T20 cricket - The Winning Approach

[Dr_Bassim]

Many years ago, there was a criminal who committed a crime.

The king gave him an option to choose to die by rope or take what's behind the big dark mysterious iron door. The criminal immediately chose the rope. As the noose was being tightened around him, he asked the thing, what is behind the "Big mysterious dark door". The king laughed and said nearly everyone asks the same question. So, what is behind that dark door, the criminal insisted.

The king said "Freedom, but most people are so scared of whats behind the unknown, they choose the rope"

Pakistan team is winning matches no doubt. It is winning matches, that it regularly lost perhaps a year or two ago.

But they are failing to WIN games that matter the most. Be it the final of the T20 World Cup, the final of the Asia Cup, the final against a very good T20 team England (being 3-2 up in the series), they have consistently ended up on the losing side.

I am going to focus the rest of the article not on HOW well we played a one-off match against India or bilaterals, but our failure in critical knockout games repeatedly.

A quick look at the issue shows that the middle order is not good enough.
I will bite the bitter pill and accept that the middle order could perhaps be tons better. That is fact. It is undeniable.

But many people are oblivious to the fact that since the middle order is so terrible and since the openers are failing to make runs at a pace that is good enough in CRUCIAL matches, there is something wrong in the psyche of the team that needs to change.

I propose the main problem Pakistan is faced with is that the head coach, captain and everyone else in the team is considering AVERAGES as the hallmark of a good T20 player. Since Babar and Rizwan have legendary averages in T20, they are super. They must be doing something right. And that means, they get away with whatever approach or method they use. There is very little critical analysis of how they play as long as they reach the 50 or 70 runs in the innings.

This creates a double-edged sword problem. If Babar and Rizwan are striking 50 to 70 runs in every game, Pakistan should consistently hit scores above 200 in KNOCKOUT games.

But they aren't. Even though they score, they score at a pace which gives just about enough time for middle order to throw their bat at everything and make some extra runs. But the middle order is NOT capable enough to this. They are definitely poor in form and performance. We end up short.

We have had 3 finals (T20 World Cup, Asia Cup, T20 versus England) where this approach has failed and we have lost.

Now when anyone proposes a change. A new approach, Perhaps a faster opener at the cost of demoting one of the openers, the law of averages tells us that the guy who enters won't average 50 like Rizwan or 45 like Babar. But he DOESN'T NEED TO. All he needs to do is to score 30 off 15 balls and go back to the hut.

That extra 30 runs we are NOT able to score at the end of the innings, could be critical and we can try to score them while opening.

So what in T20 does help win? Yes, you probably need one of Babar or Rizwan to come down at 3 and do the same thing of holding one end. But the other end simply has to be made of strikers who come and go.

In T20 its not even the STRIKE RATE that helps win. That is a misconception. A huge one. If that was the case, a guy who hits 12 of 2 balls would help his team win. He doesn't help either even though he has a SR of 200.

In T20 it is the "impact" that a player has on a game that defines a win.
Why do you think the major teams of the world are looking for a Warner, Green or Allen at the top to open for them? Is it because they are looking at AVERAGE or STRIKE RATE? No.

They are looking for impact. They know if Allen scores 30 from 15 balls, NZ have a start of 60/1 in 6 overs. That means rest of the team has to score 140 in 14 overs to hit 200 which is probably going to be a winning score 90 percent of the time.

If you score 40/0 in 6 overs and end up with 80 in 10 overs and around 100/2 in 12 overs even though it looks good on paper, you are asking the middle order to score 100 runs in the last 8 overs to get to 200. The openers have hit their 50s. But the team has lost as the middle order won't be able to hit 100 in 8 overs.

So what brings that stubborn and refusal to change.

Its the unknown. What if it goes worse than what we have?

People get scared. People act like the criminal who chose the rope because it was the fear of the unknown. They consistently put forward the trailing argument that openers are scoring the 50 runs and the rest of the team has to do better.

Unless Pakistan does not understand that T20 is not about averages and strike-rates but about the impact a batsman has in the team, they won't win the crucial knockout games.

They will continue to loiter just at the edge, hoping for a magical Babar or Rizwan innings to bail them which will never come.

 

[James]

Thoughts on this everyone?

 

[Energy]

If you score 40/0 in 6 overs and end up with 80 in 10 overs and around 100/2 in 12 overs even though it looks good on paper, you are asking the middle order to score 100 runs in the last 8 overs to get to 200. The openers have hit their 50s. But the team has lost as the middle order won't be able to hit 100 in 8 overs.

So, you're saying the middle order cannot strike at close to 10rpo, but the openers should be able to do it? And at the same time also give you 100 runs on average each game?

You do realise the middle order is 4-5 different batters right, while Babar and Rizwan are only 2 individuals.

It's a biased article that doesn't change the facts that the middle order is deeply pathetic and can neither score runs, nor can bat 10 overs anyway. They won't get you 50 on a regular basis off the last 10 and you're saying we're putting pressure on them to get 100.

 

[TheSultan]

I agree with everything the op has said.

 

[Rana]

If you score 40/0 in 6 overs and end up with 80 in 10 overs and around 100/2 in 12 overs even though it looks good on paper, you are asking the middle order to score 100 runs in the last 8 overs to get to 200. The openers have hit their 50s. But the team has lost as the middle order won't be able to hit 100 in 8 overs.

So, you're saying the middle order cannot strike at close to 10rpo, but the openers should be able to do it? And at the same time also give you 100 runs on average each game?

You do realise the middle order is 4-5 different batters right, while Babar and Rizwan are only 2 individuals.

It's a biased article that doesn't change the facts that the middle order is deeply pathetic and can neither score runs, nor can bat 10 overs anyway. They won't get you 50 on a regular basis off the last 10 and you're saying we're putting pressure on them to get 100.

No but we can shape shift natural aggressive openers into no.4 players lol

 

[gazza619]

One thing is for sure. Pakistan does not currently have the likes of Warner, Buttler, Rohit, Surya warming the bench.

We do have a decent bunch of pacers though. As such for me it is a no brainer to play 4 genuine fast bowlers and 2 allrounder spinners (Shadab, Nawaz) in the XI. This way we can bat first, score 160 and then depend on our pacers to do the job. Similarly we can bowl first and look to restrict the opponent to 160.

Playing an extra batter from our existing hopeless bench is really not working.

 

[TheSultan]

If you score 40/0 in 6 overs and end up with 80 in 10 overs and around 100/2 in 12 overs even though it looks good on paper, you are asking the middle order to score 100 runs in the last 8 overs to get to 200. The openers have hit their 50s. But the team has lost as the middle order won't be able to hit 100 in 8 overs.

So, you're saying the middle order cannot strike at close to 10rpo, but the openers should be able to do it? And at the same time also give you 100 runs on average each game?

You do realise the middle order is 4-5 different batters right, while Babar and Rizwan are only 2 individuals.

It's a biased article that doesn't change the facts that the middle order is deeply pathetic and can neither score runs, nor can bat 10 overs anyway. They won't get you 50 on a regular basis off the last 10 and you're saying we're putting pressure on them to get 100.

Bit of a contradictory post there. You on the one hand say the middle order are pathetic but babar and rizwan are the best thing since sliced bread. So you are expecting the pathetic middle order to score more than the best thing since sliced bread? Even through they have the fielding restrictions available to them too.

So everything stacked in favour of the Legends and you expect the pathetic line up to do better?

 

[Energy]

No but we can shape shift natural aggressive openers into no.4 players lol

What is the definition of a natural aggressive opener? Have you gone inside Fakhar's body and understood his liver and lungs crying for being an opener?

What has he done as an opener in T20s? What is his average, SR? Has he achieved better than Babar and Rizwan at the opening slot when he had his chances?

 

[Energy]

Bit of a contradictory post there. You on the one hand say the middle order are pathetic but babar and rizwan are the best thing since sliced bread. So you are expecting the pathetic middle order to score more than the best thing since sliced bread? Even through they have the fielding restrictions available to them too.

