What Number Should Umar Akmal bat in ODIs?

[Saj]

He's being utiltised at number 6 at the moment but what number would you like to see him bat at in 50 over cricket ?

[azfar wali]

In my opinion he should open with Nazir with kamran Akmal coming down the order.

[cricketpassion]

Well he can be good player at three because he can rotate the strike and can play big short .So I would like see him at three or four

[Golden arm]

as long as he is performing I will keep him at the same position. He should not been moved ahead unless he has 2-3 years of experience under his belt.
I think fawad Alam should be groomed for one down position esp after younis retirement.

[Ayyub]

No :-5 is his ideal position continue with it for till champion trophy .

[Extreme Pace]

No.5 for now, later on he can move to number 4.

[Xohaib]

No 5 for now,after yousaf and younis he can have no 3 spot.

[Juggernaut]

as long as he is performing I will keep him at the same position. He should not been moved ahead unless he has 2-3 years of experience under his belt.
I think fawad Alam should be groomed for one down position esp after younis retirement.

This

we'll see what the future brings

[jusarrived]

I think no6 is a very difficult position for a youngster , could make or break a players career ..reasons being , more often you are coming in with you team in a very good position & there's pressure to score quickly with little time to settle down ...not an easy thing to do..or on occasions wer your team is in trouble , which again is a lot of pressure ..so theres a good chance the batsmen will be avging in mid 20s after 25 matches , for no fault of his ..& you are out of the team just like that!

Akmal needs to be handled with care here , play him in a relatively easier position of 5 for some time & if continues to do well move him to either no4 or no6 , which ever is best suited ...dozen look like a no3 for me !

[waqar_ahmad]

Play him at 5.

[zarak]

he should play at 5-6 initially and then be groomed to come up the order at 3

[FAM]

5

[Rizwan25]

If we play him then we will need to sit either misbah or yousef but if we open with him and drop nazir then we can open with him....two akmals opening would be a dream come true...

[kingusama92]

Probably at 5 instead of Misbah. I wouldn't want him higher up in the order yet but perhaps as Mohammad Yousuf retires he can take up his spot.

[Gollum]

If he is not an opener, put him up early at #3. He looks like a sort of player who is capable of hanging around for longer periods. As Nasser Hussain would say, 'get your best players in early'.

[Genghis]

Tough choice between 5 and 6. I would probably keep him at 6 as he's batted well in that position for both Pak A and Pak XI. This way we can also give him the opportunity to bat while the powerplay is on.

[Inswinger]

He seems like a solid #5 to me. He has the ability to rotate the strike and punish anything that's a bit off target. He also has the talent to rebuild the innings when he top order crumbles and can aso finish of the innings with clean powerful shots. Perfect #5.

[Umta]

On a side note he should bat at position Misbah or Shoaib Malik were supposed to bat. He should should replace Malik at all times

[iafzal]

He needs to play #6 or at most 5 for a year or so at international level. He can then move to 4 or even 3 as he seems to have all the tools to play in any positions.

[umerz]

5th in place of Misbah

[abc_to_xyz]

4444444444444444444

[Legendary_Sage]

5
4 should be given to fawad

[Xoib]

I think no6 is a very difficult position for a youngster , could make or break a players career ..reasons being , more often you are coming in with you team in a very good position & there's pressure to score quickly with little time to settle down ...not an easy thing to do..or on occasions wer your team is in trouble , which again is a lot of pressure ..so theres a good chance the batsmen will be avging in mid 20s after 25 matches , for no fault of his ..& you are out of the team just like that!

Akmal needs to be handled with care here , play him in a relatively easier position of 5 for some time & if continues to do well move him to either no4 or no6 , which ever is best suited ...dozen look like a no3 for me !
Handled the moving ball brilliant on a seaming track at Galle coming in at 20-3, though I do agree that currently 3 will not be ideal for him but I do believe he has the game for 3 once he matures.

[Sufian84]

number 5 for now.

[pakcricketfan]

Number 5. Don't mess with his batting position.Just stick with him at no.5 throughout the CT.

[Amjid Javed]

Number 5 Seems an ideal spot for the lad at moment.

[NavSheikh786]

5 is ideal for him. My batting line up as follows

K Akmal
I Nazir
Y Khan
M Yousuf
U Akmal
Misbah/S Malik
F Alam/Rana/Razzaq

[IAJ]

as long as he is performing I will keep him at the same position. He should not been moved ahead unless he has 2-3 years of experience under his belt.
I think fawad Alam should be groomed for one down position esp after younis retirement.

