Will Sarfaraz Ahmed make it into any other cricket team?

[Hawkeye]

Sarfraz is both a keeper and a batsman.

You get two in one when you select him. The leader and captain of the Pakistan team, what other teams could he walk into?

IND or Bangladesh, perhaps? Who's their keeper bat these days?

Dickwella I think does the job for SL, who's doing a good job so don't think will make it there.

 

[TeamPak95]

I think Windies wouldn't mind a specialist captain.

 

[trickyone]

Can easily make into Namibia Team...

 

[ARK Rafay]

If B Taylor was retired right now. He would make it to Zimbabwe

 

[Hasan123]

I think Windies wouldn't mind a specialist captain.

Holder has done a good job as captain. He wouldn't be captain of West Indies.

 

[Hasan123]

An associate level player. Don't think he would be keeper of top teams.Don't think West Indies or Sri Lanka will have him as a player as well.

 

[cricketindiafan]

He is not so bad. CT winning captain, No 1 rank in T20s for over an year, Test average of 38 and ODI average of 33 at a decent strike rate. Not in the Gilly (all formats), Dhoni (ODI) tier but definitely a shade below them like a lot of other very good keeper batsmen.

For comparison Dhoni, Bairstorw, Buttler, De Cock all average 36-38 in Tests. Mushfiqur is at 35, Saha was at 31 for us

 

[ShahidDar08]

Can't make it even into Zimbabwe team.

 

[PakPremi]

He is not so bad. CT winning captain, No 1 rank in T20s for over an year, Test average of 38 and ODI average of 33 at a decent strike rate. Not in the Gilly (all formats), Dhoni (ODI) tier but definitely a shade below them like a lot of other very good keeper batsmen.

For comparison Dhoni, Bairstorw, Buttler, De Cock all average 36-38 in Tests. Mushfiqur is at 35, Saha was at 31 for us

It takes an Indian Fan to post something sensible on this forum after long time.
These fickles fans will start comparing him with Donald Bradman if he scores couple of fifties. No middle ground. No Pak wicket keeper has scored as well as Sarfraz or will score, representing in 3 formats and captaining as well. He is worse wicketkeeper in the world but averaging same as the best in the world. Blind hatred.

 

[SarfiBabarHaris]

Yes apart from England he will make into every team.

 

[DRsohail]

Yes apart from England he will make into every team.

How
1`India Saha is way better keeper and pant betetr batsman.
2;NZ.Watling better average ,more centuries and clutch innings make him better
3 AUS ;Their keeper is their captain and has scored runs in sia as well,having better average and grit.
4 Eng;they have alot of options so no need to even discuss.
5 SA;De kock had some bad form but no way Sarafraz is better keeper or fitness wise De kock will easily beat him.He is young but a slightly lower average.
6;Bangladesh will have mushy so no chance
7:WI is a team where i think he can make.
8;Zim.Taylor is there so will again be defficult for him to go as a keeper.
The lesser said about Odi the betetr it is as even Shahzad from Afghan will beat him there.

 

[Arsalan Pro]

Why not?

He will get into most teams going by his stats. Every player has a poor patch and in the same way we can make thread for every player and even still Sarfraz won us the last match vs Australia.

 

[DRsohail]

Why not?

He will get into most teams going by his stats. Every player has a poor patch and in the same way we can make thread for every player and even still Sarfraz won us the last match vs Australia.

Yess poor patch of two years where MR.Specialist averaging 26??

 

[Hasan123]

Yes apart from England he will make into every team.

Sarfraz will play ahead of De Kock?

Thought Sarfraz was betterthan Bairstow? How come you changed your mind 1 week ? Thought Bairstow wasn't as good as Sarfraz against spin.

 

[Hasan123]

How
1`India Saha is way better keeper and pant betetr batsman.
2;NZ.Watling better average ,more centuries and clutch innings make him better
3 AUS ;Their keeper is their captain and has scored runs in sia as well,having better average and grit.
4 Eng;they have alot of options so no need to even discuss.
5 SA;De kock had some bad form but no way Sarafraz is better keeper or fitness wise De kock will easily beat him.He is young but a slightly lower average.
6;Bangladesh will have mushy so no chance
7:WI is a team where i think he can make.
8;Zim.Taylor is there so will again be defficult for him to go as a keeper.
The lesser said about Odi the betetr it is as even Shahzad from Afghan will beat him there.

Didn't you see Dowrich knock today? Even making the West Indies line up isn't a certainty.

 

[DRsohail]

Didn't you see Dowrich knock today? Even making the West Indies line up isn't a certainty.

I did not see,,,but score card shows that it was? on spinning track.

 

[srh]

Yes apart from England he will make into every team.

dont make bad posts bhai; deep down you know its not true

 

[topspin]

Sarfraz will play ahead of De Kock?

Thought Sarfraz was betterthan Bairstow? How come you changed your mind 1 week ? Thought Bairstow wasn't as good as Sarfraz against spin.

Hassan what can I say.

Like seriously? He isn't even the best wicket keeper batsman in Asia let along anywhere near the world.

Mushfiqur is way better than him. Sarfraz during his purple patch (until the 2016 ODI in England) was whilst the young Bangladeshi batsman was learning the craft but now he sits comfortably ahead.

 

[Usman Chadda]

Not at this rate. As a senior player and captain, he has been a real disappointment in pressure situations. Marginally better than Azhar and Shafiq though. All three of them need a nice dose of danda to knock some sense into them.

 

[SarfiBabarHaris]

Sarfraz will play ahead of De Kock?

Thought Sarfraz was betterthan Bairstow? How come you changed your mind 1 week ? Thought Bairstow wasn't as good as Sarfraz against spin.

Bairstow aint English wicket keeper anymore.

 

[MMHS]

Forget about other teams, Sarfraz is making PAK team ONLY because he is Captain, otherwise he shouldn't make Test XI ahead of Rizwan and a year back (when CT memory was still fresh and he was just into his batting dip), Arthur, being Head Coach and politically correct said that Kmran is batting well, but Sarfraz is Captain & I can't hide Kamran as fielder.

 

[Usman Chadda]

Forget about other teams, Sarfraz is making PAK team ONLY because he is Captain, otherwise he shouldn't make Test XI ahead of Rizwan and a year back (when CT memory was still fresh and he was just into his batting dip), Arthur, being Head Coach and politically correct said that Kmran is batting well, but Sarfraz is Captain & I can't hide Kamran as fielder.

Rizwan is not the answer. Limited batsman, poor against pace and spin.

 

[topspin]

Rizwan is not the answer. Limited batsman, poor against pace and spin.

He's in form and batting far better than Sarfraz. He's our best option atm. Specialist captain isn't even fit to lead to this side (pun intended).