So everything stacked in favour of the Legends and you expect the pathetic line up to do better?

I'm saying the middle order is so pathetic that whichever way anybody twists, majority of time they'll end up scoring next to nothing. Babar and Rizwan are kings in comparison.

Only a delusional individual would put Babar and Riwzan in the same conversation as Haider, Ifti, Khushdil, Asif et al. Whether you make these guys bat up, down or at No.11 there will be no change in results.

 

[Ab Fan]

POTW material!

Note - India seems to have understood this impact thing in batting in T20Is with inclusion of Surya, Pandya and DK in middle and Rohit taking on the bowlers at the top but what they are lacking still is a match winning T20I bowling attack.

Pakistan has that match winning bowling attack due to presence of Shaheen and Shadab but their batting is following the extension of old school ODI culture.

 

[Markhor]

POTW ! Well articulated by the Doc. Many Pakistani pundits and fans haven't adapted their thinking to the rapidly evolving demands of T20 cricket. Metrics like batting averages or 50s scored are quoted despite having little bearing on match impact.

We often see in Pakistan: Player A inflates their average via riskless accumulation and let Player B take the risks. When B is dismissed trying to up the rate they're slated while A "did his job."

Many also believe 50(40) is a good knock in most circumstances. In reality, 10 batsmen dismissed for 20(12) is preferable to 3 batsmen anchoring the innings with 50(40) to use a crude example.

Where I'd disagree is there's "THE winning way" in T20. The book Hitting Against The Spin authored by two CricViz statisticians show there's multiple routes to success. However each setup has limitations.

For example, they class Pakistan-like teams as an "AA" team, i.e. bat slower and lose more wickets, with better bowling than average. AA teams favour low scoring shootouts. England are a "CD" team, they bat quicker and lose more wickets, with worse bowling than average. According to their data, AAs have a 52-48 advantage over CDs. The recent series finished 3-4 England so very close.

However, Pakistan-like teams have one BIG vulnerability - aggressive batting teams with equally strong bowling attacks with an 11% winrate. "SaqBall" works to an extent, but you see why we've lost crucial matches against more daring teams in crunch games from 2021 WC SF, Asia Cup Final and ENG series decider.

 

[PakEngFan]

What is the definition of a natural aggressive opener? Have you gone inside Fakhar's body and understood his liver and lungs crying for being an opener?

What has he done as an opener in T20s? What is his average, SR? Has he achieved better than Babar and Rizwan at the opening slot when he had his chances?

Fakhar has been a flop t20 player he’s averages way less then both of them and with the same SR but but he’s aggressive just because he swings his bat like a tape ball player people think he’s aggressive. The fact is Babar and Rizwan are far better then our so called power hitters and they pretty much play at the same SR as these aggressive t20 batsmens.

 

[TheSultan]

I'm saying the middle order is so pathetic that whichever way anybody twists, majority of time they'll end up scoring next to nothing. Babar and Rizwan are kings in comparison.

Only a delusional individual would put Babar and Riwzan in the same conversation as Haider, Ifti, Khushdil, Asif et al. Whether you make these guys bat up, down or at No.11 there will be no change in results.

No one is putting them in the same conversation apart from yourself. You asked why they can't make 100 when the Kings make 80.

How do you expect them to make 100 when the Kings can only muster 80 with the additional advantage of the powerplay?

 

[Rana]

No one is putting them in the same conversation apart from yourself. You asked why they can't make 100 when the Kings make 80.

How do you expect them to make 100 when the Kings can only muster 80 with the additional advantage of the powerplay?

They can’t even rely on the kings to take pressure on them in the middle by giving them the strike and hoping for them or target boundaries.

The kings expect the paupers to score the big hits whilst they merrily make their way to the 17th over with a 50 to their name

 

[Energy]

The kings are good enough to win matches on their own for the country. They don't need the ****** batters.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

POTW ! Well articulated by the Doc. Many Pakistani pundits and fans haven't adapted their thinking to the rapidly evolving demands of T20 cricket. Metrics like batting averages or 50s scored are quoted despite having little bearing on match impact.

We often see in Pakistan: Player A inflates their average via riskless accumulation and let Player B take the risks. When B is dismissed trying to up the rate they're slated while A "did his job."

Many also believe 50(40) is a good knock in most circumstances. In reality, 10 batsmen dismissed for 20(12) is preferable to 3 batsmen anchoring the innings with 50(40) to use a crude example.

Where I'd disagree is there's "THE winning way" in T20. The book Hitting Against The Spin authored by two CricViz statisticians show there's multiple routes to success. However each setup has limitations.

For example, they class Pakistan-like teams as an "AA" team, i.e. bat slower and lose more wickets, with better bowling than average. AA teams favour low scoring shootouts. England are a "CD" team, they bat quicker and lose more wickets, with worse bowling than average. According to their data, AAs have a 52-48 advantage over CDs. The recent series finished 3-4 England so very close.

However, Pakistan-like teams have one BIG vulnerability - aggressive batting teams with equally strong bowling attacks with an 11% winrate. "SaqBall" works to an extent, but you see why we've lost crucial matches against more daring teams in crunch games from 2021 WC SF, Asia Cup Final and ENG series decider.

Good to see someone posting who actually understands what's going on. You've hit the nail on the head.

Pakistan's approach is primarily for 2 reasons- there aren't batsmen who can bat at a consistently rapid rate like England do and the fact that they have a quality bowling attack.

Many posters underrate the current England attack but if Rashid gets back in form , they are clear favourites to win the whole thing.

They can match Pakistan in the bowling and can outhit PAK.

 

[TheSultan]

The kings are good enough to win matches on their own for the country. They don't need the ****** batters.

Everything solved then - why complain about the others? Or alternative strategies? Sit back, relax and enjoy

 

[Rana]

Everything solved then - why complain about the others? Or alternative strategies? Sit back, relax and enjoy

Yeah we should pick 2 kings and 9 sticks for the World Cup

 

[Zaz]

Lets speak hypothetically, you can ask for the top order to go gung ho and hit 95-3 off 10 overs but are you really saying this middle order would be good enough to say double that and score near 200 the team needs?

As youve acknowledged even on a good day flat wkt they struggle and barely get a run a ball so whats to say suddenly they will bat like champions

You can go as fast as you like at the top but if you dont have a middle order you are always gonna be below par

 

[Energy]

Everything solved then - why complain about the others? Or alternative strategies? Sit back, relax and enjoy

Complaints are coming from others that's the reason for creation of this thread and many others.

Cuckoo land fans can keep having wet dreams about mythical hitters on unicorns while Babar and Rizwan with actual responsibility will go into every match to ensure they do what is best for their country.

All other batters in the squad are a joke, and the selectors have persisted with these jokers so we have to rely on bowling all rounders to play helping hand to our top players.

 

[Gayle_Force]

I believe there is some misconception that if a Pakistan were to make a few batting tweaks (change the batting order or make some changes to the squad) and all of a sudden Pakistan will become a side that consistently scores 200+. Reality is that Pakistan has never been that side throughout its history, which includes the time when we had ‘aggressive’ openers like Fakhar and Sharjeel.

As fans we need a reality check that Pakistan simply lags behind in T20 batting compared to the top T20 teams and there is no quick fix. We need to groom our young domestic talent to catch up to the world but this will take some time. Right now Pakistan is a team that heavily relies on the bowling to win matches or Babar and Rizwan to bat through the innings. The winning approach mentioned in the OP requires players with certain skill set, particularly the ability to hit in all parts of the ground, which unfortunately Pakistan does not have currently. That is the reality and we need to accept it.

 

[Rana]

I believe there is some misconception that if a Pakistan were to make a few batting tweaks (change the batting order or make some changes to the squad) and all of a sudden Pakistan will become a side that consistently scores 200+. Reality is that Pakistan has never been that side throughout its history, which includes the time when we had ‘aggressive’ openers like Fakhar and Sharjeel.

