Why the 'Shan Masood cannot play in the middle-order' argument by Mohammad Wasim does not fly

[MenInG]

I accept that Shan may not be able to bat as an opener when he have settled opening combo.

However, in my humble opinion, a solid opening batter has all the abilities to perform his role at any position in the line-up.

Its a middle-order batter being asked to open which is open to question.

An opener by definition could well be playing when the ball is older etc so he has the ability to play at different stages of the game.

So this by Mohammad Wasim seems unreasonable.

"You cannot compare him to a middle-order batter like Agha Salman because he has given evidence of his utility by performing in the middle-order"

"To experiment at the international level by playing an opener in the middle-order? Well we had a discussion on that but lack of evidence in this aspect does not allow us put an opener in the middle-order slot; If Shan can show that evidence in the upcoming domestic season then we can think about it"

defies logic (in my view)

Do you agree?

 

[hoshiarpurexpress]

I accept that Shan may not be able to bat as an opener when he have settled opening combo.

However, in my humble opinion, a solid opening batter has all the abilities to perform his role at any position in the line-up.

Its a middle-order batter being asked to open which is open to question.

An opener by definition could well be playing when the ball is older etc so he has the ability to play at different stages of the game.

So this by Mohammad Wasim seems unreasonable.

"You cannot compare him to a middle-order batter like Agha Salman because he has given evidence of his utility by performing in the middle-order"

"To experiment at the international level by playing an opener in the middle-order? Well we had a discussion on that but lack of evidence in this aspect does not allow us put an opener in the middle-order slot; If Shan can show that evidence in the upcoming domestic season then we can think about it"

defies logic (in my view)

Do you agree?

Defies logic. The Opener can definitely bat in the middle order in ODIs and Tests. Reverse is difficult.

 

[MenInG]

Defies logic. The Opener can definitely bat in the middle order in ODIs and Tests. Reverse is difficult.

Why would you forego playing a top-class opener in the middle-order for a newbie like Agha?

 

[Titan24]

Defies logic. The Opener can definitely bat in the middle order in ODIs and Tests. Reverse is difficult.

Ofcourse he can bat but, its debatable that the impact in the middle order will be optimal when ball is a bit older and field is spread.

So question should not be whether he can bat or not, he definitely can but can he produce better impact in those numbers when he has not played in the middle overs then the players which are playing and performing in those numbers is the question.

Michael Hussey used to be an opener, he possibly realized their are more opportunities in the middle order in Aus setup and started showing that he can perform there.

If Shan is comfortable in the middle order he should start batting there in domestic cricket requesting his team management. Considering he has been performing already as an opener, a few good knocks in the middle order will put him right in contention for the role.

 

[MenInG]

Ofcourse he can bat but, its debatable that the impact in the middle order will be optimal when ball is a bit older and field is spread.

So question should not be whether he can bat or not, he definitely can but can he produce better impact in those numbers when he has not played in the middle overs then the players which are playing and performing in those numbers is the question.

Michael Hussey used to be an opener, he possibly realized their are more opportunities in the middle order in Aus setup and started showing that he can perform there.

If Shan is comfortable in the middle order he should start batting there in domestic cricket requesting his team management. Considering he has been performing already as an opener, a few good knocks in the middle order will put him right in contention for the role.

Lets assume he starts as an opener, and sees off the new ball and then is batting in the later overs when the field is spread. Would you not expect him to score runs?

 

[Major]

Opening batsmen have different way of playing compared to other batsmen. Opening batsmen need to have strong intial movement, cause they face fast swinging deliveries which they have to play on intial movement.

Often to negate that we see spinners bowling first up. An opener can face trouble against spin, but i do agree with the following that a middle order batsmen cant easily become an opener but an opener can become a middle order batsmen.

However, an opener cant become a lower order batsmen.

So i would say you are half right and half wrong.

