Sohaib Maqsood replaces Haider Ali (suspended) for tours of England and West Indies

[shamaan]

He started his intl career at 3 , then pushed to 4 to accomodate failing opener hafeez a good dhost of Misbah. He was doing fine there too but then Misbah and Waqar pushed this top order batsmanfurther down until no.7 and he was gone for good 4 years after that.

Misbah is doing the same with Haider now, i feel haider will go the same way as well.

Maqsood averaged 39 at 77 at 6 and 44 and 120+ at 7

 

[Shoaibbtt]

So you would drop fakhar/sharjeel

Fakhar is inconsistent at times and with Sharjeel i think he'll get found out. You have to think about it, if Rizwan/Babar are doing the job up the order then why send them down the order? I can still see an arguement for Sharjeel.

 

[shamaan]

Fakhar is inconsistent at times and with Sharjeel i think he'll get found out. You have to think about it, if Rizwan/Babar are doing the job up the order then why send them down the order? I can still see an arguement for Sharjeel.

Babar would be much better at 3 if you look at his strike rates throw different stages you can clearly see he takes his time in the first 6 overs and excelerates after 6 overs.i would have either fakhar or sharjeel opening with Rizwan.babar at 3 and maqsood at 5/6 our problem is the lower order not the top order.maqsood has batted in them positions for Pakistan and done a good job at 6 in odis.

 

[Shoaibbtt]

Babar would be much better at 3 if you look at his strike rates throw different stages you can clearly see he takes his time in the first 6 overs and excelerates after 6 overs.i would have either fakhar or sharjeel opening with Rizwan.babar at 3 and maqsood at 5/6 our problem is the lower order not the top order.maqsood has batted in them positions for Pakistan and done a good job at 6 in odis.

I think if you wanna utilise someone's form then utilise them at the place in which they are showing success and in this case for Moqsood it's 3. Imagine how many overs Pak can bat through with this top heavy batting order:

1. Rizwan
2. Babar
3. Moqsood

These guys could bat through till i can see the 12-14th over inshAllah given their recent form.

 

[hitthestump]

Pakistan have too many top order batsmen that they're trying to shunt into the top 6. Already Fakhar has lost his opening slot because of the congestion.

Someone has to make way and as Maqsood is a relative newbie i'm sure he'll be asked to slot in at number 6.

I think the eventual order will end up looking something like this:

1. Rizwan
2. Babar
3. Fakhar
4. Malik
5. Hafeez
6. Maqsood
7. Imad
etc.

 

[Shoaibbtt]

Pakistan have too many top order batsmen that they're trying to shunt into the top 6. Already Fakhar has lost his opening slot because of the congestion.

Someone has to make way and as Maqsood is a relative newbie i'm sure he'll be asked to slot in at number 6.

I think the eventual order will end up looking something like this:

1. Rizwan
2. Babar
3. Fakhar
4. Malik
5. Hafeez
6. Maqsood
7. Imad
etc.

That will be silly considering Moqsood's form.

Imad's form has been worrying also with bat and ball. Almost makes me think whether we can sacrifice a batsman for an extra bowler/allrounder.

1. Rizwan (wk)
2. Babar (c)
3. Moqsood
4. Hafeez
5. Malik/Sharjeel
6. Faheem Ashraf
7. Imad Wasim
8. Waseem Khan jr
9. Hassan Ali
10. Shaheen Afridi
11. Imran Khan jr/Dahani

 

[gazza619]

Fakhar can bat at 4. Hafeez at 5.

If Sohaib plays he got to have no.3 spot.

 

[Shoaibbtt]

Fakhar can bat at 4. Hafeez at 5.

If Sohaib plays he got to have no.3 spot.

I reckon Hafeez could play that late order hit

 

[GreenKhan]

As much as I am delighted with Maqsoods recall, the facts are relatively simple . He averages 13 after 20 T20s at a SR of 109.

No doubt he can improve on those figures and I hope he does , but should slot in at 4 or 5 in the T20 line up at present.

Batting Fakhar anything below 3 is pointless and on his day he is match winner and has demonstrated that for Pak as recently as the South African series .


Maqsood at 4 or 5 should still bring the best out of him provided he is a good run which I’m hopeful he will . There are 8 t20s in the next 6 weeks .

