Myths busted and Myths proven in this PSL 2023

[Major]

What were the myths busted and myths proven from this years psl?

Myths busted:
1. Karachi Kings downfall cause was Babar Azam and under a new captain would do woders

2. Babar Azam is a terrible captain, he got his team into the play offs and came third.

3. Asif Ali cant finish a game

4. Hasan Ali is done for

5. Shadab Khan being a captain genius

6.Naseem Shah being a good t20 bowler

7.Hasnain being a good t20 bowler

8. Azam Khan not being good enough

Myths Proven:

1. Wahab past his bestbefore date
2. Quetta is a friends team
3. Hussain Talat is bad
4. Haider ALi is bad
5. Saim Ayub's talent was seen for the first time

[zarak]

What were the myths busted and myths proven from this years psl?

Myths busted:
1. Karachi Kings downfall cause was Babar Azam and under a new captain would do woders

2. Babar Azam is a terrible captain, he got his team into the play offs and came third.

3. Asif Ali cant finish a game

4. Hasan Ali is done for

5. Shadab Khan being a captain genius

6.Naseem Shah being a good t20 bowler

7.Hasnain being a good t20 bowler

8. Azam Khan not being good enough

Myths Proven:

1. Wahab past his bestbefore date
2. Quetta is a friends team
3. Hussain Talat is bad
4. Haider ALi is bad
5. Saim Ayub's talent was seen for the first time

Very harsh on Naseem. Finished with an economy rate of 7.6 in a high scoring tournament. It is easy taking wickets in t20s just look at Abbas Afridi. No offense he isn't a great bowler. Naseem has taken few wickets but that economy is quite good for this tournament.

[Saj]

I wonder if I was watching the same tournament

2. Was Babar's captaincy really that good?
3. How many matches did Asif Ali finish and what were his stats?
4. Hasan Ali's economy rate was 9.28
6. Have you checked Naseem Shah's economy rate at PSL8?
7. A bit harsh on Hasnain. He was clearly struggling with an injury

[Rana]

Karachi Kings played much better without Babar

This was the best, most competitive PSL I have ever seen

[Nikhil_cric]

Hasan Ali may not be done for but he is not in the top 5 pacers in the country for this format (based only on this PSL stats )

Abbas Afridi
Ihsanullah
Rauf
Zaman Khan
Shaheen

are ahead of him in the pecking order. His international prospects are definitely looking bleak.

Heck just add Usama Mir to the above 5 and that should be Pakistan's first choice selection of bowlers in T20.

Basically PAK T20 attack should be drawn from Multan and Lahore attack.

[PakEngFan]

Let’s not forget sharjeel who was supposed to win us a World Cup lol.

[zarak]

Hasan Ali may not be done for but he is not in the top 5 pacers in the country for this format (based only on this PSL stats )

Abbas Afridi
Ihsanullah
Rauf
Zaman Khan
Shaheen

are ahead of him in the pecking order. His international prospects are definitely looking bleak.

Heck just add Usama Mir to the above 5 and that should be Pakistan's first choice selection of bowlers in T20.

Basically PAK T20 attack should be drawn from Multan and Lahore attack.

Hasan Ali needs to stop white ball cricket. Rehab himself, work on his fitness and batting and become an exclusive red ball baller. When on song he nips the ball back in quite sharply and that is always a lethal trait for a test bowler.

[Major]

Very harsh on Naseem. Finished with an economy rate of 7.6 in a high scoring tournament. It is easy taking wickets in t20s just look at Abbas Afridi. No offense he isn't a great bowler. Naseem has taken few wickets but that economy is quite good for this tournament.

He is over rated. He has 0 impact.

[Major]

Karachi Kings played much better without Babar

This was the best, most competitive PSL I have ever seen

bro, they still came last? Seriously they played better?

[Barragan]

Shaheen is a good captain is another that needs to be added to the list.

He pretty much takes a back seat and doesn't do much, gets massive amount of help from the seniors.

I seriously hope he isn't chosen as the next of captain Pak.

[KyoOne]

bro, they still came last? Seriously they played better?

KK lost majority of games by very thin margins. Margins of 2, 3 & 5 runs.

It's no surprise that KK had a net positive run rate for the tournament despite winning only 3/10. 4 other teams had worse Net RR than KK.

Last year Babar's KK had worst net RR of all teams and losses by very large margins.

[Osama Shafeeqe]

I wonder if I was watching the same tournament

2. Was Babar's captaincy really that good?
3. How many matches did Asif Ali finish and what were his stats?
4. Hasan Ali's economy rate was 9.28
6. Have you checked Naseem Shah's economy rate at PSL8?
7. A bit harsh on Hasnain. He was clearly struggling with an injury

There seems to be undue amount of criticism towards Babar and his captainancy. Considering he led his team to the plays off with such an inexperience batting and bowling line up was a tremendous feat. Barring Wahab and Babar, there were no "senior" players in that team and out of all the PSL teams, Zalmi had the worst international players.

Credit needs to be given where credit is due, Babar was an above average Captain in this tournament but there is room from improvement.

[zarak]

He is over rated. He has 0 impact.

There is no basis for your statement other than you just saying it. He had the 5th lowest economy rate this tournament playing in a team that finished last.

[Osama Shafeeqe]

KK lost majority of games by very thin margins. Margins of 2, 3 & 5 runs.

It's no surprise that KK had a net positive run rate for the tournament despite winning only 3/10. 4 other teams had worse Net RR than KK.

Last year Babar's KK had worst net RR of all teams and losses by very large margins.

