What position should Sarfaraz Ahmed bat at in ODIs?

[Irfan Hussain]

Sarfaraz won't bat in the top 3 positions, that's what we all know... Then comes number 4,5,6.
Going by Sarfaraz's stats in ODI's, he averages best when he bats at number 5.
If he bats at number 5 in the England series and continuing at the same position in the World Cup, he can play quite well because he's good at strike rotation.

However, my concern is that who will bat at number 4.We are looking at Hafeez at number 6 because he's quite good at hitting big shots.
It's also pretty sure that most probably Shoaib Malik would be in the squad, or if a bold decision is taken and he's dropped and Haris is given a go, then there are two situations based on whether Shoaib plays or Harris.

If Harris play, he cannot hit big shots right from the word go. In that case, Harris should bat at 4, Sarfaraz at 5 and Hafeez at 6...
However, if Shoaib is selected, I would make Sarfaraz bat at 4 so that he gives stability in the middle overs and rotating strike quite well.
Then Shoaib and Hafeez and others can take over from 35th or 40th over till the end, because Shoaib is also quite decent at playing big shots and more precisely the two senior campaigners in the shape of Shoaib and Hafeez can put in their experience to manage a run rate of 8 to 10 in the last few overs quite well.

Have your say and share your views.... I would highly appreciate your views and suggestions.

 

[Junaid_ahmed]

4 Hafeez
5 Sarfaraz
6 As if
Sorry but no place for shoaib in 11 & squad

 

[Forum363]

Well after this series the top order is pretty obvious.

Fakhar
Imam
Babar
Haris

This means Sarfaraz is playing at either 5 or 6. The other batsmen in the squad will be 2 from Hafeez Malik and Rizwan with one of them in the playing 11.

Ideally I would like Sarfaraz at 5 with Hafeez at 6.

However I think Sarfraz will bar at 6 instead.

 

[akmalfamilyfan]

I was hoping dropping him from the squad was an option in the poll. He is a joke of a captain and batsman, but if I had to choose out of all these bad situations it would definitely either be at 5 or 8. At 5 he can come in and rotate strike and maybe help the stronger hitters below him. And at 8 he can come in and throw away his wicket like he would have done anyway, but after giving everyone else a chance.

 

[world cup captain]

He can't bat in the top 5.

Fakhar
2nd Opener
Babar
Haris
Hafeez
Hitter
Sarfraz

Sarfraz is a liability and should be cut off as soon as possible.

 

[Irfan Hussain]

I was hoping dropping him from the squad was an option in the poll. He is a joke of a captain and batsman, but if I had to choose out of all these bad situations it would definitely either be at 5 or 8. At 5 he can come in and rotate strike and maybe help the stronger hitters below him. And at 8 he can come in and throw away his wicket like he would have done anyway, but after giving everyone else a chance.

Joke of a captain????
R u serious.... If yes, then no fun of arguing or discussing this matter with u bro...

 

[Irfan Hussain]

He can't bat in the top 5.

Fakhar
2nd Opener
Babar
Haris
Hafeez
Hitter
Sarfraz

Liability hahaha.... Can't bat.... Well, u r mistaken bro.... He is the best rotator of strike in this Pakistan team.... This is a fact..

 

[Stewie]

After Shadab and before The tailenders.
So I am going to say 8.

 

[Stewie]

Imam
Fakhar
Babar
Harris
Hafeez
Malik/Imad
Faheem
Shadab
Sarfaraz
Hasan
Afridi


So yeah 8 or 9 depending on how many bowlers we play.. I would say ideal spot for him is 9.. just come in and throw his bat around and go home happy

 

[Amjid Javed]

There is no voting option for number 12 or he shouldnt be in the team?

 

[topspin]

No idea why most of the posters want to see such an incompetent batsman be assigned to the top 6 of the batting order.

Reason why he's been batting at 8 in the recent past isn't because he's "selfless" as cited by his cheerleaders, but because team management and himself know his true worth to the side with the bat in hand which is nothing.

