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Who should be Pakistan's opener alongside Fakhar Zaman for the 2018 Asia Cup?

Who should be Pakistan's opener alongside Fakhar Zaman for the 2018 Asia Cup?

  • Total voters
    49
I put Farhan in because of wishful thinking, but knowing the PCB they will most likely make Imam open.
 
Imam fully deserves it. He has an insane average, great SR and done nothing wrong. He's scored a century on debut against a non-minnow. And while I don't really rate performances against minnows, getting 3 centuries is pretty impressive, shows he doesn't throw his wicket away. I get that his domestic performances aren't that impressive, but was prolific at U19 level. You've got to assess them on international cricket and once they're in international cricket, it's international cricket what matters not domestic. Scoring a debut century against a non-minnow is always a good sign, shows that you're not fazed by the jump from domestic to international.
 
Imam deserves it. Nobody else is really pushing for a spot and Farhan didn't really impress me at the PSL but he does have potential. He really needs to work on strike rotation or he's another Ahmed Shehzad
 
Farhan needs a run of T20 games to see if he can cope with international cricket before being promoted to the one day side.

Poor kid was thrown in for the tri series final vs Australia after we wasted the group games playing Hafeez and Haris.
 
Don't have many options. Not 100 percent who I would go with. Imam will be selected though.
 
Imam bats far too slow to be in the squad let alone the first XI as shown not only by his FC SR (77.58) but how he did against a poor Zimbabwe bowling attack recently:

1. 128 off 134 balls - SR: 96
Pakistan scored 308 off 300 balls - SR: 103
Verdict: Again very slow considering how much time he spent at the crease (almost half the innings).

2.
44 off 51 balls - SR: 86
Pakistan chased 196 with 9 wickets to spare after 36 overs.
Verdict: All of the top 3 batted sedately here in all fairness.

ODI 3:
Out for duck
Pakistan chased 68 inside 10 overs
Verdict: Only failure in the series.

ODI 4:
113 off 122 balls - SR: 93
Pakistan scored 399 off 300 balls - SR: 133
Verdict: Very slow

ODI 5:
110 off 105 balls - SR: 105.
Pakistan scored 364 off 300 balls - SR: 121.
Verdict: Again slow

Overall Verdict: Not good enough to be in the squad because he isn't a LOI batsman. The opener to partner Fakhar should be the best out of Farhan, Haris Sohail and Umar Amin. I know they aren't the best but they're better than Imam.
 
off topic: sorry could n't find a relevant thread for this so asking my question here. Do anyone know the timing of the asia cup games? in PST? i am searching for it and on cricinfo and cricbuzz, timing is 10:00 am PST while on some ticketing sites, timing is 2:30 PST.. If anyone know the exact and correct timing, please do mention here..
 
is this a joke thread

Imam literally has back to back centuries in his last 2 ODI innings. You can say it was minnow basing, but no batsmen in the history of cricket has been dropped after back to back centuries, especially when you don't have another established replacement on the bench
 
coy0607 said:
is this a joke thread

Imam literally has back to back centuries in his last 2 ODI innings. You can say it was minnow basing, but no batsmen in the history of cricket has been dropped after back to back centuries, especially when you don't have another established replacement on the bench
Click to expand...


Agreed. Was shocked to see this as a poll - too obvious surely. If Fakhar Zaman is a certain pick, so is Imam-ul-Haq, guy scored 3 centuries in one series, not even sure why this needs asking:facepalm:
 
topspin said:
Imam bats far too slow to be in the squad let alone the first XI as shown not only by his FC SR (77.58) but how he did against a poor Zimbabwe bowling attack recently:

1. 128 off 134 balls - SR: 96
Pakistan scored 308 off 300 balls - SR: 103
Verdict: Again very slow considering how much time he spent at the crease (almost half the innings).

2.
44 off 51 balls - SR: 86
Pakistan chased 196 with 9 wickets to spare after 36 overs.
Verdict: All of the top 3 batted sedately here in all fairness.

ODI 3:
Out for duck
Pakistan chased 68 inside 10 overs
Verdict: Only failure in the series.

