Worst "specialist" batsman to ever play Test cricket for Pakistan (min 1000 runs)

[Muhammad10]

None other than the legendary FAISAL IQBAL! What exactly is the basis for his repetitive lamentations on Twitter, regarding perceived injustice, when he proved to be our worst Test batsman ever?

Despite being the worst his country ever produced in the longer format, this fellow somehow retains the nerve to play the victim and blame anyone but himself. His victim mentality is exactly what some of our more recent self-proclaimed "superstars" suffer from.

 

[Citizen4]

not a surprise there

But more importantly look at number 4, Butt sahab averaging 30 after 61 innings, beyond pathetic. He played a few good innings but overall he was very inconsistent, and people want him back. Even Sami is better than him. Imam deserve a chance as well.

 

[Markhor]

Most of them are opening batsmen which is to be expected given its the hardest position to bat - but those stats re-emphasise how problematic that position has been for us for years.

Salman Butt fourth worst yet you had some here begging for his return.

As for Faisal Iqbal, I think someone should show him these numbers in response to whenever he claims he was mistreated or not given a fair run.

 

[godzilla]

wow, interesting stats. most interesting for me are butt for the reasons above, and Rambo, who took 93 innings to cement his position as crap. lots of words from someone with no skill.

 

[FreakCricket]

How come rameez played so many matches? Thanks to Immy bhai for winning the world cup and destroying our cricket at same time.

 

[Square Drive]

How come rameez played so many matches? Thanks to Immy bhai for winning the world cup and destroying our cricket at same time.

What a pathetic comment.

Now winning a WCis ruining our cricket because X player has undeservingly played 50 Tests.

Let's say Ramiz blocked the way of 2-3 younger prospects, at most. Well you know what? I'd trade the 3 best prospects in domestic cricket for a WC win, any day.

 

[Square Drive]

Regarding OP, it's spooky just thinking about the fact that at one point we had Faisal, Farhat, and Butt all involved in our setup at the same time!

 

[MMHS]

How come rameez played so many matches? Thanks to Immy bhai for winning the world cup and destroying our cricket at same time.

Rambo actually played about 25 Tests under Khan, many of those were in a period when the team was going through a transition. Besides, he has couple of hundred & he played decent in away Tests. It was his last 30 or so Test, many played at home that he was really poor, probably averaging below 30.

One interesting point is under Imran, he payed mostly when Mohsin Khan went to Bollywood at his prime & Qasim Umar left the team, which actually makes sense, because Mudassar also retiered after 1987 UK tour - apart from Javed & may be Malik & Shoiab,hardly any batsman in that period of 1986 to 1991; therefore Rambo had to fight it out with the likes of Mainul Atiq, Rizwanuzzaman, Mansoor Akhter, Haroon Rashid, Asif Muztaba & few I have forgotten names. Funny part is, he played over 25 Tests at <30 average from 1992, when PAK had Saeed, Sohail, Inzi, Basit, Ijaz - on top of Javed & Malik; therefore it must not be Imran's fault.

He was a far better ODI player than his stats, considering the then context. Average around 34-35 @ 60 SR & 7/7 hundreds, till 1992 WC Final, which was quite good those days.

 

[Citizen4]

Regarding OP, it's spooky just thinking about the fact that at one point we had Faisal, Farhat, and Butt all involved in our setup at the same time!

but we also had Inzi, Yousuf, Younis at that time

 

[ahmedwaqas92]

No surprises here with Bhanja Leading the way as a proper ATG !!

Mods should just make this a sticky thread so I can tweet the latter to Mr. Bhanja every day when I clock at work in the morning. Should help him grounded for the rest of days to come.

 

[Citizen4]

No surprises here with Bhanja Leading the way as a proper ATG !!

Mods should just make this a sticky thread so I can tweet the latter to Mr. Bhanja every day when I clock at work in the morning. Should help him grounded for the rest of days to come.

Faisal Iqbal is still trying to make a comeback in the team, and also cop a PSL contract from KK.
He won't stop after watching Kami comeback

 

[ahmedwaqas92]

Faisal Iqbal is still trying to make a comeback in the team, and also cop a PSL contract from KK.
He won't stop after watching Kami comeback

Faisal Iqbal only played international cricket for two reasons......

1) He was a player who came through the system and played all levels of domestics - duh
2) He had an uncle named Javed Miandad

The fact that has played 26 God Damn Test Matches should just tell the amount of nepotism and corruption our board had in during that period.

 

[Citizen4]

Faisal Iqbal only played international cricket for two reasons......

1) He was a player who came through the system and played all levels of domestics - duh
2) He had an uncle named Javed Miandad

The fact that has played 26 God Damn Test Matches should just tell the amount of nepotism and corruption our board had in during that period.

the harsh reality is that if he manages to become one of the leading run getters of QeA trophy, he will be back most likely, doesn't matter his average

 

[coy0607]

Regarding OP, it's spooky just thinking about the fact that at one point we had Faisal, Farhat, and Butt all involved in our setup at the same time!

