Pro Mohammad Hafeez ODI Post

Mohammad Hafeez did not score a single half century in 5 ODIs against South Africa and was previously dropped from the test squad. Hafeez at this point had 2 half centuries in 18 innings excluding minnows this year in ODIs. He had gone 9 international innings without a half century. Later that week he bagged 2 ducks in a T20 series against South Africa. Later that month he bagged two low scores in South Africa during an ODI series. Many were angry and calling for his head. 

Mohammad Hafeez had a struggling ICC Champions Trophy with the bat, averaging 12.66 from 3 innings. Earlier that year, he averaged 7 from 6 innings during the test series in South Africa and did not fare much better in the ODIs which followed. Hafeez also bagged a duck in the resumption of Indo-Pak ties during the 1st ODI in Chennai during the final fixture of 2012. 

Ten of the Pakistan's finest openers Author: Maaz; Views: 1681; Date: 28-04-2012, 09:38;

Opening the batting is a vital art of batting & a difficult one. The openers have a duty to provide a strong start & a base from where the rest of the order can capitalise from. Openers come in all different types nowadays defensive or attacking. They set the tone for the rest of the innings. The start is crucial to lifting the confidence, spirit in the dressing room & winning the first tussle with the opposition always provides an important edge going into the rest of the match. It is very much a specialist job. Here we look at some of Pakistan's finest.

Saeed Anwar

A role model for many a left hander Saeed Anwar was a stylish genius full of grace, elegance & magical touch. Saeed dominated bowlers & more often than not got the innings off to a flying start, but more importantly & effectively converting the starts that he got into bigger more meaningful scores for the team cause. Saeed held the highest score in an ODI for approximately a decade. Saeed was the leading run scorer for the Greens in 1996, 1999 & the 2003 World Cup. Saeed also claimed 28 man of the match awards in his career in the one day format which was the highest by anyone from his country, a record which has just been over taken this year by one of his former opening partners. Saeed was an educated player too so a well polished individual in different walks of life. One of the first names when putting pen to paper in a Pakistan all time XI.

Hanif Mohammad

His innings in Bridgetown in 1958 will stand as one of the best of all time where he spent over 16 hours at the crease for 337 to save a  test match after trailing by a deficit of over 400 against the West Indies following on with approximately 3 days of the test left. The visitors had a defeat written all over them, but Hanif’s marathon knock helped them get out of jail. It was the sort of performance that represented the hope of a country, inspired many & showed they were not one to go down easy when Pakistan Cricket was in its infancy. It was the longest ever stay at the crease in international history up to now & the only score of above 300 in the second innings up to now. Hanif also held the record for the highest first class score of 499 a year or so later which Brian Lara ended up over taking playing for Warwickshire in 1994. It currently stands as the 2nd of all time. Hanif was known for having an immaculate defence, effortless stamina & staggering concentration levels. The ‘little master’ could also play a more attacking role from time to time.

Mudassar Nazar

Mudassar scored a century in just his 2nd test with 114 from 449 deliveries against England in Lahore which incidentally was the slowest of all time, suggesting the graft & dedication which had to be put in on a pitch where runs had to be earned. Mudassar ended up with 10 3 figure scores in his career in the late 70s & 80s. Mudassar was the leading run scorer averaging over 100 in a 6 match test series against India in 1982-83 which Pakistan won 3-0 in an era of Kapil Dev & Sunil Gavaskar playing for the neighbourhood rivals. During the series Mudassar opened & carried the bat becoming the first father-son family to do so after his father Nazar Mohammad (the man who faced the first delivery by a Pakistan batsman). Mudassar was part of Imran’s XI that won their first test series in England in 1987 with notable performances in the 4th and 5th test of the series. A more than fine one day player too with 8 MOM awards as his utility in the 3 different facets of thegame came in handy. Mudassar has gone into coaching now, working with associate players at the ICC Global academy in Dubai. Previously he has coached Pakistan “A” teams. Also, has worked with younger players at the NCA.

