against all good sides at the WC before minnow bashing Bangladesh. Has been getting a free ride in Tests despite having nothing to show for performance. And here we have people demanding his selection in all formats.

For someone like me who started watching cricket in early 90s, this is nothing short of a torture to see people glorifying mediocrity. Particularly when there are Abdullah Shafiq & Hussain Talat like talented blokes with potential to be match winners on their day, waiting in the wings. A sorry sight.

I too think that he takes too much time to start the innings in ODI. If we find a better opener, I'd gladly bench him because no team needs an opener with a 75 strike rate in the modern era where people are striking at 100 and above on pitches flatter than roads.

The Zimbabwe series was a joke when it came to his strike rate. Consumes too many dot balls and can't rotate strike efficiently, two signs that a proper bowling attack will choke our team if he is on strike.

Should either have an explosive opening partner or not open.

In tests, I might consider giving him a go if Abid Ali can't perform or if Azhar Ali can't do the same.

Whoever put 3-formats in the title of this thread needs to stop the cap, because this guy is not going to play in T20I with a sub 50 SR.

 

[shamaan]

Not good enough for Tests. Would take Abid Ali over him

Id take imaam he has time on his hands abit doesnt

 

[zacattakk]

No, Imam is not a T20 player. He is kind of slow for modern day ODI cricket too, but at least he scores some runs. He starts too slow, and then tries to catch up later but doesn't always succeed. His stroke range is very limited. We all know what his one and only release shot is.
So for T20s, no thank you.

 

[RyanRyan10]

If they can try Rizwan as an opener then what's harm in trying Imam?

Haider and Abdullah Shafiq also failed

The top3 cost Pakistan the series

Imam deserves a run in the Pakistan T20 team.

 

[Energy]

Imam is a proper batsman. Not bits and pieces. The number of centuries he's already scored, Rizwan won't reach in a decade of his career. Should be playing in all formats.

 

[Bewal Express]

No. Late on the ball, isn't talented enough to take the team forward

 

[ads101]

Needs to be in. He's performed in domestic T20s. He's performed in PSL. He has shown prowess in international arena. All at good averages and SR even in domestic T20s. He's young enough to have a long career. That's far more than most. Most of the guys we pick only have one of these, usually just domestic T20s performance.

It's funny, based on his domestic T20 and PSL performances alone, if Imam wasn't already part of the international set up in ODIs and earned the reputation of "slow", people would be calling up for his inclusion in T20s right now.

 

[Mamoon]

Deluded fans won’t agree, but the reality is that after Babar, Imam is the best all-format batsman in the country.

Unlike the other hacks, he is a proper batsman with decent technique and sound temperament.

He is one of the very, very, very few young Pakistani batsmen who would probably not do something completely stupid after a couple of dot balls.

He has clearly been coached well through the years and seems to understand the art of batting more than the other much hyped young talents.

Deluded fans dislike him because they think Pakistan is overflowing with elite batting talents and Imam bypassed them because of Inzamam, but the reality is that regardless of his relation with Inzamam, he is the best and most prolific batsman in Pakistan after Babar.

Yes he hasn’t done very well in Tests yet, but it is not as if he has been given years. The very mediocre Masood has been given 7 years and he is still incapable of taking his average beyond 35.

Give Imam 7 years in Test cricket and he is guaranteed to average around 40-41. His ceiling is much higher than Masood and Abid Ali.

I personally wouldn’t pick him in T20Is yet, although I think he can be decent in this format pretty soon considering the alternatives.

However, if I was the coach, he would play every single ODI and Test on my watch.

Those who talk nonsense and say he is slow and all that need to realize that we don’t have the likes of Bairstow, Roy, Guptill, Warner, Finch etc. waiting in the ranks.

Our young batsmen who try to bat aggressively turn out to be ugly leg-side hacks. Only Haider Ali has good potential but he needs to solidify his technique. If he does that, he can be an able partner for Imam in ODIs.

In Test cricket, Sami Aslam was the best partner for Imam but we allowed him to slip through our fingers because we decided to invest in the inferior option called Masood.

 

[smkk]

People in this forum, apart from few like [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION], dont get that Pakistan have got a very good batting talent in the form of Imam-ul Haq. He may not be an elite category batsman, but nonetheless he has a very good future prospect.