Pakistan team has ALWAYS carried 2-4 passengers in any team

 

[ahmedwaqas92]

the harsh reality is that if he manages to become one of the leading run getters of QeA trophy, he will be back most likely, doesn't matter his average

I would literally run a cross country marathon if this happens..... Heck I'd even do it if Bhanja somehow manages to make it in the top 3.......

He is as mediocre as it gets......

 

[ahmedwaqas92]

Pakistan team has ALWAYS carried 2-4 passengers in any team

I think you missed the last WT20 bro.....

Apart from Amir and maybe Sarfaraz, we were playing with 9 Passengers.

 

[Citizen4]

I would literally run a cross country marathon if this happens..... Heck I'd even do it if Bhanja somehow manages to make it in the top 3.......

He is as mediocre as it gets......

haha it's possible, don't forget he has 12K first class runs

 

[SamNJ]

https://youtu.be/Oe71vI26R5U

Ijaz deserves a mention.

 

[pakistanigoneaussie]

Farhat by some distance

 

[Mamoon]

He is a wasted talent in my view, partly because he didn't have the character for the game and partly because he was under too much pressure for being Miandad's nephew, and he had to match him to avoid charges of nepotism.

However, the 21 year old Faisal Iqbal that I saw handle Shane Warne in his prime in 2002 was certainly not a mediocre talent, it was technical perfection against the greatest spinner of all time. He had issues against pace, but it wasn't something that couldn't have been fixed because he had a very technical foundation - it was more mental than technical, which brings me back to my original point that he did not have the character to make it at the top level, and character is the most important attribute for a cricketer, more so than talent.

 

[Mamoon]

Similarly, in 2003, a young Imran Farhat with his high back-lift and bandana looked like the second coming of Aamer Sohail, and his four consecutive 100+ opening stands with Yasir Hameed vs New Zealand in 2003 was a glimpse of what he could have achieved at this level. He had everything that a young opener required particularly in the ODI format, except the one thing that cost both Faisal Iqbal and Yasir Hameed, and has also cost many Pakistani youngsters over the years. It's a systematic problem in Pakistan, stemmed in our cricketing culture.

 

[ahmedwaqas92]

He is a wasted talent in my view, partly because he didn't have the character for the game and partly because he was under too much pressure for being Miandad's nephew, and he had to match him to avoid charges of nepotism.

However, the 21 year old Faisal Iqbal that I saw handle Shane Warne in his prime in 2002 was certainly not a mediocre talent, it was technical perfection against the greatest spinner of all time. He had issues against pace, but it wasn't something that couldn't have been fixed because he had a very technical foundation - it was more mental than technical, which brings me back to my original point that he did not have the character to make it at the top level, and character is the most important attribute for a cricketer, more so than talent.

I know which over you're talking about and to be honest that was more to do with Aussies taking it easy rather than Faisal being perfection or something.

I think it was near 41 or 42nd over and this was late in the day when he took the attack on Warne, smashed him for 4 fours in an over or so.........If my memory serves me right we were playing in Sri Lanka and even he smashed Gillespe for a few runs in that innings. I agree this innings was a good one and props to him but there is a high percentage of chance of it being a proper fluke rather than anything else. Remember this was 2002 and Faisal being a 20 year didn't have enough video footage of him to being analysed by Australia at that point.

I'll give you a very recent example of a similar scenario (minus the nepotism) - Rizwan on his debut score a aggressive / attacking clutch knock of 60 odd against Bangladesh away. Couldn't translate that ever again yet because just like Faisal it was a fluke of an innings.

 

[Arsalan Pro]

Faisal Iqbal is rightly the worst batsman.

 

[Big Mac]

But remember, we would have thrashed Australia in Australia if we had the GOAT Salman Butt...

 

[Mamoon]

I know which over you're talking about and to be honest that was more to do with Aussies taking it easy rather than Faisal being perfection or something.

I think it was near 41 or 42nd over and this was late in the day when he took the attack on Warne, smashed him for 4 fours in an over or so.........If my memory serves me right we were playing in Sri Lanka and even he smashed Gillespe for a few runs in that innings. I agree this innings was a good one and props to him but there is a high percentage of chance of it being a proper fluke rather than anything else. Remember this was 2002 and Faisal being a 20 year didn't have enough video footage of him to being analysed by Australia at that point.

I'll give you a very recent example of a similar scenario (minus the nepotism) - Rizwan on his debut score a aggressive / attacking clutch knock of 60 odd against Bangladesh away. Couldn't translate that ever again yet because just like Faisal it was a fluke of an innings.

Not just one over, I'm mostly talking about his defense against Warne. At 21, he smothered the ball with a straight bat better than most batsmen I have seen, he looked every inch a potential top tier batsman. Yes he later got worked out by Australia who attacked him relentlessly and that is where his lack of mental strength got the better of him, but for a young batsman to tackle the best spinner of all time the way he did was nothing short of brilliant, and it is not comparable to Rizwan scoring a few boundaries vs Bangladesh.

