Takeaways for Pakistan before the T20 World Cup

[Extra_Cover]

With every competitive T20 cricket being played between now till the world cup, PCB management should be actively following it and drawing potential strategies and plan to implement and better its current T20 team.

The current series between England and India is one such eye opener where the series is being player in early March which would mimic similar conditions come October in India. We have already seen toss having a massive implication on the overall result particularly due to dew creeping in later half. Something PCB management should not ignore if they happen to ball second in one such game where wrist spinners especially Shadab can become a massive liability.

Apart from conditions and toss where PCB has got no control over, there are many other strategic takeaways from the current series.

1. Pace for the win
If the likes of Rohit, Kohli, Pant, etc are struggling against opening spells of 150k bowlers (Wood and Archer) then it sends out one clear message that there is no alternative to sheer pace. Pakistan is lucky that its premier bowler (Shaheen) can touch those pace numbers but it needs a second pacer to have a more potent impact. It's no surprise to me that when it comes to pure pace Hasnain is ahead of others and the current PSL stamped this fact as well. Its a no brainer that Hasnain should put some serious hardwork to consistently bowl 4 overs of sheer pace and hit back of the length and his worth in T20 could be massive for Pakistan.

2. Death bowler
Even with sheer pace or canny spinning ability, death bowling still remains the art of a specialist (this is not something we can expect Faheem to do). Pakistan needs a cunning bowler with bag full of tricks to bowl 3 overs or more at death, a role well played by Umar Gul over the years. From the current lot the only 2 bowlers with potential to achieve this is Hasan Ali and Amir. I would select Hasan Ali over Amir for this role for a simple reason that team's mental health is as important as physical health and company of Amir would not be good for team's mental health given his recent outbursts.

3. Skills over hacks any day
It is quite evident that batsmen with superior batting skills are only able to negate bowlers of superior skills. In T20 world cup the bowling Pakistan team would face would be of superior quality and hacks like Sharjeel and Fakhar would not be able to counter that sort of bowling. Pakistan needs to realise this really quickly that in order to stand any chance in the world cup the onus from hacks should go away immediately and best batsmen should face majority of balls to yield better results this means Babar and Rizwan should open for Pakistan.

4. Fitness is not a myth
This has been stated multiple times and re-emphasizing this subject would not change the fact. An unfit individual (physically or mentally) has massive negative impact on the overall team. For example, Sharjeel not running a quick run results in 1 run less in our overall score which is similar to a misfielding that goes for the extra run. While everyone frowns upon the misfield the issue of Sharjeel not running is scrapped under the carpet. Similarly, a brilliant catch or amazing run out uplifts the entire team. Therefore, the importance of such individuals in T20 is massive hence Shadab carries so much importance as he is the leader on the field that we need.

5. Right mix of experience and youth
If we look into past championship wins of Pakistan or any other country for that matter its always a combined effort of experience and youth that contributes to a win. It was Javed and Inzi in 1992, Fakhar and Hafeez/Sarfraz in 2017, its always a mixed effort to win championships hence an extreme of both ends would not work. We need Hafeez and Haider while we also need Hasan Ali and Shaheen/Hasnain to work together. And if we have a slot in our T20 team for which no one has raised their hand then we need experience to fill that slot not for their cricketing physical ability but their mental ability to think/help captains out which can be invaluable. I'm pointing towards Malik for no.5 slot. He might not contribute much but his input in game awareness and helping Babar out could be massive.

Having said all the points above, its utmost important that when Pakistan steps out to play T20 it is following a strategy rather than everyone doing what they feel they can do as its a team game rather than an individual game. At this current stage the following XI stands the best chance of yielding best results for Pakistan but this line-up would also fail without team and individual strategies, roles and responsibilities.

1. Babar
2. Rizwan
3. Haider
4. Hafeez
5. Malik
6. Faheem
7. Shadab
8. Hasan Ali
9. Shaheen
10. Hasnain
11. Usman Qadir

 

[Saj]

1. Babar
2. Rizwan
3. Haider
4. Hafeez
5. Malik
6. Faheem
7. Shadab
8. Hasan Ali
9. Shaheen
10. Hasnain
11. Usman Qadir

Pretty strong XI.

The thing that will be interesting is whether Malik makes his way back into the squad having been overlooked of late.

It seems that the current selectors don't really fancy him coming back into the side.

 

[Bewal Express]

Pretty strong XI.

The thing that will be interesting is whether Malik makes his way back into the squad having been overlooked of late.

It seems that the current selectors don't really fancy him coming back into the side.

After a decade of failure, Malik offers nothing and the opposition know that when he bats,put your pacers on and bowl short of a length and he is strokeless. We need to stop looking back,these guys weren't that good at their peak, they aren't going to be any better now.

 

[Kroll]

1. Fakhar
2. Sharjeel
3. Babar
4. Rizwan
5. Haider
6. Hafeez
7. Shadab
8. Faheem
9. Hasan Ali
10. Shaheen
11. Qadir/Streets/Hasnain

 

[Extra_Cover]

Pretty strong XI.

The thing that will be interesting is whether Malik makes his way back into the squad having been overlooked of late.

It seems that the current selectors don't really fancy him coming back into the side.

As I indicated in the post, the most valuable input Malik can have in this team is to guide Babar during crunch times in the field and if needed stabilise an innings if we lose quick wickets. Someone like Malik can also be very important in chasing games, if we are chasing 7 per over for 10 overs or more I would bet more on Malik then someone like Haider.

 

[Abdurmirr]

1. Babar
2. Rizwan
3. Danish
4. Hafeez
5. Haider
6. Amad (best finisher in PK currently and probably the only cricketer we have that has the ability to strike the ball at 250+ during the last 5 overs + extra bowling option)
7. Nawaz/Faheem/Imad (depending on the surface, opposition and each players respected form)
8. Nawaz/Faheem/Imad
9. Hasan
10. Shaheen
11. Qadir/Zahid
I reckon this would give us a good opening platform with Babar, Rizwan and Danish all being players that can play around a strike rate of 130+ (on a good day can reach above 150-160) and can keep us 1 wicket down until the 10-12 over mark. From there Hafeez, Haider, Amad and the all arounders can finish off the innings at around 10 r/o.

 

[Markhor]

Mostly agree with this analysis, nicely written.

