Nasir http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Jamshed-c66276 as a long term opener for Pakistan - Opinion
Pakistan’s woes in the ODI format have largely been a product of their top order faltering under pressure. There were times when http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 failed to win games as wickets continued to tumble at the top of the order, leaving too much to digest for the middle
order. Yet one batsman, since his arrival in ODI cricket, has demonstrated his ability in not only anchoring the innings but helping in laying a solid foundation for a big score.
He exhibits a solid technique and has a penchant for scoring runs through the leg side. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Nasir-Jamshed-c78752 is a fine all round product to say the least. The 22-year-old batsman from Lahore has demonstrated in his limited appearances for Pakistan that he can bat
with assurance when his team needs him. His batting has drawn comparisons with http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757, where a propensity to score runs off the hips and through the leg side comes naturally. He has an average of 39 and a highest score of 112 against
India in the recently concluded Asia Cup and should be an ideal first choice for the PCB selectors to open the batting for his country.
His limited appearances in just 16 games have rewarded his country in many ways. His 112 helped Pakistan amass 329 against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 at Dhaka, which for a side which has struggled to post huge scores, is a massive achievement. His innings is characterized by
scoring and connecting with the ball. He is also a big shot player who can clear the boundary with ease if the need arises.
Jamshed’s strength however, is his rock solid technique. Normally batsmen with a solid bottom hand tend to sway with the swinging delivery and throw their wickets away but Jamshed has always demonstrated that abiding by the Gospel is as important as scoring
runs quickly.
Being exposed to the new ball and aiming to smother the swing is an art that modern day openers are expected to master. Many Pakistani openers, including the incumbent http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Azhar-Ali-c46890, have often failed to play the swinging ball with conviction. This usually exposes
the team and the man coming in next to the new ball. The tumbling of wickets then leads to a negative spill-over effect on the middle order, which acknowledges with a gulp, that even a rare failure could cost their team the game.
Jamshed on the other hand, brings a rather calmer dimension to opening. It is almost as if to say that his ability to play quality strokes coincides with his doggedness, of which the latter skill is something that Pakistani batsman are not known for.
What serves Jamshed and Pakistan well is that is that he is a product of the Pakistan Under 19 side. His 44 and 204 on debut against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 helped a young Pakistan clinch a draw from the jaws of defeat, which was after they conceded a lead of 253 runs
in the first innings. That innings is a prime example of rare maturity from a Pakistan batsman, where valuing one’s wicket coincides with the team’s objectives. Players such as Hammad Azam, who are promising youngsters, have also been a product of the same
under 19 team which has gifted Pakistan many quality players in the past.
Jamshed should definitely be entrusted with the opening slot as a permanent fixture. A player who could combine maturity, doggedness and quick scoring, is tailor made for opening the batting in ODI cricket. What remains to be seen however, is how he is able
to cope with conditions unfamiliar to him. For the time being, his recent stint at the BPL is etched into the Bangladeshi crowd’s mind as much as his mature, level headed innings against India in the Asia Cup.
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