Over on Dawn today, Mazher Arshad discusses the true worth of Mohammad Hafeez. He basically says that like Shahid Afridi, Hafeez should realize that he is primarily a bowler and move down the order in ODIs where his 30s and 40s will be more useful. He also talks of his batting averages against stronger teams, in difficult conditions, and during this year, all of which are in the low to mid 20s.

There is a valid point there no doubt. If it were any other opening batsman, he would have been dropped already. The fact that Mohammad Hafeez bowls and bowls well (he is currently ranked number 1 in ODIs and number 10 in T20s in the ICC bowler rankings) is what is keeping him in the side.

But does this dip in batting form really warrant a push down the order?

This same topic resulted in a long and endless debate on Twitter earlier today, where I continued to support Hafeez as the opener, while several others argued that he should not be opening for Pakistan.

Here is why I think that Mohammad Hafeez should continue opening for Pakistan.

1. Better Now than Before

Hafeez started his cricket career for Pakistan in 2003 following the retirement of Saeed Anwar. Since then, he has played 105 ODIs and averages just under 27.00 with the bat. Anyone with that kind of average should not even be in the top 6 of an ODI team, let alone open the innings.

But Hafeez's case is different.

His career can be broken down into 4 distinct phases, corresponding to the initial phase and the 3 comebacks that he has made since then after being dropped.

Here's a comparison of his performance in each of these 4 phases.



It is unfair to talk about Hafeez's average and only mention that he averages in the mid 20s. His 4th coming as an opener for Pakistan, which is his current phase, has been the best phase of his career. That is also why he has remained as Pakistan's number 1 choice for opener for 2 years now.

Compare his batting performance in his first 48 ODIs, played between 2003 and 2006 to his performance in the last 57 ODIs, played over the last two years, and you will see the drastic improvement in his batting ability / form.

Hafeez has doubled his ODI runs tally, and has scored his ODI runs at almost double the average, in the last two years.

You can't drop a Pakistani opener, or push him down the order, based on these numbers.

2. He is Better than the Rest

Almost everyone in Pakistan is ready to talk about problems, but very few people actually stop and think about the solution. The same way, many people have been calling for Hafeez to be dropped or pushed down the order, without suggesting who will open instead of him in ODIs.

Mazhar Arshad suggested Kamran Akmal or Azhar Ali, which are suitable alternatives, however those calling for Hafeez to be dropped need to think about who the replacement will be.

Here's a look at the performance of batsmen who have opened for Pakistan since 2003.



Only Salman Butt and Yasir Hameed have performed better than Hafeez has in the last two years for Pakistan, and we all know why neither of them is in the team.

Even though Kamran seems like a suitable replacement as opener, his record is also not that great at the top of the order. None of those figures are what they should be for a top quality international opener.

And just for the record, Aamer Sohail, whom many consider to be one of the best openers to play for Pakistan, averaged only 31.86 in 156 ODIs and scored a total of 5 ODI centuries in his entire career.

Mohammad Hafeez is a better opener than all the names discussed above, barring Salman Butt.

3. For the Sake of Continuity

For the last two years Mohammad Hafeez has opened for Pakistan in every single test, ODI, and T20 that they have played. Yes. Every. Single. One.

When was the last time we had that?

In a country that produces mediocre openers, and one that has had an endless opening problem since the retirement of Saeed Anwar, I doubt you can find someone who can manage to open for Pakistan on a consistent basis across all 3 formats the way Hafeez has done.

He averages 41+ in tests, 33+ in ODIs, and 22+ in T20s during this two year period.

I highly doubt that Pakistan can find someone as consistent as him at the top of the order.

Hafeez has managed to eradicate a constant opening problem that Pakistan had, and has managed to forge a healthy partnership with Taufeeq in tests and Nasir in ODIs, both of which need more continuity and support to flourish further.

Dropping him down the order will do no good.

Dropping him is out of the question. How do you drop the world's best ODI bowler?

Let Mohammad Hafeez open in peace!

I think that no other ODI (barring Australia vs Afghanistan of course) in the history of the game has ever been scheduled to start as late as 6pm local time in any part of the world. This has got to be some sort of history making moment.

HISTORY IS WITH AUSTRALIA
The last time Pakistan beat Australia in an ODI series, Waqar Younis was captain, Wasim Akram used to take the new ball, Inzamam & Shoaib Akhtar were Pakistan's most reliable assets, and there was no chance that a catch would be missed behind the stumps!

It was 10 years ago.

It was 2002.

Shahid Afridi is the only survivor among both teams from that series. The rest of the Pakistan squad have no idea what it feels like to win a series against Australia. On the flip side, none of the Aussies know what it feels like to lose a series to Pakistan.

Will this series be any different?

BELOW PAR RECENT FORM
Both Pakistan and Australia have had a torrid time in ODIs lately, despite winning the Asia Cup and CB series respectively.

Both teams have lost to England 4-0. Pakistan lost their series to Sri Lanka 3-1, while Australia drew their series against the West Indies 2-2.

Australia are not what they used to be, and for the first time in about a decade are not the top ranked ODI side. While Pakistan have tasted more success in tests and T20s than in ODIs, where they have struggled to find the perfectly balanced playing XI.

DIFFERENT STRATEGIES
Dave Whatmore has said that Pakistan will be relying on their spinners, which comes as no surprise. With bowlers like Saeed Ajmal, Shahid Afridi, and Mohammad Hafeez any team will happily rely on spin. Even on a green top with perfect conditions for swing bowling.

Pakistan's spin trio will surely trouble the Australians relatively inexperienced batting line up. Warner isn't the best player of spin, while Wade, Bailey, and Maxwell will find it challenging to face up to Ajmal, Afridi, and Hafeez.

