Is this our best ever batting lineup

[Khalil]

Is the current Pakistani side the best ever Pakistani batting lineup? Our history shows us most of our match winners were our bowlers. The following players in our current squad have all scored international hundreds

Butt
Afridi
Malik
yoYo
Inzi
Younis Khan
Razzak
Akmal

Our top 8 batsmane are all international centurians and Rana at number nine has a first class hundred to his name.

I say this side will beat everyone else besides the Aussies in limited over games.

[Sheikh_Ji]

I think more crucial fact is that we have great balance to our ODI squad, thanks to our 3 all rounders Afridi, Malik and Razzi.
Even against teh aussies we have the ability to beat them consistently in the ODIs if we can overcomes nerves. in the last year or so, we have given the aussies a run for their money in almost every ODI we have played against them....only to stumble at the final hurdle

[Amjid Javed]

Is the current Pakistani side the best ever Pakistani batting lineup? Our history shows us most of our match winners were our bowlers. The following players in our current squad have all scored international hundreds

Butt
Afridi
Malik
yoYo
Inzi
Younis Khan
Razzak
Akmal

Our top 8 batsmane are all international centurians and Rana at number nine has a first class hundred to his name.

I say this side will beat everyone else besides the Aussies in limited over games.

omg u forgot pakistans best batsmen....
















































muhammed hafeez :))) :)))

[AdnanPak]

My fellow cricket enthusiats, as of this moment the best we could do is to hope for a consistent performance from our young cubs..i would not go to the extent and label this batting line-up the best ever......remeber the 90's when we boosted in our ranks the likes of Anwar, Sohail, Ijaz, Miandad, Basit Ali and Inzi.....The baptism for our boys looks promising they should very carefully study history and make sure that they do not self-destruct like our hero's of the unglorious past

[Civil]

ODI's it's one of the strongest in the world, not only on talent, but because every batsmen knows their role, and is allowed to play their natural game.

Tests its getting there, we just need to figure out openers conundrum.

[Schiller]

:)) civl's sig

civil its zillat i presume, not zalalat
maybe gasher can confirm

[Civil]

tru comma
i copied and pasted from an article
will change now

[Farhad]

This is not our strongest batting line-up ever. The team that came to England in '96 was more potent in both batting and bowling..

Anwar
Sohail
Ijaz
Miandad
Malik
Azhar
Razzak
Moin
Wasim
Waqar
Saqlain


The batting went all the way down to Number 9. Even Waqar played a big part in winning a Test in '92 in England.

[Daoud]

On paper that may have been stronger, but Im far more comfortable with this one. We're much better at chasing and the batsmen are far trustworthy. Yes, Id rather have Shoaib Malik than Saleem Malik

BTW neither Razzaq, Azhar or Miandad were in our 96 team

[Farhad]

Sorry, Daoud. I've mixed up a few names. Following is that XI:

Saeed Anwar
Aamer Sohail
Ijaz Ahmed
Inzamam-ul-Haq
Saleem Malik
Asif Mujtaba
*Wasim Akram
+Moin Khan
Saqlain
Mushtaq Ahmed
Waqar Younis

[Amjid Javed]

On paper that may have been stronger, but Im far more comfortable with this one. We're much better at chasing and the batsmen are far trustworthy. Yes, Id rather have Shoaib Malik than Saleem Malik

BTW neither Razzaq, Azhar or Miandad were in our 96 team

saleem was a miles better batsmen, as far as trust goes that doesnt need 2 be explained.

[Daoud]

They both have virtually the same average, and Saleem Malik has 5 centuries in close to 300 matches. Shoaib as 4 in much less matches. And imagine this. Saleem didnt score a century in his last 145 matches. Yes, thats correct. He may have had more class and talent as a batsman, but Shoaib is someone who shouldnt be underated

[IMMY69]

this is what upsets me so much....about our previous players...

salim malik was clearly one of the most talented batsman in the world...he could play any shot and destroy any bowling lineup...

but when i hear that he didnt score a century in his last 145 matches....that just tells me something fishy was going on...becuse lets face it the guy was loaded with talent and abililty...

[Farhad]

Salim Malik used to come as low down as Number 5 and 6. The way he blasted 72 off 33 balls in Calcutta when Pak needed 78 off 8 overs and only tail-enders to assist him (apart from Wasim who made a contribution of 4), can only have been done by Viv apart from Malik.

[Daoud]

Yeah, and Saleem played in two decades - 80s and 90s. He must have been a quality player in the 80s (although average wise it may not suggest that, bowling was much better then, I'll give him that). Unfortunetely my only memories of him are from the 90s and from what I've seen, SHoaib is far superior to him. But I watched him over a period longer than SHoaib's carear to date, so the timeline is sufficient to be making such a judgement IMO

[Amjid Javed]

Yeah, and Saleem played in two decades - 80s and 90s. He must have been a quality player in the 80s (although average wise it may not suggest that, bowling was much better then, I'll give him that). Unfortunetely my only memories of him are from the 90s and from what I've seen, SHoaib is far superior to him. But I watched him over a period longer than SHoaib's carear to date, so the timeline is sufficient to be making such a judgement IMO

Are we talking ODIS or TESTS here...? coz in tests shoaib malik has along way to go to reach what Saleem achieved.

[Schiller]

shoaib is not the same as saleem yet.

