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[VIDEOS] Justice for Sahibzada Farhan: what did he do wrong?

How about all you jack@she’s taking digs at me for making this thread explain what exactly did Sahibzada do wrong to earn his chance in the national side?
 
Rana said:
I don’t get it…

A guy works hard in the domestics and isn’t getting his chance.

He finally is getting his chance in conditions that are not ideal but at least he’s getting a fair chance after a long time.

How is any of this my fault? The point of the thread is to give a deserving guy his chance! What’s wrong with that?
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This guy doesn’t pass the eye test. He has a very limited range of shots and it can easily be judged he is not a white ball player.

Way worse than Rizwan and other accumulators.

Perhaps can be tried in Tests.
 
Hawkeye said:
This guy doesn’t pass the eye test. He has a very limited range of shots and it can easily be judged he is not a white ball player.

Way worse than Rizwan and other accumulators.

Perhaps can be tried in Tests.
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That’s fine

He did what he had to at domestic level to deserve his chance. If he ain’t good enough at International level, so be it
 
Kianig89 said:
The work got harder , Sharjeel Khan, Asif Ali, Usman Khan & Shaibzada #Flop4
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To be honest Sharjeel and Usman are the only two proper T20 batters Pakistan has apart from guys like Fakhar, M Haris, Saim Ayub.

Asif Ali hits hard too but is too predictable only leg side hack.
 
Hawkeye said:
To be honest Sharjeel and Usman are the only two proper T20 batters Pakistan has apart from guys like Fakhar, M Haris, Saim Ayub.

Asif Ali hits hard too but is too predictable only leg side hack.
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Usman is not suitable for club cricket let alone international level
 
Rana said:
How about all you jack@she’s taking digs at me for making this thread explain what exactly did Sahibzada do wrong to earn his chance in the national side?
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I think the problem is that domestic performance has to be married with an eye test. Otherwise Ifti would be your best player. Guys like Farhan are not good enough. I would push for someone like Omair Bin Yousuf. He has some performances and makes the eye test
 
zarak said:
I think the problem is that domestic performance has to be married with an eye test. Otherwise Ifti would be your best player. Guys like Farhan are not good enough. I would push for someone like Omair Bin Yousuf. He has some performances and makes the eye test
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Agreed.

One shouldn’t blindly trust our domestic stats, specially for batters.

Judge them on their ability to smash pace and short balls. And if someone is mostly scoring on the leg side, discard them no matter how good the stats.
 
I said it before these guys are glorified street cricketers who played tape ball .
They wouldn't even make it into country cricket teams never mind intl level.
 
As I said in earlier posts, unfortunately our domestic cricket is so crap and pathetic that domestic performances cannot guarantee a player's calibre.

There is long list of domestic toppers failing at international level.
 
Kianig89 said:
As I said in earlier posts, unfortunately our domestic cricket is so crap and pathetic that domestic performances cannot guarantee a player's calibre.

There is long list of domestic toppers failing at international level.
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So then why do you people have issues with players who have a reputation but are not topping domestic charts? If I say Sharjeel should open, it’s you people who will bring up his current recent performances in domestics. You guys are hypocrites.
 
Rana said:
So then why do you people have issues with players who have a reputation but are not topping domestic charts? If I say Sharjeel should open, it’s you people who will bring up his current recent performances in domestics. You guys are hypocrites.
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A paltry average of 22 with SR of 133, nothing to be proud off , add to it the fitness and disciplinary issues. Thank you very much
 
Cricket Warrior said:
he got unlucky 2 times in this seires but i think if managenent sticks with him so he would be much better option compared to Usman Khan.
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It's a lottery. I don't know his ceiling but from what I have seen, it's not much higher. One thing for sure the depth is appalling and things will get much worse before they get better.
 
Rana said:
But you gotta highlight hypocrisy

So what are we supposed to do? Not raise awareness about a player being treated unfairly? What did Sahibzada do wrong to make it into the national side?
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Rana I've said your diagnosis about the T20 side is correct. This Rizbar anchoring nonsense ran its course years ago, and no serious T20 team has two anchors in their top three.

But respectfully you're creating hard luck stories out of guys scarcely any better than the status quo. I saw Sahibzada Farhan's debut in that 2018 T20 tri-series in ZIM. The guy fell over and got stumped down the legside by Glenn Maxwell of all people. He played in UAE a few months later and failed there. He failed in New Zealand (out of position). Now he's returned back to his usual opening spot in 2 out of these 3 matches in Australia and it's another flop. Sure he's had some decent domestic displays but his overall T20 SR is 128. In PSL 2024 his SR was 133. He's not the answer to our woes.

We're all just going round and round in circles debating Rizwan, Babar, Farhan and co without looking at the bigger picture. Since the inception of T20, Pakistan has produced one batsman with a SR above 140 (Shahid Afridi). In comparison:

India - 12
Australia - 9
England and West Indies - 6
South Africa and New Zealand - 4.

What does that speak to ? IMO contrary to the mythology of mercurialness, reverse swing, doosras etc - we've become a conservative cricket culture averse to risk and innovation (mirroring Pakistani society's rightwards turn since the 80s).

For example, we appoint Mohammad Yousuf as batting coach and U19 coach. Now he was a terrific batsman and one of my faves, but how many reverse sweeps or scoops did he play ? How much T20 did he play ? How could he possibly relate to our youngsters in this era where there's much more data and video analysis, where opposition are quick to identify your scoring zones and cut them off ? Our selectors are usually cut from the same cloth - their playing primes from a bygone age.