We all remember how Umar Gul's death bowling helped win the 2009 T20 WC, and reach the latter stages of other tournaments. We haven't really replaced him, and South Africa series showed bowling Faheem in that phase is a no-no. With Hasan Ali's return, I'd expect him and Shaheen to take over death over duties.

Good point about the dew, and how expensive wrist spinners like Shadab could prove costly. But even allowing for dew, whilst I accept Shadab's a gun fielder his numbers with bat and ball for the last 2 years are atrocious (13/43 in T20) and needs to play a full season of FC cricket.

As for the skills vs hacks debate, I think we should reframe this. Pakistan's rise to #1 in T20 rankings was partly due to slow UAE surfaces where 160 is a good score. On truer batting pitches, 160 is only par. 180+ should be the aim but under Misbah our average 1st inns score is 158. Conversely, chasing 180+ proves difficult so orthodox batsmen like Babar and Rizwan need to be surrounded by more destructive batsmen.

One only has to compare us to likes of ENG, WI, IND and AUS to see how outgunned our batsmen are in powerhitting department. The likes of Khushdil, Asif and Iftikhar were tried and failed. Sharjeel is an option but his weight is out of control. Fakhar's form has nosedived in T20s. Haider Ali is a work in progress. The only proven attacking batsman is Hafeez who's actually honed his powerhitting with use of golf ball striking techniques.

 

[Shoaibbtt]

Pretty strong XI.

The thing that will be interesting is whether Malik makes his way back into the squad having been overlooked of late.

It seems that the current selectors don't really fancy him coming back into the side.

I think Malik at 5 is not a good idea because if you are batting first and building a score he bats at a relatively low SR of 116 in World Cups and the top of the order is already sort of set in stone. So where does Malik fit in?

 

[Extra_Cover]

Mostly agree with this analysis, nicely written.

We all remember how Umar Gul's death bowling helped win the 2009 T20 WC, and reach the latter stages of other tournaments. We haven't really replaced him, and South Africa series showed bowling Faheem in that phase is a no-no. With Hasan Ali's return, I'd expect him and Shaheen to take over death over duties.

Good point about the dew, and how expensive wrist spinners like Shadab could prove costly. But even allowing for dew, whilst I accept Shadab's a gun fielder his numbers with bat and ball for the last 2 years are atrocious (13/43 in T20) and needs to play a full season of FC cricket.

As for the skills vs hacks debate, I think we should reframe this. Pakistan's rise to #1 in T20 rankings was partly due to slow UAE surfaces where 160 is a good score. On truer batting pitches, 160 is only par. 180+ should be the aim but under Misbah our average 1st inns score is 158. Conversely, chasing 180+ proves difficult so orthodox batsmen like Babar and Rizwan need to be surrounded by more destructive batsmen.

One only has to compare us to likes of ENG, WI, IND and AUS to see how outgunned our batsmen are in powerhitting department. The likes of Khushdil, Asif and Iftikhar were tried and failed. Sharjeel is an option but his weight is out of control. Fakhar's form has nosedived in T20s. Haider Ali is a work in progress. The only proven attacking batsman is Hafeez who's actually honed his powerhitting with use of golf ball striking techniques.

Its always good to have constructive analysis and discussion on such platforms.

We need Hasan Ali to mimic Umar Gul's death bowling, so I believe we have a consensus here.

On Shadab I completely agree his numbers with the ball are atrocious. However, one cannot ignore the energy and enthusiasm he brings on the field which are vital for a T20 game. Inclusion of Shadab in night games is risky and if he does get included I would hope management uses finger spinners like Hafeez or Malik to churn out couple of overs rather than throwing Shadab in firing range. Shadab is an impact player and if things turn good for him on the day he can win games, he carries a x-factor with his inclusion. The management should bring Shadab down from his high horse though and take the vice captaincy away from him. He should be reminded that he is a filler in the team rather a specialist bat or bowl, I feel he would perform better with no spotlight on him (which is how it should be with Shadab).

Skills vs hacks
Powerhitting is a different ball game altogether in comparison to hacking. Have a look at the balance of Fakhar when he tries to hit a ball (he is all over the place) and look at Sharjeel; it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that he has got no front foot game on offside. Any deliveries full outside off to Sharjeel is a win and in world competitions the bowlers would be very accurate. Now have a look at power hitting from someone like Roy, Finch, Guptill, etc; the one common thing you would notice is their balance while playing their shots and have a range of shots which unfortunately the hacks don't have the luxury as they are one trick pony. We have Haider and Hafeez to play the role of power hitting in middle overs who are the closest thing we have to international level power hitting at the moment.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

With every competitive T20 cricket being played between now till the world cup, PCB management should be actively following it and drawing potential strategies and plan to implement and better its current T20 team.

The current series between England and India is one such eye opener where the series is being player in early March which would mimic similar conditions come October in India. We have already seen toss having a massive implication on the overall result particularly due to dew creeping in later half. Something PCB management should not ignore if they happen to ball second in one such game where wrist spinners especially Shadab can become a massive liability.

Apart from conditions and toss where PCB has got no control over, there are many other strategic takeaways from the current series.

1. Pace for the win
If the likes of Rohit, Kohli, Pant, etc are struggling against opening spells of 150k bowlers (Wood and Archer) then it sends out one clear message that there is no alternative to sheer pace. Pakistan is lucky that its premier bowler (Shaheen) can touch those pace numbers but it needs a second pacer to have a more potent impact. It's no surprise to me that when it comes to pure pace Hasnain is ahead of others and the current PSL stamped this fact as well. Its a no brainer that Hasnain should put some serious hardwork to consistently bowl 4 overs of sheer pace and hit back of the length and his worth in T20 could be massive for Pakistan.

2. Death bowler
Even with sheer pace or canny spinning ability, death bowling still remains the art of a specialist (this is not something we can expect Faheem to do). Pakistan needs a cunning bowler with bag full of tricks to bowl 3 overs or more at death, a role well played by Umar Gul over the years. From the current lot the only 2 bowlers with potential to achieve this is Hasan Ali and Amir. I would select Hasan Ali over Amir for this role for a simple reason that team's mental health is as important as physical health and company of Amir would not be good for team's mental health given his recent outbursts.