Shoaib Mohammad

The son of Hanif who followed his father’s footsteps to have an impressive average in the 40s in an era of top class bowling. Shoaib scored 5 of his 7 test centuries against the New Zealand seam attack. Shoaib was joint MOTS when Pakistan beat New Zealand 3-0 in 1990 with 3 centuries in 3 tests during the course of the home hosted series. Shoaib also is one of 4 Pakistan batsmen to play a 700 minute plus innings which came against New Zealand in 1989 where he scored 163 from 516 deliveries in a drawn encounter batting second. 

Shoaib also had his moments in the shorter formats where he carried the bat for 126* in a one day match which was his career best in the format. Junior Mohammad was a dogged workmanlike batsman who went about his business cautiously, renowned for his powers of concentration, endurance & relentless restraint in shot making. He was a notorious batsman, a cunning competitor who never gave in lightly trying to make the most of his chances at the top level, a figure of frustration for opposition fielders, bowlers & viewers, who had the capabilities to pride his wicket preciously, dig in deep & take time out of the game. He generally played the ball of its merit & performed the basics best, leaving anything outside the off stump & protecting his stumps other times. Never one to be the most popular or attractive of players, but he knew what was required of him & found a method of getting it done.

Taufeeq Umar

Gritty, determined, mentally tough. Taufeeq was MOTS when Pakistan beat South Africa 1-0 in the 2003 home series. He also has a test century against South Africa in South Africa so has delivered in conditions that Pakistan have found more challenging as well. Taufeeq made the highest score by a Pakistan opener since Sohail’s double century in Old Trafford in 1992 when he made a painstaking 236 against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi in the October of 2011.Taufeeq has featured in the most 100+ stands for the first wicket by a Pakistani opening pair alongside Mohammad Hafeez. The Lahore opener has the ideal temperament to seeing the shine off the new ball. Umar plays a delicious mean straight drive which is struck straight as an arrow along the carpet with the full face. Taufeeq has shined & cemented his place as a regular since he was recalled when Misbah ul Haq came to the helm & during 2011 when Pakistan were undefeated in a bilateral test series with 4 series wins along the way & their highest ever win/loss ratio in a calendar year Taufeeq concluded the year with the most aggregate runs by a Pakistan batsmen with 3 centuries & 3 fifties in 19 innings. On the whole, one of the better test openers Pakistan have produced over the years who has been a pivotal figure at the top of the order in Misbah ul Haq’s record breaking unified high achieving test side post November 2010, a test outfit which can be argued as the best Pakistan have produced if not the best for a very long time.

Aamir Sohail 

Sohail was one of Imran’s cornered tigers in the triumphant 1992 world cup winning side as the left handed opener was the 3rd leading run scorer in the tournament for the champions with 2 half centuries & a century down under. Later that year in his debut test series Sohail made a double century in Manchester during the course of the 5 match test series which the Greens won 2-1 under Javed Miandad. His overall average might be a modest one, but in him Pakistan found a partner to Saeed Anwar to bank on. A handy slow left armorthodox bowler as well who claimed the best part of 100 international wickets, a clever cricketing brain who was awarded captaincy to end up captaining them to their first test match win in South Africa. An educated player, appearing as a man of considerable integrity & dignity in a time period where match fixing was rife. Since packing up & hanging up the boots Sohail has served as a chief selector, advisor for openers, television commentator, pundit & more recently the sports minister of PMLN. Sohail has worked a tremendous amount with the likes of Taufeeq Umar & Mohammad Hafeez who he has always rated highly. Sohail had 14 player of the match awards in his career, but looking back now he feels that in all honesty he slightly underachieved.

Mohsin Hassan Khan

His 3 highlights as publicly/telephonically said himself were the 1982 lords test where he scored a double century at the prestigious venue in an emphatic victory, seeing the captain he played under lift the world cup title in 1992 & being coach when Pakistan had their finest hour, whitewashing the world number 1 ranked side. All came against England a decade or two apart from each other. Mohsin was a flashy blade in Imran’s side & had a fine average in the high 30s in an era where bowlers were on top. Mohsin made a sluggish 70 in the 1983 world cup semi final in England against the great fearsome West Indies attack which is a reflection of his ability as an opener. Mohsin was a patriotic servant as many would know with the amount of times words such as “dignity” & “honour” have been said by him during interviews as interim coach.

