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Why is Salman Ali Agha considered a modern T20 hero compared to Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan?

You mentioned that he can play at a highest SR, which is a statistical claim. I simply asked to confirm the difference in the respective SRs which you cannot.

Salman is an inferior batsman to both in all formats of the game.
higher*
 
You mentioned that he can play at a highest SR, which is a statistical claim. I simply asked to confirm the difference in the respective SRs which you cannot.

Salman is an inferior batsman to both in all formats of the game.
If I had said "he has played" then that would imply that there is a statistical backing!

"He can play at a higher sr in the middle overs against spin" is based on observation from myself and many others would also agree he is a better player of spin than both

Now, do you agree with him being better at playing spin than both?
 
I love the lame excuses people are making for him. But but but he is not acting like a hero, but but but he is willing to innovate, but but but he is flexible, but but but he has aggressive mindset, but but but he is selfless and doesn’t open.

Absolute hogwash. The straw-clutching is comical. Just accept the fact that this modern cricket drama has ended in tears and it didn’t turn out to be way the delusional fans thought it would.
Sorry buddy I usually support your opinions… but exactly what “has ended in tears”…

We just won the T20 series
 
Sorry buddy I usually support your opinions… but exactly what “has ended in tears”…

We just won the T20 series
Yes, vs a crap team right after losing another series vs another crap team. The more this team players against quality opposition, the more it will get exposed.
 
Sorry buddy I usually support your opinions… but exactly what “has ended in tears”…

We just won the T20 series
Mamoon’s cricket expertise was also buried in Lauderhill of all places just like Babar and Rizwan’s T20 careers :ROFLMAO:
 
Says the guy who supports Fakhar as a top 3 batsman in T20s with a SR of 126 🤣🤣🤣

I repeat: I have to drop 50 IQ points just to convince myself to engage with you. Maybe one day I will revoke this privilege from you because engaging with unintelligent folks over the internet isn’t the best utilization of time.
He once claimed that Salman Butt was turning into a great T20 opener.

Also suggested to everyone here that Abid Ali should replace Fakhar in ODIs.

And then he has the audacity to come back and say that he knows the most about modern cricket here. Imagine!!
 
Agha's critics haven't suggested any alternative batsman or captain for the T20 format.


His T20 strike rate doesn’t tell the full story, especially when he’s already proven in ODIs that he has the ability to play aggressively. If Agha were promoted to number three and given a few overs to settle in, he could easily showcase his aggressive side too. But he doesn’t insist on that role, but he steps aside and lets the designated top-order batsmen play in their positions.


Everyone agrees that a team needs at least one anchor in the middle order. And right now, there is no one more reliable in that role than Agha Salman. So ask yourself honestly: do you really believe Rizwan or Babar would be more reliable anchors in the middle order? Or do you think Khushdil is a better anchor than Salman?


The truth is, there’s no other dependable middle-order anchor available right now besides Agha. You keep criticizing him, but you can’t name a single viable replacement.


Or do you actually believe that Rizwan or Babar would outperform Agha if pushed down to the middle order?

You have to name not one, but two batsmen as alternative to Agha/Khusdil

1. Saim
2. Frahan
3. Fakhar
4. Harris
5. Salman
6. Hasan Nawaz
7. Khusdil/Shadab
8. Faheem/Another Fast Bowler
9. Shaheen
10. Another Fast Bowler
11. Muqeem/Abrar

The team is in complete Balance at the moment. We don't need all power hitters in the first 8, but we need at least one anchor role, and that belongs to Agha, and no one is better than him available at the moment.
 
Agha's critics haven't suggested any alternative batsman or captain for the T20 format.


His T20 strike rate doesn’t tell the full story, especially when he’s already proven in ODIs that he has the ability to play aggressively. If Agha were promoted to number three and given a few overs to settle in, he could easily showcase his aggressive side too. But he doesn’t insist on that role, but he steps aside and lets the designated top-order batsmen play in their positions.


