Lets face it, he has been tried as an opener and in Sri lanka he showed some determination. But I thought this guy was an all rounder? Where is his bowling? gone completely down the tubes, and his batting not clicking either…
Either we drop him for a series and let him work out issues at the academy or what?!!
What does everyone else think? I think we are in the habit if wasting players…
We have this mentallity of “chalney do jesay chal raha heay…cher kar kiya karna…shayad aik din chal jayay…”
Re: Shoaib Maliks performance is upsetting
What is so special about Shoiab Malik? He is a good fielder but his batting and bowling is average.
Re: Shoaib Maliks performance is upsetting
exactly....so should he continue to ride in the team just as it is... that is my question...?
Re: Shoaib Maliks performance is upsetting
It's sad to see how easily we have forgotten who alongwith Inzimam ul Haq had been the primary architect of Pakistan's resurgence in the past two years. Really sad.
There are players, and then there are match-winners. It's worth looking at scorecards of matches played in the last two years and admiring Shoaib Malik's contribution to a lot of Pakistan's victories. In the last 50 ODI matches played in the last 2.5 years, his ODI average of 39 is up there among the best of established batsmen. If I had to name the single biggest contribution of Shoaib Malik to Pakistan's ODI performances, it's his work in making Pakistan good chasers again. People suffering from long term memory loss may not remember that when Inzi and Woolmer started reconstructing our team a few years ago, our biggest problem was that we crumbled under pressure and failed to chase modest of totals. So bad we had become at chasing that the opposition Captain started making their toss decisions with this as the biggest factor in their calculations.
He's a fighter who gave so much to Pakistan team, and we are questioning him after 3 fcuking games. What a shame!
"Pakistani is my name, calling for heads is my game. "
Re: Shoaib Maliks performance is upsetting
He needs one big innings to regain his confidence. He brings a large amount of energy in the team. He was missed in test series as well for his high spirit presence in the field (remember how fielding let us down in tests and how dull our fielders were) and ability to anchor an innings like Younis. I think Pak must persist with him in this series, let him make one fifty and he will be back to his 40-70 innings.
Re: Shoaib Maliks performance is upsetting
And you guys speak against him playing as if there are established world class batsmen back home ready to take his position. Kick Shoaib Malik out and get who in his place? Salman Butt? Imran Farhat? Taufeeq Umer? Yasir Hameed? I rest my case.
Re: Shoaib Maliks performance is upsetting
^^ we are not forgetting anything dig..just questioning our passive style of managing players..
and smoothy...lets hope so ... I certainly would like him to come down the order for once where some one has already laid the foundation and let him hammer out of hole that he is diigging....
Re: Shoaib Maliks performance is upsetting
Passive style of managing players?
Looks like you have some inside info that between matches, Woolmer and his staff are content with checking out the local eateries instead of working with the players.
On the other hand, I am pretty sure that he and his staff work with players on their weaknesses, this is how Shoaib Malik became a trusted player to begin with. I guess what you are asking for is public spanking of Shoaib Malik so you can get the satisfaction that we are not being passive in his rehabilitation.
Re: Shoaib Maliks performance is upsetting
Passive style of managing players?
Looks like you have some inside info that between matches, Woolmer and his staff are content with checking out the local eateries instead of working with the players.
On the other hand, I am pretty sure that he and his staff work with players on their weaknesses, this is how Shoaib Malik became a trusted player to begin with. I guess what you are asking for is public spanking of Shoaib Malik so you can get the satisfaction that we are not being passive in his rehabilitation.
Re: Shoaib Maliks performance is upsetting
^^ not quite in that manner...really... and why are you repeating things?
where did you come with the spanking analogy?...it was quite funny...
any how...wanted to ask you a question where do you "dig a lot"?
Re: Shoaib Maliks performance is upsetting
dil ki baat keh di Sir jee :k: - inshaAllah he’ll get back in the groove very soon.