Michael Clarke and the Hussey brothers are key for Australia and will need to be at the top of their game.

Interestingly enough, Australia is going to rely heavily on their pace attack of Johnson, Starc, and Pattinson. The trio found good purchase from the pitch in the game against Afghanistan, and Pakistan is known to struggle against top quality swing bowling.

TEAM COMPOSITION
Australia as per normal practice have already announced their playing XI. Pakistan, on the other hand, have some thinking to do.

They have struggled to strike the right balance in ODIs for some time now. The absence of an allrounder like Abdul Razzaq has resulted in Pakistan always playing either a batsman short or a bowler short.

The return of  Kamran Akmal, who can bat better than most keepers, and Shoaib Malik, who is a slightly useful bowler, might fix this problem. But I wish I did not have to see the day when Akmal Sr. and Malik would be considered as solutions to anything in this world.

Nasir Jamshed will most likely fit right back into the opening slot after missing the series against Sri Lanka. While Azhar Ali, who opened successfully in Nasir's absence, will probably fill the number 3 position, which he has done so with great success in test cricket.

Asad Shafiq will be unlucky to miss out as Shoaib Malik is likely to play to give that balance to the team, unless Misbah & Whatmore give Shafiq a chance in place of Umar Akmal. That would be a grave mistake though in my opinion.

Junaid Khan and Sohail Tanvir look like the 2 pacers that Pakistan will go in to the game with. I hope that Anwar Ali gets at least 1 game during the series.

Pakistan XI (Likely): Nasir, Hafeez, Azhar, Misbah, Umar, Malik, Kamran, Afridi, Tanvir, Ajmal, Junaid.

PREDICTION
I believe this series is Pakistan's best chance to reverse the tide against Australia. Two games in Sharjah, One on a Friday, I say it calls for a 3-0 clean sweep!

Australia is vulnerable. More than they have been in recent years. They seem to be struggling to cope with the heat. The batting looks inexperienced. The bowling looks very raw.

Pakistan can strike hard. And should.

The most popular question that comes up in discussions regarding Pakistan cricket is:

"Yaar what happened to that U19 bowler who swung it miles and got 5 wickets against India in the final? Why don't the selectors select him?"

I wonder what the next most popular question will be considering that the 6-year long wait of Anwar Ali fans is over.

The U19 wonder kid, who is now 24, will finally get a chance to show the world what he is (or not) capable of doing in Pakistan colors.

Here's hoping to Anwar Ali getting at least 1 ODI in the upcoming series against Australia.

It was a Pakistan vs Australia series in 2009 that was the launch pad for the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The ground was showcased to the world with that series 3 years ago, and its life will come a full circle when it hosts Pakistan and Australia again in a 3 match T20 series starting 5th September.


But before that, Pakistan and Australia take part in a 3 match ODI series that starts in two days in a stadium that is slowly making its way back to the international arena - Sharjah!

I grew up watching matches at the Sharjah stadium; it is the first cricket ground that I ever witnessed a match in; Pakistan has won a number of famous ODIs at the ground. So naturally it holds a special place in my heart.

Sharjah returned to the international scene after almost 8 years near the end of 2011 when it hosted an ODI between Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

England refused to play there, but the Australians don't have a problem and will be playing 2 of the 3 ODIs in Sharjah. Just not the one on Friday.

Cricket fans of the 80s and 90s would know that Sharjah, Friday, and Pakistan share a special bond that not many teams are fond of.



Just speaking of Sharjah brings back so many awesome memories for the Pakistan cricket fan.

It all started with the six that Javed Miandad hit off the final delivery of the match against India to win the game for Pakistan. Chetan Sharma might have done a lot in his career and his life, but he will always be remembered for bowling that full toss that Miandad dispatched over mid wicket.

Wasim Akram managed all bowled hatricks against the West Indies and against Australia.

Aqib Javed took an all LBW hatrick against India.

Waqar Younis uprooted Ian Bishop's middle stump off the final delivery of the match when West Indies needed 1 to tie and 2 to win the match.

Abdul Razzaq picked up 5 wickets as the last 8 Sri Lankan wickets fell for less than 20 runs resulting in Pakistan tieing a match that they should have lost.

Basit Ali smashed 5 sixes against the West Indies including a couple of Curtley Ambrose in a batting display that I had never witnessed against the Windies bowling attack of the early 90s.

Saeed Anwar scored 3 consecutive centuries, which at the time was a record held by only 1 other person (Zaheer Abbas) besides Anwar. Since then Gibbs and AB have both knocked 3 consecutive tons in ODIs.

Inzamam Ul Haq and Aamir Sohail were involved in a mammoth 200+ run partnership against New Zealand. Pakistan scored 330 odd and each of the batsmen got scores in the 130s.

I believe that majority of Pakistan's nerve wrecking ODI victories have come in Sharjah. It is almost as if there some magic force at the ground that always ensures that Pakistan comes back from no where to win a game that they looked like losing all along!

Nothing proves that more than the 4th ODI against Sri Lanka in the series played last year. International cricket returned to Sharjah after 8 years and once again Pakistan came out of no where to win the match.

This time it was Shahid Afridi doing the magic as Sri Lanka lost their last 7 wickets for 19 runs and got bowled out for 174. They were chasing 201 and were 155-3 in the 38th over before Afridi scalped the first of his 5 wickets!

International cricket resumes in Sharjah again on Tuesday as Pakistan take on Australia in the 1st match of the ODI series. The teams will also play the 3rd and final ODI of the series there on 3rd September.

Time for some Sharjah Magic!

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