Who should open the batting for Pakistan in the Test series in South Africa?

[Saj]

Undoubtedly a tough Test series is expected in South Africa and the openers will be crucial to Pakistan's chances.

Hafeez has retired, Imam looks a nervous wreck, Sami and Shan have both been discarded, Azhar is back at number 3.

Who do you think should open the batting for Pakistan in the Test series in South Africa?

This is a multi-choice poll, therefore you can pick more than option?

 

[Asif321]

Not sure it’s good idea to say Abid go and start in SA if he fails he will dropped
So I think Azhar should open . Saad Ali or Usman come in middle
Pathetic decision to recall Hafeez in test it was opportunity to test Abid against australia and NZ
But Hafeez gave false hope and now selection headache

 

[ahmadharis1]

Should be Azhar Ali and Fakhar Zaman opening. I think they compliment each other well. Both can play their natural game, Azhar will play defensively and play for the long innings while Fakhar can be aggressor and keep runs flowing. Also brings in the left/right opening combo. Shame Fakhar is injured for the first test though

 

[Markhor]

Should be Azhar Ali and Fakhar Zaman opening. I think they compliment each other well. Both can play their natural game, Azhar will play defensively and play for the long innings while Fakhar can be aggressor and keep runs flowing. Also brings in the left/right opening combo. Shame Fakhar is injured for the first test though

I agree with this, Azhar can blunt the new ball while Fakhar can bat at a quicker rate.

However if Fakhar is injured then I'd open with Azhar Ali and Abid Ali.

 

[coy0607]

Hafeez is gone, and Imam has failed miserably in the NZ series. I can't see how he gets selected for the SA tour, unless you factor in the friends and family selection policy

If Fakhar is fit, he's a no brainer. Azhar is probably best bet to open with him. Abid Ali as backup opener I guess

I'd even take Manzoor over Imam

 

[Rana]

The majority wants a Fakhar/Azhar return. A legendary ODI pairing!

Azhar
Fakhar
Harris
Babar
Sarfaraz
Asad
Shadab/Faheem

Its not all doom and gloom really

 

[Amjid Javed]

Fakhar wont be fit for 1st test at least. Abid Ali and Azhar until fakhar is fit again.

 

[yasir]

If Fakhar is not available, I would go with Sami and Azhar, they are the best new ball blocker in the country, and you need to take shine off. If you don't loose wicket in first 15 overs, chances of scoring 300 increases significantly...

 

[ShahidDar08]

On merit it should be Azhar Ali with Abid Ali opening the innings, but anything is possible in Pakistan.

Unfortinuately Sami/Shan will be selected.

 

[Sadozai]

Fakhar and Azhar

 

[Plumb]

None of the names are good.
Khurram/Shan/Sami they will fail miserably against SA bowling in SA.
Abid Ali I haven't seen but first time touring and facing such bowlers, not sure if he has it in him..
I would like Fakhar but seems like he is injured.
I would give Azhar and Imam a chance in first test. Azhar not idea but experience, Imam, for some reason I don't like his batting but he does had guts and I feel he may score big in SA..

Rest I am not too optimistic about our batting as whole in SA. High hopes with Babar and Harris. I hope we last to see the 2nd new ball

 

[SarfiBabarHaris]

Abid and Azhar to open, Fakhar at 6.

 

[Pete Rose]

I would try Sami Aslam if we can pair his with Fakhar, although I am not sure how both are doing in terms of form and fitness.
Azhar will have to move up again.

 

[hailian]

Khurram Manzoor and Shan Masood in my opinion, both are in great domestic form. And even if they fail in South Africa they should get some home series chances too. Domestic form should be honored!

 

[Justcrazy]

Pakistan should have thought about this long back , when there was time to develop , they wasted chances on hafeez and Imam .

 

[warcry]

make fawad alam open.
whoever opens is going to fail.
this way inzy and co can say: I was right that fawad was never international caliber

 

[Pakprideuk]

Unfair on Azhar. He's just got back into form at number 3 and we're moving him again. Wrong to send him to open everytime you play an away series.