We also hear junior Pakistani batsmen speak of being severely admonished by their coaches for playing aerial shots. And don't start me on our absymal, pea shooter pitches that does nothing to encourage development of backfoot strokeplay.

I understand every fan has a particular issue they're passionate about. For you it's Pakistan's white ball batting. For me, it's the domestic cricket structure. We can cry hoarse about this player or that Chairman, argue like hell with other posters, but these individuals come and go and the results stay the same. Nothing substantial will change in our lifetimes without total systemic and cultural change.
 
Markhor said:
Nothing substantial will change in our lifetimes without total systemic and cultural change
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I’ve accepted that,

In the meantime. I will continue to make life a living hell for those who promote the wrong kind of players for positions they have no business in.

I can’t just wait 5-10 years for the cultural change whilst frauds like Babar and Rizwan continue to exploit Pakistan cricket, and their fans continue to lie on their behalf.

I agree that a cultural change is the way forward in batting approach, but what I will not allow to go unchecked is the current selfish approach that is being promoted by these two individuals. It’s not the kind of cricket I was brought up on, it’s not the kind of cricket I saw in the Pakistan team that I enjoyed watching. What I see with these two now is abysmal, and I have taken an oath like Feanor did to absolutely tarnish these individuals that have destroyed my cricket team.

I’ve come too far on this path of vengeance pal. Maybe one day we will have a Pakistani batting culture like the English, Australians, South Africans etc. i hope we do. Until then, I can only continue to offer my part by cancelling the current approach for maybe a future generation who hopefully doesn’t go down the wrong path. That wrong path is Rizwan and Babar.
 
Rana said:
I’ve accepted that,

In the meantime. I will continue to make life a living hell for those who promote the wrong kind of players for positions they have no business in.

I can’t just wait 5-10 years for the cultural change whilst frauds like Babar and Rizwan continue to exploit Pakistan cricket, and their fans continue to lie on their behalf.

I agree that a cultural change is the way forward in batting approach, but what I will not allow to go unchecked is the current selfish approach that is being promoted by these two individuals. It’s not the kind of cricket I was brought up on, it’s not the kind of cricket I saw in the Pakistan team that I enjoyed watching. What I see with these two now is abysmal, and I have taken an oath like Feanor did to absolutely tarnish these individuals that have destroyed my cricket team.

I’ve come too far on this path of vengeance pal. Maybe one day we will have a Pakistani batting culture like the English, Australians, South Africans etc. i hope we do. Until then, I can only continue to offer my part by cancelling the current approach for maybe a future generation who hopefully doesn’t go down the wrong path. That wrong path is Rizwan and Babar.
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Pakistan doesn't nessasrily need a batting culture like England's to succeed. Infact England is often critised for being bunnies on non seaming pitches.

After classic Australia the strongest aussie side was their 2015 side. And most of it was a mix of aggressive batters + accumulators × gun pacers.

For example Steve smith and Micheal Clarke complimented Watson and Warner extremely well.

In t20 I agree with you, Pakistan is behind, but in odi, Quality bowling followed by a mix of aggressive and accumulative batting will still get you 350 to 360 totals and win you games.

The Problem with Pakistan in odi is that their clueless on how to actually approach an innings which was not the case during sarfi's era.

The likes of saud shakeel at no 4 can perfectly compliment the likes of fakhar and saim ayub at opening in odi.

It's just Pakistan has an obsessive habit of paring lanats with talents at every number and obsessively find a way to shoehorn rizwan in somehow
 
Play him in asian conditions and he will flourish, We should never pick any batter from domestic cricket for T20 cricket in SENA conditions ,all will fail , if you want to develop player specially for T20 cricket in SENA conditions , it has to be from the U19 category and let him learn on how to play on job, he will only get accustomed to low bounce pitches if he continue to play domestic cricket and will never become a successful T20 play in alien conditions.
 
Cpt. Rishwat said:
Not sure he did deserve his chance. Much like Haseebullah, I think he made one 50 early on in the last PSL, but he mostly failed even at that level.
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With the current levels of talent and performance, that is relatively good. The problem is that everyone knows the problem but no one has a solution. Take away the joke suggestions, who can we pick? And therein lies the problem.
 
Bewal Express said:
With the current levels of talent and performance, that is relatively good. The problem is that everyone knows the problem but no one has a solution. Take away the joke suggestions, who can we pick? And therein lies the problem.
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I think the only other option is players like Irfan Khan who don't look like much talent wise, but he did at least look like he thrived on the international stage.
 
He has played all of his matches in SENA I believe.

Yeah he hasn't looked great but its a new environment. Let him build up some confidence against minnows and in home/asian conditions and take it from there.

Again, i'm not passing commentary on him as a player but this is classic Pakistani tactics. Throw someone in at tough games abroad, they fail, then you bring back the "seniors" for the cushy home games.

It's happened too many times.
 
DeadlyVenom said:
He has played all of his matches in SENA I believe.

Yeah he hasn't looked great but its a new environment. Let him build up some confidence against minnows and in home/asian conditions and take it from there.

Again, i'm not passing commentary on him as a player but this is classic Pakistani tactics. Throw someone in at tough games abroad, they fail, then you bring back the "seniors" for the cushy home games.