3. Skills over hacks any day
It is quite evident that batsmen with superior batting skills are only able to negate bowlers of superior skills. In T20 world cup the bowling Pakistan team would face would be of superior quality and hacks like Sharjeel and Fakhar would not be able to counter that sort of bowling. Pakistan needs to realise this really quickly that in order to stand any chance in the world cup the onus from hacks should go away immediately and best batsmen should face majority of balls to yield better results this means Babar and Rizwan should open for Pakistan.

4. Fitness is not a myth
This has been stated multiple times and re-emphasizing this subject would not change the fact. An unfit individual (physically or mentally) has massive negative impact on the overall team. For example, Sharjeel not running a quick run results in 1 run less in our overall score which is similar to a misfielding that goes for the extra run. While everyone frowns upon the misfield the issue of Sharjeel not running is scrapped under the carpet. Similarly, a brilliant catch or amazing run out uplifts the entire team. Therefore, the importance of such individuals in T20 is massive hence Shadab carries so much importance as he is the leader on the field that we need.

5. Right mix of experience and youth
If we look into past championship wins of Pakistan or any other country for that matter its always a combined effort of experience and youth that contributes to a win. It was Javed and Inzi in 1992, Fakhar and Hafeez/Sarfraz in 2017, its always a mixed effort to win championships hence an extreme of both ends would not work. We need Hafeez and Haider while we also need Hasan Ali and Shaheen/Hasnain to work together. And if we have a slot in our T20 team for which no one has raised their hand then we need experience to fill that slot not for their cricketing physical ability but their mental ability to think/help captains out which can be invaluable. I'm pointing towards Malik for no.5 slot. He might not contribute much but his input in game awareness and helping Babar out could be massive.

Having said all the points above, its utmost important that when Pakistan steps out to play T20 it is following a strategy rather than everyone doing what they feel they can do as its a team game rather than an individual game. At this current stage the following XI stands the best chance of yielding best results for Pakistan but this line-up would also fail without team and individual strategies, roles and responsibilities.

1. Babar
2. Rizwan
3. Haider
4. Hafeez
5. Malik
6. Faheem
7. Shadab
8. Hasan Ali
9. Shaheen
10. Hasnain
11. Usman Qadir

Imad Wasim over one of Qadir or Shadab. Haris Rauf over Hasnain and Fakhar Zaman should be somewhere in there.

With those changes it would be the perfect team Pakistan can hope to field.

 

[hitthestump]

I think Malik at 5 is not a good idea because if you are batting first and building a score he bats at a relatively low SR of 116 in World Cups and the top of the order is already sort of set in stone. So where does Malik fit in?

I think Pakistan have done the right thing to open up his spot to the country. We have to admit that no one has claimed the number 5 spot. Iftikhar, Talat, Khushdil, Asif Ali are all TTF's in that role.

At this moment in time the number 5 spot is his by pure default. We have not managed to find a batsman capable of finishing a game off right now. At least Malik will be a semi-reliable option. Malik brings experience, a handy off spin option and even at his age the ability to rotate strike pretty well.

The other option is that we send Fakhar to open, Babar at 3 and Haider takes the 5 spot. It's worth trying against SA and Zim but i'm not sure that Haider has the game awareness for that role yet. He's a bit too Umar Akmal in his approach right now.

 

[Canistani Hero]

Pretty strong XI.

The thing that will be interesting is whether Malik makes his way back into the squad having been overlooked of late.

It seems that the current selectors don't really fancy him coming back into the side.

Wouldn't be surprised if he manages to spring himself back just before the WC. In classic Malik style. The Hussain Talat-Iftikhar Ahmed-Asif Ali-Khushdil Shah failures have done him no harm

 

[Canistani Hero]

Hasnain and Haris Rauf should be a proper tussle, I would prefer Hasnain to Haris as well at this point.

 

[Shoaibbtt]

I think Pakistan have done the right thing to open up his spot to the country. We have to admit that no one has claimed the number 5 spot. Iftikhar, Talat, Khushdil, Asif Ali are all TTF's in that role.

At this moment in time the number 5 spot is his by pure default. We have not managed to find a batsman capable of finishing a game off right now. At least Malik will be a semi-reliable option. Malik brings experience, a handy off spin option and even at his age the ability to rotate strike pretty well.

The other option is that we send Fakhar to open, Babar at 3 and Haider takes the 5 spot. It's worth trying against SA and Zim but i'm not sure that Haider has the game awareness for that role yet. He's a bit too Umar Akmal in his approach right now.

I mean if you are building a score and you have Malik in the back end of an innings he won't exactly fire and the only time he's useful is in a supporting role within a chase only.

Yes, we are struggling to find hitters and yes all those names have unfortunately failed but for me Malik in a batting first phase needs to be played up the order and for me whether you are batting first or chasing that is where Malik will be best utilized otherwise it's no point playing him there cause at that position we need someone to go bang bang.

 

[hitthestump]

it's no point playing him there cause at that position we need someone to go bang bang.

The options we have in Pak might be able to go bang for the odd ball but it'll be an 8 (4) situation far too much. In Khushdil and Talat's case they couldn't even hit the ball. Malik strike rotation with the occasional boundary might not be ideal at 5 but it is better than they are.

The top 4 is already pretty settled so i don't know if he can fit anywhere up there.

I believe the selectors are still trying to find a better option for Malik which is why they haven't recalled him. Maybe Haider will be the guy to go bang bang. But i can't see who else it could be and thus i'm expecting a Malik recall.

 

[MHN1293]

With every competitive T20 cricket being played between now till the world cup, PCB management should be actively following it and drawing potential strategies and plan to implement and better its current T20 team.

The current series between England and India is one such eye opener where the series is being player in early March which would mimic similar conditions come October in India. We have already seen toss having a massive implication on the overall result particularly due to dew creeping in later half. Something PCB management should not ignore if they happen to ball second in one such game where wrist spinners especially Shadab can become a massive liability.

Apart from conditions and toss where PCB has got no control over, there are many other strategic takeaways from the current series.

1. Pace for the win
If the likes of Rohit, Kohli, Pant, etc are struggling against opening spells of 150k bowlers (Wood and Archer) then it sends out one clear message that there is no alternative to sheer pace. Pakistan is lucky that its premier bowler (Shaheen) can touch those pace numbers but it needs a second pacer to have a more potent impact. It's no surprise to me that when it comes to pure pace Hasnain is ahead of others and the current PSL stamped this fact as well. Its a no brainer that Hasnain should put some serious hardwork to consistently bowl 4 overs of sheer pace and hit back of the length and his worth in T20 could be massive for Pakistan.