 

[Hasan123]

Rizwan is not the answer. Limited batsman, poor against pace and spin.

Sarfraz is even worse against pace. Also specialist captain showed his abilities against spin versus Patel. ) )

 

[Abdullah719]

Guys.

On topic please, and learn to respect each other's point of view.

If you want to have a serious discussion, don't belittle other posters. And NO personal comments.

 

[Hasan123]

Bairstow aint English wicket keeper anymore.

Oh bhai when you made the statement you was talking about them both as WKs.

 

[topspin]

Oh bhai when you made the statement you was talking about them both as WKs.

It is besides the point anyway England could field 3 wicket keepers in their first XI and they would all be far superior to Sarfraz in the batting department.

 

[Hasan123]

It is besides the point anyway England could field 3 wicket keepers in their first XI and they would all be far superior to Sarfraz in the batting department.

Foakes is a better keeper than Sarfraz . Don't believe me ask Alex Stewart who rated him as the best in the world from a keeping standpoint even before he was in the England team.

Sarfraz fans will tell us Stewart opinion is irrevalent despite him knowing more about keeping than they ever will .

 

[Usman Chadda]

He's in form and batting far better than Sarfraz. He's our best option atm. Specialist captain isn't even fit to lead to this side (pun intended).

I have seen enough of Rizwan, and he was awful. The sight of Rizwan struggling to get the ball beyond the circle against James Faulkner in Australia, was humiliating to watch as a Pakistani fan. The sight of Rizwan getting comprehensively owned by Adil Rashid in UAE 2016, was also humiliating to watch as a Pakistan fan. He has major technical issues and is only good because he is not in the team right now. I'm old enough to remember how people were clamouring for Sarfraz to replace Kamran Akmal back in 2013, and Umar Akmal in WC2015. The same people have now found a new saviour, and this one will go bust in an even shorter span of time.

If Pakistan fans are looking for runs with the bat, then Kamran Akmal is the only answer. He is the only wicket-keeper batsman in Pakistan who has the ability to play match-winning knocks here and there. Unfortunately, he will cost us behind the stumps and these match-winning knocks will come in 1 out of 10 matches.

 

[Usman Chadda]

Sarfraz is even worse against pace. Also specialist captain showed his abilities against spin versus Patel. ) )

Pakistan in Australia, 3rd ODI, 2017. Go watch the last six overs of the Pakistan innings, and you might just understand what I mean.

 

[Hasan123]

Pakistan in Australia, 3rd ODI, 2017. Go watch the last six overs of the Pakistan innings, and you might just understand what I mean.

Watch the last 2 years of Sarfraz and you will understand what I mean.

I don't care if Rizwan is good enough or not I would rather see him tried and if he isn't good enough we keep trying until we find the right option.

Done with specialist captain . He can take his fan base with him who support him more than the team.

 

[MMHS]

Rizwan is not the answer. Limited batsman, poor against pace and spin.

Point is not about who is answer, every team would like to have a hybrid of Saha & Buttler in their XI. Point is, had Sarfraz not been the chosen one (Captain), could he had kept Rizwan out of XI for 12 months & counting?

 

[Rayyman]

Hope y'all are having fun on this thread. It will backfire. Sarfraz is a good player. Top 3 keeper-batsmen in all formats.

 

[topspin]

I have seen enough of Rizwan, and he was awful. The sight of Rizwan struggling to get the ball beyond the circle against James Faulkner in Australia, was humiliating to watch as a Pakistani fan. The sight of Rizwan getting comprehensively owned by Adil Rashid in UAE 2016, was also humiliating to watch as a Pakistan fan. He has major technical issues and is only good because he is not in the team right now. I'm old enough to remember how people were clamouring for Sarfraz to replace Kamran Akmal back in 2013, and Umar Akmal in WC2015. The same people have now found a new saviour, and this one will go bust in an even shorter span of time.

If Pakistan fans are looking for runs with the bat, then Kamran Akmal is the only answer. He is the only wicket-keeper batsman in Pakistan who has the ability to play match-winning knocks here and there. Unfortunately, he will cost us behind the stumps and these match-winning knocks will come in 1 out of 10 matches.

Bhai we're not talking about the past, We're talking about current affairs! Rizwan has been performing in all forms and has been the better bat this year. Sarfraz on the other hand is regressing, not lost his form like many of loyalists like to cite.

I also find it strange how you lament the Pakistan side of the 90s when they had Moin and Rashid Latif but seem so content with such mediocrity in an unfit Sarfraz.

 

[topspin]

Foakes is a better keeper than Sarfraz . Don't believe me ask Alex Stewart who rated him as the best in the world from a keeping standpoint even before he was in the England team.

Sarfraz fans will tell us Stewart opinion is irrevalent despite him knowing more about keeping than they ever will .

Watch the last 2 years of Sarfraz and you will understand what I mean.

I don't care if Rizwan is good enough or not I would rather see him tried and if he isn't good enough we keep trying until we find the right option.

Done with specialist captain . He can take his fan base with him who support him more than the team.

Foakes is a find for England, I rate him.

As for Sarfraz how can any supporter turn a blind eye to his regression, it seems just that. Along with Misbah's set of loyalists, there is another one for specialist captain who care more about their selections in PSL and Pakistan respectively than the principles of meritocracy.

 

[gazza619]

I would take Sarfaraz over Saha, Watling, Australia’s wicketkeeper (whatever his name is), Dorwich.

Sarfaraz is getting back his batting form.

 

[New Yorker]

Sarfraz is both a keeper and a batsman.

You get two in one when you select him. The leader and captain of the Pakistan team, what other teams could he walk into?

IND or Bangladesh, perhaps? Who's their keeper bat these days?

Dickwella I think does the job for SL, who's doing a good job so don't think will make it there.

He certainly might if he had won them a CT while they were ranked 7th in the world.

Let's be very clear about this. Sarfraz IS a specialist captain for Pakistan in at least two out of three formats. And he is living on his laurels as a CT winner.

But the relevant question here is not whether he is good enough to be in any other side; it is whether he is good enough to be in the Pakistani side?

We don't have better wicket keeping batsmen waiting in the wings right now. Rizwan has had a good run recently in domestics, to be fair, but he has not impressed when playing in internationals, and is not a better keeper than Sarfraz, who has been either very good or pretty good behind the stumps recently.

So it may not be a idea to give Rizwan a go soon, but I think we have to be reconciled to Sarfraz remaining captain until the WC. It simply makes no sense to pick someone over him to lead the side, and one would not want to undermine him by sacking him as Test captain and keeping in charge of the ODI side.

One might add that there is precedent; Imran was pretty much a specialist captain in 1992.

We will all have to grit our teeth and bear it until 2019.