It's happened too many times.
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That's why a player needs to be given a run. Once Saim was picked he should have persisted with in T20. But in that situation you have to assess if the player has the brain cells to self evaluate and improve.
 
Having seen him live, he seems to pick up the ball soooo late.

This also tracks with his dismissals, pulling the ball and skying catches. He got out the same way in NZ also.

He might not be ready for international cricket yet, but look at how Aus is handling Jake Fraser . They are fully behind him, and hyping him up every chance they can get.

No calls for him to be dropped yet. Farhan should be given more chances to gain confidence and overcome his deficiency.
 
Sycamore said:
Having seen him live, he seems to pick up the ball soooo late.

This also tracks with his dismissals, pulling the ball and skying catches. He got out the same way in NZ also.

He might not be ready for international cricket yet, but look at how Aus is handling Jake Fraser . They are fully behind him, and hyping him up every chance they can get.

No calls for him to be dropped yet. Farhan should be given more chances to gain confidence and overcome his deficiency.
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The is a world of difference between Farhan and JFM in terms of talent, even if we ignore the big age difference.
 
Sahibzada isn’t a new kid on the block. He has been around for ages and ardent followers of Pakistan cricket have watched him bat at various levels.

Anyone who knows anything about cricket can tell that he isn’t international caliber especially in white ball cricket. You didn’t need to wait for him to get a chance before passing a verdict.

Focus on my qualifying statement “anyone who knows anything shout cricket” because the OP clearly doesn’t fall into that category.
 
Mamoon said:
Sahibzada isn’t a new kid on the block. He has been around for ages and ardent followers of Pakistan cricket have watched him bat at various levels.
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He reminds me of Ahmed Shehzad but with nervousness. At least at the beginning of Ahmed's career he was decent for the time.
 
Rana said:
But you gotta highlight hypocrisy

So what are we supposed to do? Not raise awareness about a player being treated unfairly? What did Sahibzada do wrong to make it into the national side?
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Once we travel back to Asia, this same S Farhan will blow these same posters away. All you have to do is wait…
 
Mamoon said:
Sahibzada isn’t a new kid on the block. He has been around for ages and ardent followers of Pakistan cricket have watched him bat at various levels.

Anyone who knows anything about cricket can tell that he isn’t international caliber especially in white ball cricket. You didn’t need to wait for him to get a chance before passing a verdict.

Focus on my qualifying statement “anyone who knows anything shout cricket” because the OP clearly doesn’t fall into that category.
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Specifically, what aspects of his batting are considered not "international level," and how was that conclusion reached?
What about his batting allows him to succeed consistently in domestic cricket but becomes ineffective or irrelevant at the international level?
 
RidiculousMan said:
He reminds me of Ahmed Shehzad but with nervousness. At least at the beginning of Ahmed's career he was decent for the time.
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Lol? How so? Their completly different types of players.

Shehzad pre mediated on the front foot and against spinner relied on late cuts while farhan is predominantly a back foot player and relies on power and muscle to clear the rope?

Their not similar in any capacity
 
Mamoon said:
Sahibzada isn’t a new kid on the block. He has been around for ages and ardent followers of Pakistan cricket have watched him bat at various levels.

Anyone who knows anything about cricket can tell that he isn’t international caliber especially in white ball cricket. You didn’t need to wait for him to get a chance before passing a verdict.

Focus on my qualifying statement “anyone who knows anything shout cricket” because the OP clearly doesn’t fall into that category.
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He will never make it at international because he's very limited. I seen him multiple times at domestic level from his debut till now. He's hasn't even developed much. Still struggles against pacer. His feet are stuck in cement. Can't play a moving ball. Can't rotate strike. Can't play anything above waist height. I can go on. In the last t20 after hitting a boundary I knew the ball will be a bouncer and will provide a simple catch and that exactly what happened.
 
Farabi said:
Specifically, what aspects of his batting are considered not "international level," and how was that conclusion reached?
What about his batting allows him to succeed consistently in domestic cricket but becomes ineffective or irrelevant at the international level?
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I will add to the issues @khyberlion mentioned. Usman is in the same boat. Always late and extremely poor vs short ball. Such players have very little chance of success especially vs the top sides.

Sahibzada is at best a reserve option when the likes of Babar, Rizwan, Shafique etc. are not available. He can do a job in Test though, especially in Asia, but people are mistaken if they they think he can take Pakistan white ball batting to a level that Babar and Rizwan were not able to.

Speaking of OP, his problem is that he has no understanding of cricket and will latch onto anyone that can offer him an alternative to Babar and Rizwan, but Sahibzada is nowhere near them and never will be.

Saud Shakeel is the only batsman who can compete with them and he really needs to be part of the ODI team.
 
Mamoon said:
I will add to the issues @khyberlion mentioned. Usman is in the same boat. Always late and extremely poor vs short ball. Such players have very little chance of success especially vs the top sides.

Sahibzada is at best a reserve option when the likes of Babar, Rizwan, Shafique etc. are not available. He can do a job in Test though, especially in Asia, but people are mistaken if they they think he can take Pakistan white ball batting to a level that Babar and Rizwan were not able to.

Speaking of OP, his problem is that he has no understanding of cricket and will latch onto anyone that can offer him an alternative to Babar and Rizwan, but Sahibzada is nowhere near them and never will be.

Saud Shakeel is the only batsman who can compete with them and he really needs to be part of the ODI team.
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Fakhar > Babar and Rizwan in whiteball.

