Time for Faheem Ashraf to be inducted in Tests?

[Titan24]

Considering that he has improved a lot over the last year or so and we definitely need a 5th bowling option in tests. The only reason we didn’t play 2 spinners in UAE was bcz management wanted to have atleast 3 seamers, with his induction he also gives that 3rd seamer option and will be handy in overseas tests as well.

Further with his batting at no 7 he can always give the counter puch to the opposition or consolidate the winning position.

So all and all wont be a bad option at all.

 

[Greenstorm]

Amir Yamin or Hussain Talat are better options I think as they are better batsmen then Faheem.

 

[badsha001]

all 3 of them should be included in the team. get rid of the useless/impact less players

 

[Titan24]

Amir Yamin or Hussain Talat are better options I think as they are better batsmen then Faheem.

Yes Hussain is definitely a better batsman however, Faheem is a much better bowler and have got good potential with bat as well if groomed properly. Dont mind either one of these, but 5th bowler in the form of an all rounder is a must.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Not good enough to bat at no. 6 or good enough to be the third pacer in Tests.
Might become good enough with time, but certainly isnt good enough yet.

 

[NauV]

I think the fight for number 7 batsman is between Faheem Ashraf and Aamir Yamin (if the selectors and the team think tank are thinking along modern cricket lines, which they almost never are) . . Pakistan has been hell bent on playing 6 batsman, wk, and 4 bowlers because of their lack of faith in batting . .

For me, a good team needs to have a good batting all rounder . . like a Mitchell Marsh, or a hardik Pandya (up and coming) . .

In a test match, you're looking for this all rounder to give you around 10 to 12 overs a day and keep it tight . . but his primary role is to contribute to the team with the bat . .

Hence, for me we absolutely MUST have an allrounder at number 7 . . and the better batsman between Amir Yamin, Faheem Ashraf and now Hussain Talat into the fray needs to be inducted at that position!

 

[Faisalsq092]

His batting will be more hit than miss. Dont think he is a dependable option as of now. None of his trade is good enough for a test team yet. The 5th bowling option should be a batting all rounder so I think we need to look elsewhere.
If Shadab could make himself a test level bowler than probably Faheem could come into the picture as well as the thrid seamer.
The lineup would more be like Sarfaraz Shadab Faheem 3 bowlers

 

[Faisalsq092]

A more balanced all rounder right now would be Shadab. Shadab + Yasir + 3 fastmen can provide a better balance to the team

 

[saeed5646]

Next test series for pak is england tour so why not we should play him along with hussain talat

 

[Ellipsism]

A more balanced all rounder right now would be Shadab. Shadab + Yasir + 3 fastmen can provide a better balance to the team

Shadab isn’t a good enough bowler, doesn’t spin it enough. And then there’s the lack of experience as well.

Zafar Gohar is a better option, biggest turner of the ball in Pakistan; and he’s no mug with the bat.

 

[babajee]

Shadab isn’t a good enough bowler, doesn’t spin it enough. And then there’s the lack of experience as well.

Can he not improve?

 

[Faisalsq092]

Shadab isn’t a good enough bowler, doesn’t spin it enough. And then there’s the lack of experience as well.

Zafar Gohar is a better option, biggest turner of the ball in Pakistan; and he’s no mug with the bat.

There are two elements;
1. We are looking for a 5th bowling option which need not be a great bowler, we know Shadab's bowling is good enough to be better than a 5th bowling option.

2. Knowing the potential Shadab has, he can well be groomed as a genuine allrounder who can win matches with bat and ball.

 

[Ellipsism]

Can he not improve?

Naturally speaking, he isn’t a big turner of the ball. He’s way too over reliant on his wrong’un, that’s an aspect he could improve, but you can’t teach him how to impart more revs, as in terms of technique he isn’t doing much wrong. You either have it or you don’t.

He’s a batting all-rounder, #6 is his for the taking in the long term.

 

[Ellipsism]

There are two elements;
1. We are looking for a 5th bowling option which need not be a great bowler, we know Shadab's bowling is good enough to be better than a 5th bowling option.

2. Knowing the potential Shadab has, he can well be groomed as a genuine allrounder who can win matches with bat and ball.

So in your hypothetical situation where would you want him batting?

 

[babajee]

Naturally speaking, he isn’t a big turner of the ball. He’s way too over reliant on his wrong’un, that’s an aspect he could improve, but you can’t teach him how to impart more revs, as in terms of technique he isn’t doing much wrong. You either have it or you don’t.

He’s a batting all-rounder, #6 is his for the taking in the long term.

Yasir isn’t a big turner of the ball either but has good accuracy and control... why can’t Shadab be successful if he develops that?

