What to do with Pakistan's white-ball middle-order?

[Blistering Barnacle]

He has done more than enough in his career that he doesn’t need to prove anything. There are actual data and performances to back this up. He is a proven quantity. You are talking as if he is some teenager breaking into the game.

Ahmed Shehzad is a bad limited overs player. You're talking about his record? His record is poor.

 

[Zaz]

He has done more than enough in his career that he doesn’t need to prove anything. There are actual data and performances to back this up. He is a proven quantity. You are talking as if he is some teenager breaking into the game.

He doesnt need to prove anything? Are we talking about ahmed shezad or inzamam up haq?

Id like to see this data and recent performances that show us hes a proven quantity Please post these on here

 

[Kroll]

Ahmed Shehzad is a bad limited overs player. You're talking about his record? His record is poor.

He doesnt need to prove anything? Are we talking about ahmed shezad or inzamam up haq?

Id like to see this data and recent performances that show us hes a proven quantity Please post these on here

I'm sure this is trolling..."a proven quantity" )

 

[Shoaibbtt]

You must not be good at Maths.

Nov 2020 was not a year ago.

ok... but nov 2020 (less than a year fine) for first class cricket. However, it's been about 2 years since playing a list A game and about a year since his last t20 (domestic) game. So yea he's been pretty inactive.

You must be bonkers for bringing Shehzad back on the back of nothing to base it on. What format would you even play him in????

 

[Babeikh]

Personally i'd give them the Mike Bassett treatment

 

[the Great Khan]

Unfortunately you sit the three batsmen down and you tell them they need to take this opportunity or otherwise someone else will. End of. But support them too. I do think our batting order needs some adjustment. It is so top heavy that we will be in big big trouble if we get hit by a good team that gets three or four quick wickets against us..

Hence i would say we need to move one of the big three down the order..I know its probably a stupid idea but the three batsmen just arent performing!!

 

[Ahmad-GERMANFC]

ok... but nov 2020 (less than a year fine) for first class cricket. However, it's been about 2 years since playing a list A game and about a year since his last t20 (domestic) game. So yea he's been pretty inactive.

You must be bonkers for bringing Shehzad back on the back of nothing to base it on. What format would you even play him in????

He is a must for Tests.

ODIs and T20s I’d like him to show his best form again in domestic.

Last season he got an elbow/hand injury and that curtailed his season and people keep pointing to that. But people need to look at his dominating performances before the injury and covid issues

 

[Ahson8]

He is a must for Tests.

ODIs and T20s I’d like him to show his best form again in domestic.

Last season he got an elbow/hand injury and that curtailed his season and people keep pointing to that. But people need to look at his dominating performances before the injury and covid issues

Must for tests on what basis ? What was his QEA performance this year

 

[Ahmad-GERMANFC]

Must for tests on what basis ? What was his QEA performance this year

He was injured for most of it. His prior performances means he should be recalled Atleast in tests because he was dropped wrongly.

 

[Ahson8]

He was injured for most of it. His prior performances means he should be recalled Atleast in tests because he was dropped wrongly.

Let's recall Mohammad Yousuf also, I believe he was dropped wrongly in 2010 and he has very good prior performances too.

 

[hitthestump]

Getting Hafeez down to number 5 might go some way in shoring up the middle order. Maybe we can send Haider up, there's less thinking to do when you open which suits him.

Haider
Rizwan
Babar
Fakhar
Hafeez
?
Imad
Hasan Ali
Qadir
Shaheen
Rauf

Still don't know who number 6 could be, but it needs to be a good batsman because then the lower order gets long if you start whacking the likes of Imad, Faheem or Nawaz into that slot.

 

[iniqbal223]

So, the middle-order in white-ball cricket is clearly struggling.

Who deserves more chances? Who deserves to be dropped? Who deserves to be brought back? Who deserves their first chance?

Where are things going wrong and what needs improving?

First and foremost , FIRE Misbah... the true champion of defensive mindset

 

[gazza619]

Time to try abdullah shafiq at no. 5. Haider Ali is horrible he doesn't even understand the basics of batting.

Abdullah Shafiq needs to be thrown in domestic cricket and should remain untouched for the next 2 years.

Time to try domestic performers like Sohaib Maqsood and Khurram Manzoor. Both can also take a higher gear if needed and would be more than happy to bat in the middle order.

 

[Ahmad-GERMANFC]

Let's recall Mohammad Yousuf also, I believe he was dropped wrongly in 2010 and he has very good prior performances too.

Yea because 2018 and 2010 is the same thing. Aqal use karlo.

When Smith was banned for on year he also came back immediately without having to start from scratch and prove himself all over again.

 

[Abdullah Rabbani]

Abdullah Shafiq needs to be thrown in domestic cricket and should remain untouched for the next 2 years.

Time to try domestic performers like Sohaib Maqsood and Khurram Manzoor. Both can also take a higher gear if needed and would be more than happy to bat in the middle order.

Azam khan the sixer best for 6 position and imad at 7 no need of mediocre shadab

 

[Ahson8]

Yea because 2018 and 2010 is the same thing. Aqal use karlo.

When Smith was banned for on year he also came back immediately without having to start from scratch and prove himself all over again.

Smith literally has the highest Test average out of all current players, did you srsly just compare him to Shehzad ?

2018 was also 3 years ago. He needs to have a good QEA if he wants to get back into the team

 

[gazza619]

Azam khan the sixer best for 6 position and imad at 7 no need of mediocre shadab

Azam actually had a very poor PSL and looks in more and more bad shape fitness wise every time I see him.