 

[Golden arm]

Squad looks good now.

Babar Azam
Mohammed Rizwan
Fakhar Zaman
Moha Hafeez
Sohaib Maqsood
Azam Khan
Faheem Ashraf
Imad Wasim/Shadab Khan
Hasan Ali
Shaheen Afridi
Haris Rauf

It's funny people are still relying on Azam after looking at his dismal performance and figure in dubai PSL.

 

[Farabi]

WC is in UAE

Rizwan
Sharjeel
Babar
Maqsood
Malik
Khushdil Shah
Nawaz (/Faheem vs Asian teams)
Hassan Ali
Usman Qadir
Dahani
Shaheen

Bench
Hafeez, Fakhar, Wahab, Iftikhar, Rauf, Faheem

-Malik in place of Hafeez given recent form
-Sharjeel did way better than Fakhar in PSL6 (SR of 150). Fakhar is a great ODI player and likes to build innings slowly. Fakhar back up to openers.
-need a specialist spinner. Usman Q
-Dahani is a must/no brainer
-Khushil Shah best lower order tonker on display. Don’t need a guy like Malik, Ifti, Hafeez slotted too low

 

[Farabi]

Not really. I used to deeply dislike him during his first run in the team from 2013-15. To me he was always a watered down version of Umar Akmal.

But he has really impressed me with the way he has improved recently. He played some monsters knocks in the Domestic T20 Cup aswell, and now ofcourse he's been one of the integral elements of Multan's title-winning campaign.

Point is, I'm willing to change my opinions on players if they show me that they can improve and put their past failures behind them. The jury is still out on Maqsood but let's just hope he does well for Pakistan.

Yeah I meant few months ago. I think we discussed Maqsood as a potential middle order batsman before PSL.

 

[OMB]

Sohaib Maqsood speaking to the press ahead of the ODI series against England

“First thing you need to look at is whether that slot [where a player bats in domestic cricket] is available in international cricket. The players who are already performing in those slots have the first right to play there. I have played lower down the order in the initial matches of PSL and I performed a bit as well. So, for the team, whichever number I’m asked to play, I will be available and I will try to give my 100 per cent”

“When you are playing for the national side, you have to be selfless. I will try to perform wherever the team management asks me to bat even if it’s not ideal for me. If I’m unable to do well, I won’t use this an excuse as it’s my duty to play wherever I’m asked to”

“I will continue to play fearless cricket like I did in domestic cricket. Losing my place in the side no longer affects me the way it used to as I’m making a comeback after five and a half years. Hopefully this approach will improve my chances of doing well,

“During the three years when I was part of the national side, I did perform but was not consistent enough. Injuries and poor shot selection were the reason behind that. I will try to not repeat the same mistakes and continue to play with the same mindset, which has helped me make a comeback"

“Conditions in England are good for batting and we see high-scoring games here. Pakistan did well in the 2017 Champions Trophy here and also during the 2019 World Cup. No doubt, England are one of the best white-ball teams but Pakistan has always given them tough time so we are expecting competitive cricket,”

 

[Forum363]

So from that interview he’s been told by management he certainly isn’t playing at number 3. If Fakhar and Hafeez are fixed at 3 and 4, then Maqsood will be coming at 5, less motivated and ready to make excuses when he fails

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

So from that interview he’s been told by management he certainly isn’t playing at number 3. If Fakhar and Hafeez are fixed at 3 and 4, then Maqsood will be coming at 5, less motivated and ready to make excuses when he fails

He literally said in the interview that he will be ready to play anywhere and won't make excuses even if it isn't an ideal position for him. To be fair, he looks similar to Sharjeel, needs a couple of overs to play himself in before he starts seeing it properly so I can understand why he prefers batting higher up the order.

 

[JibranAnsari]

like umar akmal , sohaib maqsood too lacks game awareness and generally looks for glory shots. I do not have high expectations from him.

 

[Forum363]

He literally said in the interview that he will be ready to play anywhere and won't make excuses even if it isn't an ideal position for him. To be fair, he looks similar to Sharjeel, needs a couple of overs to play himself in before he starts seeing it properly so I can understand why he prefers batting higher up the order.

I don’t disagree but he’s been very vocal about playing up the order and his tone seems slightly different here.

