Should we persist with Akmal at opening

[zorawar]

Great win yesterday for Pak team but I still think Pakistan needs to go back to a regular opening batsman as Butt's partner.

Yesterday I think Butt's dismissal was partly due to his frustration in not being able to play the pull shot effectively and partly due to the low score after 10-11 overs.

Akmal's role as opener was supposedly to pinch hit in the first 15 overs and not save his wicket. I think he was taking himself too seriously as a batsman after scoring the century against this same team. He would be much more useful and consistent if he bats around Razzaq, Afridi in the lower order.

Pakistan should just go back to Malik at #3 (he was wasted yesterday and would have been much more useful in the top 3) and try a specialist opener for the long term instead of having makeshift combinations every game.

[Rob H]

I say use Hameed or Taufeeq as opener

[Sheikh_Ji]

I agree with zorawar
Send Akmal down the order..have malik come in at no 3 and Hameed/Hafeez opens with Butt

[zorawar]

Team for finals:

Butt
Yasir/Taufeeq/Younus (is he coming back?)

Malik
Inzi
Youhana

Razzaq
Afridi
Akmal

Rana
Rao/ Or Hafeez if it is a slow pitch but he needs to bat down in order!
Khalil

[suhaib]

not sure if kamram should go down the order, he has usally played bad in the death. but malik must come back to 3.

we can try this team.

1 butt
2. t.umer
3. malik
4. yoyo
5. inzi
6. razzak
7. afridi
8. a.mahmood
9. akmal
10.rana
11.iftikar roa.

[zorawar]

Suhaib you are suggesting we drop khalil and play Azhar??? Why??

... Ajju should be back in Rawalpindi tending to his family iron-welding business.

[firstslip]

MR zorawar,

akmal down the order will be a complete waste coz he is not a hard hitting batsman ,who can cross the boundry with ease like afridi or razzaq with field spread down ....by opening if he makes 25 runs in a quick session that will be more worthwhile.i agree with u on mr welder (azhar) he should be sent back right away. anyways everything will comedown on youhana ,inzi and razzaq....coz its too early to consider butt,taufiq and malik even near to be match winners but definately in couple of years they will improve a lot.
top 4 pakistan batsman at the moment:

1-inzi
2-yohana
3-younis
4-razzaq

[Sage]

He isnt as capable as a Razzaq or even Afridi at power hitting all around the wicket but he's good at slogging. Let's keep him as an opener for now, we'll reassess for the India series.

[zorawar]

Firstslip,

If the most you are expecting from your opening batsman is to make 25 runs then I am afraid you are setting a pretty low standard for a ODI opener.

Playing a pinch hitter at open may work against average bowling like WI, but not against quality new ball attacks like Aus, Eng, etc.

Although we do not have a stable opening pair at present but the goal should be to establish a specialist opening batsman at the top of the order.

Playing Akmal at opening is at best a stop-gap arrangement.

When we have Razzaq, Afridi coming down the order to play big shots, Akmal can provide very good support for them at the other end rotating the strike.

[firstslip]

Point is to fit him in the batting order ...and the only place he fitsin is opening atleast u can expect that he will do something ...but down the order he does not have that power to hit out ...its like fitting everybody on the spots that the can be worthwhile ..even little bit.... woolmer is trying hard ...but this is all he have to try with .

[zorawar]

Where does it say that ALL batsmen coming after #5 in ODIs needs to be big hitters?

He can play anchor role if our main batsmen like Inzi, Youhana, etc. are not on the crease in the last overs and let the Razzaqs and Afridis slog it out.

[firstslip]

ok make ur playing eleven ...lets see where u fit everybody ,keeping in mind that malik will not bowl....i,ll come up with mine after u make ur eleven, zorawar.

[zorawar]

Easy Firstslip:

Butt
Hameed/Taufeeq
Malik
Inzi
Youhana
Razzaq
Afridi
Akmal
Rana
Rao
Khalil

12th man: Hafeez

Hafeez can only replace Rao or Khalil if we need 2 spinners. Hafeez can be inserted at 6 or lower depending on match situation if he plays. The top 5 should not be changed.

