The Truth - They Never Fought for Fawad Alam

[unemployedgm]

I wanted to share a list of names who never fought for Fawad Alam. Certainly not publicly. It's about Fawad Alam today because of after more than a decade of injustice Fawad proved what most of us already knew. That despite his crabby and odd technique, Fawad understand the art of scoring runs. This is not only true for Test Cricket, but his ODI/List A, and T20 performance is also of high quality. The only black mark on his career is his inability to hit sixes. Lets remember that Pakistan is one of the worst power teams in world cricket. Please share anyone I missed.

Chief Selectors

1. Iqbal Qasim
2. Mohammad Ilyas
3. Mohsin Khan
4. Moin Khan
5. Inzamam ul Haq
6. Haroon Rashid

Head Coaches

1. Mohsin Khan
2. Waqar Younis
3. Dav Whatmore
4. Micky Arthur

Captains

1. Shahid Afridi
2. Misbah ul Haq
3. Mohammad Yousuf
4. Azhar Ali
5. Mohammad Hafeez
6. Sarfraz Ahmed

Legends and Commentators: Did any legend of Pakistan Cricket or a prominent media personality ever fight for Fawad or other players like him? The answer to this question is no. The likes of Inzamam, Mohammad Yousuf, and Rameez Raja demonized his batting stance. The likes of Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akhtar mostly stayed silent. The only group of people who survive with any repute is the Print Media. The Print Media in Pakistan always asked the question. They deserve some credit.

Chairmans: It's not there job to select players. It is their job to create systems that promote merit and performance. It is their job to hire the right people. Unfortunately, they've failed miserably.

1. Nasim Ashraf
2. Ijaz Butt
3. Zaka Ashraf
4. Najam Sethi
5. Shaharyar Khan
6. Ehsan Mani?

 

[Titan24]

Good post. Yes he was very poorly treated. Its a rare occurrence around the cricketing world that someone with such FC stats (Much superior than his counterparts) couldnt get to play test cricket in his prime.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

Mohammad Wasim - been calling for his selection for years now.

 

[unemployedgm]

Lets not forget that win given the opportunity to play Test, ODI, and T20 Cricket Fawad didn't disappoint. For a player with an awful technique(the argument) he averages 40+ in 38 ODIs. He won matches for Pakistan in ODI Cricket. It's really an absolute disgrace and each and every one of these people need to be asked the question.

 

[unemployedgm]

Mohammad Wasim - been calling for his selection for years now.

This thread doesn't apply to Mohammad Wasim.

 

[KyoOne]

Moin Khan selected him for ODIs in 2014, and Fawad responded by being highest run scorer that year for Pakistan, at an average of 69, SR 83. (though Moin ignored Fawad for Tests)

Shahriyar Khan also supported him somewhat. He was so impressed he publicly said I would like a person of grit like Fawad Alam to be the national captain. However, PCB in those days had two heads - Najam Sethi was running majority of the show and Fawad was instead dropped from the team altogether!

 

[YousafTheBeast]

Why have you mentioned Shahid Afridi, he was the only one that spoke up for Fawad Alam.

https://www.thenews.com.pk/amp/3757...ts-fawad-alams-exclusion-from-australia-tests

 

[unemployedgm]

There is no defense. Despite that average Moin didn't take Fawad to Australia for the 2015 World Cup. It's important to understand who these people are. These people are very arrogant. At the end of the day they only care about themselves and nothing else. They may sound great on television but the heart is hollow when it comes to doing the right thing because no one wants to sacrifice the future opportunity of a high paying job. Quite frankly most of these people are more chalak than intelligent about the game of cricket. They know how to manufacture job opportunities and are savants at surviving in those jobs without performing.

 

[unemployedgm]

Why have you mentioned Shahid Afridi, he was the only one that spoke up for Fawad Alam.

https://www.thenews.com.pk/amp/3757...ts-fawad-alams-exclusion-from-australia-tests

Shahid Afridi was the captain of the Pakistan Team. These people have a huge platform, and if they really cared about anyone other than themselves this wouldn't have happened. That isn't to say that Fawad is the greatest batsman of all time or that he doesn't have flaws. But for a team that is ranked 7th in the world and is devoid of quality batsman. Its an absolute travesty.

 

[Rana]

The fans did fight for him tbh

Not all though. I didn’t.

I’m sorry Fawad.

 

[Tapori]

Fawad Alam's career is symptomatic of everything wrong with society and structures of power but also everything good in the human spirit of determination.

 

[YousafTheBeast]

Shahid Afridi was the captain of the Pakistan Team. These people have a huge platform, and if they really cared about anyone other than themselves this wouldn't have happened. That isn't to say that Fawad is the greatest batsman of all time or that he doesn't have flaws. But for a team that is ranked 7th in the world and is devoid of quality batsman. Its an absolute travesty.

Shahid Afridi was the test captain?

He was only captaining the ODI team around 2010-11, I’m sure Fawad Alam was on that tour to England. Even if he wasn’t, Fawad was never good enough to be a white ball cricketer.

He should’ve had 90+ test caps by now, but he was robbed.

 

[FreePalestine]

Its a fair point overall but no need to shut down people who point out errors in your list.. Shahid Afridi did try to back Fawad Alam and has been a supporter of his.

You have to understand that it was people behind the scenes as well as these people who you rightfully acknowledge who kept him out. People like Shakil Sheikh, for example. Dinosaurs who Wasim Khan got rid of. We also have to think about Wasim Khan’s role in getting these guys out of the PCB hierarchy and probably forcing Misbah to pick Fawad on merit. Misbah clearly set Fawad up to fail by sending him on tours he assumed Fawad would fail in at the ripe old age of 35 so he also has some questions to answer.

Please don’t shout at me about the Fawad tragedy in general in response to this comment. I too have been desperate for him to be picked for the last ten years.

 

[FreePalestine]

Shahid Afridi was the test captain?

He was only captaining the ODI team around 2010-11, I’m sure Fawad Alam was on that tour to England. Even if he wasn’t, Fawad was never good enough to be a white ball cricketer.

He should’ve had 90+ test caps by now, but he was robbed.

No you are not correct on this. Fawad Alam was a very good ODI player and, whether you believe me or not, if he had played the 2011 wc (as he deserved to do) we would not have lost in Mohali. Our team then had an immense problem taking ones and twos with Ahmed Shehzad, Misbah and Hafeez 1.0 in the same side. Fawad, an expert at picking ones and twos, would have been dynamite in the middle order, especially in subcontinent conditions.

 

[Slog]

Many criticisms are made against Fawad Alam’s playing style, technique and game. And if we had equivalent batsmen competing then it would have made sense to not give him the chance. But that was not the case and that’s the shame.

