The myth of UAE pitches not suiting a batsman like Fakhar Zaman, too many excuses from biased fans

[Rana]

Firstly, let me set the record straight. I do not dislike Fakhar, I do not object to his inclusion in the side. The reason for this thread is becuase for quite some time Im reading stuff like Ahmad Shahzad is inept and mediocre, Hafeez should be dropped because he is worthless etc...However Fakhar should be excused not because of what his capable of doing, but because 'Pitches like the ones UAE dont suit players such as Fakhar and Sharjeel". The hypocrisy is real, Shahzad fails means he is absolute trash, but the tracks dont suit Fakhar and Sharjeel. I, by no means am excusing Shahzad's mediocre approach these days, however I really want to analyse this question in the correct way. Why do people get the impression Fakhar is not replicating the same form he displayed in the CT during the ODI series and T20 yesterday, add the three T20is in lahore as well. The following are stats of opposition players that are similar in style and aggression to Fakhar and Sharjeel. They are prominent names around the world and their stats speak for themselves and the 'demons in the pitches'. Ive restricted the stats to T20Is only because Fakhar is right now is in the spot light for T20I form

David Warner-
4 T20I matches played in the UAE, 165 runs scored @55.00 Strike rate 141. 2x50s

Quinton De Kock
2 TOI played in UAE, 78 runs @78.00, strike rate 136.84


Tamim Iqbal
11 T20I matches in UAE, 361 runs @45.12, Strike rate 115.33 , 4x50s
(Tamim's career average is 29.83)


Eoin Morgan (not an opener, but a Sharjeel, Fakhar type player)
7 T20I matches in UAE, 168 runs @33.60, strike rate of 117.48
(Morgan's career average is 28.65, his strike rate is 130.46, a realistic candidate to back the apparent claim only in terms of his general runs flow)


The stats of the similar players to Fakhar and Sharjeel suggest there is nothing in the UAE that would hinder a player of Fakhar's style to falter. These stats are better than the overall career stats of the players themselves. Hence they have thrived in the UAE. I would suggest to the fans that are blindly defending one player with poor excuses to take a long hard look, come back with stats to back up their claims about why Fakhar isnt as fluent as he is supposed to be. Fakhar emerged onto the scene batting on UAE tracks (Sharjah and Dubai) in the PSL. yes Abu Dhabi is a new venue for him, but can anyone provide the clear proof that Abu Dhabi as a venue has proven difficult to score freely upon for Batsman similar to Fakhar?

 

[babajee]

Why don’t you compare the par score in Abu Dhabi to Dubai and Sharjah?

That should indicate that it is not as easy to score runs there.

 

[waleed88]

UAE pitches are not supportive for any new batsmen, it just ruins your technique.

 

[Bewal Express]

Fakhar Zaman gave us izzet in the summer, he can do whatever he wants and should still be picked. Lets face it, he has achieved more in his short career than people like Shazad and Hafeez will ever do. Leave the lad alone and let him play.

 

[Haz95]

Who cares? Wouldn't Pakistan want a batsman like Fakhar who can help win tournaments (which are on flat wickets) or does Pakistan want a 'grinder' who may plod away at 70 strike rate to a 50 on slow UAE wickets but hits instead only at 75 strike rate on wickets with par scores of 330+?

Fakhar is not among the top ODI batsmen in the world, but no one cares because Fakhar has already done more in his short career than many of the regular Pakistani batsmen. His game is such that he will have off days, or he will have days where he savages the opposition and pretty much guarantee a win. Batsmen like that are what's needed in modern ODIs- don't hate the player, hate the game then.

 

[another drop catch]

I totally agree with you


To all blind fans of Fakhar

If he is failing to score then he should be equally criticised along with seniors
you people even critising Babar for his runrate
then why double standards ? ? ?



Tamim really loves this surface

 

[The_Odd_One]

I am sure none claims that Fakhar is comparable to Warner, De Kock, etc.

 

[King-Misbah]

Give the guy a run. He did not do bad in the ODI series as he got starts; today he was run out. I am sure that he will hit big soon

We need to stop panicking and give our players a chance and some confidence. Chopping and changing after a short period will only dent a talented players confidence.

