[VIDEOS] "Everything is not about fitness, your skills also count" : Sharjeel Khan

[Rana]

So Sharjeel fans were was the fireworks today?

He got a chance at the top of the order against a substandard bowling line up on a fairly good pitch and batted at only a strike rate of 120. What does he offer to the team? He cannot explode at the top but he cannot play a long innings like Rizwan or Babar. Definition of a useless cricketer

We are Pakistan fans. Not Sharjeel fans

Just because Rizwan fans are not pakistan fans doesn’t mean Sharjeel fans don’t care about the betterment of Pakistan cricket.

 

[Rana]

There is one clear anti Pakistan agent who is active on this forum

He is a clear Anti Sharjeel fan also. That should be enough to tell you what the agenda is here.

 

[Abdurmirr]

We are Pakistan fans. Not Sharjeel fans

Just because Rizwan fans are not pakistan fans doesn’t mean Sharjeel fans don’t care about the betterment of Pakistan cricket.

Hahaha the irony off this situation is hilarious.

So your suggesting by me supporting the guy who has been our best batsmen for the last year, the guy who is the reason we didn't succumb to a 3-0 defeat against Zimbabwe A, the guy who has been involved in multiple run chases of over 180+ in T20Is, the guy who has been our best batsmen home and away, the fittest athlete in our team, the best keeper in the world and hey an actual decent human being, that I am anti Pakistani and do not care about Pakistan.

Yet you support a batsmen who did nothing in his international career before being banned, a batsmen who has played no knock of any substance since his return (PSL 100 was filled with drop catches), a batsmen who was 11 off 19 on a batsmen's paradise in Karachi, an unfit cricketer who fails in all aspects of fitness and athleticism and a worst of all a criminal, but all of a sudden your the one that's pro Pakistan cricket.

If endorsing the selection of a clown like Sharjeel over a very good player in the form of Rizwan is what is considered as being "pro Pakistan" than yes 100% I am anti Pakistan.

It's also funny that everything Rizwan does makes your blood boil yet your consistently singing your praises for Babar and calling him a better batsmen than Kohli because "he was able to score a 50 on a sluggish pitch". So if Babar's 50 on that pitch makes him better than Kohli, where does that place Rizwan?

 

[Farabi]

Based on the numbers he produced in international cricket from 2013 to 2017.

He has always been a poor player.

He is 25-30 averaging player but his fans act as if he is the second coming of Viv Richards.

Lol!! Are you telling me that Sharjeel’s average of 32 with SR of 113 bad for an opener?
Sehwag: 35 average at 104 SR

 

[Farabi]

That was just one match. He is so limited and there are so many flaws in his technique and approach that any quality team will figure him out over a series.

He averages in the 20s against the top sides in 20+ ODI matches which sums his caliber. His only achievement in his career was scoring three inconsequential half-centuries against Australia on pitches where they were scoring 370+.

A quality played would have converted at least two of those half-centuries into big hundreds.

If he is better than those guys than he should play in the middle-order. Pakistan cannot afford him as an opener because more often than not, Pakistan will be a man down inside the first 2-3 overs.

The Babar-Rizwan pair is not ideal but at least they can score runs consistently. It is collapse resistant and that is all that a shockingly poor team can ask for at this point.

Stop distorting facts. He’s averaging 30+ not 20+. And you conveniently didn’t mention SR of 115 which is extraordinary at 30+ average.

 

[Mamoon]

Hahaha the irony off this situation is hilarious.

So your suggesting by me supporting the guy who has been our best batsmen for the last year, the guy who is the reason we didn't succumb to a 3-0 defeat against Zimbabwe A, the guy who has been involved in multiple run chases of over 180+ in T20Is, the guy who has been our best batsmen home and away, the fittest athlete in our team, the best keeper in the world and hey an actual decent human being, that I am anti Pakistani and do not care about Pakistan.

Yet you support a batsmen who did nothing in his international career before being banned, a batsmen who has played no knock of any substance since his return (PSL 100 was filled with drop catches), a batsmen who was 11 off 19 on a batsmen's paradise in Karachi, an unfit cricketer who fails in all aspects of fitness and athleticism and a worst of all a criminal, but all of a sudden your the one that's pro Pakistan cricket.

If endorsing the selection of a clown like Sharjeel over a very good player in the form of Rizwan is what is considered as being "pro Pakistan" than yes 100% I am anti Pakistan.

It's also funny that everything Rizwan does makes your blood boil yet your consistently singing your praises for Babar and calling him a better batsmen than Kohli because "he was able to score a 50 on a sluggish pitch". So if Babar's 50 on that pitch makes him better than Kohli, where does that place Rizwan?

Couldn’t have said it better.

Since cementing his place in the team almost a year back, Rizwan has been the MoS in almost every series for Pakistan, his keeping has been outstanding, he is super fit and he has been extremely consistent with the bat.

He may not be as explosive as players like Pant, Buttler, Bairstow etc., but in a country where 99% of the players look like club cricketers in international cricket, he isa diamond for us.

Right now, he is probably the best batsman across formats in Pakistan. His cover drive is not prettier than Babar’s and he doesn’t have rabid fans behind him who are bordering on delusion and don’t forcefully compare him to Virat Kohli, but in a pressure situation against a top attack, you would back him to do better than Babar.

If the top teams give Pakistan a 300+ total to chase in ODIs, you bet that Rizwan would outperform Babar more often than not.

And yet some “patriots” are adamant that a useless, hack should displace him at the top of the order so that he can hit a couple of sixes before giving the fielders catching practice with a mistimed, ugly slog.

 

[Energy]

It is sheer embarrassment having Sharjeel represent national colors having had a proven track record in garbage fitness and spot fixing.

Pakistan is obviously immune to embarrassment and PCB is no different.

 

[Mamoon]

Stop distorting facts. He’s averaging 30+ not 20+. And you conveniently didn’t mention SR of 115 which is extraordinary at 30+ average.

I was talking about ODIs.

His T20I average is in the 30s because he has done well against a few sides based on 1 match only. His batting is so limited that teams will work him out over the course of a series.