Rameez Raja

The 2nd leading run scorer in the team during the 1992 victorious world champions side with 2 centuries during the course of the competition. Raja scored 9 ODI centuries. Ramiz was very much an anchor sheet who liked to carry the innings through at his own pace, see off particular bowlers, last the duration & carried the bat on several occasions. Ramiz liked to keep the script simple as he would say in his own commentary language. He was the one who would take on the responsibility of batting deep into the innings & making the big score while others partnered him along the way. He was an effective component in Pakistan’s classical ODI batting strategy of being solid & watchful at the start, steady consolidation in the middle through preserving wickets & building partnerships before unleashing the mayhem in the latter stages. This is how the younger brother of Wasim went about his trade. Predominantly Raja was a legside player. His test record was less impressive with the inability to covert 50s into 100s being his downfall. Ramiz is now known to many as the voice of Pakistan cricket commentating almost everywhere they play. In the past he has been a chief selector & hosted hisown TV programmes related to Pakistan Cricket. Ramiz was a former student of Aitchison College. Ramiz will always cherish the unforgettable moment when he was under that high ball at the MCG on 25th March 1992 where he successfully held on at long off from an Imran Khan slower delivery as Pakistan sealed the World Cup title. It was the moment when the whole country erupted in jubilation.

Mohammad Hafeez

Known for having exquisite timing & placement, strong hand eye coordination & a wide range of scoring shots all around the wagon wheel. Hafeez has always been blessed with talent & a reasonably okay technique, but his temperament has been found wanting with an inability to control his natural attacking instincts. Hafeez was often termed as a ‘domestic bully’ & international ‘tried and tested failure’, but to his credit he did not lose faith, confidence & kept working on his game. When Hafeez came back into the side during the one day international series in England in 2010 he looked a totally different player all together & his hidden talent finally began to show through at the top level. Hafeez scored over 1000 ODI runs in 2011 including 3 centuries, 5 half centuries & 10 MOM awards across all formats. Across all formats Hafeez was the 2nd leading run maker in the calendar year with 5 international centuries during a golden 2011 for the batting all-rounder who also got over 50 international wickets in the year & was the only player to play in all 34 international victories Pakistan had in a calendar year (an all-time record & most by a side that year) which was quite a contrast to 2010 which was unarguably the worst year in Pakistan Cricket on & off the field. Hafeez is a more than helpful source of advice in the field as he has known to be an intelligent player regularly passing on advice, suggestions &generally being an active thinker. Hafeez is a highly underrated nagging off spinner who bowls accurately & economically with consistency & a decent fielder. Not necessarily a top class opening batsmen although he has progressed  drastically in recent times compared to before, but a useful utility cricketer when looking at the wider picture to make him a captain’s dream in shaping the balance of the side.

Sadiq Mohammad

The 3rd left hander in the list & the youngest of the Mohammad brothers. Sadiq averaged in the 30s & when considering the era he 
was playing in this was a pretty decent track record. You wouldn’t find a player who hated fielding as much as he did. Sadiq was less famous than his other brothers, Hanif & Mushtaq, but nonetheless he made it to the top level having his moments along the way making the Mohammad family the most famous & successful one in Pakistan’s Cricket history.

Player ratings | Last 3 Tests Author: Maaz; Views: 636; Date: 24-01-2012, 08:07;

Taufeeq Umar 9/10: The latter stages of the Sri Lankan test series turned out to be pretty disappointing for him after that marathon double ton in Abu Dhabi which was the 2nd highest by a Pakistani opener after the little master’s Bridgetown epic in the 1950s, but Taufeeq bounced back hard in Bangladesh with a noteworthy score at Chittagong and Dhaka to end 2011 as Pakistan’s leading test run scorer with over 800 runs at average just above 45. Taufeeq was expected to be batsmen who will struggle against England with his technical deficiencies against spin and his unhealthy habit of being trapped LBW frequently when planting down the front pad early, but with his guts and persistence some felt he will be able to get through and he did by being one of the 4 half centurions in Pakistan’s innings which gave them an invaluable lead of 146. Taufeeq was looking solid throughout and drove fluently when the opportunities was there, but received a close to unplayable delivery from Broad which he had no answer to as it shaped in from around the wicket and straightened to disturb the top of the off stump bail.