 

[giri26]

To be really frank, even though Fakhar played very well in Champions trophy, he isn't the long term solution Pakistan are looking for. He will give you some quick runs once in a while but will not be consistent and Pakistan will find themselves one down very early in most of the games especially playing in countries like Australia, South Africa and New Zealand. The next overseas tour for Pakistan probably will tell us more about Fakhar as a long term opener.

 

[QalandarFan]

I totally agree with you


To all blind fans of Fakhar

If he is failing to score then he should be equally criticised along with seniors
you people even critising Babar for his runrate
then why double standards ? ? ?



Tamim really loves this surface

Blind fans of Fakhar? I don't think the Fakhar fans are blind but the people calling for him to be dropped....

When is the last time Hafeez or Babar won you an Global ICC Event. I'm not saying I have anything against the two, in fact I am a huge Babar fan, and no one is calling for him to be dropped. People like Hafeez and Shehzad, yes they are do I agree with that well that doesn't matter for now.

What double standards? How many series has Fakhar failed? 1 right this is the first one, he won us the ICC Champions trophy with consistent scores throughout. The guy has only played 2 series and your comparing him to seniors and other ttfs. If we drop a player who won us the CT after 1 bad tour then how are we going to make new stars? The so called seniors you are talking about have failed in numerous series all around the world. In fact if we look at context Fakhar is already better then all those seniors.

Secondly Fakhar has played ODI's in England and UAE. UAE pitches are generally very slow and low players struggle to get high scores there. We saw him scoring fluently in England where the pitches were great and hint, hint that is where the next WC is. Y'all just calling for his neck after one poor series give the kid some space wait until he has played series in NZ, Aus, etc before making judgements. No wonder we have struggled to make stars in this countries. When your scoring making runs and winning matches your a star but the moment that player goes through a rough patch - he sucks, he is a hack, oh it was just a fluke, oh the fame has got to him. Like sheesh we need to relax and give the guy some time.

 

[another drop catch]

Blind fans of Fakhar? I don't think the Fakhar fans are blind but the people calling for him to be dropped....

When is the last time Hafeez or Babar won you an Global ICC Event. I'm not saying I have anything against the two, in fact I am a huge Babar fan, and no one is calling for him to be dropped. People like Hafeez and Shehzad, yes they are do I agree with that well that doesn't matter for now.

What double standards? How many series has Fakhar failed? 1 right this is the first one, he won us the ICC Champions trophy with consistent scores throughout. The guy has only played 2 series and your comparing him to seniors and other ttfs. If we drop a player who won us the CT after 1 bad tour then how are we going to make new stars? The so called seniors you are talking about have failed in numerous series all around the world. In fact if we look at context Fakhar is already better then all those seniors.

Secondly Fakhar has played ODI's in England and UAE. UAE pitches are generally very slow and low players struggle to get high scores there. We saw him scoring fluently in England where the pitches were great and hint, hint that is where the next WC is. Y'all just calling for his neck after one poor series give the kid some space wait until he has played series in NZ, Aus, etc before making judgements. No wonder we have struggled to make stars in this countries. When your scoring making runs and winning matches your a star but the moment that player goes through a rough patch - he sucks, he is a hack, oh it was just a fluke, oh the fame has got to him. Like sheesh we need to relax and give the guy some time.

wow because he played that innings against india that too after being bowled off noball you will play him for next 10 years for the sake of it
Umar akmal and Ahmed shehzad also have fantastic starts to their career but we all know what happened when we gave them chances after chances
if he is performing praise him no one is stopping you but if he is failing he is deserved to be criticised along with others

 

[Hermoine Green]

Do you have any better options than him right now? If players like Shezzi, Umar Akmal can get hundred matches, they i am sure he can also and he can perform better than those two.

 

[QalandarFan]

wow because he played that innings against india that too after being bowled off noball you will play him for next 10 years for the sake of it
Umar akmal and Ahmed shehzad also have fantastic starts to their career but we all know what happened when we gave them chances after chances
if he is performing praise him no one is stopping you but if he is failing he is deserved to be criticised along with others

Wow it's been 10 years already amazing.

He has played one ODI series since that match and it was the whole CT not just that match. Please read my post before arguing illogically you are speaking hypothetically while I am telling you factual information. It seems like you have some sort of golden ball already allowing you to see that he is never gonna succeed. I already explained everything to you in the first post and you come up with something totally different. What can I say...