[Officer Barbrady]

I think he will be more comfortable in the middle order. Hameed is considered an opener at both test and ODI level I don't see why he shouldn't open(Or Taufeeq).

The rest of the team is as I would like it. I don't agree with replacing anyone with Azhar or Hafeez. Stick with the specialists they have the best chance of containing/scoring against Australia and we have had success with this combination. Khalil has been improving and is a better bowler than Azhar anyway.

I think on the good batting surfaces in Australia, Kamran can do a reasonable job for Pakistan at the top of the order, but for the long term we need a specialist oppener. He could look to be more positive from the outset and take advantage of the fielding restrictions.

Malik needs to be batting at 3, he is wasted down the order, he is the only player along with Inzy and Yohanna who can go and convert good starts into match winning contributions on a regular basis.

I feel Rao looks out of place in the bowling and Pakistan will go back to the experience of Azhar. If they do, I think he should open the bowling as he and Rana are the ones who can actually swing the new ball. If he balls in the middle overs he is too ineffective.

I still can't understand why Pakistan did not call up a fast bowler when Shoaib left, and with YK leaving as well it would have been ideal to bring in another fast bowler for the finals.

[firstslip]

out of available players not a bad batting order..minus hameed ,that guy has a big technical flaw.he should not be considered even in 20 players.but if younis is available akmal still should still open in place of taufiq and younis more usefull at #6 ..coz younis can play allround cricket.
i,ve heard younis is going back to australia.

[Bailan]

I'd take azhar over rao ... for expirience sake, cuz they are both equally bad.

azhar is still a better fielder anyways

[Jahangir Khan]

We should definitely open with Akmal. If he stays in for 10-12 overs against Australia, he would have done his job. Inzi has said that we are not trying to score quickly at the start so we should back him.

Against Windies we had 48/2 after 15 overs and still got 307.

We should aim for around 60 off the first 15 against the Aussies with no more than 1 or 2 wickets down. That way we will have a good chance of getting a big score later on.

I know alot of people love Butt, but I think he should be replaced with Hafeez for the first final. If Rana doesn't play then we will definitely need a sixth bowler and butt is not a good enough sixth bowler and he is also struggling with the bat.

[161]

If Akmal opens-- Malik gets waisted at 6.

Malik has been our best batsman over the past year. He needs to stay at 3 and Akmal needs to go back to 8.

Akmals century was nice, but i dont think he can ever get a high score like that again. The man just struggles and slows things down before he makes out with out contributing anything as an opener.

Salman and Yasir need to open.

If these 2 can last 15 overs and get about 60 runs, we will always be set up for big scores with the rest of our line up.

[Karachi King]

i've just heard that Inzi said his team will save wickets in the beginning & will go for big scores in the death overs. now considering this theory, Akmal, who has been used as a pinch hitter should not come even close to open the inning. an specialist batsman should step up for that slot.

now about Malik. Woolmer gave Malik so much confidence to play @3 going against so many ex-players & commentators & now when he has shown his potential & scored heavy, there is no point in disturbing his place of batting. his comfidence will be shaken by this & will efect his batting a great deal.

Aneel

[tahaqureshi]

well according to inzi's theory...batting should go like this

butt
hameed
malik
yoyo (he's come ahead of the big man for a few games now i think..i maybe wrong)
inzi
razzaq
afridi
akmal
rana - very good lower order batsman
rao - unfortunately
khalil

[MIG]

I think Akmal defends well ? If you put in Hameed in there, the last thing he will do is defend !

I think for all the criticism of Akmal/Salman pairing, they can stand at the wicket for a while which seems to be Inzis strategy - I wouldnt be surprised if the opening pair remains the same.

[Karun]

buzz

[Amjid Javed]

Akmal at top of order is fine as it gives balance to the team and also overall Akmal does tend to do a good job at the top of the order.

[asifp]

wow someone dug this up from for years ago

[LG]

Most definitely. I like Kamran at the top. And I think the current pair of Kamran and Nazir can be a really god partnership. Both are attacking players, but in different molds.