[VIDEOS/PICTURES] Is the end getting close for Azhar Ali's career?

[Major]

If you can’t perform in South Africa you won’t in Australia.

So even if Azhar could score easy runs in the UAE, his successor needs to play to get him ready for the Australia Tests next December.

So this match has to be the end for Azhar.

Mickey and Inzamam should tell Azhar that there will be a press conference at 6 pm tonight. He can either use it to announce his retirement himself, or Mickey will use it to pay tribute to Azhar before his final Test innings.

Either way, Azhar needs to know that this is his final Test.

forgod sake stop coming up with stupid logic.

The guy has a 200 in Australia.

 

[Junaids]

forgod sake stop coming up with stupid logic.

The guy has a 200 in Australia.

When he was 31, on a dead wicket on which 14 wickets fell in the first three days.

But next December he will be almost 35 years old, and since the age of 32 he has failed everywhere outside Asia - even against Ireland.

Azhar Ali’s past record in Australia is about as relevant as Hanif Mohammad’s!

 

[Major]

When he was 31, on a dead wicket on which 14 wickets fell in the first three days.

But next December he will be almost 35 years old, and since the age of 32 he has failed everywhere outside Asia - even against Ireland.

Azhar Ali’s past record in Australia is about as relevant as Hanif Mohammad’s!

35 so what?

as long as he has fitness he can play.
ANd please stop coming up with lame excuses like dead wicket.

You dont wana give credit, just say it. The fact taht you keep making a thread on him just shows how much you hate him.

THe guy is still the best Pakistani batsmen in the current test team. He avgs in the 40s and after him is Asad and then the newbies come in.

Also, by the next series even this series will become irrelevant according to your logic.

 

[Junaids]

forgod sake stop coming up with stupid logic.

The guy has a 200 in Australia.

35 so what?

as long as he has fitness he can play.
ANd please stop coming up with lame excuses like dead wicket.

You dont wana give credit, just say it. The fact taht you keep making a thread on him just shows how much you hate him.

THe guy is still the best Pakistani batsmen in the current test team. He avgs in the 40s and after him is Asad and then the newbies come in.

Also, by the next series even this series will become irrelevant according to your logic.

With respect, you’re living in the past.

Azhar Ali has averaged less than 30 the last two years.

He was never fit like Younis and Misbah, and his hand-eye coordination has gone forever. Younis and Misbah were freaks retaining most of their ability into their forties.

Azhar Ali is roughly half the batsman he was two years ago, and he’s just getting worse and worse as his physical powers diminish.

 

[Varun]

The guy was never an international quality player, he at best will always be a leg spinner turned batsman, he has significantly punched above his weight throughout his career and can pay eternal gratitude to Misbah ul Haq for giving him such unpressurized backing and selection because he suited the exact brand of cricket he loved otherwise a captain like Kohli would have seen through his useless night watchman style 30, 40, 50 of 200 plus deliveries.

 

[Markhor]

Come on!!!!!

He is in his last purple patch -by the time he settles into Test side (remember, next Test is in OCT), he'll show same Azhar Ali syndrome. Abid was definitely hard done by, but that was 6-7 years back (I posted his career stats by year in his thread) - now, it's time to bring officially U23 players. We can only hope that the investment in Imam earns some return.

There are no decent U23 openers at the moment.

I was initially against Abid's selection to the A team due to his age. However in four A team matches against Australia, New Zealand, and England Lions he averaged 74 with two hundreds and four fifties.

He can be a good stop gap until we find someone younger.

 

[Ab Fan]

It is so lame not sure what to say.

Shafiq should have been dropped way back given his performance once in a blue moon and at this moment, questions should have been put against Azhar Ali as well.

However, as it seems, these two will continue ahead as well and are not getting dropped.

 

[Slim]

Goodbye Azhar Ali.

 

[Hasan123]

Time to be dropped. I don't think he will get back into the team If he is dropped. Time to move on. He has done a good job but you can't be this limited and play international cricket.

I would make wholesale changes to this test team. Go with younger players and a new captain. Really don't care who it is. We won't turn into a world class team by getting rid of the non performers straight away. But I would rather try something else than stick with something that isn't working and won't change.

 

[Savak]

Misbah ul Haq's legacy for Pakistan is his Janasheen Azhar Ali. Gifted Pakistan an equally pathetic player whom he recommended for odi captaincy to the pcb

 

[Prince of Pakistan]

Why are you guys this naive? Seniors can not be dropped in Pakistan. Too much media pressure on selectors.