Still, it is the compulsion of Pakistani fans if they are deluding themselves into thinking that Sharjeel will light up India in the upcoming World T20.

Sharjeel was never and will never be the player his fans think he is.

 

[marlonbrowndo]

Hahaha the irony off this situation is hilarious.

So your suggesting by me supporting the guy who has been our best batsmen for the last year, the guy who is the reason we didn't succumb to a 3-0 defeat against Zimbabwe A, the guy who has been involved in multiple run chases of over 180+ in T20Is, the guy who has been our best batsmen home and away, the fittest athlete in our team, the best keeper in the world and hey an actual decent human being, that I am anti Pakistani and do not care about Pakistan.

Yet you support a batsmen who did nothing in his international career before being banned, a batsmen who has played no knock of any substance since his return (PSL 100 was filled with drop catches), a batsmen who was 11 off 19 on a batsmen's paradise in Karachi, an unfit cricketer who fails in all aspects of fitness and athleticism and a worst of all a criminal, but all of a sudden your the one that's pro Pakistan cricket.

If endorsing the selection of a clown like Sharjeel over a very good player in the form of Rizwan is what is considered as being "pro Pakistan" than yes 100% I am anti Pakistan.

It's also funny that everything Rizwan does makes your blood boil yet your consistently singing your praises for Babar and calling him a better batsmen than Kohli because "he was able to score a 50 on a sluggish pitch". So if Babar's 50 on that pitch makes him better than Kohli, where does that place Rizwan?

Great post completely dismantling and calling him out on his awful logic and irrational bias.

 

[Farabi]

Couldn’t have said it better.

Since cementing his place in the team almost a year back, Rizwan has been the MoS in almost every series for Pakistan, his keeping has been outstanding, he is super fit and he has been extremely consistent with the bat.

He may not be as explosive as players like Pant, Buttler, Bairstow etc., but in a country where 99% of the players look like club cricketers in international cricket, he isa diamond for us.

Right now, he is probably the best batsman across formats in Pakistan. His cover drive is not prettier than Babar’s and he doesn’t have rabid fans behind him who are bordering on delusion and don’t forcefully compare him to Virat Kohli, but in a pressure situation against a top attack, you would back him to do better than Babar.

If the top teams give Pakistan a 300+ total to chase in ODIs, you bet that Rizwan would outperform Babar more often than not.

And yet some “patriots” are adamant that a useless, hack should displace him at the top of the order so that he can hit a couple of sixes before giving the fielders catching practice with a mistimed, ugly slog.

Both Rizwan and Sharjeel can open. Your entire line of argumentation assumes that Sharjeel should play in the place of Rizwan. No one is saying that.
Also Babar at no 3 slot will anchor innings and protect the MO weakness.

 

[Mamoon]

Sharjeel has to be the most unlikable Pakistani player of his generation and I cannot believe that he still has supporters.

Bang average player, fixer, awful fitness levels, poor attitude.

He was out for 4 years and had all the time in the world to improve his fitness but he didn’t care.

Few months back, he came up with the lamest possible excuse by claiming that he was unaware of the new fitness demands of the team, and now he is asserting that fitness does not matter, only skills do.

It sums up his attitude and mental capacity.

He needs to kept as far away from the team as possible.

 

[world cup captain]

Agreed

Sharjeel Haters want him to play a Chris Gayle like blinder in every match he plays.

For me at least, it's also looking at the long term. Sharjeel can be very destructive. Anyone who says otherwise has a bias; however, what Rizwan offers is something very rare in Pakistan Cricket. Rizwan has shown the ability to adjust according to the conditions and terrific game awareness which even the likes of Babar lack. On top of that, Rizwan has improved from a mere backup (to a specialist captain) to become a world-class player. When was the last time we saw this happen in Pakistan?

Rizwan should be the new poster boy in Pakistan Cricket. Pakistan Cricket needs a player to stand above the rest and lead a revolution because it's obvious our board and government are incapable of doing so. Babar could be the guy leading the pack but he seems to lack the determination.

There's nothing personal against Sharjeel; however, bringing back a fixer who couldn't work on his fitness over 3 years is the opposite direction Pakistan Cricket should be moving.

 

[Farabi]

I was talking about ODIs.

His T20I average is in the 30s because he has done well against a few sides based on 1 match only. His batting is so limited that teams will work him out over the course of a series.

Still, it is the compulsion of Pakistani fans if they are deluding themselves into thinking that Sharjeel will light up India in the upcoming World T20.

Sharjeel was never and will never be the player his fans think he is.

No, that’s his ODI career average of 32.5 at SR of 115 which is comparable to destructive openers like Sehwag and Gilchrist.
If you want to consider ODI average against “top sides”, then pull Sehwag’s number against same “top sides” to do a like4like comparison.

Sharjeel performed as the best opener along with Rizwan at the shortened PSL 6. He was easily the best opener in QEA this year. Based on this evidence, he deserves 7-10 games before judging.

 

[Rana]

Both Rizwan and Sharjeel can open. Your entire line of argumentation assumes that Sharjeel should play in the place of Rizwan. No one is saying that.
Also Babar at no 3 slot will anchor innings and protect the MO weakness.

This is something that these one dimensional, auto pilot Rizwan fans cannot understand.

They are so insecure at anyone who offers an explosive option up front because they know that it will eventually be Rizwan who will have to be compromised and not Babar Azam

 

[Farabi]

For me at least, it's also looking at the long term. Sharjeel can be very destructive. Anyone who says otherwise has a bias; however, what Rizwan offers is something very rare in Pakistan Cricket. Rizwan has shown the ability to adjust according to the conditions and terrific game awareness which even the likes of Babar lack. On top of that, Rizwan has improved from a mere backup (to a specialist captain) to become a world-class player. When was the last time we saw this happen in Pakistan?

Rizwan should be the new poster boy in Pakistan Cricket. Pakistan Cricket needs a player to stand above the rest and lead a revolution because it's obvious our board and government are incapable of doing so. Babar could be the guy leading the pack but he seems to lack the determination.