2. Death bowler
Even with sheer pace or canny spinning ability, death bowling still remains the art of a specialist (this is not something we can expect Faheem to do). Pakistan needs a cunning bowler with bag full of tricks to bowl 3 overs or more at death, a role well played by Umar Gul over the years. From the current lot the only 2 bowlers with potential to achieve this is Hasan Ali and Amir. I would select Hasan Ali over Amir for this role for a simple reason that team's mental health is as important as physical health and company of Amir would not be good for team's mental health given his recent outbursts.

3. Skills over hacks any day
It is quite evident that batsmen with superior batting skills are only able to negate bowlers of superior skills. In T20 world cup the bowling Pakistan team would face would be of superior quality and hacks like Sharjeel and Fakhar would not be able to counter that sort of bowling. Pakistan needs to realise this really quickly that in order to stand any chance in the world cup the onus from hacks should go away immediately and best batsmen should face majority of balls to yield better results this means Babar and Rizwan should open for Pakistan.

4. Fitness is not a myth
This has been stated multiple times and re-emphasizing this subject would not change the fact. An unfit individual (physically or mentally) has massive negative impact on the overall team. For example, Sharjeel not running a quick run results in 1 run less in our overall score which is similar to a misfielding that goes for the extra run. While everyone frowns upon the misfield the issue of Sharjeel not running is scrapped under the carpet. Similarly, a brilliant catch or amazing run out uplifts the entire team. Therefore, the importance of such individuals in T20 is massive hence Shadab carries so much importance as he is the leader on the field that we need.

5. Right mix of experience and youth
If we look into past championship wins of Pakistan or any other country for that matter its always a combined effort of experience and youth that contributes to a win. It was Javed and Inzi in 1992, Fakhar and Hafeez/Sarfraz in 2017, its always a mixed effort to win championships hence an extreme of both ends would not work. We need Hafeez and Haider while we also need Hasan Ali and Shaheen/Hasnain to work together. And if we have a slot in our T20 team for which no one has raised their hand then we need experience to fill that slot not for their cricketing physical ability but their mental ability to think/help captains out which can be invaluable. I'm pointing towards Malik for no.5 slot. He might not contribute much but his input in game awareness and helping Babar out could be massive.

Having said all the points above, its utmost important that when Pakistan steps out to play T20 it is following a strategy rather than everyone doing what they feel they can do as its a team game rather than an individual game. At this current stage the following XI stands the best chance of yielding best results for Pakistan but this line-up would also fail without team and individual strategies, roles and responsibilities.

1. Babar
2. Rizwan
3. Haider
4. Hafeez
5. Malik
6. Faheem
7. Shadab
8. Hasan Ali
9. Shaheen
10. Hasnain
11. Usman Qadir

If rizwan can keep up his form i will gladly stay with this xi however if he loses form fakhar can replace him. Malik should also be tried in a bilateral to see if he still has it in him.

 

[Shoaibbtt]

The options we have in Pak might be able to go bang for the odd ball but it'll be an 8 (4) situation far too much. In Khushdil and Talat's case they couldn't even hit the ball. Malik strike rotation with the occasional boundary might not be ideal at 5 but it is better than they are.

The top 4 is already pretty settled so i don't know if he can fit anywhere up there.

I believe the selectors are still trying to find a better option for Malik which is why they haven't recalled him. Maybe Haider will be the guy to go bang bang. But i can't see who else it could be and thus i'm expecting a Malik recall.

I mean take for example the India-Eng t20 going on right now and look at the innings Iyer just played, can you expect Malik to do that on the back end of an innings?

 

[shamaan]

As I indicated in the post, the most valuable input Malik can have in this team is to guide Babar during crunch times in the field and if needed stabilise an innings if we lose quick wickets. Someone like Malik can also be very important in chasing games, if we are chasing 7 per over for 10 overs or more I would bet more on Malik then someone like Haider.

You already have babar and to some extend rizwan you dont need another anchor.

 

[shamaan]

My playing xi

Fakhar/sharjeel
Rizwan
Babar
Hafeez
Haider ali
Fahim ashraf
Shadab
Hassan ali
Qadir
Shaheen
Rauf/husnain

Bench
Malik
Imad/nawaz
Husnain
Sharjeel

 

[Ahson8]

My playing xi

Fakhar/sharjeel
Rizwan
Babar
Hafeez
Haider ali
Fahim ashraf
Shadab
Hassan ali
Qadir
Shaheen
Rauf/husnain

Bench
Malik
Imad/nawaz
Husnain
Sharjeel

I'd open with Babar and put Sharjeel at 3.

Also Azam Khan should still be in the mix

 

[shamaan]

I'd open with Babar and put Sharjeel at 3.

Also Azam Khan should still be in the mix

Right,left hand compo pluss even if sharjeel does get out babar will come at 3.azam khan needs to improve he only knows how to score quick 20s and 30s in a couple games and then goes missing

 

[Shoaibbtt]

1. Sharjeel Khan/Zeeshan Malik
2. Muhammad Rizwan (wk)
3. Babar Azam
4. Muhammad Hafeez
5. Haider Ali
6. Danish Aziz
7. Shadab Khan
8. Muhammad Nawaz/Imad Wasim/Usman Qadir
9. Hassan Ali
10. Muhammad Hasnain
11. Shaheen Shah Afridi

 

[Greenstorm]

Agree with the bowling part but proposed batting line up is very one dimensional. Most decent teams will bat us out of the game.

We have to realize that our bowling is not as strong as it used to be when we banked on them to defend anything above 150. It is better to take risks with batmen who have the ability to score at higher strike rates. Our best option is to pack the lineup with power hitters (you are calling them hacks) while Babar and Hafeez provides stability. I propose this,

1. Sharjeel
2. Babar
3. Haider
4. Hafeez
5. Azam
6. Faheem

Its time to move on from the likes of Malik and Rizwan in T20I cricket.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

After a decade of failure, Malik offers nothing and the opposition know that when he bats,put your pacers on and bowl short of a length and he is strokeless. We need to stop looking back,these guys weren't that good at their peak, they aren't going to be any better now.

Exactly they should move on from Malik...