NOT happening. Azhar and Asad will be there in Perth, Australia.

 

[Slim]

Misbah ul Haq's legacy for Pakistan is his Janasheen Azhar Ali. Gifted Pakistan an equally pathetic player whom he recommended for odi captaincy to the pcb

Dont forget Waqar Younis. He "deserves" an equal amount of credit.

 

[umerz]

With the batting talent that we have, this is surely not his last test. Even if he is dropped for a series after 9 months he will make a comeback

 

[j_kazmi]

I’m not sure if today is the day he should retire becuase I think his form could return soon.

But I think he could be great commentator for us. He would rid us of Ramiz atleast

 

[Hitman]

Innings - 6; Runs - 59; Ave - 9.83

 

[Amjid Javed]

If Azhar had any self respect he would retire *

 

[Confucius]

Misbah ul Haq's legacy for Pakistan is his Janasheen Azhar Ali. Gifted Pakistan an equally pathetic player whom he recommended for odi captaincy to the pcb

A limited batsman who made the most of his potential. And in fairness achieved a lot through hardwork and mental fortitude.

Undoubtedly ought to be dropped but let's show a little restraint and appreciation for his services and integrity.

It's easy to kick a man when he is down,
I do have a soft spot for him as unlike Shafiq he has delivered meaningful runs for us in the past.

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="ca" dir="ltr">Horror series for Azhar Ali:<br>36<br>0<br>2<br>6<br>0<br>15<br>Total runs 59<br>Average 9.83<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SAvPAK?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SAvPAK</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1084468344395386881?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[world cup captain]

Innings - 6; Runs - 59; Ave - 9.83

He's made Hafeez proud.

 

[Savak]

A limited batsman who made the most of his potential. And in fairness achieved a lot through hardwork and mental fortitude.

Undoubtedly ought to be dropped but let's show a little restraint and appreciation for his services and integrity.

It's easy to kick a man when he is down,
I do have a soft spot for him as unlike Shafiq he has delivered meaningful runs for us in the past.

Not sure, how many other batsmen in domestic cricket got a chance in the test side under Misbah ul Haq's UAE reign, how would they have done with such unpressurized backing for 7 years. Did Pakistan have better batting alternatives?

 

[TeymurBlake]

Best time to drop him and move on to someone else. Specially with the next test series being against Sri Lanka. No disrespect but a great opposition to groom Saad Ali into the test team.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

I think the next series is after 8 months, this series will be forgotten and Azhar will continue his merry run in the UAE and fail again in Aus. may be after aus series provided a bad show like this he might be dropped.

 

[the_game]

It's funny how players of the caliber of Wasim and Waqar ended their careers with no celebrations, while pathetic players like Azhar and hafeez will get standing ovations and farewells. Unbelievable the levels we have stooped to.

 

[Savak]

I think the next series is after 8 months, this series will be forgotten and Azhar will continue his merry run in the UAE and fail again in Aus. may be after aus series provided a bad show like this he might be dropped.

India faced the same issue in 2012 after the Australian series whitewash but Dravid chose to retire graciously and the selectors by the time of the next NZ domestic series sent a message to VVS Laxman that they were surprised that he hadn't announced his retirement during this time period and that if he wasn't going to do so then he was not going to be picked by the selectors for the NZ series

Its up to the selectors what they do now given that I don't expect Azhar Ali to do the right thing

 

[Confucius]

Not sure, how many other batsmen in domestic cricket got a chance in the test side under Misbah ul Haq's UAE reign, how would they have done with such unpressurized backing for 7 years. Did Pakistan have better batting alternatives?

We have always struggled to generate quality main stay test openers, even in the 90's excluding Anwar. Misbah was right to back him and set the right precedent of giving players a cushion to play without fear. Some investments don't pay off.... Shafiq etc.. I don't have the answer to your question whether there were better alternatives for the opening position, maybe? Or maybe we over rate the depth of our batting talent, can only judge what is infront of me.

On a side note I wish Fakhar was given atleast ten tests to see whether he was cutt out for test cricket. It takes attack minded batsman longer to find their way in test cricket as hapless as he looked...

