Tag: Fawad Alam

Pakistan Test batter Fawad Alam has weighed in on the ongoing debate sparked by Fakhar Zaman’s remarks, where the opener labelled rising star Saim Ayub as the “updated version” of Babar Azam.

In a recent interview, Fawad dismissed such comparisons, calling them unfair to Pakistan’s former skipper.

He stressed that Babar’s body of work, both internationally and domestically, stands in a league of its own.

“In my opinion, such statements shouldn’t be made. You can’t compare anyone with Babar Azam,” Fawad said.

“He has delivered exceptional performances in all three formats. Even before he broke into the national team, his quality was evident in domestic cricket. I’ve seen first-hand that no one in the current setup comes close to him.”

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The conversation was triggered by a video shared by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), where Fakhar praised Ayub’s flair and potential.

“Someone asked me in Lahore, and I told them Saim is Babar Azam’s updated version,” Fakhar had remarked.

“He is a very different player, and I believe he has not yet revealed 80 percent of his talent to the world.”

Pakistan’s white-ball head coach Mike Hesson also weighed in, acknowledging that Ayub is still finding his feet but already influencing outcomes.

“Look, Saim is a key player for us. If he scores runs, Pakistan usually wins,” Hesson said.

“It’s less about the volume of contributions and more about their impact, and Saim has shown he can be a match-winner.”

READ: Wasim Akram urges Pakistan to focus on Asia Cup glory beyond India clash

Former Pakistan batter Fawad Alam has praised Quetta Gladiators’ pacer Mohammad Amir for his skill and cricketing intelligence, placing him among the best pacers Pakistan has produced after the early 2000s era.

Speaking on a private TV show after the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10 clash between the Gladiators and Peshawar Zalmi, Fawad was asked if Amir is better than Pakistan’s current crop of fast bowlers. He didn’t hesitate to put Amir in a different league.

“As far as Amir’s ability is concerned, there’s no comparison. He is one of the best and the smartest bowlers we have had [in a long time],” Fawad said.

Fawad drew parallels between Amir and some of Pakistan’s finest pacers of the past two decades.

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“After Mohammad Asif — I mean after the early 2000s when we had big names — the two premier pacers we had were Asif and then Mohammad Amir,” he explained.

According to Fawad Alam, while many bowlers have skill, Amir’s intelligence sets him apart.

“I believe after Amir, we did not get many smarter bowlers. Skill is something every player who represents Pakistan has. But intelligence — that’s rare,” he said.

Highlighting Amir’s sharp cricketing mind, Fawad pointed towards his ability to read batters, especially someone of Babar Azam’s calibre.

“Mohammad Amir knew exactly how to get Babar Azam out, and you can clearly see the pressure Babar feels when facing him,” he remarked.

Catch all the PSL 10 updates here!

He elaborated on the mutual respect between top-level players.

“When a batter knows he’s up against a smart bowler, he’s aware that the bowler understands his weaknesses. And Amir makes full use of a batter’s shortcomings,” Fawad Alam added.

He concluded by reiterating his admiration for Amir’s bowling smarts. “The more you talk about Amir’s skill and intelligence, the less it feels like enough,” he said.

It’s worth noting that Mohammad Amir has dismissed Babar Azam twice in the tournament so far — first for a golden duck and then for just 12 runs in their latest encounter on Sunday night.

READ: Former New Zealand captain comments on strike rate criticism of Babar, Rizwan

Pakistan batter Umar Amin has recently stated his ambition to return to international cricket, taking inspiration from the long-awaited comeback of Fawad Alam in 2020.

Fawad Alam made his Test debut in 2009 against Sri Lanka and played a memorable 168-run knock in the second innings.

However, the left-handed batter was dropped after two more matches and remained out of the Test side for eleven years despite strong performances in domestic cricket.

He continued to move in and out of the white-ball team, but he eventually fell out of favour with selectors, playing his last ODI in 2015.

However, he refused to lose hope and continued to work hard in domestic cricket, consistently amassing a large number of runs every season.

The southpaw finally earned the reward for his hard work as he earned a recall into the Pakistan Test team during the England tour in 2020. He went on to play 16 Tests from 2020 to 2022.

 

Umar Amin has a similar story, but he failed to make a mark during his early years in international cricket. He represented Pakistan in all three formats, but his last international match was in 2013.