 

[Uzi]

If rizwan can keep up his form i will gladly stay with this xi however if he loses form fakhar can replace him. Malik should also be tried in a bilateral to see if he still has it in him.

He never had it in him in the first place.

 

[Ahson8]

Right,left hand compo pluss even if sharjeel does get out babar will come at 3.azam khan needs to improve he only knows how to score quick 20s and 30s in a couple games and then goes missing

Quick 20s and 30s still better than what Shadab has been doing lately IMO

 

[Shoaibbtt]

Agree with the bowling part but proposed batting line up is very one dimensional. Most decent teams will bat us out of the game.

We have to realize that our bowling is not as strong as it used to be when we banked on them to defend anything above 150. It is better to take risks with batmen who have the ability to score at higher strike rates. Our best option is to pack the lineup with power hitters (you are calling them hacks) while Babar and Hafeez provides stability. I propose this,

1. Sharjeel
2. Babar
3. Haider
4. Hafeez
5. Azam
6. Faheem

Its time to move on from the likes of Malik and Rizwan in T20I cricket.

Wait, what did Rizwan do wrong? He's our best t20 performing batsman right now. You need him at the top of the order and that to with Sharjeel.

Agree about Malik though.

 

[shamaan]

Quick 20s and 30s still better than what Shadab has been doing lately IMO

Your comparing azam khan to shadab excellent comparison well done

 

[Ahson8]

Your comparing azam khan to shadab excellent comparison well done

Your XI had Shadab at No 6

 

[Usman Chadda]

That batting line-up in the OP will struggle to cross 150 in 4/5 games against half-decent sides, and 5/5 games against top opposition. You need hacks like Sharjeel and Fakhar at the top to give you some momentum at the top, then follow them up with solid batsmen in Babar, Hafeez and Rizwan.

Malik has no place in this team. He cannot play at number 6.

 

[rhony]

With every competitive T20 cricket being played between now till the world cup, PCB management should be actively following it and drawing potential strategies and plan to implement and better its current T20 team.

The current series between England and India is one such eye opener where the series is being player in early March which would mimic similar conditions come October in India. We have already seen toss having a massive implication on the overall result particularly due to dew creeping in later half. Something PCB management should not ignore if they happen to ball second in one such game where wrist spinners especially Shadab can become a massive liability.

Apart from conditions and toss where PCB has got no control over, there are many other strategic takeaways from the current series.

1. Pace for the win
If the likes of Rohit, Kohli, Pant, etc are struggling against opening spells of 150k bowlers (Wood and Archer) then it sends out one clear message that there is no alternative to sheer pace. Pakistan is lucky that its premier bowler (Shaheen) can touch those pace numbers but it needs a second pacer to have a more potent impact. It's no surprise to me that when it comes to pure pace Hasnain is ahead of others and the current PSL stamped this fact as well. Its a no brainer that Hasnain should put some serious hardwork to consistently bowl 4 overs of sheer pace and hit back of the length and his worth in T20 could be massive for Pakistan.

2. Death bowler
Even with sheer pace or canny spinning ability, death bowling still remains the art of a specialist (this is not something we can expect Faheem to do). Pakistan needs a cunning bowler with bag full of tricks to bowl 3 overs or more at death, a role well played by Umar Gul over the years. From the current lot the only 2 bowlers with potential to achieve this is Hasan Ali and Amir. I would select Hasan Ali over Amir for this role for a simple reason that team's mental health is as important as physical health and company of Amir would not be good for team's mental health given his recent outbursts.

3. Skills over hacks any day
It is quite evident that batsmen with superior batting skills are only able to negate bowlers of superior skills. In T20 world cup the bowling Pakistan team would face would be of superior quality and hacks like Sharjeel and Fakhar would not be able to counter that sort of bowling. Pakistan needs to realise this really quickly that in order to stand any chance in the world cup the onus from hacks should go away immediately and best batsmen should face majority of balls to yield better results this means Babar and Rizwan should open for Pakistan.

4. Fitness is not a myth
This has been stated multiple times and re-emphasizing this subject would not change the fact. An unfit individual (physically or mentally) has massive negative impact on the overall team. For example, Sharjeel not running a quick run results in 1 run less in our overall score which is similar to a misfielding that goes for the extra run. While everyone frowns upon the misfield the issue of Sharjeel not running is scrapped under the carpet. Similarly, a brilliant catch or amazing run out uplifts the entire team. Therefore, the importance of such individuals in T20 is massive hence Shadab carries so much importance as he is the leader on the field that we need.

5. Right mix of experience and youth
If we look into past championship wins of Pakistan or any other country for that matter its always a combined effort of experience and youth that contributes to a win. It was Javed and Inzi in 1992, Fakhar and Hafeez/Sarfraz in 2017, its always a mixed effort to win championships hence an extreme of both ends would not work. We need Hafeez and Haider while we also need Hasan Ali and Shaheen/Hasnain to work together. And if we have a slot in our T20 team for which no one has raised their hand then we need experience to fill that slot not for their cricketing physical ability but their mental ability to think/help captains out which can be invaluable. I'm pointing towards Malik for no.5 slot. He might not contribute much but his input in game awareness and helping Babar out could be massive.

Having said all the points above, its utmost important that when Pakistan steps out to play T20 it is following a strategy rather than everyone doing what they feel they can do as its a team game rather than an individual game. At this current stage the following XI stands the best chance of yielding best results for Pakistan but this line-up would also fail without team and individual strategies, roles and responsibilities.

1. Babar
2. Rizwan
3. Haider
4. Hafeez
5. Malik
6. Faheem
7. Shadab
8. Hasan Ali
9. Shaheen
10. Hasnain
11. Usman Qadir

Good post. But take Malik out and add Sharjeel as an opener. Malik's 25 off 19 are worthless.

 

[shamaan]

Your XI had Shadab at No 6

I had shadab at 7 and fahim at 6 both can bowl field and bat.