Saud > Babar and Rizwan in tests.

In terms of talent however Saud > Rizwan in odi but saud doesn't have the numbers atm. Talent wise he's > Rizwan.

Saud in terms of talent vs Babar is debatable. Peak Babar laces pace and dominated rubbish bowling something saud cannot do. However their isnt a better player of spin then saud shakeel in the country atm in any format .

Pure talent wise, Fakhar >>>>>> Anyone in pakistan. However he underachieved in his whiteball career. But mostly thanks to Misbah.
 
mominsaigol said:
Fakhar > Babar and Rizwan in whiteball.

Saud > Babar and Rizwan in tests.

In terms of talent however Saud > Rizwan in odi but saud doesn't have the numbers atm. Talent wise he's > Rizwan.

Saud in terms of talent vs Babar is debatable. Peak Babar laces pace and dominated rubbish bowling something saud cannot do. However their isnt a better player of spin then saud shakeel in the country atm in any format .

Pure talent wise, Fakhar >>>>>> Anyone in pakistan. However he underachieved in his whiteball career. But mostly thanks to Misbah.
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Misbah has done nothing to Fakhar. That is a baseless allegation. In fact, Misbah helped him by making him bat in the middle-order in T20Is because he was clearly not working as an opener in the format.

Swapping positions of Fakhar and Rizwan helped both players and more importantly, helped Pakistan.

Also, I wouldn’t agree that he has underachieved - his ODI stats are brilliant especially for a player who plays risky shots and has the tendency to throw it away.

Fakhar is the most successful aggressive white ball batsman in Pakistan history.
 
Mamoon said:
Misbah has done nothing to Fakhar. That is a baseless allegation. In fact, Misbah helped him by making him bat in the middle-order in T20Is because he was clearly not working as an opener in the format.

Swapping positions of Fakhar and Rizwan helped both players and more importantly, helped Pakistan.

Also, I wouldn’t agree that he has underachieved - his ODI stats are brilliant especially for a player who plays risky shots and has the tendency to throw it away.

Fakhar is the most successful aggressive white ball batsman in Pakistan history.
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Yes he did. Cricket Is not a stats simulator. You yourself have bashed those who had the audacity to claim Misbah > Inzimam and whether you'd take Misbah ahead of Inzi in a world cup.

This is because even though misbah has had better numbers then inzi, The gulf in talent between these 2 is enormous. Inzi vs Misbah is the equivalent to De villers vs Umar akmal (Your words not mine)

Same is applicable for Fakhar and Rizwan irrespective of formats. Fakhar kicks the crap out of Rizzu in terms of talent.

Fakhar's 91 of 46 against peak Australia in 2018 in t20 is >>>>> Anything rizwan can and will ever do in his international T20 career. RIZZU'S t20 peak will always be his accumulative score against prime India in 2021 which included bumrah.

As for underachieved, He has underachieved but I didn't mean it as an insult. Someone of Fakhar's talent should have been a bit more consistent in both odi and t20. However that's not the case since Fakhar's mantra is to fail 9 games and then hit a monster 150 to 200 in a crucial all important game.
 
mominsaigol said:
Yes he did. Cricket Is not a stats simulator. You yourself have bashed those who had the audacity to claim Misbah > Inzimam and whether you'd take Misbah ahead of Inzi in a world cup.

This is because even though misbah has had better numbers then inzi, The gulf in talent between these 2 is enormous. Inzi vs Misbah is the equivalent to De villers vs Umar akmal (Your words not mine)

Same is applicable for Fakhar and Rizwan irrespective of formats. Fakhar kicks the crap out of Rizzu in terms of talent.

Fakhar's 91 of 46 against peak Australia in 2018 in t20 is >>>>> Anything rizwan can and will ever do in his international T20 career. RIZZU'S t20 peak will always be his accumulative score against prime India in 2021 which included bumrah.

As for underachieved, He has underachieved but I didn't mean it as an insult. Someone of Fakhar's talent should have been a bit more consistent in both odi and t20. However that's not the case since Fakhar's mantra is to fail 9 games and then hit a monster 150 to 200 in a crucial all important game.
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Wrong analogy.

Rizwan and Inzamam batted in different eras. Put them in the same team in their prime and there will be no match between the two.

Fakhar and Rizwan are from the same era. Rizwan has consistently outperformed Fakhar as a T20 opener both in international cricket and also in PSL. That is all the evidence anyone should need to accept that Rizwan is a better T20 opener.

On paper, Fakhar should be better because he is more dynamic, but cricket isn’t played on paper and Fakhar has a mental block when it comes to opening in the format.

He hasn’t found a way to crack the code and probably never will because he is almost past his prime.
 
Mamoon said:
Wrong analogy.

Rizwan and Inzamam batted in different eras. Put them in the same team in their prime and there will be no match between the two.

Fakhar and Rizwan are from the same era. Rizwan has consistently outperformed Fakhar as a T20 opener both in international cricket and also in PSL. That is all the evidence anyone should need to accept that Rizwan is a better T20 opener.

On paper, Fakhar should be better because he is more dynamic, but cricket isn’t played on paper and Fakhar has a mental block when it comes to opening in the format.

He hasn’t found a way to crack the code and probably never will because he is almost past his prime.
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It's not a wrong analogy.

The gulf in talent between these 2 is enormous plain and simple.

When you have a gem like fakhar, The management + everyone involved must make sure that they make him more consistent because he's too good a player to discard as an opener.