There's nothing personal against Sharjeel; however, bringing back a fixer who couldn't work on his fitness over 3 years is the opposite direction Pakistan Cricket should be moving.

Both Rizwan and Sharjeel can play lol

 

[Mamoon]

Both Rizwan and Sharjeel can open. Your entire line of argumentation assumes that Sharjeel should play in the place of Rizwan. No one is saying that.
Also Babar at no 3 slot will anchor innings and protect the MO weakness.

No, Babar and Rizwan should open because they are the two best and most consistent batsmen in the team and they need to face maximum deliveries.

Sharjeel throwing his wicket away in the first 2-3 overs 9 out of 10 times will have a domino effect on Rizwan and Babar as well. The 20/1 will quickly turn into 40/3.

Demoting Babar to 3 does not solve the middle-order crisis. That crisis will only be solved if Pakistan can find a couple of quality batsmen for the number 4,5,6 positions.

 

[Abdurmirr]

Both Rizwan and Sharjeel can play lol

Look from Rizwan, Babar, Sharjeel and Fakhar only 3 can play. Rizwan and Babar have both cemented their places and between Fakhar and Sharjeel wouldn't you much rather have the one thats fit, can take quick singles, doesn't have the tendency to play strings of dot balls and can actually field?

 

[Mamoon]

No, that’s his ODI career average of 32.5 at SR of 115 which is comparable to destructive openers like Sehwag and Gilchrist.
If you want to consider ODI average against “top sides”, then pull Sehwag’s number against same “top sides” to do a like4like comparison.

Sharjeel performed as the best opener along with Rizwan at the shortened PSL 6. He was easily the best opener in QEA this year. Based on this evidence, he deserves 7-10 games before judging.

)

So first we compared Sharjeel to Rohit, and now we are comparing Sharjeel to Sehwag and Gilchrist.

What qualities have you seen in Sharjeel, or other Pakistani fans have seen in Sharjeel, that has given you the confidence and courage to compare him to legendary ODI openers?

The level of delusion is unbelievable. Sharjeel is not even among the top 50 openers of all time, and here we are, casually comparing him to bonafide legends.

This is why Pakistan cricket and its fans have become a laughing stock and are known all over the world for their ignorance.

 

[Farabi]

No, Babar and Rizwan should open because they are the two best and most consistent batsmen in the team and they need to face maximum deliveries.

Sharjeel throwing his wicket away in the first 2-3 overs 9 out of 10 times will have a domino effect on Rizwan and Babar as well. The 20/1 will quickly turn into 40/3.

Demoting Babar to 3 does not solve the middle-order crisis. That crisis will only be solved if Pakistan can find a couple of quality batsmen for the number 4,5,6 positions.

That’s a very conservative and negative strategy. Even if Sharjeel fires 5 out of 10 games, we are gonna with the Powerplay and run away with the game.

And Babar will not solve the MO crisis but can reduce it in T20s as he did today by coming at no 3. There are only 20 overs. In ODIs, yes I agree we need 5/6 to solve it. Rizwan is okay at no 4 slot in ODIs and will fire soon Inshallah

 

[Farabi]

)

So first we compared Sharjeel to Rohit, and now we are comparing Sharjeel to Sehwag and Gilchrist.

What qualities have you seen in Sharjeel, or other Pakistani fans have seen in Sharjeel, that has given you the confidence and courage to compare him to legendary ODI openers?

The level of delusion is unbelievable. Sharjeel is not even among the top 50 openers of all time, and here we are, casually comparing him to bonafide legends.

This is why Pakistan cricket and its fans have become a laughing stock and are known all over the world for their ignorance.

Comparing Rohit and Sharjeel is like comparing apples with oranges. Rohit starts slow and accelerates much later. On most days, Rohit is happy with 10 runs from 20 balls.
Sharjeel is a Sehwag type of player, which are much more rare to find. Sharjeel will help you dominate powerplays!
Pakistan has a few good accumulators, and Sharjeel will add different dimension to this line -up.

 

[Mamoon]

That’s a very conservative and negative strategy. Even if Sharjeel fires 5 out of 10 games, we are gonna with the Powerplay and run away with the game.

And Babar will not solve the MO crisis but can reduce it in T20s as he did today by coming at no 3. There are only 20 overs. In ODIs, yes I agree we need 5/6 to solve it. Rizwan is okay at no 4 slot in ODIs and will fire soon Inshallah

Pakistan cannot run away with the game no matter how well you start when your middle order is full of duds.

Only a pair of Jason Roy and Bairstow can carry this middle-order because they are PP monsters and can actually play at 15 an over for the first 5-6 overs.

Sharjeel does not have half their ability. He consumes a lot of dot balls and can only put away lose balls. Today, he hit only 3 fours in 18 balls against a minnow attack.

It is very easy to bog him down because he is so limited in his range of shots and cannot hit boundaries at will.

It is a myth that Pakistan’s main problem is lack of power at the top. Unless you can find a Roy and Bairstow, the more pressing concern is addressing the 4,5 and 6 positions which except for Hafeez, are currently occupied by players who are not even associate level.

 

[Farabi]

Comparing Rohit and Sharjeel is like comparing apples with oranges. Rohit starts slow and accelerates much later. On most days, Rohit is happy with 10 runs from 20 balls.
Sharjeel is a Sehwag type of player, which are much more rare to find. Sharjeel will help you dominate powerplays!
Pakistan has a few good accumulators, and Sharjeel will add different dimension to this line -up.

There is a reason why Imran Nazir and Afridi were our most successful openers in T20 WCA and helped our 2007 and 2009 T20 World Cup campaigns respectively. They are not better than Babar or Rohit, but for T20 opening role, they can be very effective.
Sharjeel is better than Afridi and Nazir.

 

[Farabi]

Pakistan cannot run away with the game no matter how well you start when your middle order is full of duds.

Only a pair of Jason Roy and Bairstow can carry this middle-order because they are PP monsters and can actually play at 15 an over for the first 5-6 overs.

Sharjeel does not have half their ability. He consumes a lot of dot balls and can only put away lose balls. Today, he hit only 3 fours in 18 balls against a minnow attack.