Everyone agrees that a team needs at least one anchor in the middle order. And right now, there is no one more reliable in that role than Agha Salman. So ask yourself honestly: do you really believe Rizwan or Babar would be more reliable anchors in the middle order? Or do you think Khushdil is a better anchor than Salman?


The truth is, there’s no other dependable middle-order anchor available right now besides Agha. You keep criticizing him, but you can’t name a single viable replacement.


Or do you actually believe that Rizwan or Babar would outperform Agha if pushed down to the middle order?

You have to name not one, but two batsmen as alternative to Agha/Khusdil

1. Saim
2. Frahan
3. Fakhar
4. Harris
5. Salman
6. Hasan Nawaz
7. Khusdil/Shadab
8. Faheem/Another Fast Bowler
9. Shaheen
10. Another Fast Bowler
11. Muqeem/Abrar

The team is in complete Balance at the moment. We don't need all power hitters in the first 8, but we need at least one anchor role, and that belongs to Agha, and no one is better than him available at the moment.
Spot on about Salman Agha!

Pak has suffered by trying to accommodate openers like Fakhar as no. 4 batsmen, but it has failed miserably and the only reason both Babar and Rizwan can't play in the middle is because they're incapable

The middle order has been a huge problem in recent years and Agha has answered that problem with him also being flexible
 
Thank You PCB and WI cricket board for designating Lauderhill as the venue to bury Pakistan’s traumatic past of Babar and Rizwan as T20 openers.
 
That’s not the point. The point is with Babar and Rizwan, they make themselves centre stage and give Pakistan a ceiling of 160. Agha acknowledges he has no right to take centre stage so doesn’t.
Yes, so the management has gotten rid of Babar and Rizwan. Am I complaining? No.

But what I'm suggesting is if anybody thinks that Agha trumps Babar and Rizwan in T20 batting, then they are definitely delusional. Both Babar and Rizwan walks over Agha in T20.

And just wait a few series against the big boys. This forum will turn on Salman like crazy. Right now he can be the darling but it will soon get exposed especially given that he never comes into bat after the 13th or 14th over promoting all kinds of tullaybaaz. If Agha thinks of himself as inferior to Khushdil, Nawaz, and Faheem, then it's alarming.
 
this guy is the definition of mediocre player as far t20s are concerned. his career strike rate and average shows that he is an eternal match loser. Shows what depths Pakistani batting has fallen into to consider this guy as a savior. He can evolve into a pretty decent batsman in test and ODI format but in T20 he will always be a net match loser.
 
The mental gymnastics on this forum is astounding. From saying "no anchors in modern T20 cricket" to "not all need to be power hitters in T20 cricket". What a journey!!!

I've been the biggest supporter of Salman Agha on this forum, and I categorically state that he should never be in the T20 team, let alone be captain. He's just one 5-0 T20 series whitewash away from being ridiculed and sidelined, which will impact his ODI and Test game so much that Pakistan will struggle to find a good replacement for him in the longer formats where he is absolutely necessary.
 
But what I'm suggesting is if anybody thinks that Agha trumps Babar and Rizwan in T20 batting, then they are definitely delusional. Both Babar and Rizwan walks over Agha in T20.

No, both Riz/Babar cannot walk over Agha in T20s as MIDDLE Order Batsmen. They may do it as openers, but not as middle order batsmen. They don't play spin better than Agha. Furthermore, they want themselves to be HEROS by coming early at one down or two down, but Agha never does that, but he plays only for Pakistan.

And it seems to me that Pakistani Team doesn't have any infighting (or politics) under the captaincy of Agha, but they are united. We cannot say the same about Riz/Babar who were famous for favouring players that they liked.

And just wait a few series against the big boys. This forum will turn on Salman like crazy. Right now he can be the darling but it will soon get exposed especially given that he never comes into bat after the 13th or 14th over promoting all kinds of tullaybaaz. If Agha thinks of himself as inferior to Khushdil, Nawaz, and Faheem, then it's alarming.