During a recent interview with a local sports website, Umar expressed his desire to make a return emulating Fawad’s resurgence in international cricket.

“If I didn’t believe in this, I wouldn’t even be playing domestic cricket right now. The goal has always been to make a comeback and play for Pakistan,” Umar said.

“I’ve played a lot of cricket with Fawad Bhai, and he’s an example in front of me because he made a comeback after a long time. He also had consistent performances.

“So, I am very hopeful based on my good performance. My focus is just to give the best performance I can, do what is within my control, and not think too much about what’s beyond my control.”

Umar has recently played a 177-run knock during Pakistan Shaheens’ four-day match against Bangladesh A.

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KARACHI: Test cricketer Fawad Alam has denied the reports regarding him quitting Pakistan cricket to explore opportunities in the United States (US).

The speculation took the internet by storm on Tuesday when an Indian news outlet reported that Fawad Alam had decided to call time on his international career with Pakistan and focus on a new chapter in the US.

The report added that Alam, who played his last Test for Pakistan in Sri Lanka in 2022, has joined Minor League Cricket T20’s franchise Chicago Kingsmen as a local player.

Minor League Cricket is a sub-division of the MLC – first-ever cricket league of the US – which concluded in July.

Meanwhile, Fawad Alam has categorically denied the reports regarding his retirement and asserted the rumours circulating are baseless.

“I have not arrived at any conclusive determination up to this point. I have neither parted ways with Pakistan cricket nor opted for retirement,” Fawad was quoted saying.

“I remain committed to participating in domestic cricket, aiming to extend my involvement for the coming one to two years, or however long my professional journey continues,” Fawad clarified.

It is worth mentioning here that Fawad Alam, who made his international debut for Pakistan in 2007, has a career full of ups and downs.

After a brief stint in white-ball cricket Fawad made his Test debut against Sri Lanka in 2009. The left-handed batter scripted a solid start to his red-ball career by notching up a hundred in his maiden Test.

His debut hundred appeared to have promised a glittering career but he was dropped after managing to play just two more Tests.

Fawad Alam continued to prove his mettle in the domestic cricketer where he piled more than 10,000 runs which rewarded him with two brief comebacks in the white-ball but could not become a regular part of the team.

In Tests, however, Fawad had to wait an excruting 10 years to return in the away series against England.

His performance in the England series, however, did not do justice with his domestic record but Fawad Alam soon found himself going in the away series against New Zealand in late 2020.

He scored a gutsy century against a strong New Zealand bowling attack on a challenging surface, which earned him the individual performance award by the PCB.

Fawad, fuelled with momentum, added three more centuries to his tally which came against Zimbabwe, South Africa and West Indies.

He had appeared to become a regular part of the Pakistan Test setup, however, his below-par performance in the three-match home series against Australia, saw him being dropped from the Playing XI for the first Test against Sri Lanka.

Fawad Alam was then recalled to Pakistan’s lineup for the second Test but could only accumulate 25 runs, which saw him being dropped from Pakistan’s squad for the home series against England.

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KARACHI: Former Pakistan captain and star all-rounder commented on the decision of dropping left-handed middle-order batter Fawad Alam from the squad for the upcoming home Test series against England.

Afridi talked to the media amid a private event and expressed his disbelieve over Fawad’s removal from the Pakistan Test squad, whose snub from the red-ball squad irked many cricketing fans.

“Fawad Alam’s performance has been very good before. Dropping him is a surprising decision,” said Afridi.

The left-handed batter only managed to accumulate 33 runs in four innings during the Benaud-Qadir Trophy between Pakistan and Australia, while he could score 35 runs in the first Galle Test against Sri Lanka.

Following a dip in his form, the southpaw was rested from the second Galle Test and later dropped from the home Test series against England.

Meanwhile, star all-rounder Afridi also commented on Shaheen Shah Afridi’s injury and asserted the latter was completely fit to partake in T20 World Cup 2022.

“Shaheen was fit and that is why he played. His injury has been for quite some time now but hopefully, he will recover soon,” Afridi said.

The former Pakistan captain also commented on the ongoing FIFA World Cup and also coined Germany as his favourite team.

“It is good to see great matches in the FIFA World Cup as there have been a lot of upsets this time though I am supporting Germany,” shared Afridi.