It is very easy to bog him down because he is so limited in his range of shots and cannot hit boundaries at will.

It is a myth that Pakistan’s main problem is lack of power at the top. Unless you can find a Roy and Bairstow, the more pressing concern is addressing the 4,5 and 6 positions which except for Hafeez, are currently occupied by players who are not even associate level.

Look Mamoon, this is all opinion and conjecture. At the end of the day, you have to see what happens IN THE field. All we are saying is give Sharjeel 7-8 games and the let’s see what he can do.
Even if he’s 70% of Roy, I’de take it.

 

[Mamoon]

Comparing Rohit and Sharjeel is like comparing apples with oranges. Rohit starts slow and accelerates much later. On most days, Rohit is happy with 10 runs from 20 balls.
Sharjeel is a Sehwag type of player, which are much more rare to find. Sharjeel will help you dominate powerplays!
Pakistan has a few good accumulators, and Sharjeel will add different dimension to this line -up.

Not orange and apples, it is like comparing a bicycle to a Ferrari.

Sharjeel can have a 100 year career and he will not come close to matching the achievements of Rohit.

And no, Sharjeel is nothing like Sehwag, just like Afridi was nothing like Viv Richards.

 

[Farabi]

Not orange and apples, it is like comparing a bicycle to a Ferrari.

Sharjeel can have a 100 year career and he will not come close to matching the achievements of Rohit.

And no, Sharjeel is nothing like Sehwag, just like Afridi was nothing like Viv Richards.

If you need to get through thin streets of Lyari, you are gonna need a bike not Ferrari
I want an opener whose gonna give me 60+ runs in 6 overs 5 out of games.

 

[Mamoon]

I can already predict the reaction/response of Sharjeel supporters from now until he is dropped indefinitely.

Stage 1: give him more time, don’t judge him based on 2-3 matches. Give him at least 10 matches.

Stage 2: he is failing because of Rizwan, who is starting slowly which is forcing Sharjeel to take risks.

Stage 3: okay yeah, he is not good enough.

Currently, they are in stage 1. We will go through all 3 stages by the time the WT20 is over.

 

[Mamoon]

If you need to get through thin streets of Lyari, you are gonna need a bike not Ferrari
I want an opener whose gonna give me 60+ runs in 6 overs 5 out of games.

Do you think there is a single team in the world, past or present, who would rather have Sharjeel over Rohit?

 

[Farabi]

I can already predict the reaction/response of Sharjeel supporters from now until he is dropped indefinitely.

Stage 1: give him more time, don’t judge him based on 2-3 matches. Give him at least 10 matches.

Stage 2: he is failing because of Rizwan, who is starting slowly which is forcing Sharjeel to take risks.

Stage 3: okay yeah, he is not good enough.

Currently, they are in stage 1. We will go through all 3 stages by the time the WT20 is over.

Hahaha savvy! Its possible that you are right and he’s gonna suck. But let’s wait till that happens and not throw opinions as facts

 

[Farabi]

Do you think there is a single team in the world, past or present, who would rather have Sharjeel over Rohit?

If I had Kohli and KL Rahul in top 3, I would play Sharjeel instead of Rohit. I don’t want 3 accumulators in top 3

 

[shariqnoor]

I have a person on my Facebook newsfeed who wants Sharjeel to replace Rizwan because Sharjeel can flick sixes off his hip.

 

[marlonbrowndo]

I have a person on my Facebook newsfeed who wants Sharjeel to replace Rizwan because Sharjeel can flick sixes off his hip.

That person is right. The ball will hit Sharjeels hips and go for six

 

[Rana]

The same hypocrites who can not refrain from using the word ‘fixer’ whilst referring to Pakistani players they do not like will be using the world Legend for Steven Smith

I will continue my efforts to make these hypocrites look senseless with their arguments.

 

[Hasan123]

The same hypocrites who can not refrain from using the word ‘fixer’ whilst referring to Pakistani players they do not like will be using the world Legend for Steven Smith

I will continue my efforts to make these hypocrites look senseless with their arguments.

Whatever makes you feel better. If that’s what you want to do with your time do it by all means.

I have said for years any fixers should be banned for life. You are only defending Sharjeel because he is Pakistani, if it was any other player you would be calling for a life ban. That’s what you call a hypocrite.

Ball tampering is a different thing to fixing. You clearly do not understand that. I said Smith and Warner were rightly punished so again if you wanna waste your time chasing me by all means do it. Your just showing how sad and petty you are.

 

[Rana]

Steven Smith and Warner have done their time= they are all set to go to become legends

Sharjeel Khan has done his time= the fixer should never be back representing his country


Hypocrisy at the highest level. Brown lives matter!

 

[Saj]

Guys stay on topic.

Stop the personal insults.

And stop the name-calling of the player.

 

[iiqbal]

Slowly but surely, people will come to terms with the fact that you need him and Fakhar to open.

Clearly Babar can bat at 3, and Rizwan should be fine to bat in the middle

Excellent team combination. Two openers which can score at high strike rate. After that two most reliable batsman. After that Pakistan have hafeez and need to find another good number 6 players.

 

[iiqbal]

If I had Kohli and KL Rahul in top 3, I would play Sharjeel instead of Rohit. I don’t want 3 accumulators in top 3

Rightly said, no team will pick rohit over sharjeel, if pitch have something for fast bowler.

Rohit is proven flat track player.

Aamir got him out too cheaply once in CT and other in asia cup.

 

[The Viper]

Rightly said, no team will pick rohit over sharjeel, if pitch have something for fast bowler.

Rohit is proven flat track player.

Aamir got him out too cheaply once in CT and other in asia cup.

Yes and Sharjeel is such a great player of pace bowling? )

In the PSL Sharjeel went 6 off 19 in the power play vs Islamabad. Great power hitting from the player who is the reincarnation of Jayasuriya.

Rohit has proved himself enough times against top attacks.

Sharjeel’s only use is to bat in the middle order since he is pretty good vs spin.

