England v Pakistan, ODI Series – Pakistan Player Ratings

Pakistan were on cloud nine when they managed to level with England in the Test series. Came the ODIs and the spirits were high. They were expected to take the same form forward in the limited overs. However, things had changed a bit. They were no longer under the leadership of Misbah-ul-Haq and Azhar Ali had the leadership role to play in ODIs.

Some senior players were left out and youngsters roped in. What followed was totally unexpected from Pakistan point of view. Pakistan were let down by their batting in the first 2 ODIs and then were thoroughly outplayed in the 3rd ODI when their bowlers faced the wrath of English batsmen in a historic game. The 4th ODI was a similar story and the last ODI saw Pakistan play for pride. They had a brief scare there as well. But some solid batting by Sarfraz Ahmed and Shoaib Malik saw them finally register an ODI win.

Here are the Pakistan Player ratings for the ODI series:

1. Sami Aslam – 2/10

Sami Aslam came in with a lot of promise after a good domestic season but couldn’t quite make a mark in the series. He played 3 matches in the series but could score only 33 runs at a poor average of just 11. He was picked up as the opener in the 2nd ODI where he had to struggle for 10 deliveries to score a solitary run.

In the next match that he played, his team needed to chase down a record total of 444. However, neither did he look comfortable nor did he show the intent. He managed to score only 8 runs in the match. He toiled hard for his 24 runs that came off 44 balls in the 4th ODI but was never enough for him to cement his place in the side.

Who is Sami Aslam’s role-model? – 9 Compelling facts about Sami Aslam

2. Azhar Ali – 7/10

A lot of was expected from skipper Azhar Ali in the tournament. On the personal front, Ali did manage to score runs, being Pakistan’s second leading run-getter in the series and the 4th highest among both teams. He aggregated 208 runs at an average of 41.60 in the 5 matches that he played. A couple of 80s for him looked bright but weren’t enough for his team to be over the line.

He kept switching between the opening slot and the one down position, a move that certainly backfired. He scored a brilliant 82 in the first match at The Rose Bowl and followed it up with poor scores in the next two games. Another 80 came in the 4th ODI but in the losing cause again. His captaincy wasn’t up to the mark either and his decisions on the field have come under the scrutiny. He gets 7 in the ratings based on his personal efforts.

3. Sharjeel Khan – 4/10

Sharjeel Khan was expected to steal all the limelight when the ODI series began. He announced himself in style when he scored a blitzkrieg 152 against Ireland prior to the commencement of the series. He was termed as the dark horse but he did not threaten any of the English bowlers. He scored 100 runs in 5 matches at an average of 20. The only bright spot being his strike rate that lingered in the 130s.

Scores of 16 and 0 were what he started off with before coming good in the 3rd ODI where he scored 58 off just 30 balls. But that is certainly not enough when you are chasing in excess of 400. He needs to show more temperament to play the long innings when needed. Throwing away your wicket in crunch games never helps your cause.

Also read – Stats: Sharjeel Khan claims fourth fastest Pakistani century

4. Babar Azam – 3/10

Yet another failure from Pakistan’s perspective was the middle order batsman Babar Azam. Azam failed to register any score in excess of 50. For a batsman coming in at number 4, his numbers in the series is simply not acceptable. His best effort came in the 1st ODi when he scored 40 off 42 balls. He looked good in the innings but couldn’t capitalize thereafter.

He got starts on most occasions but could not make it to a big match-winning score. He got in the 30s twice after his first match score of 40. With 122 runs in the 5 matches at an average just over 24, Azam was surely a disappointment for Pakistan in this series.

5. Shoaib Malik – 6/10

Veteran batsman Shoaib Malik had a poor start to the series. However, he did pull up his socks for the final game and was instrumental in Pakistan’s solitary win in the ODI series. He scored a brilliant 77 of just 80 balls and put on a crucial 163 run stand with Sarfraz Ahmed that helped Pakistan chase in excess of 300.

He was not picked up for the 4th ODI and had 3 disappointing outings prior to that. Malik failed to get among the runs early on but surely more than just covered up for it in his final knock in the series. He amassed 123 runs at an average of 30.75 in 4 matches. He gets 6 for his efforts on a tour when most of the Pakistani batsmen failed to score.

Also read – 13 facts about Shoaib Malik: An extraordinary all-rounder

6. Sarfraz Ahmed – 9/10

If there was a solitary bright spot for Pakistan in the tour, then it has to be Sarfraz Ahmed. He was undoubtedly the player of the series for them. He emerged as the leading run-getter of the series with 300 runs to his name in 5 matches at an average of 60 and an impressive strike rate of 91.74. Ahmed was the only centurion from the Pakistani team in the series.

He started off well with a quick 55 off just 58 balls in the first match and came out even stronger in the next match, scoring 105 off 130 balls. He rescued Pakistan from a hapless situation of being 2/3 in that match. He has been the rescue man for the team. He did it again in the final ODI where he scored a match-winning 90 off just 73 balls to ensure Pakistan had a win on  tour.

Also read – Sarfraz Ahmed appointed Pakistan T20 captain

7. Mohammad Rizwan – 6/10

Mohammad Rizwan got only two opportunities to play in the series. Rizwan aggregated 40 in those two matches. He got his first look in during the 4th ODI but succumbed under pressure as he scored just 6. He was on the hot seat yet again in the final ODI when Pakistan had lost both their set batsmen in quick succession in the run chase.