KK had some heavy defeats in that tournament but Babar was playing with a dud of a team. The team KK have now include Vince, Wade, Amir, Malik, Shamsi and Imran Tahir compared to Babar's team of Joe Clarke, M Nabi, Chris Jordan and S Farhan.

Even with a such a dud team, there were close games but the likes of Imad Wasim (needing 4 of 4 balls, team lost by 1 run) and Chris Jordan (giving 20 runs of the 2nd last over causing team to lose when in full control) cost KK. They would of at least finished 4th of 5th if Babar had any form of support in batting or even bowling.

[zarak]

KK lost majority of games by very thin margins. Margins of 2, 3 & 5 runs.

It's no surprise that KK had a net positive run rate for the tournament despite winning only 3/10. 4 other teams had worse Net RR than KK.

Last year Babar's KK had worst net RR of all teams and losses by very large margins.

Objectivley speaking KK had a better team than Zalmi but they were the first team to be knocked out. They bottled so many close games.

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

I wonder if I was watching the same tournament

2. Was Babar's captaincy really that good?
3. How many matches did Asif Ali finish and what were his stats?
4. Hasan Ali's economy rate was 9.28
6. Have you checked Naseem Shah's economy rate at PSL8?
7. A bit harsh on Hasnain. He was clearly struggling with an injury

On the above points:

2. I think Babar’s captaincy is a work in progress, but he actively backed his young players after a point, in Saim, Haris, Haseebullah and Aamir Jamal. That shows that he’s maturing as a captain, relative to his own ability before the tournament.

3. Agree on Asif Ali. Firing once in 8 games just can’t be relied upon.

4. Hasan Ali may be done for in white ball cricket, but he still remains a valuable squad member in red ball cricket, especially in Asian conditions. His wicket taking ability is testament to that.

5. Agree on Naseem. Put him in any other team not named Karachi and watch him become much more effective.

6. Disagree on Hasnain. He’s a good front foot bowler, but gets bewildered when he’s attacked. Any injury doesn’t disguise that his bowling IQ needs development.

[Saj]

There seems to be undue amount of criticism towards Babar and his captainancy. Considering he led his team to the plays off with such an inexperience batting and bowling line up was a tremendous feat. Barring Wahab and Babar, there were no "senior" players in that team and out of all the PSL teams, Zalmi had the worst international players.

Credit needs to be given where credit is due, Babar was an above average Captain in this tournament but there is room from improvement.

He's the national captain. He should be the standout skipper, head and shoulders above the rest.

From what I have seen he has been average.

[Saj]

6. Disagree on Hasnain. He’s a good front foot bowler, but gets bewildered when he’s attacked. Any injury doesn’t disguise that his bowling IQ needs development.

Hasnain is work in progress.

He's had a stop/start career, issues with his action and also ongoing issues with his fitness.

I agree he needs to think about his bowling a lot more, but we forget that he's just a young lad who is still learning the game.

[Cric1234]

On the above points:

2. I think Babar’s captaincy is a work in progress, but he actively backed his young players after a point, in Saim, Haris, Haseebullah and Aamir Jamal. That shows that he’s maturing as a captain, relative to his own ability before the tournament.

3. Agree on Asif Ali. Firing once in 8 games just can’t be relied upon.

4. Hasan Ali may be done for in white ball cricket, but he still remains a valuable squad member in red ball cricket, especially in Asian conditions. His wicket taking ability is testament to that.

5. Agree on Naseem. Put him in any other team not named Karachi and watch him become much more effective.

6. Disagree on Hasnain. He’s a good front foot bowler, but gets bewildered when he’s attacked. Any injury doesn’t disguise that his bowling IQ needs development.

There’s no such thing as a work in progress when you lose big matches in tournaments and get whitewashed at home in tests the national team is not a place for a captain whose a work in progress.

If the results are not favourable a change is needed look how long the test team has been mediocre yet zero changes in the defensive style of play from the batsmen the captain is definitely involved in these things.

[Major]

KK lost majority of games by very thin margins. Margins of 2, 3 & 5 runs.

It's no surprise that KK had a net positive run rate for the tournament despite winning only 3/10. 4 other teams had worse Net RR than KK.

Last year Babar's KK had worst net RR of all teams and losses by very large margins.

does not matter. A loss is a loss. They were dead last this time again.

[Rana]

Myth busted: Aqib Javed is a terrible coach

No he is not. 2 time PSL winner!!!

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

There’s no such thing as a work in progress when you lose big matches in tournaments and get whitewashed at home in tests the national team is not a place for a captain whose a work in progress.

If the results are not favourable a change is needed look how long the test team has been mediocre yet zero changes in the defensive style of play from the batsmen the captain is definitely involved in these things.

I was talking about his own development as a captain Vs where he used to be. Nobody is saying he’s the best captain in Pakistan, in fact most objective people (me included) would like a change. But to say that he’s not improving as a captain is false.

[Bilal Ahmad15]

Hasnain is work in progress.

He's had a stop/start career, issues with his action and also ongoing issues with his fitness.

I agree he needs to think about his bowling a lot more, but we forget that he's just a young lad who is still learning the game.

Good thing is he is an actual young lad also

[aqeelPK]

Myth proven: Karachiites have no interest in cricket.

[hitthestump]

This years PSL proved once again that Rizwan has become the greatest batsman in the country. Babar has got a lot of work to do to get his crown back.

We also saw that Sharjeel, Amir and Umar Akmal are proven failures who will never wear the colours of Pakistan ever again (not that this was a tough myth to bust)

Imad may still have a career but he can forget any aspirations of ever coming close to captaining the national team.

[topspin]

What were the myths busted and myths proven from this years psl?