 

[YousafTheBeast]

Yes and Sharjeel is such a great player of pace bowling? )

In the PSL Sharjeel went 6 off 19 in the power play vs Islamabad. Great power hitting from the player who is the reincarnation of Jayasuriya.

Rohit has proved himself enough times against top attacks.

Sharjeel’s only use is to bat in the middle order since he is pretty good vs spin.

Don’t think it spins much in Aus

74 off 47 vs Starc, Hazelwood and Cummins.

79 off 69 vs Starc, Hazelwood and Cummins.

50 off 47 vs Stanlake, Hazelwood and Cummins.

It may have been 5 years ago, but these 3 innings are probably the best innings played by a Pakistani batsman in the last 5 years, simply because of the foreign conditions and the fact that Aus were playing their best bowling attack.

 

[The Viper]

Don’t think it spins much in Aus

74 off 47 vs Starc, Hazelwood and Cummins.

79 off 69 vs Starc, Hazelwood and Cummins.

50 off 47 vs Stanlake, Hazelwood and Cummins.

It may have been 5 years ago, but these 3 innings are probably the best innings played by a Pakistani batsman in the last 5 years, simply because of the foreign conditions and the fact that Aus were playing their best bowling attack.

That was 4 years ago, Sharjeel was going through a small purple patch at that point. However, he is not the same batsman, he is overweight and he doesn’t stand a chance against the best bowlers in the world. He will start slow in the powerplay and then make up his SR later vs spin. This is if he survives the pacers. It is not worth opening with him, I actually think Rizwan and Babar score faster in the powerplay than Sharjeel. No need to change something that is working.

 

[Caved12]

lol, we are still talking about fitness in Pakistan. Fitness always comes first as you can be as talented as Tendulkar, but won't go very far if you don't work on your fitness. M. Wasim should get fired for selecting this fixer and Asif Ali.

 

[Savak]

Pakistan should be opening with Fakhar and Sharjeel. Babar and Rizwan can come in at no 3 and 4. Wth is wrong with our team management?

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Well it's a weird topic.
Firstly, I would say I'm not a fan of Sharjeel and don't rate him much either. So my opinion will definitely be biased to a certain degree.

Before getting banned, he had 4 innings of 30+ in t20is.
1. His debut 50 at SR 200 against SL in a bilateral t20i series on a batting paradise chasing around 200.
2. His 47 against NZ off 25 deliveries in 2016 wt20i chasing around 180+
3. His 30 against Aus off 19 delivers in the same 2016 wt20i chasing 180+
4. His 59 against England 2016 off 36 in solitary t20i series. (Pak won)

Off these 4 innings only one was scored in a winning cause and all 4 were scored on flat decks.
The 30 against Aus was inconsequential as Pak had already been knocked out.
He looked a million bucks during the time he was in during all 4 of these innings.
You can argue the 50 against SL and 47 against NZ were very good innings and even though Pak lost, it was more because of the middle order failure.
(In my biased view, if Fakhar were to be put in a situation in which Sharjeel was during these 4 knocks, he would have taken the game far deeper than Sharjeel)

1. He had a massive problem against playing spinners, in his first or second game, he even missed a full toss off Prasanna to get bowled after having scored 50 already.
Arafat Sunny of Bangladesh caused him a lot of problems during the 2016 Asia Cup and wt20i. He kept getting out to him(yes he was found out to be having an illegal bowling action) yet still he was pretty much a walking wicket against spinners.
2. He looked in good touch when conditions were good for batting. Whilst playing on slower or greener tracks, he always looked out of his depth and seemed like he would lose his wicket every ball.

In ODIs, his stats are exaggerated due to his solitary century against Ireland. I wouldn't really rate that knock much similar to how I don't rate Fakhar and Imam's banger of a series against Zim in 2018.

Take that away, I think it again comes down to the point that he is only likely to score runs when conditions are in his favor. Maybe apart from one fifty against WI in UAE, he hasn't really scored a good inning on a less flatter surface. He did score very good 3 fifties in Aus and yes he did look like our best batter during that series, but he is yet to score some good knocks on difficult surfaces and dominate the spinners as well.

Ideally, he should be given more chances in t20is to judge if he has become better or not but I actually think if anything, he has regressed.

Regarding replacing Rizwan with Sharjeel, I would think would be a very silly move as he is the only one apart from Babar who has been dragging our team over the line in last 4 t20i series.
Rizwan is clearly not comfortable batting in the middle order in the shortest format so there is no reason why he should be dropped down. Neither has any other player done better than Rizwan or Babar to stake a claim as an opener ahead of them.

If pitches in the wt20i are somewhat similar to what they were last time around, then I would say sticking to Rizwan Fakhar and Babar in the top 3 would be the wisest choice as all of them have penchant for big scores and not just 40s and 50s. Babar and Rizwan have already shown that if the pitches are totally flat, then they can easily maintain 8 or 9 an over like they did in SA recently.

Rizwan and Babar are the last people we should be throwing vitriol at right now.

 

[ammar_merry]

Don’t think it spins much in Aus

74 off 47 vs Starc, Hazelwood and Cummins.

79 off 69 vs Starc, Hazelwood and Cummins.

50 off 47 vs Stanlake, Hazelwood and Cummins.

It may have been 5 years ago, but these 3 innings are probably the best innings played by a Pakistani batsman in the last 5 years, simply because of the foreign conditions and the fact that Aus were playing their best bowling attack.

Pakistan lost all those matches. and Aussie were scoring more than 350 on those pitches. Sharjeel could not make it big. those 3 50s along with sharjeel's cameos in 2016 wc, none of them were match winning.
On the other hand we have fakhar and rizwan who once set can always take the match deep and are big match players.

 

[YousafTheBeast]

Pakistan lost all those matches. and Aussie were scoring more than 350 on those pitches. Sharjeel could not make it big. those 3 50s along with sharjeel's cameos in 2016 wc, none of them were match winning.
On the other hand we have fakhar and rizwan who once set can always take the match deep and are big match players.