Rizwan is limited and will get exposed 10 out of 10x against semi decent bowling like he did against australia recently.

Rizzu's purple patch from 2020-2021 back when he was new is over. Every opposition has found him out and it clearly shows from his rubbish form in t20 from 2022 uptill now.

Babar is in the same boat atm.
 
The year 2024

An IQ of 150 means to argue Rizwan is a better T20 opener or potential opener to Fakhar Zaman

Where do these IQ’s of 150 get handed out? The same place where an average of 47 results in 16 off 26? And then chickening out from a match the next game?


Pakistan cricket fans, the dumb ones, the smart ones apparently are all as mediocre as Rizwan’s white ball cricket approach.
 
Rizwan is the most consistent opener in history of Pak cricket.
When you are consistent you increase your team's chances of winning more often than other players.

I agree his SR is not high but no opener from Pakistan has ever scored runs consistently at high SR.
And street cricketers like Sahibzada never will. Justice campaigns don't make a player perform.

All this talk about scoring impactful runs is meaningless if that player scores just once in 10 innings.

I hope we find some openers and middle order players who can score runs consistently at a good SR.

At the moment not a single player falls into that category. Fakhar had that potential but he never cracked T20's.
 
mominsaigol said:
It's not a wrong analogy.

The gulf in talent between these 2 is enormous plain and simple.

When you have a gem like fakhar, The management + everyone involved must make sure that they make him more consistent because he's too good a player to discard as an opener.

Rizwan is limited and will get exposed 10 out of 10x against semi decent bowling like he did against australia recently.

Rizzu's purple patch from 2020-2021 back when he was new is over. Every opposition has found him out and it clearly shows from his rubbish form in t20 from 2022 uptill now.

Babar is in the same boat atm.
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Gulf in talent doesn’t matter when it is not reflected on the pitch. Rizwan has consistently outperformed Fakhar as a T20 opener in both international cricket & PSL.
 
Thread has mostly turned into another rizwan battleground. Please watch the title again before you post
 
Sycamore said:
Having seen him live, he seems to pick up the ball soooo late.

This also tracks with his dismissals, pulling the ball and skying catches. He got out the same way in NZ also.

He might not be ready for international cricket yet, but look at how Aus is handling Jake Fraser . They are fully behind him, and hyping him up every chance they can get.

No calls for him to be dropped yet. Farhan should be given more chances to gain confidence and overcome his deficiency.
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This seems to be a trait of most Pakistani batsmen. Perhaps it is just a matter of taking time to adjust to foreign wickets after batting in the subcontinent all their lives. I am sceptical, but might only be fair to give them a decent run abroad just so they get a fair chance. Farhan failed in quite a few PSL innings as well, so might just be a technical weakness.
 
Mamoon said:
I will add to the issues @khyberlion mentioned. Usman is in the same boat. Always late and extremely poor vs short ball. Such players have very little chance of success especially vs the top sides.

Sahibzada is at best a reserve option when the likes of Babar, Rizwan, Shafique etc. are not available. He can do a job in Test though, especially in Asia, but people are mistaken if they they think he can take Pakistan white ball batting to a level that Babar and Rizwan were not able to.

Speaking of OP, his problem is that he has no understanding of cricket and will latch onto anyone that can offer him an alternative to Babar and Rizwan, but Sahibzada is nowhere near them and never will be.

Saud Shakeel is the only batsman who can compete with them and he really needs to be part of the ODI team.
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It’s true that Farhan struggled against the short ball in Australia, but as @khyberlion pointed out, this isn’t unique to him—it’s been the story for most Pakistani debutants and established players in those conditions over the last 50 years but they went on to have great careers anyway. Even the likes of Saud Shakeel faced similar struggles in Australia, so he should not be in ODIs based on your barometer. Using these initial struggles as a definitive judgment for a player’s potential isn’t realistic.

Your comparison of Farhan to established players like Babar and Rizwan is flawed because it assumes that all players must reach that elite level immediately or be discarded. Not every player has to match Babar’s or Rizwan’s ceiling to be valuable to the team. Domestic cricket dominance, as noted by Matthew Hayden talking about Aussie domestic system in a recent interview on a local channel, is a strong indicator of talent, even if it’s not a guarantee. Players who consistently perform domestically—like Farhan—deserve opportunities, especially given their work ethic and persistence.

You also mention that Farhan is at best a reserve option, but that perspective fails to account for player development. Expecting players to magically adapt without exposure to high-pressure environments like international cricket is counterproductive. Players grow by being thrown into the fire, learning from their weaknesses, and improving over

Relying on subjective observations rather than objective performance metrics is a slippery slope that can lead to inconsistency and favoritism in selection. Players who consistently perform in domestic cricket, like Farhan, offer a data-driven benchmark for evaluation. While domestic success doesn’t always translate to international dominance, it’s still the best available predictor of potential.

The ‘eye test’ can often be misleading—many players who appear technically sound may struggle under pressure, while others with unconventional techniques, like Steve Smith, have gone on to achieve great success. By relying solely on subjective assessments, we risk creating a system where players feel their hard work and domestic performances don’t matter, leading to demotivation and chaos in selection processes.

Farhan’s consistent domestic performances and work ethic deserve recognition and opportunity. Instead of dismissing him for struggling against short balls in Australia—conditions where nearly all Pakistani debutants have historically struggled—we should focus on his potential and provide him the environment to develop into a player (or discarded after proper chances).
 