 

[QalandarFan]

Do you have any better options than him right now? If players like Shezzi, Umar Akmal can get hundred matches, they i am sure he can also and he can perform better than those two.

Some people are living in a fantasy world, he only had one bad series and he is being compared to Shehzads and Akmals.

 

[proud_pakistani]

Honestly I’m surprised at Fakhar struggling in UAE. I thought these wickets wud suit him. The more time goes by I realize Sharjeel was the real deal. Fakhar is good and hope he turns this slump around tho.

 

[Abdullah]

He will get through this. We owe him a little bit of time

 

[another drop catch]

Wow it's been 10 years already amazing.

He has played one ODI series since that match and it was the whole CT not just that match. Please read my post before arguing illogically you are speaking hypothetically while I am telling you factual information. It seems like you have some sort of golden ball already allowing you to see that he is never gonna succeed. I already explained everything to you in the first post and you come up with something totally different. What can I say...

first you should read my post carefully
I said if he performs he deserves accolades
if he doesn't then he deserves criticism
it is so simple that it can be understand by every cricket fans but not blind fans like you

also if babar is being criticized despite scoring heavily at this young age then why special treatment for Fakhar
you are speaking as if babar ia playing since 10 years

 

[Markhor]

Wonder where are the fans who were calling for Fakhar's inclusion in the Test team ?

His CT performances were terrific yes (albeit with a bit of luck), but that doesn't mean his technical deficiencies have magically disappeared. His bottom hand heavy grip and the way his bat comes down at an angle are examples of these technical issues. He still has a weakness against the short ball.

Bowlers are targeting him by cramping him for room and not allowing him to free his arms. In this series, Sanjaya had the ploy of bowling fuller and towards leg stump. Morne Morkel worked him over in the World XI series on those flat Lahore pitches so the excuse of UAE conditions doesn't wash for me.

Many Pakistani batsmen have shown initial promise only to decline once opponents do their homework. Fakhar's challenge is to adapt and keep working on his game.

 

[CricFan2012]

Fakhar is a hit and miss player but we don't have enough data yet, he can be a hard working guy and actually improve, only time will tell

 

[Rana]

Wonder where are the fans who were calling for Fakhar's inclusion in the Test team ?

His CT performances were terrific yes (albeit with a bit of luck), but that doesn't mean his technical deficiencies have magically disappeared. His bottom hand heavy grip and the way his bat comes down at an angle are examples of these technical issues. He still has a weakness against the short ball.

Bowlers are targeting him by cramping him for room and not allowing him to free his arms. In this series, Sanjaya had the ploy of bowling fuller and towards leg stump. Morne Morkel worked him over in the World XI series on those flat Lahore pitches so the excuse of UAE conditions doesn't wash for me.

Many Pakistani batsmen have shown initial promise only to decline once opponents do their homework. Fakhar's challenge is to adapt and keep working on his game.

I cant believe he is so poor on the leg stump. No doubt he can be very useful on the off-side, but failing to put away bad balls delivered on a leg stump line is criminal for a batsman that opens the innings to give the team a fast start. Fakhar is a start however and definetly a breathe of fresh air considering the hopeless players that were coming in recently .

 

[Prince of Pakistan]

What's new? He always had issues especially against the short ball. It was visible in the PSL as well. But he is the guy we need at the moment.

Mickey might help him with a few issues but being at 28/29 he doesn't have a lot of time to become a world beater. I would still take a Fakhar over a Shezzy anyday. For me he is a 100% starter in T20/ODI till we find a better option.

 

[babajee]

His flaws will be worked on just like Sharjeel’s were. Soon he will come into his own.

He has the mental strength and character. Great attitude as well, hungry for runs

 

[Rana]

I would just like to reiterate, the purpose of this thread was not to call Fakhar Zaman inept. He is most certainly capable to score a double hundred on a flat track during a 50 over game. The purpose of this thread was to just open the eyes of some fans who excuse his poor performances of recent bringing up this false notion that the pitches in UAE do not suit batsmen like him, and one fan also mentioned Sharjeel Khan only having one 50 in the UAE also to support this claim. There is nothing in these pitches that hinder the performance of players similar to Fakhar and Sharjeel, it is more down to their own follies and mistakes that they seem to not do well when clearly they should do well.