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GALLE: Pakistan left-handed batter Fawad Alam has completed 1000 runs in the longest format of the game amid the second day’s play of the ongoing second Test.

Fawad, who came to bat in a challenging phase for his team as Pakistan were struggling at 65/3, having lost their top batters Babar Azam, Abdullah Shafique, and Imam-ul-Haq, provided a moment to cherish for the visitors as he amassed a thousand-run mark in Test cricket.

The left-handed batter, however, could not stay for long at the crease to pull the visitors out of trouble as he could only score 24 runs off 69 balls before Ramesh Mendis trapped him in the legs briefly after Tea.

In the course of his brief inning, the southpaw amassed an important milestone for his career, that remained inconsistent as he was dropped from the side after playing a mere two Tests before making his way back into the team after a gap of 11 years.

It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan have scored 171/6 in 59 overs and are still trailed by 207 runs.

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LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has allowed its seven centrally-contracted players to participate in the forthcoming second edition of the Kashmir Premier League (KPL).

According to the details, the tournament director of KPL Rashid Latif requested the PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja to get the centrally-contracted players on board for the upcoming second edition.

After successful talks between the KPL management and the PCB, the cricket board has given a green signal to seven players to participate in the league, commencing on August 1.

As a result, Fawad Alam (Red Ball Category B), Azhar Ali (Red Ball Category A), Abid Ali (Red Ball Category D), Nauman Ali (Red Ball Category C), Haseebullah, Mohammad Huraira, Ali Usman (all three Emerging Category) will be available for selection in KPL draft, scheduled on July 21.

It is pertinent to mention here that, unlike its inaugural edition, KPL 2 will not feature foreign players. However, KPL president Arif Malik claimed that the PCB permitted them to draft only those foreign players, who retired from international cricket five years ago.

READ: ECB security delegation reviews arrangements of Pak-England series

KARACHI: Several cricket fans have expressed their disappointment over the exclusion of left-handed batter Fawad Alam from Pakistan’s recently-announced Playing XI for the first Test against Sri Lanka.

Fawad, who had been an integral part of the Green Shirts’ red ball team since his historic return to international cricket in 2020 after a gap of almost 11 years, has now been dropped from the national side for the first Test, scheduled to commence on Saturday.

The left-handed batter, who just had one century to his name before his iconic return, smashed four centuries in just 18 innings and strengthened his spot in the team.

The 36-year-old then had a series to forget when Australia toured Pakistan after a gap of 24 years in April this year. The left-handed batter could only manage to score 33 runs in two matches.

As a result of his slump, the left-handed batter has remained unable to earn a spot in the team’s Playing XI as Salman Ali Agha will be making his Test debut tomorrow.

Following this, several cricket fans have taken to Twitter and questioned his exclusion from the Playing XI.

A Sports Journalist questioned the take on backing struggling pacer Hasan Ali while dropping Fawad after failing just against Australia.

“Back Hasan Ali and drop Fawad Alam? Why this facility is not available to every player? Fawad only failed against Australia and got dropped? If there are decisions based on malice, then the destination will be difficult, friendship and make decisions out of malice, brother,” he wrote.

حسن علی کو اعتماد دیں اور فواد عالم کو ڈراپ کردیں؟ یہ اعتماد کی سہولت ہر پلیئر کو حاصل کیوں نہیں ہے ؟ فواد عالم صرف آسٹریلیا کے خلاف ناکام اور ڈراپ ؟ بدنیتی پر فیصلے ہوں گے تو منزل مشکل ہو جائے گی دوستی اور بدنیتی سے نکل کر فیصلے کریں بھائی pic.twitter.com/ZKlGGz9axZ

— ٰImran Siddique (@imransiddique89) July 15, 2022

 

On the other hand, a cricket fan expressed his joy over Agha’s Test debut while also lamenting the fact that Fawad did not receive the support he deserved from Pakistan captain Babar Azam.

Though I am happy for Salman Ali Agha but at the same time shocked and sad for Fawad Alam also as he didn't get the backing he deserved from the skipper#FawadAlam #SLvPAK #WTC23

— 🇵🇰 | Hassan™🏏🎮 (@HassanEmpire007) July 15, 2022

Another cricket fan questioned the wisdom of the choice after mentioning Fawad’s recent performance.