It may be otherwise, and we may see the worth of Agha against big boys, when we really need an Anchor in the middle. Agha is sending Khushdil and Hasan Nawaz and Faheem over himself, while his anchor role is not needed in the middle at the moment.
 
If I had said "he has played" then that would imply that there is a statistical backing!

"He can play at a higher sr in the middle overs against spin" is based on observation from myself and many others would also agree he is a better player of spin than both

Now, do you agree with him being better at playing spin than both?
You got yourself in a pickle when you made a blanket statement that Agha has a (or can play) higher SR than Babar and Rizwan but you did not have the numbers to support your argument. You clearly didn't expect anyone to challenge your claim with data and were caught off-guard. Anyway, you are a good, well-mannered person and I will let it go. You clearly come from an educated family unlike some of the cab drivers here.

You also wrote that when Babar and Rizwan play T20Is, they deny the opportunity for an explosive opener like Fakhar to open the innings.

This is a complete myth. I fail to understand why some people cannot accept the fact that Fakhar is not an explosive T20I opener. It is like they cannot to terms with the reality. He is an explosive ODI opener but he is not an explosive T20I opener. It is not the same thing.

As a T20I opener, Fakhar has played 40 matches and has a SR of 134 at an average of 22. As a number 3, he has played 30 matches and has a SR of 116 at an average of 22. He is absolute garbage as a top 3 batsman in T20Is and nowhere near Babar and Rizwan, who both bat at a similar SR at those positions but score almost twice as many as he does.

Fakhar's best position in T20Is is 4/5 - this is where he has shined and has been able to bat at a 150+ SR.
 
Why does Agha have a lower strike rate in T20s?

It’s important to understand that Agha does have the ability to play aggressively, as he’s already proven in ODIs. The issue isn’t a lack of skill, but rather a lack of opportunity to show that side of his game in T20s.

Why hasn’t he gotten that opportunity?

Because Agha usually comes in to bat only during crisis situations, when the top order has already collapsed. In such high-pressure scenarios, any batsman’s strike rate is likely to be lower, as the immediate priority becomes stabilizing the innings, not aggressive scoring.

In T20s, the batsmen with high strike rates are usually either openers or late-order hitters. Those who bat in the middle overs often have lower strike rates because that phase of the game is about building partnerships and avoiding further collapses.

Personally, I haven’t seen a single T20 match where Agha batted slowly against the situation. His strike rate has always been appropriate given the match context.

Contrast this with players like Rizwan or Babar, who have repeatedly been blamed for losing matches due to persistently slow strike rates. In Agha’s case, we don’t see such criticism, because he hasn’t cost Pakistan games with his approach.
 
Agha's critics haven't suggested any alternative batsman or captain for the T20 format.


His T20 strike rate doesn’t tell the full story, especially when he’s already proven in ODIs that he has the ability to play aggressively. If Agha were promoted to number three and given a few overs to settle in, he could easily showcase his aggressive side too. But he doesn’t insist on that role, but he steps aside and lets the designated top-order batsmen play in their positions.


Everyone agrees that a team needs at least one anchor in the middle order. And right now, there is no one more reliable in that role than Agha Salman. So ask yourself honestly: do you really believe Rizwan or Babar would be more reliable anchors in the middle order? Or do you think Khushdil is a better anchor than Salman?


The truth is, there’s no other dependable middle-order anchor available right now besides Agha. You keep criticizing him, but you can’t name a single viable replacement.


Or do you actually believe that Rizwan or Babar would outperform Agha if pushed down to the middle order?

You have to name not one, but two batsmen as alternative to Agha/Khusdil

1. Saim
2. Frahan
3. Fakhar
4. Harris
5. Salman
6. Hasan Nawaz
7. Khusdil/Shadab
8. Faheem/Another Fast Bowler
9. Shaheen
10. Another Fast Bowler
11. Muqeem/Abrar

The team is in complete Balance at the moment. We don't need all power hitters in the first 8, but we need at least one anchor role, and that belongs to Agha, and no one is better than him available at the moment.
Question:

What has Fakhar done to deserve the number 3 spot? He is abysmal in the top 3 in the T20I format.

