The CT final win was the perfect time to get rid of Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez, Azhar Ali, etc...

[Sherlock]

...instead we as we are well into 2018 we're once again talking about the playing XI including players that are well past their sell-by-date or players that are not suited to LOI's.

I thought it would be a perfect time to move on from these 3 players in particular, but I guess our selectors/coaching/captain are too afraid to move along with the times and would prefer to cater to the so-called "experience" of these players. The same players that have failed on the international scene for a decade or two.

New players have given us a lift. Shadab, Hasan and Fakhar being the main names.

So surely we have to get the next line of players through to accomplish what the current lot haven't and aren't going to?

 

[DRsohail]

it was but u know Inzi...

 

[Hamstead_joy]

Champions Trophy was something that actually gave our cricket and nation a lift. No point in blaming CT for the issues perpetrated by someone else. Ahmed Shehzad is also being repeatedly selected. Apart from holding the CT trophy on the dais he was not even part of the XI as Fakhar Zaman came in his place and changed our fortunes.

 

[shariqnoor]

Azhar needs to be out of the ODI team. His inability to even play at a run-a-ball hurts the team from the onset. Regarding Hafeez and Malik, I can see a case of Hafeez being said goodbye given that he can't bowl but I can see Malik providing a useful role in the World Cup. Sentiments aside, Malik has been our best ODI bat since the 2015 World Cup. Call him a FTB or a minnow basher but the fact remains, he has scored runs and that too at a fair clip. In this lineup, apart from Fakhar, he is the ONLY batsman who has adapted to the modern ODI batting manual (the last ODI being a wild exception). Its true that both Hafeez and Malik are a walking wicket in seaming conditions but for the World Cup, we will get flat batting tracks in England. Malik can be a useful player in those conditions.

 

[thelandofthebravepeople]

Ok imagine this scenario. They get rid of Azhar, Hafeez and Malik efter CT and Pakistan still loses series against NZ, so who are the first one coming back into the team?

 

[Hamstead_joy]

Azhar needs to be out of the ODI team. His inability to even play at a run-a-ball hurts the team from the onset. Regarding Hafeez and Malik, I can see a case of Hafeez being said goodbye given that he can't bowl but I can see Malik providing a useful role in the World Cup. Sentiments aside, Malik has been our best ODI bat since the 2015 World Cup. Call him a FTB or a minnow basher but the fact remains, he has scored runs and that too at a fair clip. In this lineup, apart from Fakhar, he is the ONLY batsman who has adapted to the modern ODI batting manual (the last ODI being a wild exception). Its true that both Hafeez and Malik are a walking wicket in seaming conditions but for the World Cup, we will get flat batting tracks in England. Malik can be a useful player in those conditions.

Shoaib MAlik averaged 18 on easier batting conditions in England during Champions Trophy. He is not a minnow basher either, he averaged 33.66 v West Indies in UAE 2016/17. He did one good score and got out on single figures in other innings against minnow West indies.
Even after seeing Pakistan on 32 for 8, still some people will never understand. Then we wish young PAkistani batsmen don't look upto PAkistani National Team. Sorry Hafeez and MAlik are not of the calibre to even look upto. RIP Pakistan batting

 

[j_kazmi]

The champions trophy final was the perfect time for Hafeez, Azhar and Malik to retire, I’ve been saying since the day of the final.

Hafeez and Azhar both made valuable runs in the final so they would’ve really been remembered fondly if they retired then.

 

[prop558]

...instead we as we are well into 2018 we're once again talking about the playing XI including players that are well past their sell-by-date or players that are not suited to LOI's.

I thought it would be a perfect time to move on from these 3 players in particular, but I guess our selectors/coaching/captain are too afraid to move along with the times and would prefer to cater to the so-called "experience" of these players. The same players that have failed on the international scene for a decade or two.

New players have given us a lift. Shadab, Hasan and Fakhar being the main names.

So surely we have to get the next line of players through to accomplish what the current lot haven't and aren't going to?

I still believe that Opening pair of Azhar & Fakhar has worked brilliantly in the CT 2017, and needs to be continue.

But if Azhar Ali fails even in the remaining 2 ODIs against NZ, he must be dropped as a punishment, because failing in 5 continuous matches are fair enough to drop a player.

Those who performs should remain in the team, and those who don't, should be thrown out. SIMPLE FORMULA

If Azhar fails in the remaining 2 ODIs then the most deserving player for the selection of opening slot, is SHAN MASOOD because he is the HIGHEST RUNS SCORER in the Departmental One Day Cup, scored 3 centuries, 4 half-centuries, with the average of 158+. I know many people dislikes him but well keep aside personal likeness dis-likeness and think about Pakistan Cricket, those who has performed, deserves chance.