Of all this the most corrupt and negative thing I saw from team management was to not playing him against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh at home but ensured he played in England and New Zealand. When you are bringing someone back after this long you want to give him the best chance to succeed.

 

[YousafTheBeast]

No you are not correct on this. Fawad Alam was a very good ODI player and, whether you believe me or not, if he had played the 2011 wc (as he deserved to do) we would not have lost in Mohali. Our team then had an immense problem taking ones and twos with Ahmed Shehzad, Misbah and Hafeez 1.0 in the same side. Fawad, an expert at picking ones and twos, would have been dynamite in the middle order, especially in subcontinent conditions.

Fawad Alam wouldn’t have made as much of an impact as Shoaib Malik, who should’ve been in the WC squad ahead of the likes of Younis and Misbah.

Maybe he would’ve done well batting in top 4, but he lacked the ability to hit big.

 

[KyoOne]

Shahid Afridi was the test captain?

He was only captaining the ODI team around 2010-11, I’m sure Fawad Alam was on that tour to England. Even if he wasn’t, Fawad was never good enough to be a white ball cricketer.

He should’ve had 90+ test caps by now, but he was robbed.

Afridi also did not push for his selection in tests when he was the darling of PCB for many years.

Fawad was the highest scorer in that ODI tour of England in 2010.

Afridi actually did not object to Fawad (and Yousuf) being dropped for 2011 WC (despite both being in form), and agreed to carry inferior ODI batsmen in Younis, Shafiq, etc.

His game was exactly what Pakistan needed, busy at the crease, frequent rotation of strike, knack of manipulating the field for quick 1's and 2's. He was one of the best anchors in Pakistan for ODIs that time.

In fact the first time Fawad broke into the team in 2007 T20 WC, it was on the back of most impressive domestic T20 performances one could ever imagine, where he top scored, was highest run scorer in semi-final and final, alongside highest wicket-taker as well, and was declared best batsman, bowler and man of the tournament.

It was a pity, though, Malik just played Fawad for two matches in actual T20 WC, and then too he sent him at 8/9 when all Fawad could do was slog.

Fawad has been hard-done by across formats for most of his career. Though it is in tests that his ouster has been the most alarming

 

[cricketAXEpert]

I wanted to share a list of names who never fought for Fawad Alam. Certainly not publicly. It's about Fawad Alam today because of after more than a decade of injustice Fawad proved what most of us already knew. That despite his crabby and odd technique, Fawad understand the art of scoring runs. This is not only true for Test Cricket, but his ODI/List A, and T20 performance is also of high quality. The only black mark on his career is his inability to hit sixes. Lets remember that Pakistan is one of the worst power teams in world cricket. Please share anyone I missed.

Chief Selectors

1. Iqbal Qasim
2. Mohammad Ilyas
3. Mohsin Khan
4. Moin Khan
5. Inzamam ul Haq
6. Haroon Rashid

Head Coaches

1. Mohsin Khan
2. Waqar Younis
3. Dav Whatmore
4. Micky Arthur

Captains

1. Shahid Afridi
2. Misbah ul Haq
3. Mohammad Yousuf
4. Azhar Ali
5. Mohammad Hafeez
6. Sarfraz Ahmed

Legends and Commentators: Did any legend of Pakistan Cricket or a prominent media personality ever fight for Fawad or other players like him? The answer to this question is no. The likes of Inzamam, Mohammad Yousuf, and Rameez Raja demonized his batting stance. The likes of Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akhtar mostly stayed silent. The only group of people who survive with any repute is the Print Media. The Print Media in Pakistan always asked the question. They deserve some credit.

Chairmans: It's not there job to select players. It is their job to create systems that promote merit and performance. It is their job to hire the right people. Unfortunately, they've failed miserably.

1. Nasim Ashraf
2. Ijaz Butt
3. Zaka Ashraf
4. Najam Sethi
5. Shaharyar Khan
6. Ehsan Mani?

Imagine, if Fawad Alam was given the chances Asad Shafiq was given. I Blame Misbah for making Asad Shafiq an automatic selection, when clearly Fawad Alam was the Superior Batsman. Fawad Could been Pakistan's Chanderpaul. Because the Test position was permanently fixed for Asad. Fawad was rejected for T20 & odi s as if a test player has to prove himself in T20s first.
Sadly we are making the same mistake again in form of Shan Masood. Shan is a Hard worker he can play a big innings once in blue moon. But he is not good enough. Imam Ul Haq has far more potential if not Imam we need to keep looking not make Shan the next Asad Shafiq.

 

[Colorblind Genius]

I wanted to share a list of names who never fought for Fawad Alam. Certainly not publicly. It's about Fawad Alam today because of after more than a decade of injustice Fawad proved what most of us already knew. That despite his crabby and odd technique, Fawad understand the art of scoring runs. This is not only true for Test Cricket, but his ODI/List A, and T20 performance is also of high quality. The only black mark on his career is his inability to hit sixes. Lets remember that Pakistan is one of the worst power teams in world cricket. Please share anyone I missed.

Chief Selectors

1. Iqbal Qasim
2. Mohammad Ilyas
3. Mohsin Khan
4. Moin Khan
5. Inzamam ul Haq
6. Haroon Rashid

Head Coaches

1. Mohsin Khan
2. Waqar Younis
3. Dav Whatmore
4. Micky Arthur

Captains

1. Shahid Afridi
2. Misbah ul Haq
3. Mohammad Yousuf
4. Azhar Ali
5. Mohammad Hafeez
6. Sarfraz Ahmed

Legends and Commentators: Did any legend of Pakistan Cricket or a prominent media personality ever fight for Fawad or other players like him? The answer to this question is no. The likes of Inzamam, Mohammad Yousuf, and Rameez Raja demonized his batting stance. The likes of Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akhtar mostly stayed silent. The only group of people who survive with any repute is the Print Media. The Print Media in Pakistan always asked the question. They deserve some credit.

Chairmans: It's not there job to select players. It is their job to create systems that promote merit and performance. It is their job to hire the right people. Unfortunately, they've failed miserably.

1. Nasim Ashraf
2. Ijaz Butt
3. Zaka Ashraf
4. Najam Sethi
5. Shaharyar Khan
6. Ehsan Mani?

And don’t forget that there is hardly any credit that goes to current administration. Don’t be fooled in thinking that the current selectors and admins were wise and smart enough to send him a recall.

There was an astronomical amount of public pressure that crumbled Misbah and he was forced to select him, otherwise, life would’ve gone on as normal.

