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[VIDEO] Abid Ali - First impressions in international cricket

He cost us the match today. 60 runs to win with 8 wickets and 9 overs left and he gets out...
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Aaron Finch "The debutant (Abid Ali) got a beautiful hundred and Rizwan also getting a hundred. Both were great knocks" <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PAKvAUS?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PAKvAUS</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1111707509641887744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Some more observations:

Struggles to clear the fence. A bit like Imam in that regard.

However, can make use of pace bowling and fielding restrictions in the early power play overs, getting boundaries with good timing.

Imam struggles with that too. Abid seems to be fine at that but still only one match.

Overall, if he's playing, it needs to be as an opener. Probably not someone who can dominate bowling in the middle and late overs, struggles for boundaries at that time.

Hes more wristy than Imam which helps him to pick gaps and rotate the strike well. Much better player than Imam
 
Very fine batsman but needs to work on his fitness. After crossing 90 he was looking very tired.
 
Fluent innings, just the one innings though - looks much better at keeping the scoreboard ticking than Imam or Fakhar, albeit against a weaker Oz attack.

I’d continue with him, part of me also thinks that Zaman might be more suited lower down the order - against better attacks he can get bogged down going hard at the ball, not picking the gaps in opening PP.
 
I’d like to hold my reservations but to score a century on a debut is still one hell of a achievement.

Hopefully we can see more of him now.
 
looks much better at keeping the scoreboard ticking than Imam or Fakhar, albeit against a weaker Oz attack.

He has scored heavily on one of the most toughest pitches of Pakistan i-e Diamond cricket ground Islamabad against good bowling attacks.
 
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Seemed very tired around the ~80 run mark, was pure adrenaline that carried him over to a century most probably. Threw his wicket away after that. We need to be looking at how players can come up from our domestic leagues being so unfit.
 
Seemed very tired around the ~80 run mark, was pure adrenaline that carried him over to a century most probably. Threw his wicket away after that. We need to be looking at how players can come up from our domestic leagues being so unfit.

He's made a double century so his fitness isn't that bad. But really needs to work on getting a bit thinner.
 
The first couple of overs he faced, I thought to myself a right handed version of Saeed Anwer
 
His strike rotation was very good, was finding gaps with ease and playing at 90SR without taking much risk. He played some classy shots as well.
He needs to spend some time in gem & work on his fitness that'll extend his career by 2-3 years otherwise I don't see him playing after couple of years.
 
Imam also scored a century on debut :P

Rizwan = Sarfraz
Umer = Asif Ali
Imam = Abid Ali
 
I didn’t support the decision then.

And yet you were proved wrong on that occasion, with Misbah leading Pakistan in probably its most successful period ever as a test team. Nice to see you've learnt nothing.
 
Seemed very tired around the ~80 run mark, was pure adrenaline that carried him over to a century most probably. Threw his wicket away after that. We need to be looking at how players can come up from our domestic leagues being so unfit.

He has a double century in list A cricket.
 
And yet you were proved wrong on that occasion, with Misbah leading Pakistan in probably its most successful period ever as a test team. Nice to see you've learnt nothing.

There is nothing to learn from that because Misbah was (is) an anomaly - a deviation from the norm. In 150 years of cricket, 99% of the players have not been good enough to play professionally till 45, and the vast majority of the players have not been good enough for international cricket in their late 30's either.

When he was brought into the team for the WT20 in 2007 at the age of 33, no one in his right mind would have thought that he would still be playing in 2019. Similarly, when he was brought to the team as captain in 2010 at the age of 36, no one in his wildest dreams would have imagined that he would lead the team till 2017.

The problem is that Misbah's career has skewed the perception of Pakistani cricketers as well as the supporters. Because of him, every 30 year old and their fans seem to think that they still have 15 years left in the game because if Misbah can, so can he.

It is very important for Pakistan to ensure that Misbah's career doesn't establish a precedence and is considered as an exception.

Misbah playing till 45 does not change the fact that cricket was, is and always will be a young man's game, and we should avoid giving 31 and 32 year old debuts. Similarly, players who are 34-35 should in the red zone because they are on their last legs.

The likes of Cook and Clarke retired at the same age as Azhar is today, and in spite of his torrid form, Azhar and his fans would still think that he has many years of Test cricket left in him.

Pakistan needs to follow the same conventions as other cricket nations and stop treating 30 year old players as if they are 20.

Any domestic cricketer who has crossed the 30 mark should not be considered for international selection unless under extreme circumstances, and if the 34-35 year old players in the national team go through a prolonged slump, they should be forced to retire because it is a clear indication that they are not good enough anymore.

