Are you happy with Pakistan’s ODI opening pair of Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq?

[Ahmad-GERMANFC]

Both have goodish records but don’t remember them doing well as a partnership.

Imam seems to be a stat padder and doesn’t rise on the important occasion. Fakhar has a big heart but a bit too inconsistent. Also his game is limited I think.

So question is are you guys happy with this pair?

Or we should look in domestics for players who have put hard yards like Abid Ali or dynamic openers who can play in multiple gears like Ahmad Shahzad? I’ve seen that some fans are even open to idea of Rizwan being an opener.

What are your thoughts?

[TheNightWatchman]

What is their average partnership score can someone find out?
I mean average wise individually they're not the worst. Imam rarely gets out early, his main issue is being slow. Fakhar does get out early most of the time so he's the weaker link.

[TheNightWatchman]

Dynamic players who play in multiple gears like Ahmed Shehzad? Do you. even remember Ahmed Shehzad?
Rizwan can open but then we also need players like Fakhar or Imam. Plus Rizwan plays spin well generally. Middle overs would be good for him.

[Barragan]

Rizwan needs to open.

He is versatile enough to be a huge success as an opener and has the game to convert his 40 or 50 scores to major scores, instead of coming in the 25th over and realising he has to start hitting in the next 10 overs.

[Officer Barbrady]

Agree with those suggesting Rizwan should open. I’d like Abdullah Shafiq to be in the top 4 as well. Imam just doesn’t bring enough to the table to warrant his spot - struggles against quality pace, issues against the short stuff and also can’t find gaps.

With Haider at 5 we then basically just need to figure out #6.

[Officer Barbrady]

Unclear why Iftikhar isn’t playing. He did nothing wrong in his short odi run

[MHN1293]

Right now rizwan is in the form of his life so ideally he should be opening with fakhar but pak also has a weak middle order since no one has been groomed for the job after hafeez, malik, misbah. The only options are haris sohail and maybe haider ali. Rohail nazir should also be given a try in any future easy home series

[Ahmed216]

They are fine if imam can develop his game a bit. Once set a batsman should be able to accelerate

[Faisalsq092]

Ahmed Shehzad with 6 100s, Avg 33, SR 72 is a more versatile player than Imam with 7 100s, avg 52, SR 80.

Imam was the highest scorer the last time we played in South Africa. Got a 150+ in England. Is a stable presence at the top, which a country like us never had for decades.

When was the last time we had an opener with such consistency. Yes, he needs to improve on his game and SR but he isn't too far behind. If he improves it by 5-10 he would be on par with the other contemporary openers in the world.

In our pursuit of looking for something better, we may even lose of what we already have. We dont have shining talents in domestic cricket ready to replace Imam.

[RyanRyan10]

Both have goodish records but don’t remember them doing well as a partnership.

Imam seems to be a stat padder and doesn’t rise on the important occasion. Fakhar has a big heart but a bit too inconsistent. Also his game is limited I think.

So question is are you guys happy with this pair?

Or we should look in domestics for players who have put hard yards like Abid Ali or dynamic openers who can play in multiple gears like Ahmad Shahzad? I’ve seen that some fans are even open to idea of Rizwan being an opener.

What are your thoughts?

Seriously?

[mazkhan]

Any decent team that has done its homework will have imam ul haq marked , just play him some chin music and he will nick or glove off

[ChTab]

We should look in domestics for players who have put hard yards like Abid Ali or dynamic openers who can play in multiple gears like Ahmad Shahzad? I’ve seen that some fans are even open to idea of Rizwan being an opener.

What are your thoughts?

You still want to give Abid another chance after his disastrous performances away from home in Test matches, he will fail without any doubt.

You got to be kidding me if you're serious about the inclusion of Ahmad Shezad in the ODI team, last time he represented Pakistan he couldn't score against the SL C team.

Imam is the best ODI opener we have in the last 10 years, he is a bit slow in the PP but he's very consistent & has a good record vs big teams. Fakhar is the aggressor who can set the tempo of the game but he's inconsistent but we don't have any Rohit Sharma or David Warner in the dugout. So this pair needs to play most of the ODI games.

If Haider improves his game he can open but for now we need to be persistent with these 2.