 

[topspin]

I would take Sarfaraz over Saha, Watling, Australia’s wicketkeeper (whatever his name is), Dorwich.

Sarfaraz is getting back his batting form.

Pant, Watling, Paine and Dowrich are all averaging 40+ this year in tests, while Sarfraz averages 25. He isn't getting back to batting form. Reason I mention Pant is because Saha has played 1 test and looks like he's been booted out.

His batting performances are similar to a number 8 tail ender - except most of them are fitter and bowl better than his keeping.

 

[Bilal Ahmad15]

Austraila - Maybe - Austraila Has Tim Paine & Carey currently and they haven't impressed a lot just yet

New Zealand - No - Tom Latham and BJ Watling as a backup. Although some might say yes because Tom Latham doesn't perform consistenly. Oh wait... Sarfaraz has the same exact problem but even worse

India - No - Even after Dhoni retires India has Pant & Dinesh Karthik

South Africa - No - De Kock is too good

England - No Way - They have Bairstow and Buttler. Sarfaraz ain't gonna beat those two

Sri Lanka - Dickwella is going well so no. But maybe in test format yes (I'm not sure though since I don't know a lot of Sri lankan wicketkeepers currently playing).

Bangladesh - No - Mushfiqur, in my opinion, is better than Sarfaraz.

Afghanistan - For a moment I thought this was going to be the country where Sarfaraz will get into but I realised Afghanistan has Mohammad Shazad so no

Zimbabwe - No - I have been impressed with Brendan Taylor this year.

Finally...

West Indies - Yes but not all formats - For T20s, I would prefer Sarfaraz over Dinesh Ramdin. Test Format, its 50-50 with him and Dorwich. Dorwich hasn't been that bad so not sure about Test format but ODI either no (keep Shai Hope as ODI wicketkeeper) or give that wicket keeper to sarfaraz (which means an extra batsman for the WI ODI team). This also lets Shai Hope focus on his batting more

 

[Sarfarazian92]

Can't support this dude anymore.

It's not even about his poor form, he just doesn't seem to care enough to change his style of play based on the match situation. Reeks of Afridiness.

IIRC, he said during/after the Sri Lanka series last year that he won't play the sweep shot in pressure situations, yet he continues to do the same thing innings after innings and refuses to spend time at the crease.

 

[Usman Chadda]

Watch the last 2 years of Sarfraz and you will understand what I mean.

I don't care if Rizwan is good enough or not I would rather see him tried and if he isn't good enough we keep trying until we find the right option.

Done with specialist captain . He can take his fan base with him who support him more than the team.

You sound as unreasonable as the Sarfraz fanbase. That's a pretty nonsensical argument. Replacing garbage with garbage won't make this team better, although it will destabilize the team for certain. What's wrong with bringing back Kamran Akmal then? He has a proven track record of decent knocks, compared to the duck that is Muhammad Rizwan.

 

[Usman Chadda]

Bhai we're not talking about the past, We're talking about current affairs! Rizwan has been performing in all forms and has been the better bat this year. Sarfraz on the other hand is regressing, not lost his form like many of loyalists like to cite.

I also find it strange how you lament the Pakistan side of the 90s when they had Moin and Rashid Latif but seem so content with such mediocrity in an unfit Sarfraz.

I'm not content with having Sarfraz, but its a fact that there is no other wicket-keeper available that can replace him. Rizwan will never be the answer. Put Sarfraz in there in the A team, without much pressure, and he would be whacking it around too. I don't believe Rizwan can improve enough to be even half-decent at international level.

Moin and Rashid were average WK-batsman, so I'm not sure what's your point?

 

[Hasan123]

You sound as unreasonable as the Sarfraz fanbase. That's a pretty nonsensical argument. Replacing garbage with garbage won't make this team better, although it will destabilize the team for certain. What's wrong with bringing back Kamran Akmal then? He has a proven track record of decent knocks, compared to the duck that is Muhammad Rizwan.

Sarfraz is clearly proving he isn't a better test captain than Misbah. So should we have kept Misbah as test captain because there is no one better ?

I never called for Kamran Akmal to be recalled. Every signal country keep on trying new players. They don't stick with Hafeez,Sarfraz ,and Malik because there's no one better .

 

[Usman Chadda]

Sarfraz is clearly proving he isn't a better test captain than Misbah. So should we have kept Misbah as test captain because there is no one better ?

I never called for Kamran Akmal to be recalled. Every signal country keep on trying new players. They don't stick with Hafeez,Sarfraz ,and Malik because there's no one better .

In an ideal scenario, Misbah would have stayed test captain until he was 60, but that can't happen now can it? Strange logic.

You should, since he is the only WK/batsman that can give most Pakistan fans what they want. This "I don't care who, but throw XYZ out" is the reason our cricket has allowed the likes of Hafeez, Malik and K.Akmal to make comebacks. You throw an unrefined player in the deep end, he looks bad, the team loses and we are back to celebrating senior players and 'experience'. The selectors should selected a young keeper for these A team matches and given him much needed experience against quality touring sides, albeit in easier conditions. But they decided to go with a TTF like Rizwan, who you will turn on faster than Sarfraz I assure you.

As it stands, until there is an accomplished replacement, you cannot drop Sarfraz as it destabilizes the team. A new captain and a new keeper are only worth going to the trouble for if the replacement is atleast decent enough. I myself have lost patience with Sarfraz now, since he has wet his pants whenever Pakistan needs him to stand up and be counted. But it's a sad place where Pakistan cricket is in at the moment.

 

[Hasan123]

In an ideal scenario, Misbah would have stayed test captain until he was 60, but that can't happen now can it? Strange logic.

You should, since he is the only WK/batsman that can give most Pakistan fans what they want. This "I don't care who, but throw XYZ out" is the reason our cricket has allowed the likes of Hafeez, Malik and K.Akmal to make comebacks. You throw an unrefined player in the deep end, he looks bad, the team loses and we are back to celebrating senior players and 'experience'. The selectors should selected a young keeper for these A team matches and given him much needed experience against quality touring sides, albeit in easier conditions. But they decided to go with a TTF like Rizwan, who you will turn on faster than Sarfraz I assure you.

As it stands, until there is an accomplished replacement, you cannot drop Sarfraz as it destabilizes the team. A new captain and a new keeper are only worth going to the trouble for if the replacement is atleast decent enough. I myself have lost patience with Sarfraz now, since he has wet his pants whenever Pakistan needs him to stand up and be counted. But it's a sad place where Pakistan cricket is in at the moment.

Other countries don't stick with players just because there is no one else. Look at Australia they are trying new players and new combinations to find the right team.

If Rizwan isn't good enough we move onto the next option. I don't see that as a big issue. There are tons of names with potential. Sarfraz is only going to get worse with age. He will need replacing after 2019 WC anyway.