Fakhar at number 3:

30 matches, average 22, SR 118

Babar at number 3:

35 matches, average 44, SR 127.

Babar is twice the batsman Fakhar is at number 3, and more aggressive too.
 
Question:

What has Fakhar done to deserve the number 3 spot? He is abysmal in the top 3 in the T20I format.

Fakhar at number 3:

30 matches, average 22, SR 118

Babar at number 3:

35 matches, average 44, SR 127.

Babar is twice the batsman Fakhar is at number 3, and more aggressive too.
Will Babar bat at 3 ?
 
Question:

What has Fakhar done to deserve the number 3 spot? He is abysmal in the top 3 in the T20I format.

Fakhar at number 3:

30 matches, average 22, SR 118

Babar at number 3:

35 matches, average 44, SR 127.

Babar is twice the batsman Fakhar is at number 3, and more aggressive too.
@topspin bro check this data expert. If it were up to him, LQ would lose 3 titles in 4 years just like Bobsy loses wherever he goes
:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
 
Question:

What has Fakhar done to deserve the number 3 spot? He is abysmal in the top 3 in the T20I format.

Fakhar at number 3:

30 matches, average 22, SR 118

Babar at number 3:

35 matches, average 44, SR 127.

Babar is twice the batsman Fakhar is at number 3, and more aggressive too.

This is actually a case against Fakhar, not Agha.

The real question is: if Babar were to bat in the later middle order, during crisis situations where he's up against spinners, would he perform better than Agha?

And what about the issues of captaincy, where Babar has often been accused of favouring players he personally likes?

And what about the issue that Babar, as captain, often promotes himself to bat at one or two down in an attempt to be the hero, even when the situation demands otherwise?
 
@mominsaigol did you ever realise this bloke was Agha’s biggest supporter on this forum?

It’s news to me :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:
Go and do some worthwhile work like logging in from your other 2 accounts - mominsaigol and topspin, and like all your posts.
I dont have any other account. It doesnt exist, in the same way you advocating for agha didnt exist until now.
 
I don't have an issue with Babar batting at 3. I have an issue with keeping Babar out of the team for inferior players like Fakhar and Agha.

Who cares about the issues you have? Go and support Zimbabwe or Nepal if you want the Pakistan team to become their level with Babar in it.
 
This is actually a case against Fakhar, not Agha.
But I want to understand your justification of picking Fakhar over Babar at number 3 considering the fact that Babar is almost literally twice as good at that position.
The real question is: if Babar were to bat in the later middle order, during crisis situations where he's up against spinners, would he perform better than Agha?
There is no data to prove or disprove this, because Babar hasn't batted in the later middle-order in this format. Therefore, it will be assumption. However, the fact that both Babar and Rizwan are much better in the top-order than Fakhar in T20Is is backed by data not assumptions.
And what about the issues of captaincy, where Babar has often been accused of favouring players he personally likes?
His favored players played a T20 World Cup semifinal and final in consecutive years while his non-favored players like Amir and Imad helped him crash out of the group stage in 2024. So I think based on results, Babar was doing OK in T20 cricket with his so-called favored picks.

Agha has not uprooted any trees with his so-called non favoring of players. He got pounded in New Zealand and also got pounded in Bangladesh, and only just limped over the finish like vs a weak team like Wes Indies.
And what about the issue that Babar, as captain, often promotes himself to bat at one or two down in an attempt to be the hero, even when the situation demands otherwise?
Babar is a better T20 opener and number 3 than Fakhar so why wouldn't he open ahead of him? When another option emerged in Saim, Babar gave up his spot for him and he hasn't set the world alight either. It is not reasonable to expect Babar to give up his opening slot for clearly inferior players like Fakhar and Haris. No situation would ever demand that those two play ahead of him when he is obviously better than him.
 