Mohammad Hafeez 8/10: scored a century in Chittagong with his pleasing to the eye timing and placement all around the wagon wheel, unfortunately he had a poor test match at Dhaka and failed to make any constructive impact there, but much to his credit he came back hard in the first test of the series at the DSC where he claimed the wicket of ICC test cricketer of the year and the first wicket of the test series, coming into the attack in just the 6th over before going on to register a crafty 88 and knock off the required runs in the 4th innings unharmed as Pakistan cruised to victory.

Azhar Ali 6/10: missed out in Chittagong where he was caught behind looking to drive a full and wide delivery, but registered a resilient half century in Dhaka and played a crucial accelerating hand in the 4th innings chase in the fading light with limited time where he expressed him, was willing to gamble and looked assertive in his strokes to ensure Pakistan got over the line. He missed out at the DSC where he was caught behind fishing at a delivery outside the off stump to nick off after just 8 deliveries. We have been used to better from him, but I’m sure he’ll come back hard and bounce back. Azhar has featured in 9 wins, 5 draws and 5 losses in the 19 consecutive test matches he has represented Pakistan.

Younis 7/10: scored a double century in Chittagong and an unbeaten one too, he fell one short of getting to the 50 mark in Dhaka where he edged behind to a sharp turning delivery in the early minutes of day 4, but ensured he got the team over the line with Misbah batting 2nd time around. Younis only managed 37 in a total of 338 at the DSC in the first test against the Poms before getting trapped in front to the part timer Jonathan Trott who got one to nip back sharply off the seam. However, after 11 tests since Younis has resumed his career Pakistan are yet to lose with 6 victories.

Misbah ul Haq 7/10: also missed out in Chittagong when he was trapped in front for 20, but made a 70 odd in the first innings in Dhaka with some sublime strokes down the ground against the pacers and swept to the fence authoritatively, either reversed or dealt with in orthodox fashion against the spinners before getting an edge to slip which was taken as he attempted to sweep extravagantly towards mid wicket. The unstoppable stopper, irremovable barrier, electric fence and successful national captain concluded 2011 with a humungous 2nd ball mighty six over long off against the slow left arm orthodox spin of Sunny to end 2011 as Pakistan’s 2nd joint leading run scorer with fellow middle order batsmen in Younis Khan. Misbah started 2012 just as he finished 2011 by notching up a patient, disciplined, preserving, resilient, determined, resolute half century which means that he has now got 50+ scores against ALL test playing nations raging from Australia right down to Bangladesh as he delivered the goods in his first test against England in the Gulf. Misbah has now featured in 10 test wins for Pakistan and 10 defeats in 32 tests and as a captain he has 7 wins in 13 tests with only 1 narrow defeat and had been undefeated for 8 tests in a row, winning 6 of them. Misbah is eyeing a 4th consecutive test series win for Pakistan now with Pakistan 1-0 up in the series against England after seizing the initiative and putting England on the trailing button in Dubai in emphatic fashion. Misbah needs 4 more international wins for 100 wins as Pakistan player overall across all 3 formats combined in less than 150 internationals which is a reflection of the calm influence his presence has in the side.

Shafiq 8/10: scored his maiden test century in Pakistan’s run feast in Chittagong and made a 40 odd in the next innings he got. As often has been the case in the 16 months he has been in the side he was dismissed out side the off stump whilst looking to hang the bat out there as Anderson’s outswinger gobbled him up in the first over with the 2nd new ball. Nevertheless as always he brings confidence and reliability in the field with his top notch catching credentials and athleticism in general which was evident in the 2 catches he held on to as England were rolled over in no time in the 3rd innings as Misbah ul Haq’s side tasted an overwhelming result.