 

[Slog]

Faisal Iqbal only played international cricket for two reasons......

1) He was a player who came through the system and played all levels of domestics - duh
2) He had an uncle named Javed Miandad

The fact that has played 26 God Damn Test Matches should just tell the amount of nepotism and corruption our board had in during that period.

LMAO

His whole argument is that he was mistreated and injustice was meted to him because he was Javed Miandad's nephew

he regularly says pcb took their anger on Miandad out on him and made him suffer

 

[Kakar]

Faisal Iqbal hands down. And he still has the audacity to say how he was mistreated.

 

[Kakar]

Wrong to have Imtiaz there in the list. He was a wicket keeper, not a specialist batsman. For a WK, he was probably the best batsman in 50s.

 

[Muhammad10]

The fact that he showed some ability against Australia, yet ended up performing so terribly in the long run shows just how poor the mental side of his game was. Terrible work ethic as well.

He is everything any upcoming talent should aim to not be.

 

[Abdullah719]

Most of them are opening batsmen which is to be expected given its the hardest position to bat - but those stats re-emphasise how problematic that position has been for us for years.

Salman Butt fourth worst yet you had some here begging for his return.

As for Faisal Iqbal, I think someone should show him these numbers in response to whenever he claims he was mistreated or not given a fair run.

He says he was never a regular and that the numbers are fine for, as he calls it, a 'replacement player'.

 

[Rayyman]

He says he was never a regular and that the numbers are fine for, as he calls it, a 'replacement player'.

Considering he was batting in middle order(3-6), he should have an average of 35+ at least. Even for a "replacement player."

 

[silent ischemia]

Rambo actually played about 25 Tests under Khan, many of those were in a period when the team was going through a transition. Besides, he has couple of hundred & he played decent in away Tests. It was his last 30 or so Test, many played at home that he was really poor, probably averaging below 30.

One interesting point is under Imran, he payed mostly when Mohsin Khan went to Bollywood at his prime & Qasim Umar left the team, which actually makes sense, because Mudassar also retiered after 1987 UK tour - apart from Javed & may be Malik & Shoiab,hardly any batsman in that period of 1986 to 1991; therefore Rambo had to fight it out with the likes of Mainul Atiq, Rizwanuzzaman, Mansoor Akhter, Haroon Rashid, Asif Muztaba & few I have forgotten names. Funny part is, he played over 25 Tests at <30 average from 1992, when PAK had Saeed, Sohail, Inzi, Basit, Ijaz - on top of Javed & Malik; therefore it must not be Imran's fault.

He was a far better ODI player than his stats, considering the then context. Average around 34-35 @ 60 SR & 7/7 hundreds, till 1992 WC Final, which was quite good those days.

Well you can expect anything from Imran. Both from Lahore, both Aitchisonians; enough said

 

[Last Monetarist]

Faisal Iqbal by a distance. The usual squalid case of nepotism that got him selected for 26 embarrassing test matches ahead of guys like Misbah and Asim Kamal.

 

[Last Monetarist]

Not just one over, I'm mostly talking about his defense against Warne. At 21, he smothered the ball with a straight bat better than most batsmen I have seen, he looked every inch a potential top tier batsman. Yes he later got worked out by Australia who attacked him relentlessly and that is where his lack of mental strength got the better of him, but for a young batsman to tackle the best spinner of all time the way he did was nothing short of brilliant, and it is not comparable to Rizwan scoring a few boundaries vs Bangladesh.

I remember that innings and you're correct he played Warne with great application that day. It's fair to say that he had good footwork against spin, also evidenced in his hundred against India in Karachi a few years later. However, he had glaring technical flaws like most young Pakistani batsmen and it's a tad superficial to claim that it was mental weakness that led to his undoing. His bat used to come down from third man against the fast bowlers that invariably led him playing across an angle and forgetting the location of his off-stump. He was extremely tentative against the short stuff too like any callow young batsman from the subcontinent. I do agree that it's as much a failing of our inept system that can't hone out technical flaws which exacerbate the mental issues that any player might have playing at the highest level.

 

[Princejain191]

Most of them are opening batsmen which is to be expected given its the hardest position to bat

Not really if you play 60-70% of your games in Asia. The opening slot cannot be used to define mediocrity

 

[Stallion__]

However, the 21 year old Faisal Iqbal that I saw handle Shane Warne in his prime in 2002 was certainly not a mediocre talent, it was technical perfection against the greatest spinner of all time. He had issues against pace, but it wasn't something that couldn't have been fixed because he had a very technical foundation - it was more mental than technical, which brings me back to my original point that he did not have the character to make it at the top level, and character is the most important attribute for a cricketer, more so than talent.

Agree with this.

I didn't know what his average was before reading the OP but I have always remembered him as a very fine player of spin.