#FawadAlam made a Come Back in the Playing XI after 11 years, 4 back to back 💯 in 4 consecutive tours. He was named in the ICC Test Team of the year last year But 2/3 bad innings has dropped him again from the XI that tells you about the merit of this Team Simply Pathetic 👎 pic.twitter.com/AmjDceeqRN

— Arslan Sonuu (@arslany2j) July 15, 2022

A cricket fan criticized Babar for motivating Virat Kohli, while, on the other hand, benching Fawad after two bad matches.

کوہلی کی ہمّت بڑھا دی اور اپنا کھلاڑی صرف دو ٹیسٹ میں رنز نہ کرے تو باہر کردیا #PAKvsSL #SLvPAK #PAKvSL #fawadalam#BabarAzam𓃵 #BabarAzam

— Danish Naeem Abbasi (@abbasidanish) July 15, 2022

A number of netizens quoted Babar’s message for the former Indian captain Kohli “This too, shall pass. Stay Strong” while expressing solidarity with Fawad on being dropped from the national side.

This too shall pass. Stay strong. #FawadAlam pic.twitter.com/Sts27vFDqb

— Saifi🇵🇰 (@Saifi_views) July 15, 2022

READ: Agha to debut as Pakistan unveils Playing XI for first Test against Sri Lanka

KARACHI: Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif termed the career of the left-handed batter, Fawad Alam, a ‘case study’ and advised the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to make a documentary on it.

Fawad’s 13-year-long career, in which the batter has seen many ups and down from the century on a Test debut, ICC T20 World Cup 2009 glory, 10-year absence from the National team and his infamous come back to the international circuit in 2020 has inspired the former cricketer Rashid, who asked the PCB to make a documentary over it.

“He saw many ups and downs including ten years of gap in international cricket. The career of Fawad Alam is a case study. PCB should make a documentary on the career of Fawad Alam,” Rashid stated.

The former wicket-keeper batter also welcomed Fawad’s inclusion in the Test squad for the Sri Lanka tour and heaped praises on the left-handed batter; terming him one of the best batters in first-class cricket.

“Fawad Alam is among the top batters in the history of first-class cricket,” Rashid concluded.

It is pertinent to mention here that Fawad had a series to forget when Australia toured Pakistan after a gap of 24 years in April this year. The left-handed batter could only manage to score 33 runs in two matches.

READ: ‘In Pakistan, your own people cannot stand your success’ Ahmed Shehzad

KARACHI: Former Pakistan skipper Shoaib Malik and the left-handed batter Fawad Alam are on a mysterious trip as they remained reluctant to share the details of their hectic vacation.

In the videos shared on the official Twitter handle of ARY Digital, the two cricketers can be seen enjoying vacations but at the same time working on something big.

Shoaib, who was dressed up in a rather different attire claimed that his vacation are going quite well but something is cooking as well. The veteran cricketer expressed his excitement but at the same time clarified that he can not reveal the details.

“Although the vacations are going really well but something is cooking as well. I can not reveal it but am very excited. In this get-up, vacation plus work is great fun, will meet soon,” Shoaib said in a video shared by ARY Digital.

Is the superstar Shoaib Malik on vacation or is something big about to happen? 🤔

Stay tuned to ARY Digital's social media pages to find out what's cooking! #ARYDigital #ComingSoon #TheUltimateMuqabla #BiggestGameshow #RealityShow @realshoaibmalik @Salman_ARY @Jerjees pic.twitter.com/6gmBjHhZVX

— ARY Digital (@arydigitalasia) June 23, 2022

The left-handed batter Fawad, on the other hand, who is known for his resilience and patience in cricket, seemed to be clueless about his ‘tough vacation’.

“What am I doing here? I have no clue about it and have gone blackout. I came for a vacation. But such a tough one? But, I will share it with you all so stay tuned,” Fawad asked his fans.

Wondering what the star cricketer Fawad Alam is upto? 🤔

Stay tuned to ARY Digital's social media pages to find out what's happening! #ARYDigital #ComingSoon #FawadAlam #TheUltimateMuqabla #BiggestGameshow #RealityShow @iamfawadalam25 @Salman_ARY @Jerjees pic.twitter.com/vFmESr7FyV

— ARY Digital (@arydigitalasia) June 23, 2022

 

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