Who cares about the issues you have? Go and support Zimbabwe or Nepal if you want the Pakistan team to become their level with Babar in it.
Pakistan would be no better than those two if they fill their lineup with players like Fakhar, Haris and Agha.
 
Pakistan would be no better than those two if they fill their lineup with players like Fakhar, Haris and Agha.
Pakistan is much better with those players you mentioned and workout Babar and Rizwan.


Add Babar and Rizwan into Australia’s legendary teas side of 2003-7 and they would also become $hit.
 
Pakistan would be no better than those two if they fill their lineup with players like Fakhar, Haris and Agha.
Fakhar is already 35 he has to go. And Agha and Sahibzada aren't international level by any means. The only format Agha doesn't justify his place is the format he has became captain of. Babar in the top order with Saim and Nawaz is eminent.
 
He has never said anything about Agha in his entire life until today. So called Biggest fan
I am not sure why you would accuse someone when a quick search clearly shows that @shariqnoor is right and you and @Rana are wrong.

Just write "Agha" in the search bar and add his name and you'll see plenty of posts where he has praised Agha and rated him highly.
 
Fakhar is already 35 he has to go. And Agha and Sahibzada aren't international level by any means. The only format Agha doesn't justify his place is the format he has became captain of. Babar in the top order with Saim and Nawaz is eminent.
Don't worry, Agha is the waqti abu of these orphans, but it will not last. He is a good player, but he has been given more than he can handle and it will ruin his career.

He is a good ODI and Test player but not captaincy material and not worthy of occupying a permanent spot in the T20I team.
 
I am not sure why you would accuse someone when a quick search clearly shows that @shariqnoor is right and you and @Rana are wrong.

Just write "Agha" in the search bar and add his name and you'll see plenty of posts where he has praised Agha and rated him highly.
I did. I am not accusing him. He hasnt made any indication about being Agha's biggest fan and I would know since I created 2 threads realted to agha one of them being titled a justice for Agha thread.

I made a justice for agha thread back in 2023 when he wasnt even mainstream yet his supposed biggest fan has been a whisper and hasnt actually advocated for him.

Ask @Rana About my thread, Ask redwood or multiple people including shaz. Heck search the thread fam.
 
Please name the substitutes of all these 3 players that you want to see.
I would drop Fakhar to 4 because this is where he is at his best in this format, and have a top 3 of Saim, Rizwan and Babar.

I would keep Agha in the middle-order due to lack of options right now, but I would hope that an interesting middle-order prospect like Hassan Nawaz would emerge so that I can drop Agha from T20s and have him focus on Tests and ODIs only where he bring a lot of value to Pakistan.
 
I did. I am not accusing him. He hasnt made any indication about being Agha's biggest fan and I would know since I created 2 threads realted to agha one of them being titled a justice for Agha thread.

I made a justice for agha thread back in 2023 when he wasnt even mainstream yet his supposed biggest fan has been a whisper and hasnt actually advocated for him.

Ask @Rana About my thread, Ask redwood or multiple people including shaz. Heck search the thread fam.
That is not what you said.

You said that "He has never said anything about Agha in his entire life until today" which is not correct and I am sure you wouldn't have said this had you used the search bar. I think you owe him an apology for this.

You are a good poster but sometimes you get carried away under the influence of the janitor Rana. Don't let him influence you.
 
Don't worry, Agha is the waqti abu of these orphans, but it will not last. He is a good player, but he has been given more than he can handle and it will ruin his career.

He is a good ODI and Test player but not captaincy material and not worthy of occupying a permanent spot in the T20I team.
Exactly at the end of the day its not their fault. It is not Sahibzada's fault that he is asked to fill Babar's shoes neither it is Agha's fault to become the captain. The whole merit system is rotten with the most corrupt people leading PCT. Nawaz and Hassan Ali used to get bashed when Babar selected him himself and now when he gets selected without merit, no one bats an eye. Hypocrisy is on peak. Same for Faheem and a few more that don't deserve a place. However, players like Hasan Nawaz and Sufyan Muqeem are very good finds for the future. They need to play.
 