PCB should permanently get rid off Ahmed Shazad, Hafeez, Malik, Akmal Brothers & Wahab Riaz

 

[hadi123]

I only agree about Hafeez. He is one of the oldest players who is very inconsistent these days and he played a big part in the CT final win. Would have been a good time for him to retire on a high. Malik has been very consistent over the last couple of years so he was right to stay and Azhar Ali is fairly younger and had a good tournament. I think he was right to be in this ODI squad based on the CT but I knew he was never going to be a long term solution.

 

[pakistani pride]

If they (azhar, malik, hafeez) had some sense and pride would have retired after trashing India.

I mean hafeez had so many timid performances on the grand stage. Till that day vs India where fakhar set it up.

Had the 3 retired that day they would be remembered as legends.... if only!

 

[prop558]

I only agree about Hafeez. He is one of the oldest players who is very inconsistent these days and he played a big part in the CT final win. Would have been a good time for him to retire on a high. Malik has been very consistent over the last couple of years so he was right to stay and Azhar Ali is fairly younger and had a good tournament. I think he was right to be in this ODI squad based on the CT but I knew he was never going to be a long term solution.

The platform was set in the CT, after the opening partnership between Azhar & Fakhar.

Its easy to score runs when the platform was set, rather than when the wickets are falling.

Another reason behind Hafeez's runs in CT final, was when ever he is about to be dropped, he scores 50-60-70 and stays for another 2 series. Its the same trick which Malik, Misbah, Younis has adopted over the years to justify their ODI selection. Which was never be justified.

 

[Pete Rose]

It was never going to happen after CT. I am immensely thankful that this tour will separate the wheat from the chaff

 

[Syed1]

Ok imagine this scenario. They get rid of Azhar, Hafeez and Malik efter CT and Pakistan still loses series against NZ, so who are the first one coming back into the team?

Excellent point

 

[Hasan123]

It was the perfect time. Those 3 could have finished there careers on a high and the new players would have been coming into a team that is full confidence. But we missed the opportunity. Any new players now introduced will be under pressure to perform instantly.

 

[coy0607]

this isn't Australia where 30-somethings, past their primes would retire after a big tournament victory. Nor would our management push anyone out

our players needs to be humiliated, totally destroyed in defeat before they think of retirement.. Not one Pakistani cricketer in history has retired on time (maybe Imran aside, and I'm not even sure about him)

same goes for our management, they won't push any seniors out before totally bottoming out

 

[prop558]

Misbah, Younis, Malik, Hafeez, Akmal brohter, Ahmed Shahzad, Imran Farhat, were never ever ODI players.

 

[babajee]

Misbah, Younis, Malik, Hafeez, Akmal brohter, Ahmed Shahzad, Imran Farhat, were never ever ODI players.

And Asad Shafiq is )

 

[MMHS]

Opposite actually - CT win was perfect platform these 3 players to leave on high. They had both examples in front of them - Imran & Javed. Unfortunately, they went to Javed route.

 

[junaidji]

Champions Trophy while it gave us fans some happiness, it prolonged the careers of Azhar, Malik, & Hafeez. PCB feels like the squad is perfect, because hey, after all it did win an ICC trophy, and that too by thrashing arch rivals, so they feel like not changing it & persisting with it. Management will attribute Azhar and Hafeez's 50's in that match due to their "experience" and hence give them selection prioriry. I could see Azhar getting dropped, but it will literally take an arm and leg to get the professor out.

 

[jnaveen1980]

In England you can win tournaments purely with bowling. India won in 1983 purely with their bowling. Even in 1999 Australia won with their bowling. In CT 2015 India won with bowling. Similarly Pakistan won with bowling. But except Pakistan other teams that won here had decent batting as well. Pakistan's batting fragility was bound to be exposed in other parts of the world. Even Pak fans knew it. Just visit the threads created right after first match against India in the CT. They knew it. But Bowlers pulled a miracle for Pakistan. But fears of Pak fans that were raised before the final still exists. That didn't go away after CT win. Single match didn't change the state dramatically.

 

[giri26]

I don't think the selectors were every going to drop these players after a major tournament win. It probably was up to the players to retire on a high if they wanted to. The players decided to play on and did reasonably well in the series that followed the CT win, so there was no reason to drop them from the team. Even after this performance, I don't see radical changes in the X1. These players are going to be part of the ODI team till the WC.