 

[zain41]

1. Sharjeel
2. rizwan
3. babar
4. hafeez
5. haider
6. imad
7. faheem
8. hasan
9. amir
10. shaheen
11. usman qadir

 

[Kroll]

1. Sharjeel/Fakhar
2. Rizwan
3. Babar
4. Hafeez
5. Haider
6. Malik?/Danish Aziz?/Asif Ali/Khushdil/Iftikhar
7. Imad
8. Faheem
9. Hasan
10. Streets/Hasnain/Wahab/Qadir/Shadab
10. Shaheen

 

[Zeshan547]

1. Sharjeel/Fakhar
2. Babar
3. Rizawn
4. Hafeez
5. Haider
6. Malik/Iftikhar
7. Imad/Shadab
8. Faheem
9. Hasan
10. Qadir/Zahid
11. Shaheen
and 16th squad meber shoud be Hasnain. This is the best possible Pak XI as of now with batting depth till 9 and 7 bowling otions and 4 spin options, on more seam friendly pitch you can replace hasnain with qadir etc. This also has good mix of experience and youth and only babar is pure anchor all other can smash it around. This team can score around 160 plus vs top teams and 180 plus vs avergae one on most days and the depth in bowling will allow them to defend such scores in indian conditions,but for that they must field good. And this all players are also on the radar already and no left field choices. But knowing our thick tank we won't get this exact xi or squad and will self destruct like always. This team also not guarantee title but this is sadly the best we have , you can argue about one or two places at max.

 

[iniqbal223]

11 for WT20

Sharjeel
Fakhar
Babar
Sarfaraz/Rizwan
Hafeez
Imad
Shadab
Faheem
Hasan ali
Rauf
Shaheen

 

[Extra_Cover]

1. Babar
2. Rizwan
3. Haider
4. Hafeez
5. Fakhar
6. Faheem
7. Shadab
8. Hasan Ali
9. Shaheen
10. Hasnain
11. Usman Qadir

Given how the South African leg has gone so far, it seems that Fkhar has raised his hand for the fifth batsman in the line-up. Therefore, I would replace Malik from my original line-up for Fakhar.

I would however argue that Fakhar should bat at 5 rather than 3. Haider should bat at 3. Fakhar unlike other Pakistani batsmen is very strong mentally which is a key attribute for a finisher and hence would play that role better than Haider. Haider should bat at 3 and should be given the freedom to play with flair.

 

[Shoaibbtt]

Given how the South African leg has gone so far, it seems that Fkhar has raised his hand for the fifth batsman in the line-up. Therefore, I would replace Malik from my original line-up for Fakhar.

I would however argue that Fakhar should bat at 5 rather than 3. Haider should bat at 3. Fakhar unlike other Pakistani batsmen is very strong mentally which is a key attribute for a finisher and hence would play that role better than Haider. Haider should bat at 3 and should be given the freedom to play with flair.

I would like to trial and i'm just saying trial Sharjeel-Fakhar as our openers, I think Rizwan and Babar are perfectly capable coming 1 or 2 down the order. We can utilise in my view Hafeez as our late order hitter and think that might be best for him as he can smash as we saw in the CT17 final.

Malik doesn't make the playing XI for me, with all due respect to him he's too slow and his SR reflects that (116 in t20 World Cups).

I still think we lack a really good unknown spinner but i'm willing to chance either of Nawaz, Imad, Shadab, Zahid or Qadir. The biggest problem with our spin allrounders is that some can either be a really good bowler or really good batsman but from either of Imad, Shadab and Nawaz you won't get both (maybe Imad to an extent has both bowling and batting covered).

I would really like to chance it and see in this final XI how Arshad Iqbal does and if i was to drop anyone it would be either of Rauf or Hassan Ali for Friday's game.

My final XI for Friday:

1. Sharjeel Khan
2. Fakhar Zaman
3. Babar Azam
4. Muhammad Rizwan
5. Muhammad Hafeez
6. Haider Ali
7. Faheem Ashraf
8. Muhammad Nawaz/Usman Qadir
9. Hassan Ali/Haris Rauf
10. Arshad Iqbal
11. Shaheen Shah Afridi

 

[Line and Length]

Given how the South African leg has gone so far, it seems that Fkhar has raised his hand for the fifth batsman in the line-up. Therefore, I would replace Malik from my original line-up for Fakhar.

I would however argue that Fakhar should bat at 5 rather than 3. Haider should bat at 3. Fakhar unlike other Pakistani batsmen is very strong mentally which is a key attribute for a finisher and hence would play that role better than Haider. Haider should bat at 3 and should be given the freedom to play with flair.

I agree. But I would replace Shadab with Imad in that lineup. That would simultaneously improve the batting and bowling of the team.

 

[Shoaibbtt]

I agree. But I would replace Shadab with Imad in that lineup. That would simultaneously improve the batting and bowling of the team.

Shadab has been really poor and his injuries of late have made him somewhat unreliable.

Imad good bowler when he opens, but not a wicket taker late in the innings if you want him to strike but a capable batsman over Nawaz. Vice versa for Nawaz reliable with the ball in the opening and middle overs but not as reliable with the bat.

 

[jnaveen1980]

I have never seen Pakistan teams winning battathons even when they had stronger teams. It was always bowling that did the job for them. Less said about the current batting of Pakistan the better. Once Babar is knocked out it is pretty much done. No depth like England or NZ or Windies.

 

[mastimasti]

Pakistan's top order is set: Babar, Rizwan and Fakhar. The bowling looks ok with Shaheen, Hasan Ali and one other pace bowler.

There are two major issues: middle/lower order batting and spin bowling.

Shadab looks out of sorts, the team doesn't know if they can play Usman Qadir, young spinners from previous years of the PSL are nowhere to be found and relying on Nawaz is not enough.

Then there's the batting outside the top 3...this is the worst part. There is no one there.

 

[Line and Length]

Shadab has been really poor and his injuries of late have made him somewhat unreliable.

Imad good bowler when he opens, but not a wicket taker late in the innings if you want him to strike but a capable batsman over Nawaz. Vice versa for Nawaz reliable with the ball in the opening and middle overs but not as reliable with the bat.

Imad's two or three overs in the powerplay are crucial and we are being exposed in that department with him not being in the squad. Neither Hasan, Hasnain, Rauf, or Faheem are capable of bowling in the powerplay so Imad's presence is a must. I think his bowling is on par with Nawaz and his batting is inarguably better. That is why I think it's a no brainer to have Imad in the T20 squad and he should be in the playing XI more often than not too, certainly ahead of Nawaz and Shadab.