Myths busted:
1. Karachi Kings downfall cause was Babar Azam and under a new captain would do woders

2. Babar Azam is a terrible captain, he got his team into the play offs and came third.

3. Asif Ali cant finish a game

4. Hasan Ali is done for

5. Shadab Khan being a captain genius

6.Naseem Shah being a good t20 bowler

7.Hasnain being a good t20 bowler

8. Azam Khan not being good enough

Myths Proven:

1. Wahab past his bestbefore date
2. Quetta is a friends team
3. Hussain Talat is bad
4. Haider ALi is bad
5. Saim Ayub's talent was seen for the first time

You forgot Imad proved you wrong with his batting credentials.

[DeadlyVenom]

Myth busted - Pakistan lacks young batting talent.

It was great to see Azam Khan, Saim Ayub, Mohammed Haris ( in flashes), Usman Khan ( also in flashes), Abdullah Shafique, Haseebullah play exceptionally attacking and positive cricket.

[Cric1234]

This years PSL proved once again that Rizwan has become the greatest batsman in the country. Babar has got a lot of work to do to get his crown back.

We also saw that Sharjeel, Amir and Umar Akmal are proven failures who will never wear the colours of Pakistan ever again (not that this was a tough myth to bust)

Imad may still have a career but he can forget any aspirations of ever coming close to captaining the national team.

Well the proven failures Amir and Umar Akmal have better economy and strike rates than different international players in the PSL.

The myth that’s yet to be busted is Babar and Rizwan playing a match winning innings in a final or having a better strike rate than other batsmen overall.

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

Myth proven- Pakistan are still looking for a good No.4 in T20s, a player that can play both spin and middle over pace with a good s/r. And before you @ me, Azam Khan is a no.5 not a no.4.

Haris could bat at 4, but it’s wasting his ability in the PP.

The search for Ifti’s successor continues…

[topspin]

Myth proven- Pakistan are still looking for a good No.4 in T20s, a player that can play both spin and middle over pace with a good s/r. And before you @ me, Azam Khan is a no.5 not a no.4.

Haris could bat at 4, but it’s wasting his ability in the PP.

The search for Ifti’s successor continues…

I agree with this. The only suggestion I have is to have Fakhar there as a stop gap with Saim Ayub, Muhamamd Haris and Abdullah Shafique coming in before him.

[shariqnoor]

Myth busted:

Fakhar Zaman needs to open so that he can take advantage of the Powerplay.

Fakhar's SR in the Powerplay in this PSL was 127.

To put into perspective in terms on runs, that means if he plays 18 balls in the powerplay he will score 23 runs.

[Rana]

Myth busted:

Fakhar Zaman needs to open so that he can take advantage of the Powerplay.

Fakhar's SR in the Powerplay in this PSL was 127.

To put into perspective in terms on runs, that means if he plays 18 balls in the powerplay he will score 23 runs.

27 sixes in the tournament

10 balls per six

160+ sr

2 PSL titles as an opener for LQ. That’s his best position. Don’t fool yourself to think it is not!

[shariqnoor]

27 sixes in the tournament

10 balls per six

160+ sr

2 PSL titles as an opener for LQ. That’s his best position. Don’t fool yourself to think it is not!

Did he hit 27 sixes in the Powerplay?

[topspin]

Myth busted:

Fakhar Zaman needs to open so that he can take advantage of the Powerplay.

Fakhar's SR in the Powerplay in this PSL was 127.

To put into perspective in terms on runs, that means if he plays 18 balls in the powerplay he will score 23 runs.

Agreed. For example, if we look at the CT final, 2021 WT20 Semi against Australia and today, his runs came after the powerplay.

The reason for this is because he's not comfortable against a harder new ball whether it be short or full, if he doesn't have the width. Without those wider deliveries, you can take out many of his scoring shots against the new ball.

He's a lot more comfortable when the ball is softer because there's less lateral movement and also because it's easier to hit the shorter ball.

[PakEngFan]

Myth busted:

Fakhar Zaman needs to open so that he can take advantage of the Powerplay.

Fakhar's SR in the Powerplay in this PSL was 127.

To put into perspective in terms on runs, that means if he plays 18 balls in the powerplay he will score 23 runs.

The reason why he been replaced by rizwan as an opener for Pakistan. He was a pathetic t20 opener.

[PakEngFan]

Agreed. For example, if we look at the CT final, 2021 WT20 Semi against Australia and today, his runs came after the powerplay.

The reason for this is because he's not comfortable against a harder new ball whether it be short or full, if he doesn't have the width. Without those wider deliveries, you can take out many of his scoring shots against the new ball.

He's a lot more comfortable when the ball is softer because there's less lateral movement and also because it's easier to hit the shorter ball.

Agreed would want either Abdullah shafique or Saim opening even in odis while fakhar bats at 4 as he will be much better then rizwan there.

[SamNJ]

While Karachi Kings need an overhaul they had a much better campaign. Had they won one of their games against Peshawar they would be in play offs. They missed their key top order batsman Vince due to unavailability which hampered their campaign.

[Rana]

Did he hit 27 sixes in the Powerplay?

Wherever he did it. You back your best strikers of the ball to play in the powerplay and Fakhar Zaman clearly is our best ball striker.

10 balls per six v Rizwan’s 30 balls per six and Babar’s 40 balls per six.

Fakhar has 2 back to back PSL trophies

Babar and Fakhar have plenty of botches since.

[PakEngFan]

Wherever he did it. You back your best strikers of the ball to play in the powerplay and Fakhar Zaman clearly is our best ball striker.

10 balls per six v Rizwan’s 30 balls per six and Babar’s 40 balls per six.