Since the start of 2018 his batting performances make very poor reading - he's averaged between 24 and 25 in his last 21 ODIs, which makes him inferior to all the specialist batsmen in the side but slightly superior to the tail-enders, so the side has no choice but to thrust him at 8. If it wasn't for his captaincy he would have been booted out by the side.

His batting has regressed so much, he's actually more useless than some of the better tail enders in ODIs such as Starc, Cummins, Adil Rashid and etc yet most of you want him batting in the top 6- I guess it is April Fools Day after all

 

[Stewie]

There is no voting option for number 12 or he shouldnt be in the team?

Ideally yes, but we know he is going to the WC and as captain so might as well make realistic recommendation about where he can bat.. I say 9

 

[coy0607]

I think Sarfraz has been trying to be selfless over the past 2 years when he bats at 6 or 7 - he is not capable of that position but he can be a good contributor at 4 or 5.

Hopefully Rizwan's performance has lit a fire for Sarfraz - he needs to bat at higher up the order, otherwise he may not have a place in the team in the long term

 

[ads101]

5. Hafeez should come at 6, and Malik or Haris at 4. Sarfraz is wasted at 6.

 

[Bonafide Hustler]

Sarfraz is pretty useless lower down the order. If he bats up at number 4 at least he can carry a good strike rate and keep rotating the strike plus take some risks. This is the phase where Pakistan loses most games because our batsmen bat way too slow in the middle overs when bowlers hardly pose a threat. I would bat Sarfraz above Malik because Malik can hit big in the last 10 overs. Due to an extra man being out in the last 10 overs and Pakistans lack of power hitting, they need faster scorers up the order who can pierce gaps.

 

[Rana]

Seems to be a misfit at the moment.

 

[Stewie]

Sarfraz is pretty useless lower down the order. If he bats up at number 4 at least he can carry a good strike rate and keep rotating the strike plus take some risks. This is the phase where Pakistan loses most games because our batsmen bat way too slow in the middle overs when bowlers hardly pose a threat. I would bat Sarfraz above Malik because Malik can hit big in the last 10 overs.

Honestly speaking malik should be nowhere in there because he will be a walking wicket.. but I see your point. I just don’t think Sarfaraz should be batted higher because “that’s only where he can bat” when we have others who can do better than him. Both Rizwan and imad have shown that.

 

[Naveedahmed1]

Don’t see Mickey dropping Malik and hafeez from starting XI - sadly Harris will be on the bench. Ideally nephew should be dropped

 

[Chokli]

Imam
Fakhar
Babar
Harris
Hafeez
Malik/Imad
Faheem
Shadab
Sarfaraz
Hasan
Afridi


So yeah 8 or 9 depending on how many bowlers we play.. I would say ideal spot for him is 9.. just come in and throw his bat around and go home happy

Faheem at 7?

 

[Irfan Hussain]

Whosoever is calling Sarfaraz a pathetic batsman and a pathetic leader and that he should bat at 8,9,10 or 11..... For these legends, I will say only this
"Kuch to loug kahinge.... Lougun Ka kaam hai kehna"...

 

[babajee]

Should be a floater. If a wicket falls between overs 15-25 he should be in and look to up the ante against the spinners.

After that, he's useless.

 

[Chokli]

His best position is sitting at home.

 

[Ilustcricket]

My comments apply only till the world cup.

Generally speaking shoaib malik can be played down the order as more of a finisher. We lost the last 2 games chasing because we lack a finisher. But he no longer can bat in top 4 because Haris Sohail is in great form.

For me the WC team should be:

Fakhar
Babar
Haris
Sarfaraz
Shoaib Malik (finisher but can also consolidate)
Hafeez (finisher)
Imad (can finish)
Hassan Ali (can smack a few)
Shadab
Amir (only because its England)
Shaheen Afridi

 

[lahoriyah1234]

Sarfraz Ahmed should start as a opener. He will make a great difference, earlier on with field restrictions he can find gaps and can provide a solid start. he must try as opener in Eng series.