Just my observation. I would personally play him at 3 as he’s earned it.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

like umar akmal , sohaib maqsood too lacks game awareness and generally looks for glory shots. I do not have high expectations from him.

I don't have high expectations either, but in today's cricket you do need people who can hit 'glory shots', and I am of the opinion that he is probably better than Haider and Asif Ali - for what that's worth. Otherwise we aren't going to win many L/O matches with nudges and taps.

 

[gazza619]

like umar akmal , sohaib maqsood too lacks game awareness and generally looks for glory shots. I do not have high expectations from him.

He was contesting Asif Ali and it was a no brainer really.

Sohaib has a bit more patience than Umar Akmal and more importantly appears to be level headed. I want to see him do well.

 

[shamaan]

I did say we won't play in the top 4 and people were putting him at 3 !

 

[shamaan]

So from that interview he’s been told by management he certainly isn’t playing at number 3. If Fakhar and Hafeez are fixed at 3 and 4, then Maqsood will be coming at 5, less motivated and ready to make excuses when he fails

Even if he didn't give this interview he was never going to bat in the top 3 definitely or even top 4

 

[Forum363]

Even if he didn't give this interview he was never going to bat in the top 3 definitely or even top 4

I mean, player of the tournament at number 3 and it’s not like we have a steady number 3 who is set.

It would be a no brainer for any other team. But Misbah is in charge….

 

[shamaan]

So from that interview he’s been told by management he certainly isn’t playing at number 3. If Fakhar and Hafeez are fixed at 3 and 4, then Maqsood will be coming at 5, less motivated and ready to make excuses when he fails

I mean, player of the tournament at number 3 and it’s not like we have a steady number 3 who is set.

It would be a no brainer for any other team. But Misbah is in charge….

You already have babar batting at 3 in odis why would you change something that's not broken ?

Babar isn't set ?

In t20s you have fakhar,sharjeeel,rizwan and Babar

 

[Forum363]

You already have babar batting at 3 in odis why would you change something that's not broken ?

Babar isn't set ?

In t20s you have fakhar,sharjeeel,rizwan and Babar

We’re talking about T20s obviously… he was man of the tournament in the PSL.

Babar and Rizwan are fixed at the top, Fakhar is not set at 3 yet in T20s. Sharjeel certainly isn’t fixed.

 

[shamaan]

So from that interview he’s been told by management he certainly isn’t playing at number 3. If Fakhar and Hafeez are fixed at 3 and 4, then Maqsood will be coming at 5, less motivated and ready to make excuses when he fails

We’re talking about T20s obviously… he was man of the tournament in the PSL.

Babar and Rizwan are fixed at the top, Fakhar is not set at 3 yet in T20s. Sharjeel certainly isn’t fixed.

I no he was man of the tournament.dahani was bowler of the tournament should he also included.maqsood should bat at 5 we're he batted in the odi format when he first started.maqsood is in the odi format azwell.

 

[GreenKhan]

I think we need to manage expectation with Sohaib. He averages 13 in 20 t20s with a SR of 109. I’m not knocking his recent efforts in the PSL but all this talk of him batting at 3 is wishful. He can bat 5 and still do a job for Pakistan. If he shows an improvement then he can maybe move up the order .

 

[Forum363]

I no he was man of the tournament.dahani was bowler of the tournament should he also included.maqsood should bat at 5 we're he batted in the odi format when he first started.maqsood is in the odi format azwell.

Dahani isn’t selected. If he was, he should be given a similar role to where he had success in the PSL yes. Asking him to do something different would not be smart.

You do realise 5 in ODIs is completely different from 5 in T20s right? And you do know that Maqsood debuted at number 3 in ODIs right? Where he scored consecutive 50s in and against South Africa. And then was stupidly moved lower down where he struggled.

But don’t let actual facts get in the way of the narrative you’re pushing..

 

[shamaan]

So from that interview he’s been told by management he certainly isn’t playing at number 3. If Fakhar and Hafeez are fixed at 3 and 4, then Maqsood will be coming at 5, less motivated and ready to make excuses when he fails

Dahani isn’t selected. If he was, he should be given a similar role to where he had success in the PSL yes. Asking him to do something different would not be smart.

You do realise 5 in ODIs is completely different from 5 in T20s right? And you do know that Maqsood debuted at number 3 in ODIs right? Where he scored consecutive 50s in and against South Africa. And then was stupidly moved lower down where he struggled.