Go with Abid and Imam, until Fakhar is fit.

 

[King Khan]

It's a no-brainer that Azhar and Fakhar should open, i'm shocked there are others subscribing to Abid Ali to come in as an opener in a position he doesn't play domestically in for a tour to one of the countries that we never do well in.

That's one way to ruin a player's career before it even starts.

 

[Sarwar89]

Lets first win the Test Series on home soil where we havent lost a Test series to Kiwiz since 1969.
Rather than concentrating on a tour where we have never won a Test series.

 

[IMMY69]

Azhar Ali is a walking wicket in the openers spot outside of Asia.

Keep him where he is best and thats at three.

Fakhar, if fit, should be opening in every format and at any venue around the world.

I would take Abid Ali on the tour and open with Fakhar and Imam.
Still too early to right off Imam and I think he deserves at least one test match in South Africa.

 

[warcry]

Azhar Ali is a walking wicket in the openers spot outside of Asia.

Keep him where he is best and thats at three.

Fakhar, if fit, should be opening in every format and at any venue around the world.

I would take Abid Ali on the tour and open with Fakhar and Imam.
Still too early to right off Imam and I think he deserves at least one test match in South Africa.

Azhar Ali has a Double Century in Melbourne and a Century in Birmingham as an Opener.

Putting Azhar Ali at number 3 or as an opener in south africa makes no difference. we will be 1 down by the 3rd over anyway against steyn and co.

Azhar and Fakhar to open in south africa.

 

[JibranAnsari]

azhar and fakhar should open

if fakhar is not available then abid ali should be given a chance.

Azhar
fakhar
haris
babar
shafiq
sarfraz
faheem
yasir
hasan
abbas
shaheen

 

[IMMY69]

Azhar Ali has a Double Century in Melbourne and a Century in Birmingham as an Opener.

Putting Azhar Ali at number 3 or as an opener in south africa makes no difference. we will be 1 down by the 3rd over anyway against steyn and co.

Azhar and Fakhar to open in south africa.

Not so sure because he's been falling over and playing around his front pad consistently over the past 18 months or so. The fact that he hasn't scored a century during this time is telling. Opening up with this flaw and against Steyn and Philander on juicy wickets is a recipe for disaster.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Azhar Ali has to open. It's the only way I see Pakistan playing Haris, Asad and Babar. Because they will need Faheem Ashraf in the side down the order and three front-line seamers (Amir, Abbas, Hasan).

As for his partner, Abid Ali can open in the first test, Fakhar Zaman should return for the second and third tests.

 

[reversehook]

With Hafeez gone and fakhar out hurt... I say give imam the SA series as well and put an end to his dilemma, if he scores all is well, if he fails there than thank you very much and bye bye... the other spot should not be given to Shan Masood, either sami aslam or Abid Ali, better test him in SA and find out his mettle, no point waiting for soft tours etc... let azhar ali stay at #3... after the SA series want to see babar at #3, and azhar ali to be pushed to #4 or 5...

 

[Saj]

Trying to read Mickey Arthur's mind here.

If everyone is fit he will go with Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq and Shan Masood.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Not so sure because he's been falling over and playing around his front pad consistently over the past 18 months or so. The fact that he hasn't scored a century during this time is telling. Opening up with this flaw and against Steyn and Philander on juicy wickets is a recipe for disaster.

Azhar has had a good run of form this season. He has averaged 47 and the only reason why he hasn't scored a century is because of those silly run-outs.

I would much rather have our most experienced batsman blunt the new-ball than someone inexperienced. There's a reason why South Africa is considered the toughest place to open the batting and throwing someone new to face the chin music is more of a recipe for disaster than anything else.

 

[reversehook]

Trying to read Mickey Arthur's mind here.