 

[jonny darko]

Those dead desert tracks will be the graveyard of pakistan cricket.

 

[Rana]

Those dead desert tracks will be the graveyard of pakistan cricket.

Once again your not understanding the purpose of the post. How did the players mentioned in the first post manage to be so good on these same tracks that you call dead deserts?

 

[Syed1]

Totally agree... Fakhar should be dropped and we should open with Azhar and Shehzad in T20s and Sami Aslam should come one down to see off the new ball.

 

[Rana]

Totally agree... Fakhar should be dropped and we should open with Azhar and Shehzad in T20s and Sami Aslam should come one down to see off the new ball.

Maybe we try Khurram Manzoor whilst we are at it?

 

[jonny darko]

Once again your not understanding the purpose of the post. How did the players mentioned in the first post manage to be so good on these same tracks that you call dead deserts?

Do I have to spell it out for you? These 110-125 T20 tracks/230-250 ODI pitches, where the ball bounces about knee-high fills the pak batters with fake confidence. Watch them struggle when they tour outside UAE and then you will understand.

These dead tracks don't help free-wheeling stroke makers like Fakhar, Babar or shehzad. They only promote big-hitting slogs like Afridi or Abdul Razzaq. These desert sand-pits with no pace whatsoever do not help the graceful elegant batsmen like malik or hafeez. These dusty roads will always hold-back the growth of pak batsmen & their overseas ambition.

 

[jonny darko]

Totally agree... Fakhar should be dropped and we should open with Azhar and Shehzad in T20s and Sami Aslam should come one down to see off the new ball.

ha ha .. nothing outdoes a fitting sarcasm. top kek.

 

[Rana]

Do I have to spell it out for you? These 110-125 T20 tracks/230-250 ODI pitches, where the ball bounces about knee-high fills the pak batters with fake confidence. Watch them struggle when they tour outside UAE and then you will understand.

These dead tracks don't help free-wheeling stroke makers like Fakhar, Babar or shehzad. They only promote big-hitting slogs like Afridi or Abdul Razzaq. These desert sand-pits with no pace whatsoever do not help the graceful elegant batsmen like malik or hafeez. These dusty roads will always hold-back the growth of pak batsmen & their overseas ambition.

You dont have to spell it out for me my friend, this was exactly my argument in the first place, there is no reason for anyone to excuse Fakhar's and Shahzad's poor performances on these tracks.

 

[jonny darko]

You dont have to spell it out for me my friend, this was exactly my argument in the first place, there is no reason for anyone to excuse Fakhar's and Shahzad's poor performances on these tracks.

In their defense, the sri lankan bowlers looked pretty charged up yesterday.

 

[Rana]

In their defense, the sri lankan bowlers looked pretty charged up yesterday.

But they did well as an opening pair yesterday besides that silly run out. Fakhar showed yesterday as opposed to one great critic on PP mentioned that the track has nothing to do with him not performing. The ball comes onto his bat perfectly the way it would anywhere else. Currently, I believe its more down to bad luck and some poor shot selection, also the fact that he misses out on some freebies which are essential to get a batsman going in full flow

 

[QalandarFan]

first you should read my post carefully
I said if he performs he deserves accolades
if he doesn't then he deserves criticism
it is so simple that it can be understand by every cricket fans but not blind fans like you

also if babar is being criticized despite scoring heavily at this young age then why special treatment for Fakhar
you are speaking as if babar ia playing since 10 years

I did read you post carefully and it seems you just don't understand so there is no point arguing with you.

 

[yasir]

Forget about foreigners, Sharjeel was much better in UAE than Fakhir, but he is not available unfortunately. At the same time Pakistan 2.0 needs an aggressive batsman in top spot, if we find somebody in PSL 3, then Fakhir would have competition. We just cannot go back to Misbahism(aka Azhar,Hafeez,Shezad), all the work will be ruined

I am hoping he will do well in NZ, that will tell us where Fakhir is in terms of development. This also will give us clues about the UAE, but we have already seen par score both in ODI and T20 in UAE is 30-60 runs less than most places