As fans we need a reality check that Pakistan simply lags behind in T20 batting compared to the top T20 teams and there is no quick fix. We need to groom our young domestic talent to catch up to the world but this will take some time. Right now Pakistan is a team that heavily relies on the bowling to win matches or Babar and Rizwan to bat through the innings. The winning approach mentioned in the OP requires players with certain skill set, particularly the ability to hit in all parts of the ground, which unfortunately Pakistan does not have currently. That is the reality and we need to accept it.

We have never opened with Sharjeel and Fakhar so how do we know???

 

[jnaveen1980]

Comes down to the surface, match-ups. NZ beat Pakistan and BD both sub-continent sides in a completely different way. Beat Pakistan with predominantly spin. Beat BD with raw pace. The way i see it Pakistan's best way to win match is with their bowling stepping up every time. That is how they won a world T20. Ajmal, Amir, Gul, Afridi. AAAG . Having said that you still need a decent total.

 

[Energy]

We have never opened with Sharjeel and Fakhar so how do we know???

We have opened with both. Some abysmal numbers will be on show.

 

[Rana]

We have opened with both. Some abysmal numbers will be on show.

We have never opened with both together!!

 

[Gayle_Force]

We have never opened with Sharjeel and Fakhar so how do we know???

They have individually opened for Pakistan and the results were not any different. Why would batting together make them personally more explosive than when they bat with other partners?

 

[Rana]

They have individually opened for Pakistan and the results were not any different. Why would batting together make them personally more explosive than when they bat with other partners?

Let them open together and give them plenty of opportunity to build their own chemistry

Let’s see if they will sink or swim… what’s the issue in trying??

 

[MenInG]

Nasser Hussain:

"Actually, if you have a solid No.7, then it means that your top six can absolutely go for it. That has been an issue for India, they don't have enough all-rounders, and Pakistan as well. Babar and Rizwan are so worried about the depth of their batting, so 20 overs becomes a very long time"

"India's issues have been ICC events really. They have been going around beating everyone, with a variety of players, they have rotated and rested. But the truth is that they have played some timid cricket in world events and almost gone into their shell. They definitely played some fearful cricket in the last World Cup, especially in the powerplays,"

 

[zacattakk]

I believe there is some misconception that if a Pakistan were to make a few batting tweaks (change the batting order or make some changes to the squad) and all of a sudden Pakistan will become a side that consistently scores 200+. Reality is that Pakistan has never been that side throughout its history, which includes the time when we had ‘aggressive’ openers like Fakhar and Sharjeel.

As fans we need a reality check that Pakistan simply lags behind in T20 batting compared to the top T20 teams and there is no quick fix. We need to groom our young domestic talent to catch up to the world but this will take some time. Right now Pakistan is a team that heavily relies on the bowling to win matches or Babar and Rizwan to bat through the innings. The winning approach mentioned in the OP requires players with certain skill set, particularly the ability to hit in all parts of the ground, which unfortunately Pakistan does not have currently. That is the reality and we need to accept it.

Lets speak hypothetically, you can ask for the top order to go gung ho and hit 95-3 off 10 overs but are you really saying this middle order would be good enough to say double that and score near 200 the team needs?

As youve acknowledged even on a good day flat wkt they struggle and barely get a run a ball so whats to say suddenly they will bat like champions

You can go as fast as you like at the top but if you dont have a middle order you are always gonna be below par

These are the 2 sensible posts in this thread. A simple change in "mentality" or in the batting order isn't going to make a big difference when the main issue is that we do not have the same caliber of technically correct, versatile hard hitting batsmen that the other big teams have. Until we can develop young batsmen like that we will have to continue relying on our strong bowling attack or our top order having a really good game. We have tried all of our big hitting stars from the domestic level (Maqsood, Khushdil, Chacha, etc) and they have all failed in international games.

 

[Gayle_Force]

Let them open together and give them plenty of opportunity to build their own chemistry

Let’s see if they will sink or swim… what’s the issue in trying??

I have no issue with trying any option. I think we just have a difference of opinion on what the main issue is. In my opinion, until Pakistan finds middle order batsmen that can consistently play at a 150+ SR we will always lag behind regardless of who we open with.

 

[Rana]

I have no issue with trying any option. I think we just have a difference of opinion on what the main issue is. In my opinion, until Pakistan finds middle order batsmen that can consistently play at a 150+ SR we will always lag behind regardless of who we open with.

I think you do not understand my concern here at all..

I don’t give two hoots about the middle order failing until we do not correct our approach right from the top! I cannot and will not ever let this go until it isn’t addressed. There is no way I will accept two essentially middle order batsmen finding a convenient spot as openers and playing the game at their own pace. Both average 30+ balls per 6 in their careers!!!

I am not willing to hear any arguments about the failure of the middle order until this issue is not addressed! Do not deflect the selfishness of two guys who are playing for themselves onto a middle order which they themselves have abandoned by not tackling the issue or have failed in!

 

[Minnowbasher]

Many years ago, there was a criminal who committed a crime.

The king gave him an option to choose to die by rope or take what's behind the big dark mysterious iron door. The criminal immediately chose the rope. As the noose was being tightened around him, he asked the thing, what is behind the "Big mysterious dark door". The king laughed and said nearly everyone asks the same question. So, what is behind that dark door, the criminal insisted.

The king said "Freedom, but most people are so scared of whats behind the unknown, they choose the rope"

Pakistan team is winning matches no doubt. It is winning matches, that it regularly lost perhaps a year or two ago.

But they are failing to WIN games that matter the most. Be it the final of the T20 World Cup, the final of the Asia Cup, the final against a very good T20 team England (being 3-2 up in the series), they have consistently ended up on the losing side.

I am going to focus the rest of the article not on HOW well we played a one-off match against India or bilaterals, but our failure in critical knockout games repeatedly.

A quick look at the issue shows that the middle order is not good enough.
I will bite the bitter pill and accept that the middle order could perhaps be tons better. That is fact. It is undeniable.

But many people are oblivious to the fact that since the middle order is so terrible and since the openers are failing to make runs at a pace that is good enough in CRUCIAL matches, there is something wrong in the psyche of the team that needs to change.

I propose the main problem Pakistan is faced with is that the head coach, captain and everyone else in the team is considering AVERAGES as the hallmark of a good T20 player. Since Babar and Rizwan have legendary averages in T20, they are super. They must be doing something right. And that means, they get away with whatever approach or method they use. There is very little critical analysis of how they play as long as they reach the 50 or 70 runs in the innings.

This creates a double-edged sword problem. If Babar and Rizwan are striking 50 to 70 runs in every game, Pakistan should consistently hit scores above 200 in KNOCKOUT games.

But they aren't. Even though they score, they score at a pace which gives just about enough time for middle order to throw their bat at everything and make some extra runs. But the middle order is NOT capable enough to this. They are definitely poor in form and performance. We end up short.

We have had 3 finals (T20 World Cup, Asia Cup, T20 versus England) where this approach has failed and we have lost.

Now when anyone proposes a change. A new approach, Perhaps a faster opener at the cost of demoting one of the openers, the law of averages tells us that the guy who enters won't average 50 like Rizwan or 45 like Babar. But he DOESN'T NEED TO. All he needs to do is to score 30 off 15 balls and go back to the hut.

That extra 30 runs we are NOT able to score at the end of the innings, could be critical and we can try to score them while opening.

So what in T20 does help win? Yes, you probably need one of Babar or Rizwan to come down at 3 and do the same thing of holding one end. But the other end simply has to be made of strikers who come and go.

In T20 its not even the STRIKE RATE that helps win. That is a misconception. A huge one. If that was the case, a guy who hits 12 of 2 balls would help his team win. He doesn't help either even though he has a SR of 200.

In T20 it is the "impact" that a player has on a game that defines a win.
Why do you think the major teams of the world are looking for a Warner, Green or Allen at the top to open for them? Is it because they are looking at AVERAGE or STRIKE RATE? No.

They are looking for impact. They know if Allen scores 30 from 15 balls, NZ have a start of 60/1 in 6 overs. That means rest of the team has to score 140 in 14 overs to hit 200 which is probably going to be a winning score 90 percent of the time.