ODI 4:
113 off 122 balls - SR: 93
Pakistan scored 399 off 300 balls - SR: 133
Verdict: Very slow

ODI 5:
110 off 105 balls - SR: 105.
Pakistan scored 364 off 300 balls - SR: 121.
Verdict: Again slow

Overall Verdict: Not good enough to be in the squad because he isn't a LOI batsman. The opener to partner Fakhar should be the best out of Farhan, Haris Sohail and Umar Amin. I know they aren't the best but they're better than Imam.
Click to expand...

How so?
 
So far Imam probably deserves a chance to open despite his strike rate. But he seems to be gaining a good understanding with Fakhar Zaman.
 
No reason why it shouldn't be Imam.

Babar opening with Haris at 3 is another option, but dropping Imam just because he's Inzi's nephew wpuld be criminal.
 
I think in ODI, it has to be Imam. You can have one batter like him in the X1 who will score big.
 
coy0607 said:
is this a joke thread

Imam literally has back to back centuries in his last 2 ODI innings. You can say it was minnow basing, but no batsmen in the history of cricket has been dropped after back to back centuries, especially when you don't have another established replacement on the bench
Click to expand...

Exactly, if Imam is dropped from the playing 11, the decision maker should be immediately fired. There wouldn't be a bigger injustice in all of cricket if Imam is dropped after his recent performances.
 
The naysayers really need to breathe here. We'll get a better idea of Imam's quality as an opener once he plays in the Asia Cup so for now, regardless of opposition quality he's faced, he's earned his place
 
Why are some of you not willing to give Imam a try? He has done nothing wrong. Minnow or no Minnow, he did what he could with the opposition he was given and did a great job at that.
 
People are way too harsh.

Even if Imam sucks he has got his chance deservedly and we need to see him flop before ditching him forever instead of ditching him on personal whims and pleasures.
 
Seems like i am the only one to vote for Azhar Ali :) ..I think he's a good batsman, and in his last stint as an opener he was expected to score big fifties as well as score those at a very fast clip. With Fakhar taking care of good strike rate, having Azhar Ali on the other end could work well for Pakistan...Considering WC is in england where he has scored 5 fifties in 10 ODIs he played, he probably is a better bet than others..
 
Mark my word, Imam is going to cost us a match vs India because of his low SR :)
 
People going after Imam's strike rate need to realize he is opening with Fakhar not Azhar. It's all about balance.
 
topspin said:
Imam bats far too slow to be in the squad let alone the first XI as shown not only by his FC SR (77.58) but how he did against a poor Zimbabwe bowling attack recently:

1. 128 off 134 balls - SR: 96
Pakistan scored 308 off 300 balls - SR: 103
Verdict: Again very slow considering how much time he spent at the crease (almost half the innings).

2.
44 off 51 balls - SR: 86
Pakistan chased 196 with 9 wickets to spare after 36 overs.
Verdict: All of the top 3 batted sedately here in all fairness.

ODI 3:
Out for duck
Pakistan chased 68 inside 10 overs
Verdict: Only failure in the series.

ODI 4:
113 off 122 balls - SR: 93
Pakistan scored 399 off 300 balls - SR: 133
Verdict: Very slow

ODI 5:
110 off 105 balls - SR: 105.
Pakistan scored 364 off 300 balls - SR: 121.
Verdict: Again slow

Overall Verdict: Not good enough to be in the squad because he isn't a LOI batsman. The opener to partner Fakhar should be the best out of Farhan, Haris Sohail and Umar Amin. I know they aren't the best but they're better than Imam.
Click to expand...

A steady Imam who doesn't gift his wicket away, and is really quick between the wickets, perfectly compliments Fakhar. He is the Ying to Fakhar's Yang. Fakhar gives the acceleration, imam controls play. Together they will more often than not, give you the right foundation for the middle order to build on in chases and while setting targets. I actually think they make the perfectly opening partnership. Remember the Misbah era when we'd be 20 for 3 every other game? I'd take a steady Imam all day, especially with Fakhar at the other end, to a flashy but inconsistent opener.
 
Mute Witness said:
A steady Imam who doesn't gift his wicket away, and is really quick between the wickets, perfectly compliments Fakhar. He is the Ying to Fakhar's Yang. Fakhar gives the acceleration, imam controls play. Together they will more often than not, give you the right foundation for the middle order to build on in chases and while setting targets. I actually think they make the perfectly opening partnership. Remember the Misbah era when we'd be 20 for 3 every other game? I'd take a steady Imam all day, especially with Fakhar at the other end, to a flashy but inconsistent opener.
Click to expand...