[Concerned]

Imam bats like a snail and Fakhar is too inconsistent. However, there is no better option available.

Rizwan should not open as there is no middle order.

[GreenKhan]

One guy averages 53, is young hungry and the other averages 48 and is a rare modern day opener for Pak .

It’s a no brainer

[Usman]

Both have goodish records but don’t remember them doing well as a partnership.

Imam seems to be a stat padder and doesn’t rise on the important occasion. Fakhar has a big heart but a bit too inconsistent. Also his game is limited I think.

So question is are you guys happy with this pair?

Or we should look in domestics for players who have put hard yards like Abid Ali or dynamic openers who can play in multiple gears like Ahmad Shahzad? I’ve seen that some fans are even open to idea of Rizwan being an opener.

What are your thoughts?

You cannot be serious???

We have two openers who are maintaining fantastic averages because both are without doubt the best Pakistan has produced in years. One has just played a blinder which is so good that it's set the World record for the highest score in a chase, ever. The other opener played a key role in the first ODI win too. And here we are with utterly delusional "fans" talking about replacing them with Ahmed Shehzad and Abid Ali! You must be trolling - there is no other explanation.

If you want to make changes to the team, focus on the middle order where Pakistan is currently playing the WORST batsmen to ever play in those spots for Pakistan. I mean Asif Ali and Danish Aziz would be doing well to make the Nambia 11.

What a ridiculous thread, honestly.

[RedwoodOriginal]

Yup.

[Bewal Express]

At this point in time, they look to be the best we have. Neither of these guys will many matches but they could play a decent part if we are to win. Ultimately, its Babars success or failure that will lead wins or losses on most occasions

[marlonbrowndo]

Yeah for now

[salman24]

Yes their averages speak for themselves. Imam appers slow but overall SR is not bad. No need for change at all.

[Firebat]

Even though I want Imam to work on innings acceleration, our top 4 is cemented until at least the next World Cup in my opinion.

[Ami]

Pakistan's bigger problems are nos 5 and 6 either in T20 or Odis...?

Is there anyone else left to try?

We've had Talat, Asif, Iftikhar, Khushdil and now banking on Danish.

[indianpanacea]

Babar should open in ODIS also..we should replicate openers of odi and T20
Babar Azam
Rizwan
Abdullah Shafique
Haider Ali
M.Hafeez..He should play for a year or so till
Abdullahh and Haider
consolidate to prevent collapse
Nawaz.. He has good batting potential and
shouldd be given role of finisher
Faheem...Batting alrounder
Usman Qadir...legspinner
Hassan Ali....Bowling allrounder
Afridi..
Haris/Hasnain

[rhony]

Top 3 performed very well in 2 games so far. Rizwan did well in game 1 too. Issue with Danish and Asif. It's unfair to drop Danish after just 2 games but it's a series decider. I'd still keep Danish in the team for the next series so he gets a fair shot. Asif should be dropped. Sarfraz should be back at 5. Haider is an easy replacement for Asif.

[zulfiqar]

They are the best openers for Pakistan at the moment. They flopped together at the 2019 World Cup - which is not surprising considering other Pak batsmen that have flopped at major tournaments (Hafeez, Malik, Kamran Akmal, Umar Akmal, or add whoever to this list really...). The only difference between these two and many of the other batsmen is that outside of the one tournament these two have scored runs pretty much everywhere I can think of at a really good average. Yes - Imam only plays in one gear, and yes, Fakhar Zaman can seem very one-dimensional which has led to many people calling him a "hack", but they are still scoring runs at a decent rate and I don't see a need to change anything in ODIs at the moment.

[Markhor]

It seems Fakhar needs time to get his eye in. We saw in Joburg how he accelerated after reaching fifty. Even in the CT17 final he took time to get going and Azhar had to calm him down.

It suggests perhaps Fakhar needs another attacking opener alongside him so he isn't forced to be the dasher. I'd pick Sharjeel if fit or consider promoting Rizwan seeing how he's opening in T20s anyway.

Imam is a gutsy batsman but has two glaring weaknesses - one against the short ball and the other is his inability to pierce the infield in the PP overs. That's why you sometimes see him dancing down the track to the seamers.

