What do we make of Imam-ul-Haq's performances?

[topspin]

Lol Imam is so rubbish - it's hilarious how he and Hafeez can get the nod ahead of Fakhar.

Makes you wonder about Inzy as well.

 

[gazza619]

He looks more assure than Azhar Ali at the moment.

 

[Madplayer]

How many times has he got out in slips?

 

[aukhan]

Blame Inzi not the kid.

 

[Amjid Javed]

i Said during 2nd test he needed to be dropped along with hafeez, cant keep playing with 8 players.

 

[topspin]

Massively overrated player on PP. I've always said the openers should be Azhar and Fakhar.

Imam is another Sami Aslam who is also overrated on PP.

 

[Aviator]

He is right up there with superstars like farhat, khurram, shan, etc... If he can't score in UAE he can't score anywhere.. Time to kick him out.

 

[arehaan]

Imam is just there to make Hafeez look worst. We have a hopeless opening pair and surely Azhar needs to come back as opener to accommodate Saad Ali in the middle

 

[Markhor]

We should book series against Vanuatu, Togo and the Cayman Islands to boost Imam's numbers.

Been a minnow basher thus far in his international career.

 

[Madplayer]

We should book series against Vanuatu, Togo and the Cayman Islands to boost Imam's numbers.

Been a minnow basher thus far in his international career.

) i seriously have never heard of those names before

 

[Sherlock]

I really like I am but feel he's gotten hit on the head too many times, and he got hit again today by Boult too...

Maybe he needs a break. Get Saad in and hope Fakhar overcomes his knee injury quickly.

 

[ShahidDar08]

Worst than Imran Farhat.

 

[Prince of Pakistan]

1. Has only scored big runs agains minnows (including Lanka here)

2. Not consistent in FC either ( his average shows he doesnt score big consistenyly).

Is it wise to continue with someone like this? I know Mickey likes him because he is mentally tough etc (according to them) but its been 1,5 years and he still hasn't delivered

 

[Syed1]

Averages 25 against England, Australia and New Zealand in tests. If I include the only other country he has played against , Ireland, then his average jumps to 32. Minnow basher of the highest order.


In ODIs, He averages a massive 16 runs against India and New Zealand. The rest of the opposition he has faced are minnows like Zim and Afg. Through which he has boosted his career average to 63, Alhumdulilah.



Doesn't matter chachu will ensure Imam keeps getting selected.

 

[Syed1]

We should book series against Vanuatu, Togo and the Cayman Islands to boost Imam's numbers.

Been a minnow basher thus far in his international career.

I wonder who selected him

 

[saadsahabjee]

Imam Ul Haq Stats

IN tests

Batting avg 31
if u remove ireland from his batting records then the avg is 25.

In Odis
Batting avg 63
but he has played against only two tough sides nz and india and his avg is 16 against them.

time to recall imran farhat.

 

[Madplayer]

I think he has proved to be mediocre.

 

[Madplayer]

Keeps getting worse.

 

[Markhor]

Makes you nostalgic for Imran Farhat.

No business being on this tour after failing on UAE pitches.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Imam will still be retained in some format of the international side, just like we had to put up witu hafeez for 15 years same will happen with imam.

 

[Hasan123]

Playing the ODIs after this will dent his confidence even more if he was to fail. Time for him to be taken out of the spotlight.

 

[Sadozai]

only omelets could be made from his performance

 

[Finisher]

 

[Amjid Javed]

Playing the ODIs after this will dent his confidence even more if he was to fail. Time for him to be taken out of the spotlight.

Shouldnt have been on tour in 1st place or anyone of squads, sooner inzi stops picking his fav nephew the better.

 

[Ganju Baba]

View attachment 86793

Made me laugh.

 

[Savage]

View attachment 86793

Lol weirdest picture I've seen in a while.

 

[LegendAli]

He was doing decent a few months ago, played well in some games in Asia Cup while others around him were failing, looked a good prospect.

But man oh man he's nothing but rubbish, need to get rid of him.

 

[gazza619]

View attachment 86793

Ha. This is funny.

 

[Abdullah719]

 

[Madplayer]

View attachment 86793

Imam thinking "ha ha! Will still be a part of next match"

 

[hadi123]

My boy done well today

 

[Madplayer]

What do we make of his performances?

He scores once in many innings and people start thinking there is hope. Pakistan has too many of such players. First it was younis khan (in his later years) who scored a 100 in last game of every series to secure his place for the next. Now we have Azhar, Asad. And finally Imam joining the party.

Is Imam doing enough?

 

[Gullycricket]

This tread will go on for a while.Would love to replace him but who is there.All our players are pathetic

 

[Tabishbeigh]

If Graeme Smith praises you , you must be good . Besides who is there to replace him ?

 

[Madplayer]

If Graeme Smith praises you , you must be good . Besides who is there to replace him ?

I dont know you but i will back you to score more runs than him in south africa because in most innings he is getting out on single digits.