Keeping Sarfraz isn't going to improve results which will affect team moral way more than sticking with him.

 

[Usman Chadda]

Other countries don't stick with players just because there is no one else. Look at Australia they are trying new players and new combinations to find the right team.

If Rizwan isn't good enough we move onto the next option. I don't see that as a big issue. There are tons of names with potential. Sarfraz is only going to get worse with age. He will need replacing after 2019 WC anyway.

Keeping Sarfraz isn't going to improve results which will affect team moral way more than sticking with him.

Can we have some of these names?

Lol Australia is sticking with an average WK in Tim Paine in hopes of maintaining stability. That’s the worst example you could give tbh.

Other countries have a vision and are not in a situation where the next best WK/batsman is an absolute dud against quality pace and any spin that turns away from him.

 

[KP From India]

Can easily play as a pure batsman in top 3 test teams.

 

[Hasan123]

Can we have some of these names?

Lol Australia is sticking with an average WK in Tim Paine in hopes of maintaining stability. That’s the worst example you could give tbh.

Other countries have a vision and are not in a situation where the next best WK/batsman is an absolute dud against quality pace and any spin that turns away from him.

I am not saying these players are the answer but I want to see them given a chance that's all. Umair Masood ,Umar Siddiq,and Sohail Nazir.

Time Paine makes the team on keeping merit. And he will be replaced by Carey eventually so Australia at least are planning for the future. Better than your mentality of "there's no one better ".

We may as well close domestic cricket and stop playing cricket if you don't think we can find a keeper who is competent and can average 35.

 

[Usman Chadda]

I am not saying these players are the answer but I want to see them given a chance that's all. Umair Masood ,Umar Siddiq,and Sohail Nazir.

Time Paine makes the team on keeping merit. And he will be replaced by Carey eventually so Australia at least are planning for the future. Better than your mentality of "there's no one better ".

We may as well close domestic cricket and stop playing cricket if you don't think we can find a keeper who is competent and can average 35.

Right, Tim Paine makes the team on merit yet Sarfraz who out-performed him in the recent series does not? They are both average WK/batsman playing because their teams have no replacements at domestic level. Carey is never going to be play test cricket for Australia, he might well be left out soon enough from the LOI squads aswell given his lacklusture performances.

This “Idc just throw him because I hate him” might work in your gully mohallay ke team, but this is the national team you are talking about. What’s the point of trying an undercooked player, when you know Sarfraz will be back as soon as the poor soul fails? What’s the point of this kind of drop for Sarfraz? Isn’t that what we have done with Hafeez and Malik over the years? Where are Hafeez and Malik now, and where are the ‘youngsters’ who have been tried in place of these two mediocre players?

 

[BreadPakoda]

Sorry, Sarfaraz won't get into the India B side. Pant is young and has to be given a long rope in tests, so he plays for the main side. India A will have Saha as the keeper, who is the most gifted one at his art. India B will have DK who is much more fitter than Sarfu and can bat decently.

 

[Last Monetarist]

I don't think he'll make the Zimbabwe team on current form.

 

[MMHS]

Right, Tim Paine makes the team on merit yet Sarfraz who out-performed him in the recent series does not? They are both average WK/batsman playing because their teams have no replacements at domestic level. Carey is never going to be play test cricket for Australia, he might well be left out soon enough from the LOI squads aswell given his lacklusture performances.

This “Idc just throw him because I hate him” might work in your gully mohallay ke team, but this is the national team you are talking about. What’s the point of trying an undercooked player, when you know Sarfraz will be back as soon as the poor soul fails? What’s the point of this kind of drop for Sarfraz? Isn’t that what we have done with Hafeez and Malik over the years? Where are Hafeez and Malik now, and where are the ‘youngsters’ who have been tried in place of these two mediocre players?

TP is one of the best gloves man in world - he suffered career threatening injuries which cost him good 5-6 years, otherwise he could have played 100+ Test for AUS.

Sarfraz didn't out perform TP in recent series, at most you can say a tie - both saved one Test for their team; Sarfraz had better bowlers hence his side won, that too batting first, while Paine saved a near impossible Test on 4th innings, batting 2 sessions out.

And, this is in UAE - Sarfraz's comfort zone; exchange their venues, you'll see who out performs whom.

 

[Usman Chadda]

TP is one of the best gloves man in world - he suffered career threatening injuries which cost him good 5-6 years, otherwise he could have played 100+ Test for AUS.

Sarfraz didn't out perform TP in recent series, at most you can say a tie - both saved one Test for their team; Sarfraz had better bowlers hence his side won, that too batting first, while Paine saved a near impossible Test on 4th innings, batting 2 sessions out.

And, this is in UAE - Sarfraz's comfort zone; exchange their venues, you'll see who out performs whom.

Sarfraz scored 190 runs in 3 innings with an average of 63, and an innings of 94 when Pakistan was 54/5. TP managed 71 runs in 4 innings. If thats not out-performing, I guess you need to check a dictionary to brush up your meaning of the word.

Not even in the same ball park.

 

[MMHS]

Sarfraz scored 190 runs in 3 innings with an average of 63, and an innings of 94 when Pakistan was 54/5. TP managed 71 runs in 4 innings. If thats not out-performing, I guess you need to check a dictionary to brush up your meaning of the word.

Not even in the same ball park.

Both played one critical knock in the series - if you consider "performance". Statistical route is a bit risky since Sarfraz is averaging 26 in last 15 months, Paine 40 ....... don't think Aussies pick players for 1 odd Test - if you really think that Sarfraz is ever going to make the AUS Team with his size, fitness & batting skills .... at least not before Aussies moves below ZIM.

 

[Hasan123]

Right, Tim Paine makes the team on merit yet Sarfraz who out-performed him in the recent series does not? They are both average WK/batsman playing because their teams have no replacements at domestic level. Carey is never going to be play test cricket for Australia, he might well be left out soon enough from the LOI squads aswell given his lacklusture performances.

This “Idc just throw him because I hate him” might work in your gully mohallay ke team, but this is the national team you are talking about. What’s the point of trying an undercooked player, when you know Sarfraz will be back as soon as the poor soul fails? What’s the point of this kind of drop for Sarfraz? Isn’t that what we have done with Hafeez and Malik over the years? Where are Hafeez and Malik now, and where are the ‘youngsters’ who have been tried in place of these two mediocre players?

So if you out perform someone for 1 series it means you are better? Tim Paine makes his team on keeping merit. Only reason he didn't play more for Australia was because of his injury. Carey has just started playing for Australia I would give him some time yet. He is one of the best in Australia. But if he fails they won't sit there and say just keep on playing him because he is the best opition we have .

I want Sarfraz out because I know he isn't good enough. Gully mohallay sides wouldn't keep players who average 26 for years btw ).