[ask_analyse_act]

Even though I want Imam to work on innings acceleration, our top 4 is cemented until at least the next World Cup in my opinion.

No.4 if u think Rizwan made the cut then that’s bad. He is good for no.6.

Pakistan should find proper batsman like Haider ali or Saud Shakeel or Haris Sohail or Shafique to play at 4 and 5.
If sharjeel comes in to ODIs then Imam can play at 3 or 4 too.

Currently I would have the following lineup

Fakhar
Imam
Babar
Haris
Haider
Rizwan

[Majid Khan]

Hafeez would have been a good partner to complement Fakhar Zaman - I mean wouldn’t it be nice to have openers capable of scoring 190 against South Africa at both ends.

[UzmanBeast]

Imam provides the much needed stability at the top of the order, though he lacks the skillset to accelerate after the platform has been set. Had he debuted in the 2008-ish era, he'd be an example of a perfect opener, but unfortunately, openers are now expected to play with a lot more aggression and utilize the powerplay effectively. Imam's problem is ultimately the fact that he is unable to develop shots to rotate strike effectively, especially when the ball is pitched on a length on off. He needs to be move versatile with his shot selection, and cannot always wait for the ball to be pitched in a certain area, he needs to either move around in the crease to maneuvre the ball, or perhaps develop his stroke-play more. In the 60-odd he hit in the first game, more than half the runs came by dinking the ball down to third man and fine leg, and he didn't find the gaps on the off-side and leg-side consistently. If teams see that you are going to hit the ball down to fine leg and third man, they will barrage you with short balls, and unless you develop a good pull shot, you will be a walking wicket.

Fakhar's case is a bit different. People say his game is limited, but I find that he often adds too much pressure to himself early on. In the innings where he has taken time to get settled, he has usually done well and has scored heaps of runs. He usually gets out when he tries to go for glamorous, expansive strokes or when he tries to bash the ball out of the park. His running between the wicket is very good, and he has the power to find gaps. What we need from him is that he takes the time to settle himself into the wicket and plays deliveries on merit, because once he's settled, he can anchor the innings and accelerate simultaneously. Fakhar staying there till the end is much more valuable than Imam staying there till the end, because Fakhar will improve the run-rate as time progresses.

Personally, I think that Imam and Fakhar are good options, Fakhar being more of a modern-day opener who has the ability to accelerate and bats at an impressive strike rate of 97. With a player like Fakhar, you need to understand that they might be inconsistent, but they have the ability to win matches single handedly with the knocks they play.

The best thing Imam and Fakhar can do is rotate strike more in the powerplay, something which will naturally put us in a better position.

[from_da_lost_dim3nsion]

Would rather have sharjeel and Imam on tricky pitches . Sharjeel and Fakher on belters .

[Snowflake]

Best that we have.

[Ahmad-GERMANFC]

If you want to make changes to the team, focus on the middle order where Pakistan is currently playing the WORST batsmen to ever play in those spots for Pakistan. I mean Asif Ali and Danish Aziz would be doing well to make the Nambia 11.

What a ridiculous thread, honestly.

Pakistan's bigger problems are nos 5 and 6 either in T20 or Odis...?

Is there anyone else left to try?

We've had Talat, Asif, Iftikhar, Khushdil and now banking on Danish.

So we could have couple of options. Imam can play in middle order and I think he will fit there good. And make middle order strengthen. And that will allow us to fit Shahzad as opener? Also think it could be other way around. Shezzy I think will do even better if field spread out. I think we need to fit dynamic batsmen who can play in multiple gears

[Ahmad-GERMANFC]

Imam was the highest scorer the last time we played in South Africa. Got a 150+ in England. Is a stable presence at the top, which a country like us never had for decades.

When was the last time we had an opener with such consistency. Yes, he needs to improve on his game and SR but he isn't too far behind. If he improves it by 5-10 he would be on par with the other contemporary openers in the world.

In our pursuit of looking for something better, we may even lose of what we already have. We dont have shining talents in domestic cricket ready to replace Imam.

Imam I see as good player but limited which means he can easily be found out. Many faults in him as batsmen. But for now we can keep playing him I ghess

[Suleiman]

The Trifecta of Accumulation, Imam, Babar and Rizwan is a bit too much. One of these guys has got to go. Babar is our best batsman, Rizwan is the only accomplished keeper bat worthy of playing, so Imam has to go and be replaced by a proper modern ODI opener. But we don’t have one.