Valid point and i agree with you to some extent. The only probem I see here is if the guys before him play slowly with a poor SR and he doesn't get chance to bat (mostly relevant when Pakistan bat first).
This can cost Pakistan 20-30 runs in ODIS as we all know that he bats with a very healty SR.

[*sallu*]

no 4

Give him atleast some time to come in and bat instead of him coming in at the 40th over and having to hit.

Wasting a talent at number 6.

[DHONI183]

I would go with number five. He will get time to settle in, rotate the strike, and then slog at the end.

[abc_to_xyz]

No, 5 is too late... Not even the best can success everytime on that slot..

[Nazir_ Rules]

should play at 4

[wiseguy]

i think umar akmal is amazing and number 3 is a perfect spot for him!!

[Alam_dar]

Play him according to the situation.

1. When ball is swinging and Pakistan has lost early wickets, then drop him behind Yousuf (or even Misbah/Malik) at spot 6.

2. But when Pitch is flat and Pakistan has not lost early wickets, then bring him at 4 (before Yousuf).


So, key word for me is the situation of the Pitch.

[jusarrived]

Handled the moving ball brilliant on a seaming track at Galle coming in at 20-3, though I do agree that currently 3 will not be ideal for him but I do believe he has the game for 3 once he matures.

in ODIs you dont need to have perfect technique to succeed , so dosne matter even if he cant handle the moving ball ....I think he will be more useful as a finisher than a innings builder .

[shahidrazzaq]

5 is ideal for him. My batting line up as follows

K Akmal
I Nazir
Y Khan
M Yousuf
U Akmal
Misbah/S Malik
F Alam/Rana/Razzaq

Off-topic, but where the hell is Boom Boom :afridi? You can't play the game without him, plus we need his all-rounding game.

[switch_hit]

I think that position is perfect less pressure and he can play till the end

[BoomBoomCricket]

YK is at 3 in ODI..as he is playing he is a must in his best position

Maybe for T20s

[Anwar]

For T20 yes. But like BoomBoom said YK in ODIs

[Hando]

He was Brilliant at no. 3 last year, don't know what happened

[abdulhafeez306]

I completely agree with the OP. He is our best batsman and you want to give your batsman the max number of overs.

Tendulkar used to open for India in the 90s when he was their best batsman
Ponting always came in at 3 because he was their best batsman
Viv Richards used to come in at number 3

Umar Akmal is our best ODI batsmen by far and what is the point of having him come in for last 10 overs. That's going to turn him into a mindless slogger and then you all will complain how he a brainless slogger now.

You want him to develop as a batsman then don't give him the last 10 overs to come in asking him to hit. That's how you waste talent.

Plus when he can't score a quick 50 in the last few overs people will complain that he isn't making runs.

If you even a bit of cricketing knowledge you would know that Umar Akmal at number 6 is a waste.

[switch_hit]

Yeah but how long will Youni bhai be playing at 3? Now is the time to pushh him up the order so he grows in confidence maintain the run rate and play his shots.

[abdulhafeez306]

YK should bat at number 4 or maybe even open.

[abdulhafeez306]

Yeah but how long will Youni bhai be playing at 3? Now is the time to pushh him up the order so he grows in confidence maintain the run rate and play his shots.

More than that, it will develop his batting. You complain that he can't build an innings well when you go into bat for the last 10 overs you aren't going in to build an innings. If he gets 35/40 overs then he can build an innings.

[AZ]

That is the long-term plan, but Umar needs to mature more.

He is only in early 20s after all.

[Bullet Drive]

YK is at 3 in ODI..as he is playing he is a must in his best position

Maybe for T20s

Asad Shafiq will bat at 3 in ODI's

[Bullet Drive]

Umar Akmal at 4 as he has already said him self.

I would want Afridi to open or YK to open the innings. YK or Shafiq is the question for me

Hafeez, Afridi, Younis/Shafiq, Umar, Misbah, Malik, Razzaq, Sarfraz, Riaz, Gul & Ajmal.

[Sherlock]

Asad might just open the batting with Hafeez. That said, I think once Younis retires (1 or maybe 2 years time), Umar Akmal will be no.3, in my opinion.

[Bullet Drive]

That is the long-term plan, but Umar needs to mature more.

He is only in early 20s after all.

Yes and often people forget that, he is only 21 years of age.

He can easily play for the next 15 years IMO. A long long time.