 

[Slog]

And don’t forget that there is hardly any credit that goes to current administration. Don’t be fooled in thinking that the current selectors and admins were wise and smart enough to send him a recall.

There was an astronomical amount of public pressure that crumbled Misbah and he was forced to select him, otherwise, life would’ve gone on as normal.

And even then they held out for as long as they could to not give him a game. But the alternatives kept performing poorly in the home SL and Bangladesh tests that the management decided to play him in the tougher away tests

 

[FreePalestine]

Fawad Alam wouldn’t have made as much of an impact as Shoaib Malik, who should’ve been in the WC squad ahead of the likes of Younis and Misbah.

Maybe he would’ve done well batting in top 4, but he lacked the ability to hit big.

No this is not correct. Look up Shoaib Malik’s record in world cups.... Look up Fawad Alam’s ODI and List A stats. 2011 was not the same as 2020. It was a different kind of cricket and you needed accumulators in the middle order. Look up average team totals in 2011.

 

[KyoOne]

Fawad Alam wouldn’t have made as much of an impact as Shoaib Malik, who should’ve been in the WC squad ahead of the likes of Younis and Misbah.

Maybe he would’ve done well batting in top 4, but he lacked the ability to hit big.

Malik was a nothing batsman between 2009-2014. He averaged around 15 with SR below 70.

Fawad would have been an ideal Middle-order batsman for Pakistan for much of 2011-2016, a busy player at the crease who would rotate the strike frequently. His fielding and bowling were only plus

 

[Mainul]

I had to come out of retirement from Pakpassion today (perhaps this was my first post in last 1 year) just to post few words on Fawad Alam ,my most favourite of all current batsmen in last 1 decade. Let's not forget about his own countrymen ,the Pakistani fans who didn't realize his value. A few years ago I was so vibrant on Fawad injustice here in PP that someone very famous here (got a lot of POTW here) just got annoyed and posted a comment " stop your Fawad fetish, he is not fit for international cricket". But I continued posting on and on just to demand the inclusion of Fawad in Pakistan team as Fawad was on top of his game at that time. But with time I realized that Misbah was in power and he along with the Pak management at that time just won't let Fawad (still don't know why) in. I just stopped. After a long long time it is just amazing to see Fawad again, thanks to the Almighty. He is not at his peak, still he is better than others to rely upon to save a test match for Pakistan in New Zealand. MashaAllah Fawad ,you are a real gem and I wasn't wrong about you. Pakistan is the real looser, they missed the golden service of a wonderful player.

 

[Titan24]

Fawad Alam's career is symptomatic of everything wrong with society and structures of power but also everything good in the human spirit of determination.

Well put.

 

[Mamoon]

Fawad was rightly dropped from ODIs and he has only himself to blame.

His shocking performance against Australia in UAE in 2014 showed how helpless he is against smart bowling and smart captaincy.

His 20* (39) with 1 boundary in the first ODI in the death overs was beyond embarrassing. They kept bowling on his pads and he kept catching thin air.

Even a number 11 will do better than score 20 not out in 39 balls with one four if he ends up not out in the death overs.

That innings alone summed up how he is terribly unfit to play ODI cricket in this era. He would have been very ODI player in the 90s and 2000s.

Right after the 2015 World Cup with Misbah and Younis gone, he got another chance against Bangladesh and failed miserably in all three games. That paved the way for Malik to return to the ODI team and Fawad rightfully never got another chance.

 

[Titan24]

For a player with an awful technique(the argument)

This has been a pretty poor argument from the people in charge. Irrespective of his initial stance and movement, he gets in a stable position while playing the ball. Aside from that you cant score 35 100s in FC cricket and 100 as opener on debut if you dont know batsmanship. Even if someone wants to still question his technique or style of play he needs to understand cricket is much more than technique as temperament, attitude etc are few of the key aspects required for success in international cricket.

 

[Noman]

I had to come out of retirement from Pakpassion today (perhaps this was my first post in last 1 year) just to post few words on Fawad Alam ,my most favourite of all current batsmen in last 1 decade. Let's not forget about his own countrymen ,the Pakistani fans who didn't realize his value. A few years ago I was so vibrant on Fawad injustice here in PP that someone very famous here (got a lot of POTW here) just got annoyed and posted a comment " stop your Fawad fetish, he is not fit for international cricket". But I continued posting on and on just to demand the inclusion of Fawad in Pakistan team as Fawad was on top of his game at that time. But with time I realized that Misbah was in power and he along with the Pak management at that time just won't let Fawad (still don't know why) in. I just stopped. After a long long time it is just amazing to see Fawad again, thanks to the Almighty. He is not at his peak, still he is better than others to rely upon to save a test match for Pakistan in New Zealand. MashaAllah Fawad ,you are a real gem and I wasn't wrong about you. Pakistan is the real looser, they missed the golden service of a wonderful player.

We really needed Fawad kind of batsman in Uae and when playing basis cup. I as a cricket lover always believed in Fawad because stats showed that he is runs maker and his fitness always good. I really hope Fawad gets 2-3 left of cricket he really deserve it

 

[Colorblind Genius]

Fawad was rightly dropped from ODIs and he has only himself to blame.

His shocking performance against Australia in UAE in 2014 showed how helpless he is against smart bowling and smart captaincy.

His 20* (39) with 1 boundary in the first ODI in the death overs was beyond embarrassing. They kept bowling on his pads and he kept catching thin air.

Even a number 11 will do better than score 20 not out in 39 balls with one four if he ends up not out in the death overs.

That innings alone summed up how he is terribly unfit to play ODI cricket in this era. He would have been very ODI player in the 90s and 2000s.

Right after the 2015 World Cup with Misbah and Younis gone, he got another chance against Bangladesh and failed miserably in all three games. That paved the way for Malik to return to the ODI team and Fawad rightfully never got another chance.

If I could vaguely remember, there was a word of Fawad having some serious discipline issues that time, and it played a major role behind his axing.

If true, then it's more of a man-management skill that we desis inherently lack. Things are taken personally instead of being dealt professional and you get into the wrong books of the heinous admins who are full of vengeance.

But I agree, he was totally a deer caught in the headlights... no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't clear the 30 yard circle.

 

[Mamoon]

If I could vaguely remember, there was a word of Fawad having some serious discipline issues that time, and it played a major role behind his axing.

If true, then it's more of a man-management skill that we desis inherently lack. Things are taken personally instead of being dealt professional and you get into the wrong books of the heinous admins who are full of vengeance.

But I agree, he was totally a deer caught in the headlights... no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't clear the 30 yard circle.