You have to look at the line ups, the only way you can have shan masood in the line up currently is at no.4 and that is if rizwan is ready to bat at no.5. You cant give shan masood a nom5 role becuase thaylts where the slogging starts. Plus, with babar performing and the top order doing well, no. 4 also needs to have good slogging capabilities.

Mohammad waseem probably doesn't see potential in Shan Masood and that is rightly so. We have seen him international many times where he isnt able to live up to the mark even though he makes come back each time with strong domestic performance. He is like your typical english batsmen that are good at domestic but fail at test level.

Mohammad waseem doesnt want to offend the player thus he gives such statement as a sugar pill.

Shan is probably not on the raders only because he is s not gonna perform well at international level.

Shan can make a case for himself if he plays one season of list a as a lower order batter. But than again that can jeopardize his domestic teams efforts to win.

 

[Major]

Lets assume he starts as an opener, and sees off the new ball and then is batting in the later overs when the field is spread. Would you not expect him to score runs?

Different scenarios. An opener that survives becomes more settled thus can play more shots later.

But a middle order batsmen doesnt have the luxury often to get settled and has to make impact as soon qs he comes. He is allowed only an over or two to tuk tuk.

Openers get full 10 overs for settling.

Impact will always depend on match scenario.

Hafeez is the best example. Hafeez had to start playing more shots when he shifted to the middle/lower order

 

[Titan24]

Lets assume he starts as an opener, and sees off the new ball and then is batting in the later overs when the field is spread. Would you not expect him to score runs?

I definitely would but, that's a different scenario when he will start as an opener as he will already be set at the crease when middle/later overs come. Starting as a middle order batsman wont give him that and he will have to get going in that kind of situation which is what he is not used to. He can maybe adapt exceptionally well but, he needs to show that at some point in domestic cricket. Trying that at international level straight away when other middle order performers have toiled hard to get into Pak setup would not be the best way to go about it in my opinion.

 

[Cric1234]

Not a batsman I see potential in to be a success in international cricket somebody like Umar Akmal is easily a better opener than Shan and others in ODIs and T20s and in tests a useful middle order batsman.

Shan would struggle with consistency in tests as an opener strike rate isn’t good as well and is not really a big hitting batsman that’s needed in limited overs not an upgrade on the batsmen already selected.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

They should have played him at 3 when they dropped Azhar ali

He would have sent Azhar home, but think tank made sure Azhar ali gets his 100th test, knowingly played Fawad alam that he wouldn’t spoil the spot of Azhar for the next series.


Well no need to play him at no.5 but that’s ok too that is where the second new ball would come into play

Gilchrist is an opener who played at no.5
Sachin and Ganguly are openers but they batted at 4-6 in tests for the most part of their careers
Afridi scored lot of runs as opener in ODIs and as no.5 in tests.


There are so many just put a few examples above that an opener can do well in other batting positions in tests

 

[ask_analyse_act]

It is a norm that I have come across with Pakistan think tank

They won’t play batsman when they are in prime form , to make use of it

They would do the opposite instead ( giving chances to them when they are form faded or when they warmed bench for more than a year didn’t play any cricket for that time period , which is why they are a laughing stock and hilarious most of the time.

The list down here goes on

Fawad Alam
Umar Amin
Shan Masood
Kamran Ghulam
Saud Shakeel
Haider Ali

 

[shah_1]

He should be batting at 4 in ODIs, Rizwan has a pathetic average of 29. He is the main culprit why our middle sucks in ODIs

 

[shah_1]

I definitely would but, that's a different scenario when he will start as an opener as he will already be set at the crease when middle/later overs come. Starting as a middle order batsman wont give him that and he will have to get going in that kind of situation which is what he is not used to. He can maybe adapt exceptionally well but, he needs to show that at some point in domestic cricket. Trying that at international level straight away when other middle order performers have toiled hard to get into Pak setup would not be the best way to go about it in my opinion.

You have to experiment when your middle order is performing like Zimbabwe batting

Shan batted at 3 in the 2021 PSL, and he performed well it is kind of similar to number 4 in ODIs. There is case for him playing at 4 in ODIs considering Rizwan averages 29.