He is not only a proper batsman but he is one of the very few in the country who knows how to construct an inning. Most importantly alongside with his young age, he has got mentality to improve his batting. Only this criteria should be enough to invest in him for years to come.

As Mamoon mentioned earlier, he should play every single ODI and Test for Pakistan for years to come in order to grow. Int. T20 is not his forte, but instead he should keep playing domestic and other T20 franchise to improve his scoring capability just like Babar.

 

[Caved12]

Imam is a good player who likes to put a price on his wicket. I would always pick him for my test and odi teams. Not a T20 player.

 

[Mamoon]

People in this forum, apart from few like [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION], dont get that Pakistan have got a very good batting talent in the form of Imam-ul Haq. He may not be an elite category batsman, but nonetheless he has a very good future prospect.

He is not only a proper batsman but he is one of the very few in the country who knows how to construct an inning. Most importantly alongside with his young age, he has got mentality to improve his batting. Only this criteria should be enough to invest in him for years to come.

As Mamoon mentioned earlier, he should play every single ODI and Test for Pakistan for years to come in order to grow. Int. T20 is not his forte, but instead he should keep playing domestic and other T20 franchise to improve his scoring capability just like Babar.

We don’t have a proper batting culture and most of the batsmen coming through do not have any temperament. Few dot balls and they are bound to do something dumb.

Imam has 7 ODI hundreds already. He knows how to spend time at the crease and keep his concentration for more than 20-30 balls. He can also keep his head when others are collapsing around him and he showed that in the Asia Cup vs Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

Over the next 10 years, he can easily score 20+ ODI hundreds.

He hasn’t done very well in Test cricket so far but he has shown glimpses of his temperament. In 2018, he saved Pakistan from an embarrassing collapse against Ireland in difficult conditions.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

Imam is an excellent batsman, but will forever be underrated because of his uncle. Had he been another random name, he would be the most hyped person on PP right now, with proper comparison threads to Hashim Amla. He is young, has performed excellently, and knows how to construct an innings which consistently gets us to 300.

His recent form in T20 cricket shows he is also eager to learn about new sides to his game, and there is a lack of other lefties in the country who can make our top 4, especially with Fakhar slowly losing form.

 

[smkk]

We don’t have a proper batting culture and most of the batsmen coming through do not have any temperament. Few dot balls and they are bound to do something dumb.

Imam has 7 ODI hundreds already. He knows how to spend time at the crease and keep his concentration for more than 20-30 balls. He can also keep his head when others are collapsing around him and he showed that in the Asia Cup vs Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

Over the next 10 years, he can easily score 20+ ODI hundreds.

He hasn’t done very well in Test cricket so far but he has shown glimpses of his temperament. In 2018, he saved Pakistan from an embarrassing collapse against Ireland in difficult conditions.

Most people have forgotten how long it took Babar to come good in Test cricket. Can anyone please remind me what was Babar's record in his first 15 tests? I am not saying that Imam is comparable to Babar, but why such a double standard to both these young batsmen.

The only difference is that Babar was given constant chances to improve himself, but Imam is already
taken out from the main team. Especially when you have someone opening like Abid, who sorry to say neither have got an age to be invested nor got any technique to score for a long term in international cricket.

Have patience guys, a batsman with proper technique and mentality to improve, will eventually come good in test.

 

[Markhor]

Can we please have a discussion based on facts not personal liking and disliking ?

There is ONE full domestic FC season where Imam-ul-Haq got his average above 40:

2012/13 - 24.50
2013/14 - DNB
2014/15 - 33.70
2015/16 - 22.07
2016/17 - 49.88

Then he played one domestic match last season where he scored 150 on those dead pitches.

Now despite all the hate that's sent Abid Ali's way, and yes he must prove himself overseas, his domestic FC record was vastly superior:

2012/13 - 38.67
2013/14 - 44.73
2014/15 - 16.36
2015/16 - 49.81
2016/17 - 23.33
2017/18 - 49.18
2018/19 (A team) - 74.14
2018/19 - 47.20

Averaged 76 in 3 QEA matches before making his Test debut.

