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What position should Sarfaraz Ahmed bat at in T20 Internationals?

Leo23

Leo23

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Sarfaraz Ahmed's worrying form in T20Is as a batsman

Sarfraz is one of the greatest captains that Pakistan has had in a long time and I have no doubt in my mind that he will retire as a big legend for Pakistan but I don't understand his role in the T20 team.

He is a poor slogger and cannot hit the ball from ball one and although he is a decent accumulator Malik does that job as well and does it better; in fact imad can do that job too.

However the problem is that he is too good a captain to be replaced and we don't have good WK batsmen in the wings either especially Rizwan who has proved himself to be a pathetic player at international level

Should Sarfraz replace Shehzad as opener? Surely can't do worse than him
 
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He has a better strike rate than Fakhar, Malik, Shehzad and Fahim, at an average of 28. What else do you want?
 
Leo23 said:
sarfraz is one of the greatest captains pakistan has had in a long time and i have no doubt in my mind that he will retire as a big legend for pakistan but i don't understand his role in the t20 team

he is a poor slogger and cannot hit the ball from ball one and although he is a decent accumulator malik does that job as well and does it better

in fact imad can do that job too

however the problem is that he is too good a captain to be replaced and we don't have good wk batsmen in the wings either especially rizwan who has proved himself to be a pathetic player at international level

should sarfraz replace shehzad as opener? surely can't do worse than him
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Sarfaraz, surprisingly, scores at a faster rate than the average batsman (given the stage of innings he's playing at) and also, he gets out far less often. He's a good enough batsman and nothing wrong with his keeping either (which matters a lot because even one or two missed balls that go to the boundary is a GIGANTIC difference in T20), and good keeper vs
bad keeper can be 5 or 6 PURE runs on average, which will be more than the difference between a slightly better bat (and there isn't any such WK batsman anyway in Pakistan).
 
[MENTION=140154]Arsalan Pro[/MENTION] [MENTION=135134]CricketAnalyst[/MENTION]

he is the weakest hitter in the team and that is a problem considering his batting position

yesterday he played a match losing knock but malik and imad saved the day

imo he should replace shehzad as opener otherwise he will continue to cost matches down the order

we need powerful hitters in the middle order not nudgers

we already have two superior anchor type players in babar and malik
 
The problem is not the ability the real problem is his batting order in t20 he should bat at 3 or 4 which would be perfect for him as he is very good at strike rotation and playing spin
 
saeed5646 said:
The problem is not the ability the real problem is his batting order in t20 he should bat at 3 or 4 which would be perfect for him as he is very good at strike rotation and playing spin
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Good point. He is batting too low in both odis and t20s. Maybe should think of opening
 
You literally said yourself that there are no other good keepers in Pakistan. This fact alone should mean Sarfraz should be keeper regardless of whether he is captain or not. He is also a good T20 batsman, he just doesn't get the chance to bat a lot as obviously 20 overs isn't a lot of time
 
I am first to criticise sarfaraz, but I wouldn't have any akmals back for him.
 
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Not just a specialist captain, but also a keeper.

I would play this order(unless there are quick wickets , where Safi can be brought up the order to stop a collapse.)


Fakhar
Babar
Amin
Malik
Imad
Yamin
Faheem
Shadab
Sohail
Sarfraz * +
Rumman

Sohail, Rumman , Imad and Shadab to bowl 16 overs.

Faheem, Yamin and Malik to bowl 4.
 
Open with Sarfraz is not a bad option in T20, nobody can do worse than Shezad...This will give us opportunity to have one more power hitter down the order...Ideally Sharjeel and Fakir would have been great, Sharjeel loss was a big one, the best power hitter in the country, lost in no time...Pakistanis loose top talent too quickly, where as guys like Hafeez/Shezad keep lingering on forever...
 
Him replacing Shehzad at the top will be an upgrade.

Seems reluctant personally it seems, for whatever reasons
 
I wanted him to captain in 2018 World t20 and retire from that format because I felt by that time he will be recognized by everyone especially his haters & clueless people and he will establish himself as first choice captain in all formats and also we might have a chance of winning a world t20 title after pathetic show in last 7 years.

But now the world t20 is shifted to 2020 so its bit tough deciding.... I would let him captain till 2020 and would really like to see him bat at no 4 between overs 6-12/14 as he is a limited power hitter and we have better options.
 
the issue is him batting too low. He should bat in the top 4 in T20Is. Having Sarfraz as a lower order slogger isnt playing in the strengths. Even in ODIs he should bat in the top 5 IMO. He isnt a powerful hitter someone like Hafeez or Malik even Imad can play the finisher role much better than Sarfraz who's main strength is strike rotation and also hitting spinners.

