One man’s loss is another man’s gain. This age old idiom is perfectly embodied by one Mohammad Hafeez; with Salman Butt fighting court battles and Kamran Akmal on the sidelines learning new ways to drop a catch, Hafeez has swooped in and cemented himself not only as an opener but as the number one all-rounder in the team.
Hafeez is not some new kid on the block. Since making his debut in 2003, Hafeez remained on the fringes of the national squad and never looked like fulfilling the potential he showed early in his career. The inevitable as some called it then, eventually took seven long years but such has been the upturn in fortunes over the last 18 months that the man known as the ‘Professor’ is now being tipped as the successor to Misbah
Hafeez, over the last year or so has become an integral member of the national team and more importantly across all formats. His handy off-spin has been transformed into a reliable and economical proposition so much so that his captains have often employed him early on in the piece, most notably against West Indies, in the quarterfinals of the World Cup 2011, where his metronomical accuracy laid the foundations for an emphatic victory. Never a big turner of the ball, the hallmarks of his bowling have been the unerring control and the subtle variations which ensure that his efficiency is not reduced when playing on unproductive surfaces.
The most important change though, has come in the shape of his batting, which after all is his primary job. While his overall numbers are modest and his recent exploits far from being earth shattering, it is the improvement and consistency Hafeez has shown which is most encouraging. Post-2010, Hafeez, in ODI’s has scored his runs at an average of almost 40, a far cry from his pre-2010 days when he averaged a pathetic 17.5. All his three centuries have come in the year 2011 and while the opposition on all three occasions was not the most intimidating; the knocks reflect a growing sense of maturity. Prior to his purple patch, Hafeez was often at the receiving end of accusations labelling him a selfish player but he has shown what an extended run in the national team can do to your confidence.
Stodgy and stifled performances with the bat have given way to authoritative and fluent displays coming at a strike rate of 78, which used to dwindle to the mid 60s Hafeez, it appears, has finally struck a balance between style and substance.
The general consensus in and around the team is that he is a thinking cricketer, meticulous in his approach and looks to be part of the solution rather than the problem – all good signs if you’re being talked about as the future captain.
The captaincy at the moment may prove to be premature even though he appears to tick all the boxes. It should be worth mentioning that he does have some experience with regards to the job, having captained Pakistan A in the past. At 31, he has the ideal blend of experience and having enough cricket left in him to lead the side for some time If the PCB do feel that he is the man to take over after Misbah retires, it may not be a bad option to hand over the reins to Hafeez in the shorter format sometime in the near future and look to build from there.
All said and done, Hafeez is not the finished article by any stretch of imagination. He must look to sustain his recent form with both bat and ball and consolidate his standing by converting those stylish thirties and forties into bigger and more substantial scores in both ODI’s and Tests if he wishes to stay in the team, let alone lead the side. Question marks remain over his ability to perform against the best and in demanding conditions but such is the paucity of good opening batsmen in the country that Hafeez’s adequacy will have to do for now.