Exactly at the end of the day its not their fault. It is not Sahibzada's fault that he is asked to fill Babar's shoes neither it is Agha's fault to become the captain. The whole merit system is rotten with the most corrupt people leading PCT. Nawaz and Hassan Ali used to get bashed when Babar selected him himself and now when he gets selected without merit, no one bats an eye. Hypocrisy is on peak. Same for Faheem and a few more that don't deserve a place. However, players like Hasan Nawaz and Sufyan Muqeem are very good finds for the future. They need to play.
They have put Agha in a difficult spot as well. Agha himself knows he is not worthy of the responsibility and limelight that has suddenly been bestowed on him because of the anti Babar-Rizwan agenda.
 
I would drop Fakhar to 4 because this is where he is at his best in this format, and have a top 3 of Saim, Rizwan and Babar.

Are you really satisfied with the strike rates of Rizwan and Babar during the power play and even during the middle overs?
 
Babar is 31



And his T20 career is over.



That’s a big shame. That’s going to hurt forever.
Babar celebrated his 31st birthday in @Rana's house :D

The fact of the matter is that he is still 30. His career is only half way through and he is going to come back to shut your mouth forever. His replacements aren't even fit to tie his shoelace. Period.
 
Are you really satisfied with the strike rates of Rizwan and Babar during the power play and even during the middle overs?
It can be better, but they are still better options than the alternatives that we have right now.
 
Go and do some worthwhile work like logging in from your other 2 accounts - mominsaigol and topspin, and like all your posts.

This is a pretty immature comment to make but this doesn’t surprise me one bit considering the fact you once expected us to all believe:

Imam is the most player in the team.

🤡
 
And if only 1 of Babar/Rizwan can cut it, it should be Babar but then again Haris isn't doing any better with gloves or the bat.
 
@topspin bro check this data expert. If it were up to him, LQ would lose 3 titles in 4 years just like Bobsy loses wherever he goes
:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:

I hope Mamoon will shift away from his pro-Babar stance and see the value in the likes of Fakhar etc.

The thing with Fakhar is he’s a confidence player. He’s basically a Pakistani version of Kai Havertz.

If he’s on form, you want him opening. If he’s out of form, you want to hide him down the order.

So for him I would not propose a fixed spot in the batting order.
 
Easy. Babar, Rizwan and Shadab.

Please name the 11 players of the team and what position do they play if you want to have Babar, Rizwan and Shadab in the team. Please show you can remove Agha from the team in the presence of these 3 players.

Are you really satisfied with the strike rates of Rizwan and Babar during power play and even during middle overs?

What about politics that we see during captaincy of Rizwan and Babar? Why don't we hear any such issue during the captaincy of Agha?
 
I dont have any other account. It doesnt exist, in the same way you advocating for agha didnt exist until now.
Oh please. Start posting from your original account. I mean you already do but you have to login to this account and validate your other account just to stroke your ego.

And with regards to Salman Agha, here's your daily dose of lies being exposed.



 
Yes, so the management has gotten rid of Babar and Rizwan. Am I complaining? No.

But what I'm suggesting is if anybody thinks that Agha trumps Babar and Rizwan in T20 batting, then they are definitely delusional. Both Babar and Rizwan walks over Agha in T20.

And just wait a few series against the big boys. This forum will turn on Salman like crazy. Right now he can be the darling but it will soon get exposed especially given that he never comes into bat after the 13th or 14th over promoting all kinds of tullaybaaz. If Agha thinks of himself as inferior to Khushdil, Nawaz, and Faheem, then it's alarming.
But what has that got to do with the price of bread? The bigger issue is the baggage and imbalance babar and Rizwan bring to the team.

Not worth the hassle mate
 
That is not what you said.

You said that "He has never said anything about Agha in his entire life until today" which is not correct and I am sure you wouldn't have said this had you used the search bar. I think you owe him an apology for this.