 

[Tabishbeigh]

Well I'm flattered , hahaha . But seriously this guy with his limited abilities is a better player than many Pakistani players.

 

[Madplayer]

I think this man needs to be told that it is criminal to score a 50 at 70 SR while chasing 307.

 

[KyoOne]

Better utility player than Shoaib Malik and Asif Ali, but they are not great standards any way.

 

[big_gamer007]

I think this man needs to be told that it is criminal to score a 50 at 70 SR while chasing 307.

He needs to talk to Kohli and get some advice on how to build innings.

 

[Kianig89]

Mediocre another Hafeez in making

 

[Ahmed216]

Hes fine in a battin lin-up made up of hafeez malik asif sarfraz.

 

[Hamza_]

Awful Batsman.

 

[Destroyer88]

Sound batsman but too selfish. Predetermined in his shots. Always looking for a milestone and playing a rash shot when the going gets tough. He is not even 1% of his chacha who was a matcg winner in his time.

 

[Captain caveman]

Imam is a terrible, terrible batsman.
Scoring 50s from 70/80 deliveries is just criminal!
People say hes an anchor - modern odi cricket does not require anchors, everyone should be able to bat and see out the 50 overs.
Imam is playing test match cricket in odis.
Replacements- ahsan ali would have been the guy i would have picked for this wc.
Abid ali could of had a run before the wc, to see if he was good enough.
Haris sohail could have been tried out as an opener.
Risky one - babar azam as opener?
And then theres the much maligned akmal bros and ahmed shezad.
Perhaps the true king of pak opening batsman - shajeel khan might make a comeback(if he can still bat).
Or may be some new kid, but anyone would be better than imam ul haq.

 

[Destroyer88]

Anyone with an average of 50 for a period of time cannot be regarded as a twrrible batsman. Selfish one then yes definitely thats our boy. For the record i i hate imam

 

[Majid Khan]

I’m amazed at the criticism Imam ul Haq gets from the same fans who probably rate Hafeez very highly.

Imam has a batting average above 50, he’s scored 100s and initially people said he’s only done that v minnows and then the kid scored 100s v SA and also England.

And he’s done all that under extreme pressure , probably more than any Pakistani youngster has had to in recent times.

Yes agree in an ideal world an ODI opener should score runs quickly and better strike rate — but unless you have Matthew Hayden or Chris Gayle waiting in the wings who will come in and score 100s and also score them quickly , then you have a choice of what you have at your disposal - give me Imam who can score runs and compete under pressure, rather then someone who is inconsistent and unreliable, but scores quick 30s and 40s and fails more often then not when the pressure is on or against good bowling attacks.

Imam is a gutsy cricketer and like him for that reason alone, and as long as he’s averaging 50 in a batting line up as unreliable as that of Pakistan, I think he more then earns his place on merit.

Strike rate for a batsman like extreme pace for a bowler counts for nothing if you rarely score runs or take wickets when the pressure is on and against the best opposition.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Continues to bat at a snails pace in a modern game where most batsmen score quickly and all round the wicket. Doesnt have the game to pick up the scoring rate when blocking early on.

Seems more intent on scoring selfish runs himself rather than for team cause and pretty much transfers pressure to the batsmen at other end. No better then Azhar Ali or Shehzhad in terms of selfishness or snail-blazing batting.

 

[Uzi]

He needs to be more proactive at the crease. It is all about intent with looking to pick up singles and twos. If he can't accelerate earlier on in his innings than he has to rotate the strike as a bare minimum. That doesn't mean playing 4 dot balls and then taking a single.

 

[Ashraful_Rox]

Even David Warner was struggling against India, Warner’s knock is the ugliest knock I have ever seen chasing 350. Most selfish knock only comes second after Tamim’s champions trophy 100 vs England

 

[hadi123]

I’m amazed at the criticism Imam ul Haq gets from the same fans who probably rate Hafeez very highly.

Imam has a batting average above 50, he’s scored 100s and initially people said he’s only done that v minnows and then the kid scored 100s v SA and also England.

And he’s done all that under extreme pressure , probably more than any Pakistani youngster has had to in recent times.

Yes agree in an ideal world an ODI opener should score runs quickly and better strike rate — but unless you have Matthew Hayden or Chris Gayle waiting in the wings who will come in and score 100s and also score them quickly , then you have a choice of what you have at your disposal - give me Imam who can score runs and compete under pressure, rather then someone who is inconsistent and unreliable, but scores quick 30s and 40s and fails more often then not when the pressure is on or against good bowling attacks.

Imam is a gutsy cricketer and like him for that reason alone, and as long as he’s averaging 50 in a batting line up as unreliable as that of Pakistan, I think he more then earns his place on merit.

Strike rate for a batsman like extreme pace for a bowler counts for nothing if you rarely score runs or take wickets when the pressure is on and against the best opposition.