Re: Shoaib Maliks performance is upsetting
I think Malik, Hafeez and Razzaq,got very special quality of adopting to the situation. Especially Malik and Hafeez can concentrate on sharp singles (both good runner between the wickets, along with excellent fielders) when team is under pressure and thus can build innings, and when needed can be big hitter like Afridi. And both are good utility bowlers. Afridi is also a good bowler, fielder and hitter like these two but he is not a player who will build an innings.
In Malik situation, Inzi should use him more with the ball, especially at venues like Rose Ball, where taking pace of the ball could cause trouble for batsmen, we can see from economy rates of Afridi, Malik, Hafeez, Dalrymple and Peterson (until master of spin i.e. Inzi took charge of him) versus pace bowlers. If Malik bowl well, I am sure it will boost his confidence, and once he start clicking I am sure he will do great.
He should set targets of 20s for himself, and then build on them. He got a good partner in Hafeez, who could run for sharp singles and could accellerate run rate if needed. Then one down Younis is in good form, so Malik shouldnt feel pressure. He should simple play it like he is playing in test matches. I am sure he will be ok.
Re: Shoaib Maliks performance is upsetting
Good suggestion Cricketfan. I myself had thought that Inzimam should have given some of the overs he gave to Hafeez to Shoaib Malik as this would have boosted his confidence which in turn could improve his batting performance. This is also how Afridi regained his confidence after his return to the team. This way a player feels less pressure as he knows he is in the team in multiple roles and not just one, and can perform better.
Re: Shoaib Maliks performance is upsetting
cricketfan...Talib and Mr. Dig Dig....I agree with all of you....I just want the management to try things with players before their lack of runs or wickets gets to them and then selectors start questioning their abilities. Other sides such as maybe Australia will do this more dynamically. For them when a player is skipped for a series it is with a plan. And then they come back firing.
Anyhow, I want jsut like most of us for Malik to be performining again because like you all said, his style (when he is in true form) really makes our team more agile and agressive in run chases and even setting huge totals...Also he was supposed to be our hope when saqi went away...so we need him to take wickets as well.
I especially like cricket fan's recommendation of the capt. using him more in bowling...again related to a team being managed more agressively.
I won't argue, he should stay and lets hope we see another thrilling performance from him soon.
Re: Shoaib Maliks performance is upsetting
We have got all game winners in the team right now... We should persist with this team. Shoaib Malik is a true asset to the team. It was unfortunate that he got injured and had to start all over.. InshaAllah he will come big soon.
I agree about the confidence tactics by cricketfan and sdal
Re: Shoaib Maliks performance is upsetting
Antumantu, your problem is you are like millions of teenagers who like to jump on the gun too soon and analyse a player based on two-three innings. You don't look at the history of this young team and key players who delivered at the time we thought we are going to be West Indies for next decade or so. Malik, Kamran and Razzaq are that oxygen that lifted Pakistan from dark to the No. 2 in the world sooner than any other team in the world. Remember England took almost 12 years to recover, RSA took 5 and India some 7 years to recover. We have reached this place really quickly, despite of not having flawless batsmen up in the order and other technical issues with almost every batsman. Yet, we are delivering with whatever resources we have, and are doing great so far.
Re: Shoaib Maliks performance is upsetting
Shoaib's body language is not looking that great in this series but in the Champions Trophy he will probably be the highest scorer for Pakis. He is just too gifted of a player!!
Re: Shoaib Maliks performance is upsetting
Thanks for calling me a teen in my old age…me father of 3 feels much more younger…smoothy.. 
Re: Shoaib Maliks performance is upsetting
I think Smooth guy is talking about mental age, may be some people mental growth stop or only grow to a level of a teen ager.
Re: Shoaib Maliks performance is upsetting
S Malik is a fine all rounder and deserves to be in Pak 16, but only for one day cricket not test matches.
Maliks problem iks not his doing but that of team management who insists on him becoming an opener when he does not have the technique to be one. Unfortunately for Malik, Pak is blessed with Afridi and Razzak both match winners and well established in the middle lower order thus leaving poor Malik to open or be left out.
Another point, why are we so generous towards Malik and akmal in their bad times and cannot afford the same hospitality, generosity and tolerance to players like Farhat, Taufeeq, Hafeez et al who were shown the door at the first sign of weakness. Double standards.....