The Azhar Ali dilemma
To remove Pakistan ODI captain from the lead role or not is the question
Azhar Ali. PHOTO: AFP
To remove Pakistan ODI captain Azhar Ali from the lead role or not is the question that is boggling everyone’s mind after the recent 4-1 loss to Australia Down Under in the 50-over contests.
The combined sentiment of the fans and the cricket pundits and the Pakistan Cricket Board is that Azhar, who matured under the shadow of Test captain Misbahul Haq, is not suitable for the job because of his defensive mind-set — in an age where offence in ODI cricket is considered to be the best defence.
A very few people, at this point in time, will back Azhar to be retained on the post and they are not wrong if we consider 31-year-old’s record as the leader of the 50-over side. He has captained the side in 31 ODIs — 12 wins and 18 defeats — starting from the tour of Bangladesh in April 2015. The team was, for the first time in their history, whitewashed by the hosts 3-0, despite him scoring a century (101) in the last ODI.
He then led the side to a 2-0 win in a three-match series against Zimbabwe during their famous tour to Pakistan. The victory was followed by a 3-2 win on the tour of Sri Lanka. Then came the Zimbabwe tour where Pakistan won the series 2-1 but not with ease.
A 3-1 loss to England in the UAE followed, New Zealand hosted Pakistan to beat them 2-0, Pakistan toured England and lost 4-1. A breather came when Babar Azam-inspired ODI side beat West Indies 3-0 in UAE but, after that, Australia again ruined the show for Azhar.
The PCB, now, has a hard decision to make. They are proposing, as sources quote, wicketkeeper-batsman Sarfraz Ahmed to replace Azhar. But Pakistan tour West Indies in April in a series which can bring them down from their safe eighth position in ODIs — a spot which guarantees Pakistan’s direct qualification into the ODI World Cup. So, would it be right to give Sarfraz his first go at captaincy in such a crunch series or will the PCB give Azhar one last chance to prove himself?
Published in The Express Tribune, January 28th, 2017.
The combined sentiment of the fans and the cricket pundits and the Pakistan Cricket Board is that Azhar, who matured under the shadow of Test captain Misbahul Haq, is not suitable for the job because of his defensive mind-set — in an age where offence in ODI cricket is considered to be the best defence.
A very few people, at this point in time, will back Azhar to be retained on the post and they are not wrong if we consider 31-year-old’s record as the leader of the 50-over side. He has captained the side in 31 ODIs — 12 wins and 18 defeats — starting from the tour of Bangladesh in April 2015. The team was, for the first time in their history, whitewashed by the hosts 3-0, despite him scoring a century (101) in the last ODI.
He then led the side to a 2-0 win in a three-match series against Zimbabwe during their famous tour to Pakistan. The victory was followed by a 3-2 win on the tour of Sri Lanka. Then came the Zimbabwe tour where Pakistan won the series 2-1 but not with ease.
A 3-1 loss to England in the UAE followed, New Zealand hosted Pakistan to beat them 2-0, Pakistan toured England and lost 4-1. A breather came when Babar Azam-inspired ODI side beat West Indies 3-0 in UAE but, after that, Australia again ruined the show for Azhar.
The PCB, now, has a hard decision to make. They are proposing, as sources quote, wicketkeeper-batsman Sarfraz Ahmed to replace Azhar. But Pakistan tour West Indies in April in a series which can bring them down from their safe eighth position in ODIs — a spot which guarantees Pakistan’s direct qualification into the ODI World Cup. So, would it be right to give Sarfraz his first go at captaincy in such a crunch series or will the PCB give Azhar one last chance to prove himself?
Published in The Express Tribune, January 28th, 2017.