If you score 40/0 in 6 overs and end up with 80 in 10 overs and around 100/2 in 12 overs even though it looks good on paper, you are asking the middle order to score 100 runs in the last 8 overs to get to 200. The openers have hit their 50s. But the team has lost as the middle order won't be able to hit 100 in 8 overs.

So what brings that stubborn and refusal to change.

Its the unknown. What if it goes worse than what we have?

People get scared. People act like the criminal who chose the rope because it was the fear of the unknown. They consistently put forward the trailing argument that openers are scoring the 50 runs and the rest of the team has to do better.

Unless Pakistan does not understand that T20 is not about averages and strike-rates but about the impact a batsman has in the team, they won't win the crucial knockout games.

They will continue to loiter just at the edge, hoping for a magical Babar or Rizwan innings to bail them which will never come.

Good post but unfortunately Babar and Rizwan don't have the potential to bat any quicker and we are a team that is better off aiming to get 170-180 than 200. If we aim for 200+ against top teams we'll genuinely end up with a 100 a.o. type score.

 

[Gayle_Force]

I think you do not understand my concern here at all..

I don’t give two hoots about the middle order failing until we do not correct our approach right from the top! I cannot and will not ever let this go until it isn’t addressed. There is no way I will accept two essentially middle order batsmen finding a convenient spot as openers and playing the game at their own pace. Both average 30+ balls per 6 in their careers!!!

I am not willing to hear any arguments about the failure of the middle order until this issue is not addressed! Do not deflect the selfishness of two guys who are playing for themselves onto a middle order which they themselves have abandoned by not tackling the issue or have failed in!

I am not deflecting, as I mentioned you and I have a clear difference of opinion on where the problem lies. You think it’s opening and I think it’s middle order.

If management tomorrow decides to change our opening pair to Fakhar and Asif, I will support that decision and back them. But what does that do? It just shuffles Babar and Rizwan down the order and they are not big hitters. Essentially, we will be back to square one.

 

[Rana]

I am not deflecting, as I mentioned you and I have a clear difference of opinion on where the problem lies. You think it’s opening and I think it’s middle order.

If management tomorrow decides to change our opening pair to Fakhar and Asif, I will support that decision and back them. But what does that do? It just shuffles Babar and Rizwan down the order and they are not big hitters. Essentially, we will be back to square one.

So Babar and Rizwan are hiding from responsibility?

 

[Gayle_Force]

So Babar and Rizwan are hiding from responsibility?

I would say they are taking all the responsibility currently on themselves but big hitting is not their game. I think it’s more to do with ability than responsibility.

Asif, Iftikhar and Khushdil are supposedly our big hitters but that has not been going so well.

 

[Rana]

I would say they are taking all the responsibility currently on themselves but big hitting is not their game. I think it’s more to do with ability than responsibility.

Asif, Iftikhar and Khushdil are supposedly our big hitters but that has not been going so well.

So,

Big hitting isn’t there game and they have occupied powerplay spots…and they have brought in their friend Shan to join them if either gets out.

Is big hitting Fakhar and Sharjeel’s game?

 

[Gayle_Force]

So,

Big hitting isn’t there game and they have occupied powerplay spots…and they have brought in their friend Shan to join them if either gets out.

Is big hitting Fakhar and Sharjeel’s game?

My definition of big hitting is the ability to use power to hit boundaries, particularly sixes. It doesn’t generally matter in that case whether the field is in or not. Again, in my opinion, big hitters fit better in the middle order because they face an older ball which is no longer swinging and does not have as much bounce. Major T20 teams also keep their biggest hitters in the middle order.

In power play the field is in so boundaries can be hit without using power as long as placement is correct. That’s why imo Babar and Rizwan are best suited in top 3. If they don’t find a place in these spots than they are really only there to prevent a collapse.

 

[Rana]

My definition of big hitting is the ability to use power to hit boundaries, particularly sixes. It doesn’t generally matter in that case whether the field is in or not. Again, in my opinion, big hitters fit better in the middle order because they face an older ball which is no longer swinging and does not have as much bounce. Major T20 teams also keep their biggest hitters in the middle order.

In power play the field is in so boundaries can be hit without using power as long as placement is correct. That’s why imo Babar and Rizwan are best suited in top 3. If they don’t find a place in these spots than they are really only there to prevent a collapse.

Wait…

So according to your definition, Babar and Rizwan are bigger hitters than Fakhar and Sharjeel?

Im not sure why I am entertaining this conversation. OP is right. We have fans who are afraid of failing.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Nasser Hussain:

"Actually, if you have a solid No.7, then it means that your top six can absolutely go for it. That has been an issue for India, they don't have enough all-rounders, and Pakistan as well. Babar and Rizwan are so worried about the depth of their batting, so 20 overs becomes a very long time"

"India's issues have been ICC events really. They have been going around beating everyone, with a variety of players, they have rotated and rested. But the truth is that they have played some timid cricket in world events and almost gone into their shell. They definitely played some fearful cricket in the last World Cup, especially in the powerplays,"

It is an open secret that INdia's problem is one dimensional nature of players. Bowlers cannot bat well. Batsmen can't bowl even part time. India ends up leaving really good players. Last 4 batsmen are worth 10 to 15 runs. Bhuvi, Arshdeep, Chahal, Siraj. India can go from 170 for 5 in 15 overs to 185 all out in no time.

 

[Gayle_Force]

Wait…

So according to your definition, Babar and Rizwan are bigger hitters than Fakhar and Sharjeel?

Im not sure why I am entertaining this conversation. OP is right. We have fans who are afraid of failing.

I don’t know why you want to argue everything to death. Where have I said that Babar and Rizwan are bigger hitters than Sharjeel and Fakhar?

I have clearly said Babar and Rizwan are not big hitters. Anyways, I think both of us want the best for Pakistan. We just have a difference of opinion. Let’s just leave it at that.

 

[TheSultan]

Wait…

So according to your definition, Babar and Rizwan are bigger hitters than Fakhar and Sharjeel?

Im not sure why I am entertaining this conversation. OP is right. We have fans who are afraid of failing.

Failing is bad

Being afraid is very bad

But failing while being afraid is just downright gutless.

And it looks like that’s exactly what will happen in this upcoming World Cup.

Even worse some people are not even afraid of failing - they seem to accept they will lose (and they have lined up exactly who they will blame for it more accurately who they wont blame - I.e the kings) They are actually afraid of being brave because they may lose by a bigger margin!

This is just pure and utter loser mentality

 

[Amjid Javed]

The way pakistan plays T20 cricket or even ODI cricket in last few years resembles that of what you see a lot in club cricket in the UK or else where.

X1 players turn up for the match and the "Senior players" or players who deem themselves most important all stick themselves at Top of the order so they can have a bat, the rest of batting line up is irrelevant (the thanks for coming along to make up the numbers players) . if certain players dont get to bat who cares is basically the thought process.

All the likes of Babar / rizwan in T20s and Imam / babar in ODIs is just bat in a pedestrian manner compared to what batsmen around the world do. In doing so these batsmen are just stats padding but Also get to a position where "the volumes of runs and average" looks like its a benefit to the team.

Oh look rizwan averaged 50+ in T20s for example..

Oh look Imam averages 50+ in ODIs snd had x amount of 100s...

Same goes for Babar in both formats

most of these runs coming in bilaterals series or meaningless group games in tournaments. Then come crunch time these players are no where to be seen. All these player do is bulk up runs for "their own so called legacy" because "stats" dress these players as heros.

The other variable of judging players is the "viewers eye test" which always shows these players are having zero real impact in tough situations because pushing themselves to take risks in these type of players minds is they think they will be seen as "failures".

The concept of there is no "I" in team is lost on them.

Dont expect any change in current T20 teams mentality, when the circus cricket ends, you will see exactly the same in ODIs because exactly same problems are there with the batting.

