Pak openers....

[TaZ]

Can anyone list how many openers we have tried since WC03 TESTS ONLY PLEASE? Less interested in partnerships but who are they all ? Have we overlooked anyone or been too hard on anyone?

Thanks

[z10]

taufeeq umar
imran farhat
salman butt
mohammad hafeez
yasir hameed
shoaib malik
shahid afridi

[TaZ]

Thanks z10 - so we have:

taufeeq umar
imran farhat
salman butt
mohammad hafeez
yasir hameed
shoaib malik
shahid afridi

What are their opening stats since WC03? anyone?

[Shoaib A]

for me, pakistan should continue with afridi/Butt in odis..and tests butt/Umar.....but the problem is that, Umar simply has lost his gr8 touch...but really don't know...maybe it should be afridi and butt in tests too!

[TaZ]

Ok, so from the list we have , who should open against England....?

[khanpuria]

afridi and butt. simply for the reason that afridi will have 2 chances with the bat in 1 gameto take the game away from the opposition. and he does seem to be playing consistently (in afridis world) under bobby w

[Jafri]

For ODI's

Shahid Khan Afridi And Salman Butt

Test

Butt and Shoaib Malik

[Jahangir Khan]

Faisal Athar has also opened in 1 ODI as has Younis Khan. Kamran Akmal opened a few times in Australia and I'm pretty sure Imran Nazir played at least 1 game after the Worldcup.

Since the Worldcup, it seems as though the selectors have given up on Saleem Elahi. Wasti also gave some good performances for the A team but wasn't considered.

[Amjid Javed]

The four main contenders @ the moment look like farhat, butt, s malik and ashar zaidi.

[i m gr8]

Originally Posted by Jahangir Khan Faisal Athar has also opened in 1 ODI as has Younis Khan. Kamran Akmal opened a few times in Australia and I'm pretty sure Imran Nazir played at least 1 game after the Worldcup. Since the Worldcup, it seems as though the selectors have given up on Saleem Elahi. Wasti also gave some good performances for the A team but wasn't considered.

The thread starter is only talking about Tests , Not odis

[Saj]

Its a huge problem and headache for Woolmer and co. Nobody other than Butt can be classed as a certainty to open against the likes of Harmison.

Taufeeq is totally out of the equation or so it seems, as he's not even part of the "A" squad, Zaidi hasn't done much either in the "A" series.

Farhat and Yasir continue to flatter to deceive.

I get the impression that Pakistan could be forced into asking Malik to open in the tests, which I dont agree with, but at this current time there are not too many other options.

[sy]

What makes you think Butt is a certainty to open? If i recall correctly he has been dropped twice since the tour of Australia from the starting 11.

[Amjid Javed]

Originally Posted by syed shah What makes you think Butt is a certainty to open? If i recall correctly he has been dropped twice since the tour of Australia from the starting 11.

To be honest to guess who will open for pakistan in test v england will be up in the air until the squads are announced. also BW/INZI policy of change opening pairs ever game or every inns.. means that we cud just aswell see 3 or 4 different openers used in series...

[MWH]

Butt/Malik appears to be the likely combo.

" Toffee" doesn't seem to be in the mix. Farhat,Yasir, and Zaidi haven't got any big scores in the current series.

[tahaqureshi]

When is the pak squad going to be announced?

[TaZ]

MWH
is Butt/Malik are the opening combo, where does the main man Afridi fit in?

[Umair316]

Here are the list of openers since WC 03 in Test matches.

1.) Muhammed Hafeez & Taufeeq Umer (Highest Partnership of 141 vs Bangladesh) PLayed 2 Tests

2.) Muhammed Hafeez & Salman Butt (Highest Partnership of 45 vs Bangladesh) Played 1 test

3.) Taufeeq Umer and Imran Farhat ( Highest Partnership of 137 vs South Africa) played 7 tests

4.) Yasir Hameed and Imran Farhat (Highest Partnership of 59 vs Sri Lanka) Played 2 Tests togeather

5.) Salman Butt and Imran Farhat (Highest Partnership of 85 vs Australia) Played 2 tests togeather

6.) Salman Butt and Yasir Hameed (Highest Partnership of 102 vs Australia) Played 1 test & 1 innings togeather)

7.) Salman Butt and Taufeeq Umer (Highest Partnership of 11 vs India) Played 1 test togeather

8.) Taufeeq Umer and Shahid Afridi (Highest Partnership of 93 vs India) Played 1 test togeather

9.) Shahid Afridi and Yasir Hameed (Highest Partnership of 91 vs India) Played 1 test togeather

10.) Salman Butt and Shahid Afridi (Highest Partnership of of 26 vs West Indies) Played 1 Innings togeather

11.) Shoaib Malik and Yasir Hameed (Highest Partnership of 66 vs West Indies) Played 1 tests togeather

Here are all the openers playing for Pakistan since 2003

1.) Muahmmed Hafeez (3 matches Avg of 42.80)

2.) Taufeeq Umer (11 matches, Avg of 35.38 since 2003 WC)

3.) Salman Butt ( 6 matches, Avg. of 25.91)

4.) Imran Farhat (11 matches, Avg of 32.33 since 2003 WC)

5.) Yasir Hameed ( 6 matches as an opener, 40.5)

6.) Shahid Afridi ( 2 & 1/2 Matches as an opener, avg of 32.40)

7.) Shoaib Malik (1 match as an opener, avg of 38.50)

[sy]

Those stats really are quite interesting. Amongst the tried openers, Salman Butt has the lowest average by 7 runs yet many consider him a certainty to play. Also another point to raise, all these openers have decent/good averages. It's a very good example for why stats can be sooo misleading.

[MWH]

Originally Posted by TaZ MWH is Butt/Malik are the opening combo, where does the main man Afridi fit in?

Afridi should come lower down the order. To accomodate 5 bowlers ( Bob has acknowledged the need for 5 bowlers) , I think we will have to take a gamble and play Afridi at no.6 . Although Afridi has said he is prepared to open in home conditions, he has made it clear he doesn't want to do so outside of Asia. Its about time we got somethign resembling a fixed opening pair and to play Afridi at the top of the order one series, and then bring in some other guy for the next etc would be wrong.

[TaZ]

Umair316 - THANKS for the stats

If we assume Afridi should play down the order - then the openers as a long term option are:

Muhammed Hafeez (3 matches Avg of 42.80)
Taufeeq Umer (11 matches, Avg of 35.38 since 2003 WC)
Salman Butt ( 6 matches, Avg. of 25.91)
Imran Farhat (11 matches, Avg of 32.33 since 2003 WC)
Yasir Hameed ( 6 matches as an opener, 40.5)
Shoaib Malik (1 match as an opener, avg of 38.50)

We are no closer to a solution!?

[Billy]

I got lost in the channel 4 stats page trying to do this based around the England team and ended up working out that the current England top 8 have averaged 339.86 per innings in their current batting positions. Which is basically like saying that Inzamam-Ul-haq averages 67.94 when wearing purple socks I suppose.

Anyone care to tell me how I can get something like umair316's post but for English opening partnerships since March 23 2003?

[z10]

and why can we not think outside of this group?

who's to say ashar zaidi wont do well as a long term pakistani opener?

[TaZ]

z10 - Nothing to suggest we cant look outside but is the series against england the best place to throw someone in. I wish we worked these things out when playing lesser teams like Bangladesh, Zim and India