They say there is not a single dull day in Pakistan, and this certainly applies to our cricket. Whether it’s controversial statements by former players or board officials, debates around team selection, or unexpected losses to lower-ranked teams, there is always something to keep us entertained. Another certainty is that just before any major tournament, plans are bound to be disrupted—be it due to a drug scandal, an injury, or some other unforeseen event.
The last two years, in particular, have been a period of great turmoil for Pakistan cricket. From their worst-ever performance in an ODI World Cup to a shocking loss to the USA in the T20 World Cup, the team has hit new lows. Things took a turn for the worse when they conceded 823 runs in a single Test innings, with none of the star players performing and the team being led by a captain who struggles to justify his place in the squad, even after a career spanning over 13 years. However, in typical Pakistan cricket fashion, amidst all this chaos, the team managed to pull off memorable wins in ODI series in Australia and South Africa—two of the toughest places to play and win in the world.
A significant part of this success can be attributed to the current limited-overs captain, Mohammad Rizwan, who has transformed the team’s approach by playing an aggressive brand of cricket. He has instilled confidence in the team to attack regardless of the results. The biggest beneficiary of this approach has been the young Saim Ayub, who finally transitioned from YouTube highlights to the international stage, scoring three ODI centuries in his first nine matches. This has raised the nation’s hopes for the upcoming Champions Trophy in Pakistan. However, as fate would have it, Saim suffered an injury during the Test series in South Africa, and with each passing day, it seems increasingly unlikely that he will play any part in the tournament—especially with Pakistan scheduled to travel to the UAE to play India in between matches.
This brings us back to the big question: who should open for Pakistan? Saim’s partner, Abdullah Shafique, has already lost the confidence of the selectors after a series of poor performances. Veteran Fakhar Zaman, on the other hand, has been delivering strong performances and seems like the natural choice, especially in Saim’s absence. It appears that his issues with the board have been resolved, and he will most likely take up one opening slot. With 3,492 runs, Fakhar is already the fifth-highest run-scorer as an opener in Pakistan’s history, behind Ramiz Raja and Shahid Afridi. This highlights the dearth of quality openers in the country since the retirement of Saeed Anwar.
There have been rumours of calling up Test captain Shan Masood to the ODI squad, but I don’t believe that would be a good idea. Despite his claims, Shan has never been a proficient limited-overs player, and his current form provides no justification for his inclusion. There have also been debates about promoting Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan to open in ODIs. Babar has rarely opened in ODIs, barring two matches a decade ago, and he tends to take his time to settle in, which could mean sacrificing crucial deliveries in the powerplay—a factor that could prove decisive in tight matches. Mohammad Rizwan, on the other hand, has never opened in ODIs, and while he performs better in the top order, his hitting power has faded slightly in recent times. His strike rate at the end of innings is often salvaged by late hitting, but this remains a concern.
Another contender following Saim’s injury is Imam-ul-Haq, who has recently been given opportunities in side matches and junior tours to regain form. He sits just one spot below Fakhar in the list of top run-scorers, but his strike rate is even lower than Babar and Rizwan, who have been batting in the middle order.
All in all, there are no easy answers. In my opinion, Fakhar should open with Rizwan to maintain balance at the top of the order. Opting for Imam or Shan, who have been out of the side and out of form for a while, would be a risk. This approach would also allow the team to include an impact player—ideally an all-rounder—in the lower middle order to finish innings strongly. The team currently lacks a genuine all-rounder like Hardik Pandya, who can single-handedly change the course of a game, but that’s a debate for another day. For now, we can only hope that Saim recovers miraculously and can open with Fakhar, forming an exciting pair. Otherwise, the senior players will need to step up and take the lead.