 

[Shoaibbtt]

Imad's two or three overs in the powerplay are crucial and we are being exposed in that department with him not being in the squad. Neither Hasan, Hasnain, Rauf, or Faheem are capable of bowling in the powerplay so Imad's presence is a must. I think his bowling is on par with Nawaz and his batting is inarguably better. That is why I think it's a no brainer to have Imad in the T20 squad and he should be in the playing XI more often than not too, certainly ahead of Nawaz and Shadab.

In terms of bowling i have to say i've been more impressed with Nawaz, i just feel he's got more variations and despite getting smashed today and last game he's been fairly ok, just want to see him pushed up the order to see his batting because he can hit and we saw that in the Pakistan-South Africa home series.

As far as Pakistani wicket takers are concerned for this series he is tied with Hassan Ali at 4 wickets but generally i think he's done ok with figures of:

1st t20- 4-0-21-2 @ ER 5.25
2nd t20- 3-0-29-0 @ ER 9.66
3rd t20- 4-0-38-2 @ ER 9.50

 

[Line and Length]

In terms of bowling i have to say i've been more impressed with Nawaz, i just feel he's got more variations and despite getting smashed today and last game he's been fairly ok, just want to see him pushed up the order to see his batting because he can hit and we saw that in the Pakistan-South Africa home series.

As far as Pakistani wicket takers are concerned for this series he is tied with Hassan Ali at 4 wickets but generally i think he's done ok with figures of:

1st t20- 4-0-21-2 @ ER 5.25
2nd t20- 3-0-29-0 @ ER 9.66
3rd t20- 4-0-38-2 @ ER 9.50

I think Nawaz can be a good backup for Imad, but overall, Imad just offers the better package. Nawaz hasn't bowled too poorly this series, but there's nothing to say that Imad would not have bowled just as well or even better. Like you said, Nawaz has better variations and can turn the ball, but on a flat track - which we will see a lot of in the World Cup this year, I feel like Imad is more reliable. And his batting is also superior as well. I do think Nawaz is a better batsman than he's shown this tour, but Imad is a fairly dependable lower order batsman - something that we cannot say of Nawaz at the international level. Alas, I would have either of them in the team over Shadab right now.

 

[gazza619]

Call me ignorant but we need a power hitter in the opening slot. Rizwan / Babar will always give us 15 - 20 runs less in the power play.

We must not ignore the fact that the previous T20 was played in conditions where 200 was a par score.

 

[Line and Length]

Call me ignorant but we need a power hitter in the opening slot. Rizwan / Babar will always give us 15 - 20 runs less in the power play.

We must not ignore the fact that the previous T20 was played in conditions where 200 was a par score.

I’m waiting for the T20Is in England in July to get a better picture. If the Babar-Rizwan opening combo works there, and we win games, then there shouldn’t be any more arguments about it. But I think the jury is still out as they’re yet to perform against a top bowling attack.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Call me ignorant but we need a power hitter in the opening slot. Rizwan / Babar will always give us 15 - 20 runs less in the power play.

We must not ignore the fact that the previous T20 was played in conditions where 200 was a par score.

This theory doesn't work for every team.

Going hard in the powerplay is big gamble that can easily result in the loss of 2-3 wickets.

Unless you have a batting line-up like England's where there are hitters up and down the line-up, this is a risky strategy that can potentially destroy your entire innings. Especially for a team like Pakistan.

The alternative is risk-free proper cricketing shots, complimented by robust running between the wickets which take you to 48-0 in the powerplay overs. Something Rizwan and Babar are more than capable of.

Once the platform is set, Fakhar, Hafeez and Haider can come in later in the innings and go hard to get Pakistan to a big total. And 190+ is still possible with this strategy.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Imad's two or three overs in the powerplay are crucial and we are being exposed in that department with him not being in the squad. Neither Hasan, Hasnain, Rauf, or Faheem are capable of bowling in the powerplay so Imad's presence is a must. I think his bowling is on par with Nawaz and his batting is inarguably better. That is why I think it's a no brainer to have Imad in the T20 squad and he should be in the playing XI more often than not too, certainly ahead of Nawaz and Shadab.

Agreed. People don't value what Imad brought to the table as a new ball bowler. Having an economy rate of 6.2 when you bowl most of your overs in the powerplay is unheard of in this day and age. Statistically aswell he is a significantly superior bowler to Nawaz.

 

[indianpanacea]

Rizwan
Babar
Fakhar
Azam khan
Hafeez
Haider Ali
Hassan Ali
Imad Wasim
Afridi
Rouf
Usman qadir/zeeshan

 

[Cric_lover4487]

Spellcheck

Pretty strong XI.

The thing that will be interesting is whether Malik makes his way back into the squad having been overlooked of late.

It seems that the current selectors don't really fancy him coming back into the side.

I will drop Faheem and include Fakhar.

 

[shamaan]

I would stil like to give a chance to fakhar and sharjeel against maybe Zimbabwe.However for now the first choice openers are babar and rizwan.i would also give him imad at 6.

 

[Rellu_Katta]

Dont see Fakhar or Sharjeel opening given the type of form and partnership Babar & Rizwan are developing

Fakhar would come in no3 though, that seems to be the plan for time being

Shadab def should not be playing... he is a massive liability

Nawaz would play ahead of shadab.. but to be fair, it shld be Imad

for me, the squad should look like

1) Rizwan
2) Babar
3) Fakhar
4) Haffez
5) Haider
6) Faheem
7) Imad
8) Hassan
9) M.Hussnain
10) SSA
11) Usman Qadir

 

[Bewal Express]

We have little chance of winning WC, we need to just play as Babar said without fear. There are too many weaknesses to go through but obvious ones include the lack of a middle order, too few 6 hitters and a struggling to bat under pressure. On the other hand we have Babar and that will always give us a punchers chance.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

If we want to give ourselves a fighting chance of winning the World Cup. We have to leave that unfit hack Sharjeel out of the squad.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

I think this is the best squad that Pakistan can hope to select for a T20 World Cup in India.

1. Babar Azam (c)
2. Mohammad Rizwan (wk)
3. Fakhar Zaman
4. Mohammad Hafeez
5. Haider Ali
6. Shoaib Malik
7. Imad Wasim
8. Mohammad Nawaz
9. Faheem Ashraf
11. Shaheen Shah Afridi
12. Hasan Ali
13. Haris Rauf
14. Mohammad Hasnain
15. Shadab Khan (subject to form) otherwise Usman Qadir

 

[Bigboii]

If we want to give ourselves a fighting chance of winning the World Cup. We have to leave that unfit hack Sharjeel out of the squad.