So you’re blaming the opener who scored 74 off 47 for the loss? An openers job is build a base for the team, not to carry the team to victory. You know there’s a thing called middle order? Something that’s been non existent in the Pakistan team for a while.

If you think Fakhar and Rizwan can play a similar innings to Sharjeel’s innings in Aus vs that bowling attack then I don’t know what to say...

 

[Farabi]

So you’re blaming the opener who scored 74 off 47 for the loss? An openers job is build a base for the team, not to carry the team to victory. You know there’s a thing called middle order? Something that’s been non existent in the Pakistan team for a while.

If you think Fakhar and Rizwan can play a similar innings to Sharjeel’s innings in Aus vs that bowling attack then I don’t know what to say...

I’ve been watching cricket for 25 years, and I’ve never seen a Pakistani opener go after a strong Aussie pace attack in their own backyard like Sharjeel did during the series and succeeded at it, that too 3 times in a row.
Majid and Saeed were the others who did things like that, Sohail bhi “daler” tha, but not the way Sharjeel did during that series. Pakistan opening typically in SENA is about survival and then build during the middle period and explode at the end. Sharjeel was attacking upfront. The rest of our batting was so meek at the time we couldn’t capitalize on those starts. But today, those innings could be match winning due to Babar, Fakhar and Rizwan in the side to see things off.
I hope he’s given 8-10 games to find back that kind of form. If not, he should be sent back to domestic but only after been given fair chances.

 

[iiqbal]

Yes and Sharjeel is such a great player of pace bowling? )

In the PSL Sharjeel went 6 off 19 in the power play vs Islamabad. Great power hitting from the player who is the reincarnation of Jayasuriya.

Rohit has proved himself enough times against top attacks.

Sharjeel’s only use is to bat in the middle order since he is pretty good vs spin.

Respect your opinion , Can you just shared few rohit innings on fast pitch even against minor bowling attack

 

[TeymurBlake]

Whether its Sharjeel Khan or someone else, Pakistan needs a solid aggressive opening who can dominate the first 6 overs. Rizwan has done well opening but you can see he takes his time. Babar should be in the middle order as him coming in at No.3 can slow down Pakistan's run rate. Fakhar Zaman and Hafeez at No.3,4 are fine and Babar at No.5 is perfect.

 

[gazza619]

Well it's a weird topic.
Firstly, I would say I'm not a fan of Sharjeel and don't rate him much either. So my opinion will definitely be biased to a certain degree.

Before getting banned, he had 4 innings of 30+ in t20is.
1. His debut 50 at SR 200 against SL in a bilateral t20i series on a batting paradise chasing around 200.
2. His 47 against NZ off 25 deliveries in 2016 wt20i chasing around 180+
3. His 30 against Aus off 19 delivers in the same 2016 wt20i chasing 180+
4. His 59 against England 2016 off 36 in solitary t20i series. (Pak won)

Off these 4 innings only one was scored in a winning cause and all 4 were scored on flat decks.
The 30 against Aus was inconsequential as Pak had already been knocked out.
He looked a million bucks during the time he was in during all 4 of these innings.
You can argue the 50 against SL and 47 against NZ were very good innings and even though Pak lost, it was more because of the middle order failure.
(In my biased view, if Fakhar were to be put in a situation in which Sharjeel was during these 4 knocks, he would have taken the game far deeper than Sharjeel)

1. He had a massive problem against playing spinners, in his first or second game, he even missed a full toss off Prasanna to get bowled after having scored 50 already.
Arafat Sunny of Bangladesh caused him a lot of problems during the 2016 Asia Cup and wt20i. He kept getting out to him(yes he was found out to be having an illegal bowling action) yet still he was pretty much a walking wicket against spinners.
2. He looked in good touch when conditions were good for batting. Whilst playing on slower or greener tracks, he always looked out of his depth and seemed like he would lose his wicket every ball.

In ODIs, his stats are exaggerated due to his solitary century against Ireland. I wouldn't really rate that knock much similar to how I don't rate Fakhar and Imam's banger of a series against Zim in 2018.

Take that away, I think it again comes down to the point that he is only likely to score runs when conditions are in his favor. Maybe apart from one fifty against WI in UAE, he hasn't really scored a good inning on a less flatter surface. He did score very good 3 fifties in Aus and yes he did look like our best batter during that series, but he is yet to score some good knocks on difficult surfaces and dominate the spinners as well.

Ideally, he should be given more chances in t20is to judge if he has become better or not but I actually think if anything, he has regressed.

Regarding replacing Rizwan with Sharjeel, I would think would be a very silly move as he is the only one apart from Babar who has been dragging our team over the line in last 4 t20i series.
Rizwan is clearly not comfortable batting in the middle order in the shortest format so there is no reason why he should be dropped down. Neither has any other player done better than Rizwan or Babar to stake a claim as an opener ahead of them.

If pitches in the wt20i are somewhat similar to what they were last time around, then I would say sticking to Rizwan Fakhar and Babar in the top 3 would be the wisest choice as all of them have penchant for big scores and not just 40s and 50s. Babar and Rizwan have already shown that if the pitches are totally flat, then they can easily maintain 8 or 9 an over like they did in SA recently.

Rizwan and Babar are the last people we should be throwing vitriol at right now.

POTW stuff!

Thanks for the in-depth analysis.

Considering how poor our options are down the order for a slogger, do you think Sharjeel stands a better chance of giving us 25 off 10 balls batting at number 5 or 6, compared to someone like Haider, Asif, Danish, Ifti or Malik?

 

[shamaan]

He is more than good enough to be in the T20 side.

Rizwan and Babar don't need to open together, as proven today.

He is most destructive at the top of the order, hence why him opening is a must and he is replacing one of the names listed above, so it is a major upgrade.

Doesn't matter about technique or whatever, he just needs to score runs and that is it.

What did it prove yesterday ?

 

[shamaan]

Sharjeel needs to be given a series you can't judge him based upon 1 innings In a tour.however I still think only one of fakhar or sharjeel should play in the opening spot and not both.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

POTW stuff!

Thanks for the in-depth analysis.

