Inzi to bat at number 4

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**I will bat at No. 4 in the West Indies, says Inzi **

KARACHI: Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq says he is ready to bat up the order in next month’s World Cup in a bid to strengthen his team’s batting line-up during the Caribbean assignment.

“I am looking forward to bat at number four in the World Cup,” Inzamam said on Tuesday ahead of his team’s departure for the West Indies tomorrow.

“It might help bring further stability in our team’s batting which is a must in what would be a very tough tournament,” he added.

He has been criticised by several former Pakistan greats including Imran Khan who believes that he should start taking more responsibility both as the team’s premier batsman and captain.

Inzamam has been far from consistent in recent times and has been playing at number five or six in one-dayers.

Experts like former Pakistan Test opener Aamer Sohail have disapproved this approach as being too defensive and have asked Inzamam to promote himself up the order.

“Inzamam has wasted the team’s last three years and it is now time that he compensates for it. One way to do that is to once again start playing like the team’s most valuable batsman,” Sohail said.

It is evident that the non-stop criticism has forced Inzamam to rethink his strategy.

“We are thinking about various combinations and also about where I should bat. I am favour of batting at number four,” he said. Currently, Pakistan’s most in-form batsman Mohammad Yousuf plays at that position.

Inzamam is hoping that his pacers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif would clear dope tests and get fit in time for the World Cup.

“We have some time before our first World Cup match and I hope that both Shoaib and Asif would be fit by then,” he said.

The bowlers are trying to get fit in England and once that is done, they will undergo a tricky dope test. It is feared that both might still be carrying traces of banned steroid nandrolone and may test positive again.

“They are our main wicket-taking bowlers and without them we would have an under-strength team in a tournament that would be featuring the world’s best sides,” said Inzamam.

The skipper, who turns 38 on March 3, believes defending champions Australia and South Africa would be the teams to beat in the World Cup. “You cannot predict who will win the title but I personally believe the two toughest teams to beat would be Australia and South Africa,” he said.

** if inzi bats at number 4 where will yousaf bat.
is there a chance that younis khan will open and yousaf at one down.**

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Re: Inzi to bat at number 4

I don't think it means that Younis will open. Just that Inzi and Yousuf will swab places at 4 & 5. Younis Khan should continue to bat at 3. He is too good a player to be wasted as an opener :)

Telling dirty jokes and bedroom stories.
Telling dirty jokes and bedroom stories.
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Re: Inzi to bat at number 4

swapping or changing the batting order simply mean disaster for Pakistani team, why on earth you would change the order especially only for the mega event, batting order / # spell out a certain role for the batsmen, and you should not do this coz ex-players are saying this will solve a whole lot of problems, it will Nada.
I will be truely dissapointed if they will scumb under pressure and again experiment with the middle order.
3) Younis
4) Yousef
5) Inzi

above mentioned middle order is itself threatning for any team when conditions are favorable; WI pitches have similarities to sub-continent pitches and no matter if they have made pitches from scratch, the enviornment and weather plays a big role. I really hope its just pep talk and nothing else.

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Re: Inzi to bat at number 4

Swapping or changing the batting order simply mean disaster for Pakistani team, why on earth you would change the order especially only for the mega event, batting order / # spell out a certain role for the batsmen, and you should not do this coz ex-players are saying this will solve a whole lot of problems, it will Nada.
I will be truely dissapointed if they will scumb under pressure and again experiment with the middle order.
3) Younis
4) Yousef
5) Inzi

above mentioned middle order is itself threatning for any team when conditions are favorable; WI pitches have similarities to sub-continent pitches and no matter if they have made pitches from scratch, the enviornment and weather plays a big role. I really hope its just pep talk and nothing else.

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Re: Inzi to bat at number 4

Between himself , Younis Khan and Mohd Yousuf.....Inzimam should just do a Eeny, meeny, miny, moe to decide who bats at which position.

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Re: Inzi to bat at number 4

younis khan usually faces more balls in the first 5 overs than our openers so why not just send him as an opener. In SA, in 3 out of the 4 ODI, Pakistan lost an opener in the first over. So younis was basically acting as an opener.

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Re: Inzi to bat at number 4

I'd support the idea of Younis Khan opening. I mean, we have tried enough people in that position and perhaps him being there can stabilize the top order. Look at Fleming & Ganguly, they became openers. Why not Younis Khan? I mean, the lack of a solid opening pair means Younis comes to bat quite often within the first 2-3 overs. So him batting with Nazir, can mean a agreesive opening partnership, as Nazir can play his shot while Younis can play an anchor role. You can then stabilize your batting lineup - but the question is that Pakistan did not bring a proper middle order batsmen to take the No. 6 position (Misbah/Asim) Kamal,etc) which could now belong to Akmal or Hafeez but then what about Azhar Mahmood since he cannot slog at No. 8.

Since we dont know the fate of Shoaib & Asif, we cannot make up a linup right now. I suspect Sami is going to be opening with Gul - at least on March 9th against South Africa and then Rao at first change...but what about Kaneria? Your thoughts about that Warm up match.

~**~ Tussi Baray ----- Ho ~~~~ ~**~
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Re: Inzi to bat at number 4

why they did not try this before , either against WI series or SA series ? why they always do such experiments in the WC ? .:o → :mad: ->:aj: → :mad2: → :bash:

Being Avoided, I Don't Wanna Be
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Re: Inzi to bat at number 4

good move inzi and moyo needs to face most of the overs out of the 50

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Re: Inzi to bat at number 4

Younis could play an important role as opener, especially he always talk to youngster, encourage them and help them build their innings by running hard for singles, unlike Inzi (who wouldnt talk in most cases, and can't run for quick singles), Yousaf is not a good judge of singles though he is a bold player if he plays with someone like younis who will judge the singles then Yousaf could be quick to score those singles.

if pakistan send Younis as opener, and if pair survive 10-15 overs then yousaf come at No. 3 and Inzi at 4, if unfortunately one open depart sooner than 10 overs then PAK should send in Malik or Akmal at No. 3, Yousaf at 4 and Inzi at 5.

Pakistan will be better off to open bowling with Gul and Rana, first change bowler should be Sami and supported by Azhar. If Rana didnt deliver as attack then Azhar could be used in attack along with Gul and Rana after 25 overs and make him bowl 8 overs and 2 overs for over No. 48 and 50.

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Re: Inzi to bat at number 4

It would be stupid I believe, after batting at no 5/6 for so long, he suddenly is going to bat at # 4? Not saying he can't but he shouldn't do this 'experiment' in an all important tournament unless he sees no chance for Pakistan to beginwith :D

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Re: Inzi to bat at number 4

I think it will be masterstroke for Pakistan. It is really very simple logic. ODIs are played for limited number of overs and your best bastmen should get to play most of these overs. That is why I think Idea of Younis opening and Inzi playing at number#4 is very good for pak. For later phase they still have experience Malik and others to take team home. Only thing is that they should have experimented this little early but then they have 2 warmup games and 2 minnows in goup stages to go there.

I think it is a very good Idea. I always thought Inzi was wasted by batting so lower down the order.

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Re: Inzi to bat at number 4

desperate times require desperate measures, but this is just window dressing. Inzi is averaging 23runs in worldcup and 36 in the last `12months. Go figure.

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Re: Inzi to bat at number 4

double post