 

[Omer Baloch]

For me, Fakhar and Imam to open ,Babar at 3 ,Sarfaraz at 4 ,Malik at 5 with Hafeez as a slogger at 6 ,then Imad,Hassan and Shadab at 7,8,9 and Amir and Shaheen at 10 and 11.

 

[Sadozai]

number 11

 

[ARK Rafay]

Fakhar
Imam
Babar
Haris
Sarfraz (c) (wk)
Hafeez
Imad

 

[Mirpur express]

Frankly speaking it should be Rizwan but he can be fitted anywhere .. don’t think he’ll make a difference but hoping to see Sarfi of 2015..

 

[javid]

Fakhar
Imam
Babar
Harris
Sarfaraz
Imad
Shadab
Faheem /hafeez
Hassan
Shinwari
Shaheen

Depending on the conditions faheem and hafeez should change positions bcz pak needs a hitter down the order so imad is best option available than hafeez and malik

 

[reversehook]

ideally #12 but team mgmt will enforce him so #10

 

[Prince of Pakistan]

He can't bat higher than 6 in the current team. Even Imad's in great form. Where do you fit him?

No way Malik, Hafeez are going to bat lower than 5. Even Haris is going to bat in the top 4 if playing.

Sarfraz might be lethal at 4/5 but he just can't. He'll have to sacrifice himself for the sake of the team.

 

[Markhor]

Ideally I would like Sarfaraz at 5 with Hafeez at 6.

Agreed, Hafeez should play the finisher's role. He's a clean striker of the ball. If he bats in the top order his tendency to consume dots and weaknesses against pace will be exposed.

Sarfraz averages over 50 at 5 and should stay there where he can milk the spinners during middle overs.

 

[world cup captain]

Liability hahaha.... Can't bat.... Well, u r mistaken bro.... He is the best rotator of strike in this Pakistan team.... This is a fact..

How many players does he run out or get out himself? Sure, he may be a "good" rotating strike but does it add value to the team? Babar, Hafeez and Haris are all good at it and add much more fire than Sarfraz.

 

[moghul]

12th man.

 

[The_Odd_One]

He cannot bat in top 5 because these positions are already occupied by the openers, Babar, Hafeez, and Malik. The only spot left for him is #6 where he is completely useless. On form, Imad is a better batsman who should bat at #6 so that demotes Sarfraz to #7.

 

[Abdul]

Why is #11 not an option?

 

[SarfiBabarHaris]

4 or 5.

Sarfraz's record in WC and CT in short global odi tournaments is pretty impressive so only a joker can write him off.

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

# 8. He at this point is only in the squad as a specialist captain. After the inevitable World Cup disaster he should be dropped from the squad for Rizwan.

 

[MMHS]

He is Captain, so he is playing as long as he is fit.

I think, PAK’s 12 for starting XI is fixed - IMAM, 3 of Fakhar, Haris, Imad, Shadab; Hafeez, Sarfraz, Malik, and 3 pacers - Amir, Hasan & Shaheen, depending of Haris’s fitness (for bowling). Imam, Hafeez & Malik won’t be dropped - at least not in first 2 games, so let’s deal with it - most probably it’ll be one of Imad/Shadab + Haris to bowl 20 overs (+ Hafeez/Malik/FZ).

In that combination, I'll probably say No. 5 is the least risky (& harmful for team) spot for him. Hafeez & Malik at 6-7 while Haris at 4.

 

[giri26]

There is no option of not in the XI in the poll. I don't thinks Sarfaraz makes it to Pakistan XI as a batsman/keeper alone. He is there only for his captaincy and after the World Cup, he needs to go with possibly Babar or some young player taking over. His keeping nor batting is at a level where Pakistan need him long term. His captaincy is only rated because of the CT 2017, if not he has been poor and has probably been a part of Pakistan's worst phase in Tests and ODIs in years.