 

[Hitman]

India faced the same issue in 2012 after the Australian series whitewash but Dravid chose to retire graciously and the selectors by the time of the next NZ domestic series sent a message to VVS Laxman that they were surprised that he hadn't announced his retirement during this time period and that if he wasn't going to do so then he was not going to be picked by the selectors for the NZ series

Its up to the selectors what they do now given that I don't expect Azhar Ali to do the right thing

Laxman was picked for the NZ series, but he announced his retirement immediately after he was selected. There were criticisms going around about his performance which hurt him, and he decided that he should pave way for the younger players.

 

[Savak]

Laxman was picked for the NZ series, but he announced his retirement immediately after he was selected. There were criticisms going around about his performance which hurt him, and he decided that he should pave way for the younger players.

Am sure both Azhar Ali and Sarfaraz know what the entire country feels about them right now via social media

 

[ExpressPacer]

For all the admiration I have for Misbah, he has set a bad precedent. Azhar will never retire until he is at least 40.

 

[Hitman]

Am sure both Azhar Ali and Sarfaraz know what the entire country feels about them right now via social media

Stepping down voluntarily is never easy for any player. Cricket is their bread and butter.

 

[MMHS]

If PP ever arranges a Q&A with Azhar - I have a burning desire to know: ACTUALLY, WHY HE DECIDED TO DROP DON'T FROM OPENING? Guy was opening in ODI, which isn't his best format and decided not to open in Test!!!!!

 

[Usman Chadda]

Averages 29 now in both England and New Zealand, while his average in South Africa has gone down to 16 after this torrid series.

Those are not the averages of a senior player

 

[Savak]

Stepping down voluntarily is never easy for any player. Cricket is their bread and butter.

Country comes first before any individual. You can make the argument that domestic players and young players don't have the means to pursue something else if Cricket isn't working out but the likes of Azhar Ali, Sarfaraz have made more than enough to learn other skills or pursue other business ventures and not be dependent on Cricket being their sole bread and butter

 

[Hitman]

Country comes first before any individual. You can make the argument that domestic players and young players don't have the means to pursue something else if Cricket isn't working out but the likes of Azhar Ali, Sarfaraz have made more than enough to learn other skills or pursue other business ventures and not be dependent on Cricket being their sole bread and butter

We can count the number of players from both India and Pakistan who have retired on their own without being dropped. Forget about the players who have retired on the top. From India, only Sunny comes to mind. It runs in our culture.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Azhar looks technically and mentally shot, his small reflexs are gone, hes not going to improve, time to move on. Most teams now will pepper him with short stuff.

 

[Savak]

Azhar looks technically and mentally shot, his small reflexs are gone, hes not going to improve, time to move on. Most teams now will pepper him with short stuff.

The fact he has been dismissed 5 times in the exact same manner in this series is more of an indictment on Grant Flower and what the heck has he been doing behind the scenes

 

[786warrior]

The fact he has been dismissed 5 times in the exact same manner in this series is more of an indictment on Grant Flower and what the heck has he been doing behind the scenes

Damn right bro/ bhai - bloody Grant Flower should have used some heavy make up and come out to bat for this poor innocent azhar - shame on Grant!!!

 

[BakuGM]

I love Azhar Ali for being an underdog with limited strokeplay to become a senior and reliable batsman for Pakistan. He is the common man who got in the team by his dedication and hard work and played with stars who never put a day in the gym. But I do realize that age has caught up to him rather quickly given he is a grinder and survived and thrived on his reflexes to grind the bowlers down. So the time has come for him to say goodbye and I hope he does it himself and is accorded due thanks from Pakistani's.

 

[Khwaja78]

Sorry for being harsh, he is a selfless player and has contributed well but in Misbah-Younis era. This should be his last series. a player who does'nt know how to play pull shot or can't square cut effectively should'nt be near the team. Limited technique players remove pressure of performance on others also. Every bowler will bowl down his chin and he'll glove/nick it behind the stumps.

 

[Amjid Javed]

The fact he has been dismissed 5 times in the exact same manner in this series is more of an indictment on Grant Flower and what the heck has he been doing behind the scenes

You wonder what work coaches are doing, plus with a tour to Australia end if year with a game in perth we dont need tail enders like Azhar in the team.

 

[hadi123]

I'm not buying this whole 'he should be opening' excuse. He is averaging 9 this series. Nine. That is bad even for a tailender, let alone your senior batsman. Do people really think if he was opening he'd magically be scoring 50s and 100s.