[VTEC]

Asad Shafiq at 3
Umar Akmal at 4

I think Umar Batting ahead of Asad is not a viable option

U need a batsman at number 3 that can anchor the innings in case ur openers (Farhat) get out cheaply and Asad is perfect for the job


Younus Khan is a spent force in ODIs and should make way for young batsmen up the order

[BoomBoomCricket]

Misbah is a must at #4

otherwise he goes wasted

all his best performances and centuries in his impressive list A career have come when he is batting at number 4

it worked well in the WI and when he batted at 4 against Zimbabwe

he was wasted at the WC at #5

a grafter and anchor sheet like him has to bat at number 4

5 is too low for him and his effectiveness won't be as much

[Watsupdoc]

Hmm well yes Shafiq bats at 3 in ODI's now. Though I completely agree that Umar should be batting at 3 in both formats, but then where do you accommodate Shafiq and :yk... That is the question...

Number 3 for T20's definitely though.

[BoomBoomCricket]

Umar is best suited for 5 and 6 for the last 10-15 overs

occasionally you can have flexibility though

[Ryankhan]

i totally agree with you. YK did shifted to no.4 with emergence of Azar Ali as for a long time YK was our no.3 batsmen so i think YK could shift to no.4 in odis aswell.......let Umer come in early and with his kindaa play, he could very well make use of the PP overs if he the opener got out early...so i agree with the OP... also this kid needs to play wid out any pressure. in pressure times he plays so well, think how well will he play when there is no pressure.....

[switch_hit]

Yeah but look Eng-KP AUS-Ponting SA-De Villiers India-Kohli Sri Lk- Mahela all attacking batsmen in at 3

[Chocolaty Laila]

eventually yes he should be our number 3 in the LO formats! has the ability to take on new ball as well as play long innings.

for now he should bat at 5 in ODI team, after Misbah.

[Shahid20Ten]

he need to play in no. 4 or 5

[Fireworks11]

Give him a proper role up the order at 4. The nucleus. :umarakmal

[Bonafide Hustler]

You guys are crazy. He should bat at no 4 because he is the best rotater of strike in the Pakistani team.

Any of you have noticed his best innings have been when he has come in up the order? Instead of letting the pressure get to him, when he bats up, he takes very few risks and still goes at a run a ball rotating the strike while Younis and Misbah get bogged down. It is only at the end overs or when he is set that Umar goes for the big shots.

Definitely should bat at 4, maybe even 3 if Pakistan gets off to a good start.

[saqibali]

You guys are crazy. He should bat at no 4 because he is the best rotater of strike in the Pakistani team.

Any of you have noticed his best innings have been when he has come in up the order? Instead of letting the pressure get to him, when he bats up, he takes very few risks and still goes at a run a ball rotating the strike while Younis and Misbah get bogged down. It is only at the end overs or when he is set that Umar goes for the big shots.

Definitely should bat at 4, maybe even 3 if Pakistan gets off to a good start.

i agree he is tottaly wasted and then being dropped i see a young sachin in umar akmal i think he should bat at 3 or not lower then 4 well we can try him as opener as india did with sachin:umarakmal

[Zaz]

No 5 is ideal for him to make a worthwhile contribution

At 6 most of the times he just has time for a slog

[Zaz]

No 5 is ideal for him to make a worthwhile contribution

At 6 most of the times he just has time for a slog

[kkmix]

First he needs to be good enough to be in the team, and then whatever spot is available for him, he should grab it with both hands. He can't pick and choose. But after he becomes a regular member, then number 5 is suitable for his style of batting. Batting one down isn't easy because you will have to face new ball more often than not.

[Badsha]

Open the innings.

[Sandeep99]

I think you need to give your best player maximum number of overs to face,that settles the debate! But has Umer Akmal ever faced the new ball? That is to be debated...

[Legend Killer]

I think you need to give your best player maximum number of overs to face,that settles the debate! But has Umer Akmal ever faced the new ball? That is to be debated...

I think He used to open for the U-19 Pakistan team but i am not 100% sure though

[hasanmehmoodkhan]

I think no6 is a very difficult position for a youngster , could make or break a players career ..reasons being , more often you are coming in with you team in a very good position & there's pressure to score quickly with little time to settle down ...not an easy thing to do..or on occasions wer your team is in trouble , which again is a lot of pressure ..so theres a good chance the batsmen will be avging in mid 20s after 25 matches , for no fault of his ..& you are out of the team just like that!

Akmal needs to be handled with care here , play him in a relatively easier position of 5 for some time & if continues to do well move him to either no4 or no6 , which ever is best suited ...dozen look like a no3 for me !

agree fully, hes the most talented batsmen we have at the moment. I dont want him turning into a mindless slogger play him at number 4 in my opinion so he turns into a proper batsmen

[Love Pakistan]

No. 4 right after Younis and before Misbah!