Farabi said:
It’s true that Farhan struggled against the short ball in Australia, but as @khyberlion pointed out, this isn’t unique to him—it’s been the story for most Pakistani debutants and established players in those conditions over the last 50 years but they went on to have great careers anyway. Even the likes of Saud Shakeel faced similar struggles in Australia, so he should not be in ODIs based on your barometer. Using these initial struggles as a definitive judgment for a player’s potential isn’t realistic.

Your comparison of Farhan to established players like Babar and Rizwan is flawed because it assumes that all players must reach that elite level immediately or be discarded. Not every player has to match Babar’s or Rizwan’s ceiling to be valuable to the team. Domestic cricket dominance, as noted by Matthew Hayden talking about Aussie domestic system in a recent interview on a local channel, is a strong indicator of talent, even if it’s not a guarantee. Players who consistently perform domestically—like Farhan—deserve opportunities, especially given their work ethic and persistence.

You also mention that Farhan is at best a reserve option, but that perspective fails to account for player development. Expecting players to magically adapt without exposure to high-pressure environments like international cricket is counterproductive. Players grow by being thrown into the fire, learning from their weaknesses, and improving over

Relying on subjective observations rather than objective performance metrics is a slippery slope that can lead to inconsistency and favoritism in selection. Players who consistently perform in domestic cricket, like Farhan, offer a data-driven benchmark for evaluation. While domestic success doesn’t always translate to international dominance, it’s still the best available predictor of potential.

The ‘eye test’ can often be misleading—many players who appear technically sound may struggle under pressure, while others with unconventional techniques, like Steve Smith, have gone on to achieve great success. By relying solely on subjective assessments, we risk creating a system where players feel their hard work and domestic performances don’t matter, leading to demotivation and chaos in selection processes.

Farhan’s consistent domestic performances and work ethic deserve recognition and opportunity. Instead of dismissing him for struggling against short balls in Australia—conditions where nearly all Pakistani debutants have historically struggled—we should focus on his potential and provide him the environment to develop into a player (or discarded after proper chances).
Click to expand...
A hybrid approach. Domestic performance with some sort of eye test. By that I mean does this player have the range of shots or the technique to thrive at the international level. For example, Khurram Manzoor is a top domestic performer. But I do not think he has the game for international cricket. In contrast, someone like Huraira or that Sulaiman guy in the current shaheens squad looks like he can make it. Same with Omair Bin Yousuf.
 
I think Farhan is better suited for ODIs rather than making him play in T20s his T20 stats in domestic cricket are not impressive so it’s better not to spoil his career by forcing him to play in the T20 format.
 
Rana said:
If the aim is to emulate Rizwan, then you might as well not have any aim in life.
Click to expand...
I think it’s important to acknowledge both the strengths and weaknesses without leaning into extremes.

I agree with you that Rizwan is not the ideal opener in T20s due to his strike rate and Powerplay utilization. However, on the flip side, he’s an asset and a batter in ODIs and Tests, and his glove work is top-notch.
 
zarak said:
A hybrid approach. Domestic performance with some sort of eye test. By that I mean does this player have the range of shots or the technique to thrive at the international level. For example, Khurram Manzoor is a top domestic performer. But I do not think he has the game for international cricket. In contrast, someone like Huraira or that Sulaiman guy in the current shaheens squad looks like he can make it. Same with Omair Bin Yousuf.
Click to expand...

It’s a slippery slope. You think “Hurraira,” I might think “Umar Amin,” and Mamoon might think “Saud.” Everyone has their own pick when relying on the eye test, and this is exactly how Pakistan cricket has ended up where it is—a story of personal likes and dislikes influencing decisions.

Where I agree with you is the starting point. Most Pakistani domestic players will struggle in Australian conditions, which makes it a terrible place to debut. Players should be eased into familiar conditions so they can get those early nerves out of the way and rely on the skills they already possess. Where and how you debut someone is crucial.

We also need to learn to trust data, but to do so effectively, we must first understand how to use it—a skill that is often lacking in Pakistan cricket. Here are some common myths that need addressing:

1. A player averaging 50 in List A will definitely succeed internationally.
False. While it’s a positive indicator, it guarantees nothing. It’s just a starting point in a broader evaluation.

2. A player did well in one domestic season, so they should succeed internationally.
False. One strong season could simply be down to chance. You need to look at consistency over multiple seasons.

3. A domestic performer failed on debut, so they’re not good enough.
False. Most players perform poorly in their first 10–15 games. Gradual improvement is the norm, while instant success is an exception.

4. A good List A performer will succeed in any format and in any conditions.
False. Success in List A cricket suggests potential for ODIs. For Tests, you need to evaluate First-Class (FC) performance instead.

Understanding these nuances can help us move away from subjective judgments and create a more systematic approach to nurturing talent.
 
Farabi said:
It’s a slippery slope. You think “Hurraira,” I might think “Umar Amin,” and Mamoon might think “Saud.” Everyone has their own pick when relying on the eye test, and this is exactly how Pakistan cricket has ended up where it is—a story of personal likes and dislikes influencing decisions.

Where I agree with you is the starting point. Most Pakistani domestic players will struggle in Australian conditions, which makes it a terrible place to debut. Players should be eased into familiar conditions so they can get those early nerves out of the way and rely on the skills they already possess. Where and how you debut someone is crucial.

