Zimbabwe v Pakistan | 3rd T20I | Harare | 25th April 2021 | Pre-game discussion

[Desprado123]

There are many players at the moment who are not willing to play under Misbha and will not perform expect Babar, Rizwan and Fakar. I am sure Pakistan will lose 3rd T20.

You will see 2 things happening first Youins Khan will take charge of Coaching as we do not have time to get a new coach and Chief selector will sacked as well but i think the main culprit is Wasim Khan.

 

[Ab Fan]

Pakistan will absolutely pummel Zimbabwe in the third t20.

However, Pakistan should focus on winning the WT20 tournament that is expected to happen this year if everything goes right.

 

[hitthestump]

Pakistan will absolutely pummel Zimbabwe in the third t20.

However, Pakistan should focus on winning the WT20 tournament that is expected to happen this year if everything goes right.

They couldn't pummel them in the first game nor really did they pummel the SA C team on the whole. This is a bang average team who might have a good game once in a while but otherwise is drowning in their own mediocrity.

 

[Shoaibbtt]

There are many players at the moment who are not willing to play under Misbha and will not perform expect Babar, Rizwan and Fakar. I am sure Pakistan will lose 3rd T20.

You will see 2 things happening first Youins Khan will take charge of Coaching as we do not have time to get a new coach and Chief selector will sacked as well but i think the main culprit is Wasim Khan.

How is Wasim Khan the main culprit? Don’t really follow that logic.

The young guys had a chance today to make a few nice easy runs and boost their confidence but look what happened. There was nothing wrong with selection barring Asif Ali.

There were no demons on this pitch and Pakistan could’ve won this easily by doing it the old boring way ie look for singles and doubles.

 

[Markhor]

How is Wasim Khan the main culprit? Don’t really follow that logic.

The young guys had a chance today to make a few nice easy runs and boost their confidence but look what happened. There was nothing wrong with selection barring Asif Ali.

There were no demons on this pitch and Pakistan could’ve won this easily by doing it the old boring way ie look for singles and doubles.

The ball was literally stopping in the surface, nobody could time it out there and accelerate including the in-form guys Babar and Rizwan. It was like being back in the UAE, I'll be interested to see the ICC's verdict.

However I don't blame Zimbabwe one bit, they should continue preparing bowler friendly surfaces as that's their best chance of winning this series.

Regarding team selection, I don't care who they pick provided Asif Ali gets the boot. He's had enough chances and his dismissals are laughably predictable.

 

[Canistani Hero]

Our middle order is struggling makes sense to bring Rizwan lower for stability

1) Sharjeel
2) Babar
3) Fakhar
4) Hafeez
5) Rizwan
6) Haider
7) Faheem
8) Hasan
9) Usman
10) Haris
11) Arshad

 

[cricketAXEpert]

Our middle order is struggling makes sense to bring Rizwan lower for stability

1) Sharjeel
2) Babar
3) Fakhar
4) Hafeez
5) Rizwan
6) Haider
7) Faheem
8) Hasan
9) Usman
10) Haris
11) Arshad

That makes sense, we can also switch Usman for Mohd Nawaz to get a little more depth in batting. Or play Sarfraz as a middle order batsmen/keeper in place of Haider Ali. And Rizwan plays as Batsman.

 

[world cup captain]

Our middle order is struggling makes sense to bring Rizwan lower for stability

1) Sharjeel
2) Babar
3) Fakhar
4) Hafeez
5) Rizwan
6) Haider
7) Faheem
8) Hasan
9) Usman
10) Haris
11) Arshad

If you need stability, bring Sarfaraz in the middle. Keep Riz at the top where he is excelling.

 

[Canistani Hero]

Our middle order is struggling makes sense to bring Rizwan lower for stability

1) Sharjeel
2) Babar
3) Fakhar
4) Hafeez
5) Rizwan
6) Haider
7) Faheem
8) Hasan
9) Usman
10) Haris
11) Arshad

In an ideal world without seniority, we would switch Haider to 4 and Hafeez to 6 but

 

[UzmanBeast]

Given the pathetic team selection with the exclusion of players like Imad, Amir, Malik, and more deserving candidates, we really don't have many options.