 

[Savak]

Damn right bro/ bhai - bloody Grant Flower should have used some heavy make up and come out to bat for this poor innocent azhar - shame on Grant!!!

It just shows Flower has done zero work behind the scenes or whatever he has done is not working

 

[MenInG]

It just shows Flower has done zero work behind the scenes or whatever he has done is not working

Think both arguments have merits. Question really is - Azhar Ali in the Pakistan side to learn how to bat?

 

[Pete Rose]

It’s a mental and technical issue. His method of play means he is looking to ride the bounce. I wouldn’t chuck him out just yet. But Pakistan does have a problem if their most experienced players will not be playing an international cricket for the next 9 months after this tour.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Think both arguments have merits. Question really is - Azhar Ali in the Pakistan side to learn how to bat?

No hes not learning how to bat and is failing as a specalist nightwatchmen.

 

[Junaids]

Poor First Class record in England this summer:

15
0
0
13*
8
1
12
79
10
65*
4
41

Two scores of 50 or more in 12 innings!

 

[Boi]

He’s finished. Sad because I’ve always been a supporter of his and he’s been a good servant but it’s time to move on.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Has been a walking wicket in tests for 18 months, coach and captain said after SA farce they would judge Azhar on county stint, hes done nothing.

Usual nonsense his experience is needrd vs SL and Aus. Truth is his shot as a batsmen snd time to move on.

Sadly pathetic senority rules in pcb selections.

 

[Junaids]

I should disclose more fully my views on this.

I admire Azhar's determination in trying to grind out a career based primarily on a sound defence without much more. He is quite similar to Australia's Marnus Labuschagne as a mediocre leg-spinner with the concentration to bat for hours on placid wickets.

But there are a number of problems which have come home to roost with Azhar Ali. At the age of 34, all his peers in international cricket have already retired......and he may well be significantly older than 34.

But worse than that, I highlighted that even in his purple patch in 2016 he was remarkably inconsistent, and all that has changed is that he is now consistently bad!

Neither Azhar Ali nor Asad Shafiq has stepped up to the plate as a senior batsman since the retirement of Misbah and Younis. But the bottom line is this:

COMPARATIVE RECORDS SINCE MISBAH AND YOUNIS RETIRED

AZHAR ALI: 13 Tests, 701 runs at an average of 28.04
25 innings, 1 century, 6 fifties.
(Compared with a career average of 43.27)

ASAD SHAFIQ: 13 Tests, 892 runs at an average of 37.16
24 innings, 2 centuries, 5 fifties.
(Compared with an overall career average of 38.94)

I am the first to recognize that Asad Shafiq is a mental midget. But Azhar Ali is at least a year older - and possibly significantly more - and basically:

1. Shafiq has failed to step up since Younis and Misbah left, but his performances have only dropped slightly - averaging 37.16 against a career average of 38.94.

2. Azhar has not just failed to step up, he has totally collapsed with an average since MisYou left of 28.04, compared with a career average of 43.24.

Shafiq's average has dropped by 4.6%.
Azhar's average has dropped by 35.2%.

Is it so hard to see that Azhar is the one who has to go?

 

[gazza619]

I should disclose more fully my views on this.

I admire Azhar's determination in trying to grind out a career based primarily on a sound defence without much more. He is quite similar to Australia's Marnus Labuschagne as a mediocre leg-spinner with the concentration to bat for hours on placid wickets.

But there are a number of problems which have come home to roost with Azhar Ali. At the age of 34, all his peers in international cricket have already retired......and he may well be significantly older than 34.

But worse than that, I highlighted that even in his purple patch in 2016 he was remarkably inconsistent, and all that has changed is that he is now consistently bad!

Neither Azhar Ali nor Asad Shafiq has stepped up to the plate as a senior batsman since the retirement of Misbah and Younis. But the bottom line is this:

COMPARATIVE RECORDS SINCE MISBAH AND YOUNIS RETIRED

AZHAR ALI: 13 Tests, 701 runs at an average of 28.04
25 innings, 1 century, 6 fifties.
(Compared with a career average of 43.27)

ASAD SHAFIQ: 13 Tests, 892 runs at an average of 37.16
24 innings, 2 centuries, 5 fifties.
(Compared with an overall career average of 38.94)

I am the first to recognize that Asad Shafiq is a mental midget. But Azhar Ali is at least a year older - and possibly significantly more - and basically:

1. Shafiq has failed to step up since Younis and Misbah left, but his performances have only dropped slightly - averaging 37.16 against a career average of 38.94.

