Isn’t it amazing that Asad Shafiq continues to be in Pakistan squad for one-day internationls despite having a pathetic average while Fawad Alam is out in spite of his impressive average of over 40?
Asad averages just above 25 runs in ODIs. He has played 52 matches since his debut in 2010. On the other hand Fawad, who made his debut way back in 2007, has played only 35 ODIs despite having a highly impressive average of over 45 runs. Fawad also has much better strike rate — 75 runs per 100 balls whereas Asad has 68 runs per 100 balls.
Now that Mohammad Hafeez cannot bowl, the team needs a batting all rounder so that the captain doesn’t have any worries about completing 50 overs. Fawad has the capability to play this role for the team. He bowls regularly in domestic cricket, and has also bowled for Pakistan in ODIs and Twenty20 games. He has taken five wickets in ODIs and eight in T20Is.
In this situation, to continue with Asad will hurt Pakistan’s interests Down Under.
There is no doubt Asad is a good player, but only for Test cricket. In the longest format, he has been rather consistent, with five centuries and 10 50s, averaging 40. But his style is not suitable for the limited overs games.
In the absence of Hafeez, Misbah and Afridi have had to trust Ahmed Shehzad and Haris Sohail for completing 50 overs. While Haris has impressed everyone also as a bowler, Ahmad Shehzad hasn’t been able to bowl so well.
If we have both Fawad and Haris in the playing XI, the captain will have more than five bowlers, which will make his job easier.
In the 1990s, we had two batsmen who could bowl effectively in ODIs: Amir Sohail and Saleem Malik. With these players in the team, the captains of that era had little problem in completing the 50 overs even if a main bowler got injured during the match. Amir took 134 wickets in 156 matches and Saleem 89 from 283 matches.
If Pakistan team is to do well in the World Cup, they will have to include Fawad. Otherwise we might end up having Misbah and Younis Khan bowling.
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