But the real question is who to blame? It's obvious from interviews that Misbah has still somehow managed to reserve and exercise his ability to pick the team, to the extent of the playing XI as well. This is quite shocking given that the PCB stated clearly that all responsibility for picking the team would go to Babar Azam. However, Misbah is not at fault for the lack of performance by our middle order. He did introduce Danish Aziz and a lot of other batsmen for the middle order (Talat, Iftikhar, Khushdil, etc.) and none of them had the mental strength to succeed at the international level.

So if Misbah only takes part of the blame being for the shocking squad selections (ie. going a batsman short for most games against SAF), who takes the overall blame for our disgusting, deteriorating performances across the T20 formats. Before anyone tries to tell me that we've won 10 out of our last _ number of T20s, mind you those were against weak teams and we barely won most of those games. So the question still rests with the fact that who takes the blame? Are the batting and bowling coaches not doing their jobs? Are the players not performing despite given the backing and opportunity to do so? A lot of elements go into this, and the players are unfortunately no less guilty than the management. Players like Haider didn't learn from their mistakes, and players like Asif can't play according to the situation. The management can give as much preparation as they can, but if the players are just unable to adapt to the international level, there isn't really much that can be done.

But, I will go on to say that our management is also guilty of a far greater issue; being unable to crack the code for T20 cricket, which all successful teams at the moment have done. If you have been observing the best T20I teams going around, even T20 teams to some extent, they all follow a major guiding principle in the format which Misbah and the Pakistan team fail to see.

The formula which the big teams have figured out and thus used to succeed in the format is as follows:

1. Powerful, explosive opening batsmen. (Rohit + Rahul, Warner + Finch, Bairstow/Buttler + Roy, etc.)

2. Anchoring batsmen in the middle order (Williamson, Smith, Malan, Kohli (before he started opening), etc.)

3. A floater (for most teams, the keeper acts as the floater, for example, Pant, Buttler, etc.)

4. Two guys there for clean ball striking and nothing else (Maxwell, Pandya, Stokes, Morgan, etc.)

5. One quality all-rounder to bridge the gap between batting and bowling (Maxwell, Stokes, Pandya are just some examples.)

Now, compare that with the blueprints that the Pakistan team is playing with right now:

1. Two reserved, technically correct and orthodox openers to provide stability in the powerplay.

2. Explosive middle order told to come out and bash from ball one.

3. Two all-rounders playing to attempt and bridge the gap between batting and bowling.

4. No defined slogger/hitter in the middle order.

You'll see that we have it almost completely backwards, both due to the lack of options but also because our squad selection is horrible.

From this information, I think it's fair to say that the best playing XI we can actually make if we use the resources at our disposal:

Fakhar Zaman - has to open and attack in the powerplay.

Mohammad Rizwan - not exactly the definition of purely aggressive, but a better option than Sharjeel in my mind, and additionally gives the right-left hand combination at the top.

Babar Azam - has to play at #3 now to keep the middle order intact. Needs to take this responsibility himself.

Mohammad Hafeez - cannot be a liability with the bat, he needs to keep pumping out the runs even if they're 20s or 30s.

Shoaib Malik - plays spin well, can hit the long ball when needed, provides a reliable bowling option and above all else is experienced.

Sohaib Maqsood - a hard-hitting batsman, capable of hitting the long ball and needs to be given a chance.

Imad Wasim - probably our best all-rounder. Economical with the ball in the powerplay, can bat sensibly as well.

Faheem Ashraf - with the bat, Faheem hasn't been that great recently and needs to step up, though he has been good with the ball.

Hasan Ali - middle/death overs bowler, has variation and is bowling well nowadays. Can tonk one or two with the bat as well.

Haris Rauf - the death overs bowler, has been executing the yorker well recently and should look to take that role from Shaheen, who's awful in the death.

Shaheen Shah Afridi - new ball bowler, and should be finished by the middle overs in my opinion.

A case could also be made to let Sohaib Maqsood open with Fakhar and push Rizwan down the order, but I don't know how that would go.

That's the best we can do with the resources we have at the moment. If Amir has a good PSL and Vitality Blast, I think the management will have to look at him as being an option for the World Cup as well.

 

[Shoaibbtt]

The ball was literally stopping in the surface, nobody could time it out there and accelerate including the in-form guys Babar and Rizwan. It was like being back in the UAE, I'll be interested to see the ICC's verdict.

However I don't blame Zimbabwe one bit, they should continue preparing bowler friendly surfaces as that's their best chance of winning this series.

Regarding team selection, I don't care who they pick provided Asif Ali gets the boot. He's had enough chances and his dismissals are laughably predictable.