But the young man showed character and batted with ease as he scored an unbeaten 34 to ensure that Pakistan were over the line in time. For his resistance and calm approach, he gets 6 on the ratings.

8. Mohammad Nawaz – 4/10

All-rounder Mohammad Nawaz had a relatively calm outing during the series. He could not put up any stand out performance with the ball or bat that he could be very proud of. He bagged 2 wickets in 4 matches with a best of 1/31 but leaked out 62 runs in the 3rd ODI for his only other scalp on tour.

On the batting front, he scored 66 runs in 4 matches at an average of 22. His best was in the 3rd ODI when he scored 34 off 36 balls. In the final ODI, he should have seen the team through but was run out at a crunch time in the match. With time in hand, he could have handled the pressure situation there. Nawaz gets 4 on the ratings for an average outing.

9. Imad Wasim – 7/10

Imad Wasim largely impressed in the opportunities that he got. He was the 3rd leading run-getter for Pakistan in the series with 153 runs to his name in 4 matches. A stat fact to go with it is that Wasim was not dismissed even once during the tour. He started off with an unbeaten 17 before coming good in the 2nd match where he scored a brilliant 63* off 70 balls. He helped Sarfraz Ahmed rebuild Pakistan’s innings.

Yasir Shah was picked ahead of him for the 3rd ODi but made a comeback in the 4th to impress yet again. He scored an unbeaten 57 and then followed it up with an unbeaten 16 in the final ODI to ensure Pakistan’s lonely win in the series. With the ball, he was impressive too. He bagged 4 wickets in 4 matches with a best of 2/38 that came in the 2nd ODI. He had the best economy rate in the series (4.5).

Also check out – Watch: Imad Wasim gets run out in the most bizarre way

10. Yasir Shah – 1/10

The star of Pakistan’s historic Test campaign, Yasir Shah, got limited opportunities in the ODIs. Mohammad Nawaz and Imad Wasim played ahead of him in the starting lineup in the first ODI owing to their impressive show against Ireland. However, Yasir got his opportunities but could not make use of it.

He went wicketless in the 2 matches that he played. He was taken away for 62 runs in the 9.3 overs that he bowled in the 2nd ODI and was heavily beaten for 48 runs in 6 overs in the match that followed. Certainly, the wily leg-spinner has to work harder to come up good in the limited overs format. For a bowler of his calibre, this was poor series.

12. Wahab Riaz – 2/10

The case of Wahab Riaz is pretty much similar to that of every other Pakistani bowler on the tour. He had a disappointing tour as well. He played 3 matches on the tour and could bag only one wicket at an average of 186 – the worst among all bowlers in the series.  His solitary wicket came in the 2nd ODI where he finished with figures of 1/46 in 10 overs – his best performance of the series.

He was dropped from the  last two ODIs and Riaz certainly needs to look back at the poor performance and come up good in the future if he wishes to retain his spot in the starting eleven of the side.

Also check out – Shane Watson calls Wahab Riaz after the 3rd ODI

13. Mohammad Amir – 3/10

Mohammad Amir was the man hogging all the limelight prior to the commencement of the tour. However, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that he was one of the biggest disappointments on the tour. Neither did he have an extraordinary outing in the Tests, nor could he torment the batsmen in ODIs.

He bagged 4 wickets in 4 matches that he played with a best of 3/50. He went wicketless on two occasions which is a disappointing stat to know as a Pakistani fan. The only bright spot for him on the tour is the fact that he was economical compared to most other Pakistani bowlers.

14. Umar Gul – 3/10

The senior most bowler on the tour, Umar Gul, had a lot to play for in the series. To cope up with growing competition, Gul needed to come up with extraordinary performances and at the same time add value to the bowling line up with his experience. But Gul largely failed in doing so as he could manage to scalp only 3 wickets in 3 matches.

He was expensive throughout the tour and had an economy of 6.23 in the 3 matches that he played. His best was 1/39, which by his standards is far from being acceptable.

15. Hasan Ali – 7/10

Hasan Ali emerged as the leading wicket-taker for Pakistan on the tour. He bagged 8 wickets in 4 matches at a strike rate of 29.2. Although he did not feature in the starting eleven of the first ODI, he played in the remaining 4. He was expensive to start with in the 2nd ODI, bagging 1/52 in 9 overs. He was taken away for 74 runs for his 2 wickets in the match that followed.

His best performance came in the final ODI where he bagged his series best of 4/60 in 10 overs. Although he was amidst the wickets throughout the tour, he could put a brake to the English run flow. Speaking in his defence, no other bowler did that either. Hasan Ali could well be a bowler to look out for if groomed well by the coaches.

Also read – Mohammad Irfan ruled out of England tour, Hasan Ali to replace him for T20Is

16. Mohammad Irfan – 6/10

The tall pacer Mohammad Irfan got the only chance to feature in the series. He probably did his task in an effective manner in the only ODI that he got a look into. He played in the 4th ODI and bowled just 5 overs before being taken out of the attack. He gave away 25 runs and was successful in removing both the English openers, Alex Hales and Jason Roy, cheaply.

With an impressive showdown in the only opportunity that he got, Irfan could well be termed as the most successful bowler for Pakistan on the tour. He gets 6 on the ratings for his good bowling upfront with the new ball.