2. Azhar has not just failed to step up, he has totally collapsed with an average since MisYou left of 28.04, compared with a career average of 43.24.

Shafiq's average has dropped by 4.6%.
Azhar's average has dropped by 35.2%.

Is it so hard to see that Azhar is the one who has to go?

Brutal analysis. But please dont get confused by Shafiq’s soft runs down the order against the older ball and tired bowlers. Both need to go.

The only issue is that both are nice guys and it is in our blood to carry passengers...

 

[Junaids]

Brutal analysis. But please dont get confused by Shafiq’s soft runs down the order against the older ball and tired bowlers. Both need to go.

The only issue is that both are nice guys and it is in our blood to carry passengers...

I largely agree with you, except I think that the World Test Championship format basically requires staggered retirements so that you don't go into any series with two rookie batsmen whose anxiety and nerves come at a cost.

I would forcibly retire one of Azhar or Shafiq immediately, and the other in 12 months' time.

I see any Test player aged over 32 as a series-by-series proposition, and if he fails to perform he should be out.

Since Misbah and Younis retired, Azhar has been 33 and now 34 years old, and has failed across 13 Tests against 6 different teams.

That's got to be the end.

I'd have kept the 2016 Azhar Ali, of course, but he isn't coming back.

If you want a stodgy, slow, defensive opening batsman then at least pick Sami Aslam who has the reflexes to get out of the way of short-pitched bowling.

But the other part of this jigsaw is Sarfraz Ahmed. He is at least "32" years old, and in the 13 Tests as skipper since Misbah and Younis retired his batting average has fallen to 25.81 compared with a career average of 36.39.

To me, that says that you bring in Mohammad Rizwan who can genuinely bat at Number 6 and keep wicket, which lets you pick all-rounders like Shadab Khan and Faheem Ashraf at number 7 and 8.

But then you have:

1. Shan Masood as Test captain
2. Imam-ul-Haq
3.
4. Babar Azam
5. Haris Sohail
6. Mohammad Rizwan (wk)

That team only has one vacancy for a batsman - you probably stick with Asad Shafiq at 3 on the basis that he is not in sharp decline like Azhar Ali is.

 

[HappyWarsFan]

I largely agree with you, except I think that the World Test Championship format basically requires staggered retirements so that you don't go into any series with two rookie batsmen whose anxiety and nerves come at a cost.

I would forcibly retire one of Azhar or Shafiq immediately, and the other in 12 months' time.

I see any Test player aged over 32 as a series-by-series proposition, and if he fails to perform he should be out.

Since Misbah and Younis retired, Azhar has been 33 and now 34 years old, and has failed across 13 Tests against 6 different teams.

That's got to be the end.

I'd have kept the 2016 Azhar Ali, of course, but he isn't coming back.

If you want a stodgy, slow, defensive opening batsman then at least pick Sami Aslam who has the reflexes to get out of the way of short-pitched bowling.

But the other part of this jigsaw is Sarfraz Ahmed. He is at least "32" years old, and in the 13 Tests as skipper since Misbah and Younis retired his batting average has fallen to 25.81 compared with a career average of 36.39.

To me, that says that you bring in Mohammad Rizwan who can genuinely bat at Number 6 and keep wicket, which lets you pick all-rounders like Shadab Khan and Faheem Ashraf at number 7 and 8.

But then you have:

1. Shan Masood as Test captain
2. Imam-ul-Haq
3.
4. Babar Azam
5. Haris Sohail
6. Mohammad Rizwan (wk)

That team only has one vacancy for a batsman - you probably stick with Asad Shafiq at 3 on the basis that he is not in sharp decline like Azhar Ali is.

I like your line up but why play faheem? Id drop one all rounder and play a batsman. Faheem is garbage.Usmsn

Here is what I'd play vs SL:

1)Shan
2)Imam
3)Babar
4)Haris
5)Usman Saluhuddin
6)Shafiq
7)Rizwan
8)Zafar Gohar
9)Yasir Shah
10)Shaheen Afridi
11)Abbas

 

[hur rizvi]

Big fan of His but his time seems done

Haris should be our no 3 moving forward

For Australia

Imam
Shan
Haris
Shafiq
Babar
Rizwan
Shadab
Faheem/Yasir (for UAE/Pakistan)
Amir
Shahen
Abbas

 

[heddie19]

How funny it is. The person who is asking Azhar Ali to retire at career avg of 43 is making a test captain with a career avg of 26 and first class of avg of 33. Youre doing good bro. Watch golf pls

 

[Junaids]

How funny it is. The person who is asking Azhar Ali to retire at career avg of 43 is making a test captain with a career avg of 26 and first class of avg of 33. Youre doing good bro. Watch golf pls &#55357;&#56834;

The Azhar Ali who averaged in the 40's no longer exists, any more than the Hanif Mohammad who did and is dead.