And how do you know every replacement will fail when you won't even give them a chance? )

 

[Usman Chadda]

So if you out perform someone for 1 series it means you are better? Tim Paine makes his team on keeping merit. Only reason he didn't play more for Australia was because of his injury. Carey has just started playing for Australia I would give him some time yet. He is one of the best in Australia. But if he fails they won't sit there and say just keep on playing him because he is the best opition we have .

I want Sarfraz out because I know he isn't good enough. Gully mohallay sides wouldn't keep players who average 26 for years btw ).

And how do you know every replacement will fail when you won't even give them a chance? )

Muhammad Rizwan had a full series in 2017 against Australia, as a replacement for Sarfraz. What did he do? A good series there would have kept him as the defacto back-up, but the guy performed so horribly that he got dropped from the squad altogether.

I know because I have seen these options play, and when the best local keepers in PSL are the likes of Saifullah Bangash and Muhammad Hasan, you know you are in deep trouble.

I didn't say who was better. I simply pointed out the usual hypocrisy from the likes of rondu fans like you to consider TP as a deserving candidate while someone who out-performed him the last time they faced off is not as deserving

Dropping Sarfraz, changing the coaches, changing the selectors, picking Fawad Alam won't make this team win. Sarfraz is just one of the trivial issues Pakistan cricket is facing at the moment, the other issues are far more dangerous and need a clear vision to sort out in the long term.

 

[Executioner]

I'd pick him ahead of Mithun or Riad

 

[PakPremi]

Tim Paine is better batsman than Sarfraz . I have heard it all now. The situation Tim Pant was batting to just kill off overs even Abbas would have done the same job. Unbelievable that some intelligent and very experienced posters think that Rizwan would do better job than Sarfraz.

 

[SarfiBabarHaris]

Tim Paine is better batsman than Sarfraz . I have heard it all now. The situation Tim Pant was batting to just kill off overs even Abbas would have done the same job. Unbelievable that some intelligent and very experienced posters think that Rizwan would do better job than Sarfraz.

Sarfraz easily was the better keeper than Paine in last series when the 2 met but hey lets not talk logic here.

 

[topspin]

Austraila - Maybe - Austraila Has Tim Paine & Carey currently and they haven't impressed a lot just yet

New Zealand - No - Tom Latham and BJ Watling as a backup. Although some might say yes because Tom Latham doesn't perform consistenly. Oh wait... Sarfaraz has the same exact problem but even worse

India - No - Even after Dhoni retires India has Pant & Dinesh Karthik

South Africa - No - De Kock is too good

England - No Way - They have Bairstow and Buttler. Sarfaraz ain't gonna beat those two

Sri Lanka - Dickwella is going well so no. But maybe in test format yes (I'm not sure though since I don't know a lot of Sri lankan wicketkeepers currently playing).

Bangladesh - No - Mushfiqur, in my opinion, is better than Sarfaraz.

Afghanistan - For a moment I thought this was going to be the country where Sarfaraz will get into but I realised Afghanistan has Mohammad Shazad so no

Zimbabwe - No - I have been impressed with Brendan Taylor this year.

Finally...

West Indies - Yes but not all formats - For T20s, I would prefer Sarfaraz over Dinesh Ramdin. Test Format, its 50-50 with him and Dorwich. Dorwich hasn't been that bad so not sure about Test format but ODI either no (keep Shai Hope as ODI wicketkeeper) or give that wicket keeper to sarfaraz (which means an extra batsman for the WI ODI team). This also lets Shai Hope focus on his batting more

Very well analysed bro. This proves that Sarfraz is a minnow standard wicket keeper but funnily enough there are two minnows in Afghanistan and Zimbabwe who have better keepers.

At least he will have a better chance of making the Nepal team.

 

[PakPremi]

Mushi scored 4 &19 against mighty West Indies but of course he is better as he scored a double century against another mighty team Zimbabwe. Whereas Sarfraz 93 counts for nothing against minnow Australia.

 

[moghul]

Mushi scored 4 &19 against mighty West Indies but of course he is better as he scored a double century against another mighty team Zimbabwe. Whereas Sarfraz 93 counts for nothing against minnow Australia.

This was a minnow Australian team and one "good" inning on a road in five years , not good enough.

 

[topspin]

I'm not content with having Sarfraz, but its a fact that there is no other wicket-keeper available that can replace him. Rizwan will never be the answer. Put Sarfraz in there in the A team, without much pressure, and he would be whacking it around too. I don't believe Rizwan can improve enough to be even half-decent at international level.

Moin and Rashid were average WK-batsman, so I'm not sure what's your point?

I don't think Sarfraz would score as well for the A side because he isn't as fit as Rizwan. Ever since Sarfraz has put on weight after the England ODI series 2 years ago, he has regressed in all LOIs and tests immensely why? Because during his purple patch he was able to rotate the strike efficiently and convert 1s into 2s more frequently.

At one point in 2016, he was one of the two batsmen with the lowest dot ball % in ODIs along with AB de Villiers.

Also if you noticed after the CT win he put on further weight and isn't as committed to the cause as he used be, because that trophy win has to this day got to his head. But that's what happens when you give a bit of success to a nobody in the cricketing world. It's disgusting to see him hide down the LOI batting order when he is not suited to come in as a hitter.

Rizwan on the other hand is fit, more athletic, younger, in form and far more eager to succeed having watched his interviews.

If you refer to post 39 you'll come to realise Sarfraz wouldn't even make it into the playing XI of Zimbabwe or Afghanistan.

What has held Pakistan back is it's conservative approach of trying more deserving younger blood.

I don't understand why you base your opinion of Rizwan of what you saw few years back. Do you remember when Fakhar Zaman looked like a tail ender in those T20Is against WI prior to the CT?

Rizwan is 26 and is a long term investment, Sarfraz on the other hand is 31 on paper but looks more like a 41 year old Karachi Street Cricketer.

Moin and Rashid were actually world class wicket keeper and no.7 batsmen in respect of the standards back in the 90s. Like Ian Healey who played 119 tests they both have virtually identical averages to him, but I guess the ATG side of Australia also had an average WK batsman in him for the 90s as well right?

Sarfraz stats are better than the Pakistani wicket keeping duo due to the purple patch from 2014 - 2016 (where at one point was averaging 50) and also because of the lower standard of bowlers in this + batting friendly pitches of this era. However the likes of Moin, Rashid and Healey would never have given such poor returns over a period of 2 years (if they were playing today) and regressed to such extent when really should be hitting their peak at the ages of 29 -31 like Sarfraz supposedly is on paper.