If everyone is fit he will go with Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq and Shan Masood.

that is what i gathered too pretty much read between the lines from mickey... imam will get another go, fakhar will and was gonna open (just the knee issue will see him sit out)... and i dont really want shan masood but he will be forced upon us... hafeez got the soft signal from mgmnt to retire gracefully or be dropped for good...

 

[babajee]

Azhar, Abid and Fakhar

 

[Amjid Javed]

Azhar Ali is a walking wicket in the openers spot outside of Asia.

Keep him where he is best and thats at three.

Fakhar, if fit, should be opening in every format and at any venue around the world.

I would take Abid Ali on the tour and open with Fakhar and Imam.
Still too early to right off Imam and I think he deserves at least one test match in South Africa.

Imam needs to go back to domestic cricket or A team cricket and show some improvement.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Trying to read Mickey Arthur's mind here.

If everyone is fit he will go with Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq and Shan Masood.

So while fakhar is injured, we will be gift wrapping two early wickets to SA bowlers, not that they need encouragement.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Not so sure because he's been falling over and playing around his front pad consistently over the past 18 months or so. The fact that he hasn't scored a century during this time is telling. Opening up with this flaw and against Steyn and Philander on juicy wickets is a recipe for disaster.

With our pathetic openers he will be in batting after a couple of balls so mskes even more sense to open with him and strengthen the middle order.

 

[Ali_Pakistan]

Abid and Azhar to open and Sami as a backup opener in the squad. Play Rizwan in the middle order.
Azhar
Abid
Haris
Asad
Babar
Rizwan
Sarfraz
Yasir
Hasan
Abbas
Shaheen

 

[Abdullah719]

 

[Mamoon]

Not a single opener averaging 50+ over a decent sample in the last 2-3 years. Really sums up our batting culture and the state of the pitches.

 

[Abdullah719]

It's a no-brainer that Azhar and Fakhar should open, i'm shocked there are others subscribing to Abid Ali to come in as an opener in a position he doesn't play domestically in for a tour to one of the countries that we never do well in.

That's one way to ruin a player's career before it even starts.

Abid Ali is very much a regular opener in first-class cricket.

 

[ManFan]

Azhar and Fakhar.

Work well together and Azhar can take all the time in the world to get going without holding back the team.

 

[Square Drive]

Azhar and Fakhar.

Imam backup.

 

[Saj]

Whilst the middle-order has shown signs of improvements with Haris Sohail and babar Azam starting to establish themselves, I fear for our openers in South Africa. The biggest problem is that Hafeez really has taken the place of another player who would have been prepared to go to South Africa and should have played against Australia and New Zealand.

 

[PakPremi]

Not a single opener averaging 50+ over a decent sample in the last 2-3 years. Really sums up our batting culture and the state of the pitches.

Another way of looking at it would be we have good bowlers who do not let them pile up runs like the Indian bowlers do.
To address the question of this thread. Pak will have to groom Fakhar as opener with Azhar Ali. Pakistan need someone to tick the scoreboard whilst Azhar does his best to be the wall against any potential collapse .

 

[Amjid Javed]

Whilst the middle-order has shown signs of improvements with Haris Sohail and babar Azam starting to establish themselves, I fear for our openers in South Africa. The biggest problem is that Hafeez really has taken the place of another player who would have been prepared to go to South Africa and should have played against Australia and New Zealand.

Agreed, add to that Azhar also not opening is not helping teams cause as we could atleast strengthen middle order and have 1 decent opener aswell.

 

[Hasan123]

Azhar Ali cannot bat at 3 especially outside of Asia. He opens for me. Don’t think Fakhar has the technique to survive as an opener in South Africa. I’ll tale a chance with Abid with Fakhar batting in the middle order which is where I think he can have a good test career.

 

[hussain.r97]

Azhar Ali and Fakhar Zaman should open. If Fakhar is unfit for the first test, then give Abid Ali his debut.

 

[shane]

I'm just happy that Salman Butt is not on the list, but I would not be surprised...

 

[gazza619]

Is Umar Amin a possible candidate? I always thought he had a good back foot game. Also bowls part time medium pace.