 

[Fahdi]

Shadab isn’t a good enough bowler, doesn’t spin it enough. And then there’s the lack of experience as well.

Zafar Gohar is a better option, biggest turner of the ball in Pakistan; and he’s no mug with the bat.

I agree. Zafar needs to be inducted in the Test team for Asian conditions to fill up the second spinner slot.

I like the idea of having an extra fast bowling option in Faheem as well and he'll be quite valuable for foreign tours.

Can he not improve?

Maybe sometime in the future but not anytime soon I would say. Doesn't seem anywhere near test class at the moment.

 

[Fahdi]

Yasir isn’t a big turner of the ball either but has good accuracy and control... why can’t Shadab be successful if he develops that?

Developing that is easier said than done. If he develops good control and learns to bowl on the same spot with consistency he may become a very good test bowler indeed. Right now he seems more of a LOI specialist with the ball. His batting has plenty of potential though.

 

[Ellipsism]

Yasir isn’t a big turner of the ball either but has good accuracy and control... why can’t Shadab be successful if he develops that?

Yasir and Shadab are different bowlers, Yasir despite not being a big turner on the ball, gets a lot of overspin (largely due to the nature of his action), thus he gets the ball to bounce and drift. We’ve all seen how his lack of spin came back to haunt him outside Asia.

Shadab is more in the mound of your typical conservatiave, modern day spinner. Fast, not much spin nor bounce or drift but more so dependant on variety. Even if he develops his accuracy (which he will), he won’t IMO be good enough to make the team purely as a spinner.

 

[Faisalsq092]

So in your hypothetical situation where would you want him batting?

The 1st option is the current situation where he can get hold of the no.7 slot in the team after Sarfaraz.

The 2nd option will largely depend on the team composition and Shadab's progress. I don't think he will be batting above 6, but 6 is good enough. We have carried Shafiq for so long at 6 so Shadab will only be an upgrade.

 

[Mercurial]

As a bowling all rounder, yes. I would give him the 9th spot in the playing XI. But before him I will prefer Hammad Azam. Shadab at 8, should replace Yasir. Sarfraz (if his bad form continues then will replace him with Rizwan) at 7. And a batting all rounder at 6, either Yamin or Imad. Two specialist fast bowlers are enough, Abbas and Hasan. This will shorten our tail as well.

 

[Faisalsq092]

As a bowling all rounder, yes. I would give him the 9th spot in the playing XI. But before him I will prefer Hammad Azam. Shadab at 8, should replace Yasir. Sarfraz (if his bad form continues then will replace him with Rizwan) at 7. And a batting all rounder at 6, either Yamin or Imad. Two specialist fast bowlers are enough, Abbas and Hasan. This will shorten our tail as well.

Good luck taking 20 wickets with these bowlers!

 

[Mr.Q]

Hard to judge a batsman’s test playing ability based on his batting in T20s. But it looked to me like he’s hitting the ball too hard. I’m not talking about the lofted shots alone. He’s more of a hitter than a timer of the ball. He might be a good replacement for some of the TTFs in your side though.

Agha Salman is very underrated here. You guys are like those teenage boys who believe ‘muscles’ are everything lol.

 

[Shafi]

Yes time to destroy his performances in shorter format.

 

[ShahidDar08]

Famim is better than Aamir Yamin in every aspect of the game. Can be handy as 5th bowling option.

 

[Titan24]

Hard to judge a batsman’s test playing ability based on his batting in T20s. But it looked to me like he’s hitting the ball too hard. I’m not talking about the lofted shots alone. He’s more of a hitter than a timer of the ball. He might be a good replacement for some of the TTFs in your side though.

Agha Salman is very underrated here. You guys are like those teenage boys who believe ‘muscles’ are everything lol.

I was rating Agha even before he played his first match in PSL.

Definitely can be a good batting all rounder however, to me having a pace bowling all rounder gives team more luxury in tests than a spin bowling all rounder as the fifth bowling option. Especially when you are gonna play home tests in subcontinent you need two very good spinners, pacer as a fifth bowling option even if above average can do the job.

Agha can definitely make it as a batsman in LOIs, his bowling is also suited to the format.

 

[Baigel]

YES, I want to see his locks of hair after 90 overs in the field. Honestly, would love to see him play test-cricket, it will take load of Amir and Co. and will also give our team an extra batting option. test cricket will also enhance his capabilities to bat in certain situations and improve his defensive game.