I don't know why people are so obsessed with Sharjeel maybe about 2-3 years ago we may have needed him but now he doesn't make the team on merit even on his batting "prowess" alone forget the fitness, fielding, fixing part

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

I don't know why people are so obsessed with Sharjeel maybe about 2-3 years ago we may have needed him but now he doesn't make the team on merit even on his batting "prowess" alone forget the fitness, fielding, fixing part

Exactly. I mean if you just look at merit Sharjeel isn't on the level of any of the current openers i.e. Babar, Rizwan and Fakhar.

He can't rotate the strike which is a BIG issue. His hitting is far to unreliable. By comparison Fakhar is a much more clean hitter who has actually improved leaps and bounds in the last 6 months. In the field he is a complete liability that you can't hide no matter where you put him. In the slips he will lack agility, on the boundary he won't put in the dive or just misjudge catches because he can't run.

What exactly is he good for? In the World Cup costly errors are far too dangerous. And this guy has nothing going for him in the merits column besides the hope that maybe he will go out there and play a blinder. Something that mind you, carries a very little statistical chance of actually happening.

So the question is are we really foolish enough to take such a risk when one loss can send us packing?

 

[shamaan]

I will go with this for the t20 world cup.

Babar
Rizwan
Fakhar
Hafeez
Haider ali
Imad wasim (shadab)
Fahim ashraf
Nawaz (imad)
Hassan ali
Shaheen
Rauf

Nawaz
Husnain
Shaoib malik
Qadir
Azam khan (wk)

 

[Kroll]

Babar
Rizwan
Fakhar
Hafeez
Haider Ali
Shoaib Malik
Imad Wasim
Faheem
Hasan Ali
Shaheen
Rauf

 

[gazza619]

I’m waiting for the T20Is in England in July to get a better picture. If the Babar-Rizwan opening combo works there, and we win games, then there shouldn’t be any more arguments about it. But I think the jury is still out as they’re yet to perform against a top bowling attack.

This theory doesn't work for every team.

Going hard in the powerplay is big gamble that can easily result in the loss of 2-3 wickets.

Unless you have a batting line-up like England's where there are hitters up and down the line-up, this is a risky strategy that can potentially destroy your entire innings. Especially for a team like Pakistan.

The alternative is risk-free proper cricketing shots, complimented by robust running between the wickets which take you to 48-0 in the powerplay overs. Something Rizwan and Babar are more than capable of.

Once the platform is set, Fakhar, Hafeez and Haider can come in later in the innings and go hard to get Pakistan to a big total. And 190+ is still possible with this strategy.

Playing a power hitter is a risky strategy but in 20 overs you always have enough batsmen down the order and you hardly get bowled out.

Hence even if we loose 2 wickets in the power play thats still fine. Rizwan and Babar will play with the same strike rate in the first 6 overs as they will between overs 7 and 20. Then why not play a hack to take advantage of the field restrictions?

I know we have just smashed SA, but it will only take 2 failures for people to realise again that modern cricket demands a power hitter.

 

[iniqbal223]

Not to sound pessimistic!!!

But I have really no hopes for this team winning against top teams (with their full playing XI) in a competitive games in WT20..

In any team, a single MAIN player makes hell a lot of difference. (and here SA does not have top 8).. Just look at the bowling of Malaga, fielding of SA.. I really don't have good feelings about team doing well with (Misbah's defensive strategies at helm) in WT20...We have been seeing in last 1 or 2 years or so, other cricket teams, don't take Pakistan team seriously, and try their bench strength (It all started with SL T20 series at home). after last T20, have we ever discussed why our so called bowling leaks so many runs against 3rd string team? Have we tried to find answers why we lost the 2nd T20? (so when the pitches are not flat, small boundaries, and 3rd string team.. we would almost always lose the game)

Just congratulate Misbah and co. to have fun in Zimbabwe as well. Where again many records will be broken, to have the management feel pretty comfortable..Only thing I am happy with , is Babar's progress so far as a batsman..Fakhar has shown once he is set, he can take the game deep alone...

 

[iniqbal223]

Pretty strong XI.

The thing that will be interesting is whether Malik makes his way back into the squad having been overlooked of late.

It seems that the current selectors don't really fancy him coming back into the side.

We will soon see the realities after (Zim tour)..And then in this forum all of us will criticize how our players can only win against 3rd string teams..

 

[Flat_Track_Bully]

We are looking in very good shape leading up to the WC. Semi finals is a guarantee at this stage.

 

[criclover2311]

Best ODI and T20 XI right here.

So I was going through Azam Khan's record in List A's and T20, and one thing is clear guy is purely no.5 or no.6 unlike Haider who has habit of playing at top order, he might solve our problems, he comes in for Asif Ali and Danish Aziz both in Odis and T20's. You can check the records yourself, http://www.pcboard.com.pk/Pakistan/Players/1661/1661365/statistics_lists.html

T20

Sharjeel Khan
Babar Azam
Muhammad Rizwan
Hafeez
Fakhar
Azam Khan
Faheem
Shaheen
Hasnain
Hassan
Usman

Bench:-
Haider Ali
Imad Wasim
Muhammad Nawaz
Haris Rauf
Zahid Mehmood
Arshad Iqbal

You can chance on Haider Ali in case Sharjeel fails, or Hafeez remains out of form. Zahid Mehmood in case Usman Qadir form dips, Competition b/w Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf and Nawaz depending on pitch conditions and batting, Fast bowlers can rotate.


ODI
Imam
Fakhar
Babar
Rizwan
Azam
Faheem
Nawaz/Imad
Hassan
Hasnain
Shaheen
Usman

Bench:- Almost same as T20s

 

[criclover2311]

Azam Khan is pure power hitter, with good strike rotation, and best suitable for no.5 or 6, his List A's and t20s innings confirm this, you look at his innings they read 32(19) 3 4's 2 6's out, 22(9) 2 4's 1 6's, and even when he've played up the order in domestic and t20 leagues, he scores quick runs and gets out,not the guy who digs deep, atleast currently, so he's best no.5 or no.6 class apart than your Asif Ali and Khushdil, And Haider Ali too who's without doubt a talent but not suitable for no.5 or no.6