 

[Bilal7]

He should bat at #7 or #8, depending on how well Shadab is batting by the time the World Cup starts. We need six proper batsmen above him, with two (Haris and Hafeez) combining to bowl ten overs between them.

Six batsmen, four bowlers and a wicket-keeper. A classic combination.

# 8. He at this point is only in the squad as a specialist captain. After the inevitable World Cup disaster he should be dropped from the squad for Rizwan.

He's the wicket-keeper. Every team needs one of those and no, picking keepers on their batting ability is not a good long-term strategy.

 

[ahmadharis1]

I firmly believe that Sarfraz Ahmed should be opening with Fakhar Zaman. They complement each other well, as Sarfraz is good with finding gaps and running the quick singles. It also provides an important Left/Right opening combo. He's also had experience opening the innings so it wouldn't be an extreme change for him. If he's not opening, then he can't fit in the top-5, meaning he'll be stuck at 7 where he's ineffective

 

[akmalfamilyfan]

Joke of a captain????
R u serious.... If yes, then no fun of arguing or discussing this matter with u bro...

Buddy I respect your opinion, and if you actually like Sarfaraz that is good. But outside the miracle win of the CT 2017 (second greatest moment of PK cricket after 1992). Can you give absolutely any good things he has done as a captain or batsman? His captaincy in ODI's and batting average has been hard to look at. It is barely in the double digits I think. I can only remember maybe one or two more good innings since his match saving act against SL in the CT 2017.

 

[introvert]

No.7 or 8 just place ahead of tail enders where specialist wk batsman belongs.

 

[HGhazanfar]

Maybe worth taking a big gamble and promoting Hassan Ali to 6

1. Babar
2. Fakhar
3. Haris
4. Hafeez
5. Asif Ali
6. Hassan Ali
7. Sarfraz
8. Faheem
9. Shadab

Sarfraz can play the death overs anchor role and guide Asif Ali, Hassan Ali and Faheem during the charge.

 

[aukhan]

5 is ideal. He is a liability at 6 and 7.

 

[Suleiman]

#3 and that too on Don Bradman 2017 for PS4.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

4 or 5. Not any lower than that.

 

[Mercurial]

He should open with Fakhar. He is useless in the middle/lower order.

 

[Bilal7]

Maybe worth taking a big gamble and promoting Hassan Ali to 6

1. Babar
2. Fakhar
3. Haris
4. Hafeez
5. Asif Ali
6. Hassan Ali
7. Sarfraz
8. Faheem
9. Shadab

Sarfraz can play the death overs anchor role and guide Asif Ali, Hassan Ali and Faheem during the charge.

May I know why it is worth the gamble to promote a tail-ender to one of the most important ODI batting positions?

 

[HGhazanfar]

May I know why it is worth the gamble to promote a tail-ender to one of the most important ODI batting positions?

You're playing with 1 batsman short (takes up Umar Akmal or Maliks spot), considering Asif Ali is in the lineup you really only have 4 reliable batsmen. But what we have seen is with the current lineup they will bat full 50 overs to push for 250-280 which is not going to win games. I have seen enough of Hassan Ali to see that he is a decent striker of the ball and plays fearlessly. Gamble by playing one specialist batsmen, but is Malik really a specialist he hasn't done much, we get a good aggressive hitter up the order and beef up bowling.

 

[Chokli]

May I know why it is worth the gamble to promote a tail-ender to one of the most important ODI batting positions?

promotes Hasan Ali at 6 and then thinks Imad Wasim isn't good enough

Amazing logic

 

[Chokli]

Maybe worth taking a big gamble and promoting Hassan Ali to 6

1. Babar
2. Fakhar
3. Haris
4. Hafeez
5. Asif Ali
6. Hassan Ali
7. Sarfraz
8. Faheem
9. Shadab

Sarfraz can play the death overs anchor role and guide Asif Ali, Hassan Ali and Faheem during the charge.

That is horrible.