Adnan 9/10: Adnan did not really get a chance to bat properly in Chittagong when Misbah ul Haq decided enough was enough with a lead of over 400, but made a half century, his first one at test level in Dhaka to provide the bowlers with a lead of 132 in a test match which they went on to win relatively comprehensively. Adnan played a vital role in Pakistan’s 10 wicket triumph over the world number 1 ranked test side at the Dubai Sports City when he compiled a crucial 60 odd. Adnan came into bat when the England bowlers had their tail up, were applying the pressure and really bending their backs as they smelled blood to reduce the Pakistani deficit to a minimal and manageable one, but he hung in there and toughed it out to overcome the 2nd new ball. The following morning Pakistan had a lead of 96 with 3 wickets in hand and Adnan was left with the tail. Studio experts such as Butcher and Willis were backing England to restrict the lead to 110-120 maximum, but Adnan spent valuable time at the middle and stretched the Pakistani lead to 146. His presence and stay at the crease resulted in frustration for the English batsmen who would have been looking forward to getting back in the pavilion and just focussing on batting better 2nd time around. His innings must have disturbed their mindset. Adnan held on to 7 catches behind the stumps and hardly put a foot wrong with the gloves.

Abdur Rehman 8/10: Underappreciated, underrated. Rehman was the leading wicket taker in Pakistan’s tour of Bangladesh with 11 scalps in 2 tests as his slow arm spin troubled the Bangladeshis on the slow and low wickets. His presence enables Ajmal to attack more and also pushes him to strive for that extra mile knowing that he has another performing and dependable spinner in the team. Rehman produced some peaches with his left arm spinners in the 1st test at the DSC, particularly referring to the dismissal of Swann in the first innings which turned marginally to beat the bat and disturb the stumps.

Umar Gul 7/10: Gul collected 7 wickets in 2 tests in Bangladesh, but during the 3rd innings of the 2nd test the pacer claimed 2 wickets in successive deliveries in a short burst on day 4 just before tea as he removed Tamim with a bouncer and had Nafees LBW first up with one pitched up. In the first innings he produced anunplayable bouncer to Nafees in the same test which totally stunned him and denied him what would have been a well deserved 3 figure score. Although Gul went wicket less in the first innings at the DSC and was ineffective in his 2nd spell, his first 4 overs were rather tidy and he didn’t give much away. In the 3rd innings at the DSC the experienced seamer was on the money to strangle Cook and Strauss down the leg side, catch KP in a trap bowling short and provide the breakthrough of Trott just before he got to 50.

Aizaz Cheema 7/10: Cheema was extremely impressive in Dhaka where he troubled the Bangladeshis with swing and seam in overcast conditions and went on to pick up 6 in the match and 10 in the series with his fast medium pacers. Cheema strangled Trott down the leg side at the DSC and although he didn’t get any 2nd time around he looked threatening particularly to Strauss when sending down some probing lengths drawing the left hander into the stroke. With 21 wickets in 5 tests and a handful of more in LOIs Cheema has been a superb find as a late bloomer in the Pakistan ranks.

Saeed Ajmal 9/10: The 2011 New Road overseas star performer ended 2011 as the leading wicket taker in tests and got to exactly 50 scalps after picking up 9 in Bangladesh where he bowled well in patches, but wasn’t ruthless as he could have been, but fair play to the Bangladeshis who picked him reasonably well and also didn’t allow him to settle. Where do we start at the DSC? Ajmal was all over England like a rash to claim a match winning 10 for as the England batsmen were bowled out under 200 not once, but twice on a surface which aided batsmen. The hype he had generated was well justified as he spun webs around the English batsmen who were clueless and answerless to his variations in trajectories, lengths, flight, pace, angle, revs and turn. Saeed was named in the ESPN cricinfo team of the year for both ODIs and tests in 2011 and was the only one to feature in both teams which was a testimony to his performances and consistency for Pakistan in a magical 2011 where he bagged 89 international scalps for the green shirts. He started 2012 just where he finished 2011 and showed why he is regarded as the most threatening and best spinner in the world at the moment, in fact the best bowler in the world at the moment. Saeed has not only won fans like no tomorrow with his talent and game changing bowling displays, but with his comical interviews and million dollar smile. England will need to negotiate with him considerably better to stand any chance in this series as they didn’t see that one coming. Ajmal dominated and ripped England out and it wouldn’t surprise anyone whatsoever to see him going on to be MOTS here and also the leading series wicket taker. Saeed was simply in a different league to everyone else.