You are a good poster but sometimes you get carried away under the influence of the janitor Rana. Don't let him influence you.
Alright
Oh please. Start posting from your original account. I mean you already do but you have to login to this account and validate your other account just to stroke your ego.

And with regards to Salman Agha, here's your daily dose of lies being exposed.



I don't have an alt account. But I apologise for doubting and disagreeing with you.
 
I would drop Fakhar to 4 because this is where he is at his best in this format, and have a top 3 of Saim, Rizwan and Babar.

Not enough firepower with Babar and Rizwan in the top 3.

I appreciate if there’s no one good enough with the gloves, we’re stuck with Rizwan but Babar is a big no no. Accumulators went out of fashion a some years ago in T20 cricket.
 
You got yourself in a pickle when you made a blanket statement that Agha has a (or can play) higher SR than Babar and Rizwan but you did not have the numbers to support your argument. You clearly didn't expect anyone to challenge your claim with data and were caught off-guard. Anyway, you are a good, well-mannered person and I will let it go. You clearly come from an educated family unlike some of the cab drivers here.

You also wrote that when Babar and Rizwan play T20Is, they deny the opportunity for an explosive opener like Fakhar to open the innings.

This is a complete myth. I fail to understand why some people cannot accept the fact that Fakhar is not an explosive T20I opener. It is like they cannot to terms with the reality. He is an explosive ODI opener but he is not an explosive T20I opener. It is not the same thing.

As a T20I opener, Fakhar has played 40 matches and has a SR of 134 at an average of 22. As a number 3, he has played 30 matches and has a SR of 116 at an average of 22. He is absolute garbage as a top 3 batsman in T20Is and nowhere near Babar and Rizwan, who both bat at a similar SR at those positions but score almost twice as many as he does.

Fakhar's best position in T20Is is 4/5 - this is where he has shined and has been able to bat at a 150+ SR.
No, "He can" is a key term and I don't think you understand what this means!
 
Yes, vs a crap team right after losing another series vs another crap team. The more this team players against quality opposition, the more it will get exposed.

That T20 series against Bangladesh was played on a minefield.. Horrible / Slow pitches that are more suited to Day 5 Tests in Galle… So I wouldn’t read too much into it.

But yes I agree the T20 teams needs some fixes. Fakhar is at the end of his career and we need a solid reliable player like Abdullah Shafique at no. 3

Hassan Ali / Haris Rauf are also rubbish and need to be booted out ASAP

Also no idea why Faheem is in the team nor what value he brings for us. Needs to also be booted out ASAP
 
Yes, vs a crap team right after losing another series vs another crap team. The more this team players against quality opposition, the more it will get exposed.

Also I am unclear why you are advocating for Babar / Rizwan to return to the T20 team?

Babar had an average PSL with a few fifties sprinkled in throughout.

Rizwan was beyond poor and a huge reason why MS finished dead last.
 
The mental gymnastics on this forum is astounding. From saying "no anchors in modern T20 cricket" to "not all need to be power hitters in T20 cricket". What a journey!!!

I've been the biggest supporter of Salman Agha on this forum, and I categorically state that he should never be in the T20 team, let alone be captain. He's just one 5-0 T20 series whitewash away from being ridiculed and sidelined, which will impact his ODI and Test game so much that Pakistan will struggle to find a good replacement for him in the longer formats where he is absolutely necessary.
The solution was never to have straight up hitters as openers and just hit out in powerplay. T20 openers generally have lower strike rates and higher averages than midddle order for a reason. You need a good platform. Just an obsession over opening powerplay, when it wasn’t the main issue.

In the same way a guy like Hasan Nawaz does well in middle order. You don’t way stabilisers in middle order and than the riskier hitters up top. That doesn’t work as it forces the aggressive batsmen to consilidate and defend which is something they’re not good at. And forces the guys who can actually produce a long innings to hit and get out instead.