Fakhar has 2 back to back PSL trophies

Babar and Fakhar have plenty of botches since.

Definitely with an average of 22 and a similar strike rate to Babar and rizwan so much being the best ball striker.

[shariqnoor]

Wherever he did it. You back your best strikers of the ball to play in the powerplay and Fakhar Zaman clearly is our best ball striker.

10 balls per six v Rizwan’s 30 balls per six and Babar’s 40 balls per six.

Fakhar has 2 back to back PSL trophies

Babar and Fakhar have plenty of botches since.

Rizwan SR in the powerplay this tournament was 144. Scored 260 runs vs Fakhar 191 runs having played a game less too. Hit more sixes in the Powerplay than Fakhar.

But yes Fakhar is the best player in the Powerplay. Salute.

We haven't forgotten your Big Fish Sharjeel and Asif Ali as captain suggestions.

[Rana]

Rizwan SR in the powerplay this tournament was 144. Scored 260 runs vs Fakhar 191 runs having played a game less too. Hit more sixes in the Powerplay than Fakhar.

But yes Fakhar is the best player in the Powerplay. Salute.

We haven't forgotten your Big Fish Sharjeel and Asif Ali as captain suggestions.

2 seasons as PSL opener and 2 medals

Let’s not get carried away with statspadders fooling people like you again only to end up with below 100 srs against big boys in the World Cup.

Chal jaa tu vi rest Kar Ab

[Kroll]

Babar Azam is a terrible captain, he got his team into the play offs and came third.

Umm, I don't know man, there's only 6 teams in the PSL.

[Farabi]

Wherever he did it. You back your best strikers of the ball to play in the powerplay and Fakhar Zaman clearly is our best ball striker.

10 balls per six v Rizwan’s 30 balls per six and Babar’s 40 balls per six.

Fakhar has 2 back to back PSL trophies

Babar and Fakhar have plenty of botches since.

The PSL trophies have to do with the whole team, not one individual. Lahore Qalandar’s success is built around its star studded bowling line up, particularly Rashid Khan.

The data shows that Fakhar is not faster off the blocks than the incumbents RizBabar during the Powerplay.

He is less consistent too (avg of 33 vs avg of 55 for Rizbabar).
But he kind of makes up with better SR during Middle overs, and ups with a higher SR overall (160 SR vs 145 for Rizbabar).

Overall, it’s hard to say he’s an upgrade unless the rest of the team and strategy is known.

[Rana]

Umm, I don't know man, there's only 6 teams in the PSL.

Hahah yeh it’s not like there were 16 teams

[Rana]

Rizwan 30 balls per 6 in the tournament but he should be opening ahead of Fakhar who has 27 sixes throughout the league! The most by anyone. And he achieved this feat playing as an opener

So on what basis do people like @shariqnoor tell us that Rizwan should open ahead of him??? Why are there people herd who will not let us move away from this rubbish T20 opener approach????

[topspin]

What were the myths busted and myths proven from this years psl?

Myths busted:

Babar Azam is a terrible captain, he got his team into the play offs and came third.

May I ask what grade you got in Maths?

If a team finishes 3rd out of 6 teams, this means there were 33% of participants who fared better than the 3rd place team

So it's not exactly worthy of mention is it?

[Zaz]

27 sixes in the tournament

10 balls per six

160+ sr

2 PSL titles as an opener for LQ. That’s his best position. Don’t fool yourself to think it is not!

He just about avges over 20 opening for pakistan

Whether u choose to accept it or not its a fact

He takes time to get going and cant hit from the get go as you blindly keep suggesting

[Rana]

He just about avges over 20 opening for pakistan

Whether u choose to accept it or not its a fact

He takes time to get going and cant hit from the get go as you blindly keep suggesting

Do you think I care how much time he takes to get going once he ends up with 27 sixes, a sr of 160+ and a 2nd PSL winners medal in two seasons?

[Zaz]

Do you think I care how much time he takes to get going once he ends up with 27 sixes, a sr of 160+ and a 2nd PSL winners medal in two seasons?

You clearly dont care about facts Weve all gathered that over the last yr or two

Just like you stated how asif ali and sharjeel should be in the pak team too

Fakhar is a good player but hes being massively overated in t20s by you

He was poor today

Its not even his best format Hes much better in odis

[topspin]

Agreed would want either Abdullah shafique or Saim opening even in odis while fakhar bats at 4 as he will be much better then rizwan there.

Yeah I do worry if Fakhar opens for Pakistan in the ODI WC in India later this year. I also think he'd more suitable at 4.

I would drop Imam and Ifti for Saim Ayub and Abdullah Shafique. Rizwan should either play as a specialist wicket keeper or we give Muhammad Haris the gloves if he's good enough to keep for 50 overs. I don't think Azam Khan is quite ready for ODIs as yet.

[Rana]

You clearly dont care about facts Weve all gathered that over the last yr or two

Just like you stated how asif ali and sharjeel should be in the pak team too

Fakhar is a good player but hes being massively overated in t20s by you

He was poor today

Its not even his best format Hes much better in odis

Sharjeel has 5 domestic T20 centuries just like booker T is the 5 Time! 5 Time! WCW champion

Asif Ali should be the captain of Pakistan

[topspin]

Because it’s a stupid argument as the overall sr of the two players would prove what many of us have been saying here, that Rizwan can only score runs freely in the powerplay and that’s why he hogs that spot. For Rizwan to end up with a sr of -20 compared to Fakhar overall is clear proof that he is an imposter opener playing T29 cricket

More like 1929 cricket. But hey at least Bradman would be proud.