Pakistan is one team and Zimbabwe another. You should be able to assess a pitch and say "oh, i don't think i can time my shots here, so better play it safe and do this the hard way by taking singles".

Pakistan play on these types of pitches all the time, i was just saying the other day how this pitch is a little like the Karachi UBL Sports Complex and really just like all of our other pitches. The shots made were un-needed the pitch wasn't the problem but the brain fade shot selections.

 

[gazza619]

Is Sharjeel playing? Or will we see Asif Buttler Ali, Haider toothless Ali and Danish Bevan Aziz in action again.

 

[Shazzam]

Given the pathetic team selection with the exclusion of players like Imad, Amir, Malik, and more deserving candidates, we really don't have many options.

But the real question is who to blame? It's obvious from interviews that Misbah has still somehow managed to reserve and exercise his ability to pick the team, to the extent of the playing XI as well. This is quite shocking given that the PCB stated clearly that all responsibility for picking the team would go to Babar Azam. However, Misbah is not at fault for the lack of performance by our middle order. He did introduce Danish Aziz and a lot of other batsmen for the middle order (Talat, Iftikhar, Khushdil, etc.) and none of them had the mental strength to succeed at the international level.

So if Misbah only takes part of the blame being for the shocking squad selections (ie. going a batsman short for most games against SAF), who takes the overall blame for our disgusting, deteriorating performances across the T20 formats. Before anyone tries to tell me that we've won 10 out of our last _ number of T20s, mind you those were against weak teams and we barely won most of those games. So the question still rests with the fact that who takes the blame? Are the batting and bowling coaches not doing their jobs? Are the players not performing despite given the backing and opportunity to do so? A lot of elements go into this, and the players are unfortunately no less guilty than the management. Players like Haider didn't learn from their mistakes, and players like Asif can't play according to the situation. The management can give as much preparation as they can, but if the players are just unable to adapt to the international level, there isn't really much that can be done.

But, I will go on to say that our management is also guilty of a far greater issue; being unable to crack the code for T20 cricket, which all successful teams at the moment have done. If you have been observing the best T20I teams going around, even T20 teams to some extent, they all follow a major guiding principle in the format which Misbah and the Pakistan team fail to see.

The formula which the big teams have figured out and thus used to succeed in the format is as follows:

1. Powerful, explosive opening batsmen. (Rohit + Rahul, Warner + Finch, Bairstow/Buttler + Roy, etc.)

2. Anchoring batsmen in the middle order (Williamson, Smith, Malan, Kohli (before he started opening), etc.)

3. A floater (for most teams, the keeper acts as the floater, for example, Pant, Buttler, etc.)

4. Two guys there for clean ball striking and nothing else (Maxwell, Pandya, Stokes, Morgan, etc.)

5. One quality all-rounder to bridge the gap between batting and bowling (Maxwell, Stokes, Pandya are just some examples.)

Now, compare that with the blueprints that the Pakistan team is playing with right now:

1. Two reserved, technically correct and orthodox openers to provide stability in the powerplay.

2. Explosive middle order told to come out and bash from ball one.

3. Two all-rounders playing to attempt and bridge the gap between batting and bowling.

4. No defined slogger/hitter in the middle order.

You'll see that we have it almost completely backwards, both due to the lack of options but also because our squad selection is horrible.

From this information, I think it's fair to say that the best playing XI we can actually make if we use the resources at our disposal:

Fakhar Zaman - has to open and attack in the powerplay.

Mohammad Rizwan - not exactly the definition of purely aggressive, but a better option than Sharjeel in my mind, and additionally gives the right-left hand combination at the top.

Babar Azam - has to play at #3 now to keep the middle order intact. Needs to take this responsibility himself.

Mohammad Hafeez - cannot be a liability with the bat, he needs to keep pumping out the runs even if they're 20s or 30s.

Shoaib Malik - plays spin well, can hit the long ball when needed, provides a reliable bowling option and above all else is experienced.

Sohaib Maqsood - a hard-hitting batsman, capable of hitting the long ball and needs to be given a chance.

Imad Wasim - probably our best all-rounder. Economical with the ball in the powerplay, can bat sensibly as well.

Faheem Ashraf - with the bat, Faheem hasn't been that great recently and needs to step up, though he has been good with the ball.