To be precise, when Misbah and Younis retired, Azhar Ali was supposedly 32 years old and averaged 46.86 as a batsman.

In the two years since they retired he has averaged a pathetic 28.04 as Father Time has taken away his reflexes and his hand-eye coordination.

That is a massice decline, from a Test average of 46.86 to one of 28.04.

He is a goner. And his repeated failures in English county cricket this summer reconfirm that Azhar Ali is lost forever as a batsman.

 

[Savak]

Asad Shafiq atleast on a good day can score at a decent rate and look pleasing to the eyes. Azhar Ali has been batting like a tail ender for the last 2 years and is done now

 

[Junaids]

I should disclose more fully my views on this.

I admire Azhar's determination in trying to grind out a career based primarily on a sound defence without much more. He is quite similar to Australia's Marnus Labuschagne as a mediocre leg-spinner with the concentration to bat for hours on placid wickets.

But there are a number of problems which have come home to roost with Azhar Ali. At the age of 34, all his peers in international cricket have already retired......and he may well be significantly older than 34.

But worse than that, I highlighted that even in his purple patch in 2016 he was remarkably inconsistent, and all that has changed is that he is now consistently bad!

Neither Azhar Ali nor Asad Shafiq has stepped up to the plate as a senior batsman since the retirement of Misbah and Younis. But the bottom line is this:

COMPARATIVE RECORDS SINCE MISBAH AND YOUNIS RETIRED

AZHAR ALI: 13 Tests, 701 runs at an average of 28.04
25 innings, 1 century, 6 fifties.
(Compared with a career average of 43.27)

ASAD SHAFIQ: 13 Tests, 892 runs at an average of 37.16
24 innings, 2 centuries, 5 fifties.
(Compared with an overall career average of 38.94)

I am the first to recognize that Asad Shafiq is a mental midget. But Azhar Ali is at least a year older - and possibly significantly more - and basically:

1. Shafiq has failed to step up since Younis and Misbah left, but his performances have only dropped slightly - averaging 37.16 against a career average of 38.94.

2. Azhar has not just failed to step up, he has totally collapsed with an average since MisYou left of 28.04, compared with a career average of 43.24.

Shafiq's average has dropped by 4.6%.
Azhar's average has dropped by 35.2%.

Is it so hard to see that Azhar is the one who has to go?

Only in Pakistan can you be a candidate to be elevated to the Test captaincy when:

1. Your Test average has fallen by 35% in the two years since your 32nd birthday.

2. Your Test average in those two years as an old man is just 28.

3. You averaged 9.83 in your last Test series.

 

[Junaids]

Azhar's Nine First Class Matches Outside Asia in 2019

36 and 0
2 and 6
0 and 15
0 and 13*
8 and 1
12 and 79
10 and 65*
4 and 41

16 innings
292 runs
0 centuries
2 fifties
8 scores in single digits
Average 18.25

 

[Danyaalr01]

35 so what?

as long as he has fitness he can play.
ANd please stop coming up with lame excuses like dead wicket.

You dont wana give credit, just say it. The fact taht you keep making a thread on him just shows how much you hate him.

THe guy is still the best Pakistani batsmen in the current test team. He avgs in the 40s and after him is Asad and then the newbies come in.

Also, by the next series even this series will become irrelevant according to your logic.

How is a dead wicket a lame excuse. You obviously don't follow international cricket as you don't know that the MCG has the flattest, most dead, boring, easiest to score big-on wicket in the whole world. It's worse than Dubai. That pitch has been rated poor a few times for being so dead.

 

[Danyaalr01]

Azhar's Nine First Class Matches Outside Asia in 2019

36 and 0
2 and 6
0 and 15
0 and 13*
8 and 1
12 and 79
10 and 65*
4 and 41

16 innings
292 runs
0 centuries
2 fifties
8 scores in single digits
Average 18.25

Yet some people on here think he is currently Pakistan's best batsman and best Opener in domestic. They actually believe he can recover from this. Once you hit 35 and you hit bad form, there is no recovering from it.