[Suleiman]

That there’s no other top order players / openers to replace Rizwan and Babar.

And that the batting talent for t20s is scarce.

Busted

[Rana]

Myth

Babar and Rizwan have to bat slow because their team will be 120 all out


Hahaahahahahahahhahaha

[topspin]

Myth

Babar and Rizwan have to bat slow because their team will be 120 all out


Hahaahahahahahahhahaha

Obviously the 120 part of this post is for jokes and giggles but the premise of the argument is true. I remember very well certain posters during the last two years saying Babar and Rizwan have to bat slow because we have a fragile middle order/weak batting line up etc.

Do you know where this comes from? Its from Misbah fans who used to remind us that without Misbah slow half centuries, Pakistan would be bowled out for 150 or whatever it was, it was sensationalised by them.

[m.awais]

Everyone is talking about sixes in the powerplay. What about the number of fours in the powerplay? I am sure babar and rizwan have hit more fours as compared to Fakhar. As everyone ismentioning, its the strike rate which shows the exact picture. If you hit one six and play rest of the over as dot balls than it doesn’t help the cause.

[Rana]

Everyone is talking about sixes in the powerplay. What about the number of fours in the powerplay? I am sure babar and rizwan have hit more fours as compared to Fakhar. As everyone ismentioning, its the strike rate which shows the exact picture. If you hit one six and play rest of the over as dot balls than it doesn’t help the cause.

Who cares about fours? Then don’t shift momentum like sixes do.

[Mamoon]

I am very happy to see that people are finally waking up to the reality that Rauf and Naseem are not the bowlers they think they are.

There is a reason why I have been warning people for a long time but no one listened.

Rauf is nothing more than a right handed Wahab but with less heart. At least Wahab toiled in Test cricket for a long time. This guy ran away from Test cricket after 1 Test.

Naseem is extremely overrated. His embarrassing numbers in Test cricket do not lie. He is all flash and show. There is no substance in his bowling and there never will be.

Shadab is also getting exposed for the bits and pieces cricketer that he is. People who think he is a top class all-rounder don’t know what they are talking about. His batting is marginally better than a tailender and his bowling is marginally better than a part-timer.

Shaheen Afridi is easily Pakistan’s ace cricketer and I think he is ready to take over from Babar as the white ball skipper. He is head and shoulders above every fast bowler in the country and there is something about him that makes him rise above the rest.

I am going to get a lot of flak for this but I will put my neck on the line for this - he is a better cricketer than Wasim Akram and will surpass him in all facets (bowling, batting, captaincy) over the next decade if he stays fit.

Shan Masood was, is and always will be pathetic and he should never play a single match for Pakistan in any format.

Saim Ayub is an exceptional talent - he has the ability, the skill and the mentality to be a top player in white ball cricket. He should be drafted into the national side immediately and get 100% backing.

This was the best PSL ever. Better than all editions put together. Full credit goes to Sethi. There is no PSL without him and his critics should accept this bitter reality.

[Bilal Ahmad15]

I am very happy to see that people are finally waking up to the reality that Rauf and Naseem are not the bowlers they think they are.

There is a reason why I have been warning people for a long time but no one listened.

Rauf is nothing more than a right handed Wahab but with less heart. At least Wahab toiled in Test cricket for a long time. This guy ran away from Test cricket after 1 Test.

Naseem is extremely overrated. His embarrassing numbers in Test cricket do not lie. He is all flash and show. There is no substance in his bowling and there never will be.

Shadab is also getting exposed for the bits and pieces cricketer that he is. People who think he is a top class all-rounder don’t know what they are talking about. His batting is marginally better than a tailender and his bowling is marginally better than a part-timer.

Shaheen Afridi is easily Pakistan’s ace cricketer and I think he is ready to take over from Babar as the white ball skipper. He is head and shoulders above every fast bowler in the country and there is something about him that makes him rise above the rest.

I am going to get a lot of flak for this but I will put my neck on the line for this - he is a better cricketer than Wasim Akram and will surpass him in all facets (bowling, batting, captaincy) over the next decade if he stays fit.

Shan Masood was, is and always will be pathetic and he should never play a single match for Pakistan in any format.

Saim Ayub is an exceptional talent - he has the ability, the skill and the mentality to be a top player in white ball cricket. He should be drafted into the national side immediately and get 100% backing.

This was the best PSL ever. Better than all editions put together. Full credit goes to Sethi. There is no PSL without him and his critics should accept this bitter reality.

Well, Shaheen is my favourite Cricketer, but the biggest problem with him is that as soon as the new ball loses a bit of shine, he struggles big time to take wickets. This is especially seen in Test Cricket. And although I never watched Wasim Akram, but he is obviously known by everyone for how great his old-ball bowling was.

Best PSL ever? with scores of 260 again and again? All those useless high scoring, small boundary (where fielders were hopeless) matches makes PSL no different from all the other worldwide rubbish leagues.

[Mamoon]

Well, Shaheen is my favourite Cricketer, but the biggest problem with him is that as soon as the new ball loses a bit of shine, he struggles big time to take wickets. This is especially seen in Test Cricket. And although I never watched Wasim Akram, but he is obviously known by everyone for how great his old-ball bowling was.

Best PSL ever? with scores of 260 again and again? All those useless high scoring, small boundary (where fielders were hopeless) matches makes PSL no different from all the other worldwide rubbish leagues.

Shaheen does not have the luxury of bowling with the balls with which Wasim, Waqar and Imran bowled. Ball-tampering was at its peak during the 80’s and 90’s - teams got away with so much at the time and Pakistani bowlers were one step ahead of everyone else when it comes to modifying the balls to their advantage.