Hasan Ali - middle/death overs bowler, has variation and is bowling well nowadays. Can tonk one or two with the bat as well.

Haris Rauf - the death overs bowler, has been executing the yorker well recently and should look to take that role from Shaheen, who's awful in the death.

Shaheen Shah Afridi - new ball bowler, and should be finished by the middle overs in my opinion.

A case could also be made to let Sohaib Maqsood open with Fakhar and push Rizwan down the order, but I don't know how that would go.

That's the best we can do with the resources we have at the moment. If Amir has a good PSL and Vitality Blast, I think the management will have to look at him as being an option for the World Cup as well.

Post of the week!

 

[Shoaibbtt]

Given the pathetic team selection with the exclusion of players like Imad, Amir, Malik, and more deserving candidates, we really don't have many options.

But the real question is who to blame? It's obvious from interviews that Misbah has still somehow managed to reserve and exercise his ability to pick the team, to the extent of the playing XI as well. This is quite shocking given that the PCB stated clearly that all responsibility for picking the team would go to Babar Azam. However, Misbah is not at fault for the lack of performance by our middle order. He did introduce Danish Aziz and a lot of other batsmen for the middle order (Talat, Iftikhar, Khushdil, etc.) and none of them had the mental strength to succeed at the international level.

So if Misbah only takes part of the blame being for the shocking squad selections (ie. going a batsman short for most games against SAF), who takes the overall blame for our disgusting, deteriorating performances across the T20 formats. Before anyone tries to tell me that we've won 10 out of our last _ number of T20s, mind you those were against weak teams and we barely won most of those games. So the question still rests with the fact that who takes the blame? Are the batting and bowling coaches not doing their jobs? Are the players not performing despite given the backing and opportunity to do so? A lot of elements go into this, and the players are unfortunately no less guilty than the management. Players like Haider didn't learn from their mistakes, and players like Asif can't play according to the situation. The management can give as much preparation as they can, but if the players are just unable to adapt to the international level, there isn't really much that can be done.

But, I will go on to say that our management is also guilty of a far greater issue; being unable to crack the code for T20 cricket, which all successful teams at the moment have done. If you have been observing the best T20I teams going around, even T20 teams to some extent, they all follow a major guiding principle in the format which Misbah and the Pakistan team fail to see.

The formula which the big teams have figured out and thus used to succeed in the format is as follows:

1. Powerful, explosive opening batsmen. (Rohit + Rahul, Warner + Finch, Bairstow/Buttler + Roy, etc.)

2. Anchoring batsmen in the middle order (Williamson, Smith, Malan, Kohli (before he started opening), etc.)

3. A floater (for most teams, the keeper acts as the floater, for example, Pant, Buttler, etc.)

4. Two guys there for clean ball striking and nothing else (Maxwell, Pandya, Stokes, Morgan, etc.)

5. One quality all-rounder to bridge the gap between batting and bowling (Maxwell, Stokes, Pandya are just some examples.)

Now, compare that with the blueprints that the Pakistan team is playing with right now:

1. Two reserved, technically correct and orthodox openers to provide stability in the powerplay.

2. Explosive middle order told to come out and bash from ball one.

3. Two all-rounders playing to attempt and bridge the gap between batting and bowling.

4. No defined slogger/hitter in the middle order.

You'll see that we have it almost completely backwards, both due to the lack of options but also because our squad selection is horrible.

From this information, I think it's fair to say that the best playing XI we can actually make if we use the resources at our disposal:

Fakhar Zaman - has to open and attack in the powerplay.

Mohammad Rizwan - not exactly the definition of purely aggressive, but a better option than Sharjeel in my mind, and additionally gives the right-left hand combination at the top.

Babar Azam - has to play at #3 now to keep the middle order intact. Needs to take this responsibility himself.

Mohammad Hafeez - cannot be a liability with the bat, he needs to keep pumping out the runs even if they're 20s or 30s.

Shoaib Malik - plays spin well, can hit the long ball when needed, provides a reliable bowling option and above all else is experienced.

Sohaib Maqsood - a hard-hitting batsman, capable of hitting the long ball and needs to be given a chance.

Imad Wasim - probably our best all-rounder. Economical with the ball in the powerplay, can bat sensibly as well.

Faheem Ashraf - with the bat, Faheem hasn't been that great recently and needs to step up, though he has been good with the ball.

Hasan Ali - middle/death overs bowler, has variation and is bowling well nowadays. Can tonk one or two with the bat as well.