From overs 6-16 in T20 and overs 10-40 in ODIs is ideally where Sarfraz should bat.
 
It seems that in recent times in ODIs and T20Is Sarfaraz hasn't been batting early enough in the innings to exert any influence. Has he been hiding a bit since he became captain?

I think he should certainly bat in the top5, if not higher, as he has great ability to rotate the strike and find the boundary early in the innings, thus increasing the run rate.

What do you guys think?
 
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I agree. Fakhar and Sarfi would be a great opening partnership, although it would be hard work to also keep wicket and captain the team. But if anyone can, Sarfi can!
 
He's not good enough to bat in the top 5 for a top team. In any format of the game. Bitter truth.
 
He needs to open otherwise he doesn't really have a place in the T20 batting line up.
 
As I predicted, within a year pak fans will realise that Sarfraz is a passenger in the team.

Still no reason to recall any akmal
 
Sarfraz does not have the muscle to hit big. He is more of a runner who likes to steal that extra run. He should come in at 2 down. Probably between 9-15th overs. He will keep the score board ticking and can hit the occasional boundary.
 
There's nothing worrying about it. We have to accept who he is. An accumulator with restricted strokeplay. But his worth as a captain is enough to keep him in the team.
 
He's best as an opener with Fakhar. I'm surprised no one else can see this as it's the most obvious place for him.
 
SarfiBabarHaris said:
I wanted him to captain in 2018 World t20 and retire from that format because I felt by that time he will be recognized by everyone especially his haters & clueless people and he will establish himself as first choice captain in all formats and also we might have a chance of winning a world t20 title after pathetic show in last 7 years.

But now the world t20 is shifted to 2020 so its bit tough deciding.... I would let him captain till 2020 and would really like to see him bat at no 4 between overs 6-12/14 as he is a limited power hitter and we have better options.
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It's definitely a choice of either him opening or batting at four (assuming Babar is at three). If it is at four, then it can be flexible depending on the match situation- ie. if a platform has already been set then he can send someone else in to bat whereas if Pakistan need to rebuild their innings then he should come in as he is excellent at rotating the strike.

As I said yesterday, we should definitely rest him from some IT20s games as this will ensure (i) he is not over worked and (ii) this will allow us to develop bench strength in the WK department (Umair Masood comes to mind).
 
Sarfraz's horrible T20 form

Last 10 T20 Innings:
4*
12
3
3*
42(Yorkshire)
6(Yorkshire)
3(Yorkshire)
2(Yorkshire)
4
0


Those are some really bad numbers
 
Leo23 said:
should Sarfraz replace Shehzad as opener? Surely can't do worse than him
Click to expand...

I think it would be a good idea to open with Sarfraz (Babar would be good too). I think both him and Babar are good in terms of strike rotation, and both complement Fakhar Zaman's aggressive style of play.
 
Either open or play at #8.

He should not play T20s but then there is no other keeper batsman who is better than him.
 
mak36 said:
It's definitely a choice of either him opening or batting at four (assuming Babar is at three). If it is at four, then it can be flexible depending on the match situation- ie. if a platform has already been set then he can send someone else in to bat whereas if Pakistan need to rebuild their innings then he should come in as he is excellent at rotating the strike.

As I said yesterday, we should definitely rest him from some IT20s games as this will ensure (i) he is not over worked and (ii) this will allow us to develop bench strength in the WK department (Umair Masood comes to mind).
Click to expand...

Yes he should bat according to the match situation. Don't think he should have come to bat in both matches i-e in 17th and 19th over as we have better players for that.
 
SarfiBabarHaris said:
Yes he should bat according to the match situation. Don't think he should have come to bat in both matches i-e in 17th and 19th over as we have better players for that.
Click to expand...

Reality is setting in.... he's a passenger in the team. If he wants to keep his place... open the batting and fire shazad from the team.
 
Eagle_Eye said:
As I predicted, within a year pak fans will realise that Sarfraz is a passenger in the team.

Still no reason to recall any akmal
Click to expand...

Wasn't your original prediction that Sarfraz would be dropped both as captain and player after the CT? Or was that some other delusional poster who made that prediction?
 
Should bat as early as possible and in the Top 4, preferably as an opener with Fakhar Zaman.
 