KL rahul and Tom Latham have batted in the middle order, there are examples of opener batting well in the middle order.

 

[topspin]

Shan Masood should bat at 3 for the Pakistan test side.

I knew from the very beginning that it was a disastrous move to drop him from the test side. To make matters even worse, he was discarded in favour of Imran Butt. We deserve to lose against Australia and our last test against Sri Lanka.

In red ball cricket, Pakistan should select the following team:

Abdullah Shafique
Imam-ul-Haq
Shan Masood
Babar Azam
Saud Shakeel/Kamran Ghulam
Haider Ali (or one of Saud Shakeel or Kamran Ghulam)
Muhammad Rizwan
Shadab Khan
Faheem Ashraf/Muhammad Nawaz (former for SENA and latter for turning wickets)
Hasan Ali
Shaheen Shah Afridi

Don't get me wrong I'm not convinced by Imam, Faheem and Hasan Ali but the standard of openers and pace bowlers in Pakistan are atrocious so we have to make do with the limited assets available to ensure the team is as well balanced as possible.

 

[Cric1234]

He doesn’t have the hitting ability to succeed in limited overs as a middle order batsman.

 

[Usman Chadda]

Depends on the opener, Shan Masood is not someone who can bat in the middle-order though.

 

[IMMY69]

I can't believe the chief Selector just said that.

Absolutely ridiculous.

Of course Shan could play in the middle order but ideally he should have replaced Azhar at number 3 in the second test especially considering the options we had available in Sri Lanka,

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Mohammad Wasim is out of his mind.

Shan Masood can fit into the ODI team like a glove at Number 4. This is not Test cricket where its extremely important to play a batter in the position he is best suited for. KL Rahul is an opener but has found great success for India at 4 and 5.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

He should be in the ODI and Test teams. He has earned a spot with his performances. He could have made it to the T20 team too but there are already two similar and better batters than him in Rizwan and Babar, who he is not displacing.

 

[kingusama92]

It depends.

Some openers don't play spin well unless they're settled. This makes them prone to getting out early if they're used as a middle-order batsman.

However, this is assuming the two options are equal.

If there is a gap in quality, you should absolutely put the opener in as a middle-order batsman.

 

[gazza619]

I have been saying the same thing for months ago.

Some people in the team think tank have a certain agenda

 

[Kroll]

Masood is another recycled mediocre player who's been around for ages. Although, I concede he's an honest tryer but being rehashed to the middle order, I'm not sure if he'd do any better than the likes of Fawad and Rizwan.

Serious questions need to be asked of the Pakistan thick tank, why are no batsmen coming through and why are others not getting a chance? This is not right in a big cricket playing country like Pakistan.

 

[hoshiarpurexpress]

Ofcourse he can bat but, its debatable that the impact in the middle order will be optimal when ball is a bit older and field is spread.

So question should not be whether he can bat or not, he definitely can but can he produce better impact in those numbers when he has not played in the middle overs then the players which are playing and performing in those numbers is the question.

Michael Hussey used to be an opener, he possibly realized their are more opportunities in the middle order in Aus setup and started showing that he can perform there.

If Shan is comfortable in the middle order he should start batting there in domestic cricket requesting his team management. Considering he has been performing already as an opener, a few good knocks in the middle order will put him right in contention for the role.

Any opener worth his salt can bat in top 4 in ODIs. 80% of the 2 wickets fall within 20-25 overs and you need 20 overs of innings building before final flourish. Shan had a good PSL, has decent technique and is in form. I feel it is worth a try if there are no other better candidates.

 

[Faiz1978]

In this case I would say Babar Azam, M. Wasim and Saqlain are shameless , If Fakhar Zaman , Haider Ali can play in middle order why not Shan Masood. Unfair captains never succeed , even Babar Azam match team selection also not fair.