I actually would love to see Babar open, something he used to do and was good at in early parts of his career. Babar opening with Rizwan at #3 and some other guy in the middle order in Rizwan’s place.

[Bigboii]

The Trifecta of Accumulation, Imam, Babar and Rizwan is a bit too much. One of these guys has got to go. Babar is our best batsman, Rizwan is the only accomplished keeper bat worthy of playing, so Imam has to go and be replaced by a proper modern ODI opener. But we don’t have one.

I actually would love to see Babar open, something he used to do and was good at in early parts of his career. Babar opening with Rizwan at #3 and some other guy in the middle order in Rizwan’s place.

I don't see Rizwan being as consistent as Imam...

[Bilal7]

They are good enough. There is no need to worry about the openers, whi have both gotten runs, when the middle-order is garbage.

[Bilal7]

The Trifecta of Accumulation, Imam, Babar and Rizwan is a bit too much. One of these guys has got to go. Babar is our best batsman, Rizwan is the only accomplished keeper bat worthy of playing, so Imam has to go and be replaced by a proper modern ODI opener. But we don’t have one.

I actually would love to see Babar open, something he used to do and was good at in early parts of his career. Babar opening with Rizwan at #3 and some other guy in the middle order in Rizwan’s place.

Everyone wants Imam to go but no one has any idea how or with whom to replace him. That's the "fans" for you.

[Suleiman]

Everyone wants Imam to go but no one has any idea how or with whom to replace him. That's the "fans" for you.

Unlike you some of us are constantly looking for the team to improve instead of lowering our standards and accepting being a mid table side. Some of us actually want to see the rise to the top of the table, which means it’s okay to try out different combinations. That’s how you know who deserves to be in the team and who doesn’t.

It’s not the fans’ fault that PCB has failed to develop talent properly which includes openers. But at least the fans can demand better. Look at the other top class openers of the world, and honestly, without delusion, tell me how does Imam ul Haq stack up vs them. And what do we stand to lose if we try Fakhar with different partners in these random series?

[ritzy_123]

No Rizwan with Fakhar Zaman will be a good option

[ExpressPacer]

Imam is probably the best opener we have had in the last decade.

[ads101]

Individually they are good players but it's a poor partnership. They've had ages to make it work and haven't. I don't even think they have many stands together except Zimbabwe. Imam plays too slow, Fakhar either plays too slow early on or pressurised to go for shots for Run Rate which risks his wicket. Fakhar is also rather shaky upfront, he doesn't get consistent starts like Imam does.

Both benefit batting with Babar as Babar is able to score at a relatively decent SR without taking huge risk unlike Fakhar.

I'd like to try Fakhar in the middle order instead, it might lead to him becoming more consistent and suit his overall game more.

[Ummii]

They are pretty much consistent than other opening pairs. So yes I am happy

[aukhan]

Yeah good to see Imam back in the team and Fakhar back in the runs.

[gazza619]

Based on our current standards I am happy with 45/0 in the first 10 overs, rather than 65/2.

So i am ok with these two.

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

That's a solid top order. Imam, Zaman and Babar. Just like India, Pakistan is also dependent on their top 3 these days. Rest of the batting is filled with inconsistent, hit and miss players.

[Varun]

Seems to be the new Hayden - Gilchrist reincarnated.

[RedwoodOriginal]

All 3 of our top 3 batsmen average over 50 now. That's quite impressive.

I can't think of any side in the world that can lay claim to the same.

Alot of things have gone wrong for Pakistan in the last 5 years but establishing a dependable and reliable top-order has been by far the greatest success.

[OMB]

Today was a solid start. The opening pair has done its job.
Also the combination is right.
Just imagine what the score would be after 10 overs if there were two Fakhar on the crease or two Imam.

[WhenSultansBowled]

Seems to be the new Hayden - Gilchrist reincarnated.

Imam is no world beater. But I'm happy with his 50 average and 80 SR.

Way better than likes of Shehzad, Hafeez and countless other tried and tested failures.