 

[HGhazanfar]

That is horrible.

Ya because the below is winning us a lot of matches right?

1. Imam
2. Fakhar
3. Babar
4. Haris / Hafeez
5. Malik
6. Sarfraz
7. Imad
8. Shadab

 

[Abdullah]

Should be batting overs 18-40 , so depend on what wicket falls, so number 4 or 5. Need a good player of spin
We need the best player of the sweep shot out there to get the ball behind square on the leg side, as there is normally not a fine leg on the boundary. Same with the cut but we have batter who can cut.
Haris and babar don't sweep to the required level to make the most of that field placement.
If we don't lose a wicket for 20 overs he should come in 3

 

[HGhazanfar]

Should be batting overs 18-40 , so depend on what wicket falls, so number 4 or 5. Need a good player of spin
We need the best player of the sweep shot out there to get the ball behind square on the leg side, as there is normally not a fine leg on the boundary. Same with the cut but we have batter who can cut.
Haris and babar don't sweep to the required level to make the most of that field placement.
If we don't lose a wicket for 20 overs he should come in 3

Hafeez is your middle order bat

 

[Chokli]

Ya because the below is winning us a lot of matches right?

1. Imam
2. Fakhar
3. Babar
4. Haris / Hafeez
5. Malik
6. Sarfraz
7. Imad
8. Shadab

they won the CT 2017, your line up hasn't done anything.

 

[HGhazanfar]

they won the CT 2017, your line up hasn't done anything.

WRONG!!! your bowlers and Fakhar won you the champions trophy, won't happen every time need to fix the batting.

 

[Abdullah]

Hafeez is your middle order bat

Hafeez needs to play the finishing role. Hitting at the death

 

[Bilal7]

WRONG!!! your bowlers and Fakhar won you the champions trophy, won't happen every time need to fix the batting.

Fix the batting by promoting a tail-ender to #6? I'm sorry but your thinking is muddled.

Imam
Fakhar
Haris
Babar
Hafeez
Malik
Sarfaraz
Shadab/Imad

^ This is a far more solid batting lineup that will ensure we get to 270 almost every innings and 300+ on a good day.

The bowlers will of course be crucial in ensuring that teams do not score 300 against us. That has always been our strength and does not need to change as we showed two years ago in the same country against more of less the same teams.

 

[Energy]

Sarfaraz and Hafeez are the two most important batsmen we have in the middle order and they can be rotated 4-5 or 5-4, doesn't matter which way. Both are inconsistent but it is a fact that they have been instrumental in successful chases we have had in the past.

Sarfaraz relies on two scoring shots, the mid-wicket region and the sweep and his best chance of scoring is between the 10-40 over period. Good teams know how to set accurate fields and you can pretty much block Sarfaraz from scoring boundaries if you are smart. Hence, he'll need to do a lot of running in the middle.

 

[light]

Position: stay home and let someone worthy take up the spot.

 

[hadi123]

The lying down position. Matlab he should be lying down on his sofa watching Pakistan play. Jokes aside, Rizwan scoring 2 centuries has really complicated things, thought the Rizwan hype was over after he flopped in SA and the PSL but then he had an excellent series v Australia.

 

[NeVerMind]

Number 5 position according to his stats in England where he has an impressive average of 62.66:

 

[Abdullah719]

I guess the matter is decided now...

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

He batted well today at #5 but I think Sarfraz batting at #4 is best option for Pakistan. The team needs to play aggressive in the middle overs and not save a big total for the end.

 

[Prince of Pakistan]

He batted well today at #5 but I think Sarfraz batting at #4 is best option for Pakistan. The team needs to play aggressive in the middle overs and not save a big total for the end.

If Haris gets in then he will bat at 5.

 

[CS Khan]

Sarfaraz again today showed what hecan offer up the order,but the problem is when he and management understand this and make him permanent number 4.