Point is until Imam starts producing better numbers he shouldn't return to the Test side.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

Can we please have a discussion based on facts not personal liking and disliking ?

There is ONE full domestic FC season where Imam-ul-Haq got his average above 40:

2012/13 - 24.50
2013/14 - DNB
2014/15 - 33.70
2015/16 - 22.07
2016/17 - 49.88

Then he played one domestic match last season where he scored 150 on those dead pitches.

Now despite all the hate that's sent Abid Ali's way, and yes he must prove himself overseas, his domestic FC record was vastly superior:

2012/13 - 38.67
2013/14 - 44.73
2014/15 - 16.36
2015/16 - 49.81
2016/17 - 23.33
2017/18 - 49.18
2018/19 (A team) - 74.14
2018/19 - 47.20

Averaged 76 in 3 QEA matches before making his Test debut.

Point is until Imam starts producing better numbers he shouldn't return to the Test side.

Also using stats, we can point to Imam’s one day record. So while his initial selection over Saud Shakeel might have been questionable given the stats you’ve pointed out, he defied that to do pretty decently in one day cricket and show he can stand up against bowlers of the highest level.

Secondly, though Abid has much better stats, we now have access to hours of video footage of both batsmen which shows us Abid’s technique is fantastic on the front foot but lacking on the back foot. He is a confirmed starter for New Zealand, but I desperately hope he has been able to acclimatize to the conditions better than his record against the NZ A team states.

 

[Markhor]

Also using stats, we can point to Imam’s one day record. So while his initial selection over Saud Shakeel might have been questionable given the stats you’ve pointed out, he defied that to do pretty decently in one day cricket and show he can stand up against bowlers of the highest level.

Secondly, though Abid has much better stats, we now have access to hours of video footage of both batsmen which shows us Abid’s technique is fantastic on the front foot but lacking on the back foot. He is a confirmed starter for New Zealand, but I desperately hope he has been able to acclimatize to the conditions better than his record against the NZ A team states.

I'm not disputing what Imam's done in ODIs, but in Tests can we at least agree no injustice was done in dropping him ? 4 of his 11 Tests were in UAE yet still averages 25.

Obviously yes one can make the obligatory mentions of Jacques Kallis, Steve Waugh and others who made poor starts to their Test careers but were persisted with. However Imam only had ONE good FC season before debuting.

As for your second point, unfortunately this is an issue most Pakistani batsmen face growing up on slow low wickets. But again Imam isn't the answer - playing the short ball was also one of his weaknesses that cost him his place.

I like he's a gutsy player but this hard done by narrative in Test cricket isn't borne out by facts.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

I'm not disputing what Imam's done in ODIs, but in Tests can we at least agree no injustice was done in dropping him ? 4 of his 11 Tests were in UAE yet still averages 25.

Obviously yes one can make the obligatory mentions of Jacques Kallis, Steve Waugh and others who made poor starts to their Test careers but were persisted with. However Imam only had ONE good FC season before debuting.

As for your second point, unfortunately this is an issue most Pakistani batsmen face growing up on slow low wickets. But again Imam isn't the answer - playing the short ball was also one of his weaknesses that cost him his place.

I like he's a gutsy player but this hard done by narrative in Test cricket isn't borne out by facts.

Oh I don’t think he was hard done by at all. Shan and Abid both made their place ahead of him, earlier Azhar. As far as that goes, we’re on the same page.

Rather, I think he’s hard done by fans. It’s what might prevent him from being next in line once Abid retires/is dropped, since he has a certain narrative attached to his name. It’s why I respect the work he puts into performances, as well as into his own fitness, because he does have to a teensy bit extra compared to other players to justify his place.

As far as the future goes, I hope one of this emerging lot develops quickly - between Omair, Zaryab, Shafique, and Haider Ali. Otherwise there’s really no one other than Imam I can think of.

 

[shamaan]

I'm not disputing what Imam's done in ODIs, but in Tests can we at least agree no injustice was done in dropping him ? 4 of his 11 Tests were in UAE yet still averages 25.

Obviously yes one can make the obligatory mentions of Jacques Kallis, Steve Waugh and others who made poor starts to their Test careers but were persisted with. However Imam only had ONE good FC season before debuting.

