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What exactly is the role of a nightwatchman in cricket?

MenInG

MenInG

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So he comes in when few overs left towards end of the day. But then when he comes in next morning, what is his role? Is it still to take the max strike away from the recognized batsman or does he need to be protected himself to extend the stay on the crease?

By the way, should Babar Azam have come in towards end of Day 1 in the 2nd Test vs Zimbabwe?

Some good performances by nightwatchman

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Mohammad Abbas was the worst, most boring night watchman in the history of Test Cricket!

Everything about his batting was screaming Misbah’s depressing impact on our overall batting!!!
 
Maybe [MENTION=138784]TheNightWatchman[/MENTION] might be able to give an explanation:narine
 
Rana said:
Mohammad Abbas was the worst, most boring night watchman in the history of Test Cricket!

Everything about his batting was screaming Misbah’s depressing impact on our overall batting!!!
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He is actually the dream nightwatchman to have in your team. I remember him having a very solid defense for a tailender and hung in for long periods of time frustrating the opposition bowlers. Wish our pacers had the ability to at least defend like Abbas.
 
I think the night watchman should extend his time at the crease. Sure his job is technically done once he sees out play in the evening but I just love when the number 10 somehow manages to tonk a few the next morning or atleast stick it out for 10-15 overs. Makes the bowlers even more frustrated and start second guessing themselves. (If that's not test cricket I don't know what is).
 
MenInG said:
So he comes in when few overs left towards end of the day. But then when he comes in next morning, what is his role? Is it still to take the max strike away from the recognized batsman or does he need to be protected himself to extend the stay on the crease?

By the way, should Babar Azam have come in towards end of Day 1 in the 2nd Test vs Zimbabwe?

Some good performances by nightwatchman

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Click to expand...


Can you really call Boucher a might watchmen
 
When the day is ending and the light is dying you need to just bat out last few overs. So you don’t necessarily need all the skills of batsman rather just someone who can defend the ball well enough to survive that time so that you don’t expose a proper batsman to those ending moments of the day. I believe thats the concept behind it.
 
So someone who is expendable but with a decent enough defensive technique to survive few overs is sent in. Yes concept can be argued upon.
 
Somebody who can survive the last few overs of the day and then his role on the next day is to bat as long as possible to frustrate the opposition.
 
Azhar Ali has done a great role as nightwatchmen during his test career for pakistan.
 
Saha was a good nightwatchmen for India in tests between 2014-18.
 
Saurav said:
Never understood and positive reasons for it
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You want to protect your batsmen from going out towards the end of the days play. They probably sat all day with the pads concentrating on the game. You want them to get a good night's rest before they go out to bat instead. Also the light's diminishing, tougher to bat towards the end of the day. Losing a batsman also gives the bowling team confidence heading in to the next day and conversely more pressure for your own team so better if it's some tailender wicket rather than a top bat from your team.
 
Night watchman.

Are posters here in favour of a night watchman walking in if a wicket goes down just before the close of play? Though the purpose is obviously to save the wicket of the next proper batsmen this plan often fails when the night watchman departs too. I prefer a proper batman to walk in even if only five minutes of play is remaining for the day.
 
no. its a batsmens job to bat. and best case u survive the night and lose a wicket early the next day.

the only exception to this imo would be if u have a young all rounder and think if they survive the night they might get good batting experience the next day.
 
I totally get it
We have heard the saying 2 quick wickets can change a game, so you may as well make it 1.5 wickets rather than risk 2.
It totally changes the complexion of a game.
There is nothing to gain from a batsman walking out to bat with 10 balls left, and a lot to lose
 
Most team do used night watchmen by sending tail enders. For example in the old days Pak would send a Rana Naveed where as India would do so a Dhoni.
 
I actually like the concept of nightwatchman. It makes sense to send in a tail-ender as the nightwatchman if there are only a few overs left.
 
I think its alright, a bowler who's going out to bat for a few overs of the day and looking to defend.
 
Saqlain Mushtaq was the best night watchman we ever had. He would not only see the day out but also play at least the first hour of next day.
 
shujaatraza said:
Saqlain Mushtaq was the best night watchman we ever had. He would not only see the day out but also play at least the first hour of next day.
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He has a Test century. He was quite capable with the bat.

Even Jason Gillespie had a double century as a nightwatchman.
 
ElRaja said:
no. its a batsmens job to bat. and best case u survive the night and lose a wicket early the next day.

the only exception to this imo would be if u have a young all rounder and think if they survive the night they might get good batting experience the next day.
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So in a day-night test there would be no night watchman, I'm assuming?
 
I think it all depends how long til the end of play and how strong your lower order batters are.
 
It essentially gives a message that we are not confident of our main batsman surviving even few overs so sending someone less important.