Haris Rauf - the death overs bowler, has been executing the yorker well recently and should look to take that role from Shaheen, who's awful in the death.

Shaheen Shah Afridi - new ball bowler, and should be finished by the middle overs in my opinion.

A case could also be made to let Sohaib Maqsood open with Fakhar and push Rizwan down the order, but I don't know how that would go.

That's the best we can do with the resources we have at the moment. If Amir has a good PSL and Vitality Blast, I think the management will have to look at him as being an option for the World Cup as well.

Our management has tried all the top performers in the recently concluded National T20 Cup and before anyone says anything this team today should've won even with the likes of Ifti and Khushdil playing.

Danish Aziz who i had high hopes for and was hoping he could be that guy that could play a launchpad innings has totally shocked me with his mediocrity and it deeply saddens me after he had such a good National T20 tournament.

Asif Ali needs to retire in my eyes, performs for money (PSL) and then flops on the big stage, Stevie Wonder would've played a better innings than him today.

Fact is that these guys bottled it and the onus at the end of the day is on them and nobody else, Arshad did what i expected which was take an opportunity by the horns and he bowled great today.

I will say this though i would never add Malik to the squad cause he's always played for himself and never the team, along with that all he does is cause rifts in the team. He bottled it half way through the World Cup 2019 and he did nothing in that semi final and final in the WC T20 2009. The guy talks about likes and dislikes, he's not had his way for a few series and thinks he's had an injustice against him whereas this guy has been stealing spots for years.

You made valid points but for me Arshad needs to be part of that XI, he's been impressive.

 

[The cricket enthusiast]

This should be fun
El Clásico of Cricket

 

[Shazzam]

Zimbabwe need to take Babar, Rizwan, and Fakhar out early by scoring a big total for this team to face. They will win. However I expect Pakistan to come with full strength bowling attack. Hasan Ali, and Shaheen may return to attempt to save this series. It will be interesting to see how Zimbabwe cope with this bowling attack.

 

[mazkhan]

Yes the middle order is a worry , but I reckon our poor batting performance is down to the pitch which imo is not the intl standard quality you see in white ball cricket, ball is not coming onto the bat and very difficult to play shots contrast this to the highveld in South africa.

Zimbabwe have also struggled with the bat .

The boundaries are way to big 73m for both squares , for limited overs that's too big and it has been picked up by the commentators, but nevertheless our batsmen have been poor in shot placement and poor running In between wickets not enough 2s 3s , but then again it's a difficult pitch to time and place your shots against a ball that is sticking into the pitch and Zimbabweans are banging it In at short of a length.

But credit to the Zimbabwean bowlers they definetky bowled with discipline and were excellent in the fielding in the 2nd game really sharp and quick onto the ball to keep it to singls

 

[UzmanBeast]

Our management has tried all the top performers in the recently concluded National T20 Cup and before anyone says anything this team today should've won even with the likes of Ifti and Khushdil playing.

Danish Aziz who i had high hopes for and was hoping he could be that guy that could play a launchpad innings has totally shocked me with his mediocrity and it deeply saddens me after he had such a good National T20 tournament.

Asif Ali needs to retire in my eyes, performs for money (PSL) and then flops on the big stage, Stevie Wonder would've played a better innings than him today.

Fact is that these guys bottled it and the onus at the end of the day is on them and nobody else, Arshad did what i expected which was take an opportunity by the horns and he bowled great today.

I will say this though i would never add Malik to the squad cause he's always played for himself and never the team, along with that all he does is cause rifts in the team. He bottled it half way through the World Cup 2019 and he did nothing in that semi final and final in the WC T20 2009. The guy talks about likes and dislikes, he's not had his way for a few series and thinks he's had an injustice against him whereas this guy has been stealing spots for years.

You made valid points but for me Arshad needs to be part of that XI, he's been impressive.

That's just the XI for the future, not necessarily right now.

I also liked Arshad Iqbal. He's a smart limited overs bowler, knows where to put the ball, bowls a good length and has some good variations.

I also hope that he gets coached with regards to test match bowling, I have a feeling that his action will allow him to generate good seam movement.

 

[Desprado123]

We are all set to lose 3rd T20 against Zimbabwe, so what will PCB do first after that?