Australia forced Voges into retirement with an average of 61 because of his age, even though their batting has been a circus in the last 2-3 years. Similarly, South Africa dropped Stephen Cook at the age of 34, even though he had made a decent start to his Test career and South Africa's batting has been struggling for quite some time as well.

The "age does not matter, only performance does" mentality that has crept into our system because of the likes of Misbah needs to be promptly shunned before it does long-term damage to our cricket.
 
Abid Ali has been making lots of runs in first class cricket for may years.Why was he overlooked?. Pakistan has lost lots of talent due to nepotism.Fawad Ahmed and Imran Tahir could have played for Pakistan.
 
I think that bigger tests await, but he showed enough for serious questions to be asked about the how the selectors missed someone like him. I agree that his fitness was an issue, but in the heat most people's​ would be, but he looks the part. Let's see if he can play faster bowlers on more quicker and bouncier tracks.
 
I couldn't watch the match but he does deserve credit. Other players have debuted in Dubai too such as Iftikar Ahmed and they've done nothing. Let's see how Abid does tomorrow.
 
Unless Masood plays an absolute blinder here, Abid deserves to go to England.
 
Aarsh se farsh pe
No he was uncomfortable on crease , he was strapped fully on shoulder
His shoulder poped up while playing stroke
He would have insisted on batting but he was injured
 
As kohli scores in each outings....common guys this is cricket....one should judge the player with his technique and attitude....
I would still want him to be considered for the wc.....much better than shan masood
 
why not, a century in first 2 matches with proper technique is good enough.

Yes, if they are going to England to play a series with England.

You guys just dont bother to understand the whole scenario.

1. its the World cup, not some random series that you select players on the basis of single performances
2. Pakistan's problem isnt upper or middle order, but the lower order where we have no one to finish off games
3. this is the most probable world cup squad,

1.Imam
2.Fakhar
3.Hafeez
4.Malik
5.Sarfraz
6.Haris
7.Babar
8.RIzwan
9.Imad
10.Shadab
11.Faheem
12.Hasan Ali
13.Amir/Shaheen
14.Usman Shinwari
15.Junaid/Wahab/Abbas

5 fast bowlers are a must, world cup is along tournament. Hafeez is an automatic if he is bowling, Rizwan gets into the team as he has performed.

Abid Ali is the best option for a reserve player, but in the current squad, there isn't any space for him.

Arguing over his inclusion is just ridiculous. Who knows, he might get find out in the world cup.


However, pakistan selection always surprises us
 
Yes, if they are going to England to play a series with England.

You guys just dont bother to understand the whole scenario.

1. its the World cup, not some random series that you select players on the basis of single performances
2. Pakistan's problem isnt upper or middle order, but the lower order where we have no one to finish off games
3. this is the most probable world cup squad,

1.Imam
2.Fakhar
3.Hafeez
4.Malik
5.Sarfraz
6.Haris
7.Babar
8.RIzwan
9.Imad
10.Shadab
11.Faheem
12.Hasan Ali
13.Amir/Shaheen
14.Usman Shinwari
15.Junaid/Wahab/Abbas

5 fast bowlers are a must, world cup is along tournament. Hafeez is an automatic if he is bowling, Rizwan gets into the team as he has performed.

Abid Ali is the best option for a reserve player, but in the current squad, there isn't any space for him.

Arguing over his inclusion is just ridiculous. Who knows, he might get find out in the world cup.


However, pakistan selection always surprises us

I believe he is a better opener than Shan and Imam and has good domestic and A team record in last few years to back it up.

Yes its not a random series so thats why no need to carry passengers like Malik. Having age above 37 shouldnt be enough to play for National team.
 
From his body language I get the vibe that he actually really values playing for Pakistan. Really gives it his all in the field and with the bat.
 
I believe he is a better opener than Shan and Imam and has good domestic and A team record in last few years to back it up.

Yes its not a random series so thats why no need to carry passengers like Malik. Having age above 37 shouldnt be enough to play for National team.

To be honest, if Shan performs here i will actually support for his inclusion due to 2 reasons.

The guy has played international cricket and is experience
The guys domestic batting avg is crazy in List A.

Im bias towards Shan only because he has experience.

I agree, Malik and Hafeez are useless inclusion, but its better to be honest that they will get into the team no matter what.
 
To be honest, if Shan performs here i will actually support for his inclusion due to 2 reasons.

The guy has played international cricket and is experience
The guys domestic batting avg is crazy in List A.

Im bias towards Shan only because he has experience.

I agree, Malik and Hafeez are useless inclusion, but its better to be honest that they will get into the team no matter what.