I don’t remember that, and he doesn’t seem like someone who will have disciplinary issues. Nevertheless, he fully deserved to be dropped based on performance.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Fawad was rightly dropped from ODIs and he has only himself to blame.

His shocking performance against Australia in UAE in 2014 showed how helpless he is against smart bowling and smart captaincy.

His 20* (39) with 1 boundary in the first ODI in the death overs was beyond embarrassing. They kept bowling on his pads and he kept catching thin air.

Even a number 11 will do better than score 20 not out in 39 balls with one four if he ends up not out in the death overs.

That innings alone summed up how he is terribly unfit to play ODI cricket in this era. He would have been very ODI player in the 90s and 2000s.

Right after the 2015 World Cup with Misbah and Younis gone, he got another chance against Bangladesh and failed miserably in all three games. That paved the way for Malik to return to the ODI team and Fawad rightfully never got another chance.

If you are going to write off a batsman on the basis of a few outings over 15 years then really no one should be playing for Pakistan. Or probably any other country.

 

[Shoaibbtt]

If I could vaguely remember, there was a word of Fawad having some serious discipline issues that time, and it played a major role behind his axing.

If true, then it's more of a man-management skill that we desis inherently lack. Things are taken personally instead of being dealt professional and you get into the wrong books of the heinous admins who are full of vengeance.

But I agree, he was totally a deer caught in the headlights... no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't clear the 30 yard circle.

They tried to lie about him all the time saying oh it's his beard (for a laugh), he was involved in match fixing etc. Fact is it was them trying to throw him aside.

 

[Mamoon]

If you are going to write off a batsman on the basis of a few outings over 15 years then really no one should be playing for Pakistan. Or probably any other country.

Some performances are unforgivable.

What Fawad did, or rather what happened to Fawad in the first ODI against Australia in 2014 was worthy of a career-ending performance.

It cannot be brushed aside as just one bad performance. It was almost criminal stuff.

That should have been the last ODI of his career, but he got an additional 5 ODIs undeservingly and fluffed all 5 chances.

 

[Shoaibbtt]

I have been pretty active on PP and have said he deserves selection and said he's your best no. 5 batsman in test cricket.

The non-selection of him was incompetent and i have no doubt he would've had 10,000 runs as well by now had he been selected 10 years ago, he's been robbed of a career but anyways i think we can get a good 5 years out of him. The main thing is is fitness and maintaining that, i was absolutely flooding with tears when he scored that 100 because it was 10 years of anguish keeping this guy out.

Sometimes you have to realise a player's potential and see where he fits best.

The fact is we must have patience as fans and management, and allow someone to get back in comfortably, these were in no way easy tours for Fawad and he was setup i feel to be railroaded again.

The selection of a player is in no way hard, i mean what do you do all day as a selector?

All it is is you gotta:

-look at stats
-form a spreadsheet
-talk to local coaches on Zoom/Skype
-make notes
-watch the odd domestic games

 

[Shoaibbtt]

Some performances are unforgivable.

What Fawad did, or rather what happened to Fawad in the first ODI against Australia in 2014 was worthy of a career-ending performance.

It cannot be brushed aside as just one bad performance. It was almost criminal stuff.

That should have been the last ODI of his career, but he got an additional 5 ODIs undeservingly and fluffed all 5 chances.

I reckon they played him too far down the order but at the same time they didn't realise his test potential and that's what is criminal.

 

[unemployedgm]

Fawad Alam wouldn’t have made as much of an impact as Shoaib Malik, who should’ve been in the WC squad ahead of the likes of Younis and Misbah.

Maybe he would’ve done well batting in top 4, but he lacked the ability to hit big.

Is Shoaib Malik a big hitter?

 

[Last Monetarist]

Some things just aren't meant to be. There's no point wallowing in regret.

Fawad Alam's career is a metaphor for life. He is fortunate that he at least got a (late) chance to redeem things a bit, however fleeting it proves to be.

 

[unemployedgm]

Some performances are unforgivable.

What Fawad did, or rather what happened to Fawad in the first ODI against Australia in 2014 was worthy of a career-ending performance.

It cannot be brushed aside as just one bad performance. It was almost criminal stuff.

That should have been the last ODI of his career, but he got an additional 5 ODIs undeservingly and fluffed all 5 chances.

Thank God Your Not a Selector!!! But you would fit right in with those that have been at the helm.

 

[unemployedgm]

Some things just aren't meant to be. There's no point wallowing in regret.

Fawad Alam's career is a metaphor for life. He is fortunate that he at least got a (late) chance to redeem things a bit, however fleeting it proves to be.

It's not necessarily about Fawad. It's about the people who have made decisions in the past and will likely have the opportunity to make them in the future. Someone like Moin Khan may return in some role in the PCB. Misbah and Waqar have run Pakistan Cricket in some capacity over the last 10 years. These people aren't going away and neither are there mindsets. If the Board is not going to hold them accountable then the media and the fans have to.

 

[Colorblind Genius]

And even then they held out for as long as they could to not give him a game. But the alternatives kept performing poorly in the home SL and Bangladesh tests that the management decided to play him in the tougher away tests

coming to think of it, it now seems to be an indication that was Fawad was purposely set up for failure. You are right, they didn't give him a game in the home series but gladly sent him over in the tough away series.

 

[unemployedgm]

We really needed Fawad kind of batsman in Uae and when playing basis cup. I as a cricket lover always believed in Fawad because stats showed that he is runs maker and his fitness always good. I really hope Fawad gets 2-3 left of cricket he really deserve it

We really need a Fawad type batsman in the UAE. He just scored a 100 in New Zealand under pressure against a good attack. He's already done more away from home than Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik did in their entire careers. Both of whom have played 400 matches.

 

[Last Monetarist]

It's not necessarily about Fawad. It's about the people who have made decisions in the past and will likely have the opportunity to make them in the future. Someone like Moin Khan may return in some role in the PCB. Misbah and Waqar have run Pakistan Cricket in some capacity over the last 10 years. These people aren't going away and neither are there mindsets. If the Board is not going to hold them accountable then the media and the fans have to.

You overestimate the influence of the media and the fans, which is perhaps a good thing considering that so many of us are utterly clueless about the modern game, while the media is full of charlatans with their own hidden interests.

If the board and those presiding over it are silly enough to keep employing incompetent folks, then the system will never evolve.

 

[unemployedgm]

Imagine, if Fawad Alam was given the chances Asad Shafiq was given. I Blame Misbah for making Asad Shafiq an automatic selection, when clearly Fawad Alam was the Superior Batsman. Fawad Could been Pakistan's Chanderpaul. Because the Test position was permanently fixed for Asad. Fawad was rejected for T20 & odi s as if a test player has to prove himself in T20s first.
Sadly we are making the same mistake again in form of Shan Masood. Shan is a Hard worker he can play a big innings once in blue moon. But he is not good enough. Imam Ul Haq has far more potential if not Imam we need to keep looking not make Shan the next Asad Shafiq.