Considering how poor our options are down the order for a slogger, do you think Sharjeel stands a better chance of giving us 25 off 10 balls batting at number 5 or 6, compared to someone like Haider, Asif, Danish, Ifti or Malik?

I would still have Haider and Malik in the squad. Haider is simply caught in a rut. He still has the best chance to give us a quickfire 20-30. I would have Malik in the squad because he is simply among our best players of spin in Asian conditions especially India(don't see that happening with his recent tweets against Misbah). Sharjeel in the middle order is a tricky question. How he is able to get going in the middle of the inning especially after the powerplay remains to be seen. He is not a good strike rotator or runner, but can he slog from the word go remains to be seen. If he is in the plans for middle order spot by the management, then he should be spending loads of time working on clearing the boundary in the nets and the practice games and more importantly the upcoming t20is before the wt20i. I am just afraid whatever he is going to score on average, he would give it away in the field with his current fitness.

 

[Mamoon]

What did it prove yesterday ?

Hit 3 fours in 18 balls against Zimbabwe. That is the standards people have set for Sharjeel.

 

[Sir-fraz]

5 years ago you could argue this but since his return his fitness is worse then adnan samis, he cant field to save his life, he cant run between the wickets and he is a terrible catcher.

There is more to the game then batting. Sharjeel is a lost cause and we should be investing in someone younger.

All his fans at this moment in time are delusional fans when even given the facts are still ignoring the truth. He is done as a cricketer.

As [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] and i have said several times. He had years off and could not improve his fitness, his attitude is garbage and of not a professional sports player.

Time too move on. These same type of fans want umar, selfie and asad back.. these fans have little to no knowledge of the game but are some of loudest out there...

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

Cant believe that people are defending Sharjeel here. On fitness alone he does not deserve a spot. Luckily for Pakistan he failed or else he and his fans would have went 'see everything is not about fitness'.

He is a Tier 3 talent at best. Its no loss for Pakistan if he does not play.

 

[Sunny_majoka]

The ammount of support sharjeel is getting from some posters is baffling.

The guy can't bat can't run can't field and we are comparing him with rohit,

He is dead horse end of story.

 

[The Viper]

Respect your opinion , Can you just shared few rohit innings on fast pitch even against minor bowling attack

The majority of pitches in the modern game are flat and Rohit does not have a problem against pace on those tracks, he only struggles against the moving ball on bowling friendly tracks. He has great knocks in relatively low scoring games, though. Here are a few:

Fifth ODI vs Australia in 2017 - 125 (109) in a total of 243

First ODI vs Australia in 2019 - 133 (129) in a total of 254

Fifth ODI vs South Africa in 2018 - 115 (126) in a total of 274

World Cup 2019 game vs South Africa - 122* (144) in a total of 230

He has more credentials than Sharjeel, that is not even a debate, but he has scored runs in low scoring games also.

 

[PakLFC]

Sharjeel means let me eat as much as i want as long as i keep hitting boundaries its shouldn't matter. This is how fat batsmen think

 

[Saj]

Mohammad Yousuf "Unfortunately Sharjeel Khan gained weight during his spot-fixing ban, which is causing an issue in his batting. But we are working on better balance, weight transfer and playing the ball closer to his body which will help him become a mature batsman"

Mohammad Yousuf "Sharjeel Khan is an excellent power-hitter, who can provide valuable starts for Pakistan. But every batsman requires some fine tuning and minor adjustments and once done, those changes will improve Sharjeel's game"

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Mohammad Yousuf "Unfortunately Sharjeel Khan gained weight during his spot-fixing ban, which is causing an issue in his batting. But we are working on better balance, weight transfer and playing the ball closer to his body which will help him become a mature batsman"

Mohammad Yousuf "Sharjeel Khan is an excellent power-hitter, who can provide valuable starts for Pakistan. But every batsman requires some fine tuning and minor adjustments and once done, those changes will improve Sharjeel's game"

Mohammad Yousaf is turning out to be a reliable person in analysing technical stuff in batsmen and it's correction rather than merely being a youtube/tv critic. But I do think being an official employee now, he can't really speak out against a batter he doesn't rate in the media. So we can't really hear from him regarding guys he "actually" thinks are good enough.

 

[Rana]

Mohammad Yousuf "Unfortunately Sharjeel Khan gained weight during his spot-fixing ban, which is causing an issue in his batting. But we are working on better balance, weight transfer and playing the ball closer to his body which will help him become a mature batsman"

Mohammad Yousuf "Sharjeel Khan is an excellent power-hitter, who can provide valuable starts for Pakistan. But every batsman requires some fine tuning and minor adjustments and once done, those changes will improve Sharjeel's game"

Wise words from a man who knows the art of batting.

 

[Caved12]

Wise words from a man who knows the art of batting.

in a subtle way, he is telling us that Sharjeel got banned first and then refused to work on his fitness during the time he was banned and after coming back, he has not taken his fitness seriously and yet we picked him for Pakistan where so many other players deserved a chance a head of him.

 

[Rana]

in a subtle way, he is telling us that Sharjeel got banned first and then refused to work on his fitness during the time he was banned and after coming back, he has not taken his fitness seriously and yet we picked him for Pakistan where so many other players deserved a chance a head of him.

In a blunt way, I’m telling you that he still knows the art of batting in comparison to you or me...or anyone else on this forum

 

[Caved12]

In a blunt way, I’m telling you that he still knows the art of batting in comparison to you or me...or anyone else on this forum

Exactly! Excellent analysis by the great man who definitely knows more about cricket than you and me. Just look at how wisely he has exposed Sharjeel here. Genius

 

[Rana]

Exactly! Excellent analysis by the great man who definitely knows more about cricket than you and me. Just look at how wisely he has exposed Sharjeel here. Genius

He exposed him by saying “Sharjeel khan is an excellent power hitter who can provide excellent starts”?

The insecurity of Rizwan fans is at BCCI/BJP level on this forum!

 

[HussainZ]

Should be dropped for this poor attitude alone. Instead of acknowledging that he needs to work on his fitness, he just dismissed the importance of it.