 

[Markhor]

In this case I would say Babar Azam, M. Wasim and Saqlain are shameless , If Fakhar Zaman , Haider Ali can play in middle order why not Shan Masood. Unfair captains never succeed , even Babar Azam match team selection also not fair.

I agree, Mohammad Wasim is using some contorted logic here.

The fact is we've recycled umpteen middle-order batsmen in white ball cricket yet continually sideline Shan who has one of the best List A records in the history of cricket.

Meanwhile in Tests, he can't get ahead of an expired Azhar Ali and a HTB in Imam.

There isn't a world of difference between opening and batting at 3. Now that Azhar's finally been dropped, Shan merits one last run this winter. If he cannot perform then fair enough he's nobody to blame but himself.

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Yet another superb performance from Shan Masood. 82 runs out of a total of 182 for Derbyshire against Lancashire in the Royal London One Day Cup <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/SajSadiqCricket/status/1556322704596385793?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Savak]

Time for Mohd Wasim to step down. He has dissappointed as CS.

 

[Cric1234]

He has a strike rate of 82 in domestic List A he will struggle to bat at 100 strike rate in the middle order which is what’s needed in today’s era of flat wickets in ODIs and he isn’t an upgrade on the openers in T20s aswell.

In tests he is inconsistent scores at a similar rate to Imam and Azhar and will mostly fail outside Asia next time around.

 

[Savak]

I would rather that a chance be given to the likes of Saud Shakeel, Kamran Ghulam, Abdullah Shafiq in the T20s and ODIs

 

[MenInG]

Not to belabor the point but in yesterdays RL OD Cup game, Shan came in around the 5th over and was last man out around the 47th.

Lets see if he continues to put to rest some fairytales about him.

 

[PakEngFan]

I agree, Mohammad Wasim is using some contorted logic here.

The fact is we've recycled umpteen middle-order batsmen in white ball cricket yet continually sideline Shan who has one of the best List A records in the history of cricket.

Meanwhile in Tests, he can't get ahead of an expired Azhar Ali and a HTB in Imam.

There isn't a world of difference between opening and batting at 3. Now that Azhar's finally been dropped, Shan merits one last run this winter. If he cannot perform then fair enough he's nobody to blame but himself.

The reason why Shan can’t get in is the fact that he was batting like a no 11 when dropped. He still doesn’t even average 30 after 1000s of chances.

 

[GreenKhan]

The reason why Shan can’t get in is the fact that he was batting like a no 11 when dropped. He still doesn’t even average 30 after 1000s of chances.

Well said . Amazing how Shan is perceived as some sort of a saviour . The likes of even Asad shafiq have far superior records .

 

[Markhor]

The reason why Shan can’t get in is the fact that he was batting like a no 11 when dropped. He still doesn’t even average 30 after 1000s of chances.

I think he could've played the home series vs SAF to see if he could've recovered his form. That decline was during the tours to ENG and NZL where many PAK batsmen have struggled.

Let's not forget he did make runs in AUS and SAF.

Instead we replaced him with a specialist fielder in Imran Butt whose had no real QEA form apart from one good season on very flat tracks in 19/20.

Put it this way - there's no way he should've been dropped while an expired Azhar played for another 18 months. That's not fair selection policy.

 

[MenInG]

PCB responds to media reports

Lahore, 12 August 2022:

The Pakistan Cricket Board has issued the following statement / clarification in response to various media reports, published on Friday, 12 August 2022:

2- The Dawn newspaper reported Shan Masood “refused to be a part of the Pakistan Shaheens team which played a practice match against the national side before its tour to the Netherlands”.

The fact is that the Shaheens’ squad was announced a day after the national squad for the Netherlands and UAE tours was named. After missing out on selection on 3 August, Shan, with the consent of the PCB, had returned to Derbyshire to fulfil his contractual obligations with the English county. This was in line with the NOC, which the PCB had issued to Shan for the entire English county cricket season.

Unfortunately, a prestigious national daily sought no clarification from the PCB before printing the story that brought into disrepute the reputation of Shan Masood.