We also need to learn to trust data, but to do so effectively, we must first understand how to use it—a skill that is often lacking in Pakistan cricket. Here are some common myths that need addressing:

1. A player averaging 50 in List A will definitely succeed internationally.
False. While it’s a positive indicator, it guarantees nothing. It’s just a starting point in a broader evaluation.

2. A player did well in one domestic season, so they should succeed internationally.
False. One strong season could simply be down to chance. You need to look at consistency over multiple seasons.

3. A domestic performer failed on debut, so they’re not good enough.
False. Most players perform poorly in their first 10–15 games. Gradual improvement is the norm, while instant success is an exception.

4. A good List A performer will succeed in any format and in any conditions.
False. Success in List A cricket suggests potential for ODIs. For Tests, you need to evaluate First-Class (FC) performance instead.

Understanding these nuances can help us move away from subjective judgments and create a more systematic approach to nurturing talent.
Click to expand...
But that is what selectors are for. You hire a selector or a scout for their eye. Otherwise, a computer can do the job. The noise about likes and dislikes will never go away its part of our mindset. Some top talents have come through the eye test both in Pakistan and Internationally. I think both methods are okay. Give Farhan a long run to reward domestic performers but also back players like Saim, ABD, Huraira that just look like they belong.
 
Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt suggests Sahibzada Farhan is not ‘international material’:

“He was late on the ball. After getting out once or twice, a batter realizes that he’s late on a particular shot, especially here [in Australia], where there is steep bounce and the new ball is coming at pace,”

“You either avoid such deliveries or if you can’t avoid them, you take a single towards third man on such short-pitched balls. But if you keep getting out playing the same shot in the same way, it means your shot selection is limited,”

“This shows that not everyone who scores runs in domestic cricket is necessarily an international material,”
 
Cricket Warrior said:
Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt suggests Sahibzada Farhan is not ‘international material’:

“He was late on the ball. After getting out once or twice, a batter realizes that he’s late on a particular shot, especially here [in Australia], where there is steep bounce and the new ball is coming at pace,”

“You either avoid such deliveries or if you can’t avoid them, you take a single towards third man on such short-pitched balls. But if you keep getting out playing the same shot in the same way, it means your shot selection is limited,”

“This shows that not everyone who scores runs in domestic cricket is necessarily an international material,”
Click to expand...
@Rana do you agree? 🤔
 
Rana said:
He should explain what is ‘international material’ then. He also said in the same show that Pakistan should resort back to Babar and Rizwan

You think I don’t know this guy’s games? He is from Misbah’s friend’s circle. He’s a not an honest pundit.
Click to expand...
Yep but he has been the friend of Asif and Amir too. If Sahibzada is not international material then I don't know who is he referring to
 
Rana said:

@mominsaigol
@shaz619
@topspin
@emranabbas
@Dr_Bassim

Listen to what this besharam has to say from 4:00minutes onwards for RizBar

I swear this guy Salman Butt is on my hit list as well now!
Click to expand...
His argument is that Pakistan should back Rizwan and Babar to open the way Australia back Fraser McGurk and Matt Short


What a Jahaaz! What an idiot! This is Pakistan’s top cricket brain????
 
Cricket Warrior said:
Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt suggests Sahibzada Farhan is not ‘international material’:

“He was late on the ball. After getting out once or twice, a batter realizes that he’s late on a particular shot, especially here [in Australia], where there is steep bounce and the new ball is coming at pace,”

“You either avoid such deliveries or if you can’t avoid them, you take a single towards third man on such short-pitched balls. But if you keep getting out playing the same shot in the same way, it means your shot selection is limited,”

“This shows that not everyone who scores runs in domestic cricket is necessarily an international material,”
Click to expand...
Yes.

Rizwan is 1000% international material Salman Liar Scotland Yard Butt!
 
Cricket Warrior said:
Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt suggests Sahibzada Farhan is not ‘international material’:

“He was late on the ball. After getting out once or twice, a batter realizes that he’s late on a particular shot, especially here [in Australia], where there is steep bounce and the new ball is coming at pace,”

“You either avoid such deliveries or if you can’t avoid them, you take a single towards third man on such short-pitched balls. But if you keep getting out playing the same shot in the same way, it means your shot selection is limited,”

“This shows that not everyone who scores runs in domestic cricket is necessarily an international material,”
Click to expand...
Exactly my thoughts.
 
Rana said:
His argument is that Pakistan should back Rizwan and Babar to open the way Australia back Fraser McGurk and Matt Short


What a Jahaaz! What an idiot! This is Pakistan’s top cricket brain????
Click to expand...
Lol, the difference is Short and JFM are brand new. Short had a poor run against pakistan but he showed decent performance for a newbie against England. He got good starts ahainat England just didn't convert them.

Jfm also failed but at the end of the day he struck the fastest century in List A and so far he's gotten consistent starts in T20.

3 more players Harry Dixon, Cooper Connely and Nathan Mcsweeny are also being backed.

Their new and are being tested atm.

Rizwan is a tried and tested failure.

I can understand backing Babar Azam mainly because at the end of the day he still has over 10K runs in international and you do want him to get back to his 2018-2021 form.

But rizwan? Rizzu ain't a newbie, He's a legside hack who's purple patch 2019-2021 ended. Rizzu is more or less finished. Lol its not like his 2019-2021 purple patch was good. I'm being way too generous.
 
gazza619 said:
Hate the Salman Butt fixer. Love the Sharjeel Khan fixer.