 

[topspin]

Tim Paine is better batsman than Sarfraz . I have heard it all now. The situation Tim Pant was batting to just kill off overs even Abbas would have done the same job. Unbelievable that some intelligent and very experienced posters think that Rizwan would do better job than Sarfraz.

Sarfraz easily was the better keeper than Paine in last series when the 2 met but hey lets not talk logic here.

Tim Paine averages 40+ in 2018 whereas Sarfraz is averaging 25, so yes he is the better batsman out of the 2 wicket keepers at present.

Sarfraz has regressed since his 2014-2016 purple patch and is due to continue in 2019 because he is finished.

 

[Hawkeye]

I'm on record here, how much I dislike Rizwan.

But, to be honest, when riz was playing like a dud in some of the international matches, that horror show was not as bad as what Sarfraz used to do for years, before his purple patch started, in 2014/15 I think.

So, both [MENTION=1650]Usman Chadda[/MENTION] and [MENTION=144231]PakPremi[/MENTION] are being unfair to Rizwan, and giving way too much credit to a horrible batsman like Sarfraz.

I'm still not convinced with riz, but he has more potential than Sarfraz and he hasn't even gotten as many chances as the gali ka fighter.

Ideally we'd scout for a different keeper bat. But Sarfraz is the worst choice right now.

 

[topspin]

So if you out perform someone for 1 series it means you are better? Tim Paine makes his team on keeping merit. Only reason he didn't play more for Australia was because of his injury. Carey has just started playing for Australia I would give him some time yet. He is one of the best in Australia. But if he fails they won't sit there and say just keep on playing him because he is the best opition we have .

I want Sarfraz out because I know he isn't good enough. Gully mohallay sides wouldn't keep players who average 26 for years btw ).

And how do you know every replacement will fail when you won't even give them a chance? )

Spot on - unfortunately the conservative approach to selections and seniority culture has infected some of the Pakistan fan base.

Even if Rizwan fails, it would send the right message to Sarfraz that he needs to get his act together and that his place in the side isn't secure because of captaincy.

 

[PakPremi]

This was a minnow Australian team and one "good" inning on a road in five years , not good enough.

According to experts Pak are also minnow and at least Australia are ranked higher than Pak. Any team we score against becomes minnows so no surprise here.

 

[PakPremi]

Tim Paine averages 40+ in 2018 whereas Sarfraz is averaging 25, so yes he is the better batsman out of the 2 wicket keepers at present.

Sarfraz has regressed since his 2014-2016 purple patch and is due to continue in 2019 because he is finished.

I cannot predict how Sarfraz would score in the remaining innings in this series but from what I saw in the test against Australia he is easily heads and shoulders ahead of any Pak wicketkeeper batsmen in Pakistan. Unfair to compare bad patch of Sarfraz batting career with one average year of Tim Paine. Even when both played in the series Sarfraz batting and keeping was remarkable better than TP. iIf Sarfraz fails completely in this series and against SA I would admit I was wrong but till then I am sticking with my opinion that Sarfraz adds a lot of value to team, but yes he needs to give up Test captaincy to focus more on his batting.

 

[Usman Chadda]

I don't think Sarfraz would score as well for the A side because he isn't as fit as Rizwan. Ever since Sarfraz has put on weight after the England ODI series 2 years ago, he has regressed in all LOIs and tests immensely why? Because during his purple patch he was able to rotate the strike efficiently and convert 1s into 2s more frequently.

At one point in 2016, he was one of the two batsmen with the lowest dot ball % in ODIs along with AB de Villiers.

Also if you noticed after the CT win he put on further weight and isn't as committed to the cause as he used be, because that trophy win has to this day got to his head. But that's what happens when you give a bit of success to a nobody in the cricketing world. It's disgusting to see him hide down the LOI batting order when he is not suited to come in as a hitter.

Rizwan on the other hand is fit, more athletic, younger, in form and far more eager to succeed having watched his interviews.

If you refer to post 39 you'll come to realise Sarfraz wouldn't even make it into the playing XI of Zimbabwe or Afghanistan.

What has held Pakistan back is it's conservative approach of trying more deserving younger blood.

I don't understand why you base your opinion of Rizwan of what you saw few years back. Do you remember when Fakhar Zaman looked like a tail ender in those T20Is against WI prior to the CT?

Rizwan is 26 and is a long term investment, Sarfraz on the other hand is 31 on paper but looks more like a 41 year old Karachi Street Cricketer.

Moin and Rashid were actually world class wicket keeper and no.7 batsmen in respect of the standards back in the 90s. Like Ian Healey who played 119 tests they both have virtually identical averages to him, but I guess the ATG side of Australia also had an average WK batsman in him for the 90s as well right?

Sarfraz stats are better than the Pakistani wicket keeping duo due to the purple patch from 2014 - 2016 (where at one point was averaging 50) and also because of the lower standard of bowlers in this + batting friendly pitches of this era. However the likes of Moin, Rashid and Healey would never have given such poor returns over a period of 2 years (if they were playing today) and regressed to such extent when really should be hitting their peak at the ages of 29 -31 like Sarfraz supposedly is on paper.

The same reason I don't rate Fawad Alam in LOI cricket. Fawad has decent stats in ODI cricket, but the way he was embarrassed against Australia in the 2nd ODI in 2014, just showed he will never be cut out for international cricket. He got selected for Bangladesh tour 2015, and proceeded to do jack there, thereby solidifying that fact.

I have seen pretty much every Rizwan innings, and him trying to scratch around in the slog overs, struggling to get the ball beyond the circle against a medium pacer like Faulkner, was embarrassing to watch. I remember Adil Rashid absolutely destroying Rizwan in the UAE against England in 2015. It was embarrassing the way his bat and pads were stuck in different universes, while he tried to read Rashid off the pitch consistently. There's a reason he was dropped altogether, after being given a long rope in ODI cricket. I have never seen Sarfraz look that bad, believe me. Sarfraz's issue is his attitude towards batting has been muddled by the pressure he is under, and he continues to throw his wicket away after looking good for a few deliveries. It's not a glaring technique issue like Rizwan's.

I would say the same thing about Azhar and Shafiq, if we did not have options available. I say the same thing about dropping Yasir, which I believe is not possible since we don't have replacements available.

What's held back Pakistan cricket is that we throw undercooked players under the bus, and return back to the likes of Sarfraz, Hafeez, Malik, Kakmal when it goes pear-shaped. I'm all for giving a new keeper a chance, since I also believe Sarfraz needs a kick up the backside for the ridiculous shots he keeps playing innings after innings like this is his team and not Pakistan's. But we need someone credible to replace him, as replacing garbage with garbage won't achieve much in this scenario except soothe a few egos. The same egos that will turn on Rizwan quicker than they turned on Sarfraz, since Rizwan is just not international material and ain't good enough to even have a purple patch at this level. Replacing Sarfraz means changing the captain, and I don't believe Rizwan is a worthy enough gamble to make such drastic changes.

