So Klaasen and Miller should open for SA? If the theory held up they'd win every game.
Dhoni used to regularly say that anyone can open but you needed the best batters to finish. He maintained openers didn't have to strategize as much, just see ball hit ball.
A genuine question, when did Dhoni say this quote?
If there's swing on offer the new ball swings for about 4 or 5 overs. There's also a bit more bounce and nip in the first 5. Enough to be significant.
You're also facing their best quick most times and his adrenaline is pumping, sometimes their best 2 quicks.
As far as pace goes, swing is what really troubles batters. Hands down. Swing and bounce is tough to deal with and it becomes less after 4-6 overs.
If you've never really opened how easy is it to suddenly give it a go? Its a big thing to get your head around.
Personally I don't think Raza would do well. He's opened for us a couple of times and against "lesser" attacks and he couldn't get it away for the first 3 or 4 overs.
He also faces spin better than most of our guys, so make sure he's at the crease when they come on, surely?
From what I can tell, in T20's team often open with spin. Even so, Raza strikes pace well too.
Just read an interesting article where they compared red ball averages of guys who'd opened and also batted middle order and it surprisingly didn't show too much difference. The individuals differed but the spread was strange, some guys did better opening. But this was red ball.
We currently have nothing to lose, except even more credibility it would be an interesting move.
Way I see it, Raza is capable of a 40 ball 80, but not capable of doing that coming in at 11th over.
Cricinfo profile of the 'James Bond' of cricket:
FULL NAME: Angus James Mackay
BORN: 13 June 1967, Harare
KNOWN AS: Gus Mackay
I'd have to re-watch every IPL game he played in to find where he said that in his post match interviews, but as a fact he said it. Basically said finishers had to be able to change gear and openers only needed to be one dimensional. Twice that I recall. He was a little dismissive actually, it's why I remember it well.
Less applicable on tricky pitches than on the IPL belters.
Ya that's why I said one seamer and sometimes two.
When they open with spin it generally doesn't spin much, it's usually one over to get a cheap quick over in, sometimes theyll give the guy a second over. Openers are used to it now. Ball doesn't usually turn much, harder to grip and it's the pace off that they're hoping buys a cheap over. The bulk of the spin comes in the middle overs and that's also where they usually have to bowl their 5th or 6th bowler and is often the guy you can go after.
It's well known Raza doesn't do as well against genuine pace. A bit like Williams in this regard. He's improved over time as we know. We're all waiting to see that big innings from Raza that has won us pretty much the only games we've won in the last couple of years, truth be told. That great purple patch he had under Houghton is proving elusive.
I hope they do try him up front. We've not got a lot to lose, we're on a hiding to nothing at the moment. Man for man the Indians have more ability and have played more games at a higher level. Raza needs a big innings for his IPL aspirations, if he thinks he'll feature up the order he'll volunteer himself, trust me on that. Let's see...
In fact he probably has the clout to bat himself where he feels he'll do best. And wherever that is it's good for the team so it's not a personal thing, and yet he chooses to bat middle order.
Ya am not sure whether he volunteered or DH thought it was a good idea. He struggled. The pitches were diabolical though. Absolutely soaked to the point of unplayable to favor Namibia who were used to those conditions and have two very good spinners.
Kaia and Ervine were injured and Welch had been benched.
Ya the whole thing was a disaster. We should curate decks like that
Ya those guys injured or benched, zero faith in some players hiding them down the order and promoting Wellington. Maybe Raza was the only guy left to open.
If we are maybe 10-2 off 1.4 overs and it's Wes and Marumani who are out then it's a poor situation.
But if we are 10-2 off 1.4 overs and it's Raza out then it's a total disaster, everyone will panic and we will likely be all out for 50. If he opens and he goes early it's probably game over.
I agree with the point about needing good batters to open, yes, but you do need someone good to 'finish' or shore things up as well. Obviously Raza isn't having a great series with the bat, but based on what we've seen over the past few years he's our best bat and we rely on him hugely and he's largely done it batting at 4 or 5, as he has for every franchise around the world. He's good in that position. Why would you mess with the one thing that works in our team?
Also you need someone with experience and some mental resilience to 'finish' sometimes when chasing or to come in and shore things up when we are 3 or 4 down for not many runs. You'd back Raza to do a better job of that than some flaky 21 year old's that have so far displayed the mental resilience of a wet aubergine.
As I've said I'd like to see Burl and Naqvi open, as they seem to have the shots and ability as well as the experience. That would allow a couple of youngsters in the middle order and then Raza at 5. That has balance.
The example Googly giving of Miller and Klaasen should open for RSA is unrelatable. Why will they open when RSA already have QDK as an opener and the likes of Markram ahead of them?
Same goes for players like Maxwell, SKY, Stoinis, Phillips...
Anyways my point here was not about Raza opening or not... It was about opening slot is actually the best position to bat in present day.
In ODIs may be as SZ said in Zimbabwe batting first, may be opening is tough but across the world if you see opening position is the way to go in both T20s and ODIs.
I don't know why all of you think opening the batting in LOIs is a difficult thing??? It is the best place to bat... These days the ball doesn't do much, the pitches are usually flat and you get full quota of overs to bat. The hard ball also travels far. You see most of the big run getters across the world in LOIs are openers.
It's a different thing altogether that Zimbabwe hasn't been able to produce a single good opening batsman in recent times. That's a shame.
Batting at 6 is far more difficult. You have to go right from the word go, no time to settle and the softer ball is a bit difficult to hit.
Everyone is assuming Knackers is guaranteed success at international level. That remains to be seen. He didn't do that well in UK and when he hangs around here facing easier opposition maybe the system will create yet another mediocre player from a potentially good one?
it would be an interesting move.
