'Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. (File/ICC)
Aaqib Javed, the former Pakistan bowler who is a coach now, has come out strongly against the opening pair of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, and also questioned how Shoaib Malik was “forcibly removed” without a good alternative. He lashed out against the selectors and team-management for playing Iftiqhar Ahmed, Asif Ali, and Khushdil Shah, and suggested alternatives for them.
“These two openers are not going to win you tournaments … Take the two openers [Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan], No.1 and No.2 players in the world. But such a player should know what to do. The vice-captain [Rizwan] plays for 15 overs – starts playing when the asking rate is 8 and leaves after taking it to 17! [in the Asia Cup final that Pakistan lost to Sri Lanka],” Aaqib Javed told reporters.
He criticised the selectors, the board and team-management for not giving a chance to the bench strength.
“Paanch saaal mey ghuma-ghuma ke [in 5 years] Iftiqhar Ahmed has come back 4 times. Same with Asif Ali and Khushdil Shah,” Aaqib said. “Until you have an eye on it (feeder system below the national teams) and see who can come up to replace, this will keep happening … I don’t know how we are going to get out of this situation.”
Aaqib also named Tayyab Tahir, Shan Masood and Agha Salman as possible replacements in the middle order.
“You don’t want to give chances to those who can play. Shan [Masood] run kar-kar k paagal ho chuka hai (he has been piling up runs like mad) but you don’t want to play him. There are other players who deserve a place. Taiyaab Tahir is a good performer. Then there is Agha Salman, performing in white-ball cricket.”
He also talked about the need to blood players who play proper cricketing shots.
“Only technically-good players can play for years. That time is over when head is here (Aaqib indicates midwicket region) and hit it there (he points to covers). Play [proper] cricket! Sri Lanka has built a new team but if you see their games, they play proper cricketing shots,” Aaqib Javed said.
Ever since Shoaib Malik tweeted about “like dislike culture” in Pakistan cricket, suggesting all is not well in the Pakistan cricketing ecosystem, players like Inzamam-ul-Haq and others have spoken up. Inzamam even said that Shoaib Malik should play in the World T20.
Aaqib raised another angle to the Shoaib Malik issue.
“Then there is Shoaib Malik. If you have a problem with someone’s age, at least you should have an option choice ready. You have just forcibly removed someone … will Asif Ali play in his place? Or Iftiqhar? Or Khushdil?”
He then listed out his batting order, rationalising his choices.
Aaqib Javed said Fakhar Zaman, who didn’t have a good Asia Cup at No. 3, should be made to open.
“By making Fakhar Zaman bat at No.3, beda-gark kar rahen hai (they are destroying him). Fakhar should open with one of these two (Babar and Rizwan).
“Shan Masood should bat at No.3. Let Rizwan bat at No. 4 so that once the field is opened up, he can rotate the strike. Then you bring in Tayyab Tahir or Agha Salman.
And as for Khushdil, Asif and Iftiqhar – you can still play one of them at No.7 when there is no other option in the entire country … These three aren’t good. No batting. What else could happen [with the current batting line-up]; we can only lose”
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