If he wants to play that role, then he needs to improve on his strike rotation.
 
I want an attacking player alongside FZ but feel the management will give Imam a go too. Not that Imam is slow player, just that I feel he doesn't take the attack to the bowlers as much as he could.
 
Although I dont like it, but Imam will have to be given his chances before he is discarded.
 
topspin said:
Imam bats far too slow to be in the squad let alone the first XI as shown not only by his FC SR (77.58) but how he did against a poor Zimbabwe bowling attack recently:

1. 128 off 134 balls - SR: 96
Pakistan scored 308 off 300 balls - SR: 103
Verdict: Again very slow considering how much time he spent at the crease (almost half the innings).

2.
44 off 51 balls - SR: 86
Pakistan chased 196 with 9 wickets to spare after 36 overs.
Verdict: All of the top 3 batted sedately here in all fairness.

ODI 3:
Out for duck
Pakistan chased 68 inside 10 overs
Verdict: Only failure in the series.

ODI 4:
113 off 122 balls - SR: 93
Pakistan scored 399 off 300 balls - SR: 133
Verdict: Very slow

ODI 5:
110 off 105 balls - SR: 105.
Pakistan scored 364 off 300 balls - SR: 121.
Verdict: Again slow

Overall Verdict: Not good enough to be in the squad because he isn't a LOI batsman. The opener to partner Fakhar should be the best out of Farhan, Haris Sohail and Umar Amin. I know they aren't the best but they're better than Imam.
Click to expand...

You just made yourself look silly there mate, he has 3 SRs of over 90, all of them being hefty scores. That is exceptional, even by so called "modern" standards. I dunno what world people are living in but no one in the top order consistently has a sr of over a 100. Well not very many anyway. Fakhar might.
 
Mute Witness said:
A steady Imam who doesn't gift his wicket away, and is really quick between the wickets, perfectly compliments Fakhar. He is the Ying to Fakhar's Yang. Fakhar gives the acceleration, imam controls play. Together they will more often than not, give you the right foundation for the middle order to build on in chases and while setting targets. I actually think they make the perfectly opening partnership. Remember the Misbah era when we'd be 20 for 3 every other game? I'd take a steady Imam all day, especially with Fakhar at the other end, to a flashy but inconsistent opener.
Click to expand...

Fakhar bats at the right tempo however I don't think it should just be up to him to provide the acceleration in the first powerplay since he is the only match winner in this batting line up, as the rest of the unit are just accumulators along with a couple of cameo hitters.

Fakhar Zaman has been very effective against pace but he is at his best after 10 overs when the ball is softer and is facing spin. If Imam bats at a SR equivalent to his FC one against major opposition (top 6) then we're asking too much of FZ from ball one. I hope Imam improves and proves me wrong, so I would like to see him bat at a 85+ SR in the first 10 overs and build to 100-110 SR by the end of his innings.

Fakhar should be the one asked to bat the whole innings for as long as possible as he will take the game further away from the opposition the longer he stays in whereas fielding side will not feel the same pressure if Imam is just merely accumulating time at the crease with a 75-80 SR.

The reason why under Misbah the team would be often 20/3 because he was a very defensive captain and specifically instructed and thus selected defensive openers with the emphasis on defensive batting. Because the players chosen were poor, tactics inept and strike rotation virtually non existent, it was always going to backfire.

The reason why the likes of England and India have been so successful in ODIs because they have an opposite mentality and given the backing to the right players to play no fear cricket and express themselves without worrying about losing their spot. Misbah and Waqar Younis are one of the major reasons why Pakistan is lagging behind the modern limited overs batting aspect of the game.

I think the likes of Haris, Umar Amin or Farhan deserve a go at opening but ideally we need to find a way to get Sharjeel back now that Sethi has gone considering if the evidence implicated against him isn't conclusive.
 
Last edited:
Sherlock said:
I want an attacking player alongside FZ but feel the management will give Imam a go too. Not that Imam is slow player, just that I feel he doesn't take the attack to the bowlers as much as he could.
Click to expand...

He does not really need to. The best opening partnerships have usually been between contrasting batsmen. Imam can rotate the strike, squeeze a few doubles and keep the ball grounded while Fakhar goes hard.