However, if he has really improved and he does get a chance. I hope he does well and represents Pakistan cricket for a long time to the best of his ability.

Australia ATG team of the 90s had one world-class keeper, and you very well know his name (it certainly is not Ian Healy). Moin and Rashid, while being excellent servants for Pakistan cricket, are not even in the same league as that gentleman. Don't forget that particular gentleman was their contemporary, not Ian Healy (who played in a different era).

 

[Usman Chadda]

I'm on record here, how much I dislike Rizwan.

But, to be honest, when riz was playing like a dud in some of the international matches, that horror show was not as bad as what Sarfraz used to do for years, before his purple patch started, in 2014/15 I think.

So, both [MENTION=1650]Usman Chadda[/MENTION] and [MENTION=144231]PakPremi[/MENTION] are being unfair to Rizwan, and giving way too much credit to a horrible batsman like Sarfraz.

I'm still not convinced with riz, but he has more potential than Sarfraz and he hasn't even gotten as many chances as the gali ka fighter.

Ideally we'd scout for a different keeper bat. But Sarfraz is the worst choice right now.

Rizwan got a lot of chances and I would love to pull out some posts about this lad from that time. I've been on this forum long enough to know that the guy not in the team is always better than the one in it.

Trust me, if there comes along an exciting WK with potential, pretty much everyone here would want him to replace Sarfraz.

 

[Titan24]

Test avg of 38 with SR of 71, a definite yes in tests. Also look into the quality of the keepers of other teams with Tim Paine, Saha, Dowrich etc.

In tests Sarfaraz, QDK, Bairstow and Watling are the best ones at the moment.

 

[Hasan123]

Muhammad Rizwan had a full series in 2017 against Australia, as a replacement for Sarfraz. What did he do? A good series there would have kept him as the defacto back-up, but the guy performed so horribly that he got dropped from the squad altogether.

I know because I have seen these options play, and when the best local keepers in PSL are the likes of Saifullah Bangash and Muhammad Hasan, you know you are in deep trouble.

I didn't say who was better. I simply pointed out the usual hypocrisy from the likes of rondu fans like you to consider TP as a deserving candidate while someone who out-performed him the last time they faced off is not as deserving

Dropping Sarfraz, changing the coaches, changing the selectors, picking Fawad Alam won't make this team win. Sarfraz is just one of the trivial issues Pakistan cricket is facing at the moment, the other issues are far more dangerous and need a clear vision to sort out in the long term.

I don't care if Rizwan is good enough or not. He has done enough to deserve a chance . That's all I'm saying. Why should you keep someone who is consistently failing and someone who is in form should be left out because of 1 bad series ?

I never mentioned Saifullah or Hassan . Convientley ignoring the players I recommended .

Tim Paine makes his team on keeping merit. Sarfraz doesn't make the team on either . Paine is capable of averaging 30 plus which is enough as he is a brilliant keeper.

Well your answer of doing nothing and hoping things magically get better is not the way forward.

 

[Titan24]

Austraila - Maybe - Austraila Has Tim Paine & Carey currently and they haven't impressed a lot just yet

New Zealand - No - Tom Latham and BJ Watling as a backup. Although some might say yes because Tom Latham doesn't perform consistenly. Oh wait... Sarfaraz has the same exact problem but even worse

India - No - Even after Dhoni retires India has Pant & Dinesh Karthik

South Africa - No - De Kock is too good

England - No Way - They have Bairstow and Buttler. Sarfaraz ain't gonna beat those two

Sri Lanka - Dickwella is going well so no. But maybe in test format yes (I'm not sure though since I don't know a lot of Sri lankan wicketkeepers currently playing).

Bangladesh - No - Mushfiqur, in my opinion, is better than Sarfaraz.

Afghanistan - For a moment I thought this was going to be the country where Sarfaraz will get into but I realised Afghanistan has Mohammad Shazad so no

Zimbabwe - No - I have been impressed with Brendan Taylor this year.

Finally...

West Indies - Yes but not all formats - For T20s, I would prefer Sarfaraz over Dinesh Ramdin. Test Format, its 50-50 with him and Dorwich. Dorwich hasn't been that bad so not sure about Test format but ODI either no (keep Shai Hope as ODI wicketkeeper) or give that wicket keeper to sarfaraz (which means an extra batsman for the WI ODI team). This also lets Shai Hope focus on his batting more

Why did Saha played so much matches for India after Dhoni then?

Saha avgs 30 in tests with SR of 44, while Dinesh averages 25 with SR of 49. I dont know how they are better than Sarfaraz in tests?

Out of all you mentioned only Bairstow and Watling avg more than Sarfaraz in tests and Sarfaraz also has a SR of 71.

In ODIs yes, bcz he is yet to play a match winning knock but then most of our batsmen are yet to win match on their shoulders except Fakhar.

 

[Usman Chadda]

I don't care if Rizwan is good enough or not. He has done enough to deserve a chance . That's all I'm saying. Why should you keep someone who is consistently failing and someone who is in form should be left out because of 1 bad series ?

I never mentioned Saifullah or Hassan . Convientley ignoring the players I recommended .

Tim Paine makes his team on keeping merit. Sarfraz doesn't make the team on either . Paine is capable of averaging 30 plus which is enough as he is a brilliant keeper.

Well your answer of doing nothing and hoping things magically get better is not the way forward.

We have established with this post that you have different standards for TTF like Rizwan and TTFs like Hafeez/Kakmal/Malik. We'll just have to wait and see when Rizwan gets given a chance, and I probably won't be here to say 'I told you so'.

Moving forward, I mentioned explicitly that the premiere T20 tournament of our country has these two names picked consistently, implying that these two are the next best in line after Rizwan. Umair Masood isn't picked regularly by his FC team, from what I have read on here. Umar Siddiq has an average below 40 at FC level. And its Rohail Nazir, not Sohail Nazir. Didn't look that impressive from the recent U-19WC, but he could improve in the future.

Replacing garbage with garbage is not the way forward too. Specially when this is the captain you are talking. There is no one good enough to be a Test captain right now in this team too

 

[aukhan]

We have established with this post that you have different standards for TTF like Rizwan and TTFs like Hafeez/Kakmal/Malik. We'll just have to wait and see when Rizwan gets given a chance, and I probably won't be here to say 'I told you so'.

Moving forward, I mentioned explicitly that the premiere T20 tournament of our country has these two names picked consistently, implying that these two are the next best in line after Rizwan. Umair Masood isn't picked regularly by his FC team, from what I have read on here. Umar Siddiq has an average below 40 at FC level. And its Rohail Nazir, not Sohail Nazir. Didn't look that impressive from the recent U-19WC, but he could improve in the future.