We are all set to lose 3rd T20 against Zimbabwe, so what will PCB do first after that? People are hoping that Pakistan is going to win 3rd T20 is a stupid or a fool. Even if you play Sarfarz, Sherjel, or drop Asif and Danish we will not win.


We are losing because we have weak a captain and weaker coach, who cannot make decision based on facts and circumstances. We only make Plan A on dressing room and try hard to execute no matter the outcome.

I am seeing Babar Azam changed as Captain and Misbha removed from Coach after we lose this series from Zimbabwe.

Best players does not mean that he should be the captain but we should have a captain who tactical, reality approach, think out of the box, and make decision based on ground reality.

 

[TheNightWatchman]

Asif Ali is going to play

 

[mon858]

Drop Asif , Haider, Danish, Faheem
Bring in Sarfraz, Sharjeel, Nawaz and Hasan Ali.
Open with Sharjeel and Rizwan.
One down Babar
2 down Fakhar
Hafeez
Sarfraz
Nawaz
Hasan Ali
Hasnain
Usman
Haris

I would even consider resting Rizwan and playing Haider as opener, he may do better in power play.

 

[indianpanacea]

Haider Ali
Sharjeel
Fakhar
Babar
Hafeez
Rizwan
M.wasim jnr
Usman qadir
Hassan Ali
Nawaz
Arshad

 

[indianpanacea]

For God sake play Haider in top order,he is not a middle order player..He likes ball on bat and doesn't have art of milking..
He is being destroyed.
He could turn to be next umar Akmal!who was also given no opportunity in top order ..

 

[Manzy2599]

That makes sense, we can also switch Usman for Mohd Nawaz to get a little more depth in batting. Or play Sarfraz as a middle order batsmen/keeper in place of Haider Ali. And Rizwan plays as Batsman.

Nawaz for depth?? He bats like a No 11 to be honest. Imad Wasim is a much better option and should be back ASAP.

 

[Manzy2599]

Playing xi should be

Sharjeel
Fakhar
Babar
Hafeez
Haider
Rizwan
Faheem
Hasan
Shaheen
Rauf
Qadir

After this series bring back Imad, Malik, Azam khan and even Sohaib maqsood can’t be worse than misbahs current lot (asif, danish, khusdil, ifthikar, talat) who have all been tested numerous times and failed. Don’t understand what asif ali has on Misbah that he keeps getting selected in the side. Babar needs to step up and not be a yes man captain.

 

[asadee]

Azam Khan lacks match awareness as well and is a mindless slogger

 

[khan-92]

Team for 3rd T20

After the humiliating defeat in the 2nd T20 Pakistan needs to go with this team if they want to be consistent in T20s leading upto the world cup.

1. Sharjeel
2. Babar
3. Fakhar
4. Hafeez
5. Rizwan
6. Haider ( can't do worse then Asif)
7. Nawaz
8. Faheem
9. Mohammad Waseem
10. Arshad
11. Rauf / Hasnain

 

[lahoriyah1234]

I am hearing this news that Waqar Younis is going to resign, as his wife need caring and support.

 

[shamaan]

Yes the middle order is a worry , but I reckon our poor batting performance is down to the pitch which imo is not the intl standard quality you see in white ball cricket, ball is not coming onto the bat and very difficult to play shots contrast this to the highveld in South africa.

Zimbabwe have also struggled with the bat .

The boundaries are way to big 73m for both squares , for limited overs that's too big and it has been picked up by the commentators, but nevertheless our batsmen have been poor in shot placement and poor running In between wickets not enough 2s 3s , but then again it's a difficult pitch to time and place your shots against a ball that is sticking into the pitch and Zimbabweans are banging it In at short of a length.

But credit to the Zimbabwean bowlers they definetky bowled with discipline and were excellent in the fielding in the 2nd game really sharp and quick onto the ball to keep it to singls

Even if the pitch is rated beyond poor that should not be an excuses pakistan should be beating them on any pitch.

 

[shamaan]

For God sake play Haider in top order,he is not a middle order player..He likes ball on bat and doesn't have art of milking..
He is being destroyed.
He could turn to be next umar Akmal!who was also given no opportunity in top order ..

Haider competition at the top of the order is high he's competing against fakhar,sharjeel,rizwan and babar.

 

[lahoriyah1234]

Even if the pitch is rated beyond poor that should not be an excuses pakistan should be beating them on any pitch.