Among all the great bowlers, Wasim has the lowest percentage of top order wickets (I’m sure Shaheen is already ahead on this front) and there is no doubt he was amazing but he benefited a lot from bowling with those tampered balls against tailenders who could barely pick up a bat.

There is no comparison between the batting skills of today’s 8,9,10 and 11 with those of the 80s and 90s.

Wasim would have a far less impressive record had he played today and Shaheen would have had a far better record had he played. No one can do with the new ball what he does.

As far as pitches are concerned, no one wants to see low scoring matches in T20s. It was a myth that PSL’s bowling is very strong. The only reason scores were low was because the pitches were sluggish and the batting level was very low.

This time around, the quality of batting was better than before and the local players stepped up for once. The pitches also promoted stroke play and clean hitting.

[shaz619]

Shaheen does not have the luxury of bowling with the balls with which Wasim, Waqar and Imran bowled. Ball-tampering was at its peak during the 80’s and 90’s - teams got away with so much at the time and Pakistani bowlers were one step ahead of everyone else when it comes to modifying the balls to their advantage.

Among all the great bowlers, Wasim has the lowest percentage of top order wickets (I’m sure Shaheen is already ahead on this front) and there is no doubt he was amazing but he benefited a lot from bowling with those tampered balls against tailenders who could barely pick up a bat.

There is no comparison between the batting skills of today’s 8,9,10 and 11 with those of the 80s and 90s.

Wasim would have a far less impressive record had he played today and Shaheen would have had a far better record had he played. No one can do with the new ball what he does.

As far as pitches are concerned, no one wants to see low scoring matches in T20s. It was a myth that PSL’s bowling is very strong. The only reason scores were low was because the pitches were sluggish and the batting level was very low.

This time around, the quality of batting was better than before and the local players stepped up for once. The pitches also promoted stroke play and clean hitting.

Shaheen is special no doubt but come on man, Wasim is almost like a first pick in every all time XI. I am curious to understand how he was able to maintain his fitness and also considering his poor health in later years.

I agree he is the best player in Pakistan right now and his attitude is outstanding. In this era especially for an asian cricket board, it’s going to be hard to manage his workload unless they have him selectively play certain series, e.g. Dale Steyn.

[Mean&Green]

Shaheen does not have the luxury of bowling with the balls with which Wasim, Waqar and Imran bowled. Ball-tampering was at its peak during the 80’s and 90’s - teams got away with so much at the time and Pakistani bowlers were one step ahead of everyone else when it comes to modifying the balls to their advantage.

Among all the great bowlers, Wasim has the lowest percentage of top order wickets (I’m sure Shaheen is already ahead on this front) and there is no doubt he was amazing but he benefited a lot from bowling with those tampered balls against tailenders who could barely pick up a bat.

There is no comparison between the batting skills of today’s 8,9,10 and 11 with those of the 80s and 90s.

Wasim would have a far less impressive record had he played today and Shaheen would have had a far better record had he played. No one can do with the new ball what he does.

As far as pitches are concerned, no one wants to see low scoring matches in T20s. It was a myth that PSL’s bowling is very strong. The only reason scores were low was because the pitches were sluggish and the batting level was very low.

This time around, the quality of batting was better than before and the local players stepped up for once. The pitches also promoted stroke play and clean hitting.

So this season thumbs up from you ?

[gibsyhesperis]

I am very happy to see that people are finally waking up to the reality that Rauf and Naseem are not the bowlers they think they are.

There is a reason why I have been warning people for a long time but no one listened.

Rauf is nothing more than a right handed Wahab but with less heart. At least Wahab toiled in Test cricket for a long time. This guy ran away from Test cricket after 1 Test.

Naseem is extremely overrated. His embarrassing numbers in Test cricket do not lie. He is all flash and show. There is no substance in his bowling and there never will be.

Shadab is also getting exposed for the bits and pieces cricketer that he is. People who think he is a top class all-rounder don’t know what they are talking about. His batting is marginally better than a tailender and his bowling is marginally better than a part-timer.

Shaheen Afridi is easily Pakistan’s ace cricketer and I think he is ready to take over from Babar as the white ball skipper. He is head and shoulders above every fast bowler in the country and there is something about him that makes him rise above the rest.

I am going to get a lot of flak for this but I will put my neck on the line for this - he is a better cricketer than Wasim Akram and will surpass him in all facets (bowling, batting, captaincy) over the next decade if he stays fit.

Shan Masood was, is and always will be pathetic and he should never play a single match for Pakistan in any format.

Saim Ayub is an exceptional talent - he has the ability, the skill and the mentality to be a top player in white ball cricket. He should be drafted into the national side immediately and get 100% backing.

This was the best PSL ever. Better than all editions put together. Full credit goes to Sethi. There is no PSL without him and his critics should accept this bitter reality.

Fair points, especially about Siam Ayurveda, but I do think this is hyperbole:
“ he is a better cricketer than Wasim Akram”

Wasim Abram is probably the most talented player Pakistan has ever had and to suggest SSA is currently a better cricketer than Akram was is hard to justify.

Pretty consistently the top players of his era (Lara, VVS) would state he was the fast bowler they least liked to face.
He was an amazingly gifted player.

The one huge point in SSA’s favour was that he was not corrupt which sadly Akram was clearly demonstrated to be (as were most of the side at that time).
An enormous (and irrevocable) demerit against Akram in my mind.

[Cric_lover4487]

Shaheen does not have the luxury of bowling with the balls with which Wasim, Waqar and Imran bowled. Ball-tampering was at its peak during the 80’s and 90’s - teams got away with so much at the time and Pakistani bowlers were one step ahead of everyone else when it comes to modifying the balls to their advantage.