But don’t let actual facts get in the way of the narrative you’re pushing..

Yes I do realise that I have played cricket long enough to know the difference.consecutive 50s in dubai yes.he struggled he batted at 7 at average of 40 pluss at 120 strike rate.

 

[Forum363]

Yes I do realise that I have played cricket long enough to know the difference.consecutive 50s in dubai yes.he struggled he batted at 7 at average of 40 pluss at 120 strike rate.

Your posts aren’t even coherent anymore, I don’t know how to reply.

When did he bat at 7?

If you have played cricket long enough you should know the while some (usually the best) players are versatile, many are only good at their specific role. Why take them away from that role?

 

[Jabo]

I was a big fan of Maqsood
he came in at a tough time and at 3 when pakistan were getting destroyed by SA

then they decided to mess around with his position and throw him all over the place while he also decided to just throw his wicket away from some disgraceful batting... worse than Afridi at times.

hopefully he has learnt his mistake and doesn't bat like that again
if he does
should be dumped immediately and i say that as a fan

hoping he has improved

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

We’re talking about T20s obviously… he was man of the tournament in the PSL.

Babar and Rizwan are fixed at the top, Fakhar is not set at 3 yet in T20s. Sharjeel certainly isn’t fixed.

Correct. Fakhar and Sharjeel are both hit and miss, and both tend to favour leg side which makes it easier for bowlers to get them dragging the ball across the line. Maqsood actually has a better range of shots on both sides of the wicket in my view, but he's struggled to slog from the off when coming lower down the order. But I feel the other two would struggle as well if they were coming in at 5 or 6. It's a tough call, but he deserves a chance up the order.

 

[Forum363]

Correct. Fakhar and Sharjeel are both hit and miss, and both tend to favour leg side which makes it easier for bowlers to get them dragging the ball across the line. Maqsood actually has a better range of shots on both sides of the wicket in my view, but he's struggled to slog from the off when coming lower down the order. But I feel the other two would struggle as well if they were coming in at 5 or 6. It's a tough call, but he deserves a chance up the order.

Exactly. And this is putting my bias aside because Fakhar is one of my favourite players. But all three played at the top of the order in the PSL and Maqsood outperformed them and played better shots + matching innings regularly. Whether he can replicate it at the international level remains to be seen but now that he’s been selected, he deserves a chance at 3.

 

[shamaan]

So from that interview he’s been told by management he certainly isn’t playing at number 3. If Fakhar and Hafeez are fixed at 3 and 4, then Maqsood will be coming at 5, less motivated and ready to make excuses when he fails

Your posts aren’t even coherent anymore, I don’t know how to reply.

When did he bat at 7?

If you have played cricket long enough you should know the while some (usually the best) players are versatile, many are only good at their specific role. Why take them away from that role?

He batted at 7 go look at the stats.Exactly my point players are versatile he Maqsood can bat down the order atleast you agree with me.

 

[Yk313]

Exactly. And this is putting my bias aside because Fakhar is one of my favourite players. But all three played at the top of the order in the PSL and Maqsood outperformed them and played better shots + matching innings regularly. Whether he can replicate it at the international level remains to be seen but now that he’s been selected, he deserves a chance at 3.

Just to be clear, he’s in the squad for both, ODIs and T20Is, right? If so, really interested to see how he slots into the ODI team too as his last stint in the team ~2015 showed a very limited off-side game with a tendency to slice drives aerially.

Don’t follow any of the leagues so cannot comment on his performance in those but if he can offer a solution for No.3 in T20 Intnls, PAK could be better off. Otherwise, No.4 at the lowest with Hafeez moving to 5. Ideally, PAK would play just one out of Maqsood, Fakhar or Sharjeel.

 

[cricketerB94]

Looks like Maqsood will play at 6 in ODIs (Imam, Fakhar, Babar, Rizwan, Haris, Maqsood) and at 5 in T20Is (Babar, Rizwan, Fakhar, Hafeez, Maqsood, Azam).

 

[Forum363]

He batted at 7 go look at the stats.Exactly my point players are versatile he Maqsood can bat down the order atleast you agree with me.

Well actually I said only the best players are. And Maqsood certainly hasn’t proved that quality.