[samiakh]

Shouldnt be in the team at all. Need a clean slate from anyone who even remotely knew about the spot fixing. If 5 years is the punishment for Aamir for doing it, he should get at least 1 year for knowing about it and not doing anything about it. And anyone who thinks he did not know about it is living in an alternate reality. Same for Wahab Riaz and a lot longer for Kamran Akmal, you dont need evidence to drop someone from a team you just need to send a message.

Talent should never be the reason to overlook a character flaw.

[CORNERED-TIGER]

best batsman should bat at 1/2 or 3 in odi

look in history al the greats use 2 bat at these positions!

so has 2 be number 3!!!

[Blistering Barnacle]

I'm not sure he should play at all until he's been investigated and cleared.

[Sandeep99]

I'm not sure he should play at all until he's been investigated and cleared.

Are you sure?! I thought only Kamran was a suspect...even Umer Akmal??

[high-tech]

# 12

[freelance_cricketer]

Right at the top !

I think he should open , below #4 he is totally wasted

[M.A.G]

Open or number 5

[ads101]

not saying umar akmal is a better batsman than Misbah. Because he isn't. But in terms of responsibility I feel Umar akmal would play under a lot less pressure coming in before Misbah, and allowed to go after his shots. Today's innings was very good, but you could see that under the pressure of being the lone batsman at the crease with no one really to come in after him, he was feeling it.

I'm not one to bash umar akmal for his temprament, but Umar akmal's still young. And at this point of time, can't handle the responsibility like the other senior batsman.

Misbah on the other hand, leading from the front as captain, generally handles responsibility and pressure well. So play him at five, umar at four.

The guy playing at six should be a proper batsman, but a guy used to playing more of a support role to the batsman above, and good with playing with the tail. Don't think Razzaq's that man anymore. We need a guy who you can count on to play a proper innings and not get bogged down by the spinners and milk the singles. Hitting is a bonus, but with Afridi in the team too, it's not the main requirement. At the moment, I'd say out of the youngsters either Umar amin, or Ali Khan seem to fit the bill.

[Desi]

drop misbah
malik, asad, moyo in

drop farhat
anyone else works

win

[talha3]

Agreed. He's wasted at 5.

[pakistani pride]

Misbah plays because he is the captain, i mean he should stick to test cricket !
Everytime we have to chase 225 plus he wont succeed !

Damn mohali memeories come back !!!!!

[GOAT]

Any innings of note by Umar have come when he comes in earlier - obviously it's not the pressure of being 3-4 down that allows him to play well. Getting his eye in and biding his time works well for Umar, it's a shame our management hasn't seen the light.

That being said he could do well at his current spot of 5 if the batting ahead of him was reliable. Could be a valuable closer but theres' definitely so much more to him as a player.

[ads101]

Any innings of note by Umar have come when he comes in earlier - obviously it's not the pressure of being 3-4 down that allows him to play well. Getting his eye in and biding his time works well for Umar, it's a shame our management hasn't seen the light.

That being said he could do well at his current spot of 5 if the batting ahead of him was reliable. Could be a valuable closer but theres' definitely so much more to him as a player.
Not saying that. It's the pressure of knowing there's no one down the order who can save things if he mucks up.

In the limited overs game, often there's less pressure in crunch situations batting higher up than lower down.

[saeed-sohail]

He should keep and open.

[ads101]

He should keep and open.
yeah that could be an option too.

[M.A.G]

nope, i feel the best place for him is opening slot. he will really be a match winner there.

[kungfu90]

Pakistan needs at least 2 middle order bats who are proper run accumulators. without taking much risk they can build innings by utilizing gaps. I think Younis is doing fine job , Asad can be another. and yes time to put Umar as an opener , he is a out and out stroke player , will give good start more often than not.

[saeed-sohail]

Hafeez
Umar
Asad
Misbah
YK
Amin
Hammad
Afridi
Gul
Junaid
Ajmal

[cricketworm]

Misbah is not better bat than Umar. Umar should bat at 4 even in Test, not only in ODI/T20.

[saeed-sohail]

If you want a keeper then take Amin out.

[saeed-sohail]

Misbah is not better bat than Umar. Umar should bat at 4 even in Test, not only in ODI/T20.

Oh dear. Another Akmal for tests.

[Free Hit]

Hafeez
Umar
Asad
Misbah
YK
Amin
Hammad
Afridi
Gul
Junaid
Ajmal

am I dreaming. you includes afridis?:butt

[Alamgeer]

Misbah is not better bat than Umar. Umar should bat at 4 even in Test, not only in ODI/T20.

agreed. he shud bat at 4.In between yonis and misbah.

