The era of Pakistan batsmanship - The curious case of losing a wicket, and putting shutters down

[Sherlock]

Well title says it all really.

India were and are terrific and counter-attacking, as are the majority of other nations. Pakistan on the other hand are living in the 90s and think playing out dot balls, with the same players [Shehzad, Azhar, Hafeez etc] will give us a different result.

Once Shehzad was given LBW, Azhar found it difficult to tick the scoreboard over, something of which he hasn't improved on for some time. Then when Babar was dismissed it fell to the axis of the slow lumbering, monotonous and out-right coma-inducing batting of Hafeez and the aforementioned Azhar to try something, anything - yet what we witnessed was players that are enable to maneuver the ball into gaps and keep the fielding side on the back foot, something of which we've seen for some time.

The ball wasn't doing anything significant off the pitch, or in the air. Pakistan batsmen made it out to be some minefield. I thought India bowled well but not so well that getting bowled out for 160-odd is the norm.

The other issue I had was playing Hafeez as an all-out batsmen, something he simply isn't good at.

Then the problem of having Shehzad and Azhar opening, if you want to match other sides then you have to think out the box [something we were promised before the game] and these 2 openers are anything but.

As I posted yesterday in the match day thread - blame Sarfraz/Arthur/Inzi whomever but the case is clear in that the players coming through are not being thought the right skills for modern cricket, nor are they being groomed properly to adhere to the principles of cricket in this new era.

There's only so much fans can take, and playing the same boring and uninspiring cricket will only detach them from futures games.

Surely something drastic has to be done?! We can not carry on the way we're going.

 

[Pete Rose]

It's not particularly tough. Inzi had the choice to pick sahibzad farhan or Umar Amin or awais zia or khurrum manzoor. Yet he decided to send four players who have done nothing in their time away from the team: Azhar, Shehzad, Akmal, Hari's

 

[Sherlock]

It's not particularly tough. Inzi had the choice to pick sahibzad farhan or Umar Amin or awais zia or khurrum manzoor. Yet he decided to send four players who have done nothing in their time away from the team: Azhar, Shehzad, Akmal, Hari's

I don't think he's good enough to play international cricket, tbh. I've only seen Awais Zia bat 2-3 times and found it just like any other Pakistani player in that ilk - favours legside and slogs more often than not.

 

[Pete Rose]

I don't think he's good enough to play international cricket, tbh. I've only seen Awais Zia bat 2-3 times and found it just like any other Pakistani player in that ilk - favours legside and slogs more often than not.

that might be true. but you have to start somewhere. what you will get from hafeez, azhar, shehzad, malik, sarfaraz, and even babar is well known.

 

[Abdullah719]

This is what happens when you have such a mediocre top order.

 

[Syed1]

You have to be naive to expect anything but tuk tuk from those three.

We desperately need the return of Sharjeel and for him to be partnered with Fakhar. Babar is fine at 3, number 4 can be Haris or Sarfaraz. This toporder may not be the best around but atleast it will give us a fighting chance.

However going by Inzi's track record you can expect the return of the Akmal brothers and possibly Salman Butt.

 

[Flat_Track_Bully]

I dont know why Babar had to play that shot. Couldnt he keep the ball on the floor. Why did he do Kami special?

Just be composed and play your natural game. Rotate into gaps. So frustrating.

 

[Syed1]

I dont know why Babar had to play that shot. Couldnt he keep the ball on the floor. Why did he do Kami special?

Just be composed and play your natural game. Rotate into gaps. So frustrating.

If Sharjeel was at the other end Babar would probably have left the ball alone. I think I mentioned it to you only that the biggest effectee of Sharjeel's departure would be Babar because he now has to come in and be the aggressor while Azhar/Shehzad are tuk tuking away to heart's content.

Someone needs to do an analysis of Babar's record with Sharjeel and without Sharjeel.

We saw it in the PSL as well that Babar takes some time to ramp up to match speed and cannot be the aggressor from word go, hence he needs the guy at the other end to be compensating for both and not let the pressure get to him.