Poutine said:
Wasn't your original prediction that Sarfraz would be dropped both as captain and player after the CT? Or was that some other delusional poster who made that prediction?
Click to expand...

Not that I recall. I have said that all you fans will be calling for his head within a year or so.

First series after CT and reality is setting in that the captain is a passenger in the team
 
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Plz Sarfraz I beg u to open plzzzzzzzz
HE MUST OPEN
Also plz some1 get rid of Shehzad
 
It's interesting to see eagle eye hurl personal insults at a CT winner captain but never had this much rage and vitriol at the Akmal clan despite them dropping match after match.

Safe to say we all know why. But carry on.

SArfaraz is gonna be the captain of all formats and the only muppet left will be you
 
Slog said:
It's interesting to see eagle eye hurl personal insults at a CT winner captain but never had this much rage and vitriol at the Akmal clan despite them dropping match after match.

Safe to say we all know why. But carry on.

SArfaraz is gonna be the captain of all formats and the only muppet left will be you
Click to expand...

You should know better, I detest the sight of the akmal clan.

I judge Sarfraz through his own capabilities and the reality is that he does not fit in this team as a player. I said give it a year after CT and fans will be calling for his head... I see some diehards are already having a reality check first series after CT.

I give you a challenge, Sarfraz to drop out of the team today, we will have no difference to team performance. It will improve it!

Pakistan won CT inspite of Sarfraz not because of him.
 
Eagle_Eye said:
You should know better, I detest the sight of the akmal clan.

I judge Sarfraz through his own capabilities and the reality is that he does not fit in this team as a player. I said give it a year after CT and fans will be calling for his head... I see some diehards are already having a reality check first series after CT.

I give you a challenge, Sarfraz to drop out of the team today, we will have no difference to team performance. It will improve it!

Pakistan won CT inspite of Sarfraz not because of him.
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Sarfaraz is irreplaceable in our test and ODI teams

T20s his role isn't defined but he is better than Rizwan and Kamran. Unless there is some other option then he also makes our t20 team
 
Lol. bhayya ji Sarfraz fans know his limitations and never said he is some great t20 player.
That was long before CT too not 'first series after CT'.

Sarfraz as a package is the best wicket keeper batsman in Pakistan. Can you name any better backing with facts and figures?
And yes Pakistan T20 performance will regress if Sarfraz is removed as captain. Remember World t20 2016?

Feeling sorry for the haters as they cant see Pakistan progress , win CT and going towards new heights under Sarfraz.
 
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I do like sarfi personally but it doesn'tmean that I will blindly support him while he is in terrible form......criticism should be equal whether it is akmals or hafeezs or sarfi
 
I personally believe people calling for his retirement are over the top. When he was needed to bat this series, he faced very few balls as it was towards end of innings. Can't call someone a bad batsman based on this. I believe him and Malik should switch places though as Malik can hit 4s and 6s earlier on in his innings and doesn't need as much time as Sarfaraz to get set.
 
only 2 spots for Sarfaraz in this team as a opener or num 11 so as a opener Shahzad already selected then only one position and thats num 11 for him .
 
SarfiBabarHaris said:
Lol. bhayya ji Sarfraz fans know his limitations and never said he is some great t20 player.
That was long before CT too not 'first series after CT'.

Sarfraz as a package is the best wicket keeper batsman in Pakistan. Can you name any better backing with facts and figures?
And yes Pakistan T20 performance will regress if Sarfraz is removed as captain. Remember World t20 2016?

Feeling sorry for the haters as they cant see Pakistan progress , win CT and going towards new heights under Sarfraz.
Click to expand...

Any fan of Pakistan cricket would be able to see his remarkable captaincy skills and the value he has as a wicket-keeper/batman.

Anyone who saw Kamran "goalkeeper" Akmal would appreciate how lucky PCT is to have Sarfaraz.
 
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sarfraz should take rest from atleast one format to maintain his workload
t20 is his least interested format thats the reason we are calling for him to have some rest
 
mak36 said:
Most of these posters are Indian accounts. Any fan of Pakistan cricket would be able to see his remarkable captaincy skills and the value he has as a wicket-keeper/batman.

Anyone who saw Kamran "goalkeeper" Akmal would appreciate how lucky PCT is to have Sarfaraz.
Click to expand...

Sarfraz is terrible behind the stumps also...
 