Also messes up the batting order.
 
He or she has to stay on the pitch overnight to make sure no one touches it
 
Cricket is a game of rhythm nightwatchman is there to shut the shop let the main batsman start afresh tomorrow and if nightwatchman gets some run then it's a bonus basically it's a beneficial move
3 scenario of nightwatchman
1. Survives the last half an hour and gets out early morning in 1st few overs
2. Survives the last half an hour and gets out after half a session tomorrow
3. Gone out in that last night
So 2/3 scenario are beneficial hence the use of nightwatchman
 
I do like it when the opposition sends in a nightwatchman as I feel it means another wicket is likely - if not this evening then early in the morning.

Obviously the role is to see out the day's play but what annoys me is when a nightwatchman survives the day and then comes in the next morning and just blocks, blocks, blocks. You've done your job mate - they should be positive the next day. A quick fire 15 even would be handy.
 
Pakistan sending a nightwatchman for 2 overs was a right call but Imam should have shielded Abrar for those 2 overs.
 
Babeikh said:
I do like it when the opposition sends in a nightwatchman as I feel it means another wicket is likely - if not this evening then early in the morning.

Obviously the role is to see out the day's play but what annoys me is when a nightwatchman survives the day and then comes in the next morning and just blocks, blocks, blocks. You've done your job mate - they should be positive the next day. A quick fire 15 even would be handy.
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The nightwatchman should just retire hurt the next morning. Complain of stomach pains, diarrhea etc.
 
ex-q-zit said:
Pakistan sending a nightwatchman for 2 overs was a right call but Imam should have shielded Abrar for those 2 overs.
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The role of the nightwatchman is to shield the batters from the strike not the other way round

Pakistan couldve potentially lost two top order batters today and that wouldve been disastrous so in thay respect he did he job but unfortunately a bonus wouldve been if he hung around and managed to score a few runs which he didnt
 
Sometimes a nightwatchman can get a big score as was the case with Sodhi and Patel who added 90 runs to NZ tally.

A nightwatchman is a nightmare for Pakistan bowlers.
 
MenInG said:
So he comes in when few overs left towards end of the day. But then when he comes in next morning, what is his role? Is it still to take the max strike away from the recognized batsman or does he need to be protected himself to extend the stay on the crease?

By the way, should Babar Azam have come in towards end of Day 1 in the 2nd Test vs Zimbabwe?

Some good performances by nightwatchman

View attachment 109080
Click to expand...

Are these stats correct? Azhar Ali's entire career at number 3 was as a night watchmen but I can't see any of his inns listed?
 
8 overs or so - Khurram Shahzad walks in to protect Babar

Looks very unsure of himself so chances are he could be out

So Babar will have to come out anyways and even at a worse point!
 
8 overs for a nightwatchman is insane... they're meant for when you have like 2 overs left in the day
 
I think nightwatchman is good. It can protect the main batters from final overs (when lights are often poor).
 
It's just a waste of the resource, send a proper batter to tackle the situation. If he does not has confidence to face few balls so why the hell is he called a batsman then?
 
It’s outdated for the most part, but knowing how Pakistan cricket is still living in the 70s, it’s right up their alley.
 
It depends on the capability of the nightwatchman, if they have a good defense then it makes sense, but if someone like that isn’t available then better to send out a proper batsman.
 
It was the correct move to send in a night watchman but I think I would have sent in Shaheen as Khurram looked scared and had no clue.
 
Makes sense when its during the last 3 overs.

Basically the idea is the bowling team is hyped and after getting a wicket is looking to pick one more before the close of play. If its the final 3 overs, the advantage is that if wicket falls play comes to an end for the day.
 
It's all a mental thing. On paper obviously the #3 batter has a higher chance of surviving the last few overs than a #10 batter. But at the end of the day, when the bowling team's tails up and the batting team are just waiting for the end, the psychological advantage is with the bowlers.
 
Why Pakistan opted to send a night watchman again (Sajid) instead of Salman in the 3rd Test match against Australia. Hazlewood was firing and he got him too. Now Salman came in and he is gone as well. What is the benefit of sending tailenders in?
 
Why on earth would you send Sajid above Agha and Jamal except to create more pressure with more wickets having fallen??
 
Defensive move to send a night watchman
 
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A nightwatchman is only of use if he can bat a bit and knows how to hold a bit.

To often teams send players in who can barely hold a bat and expect them to stick it out to the close of play.
 
Unless Pakistan have someone like Azhar Ali, the nightwatchmen role is a waste of time
 
it was a good move to send the night watchman. Had he stayed, we could had saved salman getting out yesterday.

its too bad sajid couldnt stay on the wicket.
 
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