 

[ManFan]

This is a crazy XI for the Tests in ENG later this year but it can either win 2-0 or lose 0-2. No in between.
Azhar
Haris
Babar
Talat
Salahuddin
Sarfraz
Faheem
Amir
Hasan
Zafar Gohar (Yasir will not spin it in overcast conditions)
Abbas

12th Man: SSA (Playing FC will not help him, conditions will suit him better than if he debuts in the UAE)

 

[WengerOut]

This is a crazy XI for the Tests in ENG later this year but it can either win 2-0 or lose 0-2. No in between.
Azhar
Haris
Babar
Talat
Salahuddin
Sarfraz
Faheem
Amir
Hasan
Zafar Gohar (Yasir will not spin it in overcast conditions)
Abbas

12th Man: SSA (Playing FC will not help him, conditions will suit him better than if he debuts in the UAE)

I can understand in ODIs , but why this Babar love in tests ?

 

[ahmadharis1]

I don't understand the need for Shadab Khan in tests as long as Yasir Shah is in the squad, no need for two leg spinners. I like the idea of bringing in Fahim and then maybe Gohar.

1. Azhar Ali
2. Sami Aslam/Shan Masood/ Ahmed Shehzad
3. Babar Azam
4. Haris Sohail
5. Asad Shafiq
6. Faheem Ashraf
7. Sarfraz Ahmed
8. Yasir Shah
9. Mohammad Amir
10. Hasan Ali
11. Mohammad Abbas/Zafar Gohar

 

[Chief Destroyer]

No. He hasn't even played one decent knock in ODIs.

 

[babajee]

No. He hasn't even played one decent knock in ODIs.

It’s coming.

 

[shah_1]

Lol on what basis?

There is no need for bits and pieces cricketers in Test cricket. They add ZERO value to the team

 

[yasir]

It depends where you are playing.

In Asia, Shadab is best allrounder we got, he can play as second spinner with Yasir.

In West, Faheem is a must, because you need fast bowling allrounder. He plays fast bowling well, which means quick 30-40 with tail, that is so essential in west, bottom five scores often determine the outcome of the match. His bowling would mean more venom in the attack, because he can bowl effective 20 overs per day. Others (Yamin & Talat) are too weak of a bowlers, they will not get 10 overs a day, defeats the purpose of allrounder, you need to give enough rest to other three seamers, impact less bowlers make it worse.

Also test will improve his defense, which is his weak spot. Its hard to focus on defense when you are coming at #7/8 and have to wack it from ball one...

Pakistan in the past made a mistake of preferring Razaq over Azhar in tests. Razqa was better in ODI but not in test. You always have to pick horses for course. Shadab is better choice in Asia but Faheem is better in West.

 

[Hasan123]

Not yet. He needs to show that he can construct innings first.

 

[Spectrum]

Azhar Ali
Sami Aslam
Babar Azam
Haris Sohail
Asad Shafiq
Faheem Ashraf
Sarfaraz Ahmad
Mohammad Nawaz
Mohammad Amir
Hasan Ali
Yasir Shah

This looks some serious team with batting stretching to Nawaz and lots of variations in bowling..
Go Pakistan

 

[AFM]

He's not good enough. His batting isn't solid enough for No 6 nor is his bowling good enough for No 3.

People keep mistaking LOI skills / performances for Tests. It's a totally different game when the bowlers needs to create chances as the batsman won't be giving their wickets away as in LOI. And batting time is much more important than SR.

 

[coy0607]

he's at best a #8 batsmen right now, which would mean we has to be the third seamer. And we have better options than his as the third fast bowler

I'd rather take Hussain Talat who can bat #5 or #6- and be the fourth fast bowler in the team

 

[moghul]

His figures in tests will be like 0-73 and 1-98 , batting 23 and 17. He is not a test level player, not at all.

 

[giri26]

There is no harm in him getting a test call. The only thing should be that the fans and team management should lower their expectation and don't expect him to roll over sides. He will for sure find the test cricket different than ODIs and he needs to be given that space.

 

[Hermoine Green]

In Test, Yaamen is better than Faheem.

 

[khurram39]

Not good in Tests and Yameen is not good with bowl to qualify in the team.

Hussain Talat is continuously impressing me and may be others too.

 

[HuzaifaE]

1. Azhar Ali
2. Sami Aslam
3. Babar Azam
4. Haris Sohail
5. Usman Salahuddin/Asad Technique
6. Sarfraz Ahmed
7. Faheem Ashraf/Zafar Gohar/Shadab Khan
8. Mohammad Amir
9. Hasan Ali
10. Yasir Shah
11. Shaheen Shah/Wahab Riaz

Faheem is the only pace allrounder we have, Yamin and Talat are garbage with the ball and have next to no prospect of becoming good enough.