It's not Fawad vs Asad Shafiq. These are the players who made debuts after Fawad.

1. Azhar Ali
2. Umar Amin
3. Asad Shafiq
4. Mohammad Ayub
5. Shan Masood
6. Ahmed Shehzad
7. Sami Aslam
8. Babar Azam
9. Iftikhar Ahmed
10. Sharjeel Khan
11. Haris Sohail
12. Imam ul Haq
13. Usman Salahuddin
14. Fakhar Zaman
15. Abid Ali

In ODIs
1. Nasir Jamshed
2. Khalid Latif
3. Khurram Manzoor
4. Naumanullah
5. Ahmed Shehzad
6. Umar Akmal
7. Shahzaib Hasan
8. Umar Amin
9. Asad Shafiq
10. Usman Salahuddin
11. Azhar Ali
12. Haris Sohail
13. Sohaib Maqsood
14. Sharjeel Khan
15. Sami Aslam
16. Babar Azam
17. Iftikhar Ahmed
18. Fakhar Zaman
19. Imam ul Haq
20. Asif Ali
21. Hussain Talat
22. Shan Masood
23. Abid Ali
24. Saad Ali
25. Haider Ali
26. Khushdil Shah

 

[unemployedgm]

You overestimate the influence of the media and the fans, which is perhaps a good thing considering that so many of us are utterly clueless about the modern game, while the media is full of charlatans with their own hidden interests.

If the board and those presiding over it are silly enough to keep employing incompetent folks, then the system will never evolve.

I don't think so. The Media and the Fans can't make decisions. But apart from his own performances, the only reason people are talking about Fawad and not Akbar ur Rehman is because of the fans and the media.

 

[Corridor of Uncertainty]

While I don't think Fawad was ever going to be a solution to Pakistan's problems, the injustice against him has been huge.

Good on him to play an innings that will get him to stay in the team for a few matches at least.

 

[ethan hunt]

Asad shafiq conned his way to a test career.
Fawad at the time was easily a much tougher character and batsman.
The kind of gritty, street smart batsman you expect from karachi unlike Shafiq.

 

[burger_uno]

Question is how many fawad alams are out there?

i certainly feel that other spinners are not being identified and groomed in order to protect yasir shah whose best days are behind him and who put a shameful performance with the bat in this match despite being a senior member of the team. despite having a horrendous odi record in england, yasir shah was selected as a spin option for the pre-2019 WC series in england where he was duly hammered. an alternative may or may not have performed but hard to imagine anyone doing worse than yasir shah in that series. and imagine the upside for pak cricket if the alternate had delivered.

Iftikhar is another nuisance. he played like a complete clown in his debut match in oval 2016 but he still hangs around despite his once in a blue moon performance. i also feel there was some upside to sami aslam. my suspicion is that he was dropped because he was a direct competitor to inzimam's bhanga - inam-ul-haq. this is not to say inam is not worthy of a spot. but sami aslam should have been persisted with. he had shown decent application in the 2016 england series where he ate up a lot of balls in challenging conditions with good quality bowlers who made warner look like a novice in the last ashes. opening the batting is one of the hardest tasks in world cricket and there is no shame if the player has to go back to domestic to iron out some weakness or technical flaw. shan masood looked like a complete hack in the 2016 england series and yet he is back with a much better technique. jury is out on whether he can deliver on a consistent basis but he has put in the yards and deserved a call back. sami aslam should have been told to go on the same path. clearly someone wanted him out hence his frustration.

i had high expectations from misbah given his own bad experience and the role he played in resurrecting pak cricket in the aftermath of amir/asif scandal. but so far, t has been more of the same. selection of iftikhar and not identifying and grooming a backup to yasir is unforgiveable in my view. misbah may be riding high but sooner or later he will have to deliver. inzimam would still have been the chief selector had he performed his duty with acumen and full honesty. no one could have removed inzimam or even sarfraz if they had delivered in the world cup where they came very close and were the form team had they made the semis. but unfortunately there are no ifs and buts and misbah will likely go the same route if performance does not improve. this would be shame given misbah's contribution to pak cricket but we can either have sentiment or we can have success.

 

[hur rizvi]

Those bringing up his ODI performance and don't talk about the injustice done to him wrt test selection are hypocrites of the highest degree.

He was found out in ODIs because he couldnt hit a boundaries against pace. That does not justify him not getting even a 3 match run over last ten years in the format where he was the most proficient batsman in Pakistan history


Only steve smith and Vihari average more than him in First class. And he has a huge sample set

 

[Markhor]

I'm conflicted on how to feel - rejoice at this comeback story or fury at the years of rejection despite doing everything asked of him.

He scored bucketloads of runs, kept himself fit and never a hint of indiscipline. Yet favoured sons and blue eyed boys, supposedly possessing flawless techniques or those with that damned, overabused word in Pakistan, "talent", received chance after chance despite multiple misdemeanours or repeated failures.

It seems fitting that Azhar Ali mustered a miserable total of 43 runs, missing once again when the team needed an experienced hand. That Asad Shafiq is not even on the trip. Both the golden boys of the Pakistan cricket establishment and of Misbah whose careers were needlessly extended while Fawad's peak was wasted.

This century was a slap in the face of that establishment, a slap on selection policies of personal liking and disliking, regionalism and favouritism.

 

[Markhor]

Those bringing up his ODI performance and don't talk about the injustice done to him wrt test selection are hypocrites of the highest degree.

He was found out in ODIs because he couldnt hit a boundaries against pace. That does not justify him not getting even a 3 match run over last ten years in the format where he was the most proficient batsman in Pakistan history


Only steve smith and Vihari average more than him in First class. And he has a huge sample set

It's crazy to drop a player in Tests based on failings in ODIs or T20s. What's worse is when Fawad was brought back, it was setting him up to fail with his first two series in ENG and NZL when he should've been playing all those UAE Tests.

I doubt we would've lost to Sri Lanka and New Zealand in UAE had Fawad batted at 5 given his spin playing ability.

 

[hur rizvi]

It's crazy to drop a player in Tests based on failings in ODIs or T20s. What's worse is when Fawad was brought back, it was setting him up to fail with his first two series in ENG and NZL when he should've been playing all those UAE Tests.

I doubt we would've lost to Sri Lanka and New Zealand in UAE had Fawad batted at 5 given his spin playing ability.