Among all the great bowlers, Wasim has the lowest percentage of top order wickets (I’m sure Shaheen is already ahead on this front) and there is no doubt he was amazing but he benefited a lot from bowling with those tampered balls against tailenders who could barely pick up a bat.

There is no comparison between the batting skills of today’s 8,9,10 and 11 with those of the 80s and 90s.

Wasim would have a far less impressive record had he played today and Shaheen would have had a far better record had he played. No one can do with the new ball what he does.

As far as pitches are concerned, no one wants to see low scoring matches in T20s. It was a myth that PSL’s bowling is very strong. The only reason scores were low was because the pitches were sluggish and the batting level was very low.

This time around, the quality of batting was better than before and the local players stepped up for once. The pitches also promoted stroke play and clean hitting.

You totally echoed my sentiments in comparison of 90's and modern cricket today. People really underestimate batting ability of tailenders these days. There is no walking duck these days. On the contrary, i feel some bowlers considered average in this generation like Hasan Ali & Wahab Riaz would have been legends in 90's era.

[zarak]

I am very happy to see that people are finally waking up to the reality that Rauf and Naseem are not the bowlers they think they are.

There is a reason why I have been warning people for a long time but no one listened.

Rauf is nothing more than a right handed Wahab but with less heart. At least Wahab toiled in Test cricket for a long time. This guy ran away from Test cricket after 1 Test.

Naseem is extremely overrated. His embarrassing numbers in Test cricket do not lie. He is all flash and show. There is no substance in his bowling and there never will be.

Shadab is also getting exposed for the bits and pieces cricketer that he is. People who think he is a top class all-rounder don’t know what they are talking about. His batting is marginally better than a tailender and his bowling is marginally better than a part-timer.

Shaheen Afridi is easily Pakistan’s ace cricketer and I think he is ready to take over from Babar as the white ball skipper. He is head and shoulders above every fast bowler in the country and there is something about him that makes him rise above the rest.

I am going to get a lot of flak for this but I will put my neck on the line for this - he is a better cricketer than Wasim Akram and will surpass him in all facets (bowling, batting, captaincy) over the next decade if he stays fit.

Shan Masood was, is and always will be pathetic and he should never play a single match for Pakistan in any format.

Saim Ayub is an exceptional talent - he has the ability, the skill and the mentality to be a top player in white ball cricket. He should be drafted into the national side immediately and get 100% backing.

This was the best PSL ever. Better than all editions put together. Full credit goes to Sethi. There is no PSL without him and his critics should accept this bitter reality.

Harsh on Naseem, he is a league above Rauf and Hasnain and quite a thinking bowler. Lots of good bowlers had similar numbers starting. I expect them to drop.

[zarak]

Shaheen is special no doubt but come on man, Wasim is almost like a first pick in every all time XI. I am curious to understand how he was able to maintain his fitness and also considering his poor health in later years.

I agree he is the best player in Pakistan right now and his attitude is outstanding. In this era especially for an asian cricket board, it’s going to be hard to manage his workload unless they have him selectively play certain series, e.g. Dale Steyn.

Athletes are better today than in 90s. It happens in every sport. Shaheen is probably a better bowler than Akram objectively. But yes Akram was the top dog of his generation.

[shaz619]

@Mamoon you’re also harsh on both Rauf and Naseem Shah

Pakistan were a bit unlucky in the WC final, these two bowled really well against an ATG England team in the final and Rauf had a good tournament, domestics shouldn’t define his output. Pakistan are blessed with options now but don’t think you should brush these two aside completely.

[shaz619]

Athletes are better today than in 90s. It happens in every sport. Shaheen is probably a better bowler than Akram objectively. But yes Akram was the top dog of his generation.

There is scope for comparison in the future but right now in terms of all round skill, I don’t believe so, as a package Wasim’s ability and talent alone is arguably the greatest the sport has ever seen. In fact, he underachieved which is a scary thought.

Maybe they are but then which fast bowlers that didn’t debut in the 90’s, took 350+ wickets in both ODI and Tests? am not sure there are too many

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

I agree with this. The only suggestion I have is to have Fakhar there as a stop gap with Saim Ayub, Muhamamd Haris and Abdullah Shafique coming in before him.

Ironically, the best no.4 would be a Babar Azam with a consistent power game, but alas, that is our lot. If Hafeez can become a power hitter later in his career, so can Babar, he just needs to go away and develop those skills, rather than failing to develop them ‘on the go’ whilst playing for Pakistan.

Fakhar at 4 is a decent option, but a stop gap.

In terms of future options, keep an eye out for young Arafat Minhas. He’s just had his first domestic season just gone by, and showed a few enterprising performances for a poor Southern Punjab side. However, he has the personality and the attitude to become a good middle order bat.

[Zaz]

Myth

Babar and Rizwan have to bat slow because their team will be 120 all out


Hahaahahahahahahhahaha

That was true when you had a middle order of haider ifikhar khushdil and asif ali who cant bat to save their lives

Hopefully going forward we can introduce those that can actually play

[shamaan]

I wonder if I was watching the same tournament

2. Was Babar's captaincy really that good?
3. How many matches did Asif Ali finish and what were his stats?
4. Hasan Ali's economy rate was 9.28
6. Have you checked Naseem Shah's economy rate at PSL8?
7. A bit harsh on Hasnain. He was clearly struggling with an injury

Peshawar 4 out of the top 6 batters were Pakistani batters.He gave great trust in Haris hitting ability by playing him in key parts of the game.