 

[QalandarFan]

I would like him to bat at #4 above Hafeez as he showed he can be useful in the middle overs. Hafeez also showed how useless he is inside the first 20 overs. This man doesn't learn still like stay in the dugout until the 20th over.

 

[shaaik]

He must bat at 4 like the 5th ODI. He is just wasting himself down the order.

 

[W63L35]

Sarfaraz Ahmed - batting at #5 in ODIs.

So far so good!

Highest S/R ever for Pakistan.
2nd highest batting average.

Sample is small but a great start!

...

 

[Savak]

What is Sarfaraz's batting role in the side?

For me he is a wasted spot. He can't open the innings or come in early, he can't hit out at the end.

He is best against spin and rotating the strike but he is not the Sarfaraz of 2014-2017 given the decline in his fitness levels.

For how long is he going to come in at the very end and struggle to hit boundaries? I think he should have come in today when the South Africans had Tahir and Markham bowling.

 

[Captain caveman]

For me he is a wasted spot. He can't open the innings or come in early, he can't hit out at the end.

He is best against spin and rotating the strike but he is not the Sarfaraz of 2014-2017 given the decline in his fitness levels.

For how long is he going to come in at the very end and struggle to hit boundaries? I think he should have come in today when the South Africans had Tahir and Markham bowling.

Safaraz's pak career should end after this wc, even if by some miracle we were to win the wc!
Until then, he justs needs to bat at 7 and try his best!

 

[Mercurial]

He seems finished with the bat, to be honest. Rizwan will take over from him for sure , after the WC. For now, he should keep on hiding, lol. I think he should open with Fakhar. Imam should be shifted to the middle order in order to strengthen it. Imam, Babar and Haris would make a solid middle order.

 

[MRSN]

For me he is a wasted spot. He can't open the innings or come in early, he can't hit out at the end.

He is best against spin and rotating the strike but he is not the Sarfaraz of 2014-2017 given the decline in his fitness levels.

For how long is he going to come in at the very end and struggle to hit boundaries? I think he should have come in today when the South Africans had Tahir and Markham bowling.

He is a tailender who keeps hiding himself to safe gaurd his tailender esque batting. Classic approach. Hide yourself from getting exposed so people don't get to criticize your batting and keep your average healthy. Never seen such coward approach from any other captain in history.

 

[MRSN]

He seems finished with the bat, to be honest. Rizwan will take over from him for sure , after the WC. For now, he should keep on hiding, lol. I think he should open with Fakhar. Imam should be shifted to the middle order in order to strengthen it. Imam, Babar and Haris would make a solid middle order.

Rizwan over him improves our batting. I have seen Rizwan had talent to play big knocks once he is set. He did look ordinary in the SA series but once he got few games under his belt he showed his class as a batsman against Australia. He is definitely a proper batsman who can be a very good wk batsma at 4 for Pakistan and we really need a no. 4 batsman especially keeper. It allows us to play a power hitter down the order.

Definitely post wc PCB should say bye bye to Sarfraz and give Rizwan a fair chance in the team. He has earned it after scoring 2 hundreds against Australia.

 

[MRSN]

Safaraz's pak career should end after this wc, even if by some miracle we were to win the wc!
Until then, he justs needs to bat at 7 and try his best!

I thinkhe should always come after Imad. Imad looks way bettwr than his 32 balls 12 runs innings. Sarfraz just doesn't have power to play at 7. We saw that against Aus and Ind. He was playing test special when the req rr was always going up

 

[MRSN]

He must bat at 4 like the 5th ODI. He is just wasting himself down the order.

He was told by his lobby to bat at 4 and he had his name on the sheet at 4 but he never had courage to man up and lead his side coming to bat at 4. He just doesn't have in him. Mediocre players will struggle batting at 4 in England and he probably knows his worth too.

 

[Kianig89]

His batting aint required atm rather he should use his brain as captain and continue to win tosses the plyers we have if they click then Sarfraz batting is not needed

 

[Amjid Javed]

Shouldnt even be in the side. Wasted spot in team and offers nothing.