Have a look at the sides who generally win T20 or ODI world cups in recent times they have players who play for the teams needs 1st rather then looking like a hero because of what the stats say. Like OP has said impact is key.

 

[ZafarKhan2022]

We often see in Pakistan: Player A inflates their average via riskless accumulation and let Player B take the risks. When B is dismissed trying to up the rate they're slated while A "did his job."

This has been an issue with Pak fans and Pak's LOI batting since the days of Younis Khan and Mohd Yousuf.

 

[Zaz]

Until pakistan doesnt have a middle order that can be relied on they will never become a complete batting team that ppers want

The output and efficiency of a machine is only as good as its parts Without balance and everything working in sync things just wont work

You look at the current series eng vs aus Both team not only have openers firiing but have players in the middle order like malan, moeen, tim david, mitchell marsh, stoinis contributing

This gives the license for openers to bat with freedom knowing there are players coming in that can be relied to get 30 plus runs to get a target of around.200

This is where the issue is fpr.pakistan You cant rely on two players to score your runs Others have to put their hand up and contribute to the TEAMS success

 

[Zaz]

I am not willing to hear any arguments about the failure of the middle order until this issue is not addressed! Do not deflect the selfishness of two guys who are playing for themselves onto a middle order which they themselves have abandoned by not tackling the issue or have failed in!

Why wont you hear about the middle order failings? They have to bear a lot of responsibiliy for the teams failings

The likes of khushdil, ifti, asif ali, maqsood have played all their career in the middle to lower order for their domeztic teams but collectively failed for pakistan

You keep banging about rizwan and babar abandoning them but rizwan has had all his success at the top for pakistan He was never a good middle order t20 player for pakistan Even babar has batted at 3 and isnt a middle order batter

Babar has given plenty of chances and backing to these players to the point where theyve played 30-50 games They arent kids and need to take responsibility for their own failings

 

[Rana]

Why wont you hear about the middle order failings? They have to bear a lot of responsibiliy for the teams failings

The likes of khushdil, ifti, asif ali, maqsood have played all their career in the middle to lower order for their domeztic teams but collectively failed for pakistan

You keep banging about rizwan and babar abandoning them but rizwan has had all his success at the top for pakistan He was never a good middle order t20 player for pakistan Even babar has batted at 3 and isnt a middle order batter

Babar has given plenty of chances and backing to these players to the point where theyve played 30-50 games They arent kids and need to take responsibility for their own failings

I will not hear about the Middle order issues because I have been screaming that the top order combination is wrong for 2 years! I have been screaming that it has totally unbalanced our side. Go through all of my posts and surely you will only find this line of argument!

You all laughed at me when they were winning, with Hafeez and Malik holding it together. Now they are gone because the management wants to move on, you have HUGE HUUUGE holes to fill in! Now who’s laughing? Now the whole world is questioning the stupidity of having these two playing 80s cricket in T20i

Misbah wanted to prove a point by discarding Sarfaraz and making his replacement work! He tried everything in his power to make it happen and it finally stuck as the opener. Babar didn’t want to drop down anchor at 3 because his stocks would drop if he isn’t scoring his 60s/70s when he was playing under Sarfaraz!

Babar and Rizwan hiding from responsibility is the problem! As soon as Daryl Mitchell returns, Conway will be back at 3 and not stay in a position that suits his stats! That’s what team players do!

 

[Cric1234]

The openers are responsible for the failures in the last year the middle order cannot be blamed too much its weak as it is and the players selected are Babars preference.

I could see before the match against Australia last year Babar and Rizwan won’t be winning matches when the par score is 170 180 and that’s what happened and will keep happening other than matches against reserve bowling attacks.

World T20 semi final Babar and Rizwan together played the most balls scored 20 below what they should have Pakistan lost.

Asia Cup Rizwan made a run a ball 50 chasing 170 the main reason for the loss.

Against England when Wood and Topley were playing chasing over 200 twice Babar and Rizwan both got out and left the team 20-2 after 4 overs making it impossible for an already weak middle order to chase down the target.

As we can see the failure rate of the openers is high and will continue at the next World Cup 9/10 they will fail to make an impact in a knockout or series decider against a full strength bowling attack and these are the number 1 and 2 ranked batsmen in T20s.

 

[Cric1234]

Until pakistan doesnt have a middle order that can be relied on they will never become a complete batting team that ppers want

The output and efficiency of a machine is only as good as its parts Without balance and everything working in sync things just wont work

You look at the current series eng vs aus Both team not only have openers firiing but have players in the middle order like malan, moeen, tim david, mitchell marsh, stoinis contributing

This gives the license for openers to bat with freedom knowing there are players coming in that can be relied to get 30 plus runs to get a target of around.200

This is where the issue is fpr.pakistan You cant rely on two players to score your runs Others have to put their hand up and contribute to the TEAMS success

If something isn’t working you have to try something else losing then picking the same combination won’t change anything Babar should move to number 4 play 2 aggressive batsmen above himself even if it didn’t work at least you tried.

There isn’t any point trying to push the same strategy when it clearly isn’t working also the picking of batsmen is questionable do Shan Iftikhar Khushdil really look like they will play match winning innings after what we’ve seen recently it’s better to pick other batsmen then keep hoping they will become big hitting aggressive batsmen and win matches.

 

[Zaz]

I will not hear about the Middle order issues because I have been screaming that the top order combination is wrong for 2 years! I have been screaming that it has totally unbalanced our side. Go through all of my posts and surely you will only find this line of argument!

You all laughed at me when they were winning, with Hafeez and Malik holding it together. Now they are gone because the management wants to move on, you have HUGE HUUUGE holes to fill in! Now who’s laughing? Now the whole world is questioning the stupidity of having these two playing 80s cricket in T20i

Misbah wanted to prove a point by discarding Sarfaraz and making his replacement work! He tried everything in his power to make it happen and it finally stuck as the opener. Babar didn’t want to drop down anchor at 3 because his stocks would drop if he isn’t scoring his 60s/70s when he was playing under Sarfaraz!

Babar and Rizwan hiding from responsibility is the problem! As soon as Daryl Mitchell returns, Conway will be back at 3 and not stay in a position that suits his stats! That’s what team players do!

Stop ranting The world isnt laughing Just in your head

Id like to hear something rational from you for once How is moving babar down to 3 and rizwan down to middle order going to solve the middle order issues

Like i have said Rizwan hasnt been a succcess at it so how does that work? Babar isnt a power player hes a touch player and hence more effexctive when opening

The problem once again which you accept is the fact that we are short of quality and that isnt going to get solved by moving babar and rizwan around

You can move a plug from one hole to the other but when youve got multiple leaks then water will still always find a way out

 

[Energy]

Stop ranting The world isnt laughing Just in your head

Id like to hear something rational from you for once How is moving babar down to 3 and rizwan down to middle order going to solve the middle order issues

Like i have said Rizwan hasnt been a succcess at it so how does that work? Babar isnt a power player hes a touch player and hence more effexctive when opening

The problem once again which you accept is the fact that we are short of quality and that isnt going to get solved by moving babar and rizwan around

You can move a plug from one hole to the other but when youve got multiple leaks then water will still always find a way out

You're being far too sensible in arguing with him. It won't get you anywhere.

He believes Sharjeel is a better team player despite being corrupt and that Rizwan's batting has no impact on Pakistan winning matches.

 

[TheSultan]

Stop ranting The world isnt laughing Just in your head

Id like to hear something rational from you for once How is moving babar down to 3 and rizwan down to middle order going to solve the middle order issues

Like i have said Rizwan hasnt been a succcess at it so how does that work? Babar isnt a power player hes a touch player and hence more effexctive when opening

The problem once again which you accept is the fact that we are short of quality and that isnt going to get solved by moving babar and rizwan around

You can move a plug from one hole to the other but when youve got multiple leaks then water will still always find a way out

Are you saying Babar will not work anywhere else? If so, then why can't the same argument be made for the middle order. Maybe some of them may only work opening?