 

[MenInG]

Shan proving his point.

 

[Grunge101]

There is a reason why so many of us were calling for his inclusion. You can not have a middle order comprising of 4 hacks.

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">wining or losing its a part of game but good player can bat on any number today <a href="https://twitter.com/shani_official?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@shani_official</a> proved that &#55357;&#56397; &#55357;&#56396;.</p>— Mohammad Amir (@iamamirofficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/iamamirofficial/status/1573372198873702400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[MenInG]

Shan Masood after the 3rd T20I:

"I am a little unfamiliar with T20I cricket, so it was good to spend some time on the crease here, to play 30-40 balls which is obviously good for my confidence but then when the result of the match doesn't come your way, then there is a sombre feeling"

<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/e/iv52jl" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="100%" allowfullscreen style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe></div>

 

[TheSultan]

Shan masood played well and out of his comfort zone which was good to see and he deserves his place in the team. However, I want to see how he plays in a live match. This one was pretty much done and dusted when he came to the crease.

A lot of our batsmen cement their spots in the team with a decent performance in a losing cause when all the pressure is off. Let’s see if he can do this when the stakes are there to play for.

 

[GreenKhan]

Shan masood played well and out of his comfort zone which was good to see and he deserves his place in the team. However, I want to see how he plays in a live match. This one was pretty much done and dusted when he came to the crease.

A lot of our batsmen cement their spots in the team with a decent performance in a losing cause when all the pressure is off. Let’s see if he can do this when the stakes are there to play for.

I totally agree. Many times Shan in his test career as well has flattered to deceive hence why he has an average of less than 30 after numerous chances and 25 tests .

The innings yesterday definitely did not harm him and I like the intent he has shown but people need to manage there expectations with him .

 

[MenInG]

I totally agree. Many times Shan in his test career as well has flattered to deceive hence why he has an average of less than 30 after numerous chances and 25 tests .

The innings yesterday definitely did not harm him and I like the intent he has shown but people need to manage there expectations with him .

He needs to score those runs at the same rate in every game - regardless of the situation and he would have done his job

 

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

Shan masood played well and out of his comfort zone which was good to see and he deserves his place in the team. However, I want to see how he plays in a live match. This one was pretty much done and dusted when he came to the crease.

A lot of our batsmen cement their spots in the team with a decent performance in a losing cause when all the pressure is off. Let’s see if he can do this when the stakes are there to play for.

What’s invaluable though is the positive of spending time out in the middle. InshAllah he’ll play the next game a more confident player.

 

[Saj]

Well a bit of credit to whoever finally gave Shan a chance in the T20I side.

I guess he'll move up to 3 soon.

 

[Sher Khan]

I think Shan is the right man for the number 3 spot. They could also have trialled Agha Salman at Number 4. I think he is a better option than the likes of Iftikhar. He is younger, fitter more agile and can do a better job in all 3 departments.

 

[TeymurBlake]

Many players can take a page out of Shan's book. Constantly looking to improve his batting. A must for the WC at No.3.

 

[shaz619]

Well a bit of credit to whoever finally gave Shan a chance in the T20I side.

I guess he'll move up to 3 soon.

He is already sharing the number 3 spot with Haider Ali

 

[MenInG]

Shan Needs to do better than what he is doing now - needs to accelerate rapidly.

 

[PerfectionPersonified]

Shan Needs to do better than what he is doing now - needs to accelerate rapidly.

He can not , he is tried and tested failure at international stage. Poor innings, just killed the game for Pakistan

 

[saeedhk]

He is not cut for T20s. Zero guts and zero power shots.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

He is not cut for T20s. Zero guts and zero power shots.

I think he has guts, just isn't a very good player. Very limited.

 

[Grunge101]

He is not cut for T20s. Zero guts and zero power shots.

Because that is not his game at all?. Anyone who's seen him play in the past should know that. He's not there to be a power hitter.