[Varun]

All 3 of our top 3 batsmen average over 50 now. That's quite impressive.

Talk about the law of averages (pun intended), after decades of mediocrity since Saeed Anwar.

[silentkiller187]

imam and fakhar have 5 100 partnerships, most for pak as openers, the problem for Pak is the players that come after cant make the most of the platform set, and then fans start complaining and ask the openers to score more or faster to compensate.

[Amjid Javed]

Whilst as a pair stats look good, they are simply to slow in PP and early on. Imams innings today was another snail like effort

[King_Kohli]

Most century opening partnerships for Pakistan in ODIs:

Imam-ul-Haq and Fakhar Zaman - 5
Imran Farhat and Yasir Hameed - 4
Nasir Jamshed and Mohammad Hafeez - 4

[TheNightWatchman]

Whilst as a pair stats look good, they are simply to slow in PP and early on. Imams innings today was another snail like effort

Put Babar on top with Fakhar

[Rana]

Easily the best we could ask for in all conditions

[WhenSultansBowled]

Put Babar on top with Fakhar

Problem is if Babar gets out early then who do we have to steer the innings?

Unlike England/Aus/NZ/India we lack decent middle order batsmen. Babar should remain at 3 and just play as many balls as he can!

[Bilal7]

Unlike you some of us are constantly looking for the team to improve instead of lowering our standards and accepting being a mid table side. Some of us actually want to see the rise to the top of the table, which means it’s okay to try out different combinations. That’s how you know who deserves to be in the team and who doesn’t.

It’s not the fans’ fault that PCB has failed to develop talent properly which includes openers. But at least the fans can demand better. Look at the other top class openers of the world, and honestly, without delusion, tell me how does Imam ul Haq stack up vs them. And what do we stand to lose if we try Fakhar with different partners in these random series?

You mean the same Fakhar who was batting worse than a tail-ender before this series? Imam matches up quite well with some of the other openers in world cricket. Pakistan is not a top-tier team at the moment so we cannot demand anything.

If you want to cry about something, cry about the nonexistent middle-order that has been our biggest weakness for years. Once you actually have middle-order batsmen who can reliably bat for 10-15 overs, then you may protest to have Imam replaced with a more dynamic opener.

Additionally, your argument is paper-thin when you still haven't provided me with any potential replacements for Imam. Trying out different opening combinations is fruitless when there is no one out there who can replace the guy you are trying to replace.

[TheNightWatchman]

Problem is if Babar gets out early then who do we have to steer the innings?

Unlike England/Aus/NZ/India we lack decent middle order batsmen. Babar should remain at 3 and just play as many balls as he can!

babar comes in the first few overs anyways. Today was an exception.

[Bilal7]

Most century opening partnerships for Pakistan in ODIs:

Imam-ul-Haq and Fakhar Zaman - 5
Imran Farhat and Yasir Hameed - 4
Nasir Jamshed and Mohammad Hafeez - 4

Lmao. The fools wanting us to change this combination because they miss Imran Nazir and Shahid Afridi need to see this. Stats do not care about your feelings.

[Barragan]

Rizwan needs to open.

He is versatile enough to be a huge success as an opener and has the game to convert his 40 or 50 scores to major scores, instead of coming in the 25th over and realising he has to start hitting in the next 10 overs.

Pretty simple really, Rizwan>>imam!!

Wasting Rizwan's form and batting potential right now by playing him at 4.

[Suleiman]

You mean the same Fakhar who was batting worse than a tail-ender before this series? Imam matches up quite well with some of the other openers in world cricket. Pakistan is not a top-tier team at the moment so we cannot demand anything.

If you want to cry about something, cry about the nonexistent middle-order that has been our biggest weakness for years. Once you actually have middle-order batsmen who can reliably bat for 10-15 overs, then you may protest to have Imam replaced with a more dynamic opener.

Additionally, your argument is paper-thin when you still haven't provided me with any potential replacements for Imam. Trying out different opening combinations is fruitless when there is no one out there who can replace the guy you are trying to replace.

Difference is Fakhar makes his starts count by scoring big and can change gears, but is far from perfect. Imam today was dismissed for a 50 made at 78 SR, criminal in ODIs in this day and age. Does Fakhar need to improve pacing his innings? Yes. But despite his limitations he is making his time on the crease count.