 

[saeedhk]

Never seen a parchi like Asif Ali. This guy has done everything possible to get himself kicked out but the management keeps him.

 

[Majid Khan]

Another option - why not get Rizwan batting in the middle order again, he can hold the batting together and his 50s batting at 5 or 6 will be more useful.

Babar and Rizwan are a good opening pair but the fact is the current Top 6 batting order just does not work together as a unit.

I would even consider Babar to number 3, to add some depth to batting. How’s this top 6 for T20:

Sharjeel Khan (fireworks time)
Fakhar Zaman (more fireworks)
Babar Azam
Mediocre Batsman 1
Mohammed Rizwan
Mediocre Batsman 2

 

[Mirpur express]

Asif has to go, Hafeez will find it really hard to get his form back as 40yr old , but has a free pass for as long as he wants (that’s reality) , Danish looked dreadful , not a fan of Faheem in asian conditions & I believe his batting is more suited to longer format , I’d rather have Imad then Nawaz, I don’t believe am saying this but Chacha Ifti is way better then Asif ,

 

[mon858]

1. Bring back imad. Forget bowling fitness attitude etc. Purely as a batsman and finisher he is way better than all the options tried like khushdil, Danish, asif, chacha, Haider, shadab, etc.
2. For odi. Bring back Haris Sohail. Again ignore fitness etc. He is way better than all the above options. Just think back to 2019 innings vs NZ.
3. For t20 and specifically this year, Bring back shoaib Malik. Again, he may not give your 200 strike rate but he won't play stupid shots to get out for under 10 , 8 times out of 10 like the above current lot is doing. Plus he can play spin well, is super fit, great fielder, good finisher and with experience can guide others around him.
4. Try 1 or 2 last resort options: 1. Azam khan so he can bat around Malik and hafeez with license to attack. If he doesn't work then I would be inclined to even play sarfraz, again one of the best against spin, great at rotating strike and better than all the other options that keep failing and not ready for world t20 stage. Tricky part will be he will need to keep as Rizwan is better fielder.
5. Last resort 2: put Rizwan between hafeez and Malik and add a hard hitting opener like Sharjeel or possibly Haider to see if one of them can do well as opener.
6. I don't think we have any other options in domestic and no time to trial them now. Plus the ones tried are done. No point playing asif ali, Danish, khushdil, Haider for t20s and odis for next 6 months.

 

[Ahmad-GERMANFC]

#BringBackAhmedShehzad trending right now and rightly so

 

[Zaz]

#BringBackAhmedShehzad trending right now and rightly so

Hahaha Youre too funny Are you shezad in disguise?

Time Imad Maqsood and Iftikhar are recalled

They cant be as mediocre as the likes of danish, asif and haider

 

[criclover2311]

Opinion on Faheem to replace Danish/Haider/Asif for 5 or six number, he's innings builder with ability to play shots, put away bad balls, something Haider/Danish are unable to do. People are talking about proper batsman at 5, I believe he has all skills proper batsmen need, can play pace swing seam bounce, has good pull shot and elegant strokemaker, puts away bad balls.

Faheem is given role of slogging in last overs which he is not clearly fit for, to go from ball one or to hit every ball out of park, and suddenly in collapse situations he's asked to score 50 odd with tail hanging.
Experience also gives boost to confidence, he's mostly asked to slog in last overs and suddenly in collapse he's asked to chase 50 runs on his own. With players like Asif Ali, he can atleast play his shots and secure his wicket.

When he has time to settle in he has shown his caliber e.g. innings in test matches or even in LOIS where rest of top and middle order got bundled by good bowling, he could stand tall, see away good balls, play his shots with ease,e.g. against NZ in 20181st odi when NZ swinged and bounced out our top and middle order.

I believe with enough experience and confidence, he can lead run chases on his own with tail by his side, if not this role that is if he's persisted at number 7 then he will have to develop his power hitting skills to come close to Russel Pollard or Pandya otherwise you can have him like this until some genuine power hitter with good bowling replaces him, but since it is hard to find pace bowling all rounder in Pakistan I think we're under utilizing him.

 

[Saj]

Once upon a time, we had Saleem Maliks, Javed Miandads, Ijaz Ahmeds, Abdul Razzaqs and Wasim Akrams.

Now we have Ifthikhar Ahmeds, Danish Azizs, Khushdil Shahs and Asif Alis.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

Remove Misbah/Waqar and it'll sort itself out

Exactly , I came to this thread to write this.

Misbah and Waqar known for shuffling the batting order every series.

Under Misbah and Waqar nobody will have a role specified to them. Every Tom dick and Harry will bat from batting positions 1-7 as the coach wish for the day.

Brought Rizwan in as opener and now primary openers Sharjeel and Fakhar are either sitting out or playing at 3.

People will be deceived by the 200+ run chase, but that was facilitated by poor bowling also not just good shots.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

Once upon a time, we had Saleem Maliks, Javed Miandads, Ijaz Ahmeds, Abdul Razzaqs and Wasim Akrams.

Now we have Ifthikhar Ahmeds, Danish Azizs, Khushdil Shahs and Asif Alis.

There are also Haris Sohail , Saud Shakeel, Umar Amin, Haider ali, Abdullah Shafique, Maqsood
Kamran ghulam

The problem is Misbah Waqar and Wasim for selecting duds , bits and pieces in the middle order instead of proper batsman