Replacing garbage with garbage is not the way forward too. Specially when this is the captain you are talking. There is no one good enough to be a Test captain right now in this team too

Azhar ali miles better than sarfraz as a Test player. He should be given the reigns. Garbage needs to be thrown out from Test for good.

 

[topspin]

The same reason I don't rate Fawad Alam in LOI cricket. Fawad has decent stats in ODI cricket, but the way he was embarrassed against Australia in the 2nd ODI in 2014, just showed he will never be cut out for international cricket. He got selected for Bangladesh tour 2015, and proceeded to do jack there, thereby solidifying that fact.

I have seen pretty much every Rizwan innings, and him trying to scratch around in the slog overs, struggling to get the ball beyond the circle against a medium pacer like Faulkner, was embarrassing to watch. I remember Adil Rashid absolutely destroying Rizwan in the UAE against England in 2015. It was embarrassing the way his bat and pads were stuck in different universes, while he tried to read Rashid off the pitch consistently. There's a reason he was dropped altogether, after being given a long rope in ODI cricket. I have never seen Sarfraz look that bad, believe me. Sarfraz's issue is his attitude towards batting has been muddled by the pressure he is under, and he continues to throw his wicket away after looking good for a few deliveries. It's not a glaring technique issue like Rizwan's.

I would say the same thing about Azhar and Shafiq, if we did not have options available. I say the same thing about dropping Yasir, which I believe is not possible since we don't have replacements available.

What's held back Pakistan cricket is that we throw undercooked players under the bus, and return back to the likes of Sarfraz, Hafeez, Malik, Kakmal when it goes pear-shaped. I'm all for giving a new keeper a chance, since I also believe Sarfraz needs a kick up the backside for the ridiculous shots he keeps playing innings after innings like this is his team and not Pakistan's. But we need someone credible to replace him, as replacing garbage with garbage won't achieve much in this scenario except soothe a few egos. The same egos that will turn on Rizwan quicker than they turned on Sarfraz, since Rizwan is just not international material and ain't good enough to even have a purple patch at this level. Replacing Sarfraz means changing the captain, and I don't believe Rizwan is a worthy enough gamble to make such drastic changes.

However, if he has really improved and he does get a chance. I hope he does well and represents Pakistan cricket for a long time to the best of his ability.

Australia ATG team of the 90s had one world-class keeper, and you very well know his name (it certainly is not Ian Healy). Moin and Rashid, while being excellent servants for Pakistan cricket, are not even in the same league as that gentleman. Don't forget that particular gentleman was their contemporary, not Ian Healy (who played in a different era).

Even if Sarfraz isn't good enough, him having a rest for a bit might help. Secondly, it will send the right message that his place isn't secure just because he's captain. There's no harm resting him for a bit.

No Ian Healy was the WK for Australia's ATG side throughout the 90s barring the last two months of 1999 after his last test on 17 October that year. Here you're telling me that he played in a different era to those two like seriously I thought you used to watch cricket back in the 90s?

Moin and Rashid indeed don't have the same legacy as Healy because they played far less games however they still had long illustrious careers and matched him for averages. Moin Khan has the same no. of tons in the half the tests, so to suggest they're not in the same league batting wise is ridiculous. All of these keepers are ahead of Sarfraz in batting and would have thrived in an easier era for batting as is today.

 

[Usman Chadda]

Even if Sarfraz isn't good enough, him having a rest for a bit might help. Secondly, it will send the right message that his place isn't secure just because he's captain. There's no harm resting him for a bit.

No Ian Healy was the WK for Australia's ATG side throughout the 90s barring the last two months of 1999 after his last test on 17 October that year. Here you're telling me that he played in a different era to those two like seriously I thought you used to watch cricket back in the 90s?

Moin and Rashid indeed don't have the same legacy as Healy because they played far less games however they still had long illustrious careers and matched him for averages. Moin Khan has the same no. of tons in the half the tests, so to suggest they're not in the same league batting wise is ridiculous. All of these keepers are ahead of Sarfraz in batting and would have thrived in an easier era for batting as is today.

The era part was a slightly off observation, since Healy made his debut only four years before Moin and five years before Rashid Latif. What I meant by different eras, was the fact that Moin and Rashid played well beyond the 2000s while Healy had his career cut short before the 99-00 season against India and Pakistan. Moin and Rashid were subjected to different standards than Healy, with the arrival of Adam Gilchrist. Gilchrist revolutionized the wicket-keeper role and he was the first world-class wicket-keeper batsman in the history of the game.

In comparison to Gilchrist, Moin and Rashid were mediocre. Moin infact played till 2004, when Sangakkara was also beginning to establish himself as the defacto second best wicket-keeper batsman in the world.

Also Australia started to dominate from 1998 onwards. Before that they were a strong team, but they became ATG from 98 onwards under Steve Waugh. Gilchrist was the WK remembered as part of this ATG side, not Ian Healy. I thought you used to watch cricket in the 90s?

 

[Usman Chadda]

Azhar ali miles better than sarfraz as a Test player. He should be given the reigns. Garbage needs to be thrown out from Test for good.

Yes. Specially since Azhar looks so accomplished as the leader of this batting line-up. Entrusting him with the captaincy at this point of time will be a masterstroke and Pakistan will be number one in the world in no time.

 

[MMHS]

Relax guys, every fan expects PAK captain to do well. He is not going anywhere before WC, better he should contribute for team rather than being carried by team.

Today, he’ll get a golden opportunity if he comes after 1st drinks - Test into 2nd day with PAK in commanding position, bowlers should be worn out after 1st days work & wicket should be at it’s best for batting today. A quick fire 75 can put PAK in a winning position.

 

[Hasan123]

We have established with this post that you have different standards for TTF like Rizwan and TTFs like Hafeez/Kakmal/Malik. We'll just have to wait and see when Rizwan gets given a chance, and I probably won't be here to say 'I told you so'.

Moving forward, I mentioned explicitly that the premiere T20 tournament of our country has these two names picked consistently, implying that these two are the next best in line after Rizwan. Umair Masood isn't picked regularly by his FC team, from what I have read on here. Umar Siddiq has an average below 40 at FC level. And its Rohail Nazir, not Sohail Nazir. Didn't look that impressive from the recent U-19WC, but he could improve in the future.

Replacing garbage with garbage is not the way forward too. Specially when this is the captain you are talking. There is no one good enough to be a Test captain right now in this team too

You aren't even listening. I don't care if Rizwan is good enough or not. He isn't a personal favourite of mine. I just want to see him given a chance because I am sick of playing with a specialist captain.


They won't get chances at domestic level because we have no clue how to develop players. That's why they should play at A level at least. If they perform they should be made back up at least.