I’ve identified that Imam is not good enough to be an ODI opener in this day and age, you don’t need to be an expert to see that. In any case, I did provide the potential solution of having Babar open before this game, but you missed that. Even Rizwan is worth a shot now that Sarfraz is keeping, though I don’t agree with Sarfraz in the team either as he’s not a modern ODI player either.

Still, realistically I don’t have much expectations of change because that’s just how Pakistan is right now, behind the rest of the top teams of the world in batting talent save for Babar.

Btw, you can acknowledge there is a problem in the opening pair while also acknowledging problem in the middle order, no idea why you think they’re mutually exclusive. But this thread is honestly for opening, if you want to go cry about the middle order in a thread relevant to it, be my guest.

[Suleiman]

Lmao. The fools wanting us to change this combination because they miss Imran Nazir and Shahid Afridi need to see this. Stats do not care about your feelings.

The fools who simply gobble up whatever team combination PCB throws at them need to wake up and realize that there can be a middle ground. You don’t need to be a complete foolhardy tullaybaaz like Afridi or Nazir nor bat like a 1980s ODI batsman like Imam. Thought this was common sense, obviously not.

[Slog]

OP still dreams of Ahmad Shahzad

[Bilal7]

Difference is Fakhar makes his starts count by scoring big and can change gears, but is far from perfect. Imam today was dismissed for a 50 made at 78 SR, criminal in ODIs in this day and age. Does Fakhar need to improve pacing his innings? Yes. But despite his limitations he is making his time on the crease count.

I’ve identified that Imam is not good enough to be an ODI opener in this day and age, you don’t need to be an expert to see that. In any case, I did provide the potential solution of having Babar open before this game, but you missed that. Even Rizwan is worth a shot now that Sarfraz is keeping, though I don’t agree with Sarfraz in the team either as he’s not a modern ODI player either.

Still, realistically I don’t have much expectations of change because that’s just how Pakistan is right now, behind the rest of the top teams of the world in batting talent save for Babar.

Btw, you can acknowledge there is a problem in the opening pair while also acknowledging problem in the middle order, no idea why you think they’re mutually exclusive. But this thread is honestly for opening, if you want to go cry about the middle order in a thread relevant to it, be my guest.

50 at a SR of 78 for an opener is a decent innings in any day and age. It is very good for a team like Pakistan, which has the worst middle-order in the world. It helped us get to 300+ and hopefully, will help us win the game and series.

Your "solution" could see our best batsman get dismissed within the first couple of overs. There is absolutely no rhyme, nor reason to touch Babar Azam when he is batting like a dream. He already has enough on his plate, on and off the field. If you do open with him or Rizwan, you're leaving another hole in the middle-order that would need to be filled. Pakistan is having trouble finding two good middle-order batsmen, yet you want them to search for three.

The top-order simply isn't a weakness. In both the games that we've won, Imam has scored runs. The middle-order, meanwhile, has been abysmal. It's clear where the problem lies.

The fools who simply gobble up whatever team combination PCB throws at them need to wake up and realize that there can be a middle ground. You don’t need to be a complete foolhardy tullaybaaz like Afridi or Nazir nor bat like a 1980s ODI batsman like Imam. Thought this was common sense, obviously not.

Everyone knows this. What we also know is that there simply is no one out there who can replace Imam. Come back when you have some suggestions that won't destroy this team further.

[shamaan]

Unlike you some of us are constantly looking for the team to improve instead of lowering our standards and accepting being a mid table side. Some of us actually want to see the rise to the top of the table, which means it’s okay to try out different combinations. That’s how you know who deserves to be in the team and who doesn’t.

It’s not the fans’ fault that PCB has failed to develop talent properly which includes openers. But at least the fans can demand better. Look at the other top class openers of the world, and honestly, without delusion, tell me how does Imam ul Haq stack up vs them. And what do we stand to lose if we try Fakhar with different partners in these random series?

Pakistan philosophy is different and should not be following other countries in trying to get 400 hundreds scores.imaam does his job well however he does need to improve his strike rate

[shamaan]

Pretty simple really, Rizwan>>imam!!

Wasting Rizwan's form and batting potential right now by playing him at 4.