He's simply there because our so called power hitters have been a complete failure. Much better to have someone reliable like Shan in place of a hack like Iftikhar or Khushdil. Is it the ideal solution?. No. We would ideally need someone in that position who had play the big shots better but we don't have a single player who can do that. In the current scenario Shan is simply the only option we have

 

[James]

Dismal innings today

 

[Ertugrul_Bey]

I hope shan fever is over now. Please bring back Azam Khan, Imad Wasim and Sharjeel. This team is full of accumulators and is in dire need of power hitters!

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Because that is not his game at all?. Anyone who's seen him play in the past should know that. He's not there to be a power hitter.

He's simply there because our so called power hitters have been a complete failure. Much better to have someone reliable like Shan in place of a hack like Iftikhar or Khushdil. Is it the ideal solution?. No. We would ideally need someone in that position who had play the big shots better but we don't have a single player who can do that. In the current scenario Shan is simply the only option we have

This is stupid logic in a T20 game. You are better off playing inconsistent hitters, at least on the odd occasion they come off you might win a game.

 

[MenInG]

Shan's dismissal

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Asif Ali with two 6's off just three deliveries he was given showing just why you can't sacrifice hitters for test openers in a 20 over game.

 

[Grunge101]

This is stupid logic in a T20 game. You are better off playing inconsistent hitters, at least on the odd occasion they come off you might win a game.

And how exactly did we fare rcerntly playing with a middle order composed of those "hitters" exclusively?. The Iftikhar-Khushdil-Nawaz-Asif has been the weakest link in the team.
Yes power hitters are the way to go, as long as you have one . We don't. We have hacks who never turn up.

Much better to have 2 reliable middle order batsmen and 2 hacks in between rather than 4 hacks one after the other.

 

[GreenKhan]

People got carried away with his innings the other day . There was no pressure as the match was already lost .

 

[mesmerizer85]

Based on todays match , i think no one can hit out of the ground better than Asif Ali...Shan Masood is ODI/Test material at best...I know im going to sound stupid, but Asif can play the role of Fakhar Zaman by being promoted up the order and keeping run rate also in check...

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

And how exactly did we fare rcerntly playing with a middle order composed of those "hitters" exclusively?. The Iftikhar-Khushdil-Nawaz-Asif has been the weakest link in the team.
Yes power hitters are the way to go, as long as you have one . We don't. We have hacks who never turn up.

Much better to have 2 reliable middle order batsmen and 2 hacks in between rather than 4 hacks one after the other.

Shan Masood isn't a reliable middle order batsman, he's a limited test batsman. If you want a solid middle order batsman move one of Rizwan or Babar up the order and get a hitter in to open.

 

[Major]

This is stupid logic in a T20 game. You are better off playing inconsistent hitters, at least on the odd occasion they come off you might win a game.

What you posted is stupid logic. Reminds me of the lower order line up of umar akmal, razzaq, afridi and gul. Very rarely did it work.

Pakistan posts 150+ targets in t20 easily due to the top order. If they get out we cant even manage 120.

Batting wise we are good. Issue is captaincy along with the bowling.

Last game we got tobked for 200+, yet batters were critisized not bowlers

 

[Major]

Shan Masood isn't a reliable middle order batsman, he's a limited test batsman. If you want a solid middle order batsman move one of Rizwan or Babar up the order and get a hitter in to open.

Better to check stats first.

Shan masood is an established limited overs player.

 

[The_KING]

People need to go easy on Shan. It wasn't his fault. Shan was playing as a number 3, but that doesn't mean he has to bat at number 3. The management should learn to be flexible with the batting order. When Babar got out, we had to start attacking and they should have send in Nawaz or Asif, who can bat aggressively. Shan is an accumulator and shouldn't have been sent in that situation.

 

[Savak]

Shan needs to work on his power hitting especially his off side attacking play. He is very predictable and one dimensional with his leg side swipes against the pacers and death bowlers will just bowl wide outside off stump to him.