Him not playing after MIS|YOU retirement was crazy. Mickey arthur doesnt know it but that is one of the main reasons that acctually cost mickey to lose UAE dominance in my opinion

 

[Hasan123]

There was a time where Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq were struggling. Yet Pakistan management stuck with them. He definitely deserved a chance during the last 10 years.

 

[ads101]

It's because these guys want to justify their roles, showing they have an eye for talent. Fawad is an opportunity to showcase their skills, to determine he's not good enough despite his record.

In reality, it's rather simple. The best will perform in domestic. Even if domestic is bad, how bad must the cricketers be who can not even perform at that if standard is low? The vast majority of international cricketers average less or similar in domestic than they do internationals. Yet we keep picking these guys who don't even have good domestic averages because they are talented and think they will somehow overperform in internationals when they couldn't hack it in domestic.

Fawad in the test arena was perhaps the only one in Pak domestic who actually commanded an average that deserved a international call up. The rest really have ok/sub-par records, hence no surprise they are bad/average at internationals. Our last good test bats in YK and Misbah also averaged around 50 in domestic, and the latter was made to wait for extended chances in tests too (but not as bad as fawad).

The guys like Usman Salahuddin, Saud Shakeel, Saad Ali, i.e. the guys with the best averages in domestic over years are also being ignored/not given extended chances. Though they have just mid/high 40 averages which are kind of low compared to Fawad, but they're the best performers we have in domestic right now. But really it's the same thing happening to them like Fawad. Yet again just ignored and not given chances, while we give instead to mediocre record cricketers or guys that had just one or two good seasons amongst the bad. All in the name of identifying talent. We pick players expecting them to be consistent and mount up the runs which they have never done in domestic in the first place.

 

[Ahson8]

Fawad was rightly dropped from ODIs and he has only himself to blame.

His shocking performance against Australia in UAE in 2014 showed how helpless he is against smart bowling and smart captaincy.

His 20* (39) with 1 boundary in the first ODI in the death overs was beyond embarrassing. They kept bowling on his pads and he kept catching thin air.

Even a number 11 will do better than score 20 not out in 39 balls with one four if he ends up not out in the death overs.

That innings alone summed up how he is terribly unfit to play ODI cricket in this era. He would have been very ODI player in the 90s and 2000s.

Right after the 2015 World Cup with Misbah and Younis gone, he got another chance against Bangladesh and failed miserably in all three games. That paved the way for Malik to return to the ODI team and Fawad rightfully never got another chance.

1) Afer the AUS series, he was dropped for Younis, a far inferior player in ODIs

2) It was one bad AUS series, he was coming off the back of a phenomenal Asia Cup, as well as a match winning partnership with Sohaib Maqsood in a bilateral series vs Sri Lanka

3) In the Bangladesh series that followed, Fawad was played at #6. Not his batting position.

Try harder.

 

[from_da_lost_dim3nsion]

Many criticisms are made against Fawad Alam’s playing style, technique and game. And if we had equivalent batsmen competing then it would have made sense to not give him the chance. But that was not the case and that’s the shame.

Of all this the most corrupt and negative thing I saw from team management was to not playing him against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh at home but ensured he played in England and New Zealand. When you are bringing someone back after this long you want to give him the best chance to succeed.

Yeah , was definitely setup to fail by Misbae ! . I like Misbae and his understanding of test cricket(in UAE conditions) but he seems to think that he is a know it all .

 

[coy0607]

Lets not forget that win given the opportunity to play Test, ODI, and T20 Cricket Fawad didn't disappoint. For a player with an awful technique(the argument) he averages 40+ in 38 ODIs. He won matches for Pakistan in ODI Cricket. It's really an absolute disgrace and each and every one of these people need to be asked the question.

The ODI story is really weird. Fawad played 38 ODIs; over a 8 year period, under 6 different captains, split across 7 different batting positions.

He was basically set up to fail, and still managed to average 40+

 

[Flat_Track_Bully]

Hopefully he has a 3 year purple patch.

 

[waleed88]

I wanted to share a list of names who never fought for Fawad Alam. Certainly not publicly. It's about Fawad Alam today because of after more than a decade of injustice Fawad proved what most of us already knew. That despite his crabby and odd technique, Fawad understand the art of scoring runs. This is not only true for Test Cricket, but his ODI/List A, and T20 performance is also of high quality. The only black mark on his career is his inability to hit sixes. Lets remember that Pakistan is one of the worst power teams in world cricket. Please share anyone I missed.

Chief Selectors

1. Iqbal Qasim
2. Mohammad Ilyas
3. Mohsin Khan
4. Moin Khan
5. Inzamam ul Haq
6. Haroon Rashid

Head Coaches

1. Mohsin Khan
2. Waqar Younis
3. Dav Whatmore
4. Micky Arthur

Captains

1. Shahid Afridi
2. Misbah ul Haq
3. Mohammad Yousuf
4. Azhar Ali
5. Mohammad Hafeez
6. Sarfraz Ahmed

Legends and Commentators: Did any legend of Pakistan Cricket or a prominent media personality ever fight for Fawad or other players like him? The answer to this question is no. The likes of Inzamam, Mohammad Yousuf, and Rameez Raja demonized his batting stance. The likes of Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akhtar mostly stayed silent. The only group of people who survive with any repute is the Print Media. The Print Media in Pakistan always asked the question. They deserve some credit.

Chairmans: It's not there job to select players. It is their job to create systems that promote merit and performance. It is their job to hire the right people. Unfortunately, they've failed miserably.

1. Nasim Ashraf
2. Ijaz Butt
3. Zaka Ashraf
4. Najam Sethi
5. Shaharyar Khan
6. Ehsan Mani?

Younis Khan should be in these names as well. Even though he has been a big fan of him he was an elder statesmen of the team and could've gone out on a limb for him to be included in the squad atleast. Regardless of how good Shafiq was performing.

 

[waleed88]

Some performances are unforgivable.

What Fawad did, or rather what happened to Fawad in the first ODI against Australia in 2014 was worthy of a career-ending performance.

It cannot be brushed aside as just one bad performance. It was almost criminal stuff.

That should have been the last ODI of his career, but he got an additional 5 ODIs undeservingly and fluffed all 5 chances.

Forgetting from where it started. First he helped chase a mammoth 326 against Bangladesh in ODIs. He was also the centurion against Srilanka in the final of the Asia cup 2014. He was dropped not because of that slow innings, its because the team already had an accumulator in Misbah and needed Akmal and Maqsood parchi.

 

[waleed88]

And don't even get me started on 'the knock wasn't fast enough' by Fawad in 2014. Babar Azam has played many a knocks like these with a SR of 85. And is still the poster boy of the team. In combination with a Misbah 50 with a SR of 65.