The thing is this - you might be right, you might be wrong, but we'll never know because we never tried the alternatives. Every match we get the same excuse "it's too late". Why? It's been 11 matches now. Surely they could have tried the alternatives in 4-5 of those 11 matches.

Even if you are stuck in your ways about your strategy, give some of the other players some time in the middle. How was today of any benefit to the team giving batting practice to the two guys in form?

Australia rested ALL their first choice seam bowlers against England in the first T20. Wasn't that "too late" to experiment?

The Darpok nature of our team and our fans knows no bounds.

 

[Mamoon]

Pakistan has no winning approach. The only approach is to have two conmen open the innings, pretend that they are playing blinders and then puff chests over their rankings and averages.

Babar and Rizwan have the easiest job in the format. Any half-decent batsman would score with the same consistency if he is asked to do what they do, open the innings and nudge the ball around for 15 overs.

No opening pair in the history of this format have been so cautious and have played such little risky shots in the first 10 overs.

I’m sure all openers in the world envy the job description these two have. They are living a dream.

 

[Usman Chadda]

POTW ! Well articulated by the Doc. Many Pakistani pundits and fans haven't adapted their thinking to the rapidly evolving demands of T20 cricket. Metrics like batting averages or 50s scored are quoted despite having little bearing on match impact.

We often see in Pakistan: Player A inflates their average via riskless accumulation and let Player B take the risks. When B is dismissed trying to up the rate they're slated while A "did his job."

Many also believe 50(40) is a good knock in most circumstances. In reality, 10 batsmen dismissed for 20(12) is preferable to 3 batsmen anchoring the innings with 50(40) to use a crude example.

Where I'd disagree is there's "THE winning way" in T20. The book Hitting Against The Spin authored by two CricViz statisticians show there's multiple routes to success. However each setup has limitations.

For example, they class Pakistan-like teams as an "AA" team, i.e. bat slower and lose more wickets, with better bowling than average. AA teams favour low scoring shootouts. England are a "CD" team, they bat quicker and lose more wickets, with worse bowling than average. According to their data, AAs have a 52-48 advantage over CDs. The recent series finished 3-4 England so very close.

However, Pakistan-like teams have one BIG vulnerability - aggressive batting teams with equally strong bowling attacks with an 11% winrate. "SaqBall" works to an extent, but you see why we've lost crucial matches against more daring teams in crunch games from 2021 WC SF, Asia Cup Final and ENG series decider.

We lost the semi-final due to mistakes committed in the field.

We lost the Asia Cup due to not capitalizing on a dead and buried Lanka at 68/5.

You can dissect the approach all you want, not something any Pakistani fan likes it as its a very high-risk approach. However, we do not have the players to complement the ‘impact’ notion OP is talking about. We do not have a Buttler, we do not have a Warner, heck we don’t even have a Paul Stirling or Rahmanullah Gurbaz for that matter. The players these posters propose have failed as international cricketers at this position countless of times, and to suggest they would do well in place of Babar and Rizwan is downright dumb to say the least.

We have started to win games due to these two, when the opening partnership before for Pakistan used to have a success rate of 2/10 games, now its up to 7/10 games maybe. We have a plan, and we have identified players to fit into that plan. If we go back to this conventional approach, we’ll be back to having no plan for the batting line-up and will have inconsistent results even more so. Pakistan fans are crying about losing crucial games, which is a genuine concern, but Babar and Rizwan were really not the problem there and it was more about our team making crucial mistakes at important junctures of the game. However, we have now started to win games, games we would normally lose before.

Contrary to what the OP suggests, the middle-order has has ample opportunities to showcase their abilities. They are not just ‘short of form and performance’, they are just a bunch of mediocre cricketers who will only succeed in domestic cricket. Blaming their failures on the openers is unfair to the only aspect of this batting line-up that is actually working for us right now.

We just do not have the players to adopt the modern day T20 batting approach, and no Pakistan fan can claim we are one of the best teams in the world with a straight face. We are doing incredibly well with the limited resources at hand. This team is over-achieving at the moment, because our approach is quite basic and non-complicated.

 

[Colorblind Genius]

Many years ago, there was a criminal who committed a crime.

The king gave him an option to choose to die by rope or take what's behind the big dark mysterious iron door. The criminal immediately chose the rope. As the noose was being tightened around him, he asked the thing, what is behind the "Big mysterious dark door". The king laughed and said nearly everyone asks the same question. So, what is behind that dark door, the criminal insisted.

The king said "Freedom, but most people are so scared of whats behind the unknown, they choose the rope"

Pakistan team is winning matches no doubt. It is winning matches, that it regularly lost perhaps a year or two ago.

But they are failing to WIN games that matter the most. Be it the final of the T20 World Cup, the final of the Asia Cup, the final against a very good T20 team England (being 3-2 up in the series), they have consistently ended up on the losing side.

I am going to focus the rest of the article not on HOW well we played a one-off match against India or bilaterals, but our failure in critical knockout games repeatedly.

A quick look at the issue shows that the middle order is not good enough.
I will bite the bitter pill and accept that the middle order could perhaps be tons better. That is fact. It is undeniable.

But many people are oblivious to the fact that since the middle order is so terrible and since the openers are failing to make runs at a pace that is good enough in CRUCIAL matches, there is something wrong in the psyche of the team that needs to change.

I propose the main problem Pakistan is faced with is that the head coach, captain and everyone else in the team is considering AVERAGES as the hallmark of a good T20 player. Since Babar and Rizwan have legendary averages in T20, they are super. They must be doing something right. And that means, they get away with whatever approach or method they use. There is very little critical analysis of how they play as long as they reach the 50 or 70 runs in the innings.

This creates a double-edged sword problem. If Babar and Rizwan are striking 50 to 70 runs in every game, Pakistan should consistently hit scores above 200 in KNOCKOUT games.

But they aren't. Even though they score, they score at a pace which gives just about enough time for middle order to throw their bat at everything and make some extra runs. But the middle order is NOT capable enough to this. They are definitely poor in form and performance. We end up short.

We have had 3 finals (T20 World Cup, Asia Cup, T20 versus England) where this approach has failed and we have lost.

Now when anyone proposes a change. A new approach, Perhaps a faster opener at the cost of demoting one of the openers, the law of averages tells us that the guy who enters won't average 50 like Rizwan or 45 like Babar. But he DOESN'T NEED TO. All he needs to do is to score 30 off 15 balls and go back to the hut.

That extra 30 runs we are NOT able to score at the end of the innings, could be critical and we can try to score them while opening.

So what in T20 does help win? Yes, you probably need one of Babar or Rizwan to come down at 3 and do the same thing of holding one end. But the other end simply has to be made of strikers who come and go.

In T20 its not even the STRIKE RATE that helps win. That is a misconception. A huge one. If that was the case, a guy who hits 12 of 2 balls would help his team win. He doesn't help either even though he has a SR of 200.

In T20 it is the "impact" that a player has on a game that defines a win.
Why do you think the major teams of the world are looking for a Warner, Green or Allen at the top to open for them? Is it because they are looking at AVERAGE or STRIKE RATE? No.

They are looking for impact. They know if Allen scores 30 from 15 balls, NZ have a start of 60/1 in 6 overs. That means rest of the team has to score 140 in 14 overs to hit 200 which is probably going to be a winning score 90 percent of the time.

If you score 40/0 in 6 overs and end up with 80 in 10 overs and around 100/2 in 12 overs even though it looks good on paper, you are asking the middle order to score 100 runs in the last 8 overs to get to 200. The openers have hit their 50s. But the team has lost as the middle order won't be able to hit 100 in 8 overs.

So what brings that stubborn and refusal to change.

Its the unknown. What if it goes worse than what we have?

People get scared. People act like the criminal who chose the rope because it was the fear of the unknown. They consistently put forward the trailing argument that openers are scoring the 50 runs and the rest of the team has to do better.

Unless Pakistan does not understand that T20 is not about averages and strike-rates but about the impact a batsman has in the team, they won't win the crucial knockout games.