Babar and Rizwan’s issues were their poor acceleration once set. Our middle order issues weren’t due to them either, it was just a lack of quality middle order batsmen.

Saim and Farhan should be backed. Rizwan and Babar aren’t even the form they used to be, and these two can be better if they show better ability to accelerate at the end which they have potential to do so. We should continue to push to find other middle order batsmen like Hasan Nawaz who have higher strike rates and lower averages (even though Hasan has a really good average for how fast he strikes).

I think we need one more consistent high averaging batsmen that can set a platform at no.3 in case one of our openers fall. Babar could and to some extent was that at no.3 before but I don’t know if he can still do it out of form, Hafeez did it for a while before he retired, maybe Agha can step up.

What does concern me a bit about Agha is it’s tough for him suit a position. He doesn’t play at 3 generally especially if an early wicket falls. Someone like Haris comes in who isn’t exactly the guy you want to count on to stabilise the innings, more you want him to hit when a platform is set. When we are off to a good start, again Agha holds himself back and puts on the more aggressive batsmen (and even allrounders) to maximise strike rate. Which is the right call. But then it kind of feels Agha is just playing like an emergency batsmen in a total collapse, or a batsman that comes in at 5 when we are doing average not great. It just means he’s so situational. And the no.3 position continues to be an issue for us.

I’m open to see how Agha can play at 3, as the sort of innings he likes to play could work there if he somehow replicates it at 3. Otherwise I think he’s got to change his game and become that more aggressive batsman if he’s finding himself coming into the game so late down the order. If he can’t do either, probably we need to find someone else, but given his ODI success, I’d like to test him out first.
 
Please name the 11 players of the team and what position do they play if you want to have Babar, Rizwan and Shadab in the team. Please show you can remove Agha from the team in the presence of these 3 players.

Are you really satisfied with the strike rates of Rizwan and Babar during power play and even during middle overs?

What about politics that we see during captaincy of Rizwan and Babar? Why don't we hear any such issue during the captaincy of Agha?
I am not completely satisfied by their SR but their replacements are playing worse than them. They're less consistent and SR isn't much improved either. I still feel only Babar should be back not Rizwan but Haris is taking his place for granted too.

My XI

1. Saim
2. Rizwan (WK)
3. Babar
4. Abdullah Shafique
5. Hassan Nawaz
6. Shadab Khan
7. Faheem/Abbas Afridi
8. Shaheen
9. Rauf
10. Moqim
11. Abrar
 
Also I am unclear why you are advocating for Babar / Rizwan to return to the T20 team?

Babar had an average PSL with a few fifties sprinkled in throughout.

Rizwan was beyond poor and a huge reason why MS finished dead last.
Yep they didn't have the best of the seasons in PSL but PSL should not be standard for national team. (Dahani, Ihsanullah, Sahibzada) were top performers in PSL and they're duds in national team.
 
I am not completely satisfied by their SR but their replacements are playing worse than them. They're less consistent and SR isn't much improved either. I still feel only Babar should be back not Rizwan but Haris is taking his place for granted too.

My XI

1. Saim
2. Rizwan (WK)
3. Babar
4. Abdullah Shafique
5. Hassan Nawaz
6. Shadab Khan
7. Faheem/Abbas Afridi
8. Shaheen
9. Rauf
10. Moqim
11. Abrar
No thanks XI
 
I would drop Fakhar to 4 because this is where he is at his best in this format, and have a top 3 of Saim, Rizwan and Babar.

I would keep Agha in the middle-order due to lack of options right now, but I would hope that an interesting middle-order prospect like Hassan Nawaz would emerge so that I can drop Agha from T20s and have him focus on Tests and ODIs only where he bring a lot of value to Pakistan.

Actually, this can be very much said about Rizwan Babar too i.e. if they come again in the team, it is only due to lack of options righ now, and they should be replaced as soon as Saim Ayub type opener emerges. Agha in the middle order (and also as a caption) seems to be more settled than these two on the top, or as captains.
 
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