As for your second point, unfortunately this is an issue most Pakistani batsmen face growing up on slow low wickets. But again Imam isn't the answer - playing the short ball was also one of his weaknesses that cost him his place.

I like he's a gutsy player but this hard done by narrative in Test cricket isn't borne out by facts.

Thats definitely a weekeness for imaam the short ball also he fishes outside off stump but he is a good learner and is willing to learn.imaam doesnt warrant a space in the t20s but he should be given ago in tests to see if he had improved but this Series vs new zealand abid should play but he needs to perform or face the axe.

 

[shamaan]

imaam should play odis and be given a chance in test if abid fails in new zealand.i hope imaam has worked on his short pitched battting

 

[Mamoon]

Needs to replace hard working Masood.

 

[m.shah]

Needs to replace hard working Masood.

Both are trash

 

[Cryin Out Loud]

I always liked what I saw with him. Should be given a longish run.

 

[ads101]

Both are trash

It's the opposite. Jury is out whether Imam will be a great player or not. But he's proved he's not trash. An average of 52 at Sr 80 isn't trash. You can argue he's a slow player, not good for the team etc. But it's difficult to look at those numbers and say any of the alternatives/others can put those up. Even if they try to play slow. It's also his fourth year in internationals. It doesn't look like a fluke, even his non-fans can see this, it looks like he can pretty much play in the same way every year and produce those sort of numbers.

So Imam's done the bare minimum. Prove he's at least not trash, can put up some sort of consistent performance in a format.

Meanwhile some of the actual alternatives, with bad technique, application etc. will probably put up averages of 20 with not even a great SR. I like Masood and hope he will improve. But we're facing the prospect that there is a chance that with say 50 tests, Masood in tests could average in his 20s if things go bad for him. Which is a terrible investment. And tests is his only format, he hasn't succeeded in ODIs either so far. Masood hasn't given us any guarantee he isn't trash yet.

 

[angrypathan]

Better than the alternatives at the moment

 

[amvbfm]

Definitely deserves an extended run in tests. Have always been against the Masood and Abid pairing. They just don't have the skill to survive at the highest level. We would be much better off investing in Imam and Haider as our openers.

 

[SangasCoverDrive]

Pakistan should play Imam Ul Haq in T20s

You need someone to arrest a collapse. Currently in Pakistan there are too many sloggers and with them sloggers you would always need openers to bat till at least 16th over and set the platform for the hacks to just swing it. Even though this strategy worked in the first T20I but Pakistan will fail more often than not if they keep the same strategy so Pakistan need a proper batsmen and I think Imam could be a good addition to the team or Salman Agha.

 

[Azeem Zafar]

Why only Imam? We should also bring Azhar and Fawad in our T20i lineup.

 

[Barragan]

Nah, it should be Azhar Ali and him as openers, with Fawad at 3 and Saud Shakeel at 4.

No better stability than those 4!

 

[MK7Z]

mate if the sloggers fail do you seriously think an Imam innings will put on a competitive total?

 

[shamaan]

You need someone to arrest a collapse. Currently in Pakistan there are too many sloggers and with them sloggers you would always need openers to bat till at least 16th over and set the platform for the hacks to just swing it. Even though this strategy worked in the first T20I but Pakistan will fail more often than not if they keep the same strategy so Pakistan need a proper batsmen and I think Imam could be a good addition to the team or Salman Agha.

Imaam ul haq and usman saladuddin would be a very good opening pair

 

[Concerned]

Really good thread.

I agree, Azhar Ali and Imam should be opening for stability given that there is 20 overs to bat through.

 

[badsha001]

you guys are bunch of delusional fans. Let me try to help you guys understand the situation. Imam is a nothing player and will never succeed anywhere unless he has the urge to improve himself.

He plays too slow for ODI with very limited skills which gives off the impression that he can be a good test player.
He won't last in Test because he doesn't have the skills to last in Test matches. Proof? Stats don't lie.
He can survive in T20s? Yeah ok. I got some snake oil for you. Proof? Go look at his boundary stats across all formats please.

 

[Ab Fan]

Lol, then better make Azhar Ali, Imam ul haq and Younis khan as Pakistan's top 3 in T20s. This will also cover the fragile middle order as Babar and Rizwan can bat at 4 & 5.