If he can't develop his offside striking in a short period of time, he needs to work on playing regular cricketing shots to those deliveries or learn to dab the ball to third man.

 

[gazza619]

Poor knock today from Shan. Having said that what were our team management thinking sending him in the 12th over when we had 9 wickets in hand. Absolutely brain failure that decision was.

I am beginning to hate this Babar / Saqi combo.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Better to check stats first.

Shan masood is an established limited overs player.

That doesn't make him a good one.

 

[MenInG]

What a great piece of fielding today to get that last wicket

<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.250%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/e/ro6vob" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="100%" allowfullscreen style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe></div>

 

[hitthestump]

I hope shan fever is over now. Please bring back Azam Khan, Imad Wasim and Sharjeel. This team is full of accumulators and is in dire need of power hitters!

Lol you get half the forum stating "we need proper batsmen" then half are like you. What's the solution?

 

[Blistering Barnacle]

Lol, you guys are seriously way too hard on people.

Shan just played his third innings every in T20s and you guys are jumping down his throat.

I think he has done just fine in 2/3 innings.

Give him a chance fellas. He's better than guys getting out for 5 off 10 or 3 off 6 etc, like we've seen against top quality bowling.

He's a good player and you shouldn't judge him based on early career results.

Just look at how he was one of the best T20 players in England recently.

Give it time.

Personally I thiknk he's the best no. 3 for us right now.

 

[Blistering Barnacle]

If I had my way, Shan would be captain in all three formats.

Yes, I rate him that highly.

He has improved incredibly as a player but besides that he is way smarter than Babar and has also had so much first class experience.

 

[Bewal Express]

Last match he did well, today he was awful. One of the worst T20 innings in a while, so we are none the wiser

 

[ads101]

I think he’s doing fine since he returned so far. Fielding is good too. His current average is now 46.50 at an SR 140. Even if you think he will eventually fail surely he’s at least earned his chances for now especially how bad our middle order overall has been in the last few months.

 

[TeymurBlake]

Shan on the team sheet should be No.3.

But with the consistency that Babar-Rizwan bring, he shouldn't come in after the tenth over.

Instead allow a big hitter or an accelerator.

 

[Blistering Barnacle]

People acting like we got much better choices than Shan.

Dudes, get real. He's the best choice. He's better than Fakhar, Nawaz, Khushdil, Haider, and so on.

Deal with it.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

If I had my way, Shan would be captain in all three formats.

Yes, I rate him that highly.

He has improved incredibly as a player but besides that he is way smarter than Babar and has also had so much first class experience.

If he's going to play then it should be as opener. Firstly because that is his natural position, and secondly, he can hit the ball hard, so might get some success in the powerplay when the field is in.

I like the Rizwan/Babar opening partnership, but they are quite one paced, and they can quite often turn a decent start into a struggle for following batsmen if they don't kick on.

 

[Blistering Barnacle]

He should obviously be a floating no. 3. If we have 5 overs to go, yes, bring in Asif or some big hitter.

 

[todfod 11]

Mohammed hafeez started as an opener and then his success actually came batting at 4.
Mohammed Wasim should not make these sort of statements.

 

[Blistering Barnacle]

If he's going to play then it should be as opener. Firstly because that is his natural position, and secondly, he can hit the ball hard, so might get some success in the powerplay when the field is in.

I like the Rizwan/Babar opening partnership, but they are quite one paced, and they can quite often turn a decent start into a struggle for following batsmen if they don't kick on.

Your reply implies that he shouldn't play if he isn't opening.

Disagree.

 

[Ashmal]

It's just his 3rd inngs since comeback so won't be too harsh on him.

But that was one of the worst inngs in all T20s, given the situation.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Your reply implies that he shouldn't play if he isn't opening.

Disagree.

I think he has quite a limited range of strokes so not convinced he will prosper further down the order. I think Fakhar has similar issues, although at least Shan doesn't drag balls to leg from outside off stump. I think you would get far more from him as an opener.