[M.A.G]

Mohd Hafeez
Umer Akmal
Asad Shafiq
Misbah Ul Haq
Umar Amin
Sarfraz Ahmad (wk)
Hammad Azam
Shahid Afridi

[cricketworm]

Oh dear. Another Akmal for tests.

Believe it or not, Umar Akmal is your future, this kid needs support and confidence, can't toss him around here and there.

[srh]

He should keep and open.
app to us baycharay ka career khatam kerna chah rahain hain. Akmal naam say itni dushmani?

[cricketworm]

I also liked Sarfraz, he looked technically strong.

[Pak_Lover]

I also liked Sarfraz, he looked technically strong.

That was the best outcome of this match to know he can bat at international level

[Shahid20Ten]

he need to come at no.3

[rhussain33]

Umar Akmal should come at three

1/Hafeez 2/Sharjeel/Awais 3/Umar Akmal 4/Umar Amin 5/Hammad 6/Razzaq 7/Sarfraz 8/Afridi

[w8in_4_0402]

Umer Akmal should open.

This excuse that his career will be ruined is BS. he can play his game at the start and theb settle down.

Look how its worked for Pietersen n Jayawardene.

[Bilal7]

I think he should bat at three with Misbah at four. He should not open as that is a specialist position and because Pak has some decent openers now.

[jeetu]

Umar Akmal should be in top 3. Otherwise PCB is wasting his potential.

[cricketworm]

He played only twice at number 4 after I challenge think-tank to give him 10 innings at that position, then I will eat humble pie if doesn't succeed. 8 more innings to go.

[JibranAnsari]

play him at 3 ,4 or don't play him at all. I don't know he will succeed or not , but these are the best position for him to succeed.

[cricketpassion]

3 or 4 is best positions for him in my opinion. Cant send him later than that

[kkmix]

He should stay at 6 or 7. Don't want a slogger coming in at number 3.

[shehzadd]

must be earlier than misbah

[Fire Bird]

Put him in 3/4 and ask him to play long innings. If he throws away his wicket, drop him to teach him a lesson. He has more talent than :misbah or :yk

[MR__KHAN__JI]

3/4 - I would have at 4.

[intothevoid]

Number 3

[Square Drive]

Number 5 I think.

[MR__KHAN__JI]

Umer Akmal should open.

This excuse that his career will be ruined is BS. he can play his game at the start and theb settle down.

Look how its worked for Pietersen n Jayawardene.

Its not the worst idea in the world...

[w8in_4_0402]

Its not the worst idea in the world...

He should be given a go. He looks comfortable against seamers b lankan or indian arent all that anyway.

Against stronger opposition id have Azhar in my team opening.

We should vary our approach compared to the teams we play.

[Bilal7]

He should be given a go. He looks comfortable against seamers b lankan or indian arent all that anyway.

Against stronger opposition id have Azhar in my team opening.

We should vary our approach compared to the teams we play.

We can't drop Hafeez's all-round capabilities and Jamshed just got his first match in years. He CAN be dropped for :yk and play at #3.

[mufassir]

No 4 imo

[Zaz]

We can't drop Hafeez's all-round capabilities and Jamshed just got his first match in years. He CAN be dropped for :yk and play at #3.

Nobodys asking for hafeez to be dropped, just that some1 else opens He clearly aint good enough to open and score big

[LegendAli]

Isnt this thread like 2 years old?

[cricketworm]

Isnt this thread like 2 years old?

Yeh, and still Umar played at number 4 or less only twice, says a lot about how Pak. think tank works.

Correction:

[hasanmehmoodkhan]

should bat number 3 , thats were your best batsmen bats and he is our best batsmen

[Inziquicksingle]

3

[w8in_4_0402]

We can't drop Hafeez's all-round capabilities and Jamshed just got his first match in years. He CAN be dropped for :yk and play at #3.

Hafeez can go bat at 6!

[Shayan]

Certainly needs to be in the top 4. Any lower is a waste.

[Xoib]

he's a slogger so use him either as an opener in power plays or 6-7 when the lat charge is on.

[Runner Up]

I think 12 number is good for him

[A-khan]

Open him he used to open in under 19 before getting selected he and nasir will make a good pair.Hafeez can move to no. 3 ,6 or 11 whatever suits him .

[cricketworm]

He played only twice at number 4 after I challenge think-tank to give him 10 innings at that position, then I will eat humble pie if doesn't succeed. 8 more innings to go.

No more humble pie for me then. :D

I know he still batted at number 5 thanks to :yk who is still around, post his retirement, he better bat at number 4.

[w8in_4_0402]

Number 4. Misbah at 3.

[aby10rulz]

Number 4 he proved why today :umarakmal