[shamaan]

KK lost majority of games by very thin margins. Margins of 2, 3 & 5 runs.

It's no surprise that KK had a net positive run rate for the tournament despite winning only 3/10. 4 other teams had worse Net RR than KK.

Last year Babar's KK had worst net RR of all teams and losses by very large margins.

Whilst that was the case it had no impact regarding results.

[Saj]

Peshawar 4 out of the top 6 batters were Pakistani batters.He gave great trust in Haris hitting ability by playing him in key parts of the game.

So Haris runs were down to Babar?

That's a new one.

[shamaan]

Myth proven- Pakistan are still looking for a good No.4 in T20s, a player that can play both spin and middle over pace with a good s/r. And before you @ me, Azam Khan is a no.5 not a no.4.

Haris could bat at 4, but it’s wasting his ability in the PP.

The search for Ifti’s successor continues…

Abdullah can bat in the top 4

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

Myth busted:

PSL is not a great league. - Given the lack of premium star names, PSL doesn’t get the respect it deserves.

Look, the IPL is the most high profile league, but after that, it’s difficult to argue the merits of the PSL.

- Quick bowling
- New stars
- High scores
- Interesting captaincy
- National team sub plots
- Competitive pitches in the Lahore leg
- Full houses and incredible atmospheres
- Teams having their own distinct identities rather than being placeholder outfits full of mercenaries.
- Tapal tea time

It’s been an incredible tournament. Now, I don’t watch BPL, the Hundred or SAT20 but I’d rank the PSL favourably against any of those competitions.

In fact, I’m having serious PSL withdrawal symptoms

Can’t wait for next year! Bring on Peshawar and Quetta as venues as well.

[shamaan]

Shaheen does not have the luxury of bowling with the balls with which Wasim, Waqar and Imran bowled. Ball-tampering was at its peak during the 80’s and 90’s - teams got away with so much at the time and Pakistani bowlers were one step ahead of everyone else when it comes to modifying the balls to their advantage.

Among all the great bowlers, Wasim has the lowest percentage of top order wickets (I’m sure Shaheen is already ahead on this front) and there is no doubt he was amazing but he benefited a lot from bowling with those tampered balls against tailenders who could barely pick up a bat.

There is no comparison between the batting skills of today’s 8,9,10 and 11 with those of the 80s and 90s.

Wasim would have a far less impressive record had he played today and Shaheen would have had a far better record had he played. No one can do with the new ball what he does.

As far as pitches are concerned, no one wants to see low scoring matches in T20s. It was a myth that PSL’s bowling is very strong. The only reason scores were low was because the pitches were sluggish and the batting level was very low.

This time around, the quality of batting was better than before and the local players stepped up for once. The pitches also promoted stroke play and clean hitting.

What do you think of the likes off Ihsanullah,Azam Khan,Abdullah Shafique and Muhammed haris

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

So Haris runs were down to Babar?

That's a new one.

The dressing room atmosphere you create and the encouragement you give, can lift young players.

I remember you posting about Haris’s poor numbers early in this tournament. Yet, despite his aggressive style, he was given plenty of rope in this tournament by a supportive captain and he came good.

In contrast, Qasim Akram, who captained CP in the National t20, and outperformed Haris in that competition, was dropped after one bad performance and not given the support to be his best self.

All credit to Haris, but emotional intelligence, empathy and encouragement matter coming from a captain.

So yes, Babar should be acknowledged for the environment he created at PZ.

[Saj]

The dressing room atmosphere you create and the encouragement you give, can lift young players.

I remember you posting about Haris’s poor numbers early in this tournament. Yet, despite his aggressive style, he was given plenty of rope in this tournament by a supportive captain and he came good.

In contrast, Qasim Akram, who captained CP in the National t20, and outperformed Haris in that competition, was dropped after one bad performance and not given the support to be his best self.

All credit to Haris, but emotional intelligence, empathy and encouragement matter coming from a captain.

So yes, Babar should be acknowledged for the environment he created at PZ.

I disagree that Babar is the main reason for Haris scoring runs at PSL8.

When Haris was struggling, was that Babar's fault too.

For players to do well and perform, it's not just down to the skipper, it's down to a number of things including their own ability.

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

I disagree that Babar is the main reason for Haris scoring runs at PSL8.

When Haris was struggling, was that Babar's fault too.

For players to do well and perform, it's not just down to the skipper, it's down to a number of things including their own ability.

Haris is the main reason for Haris scoring runs. But other captains (please see my example re: Qasim) would have benched Haris, because of his early failures.

Having a supportive captain empowers young players. So whilst Haris’s success or failures are primarily attributed to Haris himself, he was able to do so in a positive dressing room environment. The credit for that environment goes to the leadership at PZ, which includes Babar, Sammy and Mohd Akram.

[zarak]

Haris is the main reason for Haris scoring runs. But other captains (please see my example re: Qasim) would have benched Haris, because of his early failures.

Having a supportive captain empowers young players. So whilst Haris’s success or failures are primarily attributed to Haris himself, he was able to do so in a positive dressing room environment. The credit for that environment goes to the leadership at PZ, which includes Babar, Sammy and Mohd Akram.

Well said. I do believe it is easier to support Haris and I am not sure if other captains would have exactly benched him. Haris does seem to be a lot more skillful than Qasim who looks really stiff and one dimensional to me.

That being said, while Babar is tactically poor, he is a good man manager. I think his own experience has led him to believe in backing players. It pays off in some cases but in other cases he comes across as rigid. His reluctance towards coming one down or his persistence with players like Hasan Ali are the downside of his man management skills. In the long run a captain like him can cultivate a good group of players.