What a beautiful level of hypocrisy.
Click to expand...
Lol what kind of logic is that?

Even though it's irrelevant I'll address the fixing scandal.

Sharjeel Khan fixed in psl and plead guilty immediately. He also requested for forgiveness and underwent a rehabilitation programme willingly.

The difference between him and butt/asif and Amir is that not only did the 3 of them fix in international but in butt and asif's case they didn't even admit to it.

Amir pulled the age string and had good lawyers, but the other 2 didn't admit until they were forced to. That wasn't the case with sharjeel.

Regardless ignoring all this as it isn't relevant,

Salman Butt supporting rizzu and Sharjeel Khan not being in the team have no correlation with each other.
 
zarak said:
But that is what selectors are for. You hire a selector or a scout for their eye. Otherwise, a computer can do the job. The noise about likes and dislikes will never go away its part of our mindset. Some top talents have come through the eye test both in Pakistan and Internationally. I think both methods are okay. Give Farhan a long run to reward domestic performers but also back players like Saim, ABD, Huraira that just look like they belong.
Click to expand...
There’s a common misconception that a selector’s job is to “scout” talent. In reality, their role is to evaluate and decide between players with comparable domestic performances. For example, when two players have similar stats, selectors can use qualitative factors to assess who might perform better, similar to how colleges consider extracurriculars alongside test scores when choosing between equally qualified applicants.

What they shouldn’t do is ignore domestic performances and rely solely on eye tests. That approach creates chaos, as we’ve seen in Pakistan cricket. The idea that players without strong domestic records often succeed is greatly exaggerated—consistent results usually come from a methodical, performance-based process.

This isn’t to say eye tests are useless, but they are far less reliable than solid domestic performances. Australian cricket provides a valuable perspective here. While their domestic standard is also lower than international cricket, they believe domestic success is the best indicator of future potential. If a player can’t dominate domestically, it’s unlikely they’ll thrive internationally.

Debuting players too early often backfires—they’re unprepared, fail, and get discarded. On the other hand, players who’ve endured the grind of domestic cricket have learned resilience and how to recover from slumps, which is critical at the international level.
 
Cricket Warrior said:
Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt suggests Sahibzada Farhan is not ‘international material’:

“He was late on the ball. After getting out once or twice, a batter realizes that he’s late on a particular shot, especially here [in Australia], where there is steep bounce and the new ball is coming at pace,”

“You either avoid such deliveries or if you can’t avoid them, you take a single towards third man on such short-pitched balls. But if you keep getting out playing the same shot in the same way, it means your shot selection is limited,”

“This shows that not everyone who scores runs in domestic cricket is necessarily an international material,”
Click to expand...
I agree with Butt that scoring runs in domestic cricket doesn’t automatically make someone international material, but it remains the best indicator we have. It’s a myth to think anything is a guarantee.

I also think Butt’s reaction after just three T20 games is a bit hasty, especially given that the conditions are so different from what these players are accustomed to in domestic cricket. I bet if Travis Head had debuted on spinning wickets in Asia, he would’ve struggled too—would we drop him after that?

Our players deserve more opportunities in varied conditions to be properly assessed.
 
Farabi said:
I agree with Butt that scoring runs in domestic cricket doesn’t automatically make someone international material, but it remains the best indicator we have. It’s a myth to think anything is a guarantee.

I also think Butt’s reaction after just three T20 games is a bit hasty, especially given that the conditions are so different from what these players are accustomed to in domestic cricket. I bet if Travis Head had debuted on spinning wickets in Asia, he would’ve struggled too—would we drop him after that?

Our players deserve more opportunities in varied conditions to be properly assessed.
Click to expand...
He struggles against pace in domestic circuit forget the Australian series on pitches where he isn't familiar with.
 
khyberlion said:
He struggles against pace in domestic circuit forget the Australian series on pitches where he isn't familiar with.
Click to expand...

1. If he is struggling domestically, then those performing even less than him should be struggling even more no?
2. How do you know where you need to improve internationally unless you are thrown in the fire and get exposed? It’s the reality check they need.
3. All players have weaknesses. Babar’s struggle against spin, Rizwan is a leg side back and so on. You cannot single out someone let alone a debutant.
 
Rana said:

@mominsaigol
@shaz619
@topspin
@emranabbas
@Dr_Bassim

Listen to what this besharam has to say from 4:00minutes onwards for RizBar

I swear this guy Salman Butt is on my hit list as well now!
Click to expand...

He is the reason why Misbah was promoted to the international team and given licence to ruin Pakistan cricket for the next 15 years and still counting…

Salman and Misbah should both be locked up and be put in the same cell.
 
emranabbas said:
never rated the this idiot, he's the reason we lost a diamond like Amir
Click to expand...
On one hand this besharam is saying “Saim, Sahibzada and others are failed openers that’s why we should stick to Babar and Rizwan who are ok with their limitations”

On the other hand he says “look at Short and McGurk, they are rubbish openers but Australia is backing them. We should back our established openers Babar and Rizwan”

So what exactly is his argument? Short and McGurk are being backed because Australia want 80+ on the board in first 6 overs. Pakistan are trying to do the same with using openers besides Babar and Rizwan who can’t do that! But we should back Babar and Rizwan to get at least 40 for us in the powerplay?

Why is this clown being shoved down our throats as an analyst just like Rizwan is shoved down our throats as an opener??
 
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