 

[Kaddy]

It's not Fawad vs Asad Shafiq. These are the players who made debuts after Fawad.

1. Azhar Ali
2. Umar Amin
3. Asad Shafiq
4. Mohammad Ayub
5. Shan Masood
6. Ahmed Shehzad
7. Sami Aslam
8. Babar Azam
9. Iftikhar Ahmed
10. Sharjeel Khan
11. Haris Sohail
12. Imam ul Haq
13. Usman Salahuddin
14. Fakhar Zaman
15. Abid Ali

In ODIs
1. Nasir Jamshed
2. Khalid Latif
3. Khurram Manzoor
4. Naumanullah
5. Ahmed Shehzad
6. Umar Akmal
7. Shahzaib Hasan
8. Umar Amin
9. Asad Shafiq
10. Usman Salahuddin
11. Azhar Ali
12. Haris Sohail
13. Sohaib Maqsood
14. Sharjeel Khan
15. Sami Aslam
16. Babar Azam
17. Iftikhar Ahmed
18. Fakhar Zaman
19. Imam ul Haq
20. Asif Ali
21. Hussain Talat
22. Shan Masood
23. Abid Ali
24. Saad Ali
25. Haider Ali
26. Khushdil Shah

I will strictly talk about test cricket.

IMO, actually it was Fawad Alam vs Asad Shafiq.

Kindly double check the names you have mentioned, most of the players are openers and although Fawad scored a century in Sri Lanka as an opener, he was basically a middle order batman. It would have been a great injustice had he failed and lost his place as an opener especially in SENA.

Whereas the middle order batsmen you have mentioned, hardly played few test matches.

Ayub dogar was given only 1 test, Umar Amin played 4 (all in 2010) Usman Salahuddin only 1 test and ifti Chachu 1 in 2016 (total 3 matches).

From late 2010 to 2017 ( Fawad Alam's peak time) Pakistan's middle order was mainly.
4. Younis
5. Misbah
6. Asad Shafiq

You definitely can't drop Younis for Fawad so it was either Misbah or Asad and though I was not a big fan of Misbah we must admit that he was much superior to Asad as a test batsman (except in Australia & SA). So, I believe it was Asad Shafiq who was holding Fawad's test spot.

After 2017 he could/should have been given a chance but Mickey, Sarfraz & Inzi didn't have faith in him.

 

[ShoaibM]

And don’t forget that there is hardly any credit that goes to current administration. Don’t be fooled in thinking that the current selectors and admins were wise and smart enough to send him a recall.

There was an astronomical amount of public pressure that crumbled Misbah and he was forced to select him, otherwise, life would’ve gone on as normal.

This is unfair. We should give credit where due.

 

[waleed88]

This is unfair. We should give credit where due.

I disagree. Seemed like a desperation inclusion after Asad Shafiq declined at a rate of knots. This is only his 3rd test match. And they probably thought they were gonna give him these 2 test matches, and if he fails discard him for good. I'm not buying into this, they did something similar with Sarfaraz, played him as an opener expecting him to fail so that he could be discarded for good.

This is the same wise administration, that brought Azhar Ali out of ODI banishment and made him captain for a year after the 2015 World cup, only for Sarfaraz to eventually take the reigns in 2016, which he should've after 2015 world cup.

 

[ShoaibM]

I disagree. Seemed like a desperation inclusion after Asad Shafiq declined at a rate of knots. This is only his 3rd test match. And they probably thought they were gonna give him these 2 test matches, and if he fails discard him for good. I'm not buying into this, they did something similar with Sarfaraz, played him as an opener expecting him to fail so that he could be discarded for good.

This is the same wise administration, that brought Azhar Ali out of ODI banishment and made him captain for a year after the 2015 World cup, only for Sarfaraz to eventually take the reigns in 2016, which he should've after 2015 world cup.

Misbah did that? He only became coach/selector in 2019 how did he make Azhar captain in 2015?

Not all their decisions are perfect but Sarfaraz, Rizwan and Fawad are 3 good calls in a row. Could be flukes? Maybe but I think they deserve credit for taking their time (since 2019) and making 3 correct calls. Time will tell.

 

[waleed88]

Misbah did that? He only became coach/selector in 2019 how did he make Azhar captain in 2015?

Not all their decisions are perfect but Sarfaraz, Rizwan and Fawad are 3 good calls in a row. Could be flukes? Maybe but I think they deserve credit for taking their time (since 2019) and making 3 correct calls. Time will tell.

The Misbah Waqar regime continued until 2016 when Mickey Arthur took over. Waqar was Head coach in the 2015 world cup after he took over sometime in 2014. I think there was a committee that decided that Azhar Ali was supposed to be captain, after Shehzad and Akmal both had red flags, and lacked the performance. The only player that had somewhat of a positive light after the 2015 worldcup were Wahab Riaz and Sarfaraz.

 

[zacattakk]

Misbah did that? He only became coach/selector in 2019 how did he make Azhar captain in 2015?

Not all their decisions are perfect but Sarfaraz, Rizwan and Fawad are 3 good calls in a row. Could be flukes? Maybe but I think they deserve credit for taking their time (since 2019) and making 3 correct calls. Time will tell.

Yes Misbah had a big role in pushing for Azhar as ODI captain.

 

[ShoaibM]

The Misbah Waqar regime continued until 2016 when Mickey Arthur took over. Waqar was Head coach in the 2015 world cup after he took over sometime in 2014. I think there was a committee that decided that Azhar Ali was supposed to be captain, after Shehzad and Akmal both had red flags, and lacked the performance. The only player that had somewhat of a positive light after the 2015 worldcup were Wahab Riaz and Sarfaraz.

I wouldnt put that on Misbah he was just a player this may have been Waqar's call. Really glad he isnt head coach anymore. Waqar has always had a soft spot for Azhar. I wonder if there are some family connections or some other sort of connection. Anyway, thats behind us now I think we should look forward. But I do feel its unfair to put this on Misbah he was not in a decision making position. Anyway...

 

[Mamoon]

1) Afer the AUS series, he was dropped for Younis, a far inferior player in ODIs

2) It was one bad AUS series, he was coming off the back of a phenomenal Asia Cup, as well as a match winning partnership with Sohaib Maqsood in a bilateral series vs Sri Lanka

3) In the Bangladesh series that followed, Fawad was played at #6. Not his batting position.

Try harder.

When you score 20* (39) in the death overs of an ODI, you deserve to be dropped immediately. He got the other two ODIs as well as failed miserably as expected.