 

[Caved12]

He exposed him by saying “Sharjeel khan is an excellent power hitter who can provide excellent starts”?

The insecurity of Rizwan fans is at BCCI/BJP level on this forum!

Rizwan fans?

BCCI/BJP?

What are you talking about?

Pakistan always comes first for me and that's the only thing I care about.

 

[NeVerMind]

Sharjeel = Nasir Jamshed version 2.0 (performed earlier in his career and then faded away, complained about about too much focus on fitness, and ultimately exposed as a cheat)

 

[marlonbrowndo]

Imagine gaining weight after you have been temporarily banned for fixing. The perfect opportunity to improve your fitness and skills. Disgusting attitude for an international sportsman and I don’t want this tub of fat anywhere near the team.

 

[PakLFC]

Sharjeel needs to lose some weight for sure. There is no substitute for fitness.

 

[Ami]

You want to represent your country at an international level?
Do it properly mate.
Not as an overgrown teenage kid with 'mooli paratha extra ghee' in one hand and a bat in another.

 

[world cup captain]

in a subtle way, he is telling us that Sharjeel got banned first and then refused to work on his fitness during the time he was banned and after coming back, he has not taken his fitness seriously and yet we picked him for Pakistan where so many other players deserved a chance a head of him.

It pains me to hear these contenders take their abilities for granted and not give a hoot about fitness. Sharjeel only had one thing to do in his ban, yet he returned with a high body fat %. On top of that, our fans want to kick out an honest, hardworking player to reward such unmotivated players with free entry to the team.

 

[Hasan123]

Mohammad Yousuf "Unfortunately Sharjeel Khan gained weight during his spot-fixing ban, which is causing an issue in his batting. But we are working on better balance, weight transfer and playing the ball closer to his body which will help him become a mature batsman"

Mohammad Yousuf "Sharjeel Khan is an excellent power-hitter, who can provide valuable starts for Pakistan. But every batsman requires some fine tuning and minor adjustments and once done, those changes will improve Sharjeel's game"

Just sums up his lack of motivation and attitude towards fitness. He was banned from the game and couldn’t even stay fit and improve his fitness.

 

[UzmanBeast]

Just sums up his lack of motivation and attitude towards fitness. He was banned from the game and couldn’t even stay fit and improve his fitness.

I fully agree, if Sharjeel had worked on his fitness, on his fielding, and on his shortcomings, I would have at least considered having him in international cricket again.

But yet again, you look at the way he gets out now and how he got out before his ban and you'll find shocking similarities.

He hasn't improved since his ban, and has become more of a liability in my opinion.

Yousuf will have one heck of a job to do if Pakistan are serious about Sharjeel being an opening option.

Rizwan is far superior as an opener, delusional Pakistani fans will try to make it seem as though Sharjeel is some Tendulkar that Pakistan haven't used. Rizwan is miles, miles better than Sharjeel, there is no comparison.

 

[Hasan123]

I fully agree, if Sharjeel had worked on his fitness, on his fielding, and on his shortcomings, I would have at least considered having him in international cricket again.

But yet again, you look at the way he gets out now and how he got out before his ban and you'll find shocking similarities.

He hasn't improved since his ban, and has become more of a liability in my opinion.

Yousuf will have one heck of a job to do if Pakistan are serious about Sharjeel being an opening option.

Rizwan is far superior as an opener, delusional Pakistani fans will try to make it seem as though Sharjeel is some Tendulkar that Pakistan haven't used. Rizwan is miles, miles better than Sharjeel, there is no comparison.

I don’t want him to represent us anyway due to his fixing, but take that away his shocking attitude towards fitness and his ability to not stay in shape is enough reason to not want him selected.

Moyo definitely has a lot of work to do with him. I agree Rizwan is definitely better. If you gave Sharjeel the same amount of games Rizwan has had, I don’t see Sharjeel outperforming him to be honest.

 

[UzmanBeast]

I don’t want him to represent us anyway due to his fixing, but take that away his shocking attitude towards fitness and his ability to not stay in shape is enough reason to not want him selected.

Moyo definitely has a lot of work to do with him. I agree Rizwan is definitely better. If you gave Sharjeel the same amount of games Rizwan has had, I don’t see Sharjeel outperforming him to be honest.

It's quite sad to see fans defending Sharjeel ahead of Rizwan, it is an image of how pathetic the general cricketing sense is in Pakistan.

Sharjeel wouldn't even have been allowed to play domestic cricket in some countries if he got caught spot-fixing, but we have given him such an easy walkway into the national setup, it's honestly astonishing.

The state of Pakistan Cricket is horrible, and there are countless examples all around us whether or not we choose to accept them.

For one, our talent pool is so shallow that a kid who played U-19 a year ago had to be brought into the team on the back of no domestic performances, and now that he's failing, people are turning savage on him as if it were his fault in the first place. That was Haider Ali by the way.

Had any nation like India, Australia, New Zealand or England unearthed a talent like Naseem, I kid you not he would have been kept in domestic for about three years until he developed enough. They would have developed him and worked with him, eventually making him into a world-class bowler. Meanwhile, Pakistan absolutely destroyed such a good prospect because of our own idiotic decisions to take him on away tours and fast-tracking him into the team.

On the current Pakistan team, so many players are regressing that it's quite concerning. Shadab was just a few years ago one of the players who would establish himself as being one of the worlds best, and look where he is now.

We seriously need to get our heads straight if we want to become a successful team, but when you return to leg-side hacks like Sharjeel even after they are convicted of spot-fixing, it just goes to show how primitive and pathetic the mindsets of the selectors are.

The Pakistan Cricket Team has no self-respect and no awareness at all, and it is the reason why our cricket is in a never-ending downwards spiral.

 

[MenInG]

Did well with a dive in the game against Islamabad

 

[marlonbrowndo]

And some clueless people want this guy to replace Rizwan

 

[Saj]

Seems to be trying a bit too hard to play correctly at the moment.

We need the real Sharjeel to break-free.

 

[Rana]

And some clueless people want this guy to replace Rizwan

What did he do wrong today? In comparison to others?