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another drop catch said:
sarfraz should take rest from atleast one format to maintain his workload
t20 is his least interested format thats the reason we are calling for him to have some rest
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He needs to work on his fitness and batting to justify his place in any format.... Dhoni played in all formats as captain.
 
If Shehzad or another opener pairs with Fakhar, Sarfraz should bat 5. You'd want Babar and Malik to bat ahead of Sarfraz to make up the mainstay of the middle order.

I don't really mind Sarfraz sticking middle/low order, that's what it seems he's decided to do to provide a bit of a safety net. And captain, batting, wicketkeeping is a lot of work.

If Shehzad is dropped (but he did do well last match credit to him so don't see him being dropped), Sarfraz could open, but I'd prefer if Babar was moved up, and Sarfraz bats 4 or 5. Probably best if he stays consistent with sticking to middle order batting, hard to juggle both roles, and it looks like in ODIs he isn't going to open. Plus I think he's doing a great job middle order anyway.
 
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Slog said:
Sarfaraz is irreplaceable in our test and ODI teams

T20s his role isn't defined but he is better than Rizwan and Kamran. Unless there is some other option then he also makes our t20 team
Click to expand...

IMO the last throw of the dice for Umar Akmal should be as an opener with Shehzad - if he fails then discard him for good. But only if he proves himself over 2 years should he even think about being considered for ODI's.
 
BUMP


Number 4 is the best position for Sarfraz imo.

Coming at 4th down vs Scotland today.
 
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Why does Sarfaraz Ahmed promote himself up the order against lower quality teams?

We all know where he hides himself when the opposition is quality...even the likes of Imad can come to bat ahead of him. But today it's Scotland and he promoted himself ahead of specialist batsman Malik.

His screams as a captain and going missing when his performance is needed and the way he promotes himself to boost his avg and to make a case of a performing captain, he comes across as a really selfish player.
 
When your batting is not working, it will be a good opportunity to score some soft runs and get some form back.
 
Nafrat ki bhi hadd hoti hai. Its quite clear that he is batting at no 4 in t20s now for sometime. He promoted Asif to 4 in 2nd t20 because quick runs were required and in last match to give the youngster some confidence as he flopped(otherwise he might have been dropped as happened in past many times with youngsters).
 
MRSN said:
We all know where he hides himself when the opposition is quality...even the likes of Imad can come to bat ahead of him. But today it's Scotland and he promoted himself ahead of specialist batsman Malik.

His screams as a captain and going missing when his performance is needed and the way he promotes himself to boost his avg and to make a case of a performing captain, he comes across as a really selfish player.
Click to expand...

No I don't know, please provide evidence that he promotes himself to be in team or :shhh

Currently his bat is not talking and he is right to promote himself.
 
Criticism is one thing but why flat out lie? [MENTION=57576]MRSN[/MENTION]. Sarfaraz batted at 4 against NZ, are they low quality?
 
Been batting four since NZ. I think he came up the order probably because the Coach thought he was as his run of T20 score before that was poor. Since he's been promoted to four, he's done better.

In all formats think Sarfraz rather prefers to bat down the order. Allows him to focus on captaincy (as well as keeping more). Think he sees himself as a captain first and player second.

As a pure player he's gone on record saying he actually prefers to bat up the order, even opening. As it gives more opportunity to perform/build. But obviously as captain he's not really fighting for his place anymore.

Hard for him to bat at four in ODIs as there are better batsmen who by logic dictates deserve to bat ahead. In T20s it's easier as innings are usually short anyway, so people care less about batting position, at any position you're expected to tonk it (except maybe opening where you build a bit of a base). Also in T20s, there's few collapses so no need for the rescue captain role (which again I think Sarfraz sees himself doing more, I think he aspires to be Dhoni in many ways).

Lastly T20s are more fun, ODIs are usually where a player cements his place in the side. Hence Sarfraz batting up the order hides other specialist batsmen and doesn't give them the opportunity to stake a claim.

In ODIs Sarfraz's performance at 6 isn't as bad as it used to be, but I don't really see it possible for him to be batting above 5 given Babar and Haris take 3rd and 4th positions respectively. I think no.5 is probably his best position in ODIs though, and if both him and Malik are in the team, I'd bat him one spot ahead of Malik.

What's going to be interesting is how they're going to fit all of Babar,Talat and Malik all in the same team in ODIs when Babar comes back. There isn't enough space. The only way I can imagine is promoting Babar to opening which they might do, but then you're moving a player who has scored so many runs at the important no.3 position.
 
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