[Amjid Javed]

saleem malik for me is pakistans best ever player of spin bowling, malik also proved himself on sum tough wicket abroad in england and the west indies to name a few places....

[Daoud]

In tests I have no doubt that Saleem is better, but in ODIs Id go for Shoaib

[Amjid Javed]

In tests I have no doubt that Saleem is better, but in ODIs Id go for Shoaib

different eras, different bowlers and different rules hard 2 compare really.

on a side note

farhad touched on the point about saleem maliks 72 off 30 odd balls v india... that has to be one of gr8est odi knocks ever...

simply because... in those days u cud have every single play on boundary and to score @ such a rate is phenominal

[Daoud]

I did acknowledge that the bowlers were better in the 80s - even early 90s for that matter. When did the minumum of 4 fielders in the circle rule start. Im sure it was in existance then, although if it wasnt, it makes his innings all the more better.

[Love and Theft]

Pakistan's best batting line up used to be in 70s - neither 80s nor 90s

On paper that may have been stronger, but Im far more comfortable with this one. We're much better at chasing and the batsmen are far trustworthy. Yes, Id rather have Shoaib Malik than Saleem Malik



:)))

This has got to be a joke!

[Toony™®]

I did acknowledge that the bowlers were better in the 80s - even early 90s for that matter. When did the minumum of 4 fielders in the circle rule start. Im sure it was in existance then, although if it wasnt, it makes his innings all the more better.

I think it was either 1995 or 1996

[DesiMD]

well i agree with u...it is a pretty decent side...but younis , butt, akmal and afridi lack consistency..they have to improve..younis and butt r still alrite..but afridi and akmal have to improve

[DesiMD]

They both have virtually the same average, and Saleem Malik has 5 centuries in close to 300 matches. Shoaib as 4 in much less matches. And imagine this. Saleem didnt score a century in his last 145 matches. Yes, thats correct. He may have had more class and talent as a batsman, but Shoaib is someone who shouldnt be underatedyep thats rite......saleem actually failed later in his career

[DesiMD]

this is what upsets me so much....about our previous players...

salim malik was clearly one of the most talented batsman in the world...he could play any shot and destroy any bowling lineup...

but when i hear that he didnt score a century in his last 145 matches....that just tells me something fishy was going on...becuse lets face it the guy was loaded with talent and abililty...backthen...it was harder to score 100s....cuz of bigger grounds...bowling pitches and weather conditions too maybe

[Blistering Barnacle]

I think this batting lineup is better than the one Pakistan had from around 1992 to 2000. Let's look at the players (some of this might sound harsh):

Aamer Sohail - good-ish player, nothing spectacular as both his average and strike rate show. From memory I think his career SR was in the 60s.

Saeed Anwar - he was a true batting star

Ijaz - inconsistent and once again, his average is nothign special

Inzi - still here and better than before, more experienced & more responsible

Saleem Malik - very good player for tests, good for ODIs too but the stats suggest he was a good but not fantastic ODI player.

Rameez - nothing special

Wasim - explosive hitter at times, but we have more and better explosive hitters now.

Basit Ali - did well for a while, nothing to write home about though and soon faded

Mujtaba - nothing special

Miandad - fantastic player but was not an integral part of the team from 92-93 onwards.


The reason I mention from 92 onwards is because that's when I started watching cricket consistently. And the batting lineup in this ODI team is the best we've had in all those years in my opinion. Better than 92, better than 96, better than 99. We have 2 players averaging 40, 4 players averaging 30+, a pinch hitter in top form in Afridi averaging 24+, a wk still new to the game averaging 25+ with a century to his name, and then players such as Rana and Sami, who both can bat a bit.

These batsmen are overall also much better at running & chasing targets & their strike rates are way better.

Tests are different, but for ODIs this is the best batting lineup that I've seen.

[Officer Barbrady]

(nevermind)

[Love and Theft]

It appears that the "best ever" for most people starts with 90s or mid 80s at best. Like I said, it was 70s

[Nauman]

This is not our strongest batting line-up ever. The team that came to England in '96 was more potent in both batting and bowling..

Anwar
Sohail
Ijaz
Miandad
Malik
Azhar
Razzak
Moin
Wasim
Waqar
Saqlain


The batting went all the way down to Number 9. Even Waqar played a big part in winning a Test in '92 in England.

I think you are wrong here, Saqlain did not play when Pakistan team went to England in 96 and Razzaq was definately not a member of the team considering he was a 15 year old in 1996 besides he made his debut in 1998/99.

[MWH]

On paper, the batting lineup in the 90's is more illustrious than the one we have today. Players like Anwar,Ijaz,Malik,Sohail, Moin, and even Basit Ali could all tear into an attack when they got going. That said though, they were also prone to regular collapses - the current lineup has also done this a few times, but it appears to be performing more consistently. As a case in point, Younis Khan will in all probability never be able to produce the kind of innings Ijaz did against India in Lahore 97 - smashing a 140 odd in 80 balls - nor does he " get stuck" into an attack the way Ijaz could, but he is likely to be a more consistent performer and will probably end up with better statistics than Ijaz did.

Havign said that, I think pitches have eased up alot in the last few years particularly in ODI's - 10 years ago 270 was considered a formidable total, and 300 virtually impossible to chase down. So it is probably worth taking this factor into account when comparing the batting lineups.