The batting position excuse for his failure in Bangladesh is not an excuse.

In the first ODI, he came to the crease at 175/4 after 31.5 overs. He was batting alongside an in form Rizwan who scored 67.

Fawad had more than enough time to nudge the ball around at least score a run a ball half-century. Instead Fawad scored 14 in 19 balls.

In the second ODI, he batted at 5. Came to the crease when Pakistan were 58/3 in 15.3 overs. More than sufficient time for him to play a long innings. He got a 6 ball duck.

In the third ODI, you can perhaps excuse his failure because he came to back in the 40th over.

Overall, he failed badly and has no one to blame for his axing from the ODI squad.

 

[Mamoon]

Forgetting from where it started. First he helped chase a mammoth 326 against Bangladesh in ODIs. He was also the centurion against Srilanka in the final of the Asia cup 2014. He was dropped not because of that slow innings, its because the team already had an accumulator in Misbah and needed Akmal and Maqsood parchi.

The Australian nightmare completely neutralized his performances in the Asia Cup and that partnership with Maqsood in a bilateral ODI vs Sri Lanka.

Anyway, his inclusion in the World Cup wouldn’t have changed anything. He was not going to win us the QF vs Australia.

 

[Mainul]

I hope that Fawad be given a 7 years run in the team now like his team coach Misbah . Fawad looks fit to do that.

 

[BreadPakoda]

The legend of Fawad Alam keeps growing.

 

[BreadPakoda]

I hope for his own good he keeps scoring runs or else he can read what some posters have to say about Harris Sohail these days.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

I think people here place too much stock on the role of captains. They are not responsible for selecting squads. That said, Misbah was arguably the most powerful Pakistan captain since Imran and he did have the power to bring in Fawad if he wanted to. And I'm talking 2013 when Fawad had reached the highest batting average in the history of Pakistan first-class cricket, a record he still holds to this day.

And I have a particular issue with Inzamam because when he was chief-selector Misbah and Younis were on their way out/gone and yet he still did not select Fawad, saying things like: "we looked at him in the nets but thought Saad Ali was better." First off how can you judge someone from the nets? Secondly, they dropped Saad Ali in the very next series!

All of these people have been fed humble pie but they should never be forgiven for robbing a Pakistan cricket of a potential star who could have paid that investment today rather than someone like Shafiq

 

[waleed88]

I wouldnt put that on Misbah he was just a player this may have been Waqar's call. Really glad he isnt head coach anymore. Waqar has always had a soft spot for Azhar. I wonder if there are some family connections or some other sort of connection. Anyway, thats behind us now I think we should look forward. But I do feel its unfair to put this on Misbah he was not in a decision making position. Anyway...

I really liked Misbah as a captain because he was an anomaly to the Pakistani traditions. He also had a lot of hatred going for him much like you kind of feel for Fawad now. Misbah however influential he was, was also a YES man, and an establishment man. He would never go out of his way to save someone, he was also all about stats and self preservation. Which is why keeping Fawad out, indirectly secured his legacy in 2017. Much like how Sarfaraz did not have a back up keeper in the side to avoid Rizwan from coming in. Despite Misbah being a great captain, he also became 'part of the tribe' and establishment when he became coach. With his coaching responsibilities, he became a YES man. The man who as an anomaly now is tried all the TTF's back in the side to secure his STATS. Which is why I have lost alot of respect for him. He was the one who selected fawad, but it came only when the other middle order options were not performing. Fawad was also only tried in foreign conditions so that he was set up to fail. Because they know he would be licking his lips to play in Pakistan. Only time will tell what happened with Fawad and if he cements his legacy we will know further.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Some performances are unforgivable.

What Fawad did, or rather what happened to Fawad in the first ODI against Australia in 2014 was worthy of a career-ending performance.

It cannot be brushed aside as just one bad performance. It was almost criminal stuff.

That should have been the last ODI of his career, but he got an additional 5 ODIs undeservingly and fluffed all 5 chances.

Shafiq had more than a few unforgivable performances, so did Rana Naved, Nasir Jamshed, Khurram Manzoor, Mohammad Hafeez and others yet everyone else got chances. Shafiq even made it ODI team in 2017 somehow.

 

[hur rizvi]

Shafiq had more than a few unforgivable performances, so did Rana Naved, Nasir Jamshed, Khurram Manzoor, Mohammad Hafeez and others yet everyone else got chances. Shafiq even made it ODI team in 2017 somehow.

If shafiq performed as well as fawad in ODIs he would have been playing even till today and might have even captained PAkistan in ODIs

 

[BunnyRabbit]

I hope for his own good he keeps scoring runs or else he can read what some posters have to say about Harris Sohail these days.

I still rate Haris Sohail. Think he is still a very good batter but out of form and rusty.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

If shafiq performed as well as fawad in ODIs he would have been playing even till today and might have even captained PAkistan in ODIs

It's an open secret that his friendship with Sarfraz brought him many caps, even got him selected in PSL with Quetta Gladiators.

Mickey foolishly called him "Tendulkar like"

Waqar vouched for him to be a no.3 in all formats in 2011.

Mohsin Khan was insistent on making him, Azhar and Umar Akmal the fulcrum of Pakistan ODI lineup.

Who else am I missing

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Yeah , was definitely setup to fail by Misbae ! . I like Misbae and his understanding of test cricket(in UAE conditions) but he seems to think that he is a know it all .

No need to unnecessarily blame Misbah here. He is the only selector in last 10 years who selected him in Tests(the format he is best suited to). In 2010-2017, he could have vouched for his selection, yes, but he was never the captain who asked for things and was only doing what he was given(a bad quality captain wise but effective one when you are working for PCB, a Pakistani institute).

Younis has been his biggest supporter.

 

[Ucdkee]

Just watched Muhammad Asifs interview with kamran akmal on YouTube. He said that Fawad Alam was intentionally sent at no3 infront of Shane bond in New Zealand in 2010 so that they could drop him.

 

[ShoaibM]

Just watched Muhammad Asifs interview with kamran akmal on YouTube. He said that Fawad Alam was intentionally sent at no3 infront of Shane bond in New Zealand in 2010 so that they could drop him.

What at no.6 he would not have faced Shane Bond?

Fawad I dont think did himself many favors when he was given the limited number of chances he was given. Sometimes you have to put in the hard yards before your time comes around. He has a chance now to create a legacy hope he makes the most of it. I dont see any point in mucking around over non-selection.

Having said all that, he should have been selected over Asad all this time. To Asad's credit he got the optics of cricket so right and the essence of cricket so wrong he fooled all the selectors. Thats how life goes sometimes I guess )