 

[Mainul]

Poor First Class record in England this summer:

15
0
0
13*
8
1
12
79
10
65*
4
41

Two scores of 50 or more in 12 innings!

For which county he is playing?

 

[zain7077]

For which county he is playing?

Somerset

 

[Gabbar Singh]

Misbah and the PCB disagree - probably hoping Azhar can do a Misbah type role and hang around well into his late 30s or early 40s.

 

[Arham_PakFan]

Classic Pakistan cricket. Guy nearing the end of his career is given the biggest responsibility.

 

[Amjid Javed]

series losses to Australia and SL and Azhar will be gone. Shouldnt even be in the team, let alone captain.

 

[Danyaalr01]

Who said it's coming to an end. At 34 his career is only getting started. He will be there for another 9 years at least.

 

[Kroll]

Who said it's coming to an end. At 34 his career is only getting started. He will be there for another 9 years at least.

He'll also make a comeback to the ODI side.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Azhar's Nine First Class Matches Outside Asia in 2019

36 and 0
2 and 6
0 and 15
0 and 13*
8 and 1
12 and 79
10 and 65*
4 and 41

16 innings
292 runs
0 centuries
2 fifties
8 scores in single digits
Average 18.25

With Tours of Australia and england in next 12 months that average will remain just as pathetic.

 

[coy0607]

Classic Pakistan cricket. Guy nearing the end of his career is given the biggest responsibility.

Its more than just classic, its a defining characteristic of Pakistan cricket now. Take someone on their last legs and elevate / promote them to a position of maximum authority

If the PCB was a publicly run firm in a competitive market, the would go bankrupt once a year

 

[Junaids]

Classic Pakistan cricket. Guy nearing the end of his career is given the biggest responsibility.

And against Australia A he has scored 11 and 1.

In South Africa in January he was scoring less runs than Shadab Khan.

Now he’s ten months older and he’s scoring less runs than Yasir Shah!

 

[Boiz Played Well]

<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/s/33ji9/qnceqn" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="100%" allowfullscreen style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe></div>.

Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream

JK Hopefully kaptaan turns it around for the tests.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Has been a failure in tests for 18 months, was poor for somerset in county cricket. Looked woeful in Aussie tour match, cant see him lasting much longer. Passenger in the team right now.

 

[Officer Barbrady]

It is definitely a worry. Also if he’s not scoring it puts more pressure on him as captain.

Opening the batting is where he should be in the order so he got that right. Hope he scores runs and proves us wrong

 

[The cricket enthusiast]

It is definitely a worry. Also if he’s not scoring it puts more pressure on him as captain.

Opening the batting is where he should be in the order so he got that right. Hope he scores runs and proves us wrong

he is getting out in same way most of the time shuffling across either getting lbw or caught behind
his only success came in uae wer he bat death till bowlers get frustated and give him some easy pies

 

[Amjid Javed]

Cant see him lasting as a player or captain past the england series in the summer.

 

[JibranAnsari]

Lets hope that he does well but IMO he is finished , can't see him scoring runs in the test series.

 

[Danyaalr01]

He is a burden on the team right now. Another non performing captain. I really hope Babar can quickly take over captaincy so that Azhar can get dropped. Even if Azhar does well as captain he has no place in the team as a non performer. There are people performing in domestic cricket right now and Abid Ali may even be a short term solution until those young openers like Haider and Omair are ready for test cricket.

 

[Junaids]

forgod sake stop coming up with stupid logic.

The guy has a 200 in Australia.

And after the First Test in Australia we now find that Azhar’s average in two and a half years since Misbah and Younis retired has now fallen even further to

27.59

And it is a big sample: the fourteen Tests he has played at the age of more than 32.

 

[Junaids]

Since MisYou retired:

Azhar Ali average 27.59
Asad Shafiq average 38.72

 

[Amjid Javed]

Another legendary effort. Pakistan should cut their losses for SL series and name a new captain.

 

[Junaids]

forgod sake stop coming up with stupid logic.

The guy has a 200 in Australia.

Since MisYou retired:

Azhar Ali average 27.59
Asad Shafiq average 38.72

Shafiq now 37.23!