Proves my point people are biased on PP

Why dont you root for domestic and 'A' tour performers like Abid Ali , Sadaf Hussain , Khushdil Shah , Adil amin etc
 
To be honest, if Shan performs here i will actually support for his inclusion due to 2 reasons.

The guy has played international cricket and is experience
The guys domestic batting avg is crazy in List A.

Im bias towards Shan only because he has experience.

I agree, Malik and Hafeez are useless inclusion, but its better to be honest that they will get into the team no matter what.

I am not against Shan too and want him to do well but he got 4 chances and flopped, this is his last chance.

In comparison Abid scored a century in only his first match.

There are already talks about Malik being dropped from the WC. All the management needs to do now is show some guts.
 
I am not against Shan too and want him to do well but he got 4 chances and flopped, this is his last chance.

In comparison Abid scored a century in only his first match.

There are already talks about Malik being dropped from the WC. All the management needs to do now is show some guts.

If PCB had the guts, Younis Khan would had never played the WOrld Cup 2015.

They will select Malik eventually
 
Still more impressed with Abid Ali than Shan Masood.

Abid looks like a natural stroke maker while Shan is more of a grinder.
 
Abid has the technique for English conditions, while Shan has an abysmal record in England.
 
That's true.

Shan isn't suited to ODIs or T20s.

Sooner we kick him out the better.

Imam isnt suited to odis too. He waste too many balls in powerplays even on flat pitches putting pressure on others aswell.

Ideally you need:

Fakhar/Abid
Babar
Haris
as top 3

or

Fakhar/Abid
Sharjeel
Babar
Haris
as top 4.

Abid has a 200 in list A and is capable of changing gears and in powerplays can find gaps easily with solid technique.
 
Imam isnt suited to odis too. He waste too many balls in powerplays even on flat pitches putting pressure on others aswell.

Ideally you need:

Fakhar/Abid
Babar
Haris
as top 3

or

Fakhar/Abid
Sharjeel
Babar
Haris
as top 4.

Abid has a 200 in list A and is capable of changing gears and in powerplays can find gaps easily with solid technique.

Beggars can't be choosers.

You conveniently forget that Imam is the highest averaging Pakistani batsman right now, holds records for scoring the fastest runs in X matches and already has 5 centuries in one or two years.

Can't compare with a dud like Shan Masood whose strike rate is 67.

Imam plays at 80 - might get better.


Abid can be better if he can average 40+ at 90+ strike rate, that hasn't happened and unlikely to happen, even if I wish it to happen.

Yes I don't like Imam's pace, and I do wish we can find someone who can play faster at a healthy average.
 
Rizwan gets into the team as he has performed.

No he doesn't. For one simple reason: balance.

Rizwan is a dud unless he bats in the top four. He won't because we have much better options for those positions. Therefore selecting him is a waste of space.

He should be on stand by though in case (god forbid) Sarfi gets injured.
 
There is nothing to learn from that because Misbah was (is) an anomaly - a deviation from the norm. In 150 years of cricket, 99% of the players have not been good enough to play professionally till 45, and the vast majority of the players have not been good enough for international cricket in their late 30's either.

When he was brought into the team for the WT20 in 2007 at the age of 33, no one in his right mind would have thought that he would still be playing in 2019. Similarly, when he was brought to the team as captain in 2010 at the age of 36, no one in his wildest dreams would have imagined that he would lead the team till 2017.

The problem is that Misbah's career has skewed the perception of Pakistani cricketers as well as the supporters. Because of him, every 30 year old and their fans seem to think that they still have 15 years left in the game because if Misbah can, so can he.

It is very important for Pakistan to ensure that Misbah's career doesn't establish a precedence and is considered as an exception.

Misbah playing till 45 does not change the fact that cricket was, is and always will be a young man's game, and we should avoid giving 31 and 32 year old debuts. Similarly, players who are 34-35 should in the red zone because they are on their last legs.

The likes of Cook and Clarke retired at the same age as Azhar is today, and in spite of his torrid form, Azhar and his fans would still think that he has many years of Test cricket left in him.

Pakistan needs to follow the same conventions as other cricket nations and stop treating 30 year old players as if they are 20.

Any domestic cricketer who has crossed the 30 mark should not be considered for international selection unless under extreme circumstances, and if the 34-35 year old players in the national team go through a prolonged slump, they should be forced to retire because it is a clear indication that they are not good enough anymore.

Australia forced Voges into retirement with an average of 61 because of his age, even though their batting has been a circus in the last 2-3 years. Similarly, South Africa dropped Stephen Cook at the age of 34, even though he had made a decent start to his Test career and South Africa's batting has been struggling for quite some time as well.