They will continue to loiter just at the edge, hoping for a magical Babar or Rizwan innings to bail them which will never come.

In T20 Batting delivery is the problem

And here is the root cause of it, that I have talked about in other threads!

https://www.facebook.com/watch?v=1167093250871016

https://www.facebook.com/paktv.tv/videos/846872526360424

Someone ask this khaali damaagh that who is gonna give you these balls in the actual game?

For T20 batting, these dumbs practice hitting in nets only on the balls that are in the hitting zone. And in the game, such halwa balls hardly EVER come. And then they are dumbfounded as what to do now?

They do not have versality, power, agility and strength to go out of their comfort zone and hit when the balls are not in the hitting zone.

In the actual match, the face slower bouncers, Yorkers, pace variation, balls pitched on the crease line, cutters and other deceptive deliveries - and they have no idea what to do. All they know is to wait and look for that ball which they have been practicing for in the nets.

Look how the ACTUAL power hitting drill works and compare it with what we do with our batsman to train them for power hitting.

The focus in these drills is to build strength, agility, quick reaction, fast hand-eye coordination and confidence to cope with any type of ball.

Whether it's Shan Masood or Khushdil Shah or Asif or Iftikhar or Haider Ali; GRIND them thru these daily drills so that their bodies AND their brains open up, and they build the strength, agility, and mental alertness to pounce on any delivery - once they build all this, their domestic stats won't matter.


Another big issue is that whenever our batters try to innovate or improvise, they make the move way too early, (whether trying dill scoop, paddle shot, reverse sweep, going away from stumps on the leg or off side, they ALWAYS move way too early, thus giving the bowler a chance to follow them and adjust his delivery accordingly. BIG BIG PROBLEM that no one has noticed or cared to fix it.

 

[Markhor]

We lost the semi-final due to mistakes committed in the field.

We lost the Asia Cup due to not capitalizing on a dead and buried Lanka at 68/5.

You can dissect the approach all you want, not something any Pakistani fan likes it as its a very high-risk approach. However, we do not have the players to complement the ‘impact’ notion OP is talking about. We do not have a Buttler, we do not have a Warner, heck we don’t even have a Paul Stirling or Rahmanullah Gurbaz for that matter. The players these posters propose have failed as international cricketers at this position countless of times, and to suggest they would do well in place of Babar and Rizwan is downright dumb to say the least.

We have started to win games due to these two, when the opening partnership before for Pakistan used to have a success rate of 2/10 games, now its up to 7/10 games maybe. We have a plan, and we have identified players to fit into that plan. If we go back to this conventional approach, we’ll be back to having no plan for the batting line-up and will have inconsistent results even more so. Pakistan fans are crying about losing crucial games, which is a genuine concern, but Babar and Rizwan were really not the problem there and it was more about our team making crucial mistakes at important junctures of the game. However, we have now started to win games, games we would normally lose before.

Contrary to what the OP suggests, the middle-order has has ample opportunities to showcase their abilities. They are not just ‘short of form and performance’, they are just a bunch of mediocre cricketers who will only succeed in domestic cricket. Blaming their failures on the openers is unfair to the only aspect of this batting line-up that is actually working for us right now.

We just do not have the players to adopt the modern day T20 batting approach, and no Pakistan fan can claim we are one of the best teams in the world with a straight face. We are doing incredibly well with the limited resources at hand. This team is over-achieving at the moment, because our approach is quite basic and non-complicated.

Yes it didn't help in the AUS SF and Asia Cup final that our skipper graduated from the Azhar Ali School of Captaincy and that we fielded poorly as usual under pressure.

However that doesn't excuse our batting approach in either games. We were 10-15 runs below par on the best Dubai batting track of the tournament. We were 71-1 after 10 whereas AUS were 89-3 at same stage. We knew from TEN years of UAE cricket, chasing teams have an advantage so we should've batted with extra intent. From all batsmen who reached double figures that day, Babar's 39(34) came at the worst SR ! Babar and Rizwan should be grateful Fakhar dragged us to a par total - otherwise it wouldn't have been close.

In the Asia Cup final, Rizwan and Iftikhar let the RRR reach 14. Do you think even a middle order of Yadav, Russell and Buttler could save you in that situation ?

Today in a dead rubber against Bangladesh, one of the worst T20I outfits in the world, we scored 73-0 after 10 overs in a chase of 174. Sorry but isn't there a problem when the supposed top ranked batsmen in T20I cricket REFUSE to leave their comfort zone even in this scenario ? If the openers are so worried about the middle-order, why can't one of them move down to 3 ?

Again I'm not saying we cannot enjoy some degree of success with this template, but the inflexibility and refusal to consider different approaches is what angers many fans.

 

[topspin]

Beautifully put by the OP.

As Markhor alluded to, it's not just the Pakistan team that revolves around an outdated brand of cricket. Most of the green tinted hype brigade possess the same mentality. Hence why they're so easily pleased.

It's as if they've all suddenly picked up amnesia after the Asia Cup final. This should've been a wake up call for the opening duo but they still haven't learn their lesson. In sha Allah they'll get what they deserve in the upcoming WT20 tournament.

 

[Colorblind Genius]

Here is another evidence.

Who the EFF is going to give you these balls in an actual game?

https://www.facebook.com/watch?v=3206371722918817

Our entire training and coaching regime for power hitting stinks dumbness to it's rotten core.

They have absolutely no idea how to train for power hitting for a game.

 

[TheSultan]

Beautifully put by the OP.

As Markhor alluded to, it's not just the Pakistan team that revolves around an outdated brand of cricket. Most of the green tinted hype brigade possess the same mentality. Hence why they're so easily pleased.

It's as if they've all suddenly picked up amnesia after the Asia Cup final. This should've been a wake up call for the opening duo but they still haven't learn their lesson. In sha Allah they'll get what they deserve in the upcoming WT20 tournament.

This is the thing right there. The Asia Cup final happened and there was a big clamour for babar and rizwan to up their strike rate when the England series happened. And then the worst thing that could ever happen, happened. Babar and Riz played a blinder in ONE innings to chase down 200. This is all it takes for all the criticism to turn upside down.

One performance, just one is all that is required for security of place, position, security of selection or whatever else to take place. Not just for babar, this applies to any player in the team. Babar and Rizwan got that one innings and after that they feel there is nothing wrong with their approach and they are beyond and criticism. And the worst are the green tinted enablers - the fans. Easily pleased, easily swayed. Why should babar and Riz go out of their comfort zone? There’s no accountability, carry on your merry way.

The middle order yes has been very poor, but they are easy scapegoats. Instead of doing what any normal team would do and try to find some sort of solution to the middle order, we just resign. Well they’re not good enough and they are the reason for losses, they are the reason the openers bat slow etc etc.

 

[rhony]

The only way to play T20 cricket is the English way. Fearless and aggressive from ball one. There is just no time for anything else in T20 cricket. When 15 balls can make a difference in a T20, the thought process should be to choose players that can change the game in 15 balls. A 40 ball 55 from players like Pak openers or Kohli is a zombie style.

 

[Bilal7]

Without Babar and Rizwan opening the batting, Pakistan would be in minnow territory as far as the batting is concerned. Anyone who has followed this team knows this.

There are absolutely zero openers in Pakistan that can consistenly strike at 140+ while also scoring more than 10-15 runs an innings. Babar and Rizwan do symbolize a rope but they symbolize a rope that helps said thief climb out of his cell.

We are not England and we never will be. We are Pakistan and we have a different way of playing that is not superior than England's but it is not inferior either. Losing a 7-match series 4-3 is hardly a poor performance.

 

[Bilal7]

Pakistan has no winning approach. The only approach is to have two conmen open the innings, pretend that they are playing blinders and then puff chests over their rankings and averages.

Babar and Rizwan have the easiest job in the format. Any half-decent batsman would score with the same consistency if he is asked to do what they do, open the innings and nudge the ball around for 15 overs.

No opening pair in the history of this format have been so cautious and have played such little risky shots in the first 10 overs.