Ho jata hai yaar, no one really does it on purpose. Even a blind man can see that batting second time pitch became terrible to even hit for singles. I don’t think Zimbabwe team would have made 80 runs here if we batted first.

Let it go

 

[shamaan]

Ho jata hai yaar, no one really does it on purpose. Even a blind man can see that batting second time pitch became terrible to even hit for singles. I don’t think Zimbabwe team would have made 80 runs here if we batted first.

Let it go

The pitch changed that much in less than 40 overs right ok.if you can't find gaps against a club cricket team then you should not be playing cricket.

 

[MenInG]

Shaheen, Sharjeel and Hassan Ali, Haider Ali - get them into the squad for tomorrow and win the game!

 

[Shoaibbtt]

Shaheen, Sharjeel and Hassan Ali, Haider Ali - get them into the squad for tomorrow and win the game!

Don’t need Shaheen but probably Hassan Ali, I was pleased with the bowling of Hasnain, Arshad and Haris along with the spinners. Only the batting needs changing not bowling. Batters need to apply themselves, this was a brain fade and inshAllah is a one off in this tour.

 

[arunpsm]

I expect Pak to go berserk to avenge the previous game loss. Zim must brace for 225+ score if Pak play first...

 

[MenInG]

IT is funny what difference a day can make!

In the hours since Zimbabwe’s historic 19-run Twenty20 win, “comeback kid’’ Luke Jongwe has become an overnight sensation, of sorts, with the 26-year-old’s shoe-phone celebration winning him the adoration of fans from both within and beyond our borders.

Made famous by South African cricketer Tabraiz Shamsi, the Proteas spinner has even endorsed Jongwe’s use of the trademark, tweeting, “ Haha this is cool…. gotta have some fun and enjoy yourself a bit while playing this beautiful game”.

Jongwe put up a Man-of-the-Match performance during Zimbabwe’s now much-talked about victory over Pakistan on Friday.

It was Zimbabwe’s first ever T20 victory over Pakistan in 16 attempts and it has left the Chevrons bullish.

The first T20 win at home since beating India in 2016 has ended a nine-match losing streak.

Powered by Jongwe’s career best four for 18, Zimbabwe levelled the series at 1-1 going into today’s decider at Harare Sports Club.

One of the architects of Zimbabwe’s much improved bowling performances, Daniel Hondo, is confident his charges can do the business and clinch a much-needed series win today.

“I think it (the win) just gives us belief that we can cross the line,” said the Zimbabwe bowling coach.

“We have been in tight situations before and came out on the other side of a good result, so this just gives us belief”.

Hondo did not mince his words about the demands that will not only be on his bowling unit but the whole team.

“Going into the third and final T20, we will demand big performances in all three skills’ sets.

“That is to say that we will ask for big batting, big bowling and big fielding performances. There is always pressure in international cricket, so we will focus on our skills and our planning,” he said.

It’s a different story, however, for the T20 World Cup-bound opponents today.

In the aftermath of their humiliating loss to Zimbabwe which is now being referred to as Pakistan’s ‘darkest hour’, many questions have been asked.

Two former Pakistan internationals – Ramiz Raja and Shoaib Malik Akhtar – have been leading the charge, according to reports from the Asian country.

Raja and Shoaib Malik slammed the team for their poor show against Zimbabwe, with the former calling it a ‘dark moment’ in the history of Pakistan cricket.

“Pakistan players played reckless shots, and there was no technique or partnership.

“[Blessing] Muzarabani was the only quality bowler in their [Zimbabwe] line-up, and if you get a chance to watch the replays you will see that our batting seemed so ordinary against him,” said Raja on a video uploaded on his YouTube channel.

“I’m shocked as to whether I should analyse this or express anger over this.

“This clearly is a very dark moment in our history”. Malik did not mince words either, questioning the Pakistan support staff and team management. “Unacquainted decision makers need to take a step back…Babar and chief selector need to call the shots.

“In my opinion we need an international white ball coach who understands cricket inside out and grooms our captain whilst giving clarity to our players for coming time,” Malik tweeted.

https://www.sundaymail.co.zw/victory-leaves-chevrons-bullish

 

[cricketAXEpert]

Nawaz for depth?? He bats like a No 11 to be honest. Imad Wasim is a much better option and should be back ASAP.

Of Course Imad Wasim is a must and he should be back by next series. But I was strictly talking about the 3rd T20 match against zimbabwe. Imad is not in the squad, so no chance of him playing.