If these two bat consistently and can get the score to 60, 70, 80, without loss, that sets up a great platform for Babar and later Malik and the likes of Talat or Ali or Sarfraz.
 
topspin said:
Imam bats far too slow to be in the squad let alone the first XI as shown not only by his FC SR (77.58) but how he did against a poor Zimbabwe bowling attack recently:

1. 128 off 134 balls - SR: 96
Pakistan scored 308 off 300 balls - SR: 103
Verdict: Again very slow considering how much time he spent at the crease (almost half the innings).

2.
44 off 51 balls - SR: 86
Pakistan chased 196 with 9 wickets to spare after 36 overs.
Verdict: All of the top 3 batted sedately here in all fairness.

ODI 3:
Out for duck
Pakistan chased 68 inside 10 overs
Verdict: Only failure in the series.

ODI 4:
113 off 122 balls - SR: 93
Pakistan scored 399 off 300 balls - SR: 133
Verdict: Very slow

ODI 5:
110 off 105 balls - SR: 105.
Pakistan scored 364 off 300 balls - SR: 121.
Verdict: Again slow

Overall Verdict: Not good enough to be in the squad because he isn't a LOI batsman. The opener to partner Fakhar should be the best out of Farhan, Haris Sohail and Umar Amin. I know they aren't the best but they're better than Imam.
Click to expand...

This logic is flawed. Quite often, openers will have a lower strike rate than the team because power hitters come down the order and play at a SR of 150 for a couple of overs. Imam is doing fine as of now, there are actual problems in the team (2nd spinner) that they should be worrying about.
 
aloo paratha said:
This logic is flawed. Quite often, openers will have a lower strike rate than the team because power hitters come down the order and play at a SR of 150 for a couple of overs. Imam is doing fine as of now, there are actual problems in the team (2nd spinner) that they should be worrying about.
Click to expand...

That is not what I am disputing, I agree that one opener (at least) will have a lower SR than the power hitters to come but when you consider the disparity in the SR difference between his and the team, also given the fact he's struggling to score briskly against such an attack, along with a rubbish FC SR, there isn't much going for him honestly. No flaw to that logic.
 
coy0607 said:
is this a joke thread

Imam literally has back to back centuries in his last 2 ODI innings. You can say it was minnow basing, but no batsmen in the history of cricket has been dropped after back to back centuries, especially when you don't have another established replacement on the bench
Click to expand...

hadi123 said:
Agreed. Was shocked to see this as a poll - too obvious surely. If Fakhar Zaman is a certain pick, so is Imam-ul-Haq, guy scored 3 centuries in one series, not even sure why this needs asking:facepalm:
Click to expand...

The operative word in the thread title is "should".
 
mak36 said:
The operative word in the thread title is "should".
Click to expand...

Yes I agree, I think it should be Imam-ul-Haq, although in the long term he is not the best solution, but I think this is the one part of our team that is settled as he is just about as undroppable as Zaman based on the Zimbabwe series.

I think the main worry for our selectors is our pace line up, because IIRC, for tournaments such as this, you have to have exactly a 15 man squad, no more, no less.
 
hadi123 said:
I think the main worry for our selectors is our pace line up, because IIRC, for tournaments such as this, you have to have exactly a 15 man squad, no more, no less.
Click to expand...

I actually think the pace line up is pretty settled. I'm more worried about our (second) spin options.
 
why isnt hafeez in list . Imam will be the one who will play for first 2 games atleast .if he fails i guess hafeez going to come in then
 
Imam would definitely be starting in the Asia cup alongside Fakhar but I'm hoping Imam scores at a good SR and doesn't get nervous; he's already got 4 centuries. I would think it would be wise to get someone like Sahibzada Farhan since we would get a better chance of inflating our totals quickly as batting isn't our strength. The bowlers would want a big total to defend.
 
In UAE, there aren't going to be many high scoring games. So Imam perfectly fits the bill here.
 
Sahibzada F
Fakhar Z
Babar A
Haris S
Sarfraz A + *
Asif A
Shadab K
Muhammad A
Hassan A
Shaheen A
Usman K

Pakistan strength is their bowling, should go with 5 bowlers. Shadab at 7, Amir at 8 and Hassan at 9 is a decent enough depth.

Only your bowling can bring you the WC. Faheem's 15-20 runs are of not much use, compared to Shaheen's bowling.


Amir and Usman, new ball bowlers
Hassan and Shaheen, first and second change
Shadab, third change
 
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