Rizwan wont be as consistent but may win more games thou

[shamaan]

Imaam and fakhar should continue oppening the batting both average above 45 however imaam does need to increase his strike rate

[Raja Ishtiaq]

Sharjeel "Destroyer" Ahmed should obviously replace Imam

[moghul]

We don't have any better opening pair available, keep going with these two and see what happens .

Fakhar has a higher ceiling , can win a match single handedly on his day. Imam gets nervous after crossing fifty but he is young , will learn with experience .

[heddie19]

Sharjeel "Destroyer" Ahmed should obviously replace Imam

Who is Ahmed? I am sure you don't mean Ahmed Shehzad

[Ahmad-GERMANFC]

I am still not convinced by this pair. Yesterday’s game was on a flat wicket against a bowling attack which would he decimated even in Pakistani club cricket.

The pair doesn’t fill me with confidence. Both have their own merits and drawbacks and need a stabilizing, consistent dynamic opening partner in long run. One of them has to go from the openinv spot Atleast

[Ahmad-GERMANFC]

Who is Ahmed? I am sure you don't mean Ahmed Shehzad

Why do you say that? Ahmed is someone who can play in several gears according to situation of the game, has an unbeatable defense and has performed at the highest level. He was one of our shining lights in dark Misbah captaincy era. Also he has TWO ICC titles under his name so definitely is very successful. He has also worked on his fitness and if he gets a lucky break I think he can be a legitimate option. I personally just want best for Pakistan and we can’t leave out talent Just because his personality may rub some people the wrong way

[Greenstorm]

Sharjeel, Haider, Rizwan should be tried in place of Imam.

[Tabishbeigh]

Beggars can’t be choosers!!

[warcry]

the one consistent thing about pakistan's batting is the top3 and people want to ruin it just because they can.
have you ever considered that the reason behind the "slow scoring" is that they know our middle order is non existent and all the pressure is on them. Root,Roy and Bairstow know fully that if they fail, they have Morgan, Stokes, Buttler, Moeen etc who will come and maintain the scoring.

keep Imam, for someone who is weak vs the short ball, he has a good ODI record in South Africa over 8 games. and Keep Fakhar, that much goes without saying.

[wrongun]

Best opening pair you've had for a while, why not keep them?

[Barragan]

Rizwan wont be as consistent but may win more games thou

I don't know how you came to the conclusion that Rizwan wouldn't be consistent, when he has been very consistent in both Tests and T20's.

[ammar_merry]

Why do you say that? Ahmed is someone who can play in several gears according to situation of the game, has an unbeatable defense and has performed at the highest level. He was one of our shining lights in dark Misbah captaincy era. Also he has TWO ICC titles under his name so definitely is very successful. He has also worked on his fitness and if he gets a lucky break I think he can be a legitimate option. I personally just want best for Pakistan and we can’t leave out talent Just because his personality may rub some people the wrong way

Explain in your own words, what is his contribution in Pakistan winning those two ICC titles. He was thrown out of the team in both tournaments.
The talk of personality is long gone as he has not performed in domestic, left out by PSL franchise due to worst performance.

[sl-fan-of-pak]

1. FAKHAR ZAMAN OR SHARJEEL (ON FORM)
2. IMAM UL HAQ (His average in away games (excluding BD,ZIM,SL) is 47, in 19 games.
3. BABAR AZAM
4. HARIS SOHAIL
5. MOHAMMAD RIZWAN
6. IMAD WASIM / HAIDER ALI (just because he has to be groomed)
7. FAHEEM
8. SHADAB KHAN/USMAN QADIR/ZAFAR GOHAR
9. HASSAN ALI
10. SHAHEEN
11. AMIR (ideally)

[shamaan]

I don't know how you came to the conclusion that Rizwan wouldn't be consistent, when he has been very consistent in both Tests and T20's.

He has only been consistant recently last year or so.do you think he can have an average of 50+ in odis proberly not.

[Barragan]

He has only been consistant recently last year or so.do you think he can have an average of 50+ in odis proberly not.

He can average 45+ at 90+ sr, which is better than 50 average and a sr of 80.

A loss of 5 runs for a better sr is definitely worth it, especially in this age of flat wickets and high scores.