 

[Raja Ishtiaq]

No such thing as pure batting consolidaters in T20 cricket. Just look at other top teams.

Our fans have their own strange cricket philosophies.

 

[zacattakk]

Is Wajahatullah Wasti not available? Maybe him and Imam can then open in T20Is for those desperate for stability.

 

[Shoaibbtt]

you guys are bunch of delusional fans. Let me try to help you guys understand the situation. Imam is a nothing player and will never succeed anywhere unless he has the urge to improve himself.

He plays too slow for ODI with very limited skills which gives off the impression that he can be a good test player.
He won't last in Test because he doesn't have the skills to last in Test matches. Proof? Stats don't lie.
He can survive in T20s? Yeah ok. I got some snake oil for you. Proof? Go look at his boundary stats across all formats please.

In terms of ODI he uses up too many dots in the opening powerplay which is the best time to bat and teams to lay a platform. He's certainly not doing the job but to be honest it's a collective failure as the English bowling line up was garbage on this tour. I'd have to say even the 50 Imam made was pointless in the 3rd ODI.

 

[Shoaibbtt]

Is Wajahatullah Wasti not available? Maybe him and Imam can then open in T20Is for those desperate for stability.

People are just overdramatic and simply are impatient these days. We have a good XI, you just have to give them time to gel together. If Babar-Rizwan are able to take the game to the 12-13th over then all we require is cameos which i think the middle order can give, however at this moment i'm a little worried about Hafeez's form.

 

[Shaka81]

This confused thinking is to be expected from fans who don't understand cricket but sadly there are too many "professionals" involved in Pakistani cricket who think similarly. That's why Pakistan struggle so much with players playing in the wrong formats based on their abilities. A good player in Test cricket, ODI or T20s doesn't mean they have transferrable skills across formats. Imam is currently a decent ODI player by Pakistan standards but he's nowhere near suited to either Test or T20 cricket. Playing in the wrong format is what stopped Fawad from having a great Test career.

 

[iniqbal223]

can someone give me reason what Imam-ul-Haq offers differently :

1) He is a Zimbabwe basher (inflated all records against Zimbabwe/Bangladesh)
2) Chicken out in tough batting conditions/bowlers
3) Score based on his pace ; rather than what team needs
4) Except for one fluke innings against England of 151

What he offers...

 

[Shoaibbtt]

This confused thinking is to be expected from fans who don't understand cricket but sadly there are too many "professionals" involved in Pakistani cricket who think similarly. That's why Pakistan struggle so much with players playing in the wrong formats based on their abilities. A good player in Test cricket, ODI or T20s doesn't mean they have transferrable skills across formats. Imam is currently a decent ODI player by Pakistan standards but he's nowhere near suited to either Test or T20 cricket. Playing in the wrong format is what stopped Fawad from having a great Test career.

I totally agree too many "professionals" on media platforms always shout for mediocre players coming back. There is no patience as well, when people do a good in a match they get a shabaash but then all your past good innings are forgotten when you have an individual failure here and there.

In regards to Imam though he's a good player but far too slow in that opening powerplay which at times just builds pressure and at times costs us the match. Like you said though he's good by Pakistan standards but nowhere at the top class level.

I think our selectors always had this issue of not realising a player's potential for certain individual formats.

PS I'm from Scotland myself.

 

[ayemgilani86]

and that is why we will remain a garbage team because our fans love trash like Shoaib Malik and Imam ul Haq who historically either hide themselves or play selfish innings to save their place.

Of course when someone like Misbah is coach everyone has a free license to play for themselves selfishly without any repercussions

 

[Shaka81]

and that is why we will remain a garbage team because our fans love trash like Shoaib Malik and Imam ul Haq who historically either hide themselves or play selfish innings to save their place.

Of course when someone like Misbah is coach everyone has a free license to play for themselves selfishly without any repercussions

I wouldn't say I love Imam but he useful as a stop gap until a better player can be developed. Out of curiosity who would you replace him with? Please not a T20 hack like Sharjeel or someone who has never opened like Saud or Usman Salahuddin. The only alternatives with good List A stats are similar players like Shan Masood or Khurram Manzoor but Imam has more potential than them