I’m sure all openers in the world envy the job description these two have. They are living a dream.

False, as usual. Babar and Rizwan have comparable SRs to any other top opener, with the exception of Buttler and Warner but Rizwan, in particular, has a FAR better average.

It is a myth that Babar and Rizwan bat slower than the world average. They've both scored 70s at SR of over 150 in this series already and have chased down 200 twice.

This is a forum, something that is usually only attractive to intellectuals but the amount of absolute nonsense and fake news being peddled is mind-numbing. The numbers are out there and they tell you exactly who is lying and who is not.

 

[Rana]

Today the middle order were pushed in the corner once again by Rizwan

But enough is enough! They responded and hit back like a victim of domestic violence who has finally had enough!!!

Good on you boys!!!

 

[Bilal7]

Our lineup should be set for the World Cup:

1) Babar
2) Rizwan
3) Fakhar
4) Nawaz
5) Haider
6) Iftikhar
7) Shadab
8) Asif/Wasim/Qadir/Hasnain
9) Rauf
10) Naseem
11) Shaheen

The only question is over the #8 spot. An extra six-hitter? A fourth pacer? And if so, which one? Or do we go with Qadir on the huge Australian grounds?

 

[daytrader]

Today the middle order were pushed in the corner once again by Rizwan

But enough is enough! They responded and hit back like a victim of domestic violence who has finally had enough!!!

Good on you boys!!!

Good on the middle order to stand up for once and win us an important game. This game proves that with wickets in hand, 10 an over is possible.

 

[Energy]

Today the middle order were pushed in the corner once again by Rizwan

But enough is enough! They responded and hit back like a victim of domestic violence who has finally had enough!!!

Good on you boys!!!

What did Asif do?

 

[Dr_Bassim]

We can celebrate tonight at least.

It was a final so I am going to give negative thoughts a rest.

 

[Rana]

What did Asif do?

Tried to win the game for his team unlike the loser top 3!!

 

[Rana]

Pakistan top order: Abusive husband beating his wife (Middle order) at home and acting all nice in the outside world

Pakistan middle order: Victim of domestic violence wife who’s finally had enough of her husband’s abuse (tuk tuk) and hit back!!

 

[Saj]

Pakistan's batting today:

74/3 from the first 11.3 overs
94/2 from the next 8 overs

 

[Colorblind Genius]

We can celebrate tonight at least.

It was a final so I am going to give negative thoughts a rest.

Agree but lesson should be learned to properly plan for WC.

Shan Masood is our achilleas heel at the moment. We can AT LEAST do something about ONE weak link in the batting order. We can't and we should not, ignore this soaring issue in the celebration tonight.

 

[Dr_Bassim]

Pakistan's batting today:

74/3 from the first 11.3 overs
94/2 from the next 8 overs

Actually if you want to critically dissect it Ish Sodhi minus 58 runs is probably the difference.

Any bowler giving away 60 runs in 4 overs will lose his team the match.

 

[Rana]

Actually if you want to critically dissect it Ish Sodhi minus 58 runs is probably the difference.

Any bowler giving away 60 runs in 4 overs will lose his team the match.

Ish was very unlucky to get Rizwan out

He could have got in another over of 10 max had he not got him out

 

[Markhor]

View attachment 117415

False, as usual. Babar and Rizwan have comparable SRs to any other top opener, with the exception of Buttler and Warner but Rizwan, in particular, has a FAR better average.

It is a myth that Babar and Rizwan bat slower than the world average. They've both scored 70s at SR of over 150 in this series already and have chased down 200 twice.

This is a forum, something that is usually only attractive to intellectuals but the amount of absolute nonsense and fake news being peddled is mind-numbing. The numbers are out there and they tell you exactly who is lying and who is not.

What were the strength of bowling attacks faced ? Only Pakistan treat bilateral T20s like life and death, and play full strength teams even against West Indies B, South Africa C, Zimbabwe etc where this pair inflate their averages.

In the last year we've had four crucial games (AUS SF, Asia Cup final, ENG decider and NZ tri-series final) where this pair have totally misjudged their approach:

- Babar had the worst SR of anyone who made double figures on both teams in the AUS SF and left us 10-15 runs below par.
- Rizwan and Iftikhar batted for so long and allowed RRR to reach 14 RPO in Asia Cup final.
- In the 7th T20 vs ENG they simply failed to score at all.
- Today they had a chase of 8 RPO, but by the time both were dismissed we required 10.59 RPO !

The traditional cricket metrics like batting averages aren't as informative in T20 anyway. As the OP stated, impact is a better measure and according to Cricviz's impact ratings which helped determine Wisden's best 20 current T20 players - Babar doesn't even make the list while Rizwan's at #20. For once [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] is right. Give most half-decent international batsmen the job of opening in PP to steadily accumulate runs and take little risk, and they'd have similar stats.

If we had a professional coach not a roadside soothsayer, these two would've faced accountability for their selfishness in vital matches. It's disappointing because these two ARE capable of batting quicker as we've seen occasionally, but under pressure they retreat back into comfort zones.

 

[Energy]

What were the strength of bowling attacks faced ? Only Pakistan treat bilateral T20s like life and death, and play full strength teams even against West Indies B, South Africa C, Zimbabwe etc where this pair inflate their averages.

In the last year we've had four crucial games (AUS SF, Asia Cup final, ENG decider and NZ tri-series final) where this pair have totally misjudged their approach:

- Babar had the worst SR of anyone who made double figures on both teams in the AUS SF and left us 10-15 runs below par.
- Rizwan and Iftikhar batted for so long and allowed RRR to reach 14 RPO in Asia Cup final.
- In the 7th T20 vs ENG they simply failed to score at all.
- Today they had a chase of 8 RPO, but by the time both were dismissed we required 10.59 RPO !

The traditional cricket metrics like batting averages aren't as informative in T20 anyway. As the OP stated, impact is a better measure and according to Cricviz's impact ratings which helped determine Wisden's best 20 current T20 players - Babar doesn't even make the list while Rizwan's at #20. For once [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] is right. Give most half-decent international batsmen the job of opening in PP to steadily accumulate runs and take little risk, and they'd have similar stats.

If we had a professional coach not a roadside soothsayer, these two would've faced accountability for their selfishness in vital matches. It's disappointing because these two ARE capable of batting quicker as we've seen occasionally, but under pressure they retreat back into comfort zones.

2 Bangla players had greatest impact yesterday, and a Kiwi player had the best impact today. Did both teams win?

Is SR the only measure for impact? 6 (2) is a SR of 300. What is the impact of this on the game?

Secondly, bilaterals are played much more than tournaments. So what is the logic in saying that bilaterals don't matter? England haven't won the T20I WC in 12 years, India in 15 years, NZ and SA never. So have they been playing poor impact-less cricket all these years?

 

[Ab Fan]

All Pakistan need is couple of guys from Indian middle order( Suryakumar and Hardik Pandya) and they will win the tournament.

India on other hand, need Shadab in place of Yuzi and one of their main pacer. Think that should be enough.

 

[Dr_Bassim]

Bumped.

 

[Markhor]

Painfully predictable for anyone who looked at our T20 method over the last 12 months.

 

[pakistan cricket fan]

Bumped.

You are where always right.

 

[fitCricFan]

Where are you going to get these Impactful batsmen who will make the difference. As far as I can see, Pakistan has been devoid of batting talent for a while now. Remember the era of Salim Malik, Saeed Anwar, Inzi, Miandad etc. who would provide the required batting support which was complimented by the bowlers. That sort of talent, primarily on teh batting side has been lacking for a very long time.

We see individual performance some of which have translated into wins but the team has rarely won as a team.

To have an impact, you need to be consistent and that seems a very tall order even from some of the front-line batsmen who love to disappoint when it matters most.

What is more worry some is that a lot of these same players would be found out in the longer version of the game where patience and talent matters. So yeah, all this talk is good and here, on these boards, we can resolve anything and everything.

So keep cherishing whatever wins we can get and enjoy those moments. We are on the trajectory of Field hockey.