Exactly, people here are deluded and it's hilarious to think people believe Abid Ali would do any better.

 

[Mercurial]

Inflated batting average so far.

 

[the Great Khan]

right so i'm going to wade into this minefield. just a very quick background for some of our younger or slightly newer PP friends. I've been watching cricket "properly" and by properly i mean when i truly understood what the hell was going on, for about 35-36 years. And in that time i have seen many matches, a few live mostly on the TV. In that time I have followed Pakistan, the west indies, australia england and India. Considering these teams over those years have been the most televised (give or take).

In all that time I have seen many many Pakistani openers come and go. I remember watching Rameez raja, aamir sohail, saeed anwar etc. Ive seen players who werent openers like afridi get sent up the order. ive seen saleem elahi look like a million bucks and then watch him disappear for ever. I have seen farhat smash kumble all over Lahore but then never fulfil his potential. Ive seen the fisherman yasir hameed show such promise then again vanish after getting found out. I have seen Imran nazir, come and go.

I mean there are numerous names on the list. And now I will be controversial. Imam is the best young pakistan opener I have seen in the last 20 years. End of.

he can play test match cricket, he can hit big runs in ODI's and give us a semblance of calm at the top. He shows commitment, skill and determination. And he is getting a taste for big scores. Yes he is a little slow in his strike rate. yes he isnt a finished Rohit (i remember a young rohit getting clean bowled by anwar ali with sarfi behind the stumps and nobody thought he would become what he has) but he is doing better than expected. He had a good u19 career and he shows good technique.

We should back him and let him play. I cant really see anyone else better than him at the moment. perhaps abid ali but we should support Imam. this hate he gets is silly and stupid in my opinion.

 

[Cryin Out Loud]

right so i'm going to wade into this minefield. just a very quick background for some of our younger or slightly newer PP friends...........
We should back him and let him play. I cant really see anyone else better than him at the moment. perhaps abid ali but we should support Imam. this hate he gets is silly and stupid in my opinion.

Good post. I've been watching cricket "properly" for maybe 5 years more than you. I haven't followed Pakistan cricket that closely, but this boy has what it takes. He should be given a clear free run, and fan support.

Pakistan cricket lags years behind other major countries in terms of structure and institutional support; players, especially batsmen, have to learn their international game in an unforgiving, dog eat dog environment that mostly destroys them. As a aside, not relevant to this thread, I believe that many Pakistani cricketing mediocrities or failures would have been (at least) international successes or consistent players had they been born in other countries.

But more to the point, IMO Imam is a real talent and he needs support- especially in a toxic environment that's Pakistan cricket.

 

[the Great Khan]

Good post. I've been watching cricket "properly" for maybe 5 years more than you. I haven't followed Pakistan cricket that closely, but this boy has what it takes. He should be given a clear free run, and fan support.

Pakistan cricket lags years behind other major countries in terms of structure and institutional support; players, especially batsmen, have to learn their international game in an unforgiving, dog eat dog environment that mostly destroys them. As a aside, not relevant to this thread, I believe that many Pakistani cricketing mediocrities or failures would have been (at least) international successes or consistent players had they been born in other countries.

But more to the point, IMO Imam is a real talent and he needs support- especially in a toxic environment that's Pakistan cricket.

Agreed. Our fans don't realise this. Our structure outside of the PSL is archaic and destructive. We have a great chance to change things right now and we have five to 6 years to do it. Inmho we will see results in the next two to three years if we implement good pitches in domestic in this calendar year. It will be too late for the next world cup. perhaps the next WT20 or the bilateral ODI's.

 

[King-Misbah]

Mediocre another Hafeez in making

Hafeez is actually not a stroke less wonder like him.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Ive watched cricket "properly" for 30 years and if Imam wasnt Inzis nephew he wouldnt even be any where near the team nor would his selfish snail like batting be tolerated in ODIs.

 

[hadi123]

Good post. I've been watching cricket "properly" for maybe 5 years more than you. I haven't followed Pakistan cricket that closely, but this boy has what it takes. He should be given a clear free run, and fan support.

Pakistan cricket lags years behind other major countries in terms of structure and institutional support; players, especially batsmen, have to learn their international game in an unforgiving, dog eat dog environment that mostly destroys them. As a aside, not relevant to this thread, I believe that many Pakistani cricketing mediocrities or failures would have been (at least) international successes or consistent players had they been born in other countries.

But more to the point, IMO Imam is a real talent and he needs support- especially in a toxic environment that's Pakistan cricket.

Great post. Imam haters should see this and realize that even though he does have some flaws, he is the best man for the job. No alternatives.

 

[Chokli]

Ive watched cricket "properly" for 30 years and if Imam wasnt Inzis nephew he wouldnt even be any where near the team nor would his selfish snail like batting be tolerated in ODIs.

Pakistan needs Imam, otherwise you'll be all out within 21 overs.

 

[Abdullah]

Doing fine.
Absolutely fine