The "age does not matter, only performance does" mentality that has crept into our system because of the likes of Misbah needs to be promptly shunned before it does long-term damage to our cricket.

Look, what I am suggesting here is very simple. Any player selected for Pakistan should be selected on merit. If a 20 year old is the best domestic performer, he should be selected. Equally if a 31/32 year old is the best domestic performer, he too deserves his chance.

I get that the 31/32 year old might not be a long term prospect. However, there is no guarantee that a 20 year old will have a long and distinguished career for Pakistan either. To select a 20 year old simply because he is 20, above a performing 31/32 year old, is like shooting yourself in the foot.
 
Look, what I am suggesting here is very simple. Any player selected for Pakistan should be selected on merit. If a 20 year old is the best domestic performer, he should be selected. Equally if a 31/32 year old is the best domestic performer, he too deserves his chance.

I get that the 31/32 year old might not be a long term prospect. However, there is no guarantee that a 20 year old will have a long and distinguished career for Pakistan either. To select a 20 year old simply because he is 20, above a performing 31/32 year old, is like shooting yourself in the foot.

Not to mention that such an institutionalized policy reeks of ageism, something that must be eradicated from all sport. Voges wasn't dropped because he was old, he was dropped because he wasn't good enough. However, someone living in an alternate dimension cannot be expected to be familiar with the happenings of this world.

Misbah wasn't the only one either. Saeed Ajmal bossed the cricketing world when he was in his 30s and a new player and we all know what Imran did after he came back from retirement.
 
Been pushing for his selection for ages.

The ones who discarded him and called him geezer, old, fat and uncapable player should be ashamed of themselves. Yes ashamed because they criticized him without ever seeing him.

I think we were both crying for his selection for the South Africa tour.

Abid should be Azhar's replacement in Tests.
 
I think we were both crying for his selection for the South Africa tour.

Abid should be Azhar's replacement in Tests.

Yeah i remember you bro posting his v.good stats as an opener and also highlighting the fact that he has scored on difficult pitches.

I believe he can be our unknown hero in WC too even though odis are not his best format. He brings more to the table than Imam.

Agree with the test thing too. Azhar should say bye bye to test cricket. He has served us but now his time is up.
 
He needs to be given a chance, maybe drop imam for that game.

Crucial Pakistan try out another option.
 
He needs to be given a chance, maybe drop imam for that game.

Crucial Pakistan try out another option.
Definitely... this is not the 80’s. Imam’s 35 from 44 deliveries is not acceptable in today’s game and he is eating up deliveries to try and save his own place in the team by scoring runs (whilst at pathetic strike rate)
 
Still no place for Abid Ali in the 3rd ODI, why?
 
This is why I've stopped watching Pakistan team it has been made into a lab rat for blatant nepotism
of chief selector.

Abid Ali will get a chance out of desperation where the team management is really under pressure by public to replace chief selector's nephew who can't even play shots on all four sides and piles on dots.
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Abid Ali must be doing such a good job of carrying the drinks and towels, they feel that he doesn't need to play in any of the matches <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ENGvPAK?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ENGvPAK</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1128267025485369344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Abid Ali must be doing such a good job of carrying the drinks and towels, they feel that he doesn't need to play in any of the matches <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ENGvPAK?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ENGvPAK</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1128267025485369344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Poor lad playing in an era where chief selector will keep selecting his nephew. We may never know how good or bad Abid is, even though he showed great signs that he could be an excellent partner to Fakhar



"I'm automatic selection with 55 average" :imam
 
Poor lad playing in an era where chief selector will keep selecting his nephew. We may never know how good or bad Abid is, even though he showed great signs that he could be an excellent partner to Fakhar



"I'm automatic selection with 55 average" :imam

averaging 60 now :D
 
Have a feeling he may be the one to make way for Asif Ali in the WC squad
 
Inzimam only selected him in squad. But to play him is decision of Sarfraz and Arthur.

Btw, I think he is bahteeja and not bhanja.

If you think Inzimam has no say in the final XI, then you are sadly mistaken. In Pakistan, there is hyper-micro management. Ijaz Butt as the Chairman of PCB had to approved the team composition.
 
And sadly - he has to come back home.

Here is what Inzi said about him

On Abid Ali, Inzamam said: “It has not been an easy decision to leave out Abid, particularly after he got only one opportunity on the tour. But, he was our third choice opener. After both the first choice openers struck early form, we preferred Asif Ali as he brings firepower to the team that can strengthen our chances in the tournament.

“Both our openers are in form and average over 50 each. If required, we have a fully fit Mohammad Hafeez who can be promoted in the batting order, while Haris Sohail can be the another option.”
 
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