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‘He must develop himself as an all-rounder’ – Former Pakistan cricketer on Faheem Ashraf

Faheem Ashraf was one of the main all-rounders in Pakistan cricket for a long time. In the 2017-2018 period, the right-arm medium pacer was at his best form in Limited overs cricket. While the 29-year-old continued to perform in Test cricket, his form went down gradually in the shorter formats. Ahead of the 2023 ODI World Cup, Ashraf does not have enough form to have a say on his spot in Pakistan’s squad.  

Since 2019, Ashraf’s form has been decent in Test cricket. In 13 matches since 2019, Ashraf has 550 runs in 21 innings at an average of 27.50, including 3 fifty. In ODIs, Ashraf has been mediocre at best since 2021. In 15 matches in the period, Ashraf has 114 runs at an average of just 10.36 with the bat. With the ball, Ashraf has been much worse.   

 The medium pacer claimed only 5 wickets at a bowling average of 130.20, which is forgettable. In T20Is, Ashraf has 215 runs in 25 matches at a batting average of 12.65 since 2019. With the ball, Ashraf has claimed 15 wickets in the period, at a bowling average of 38.13. Speaking about Ashraf’s bad form, former Pakistani cricketer Kamran Akmal spoke on his Youtube channel

He does not have noteworthy performances of late: Akmal

“The Indian white-ball team is never complete without Hardik Pandya. He is there every time an Indian team is announced in white-ball cricket. You look at his record, he has won matches for his team with both bat and ball. It is time Faheem Ashraf started to perform like him. It has been so long now; he must show some maturity. I want Faheem Ashraf to be a surety in Pakistan’s white-ball team whenever it’s announced yet. He must develop himself as an all-rounder. He must show that responsibility,” said Akmal as he compared Ashraf to the Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya.   

“It’s a big thing for him that the team management, the coach, Babar, and even Inzamam bhai, who has just arrived, have all shown faith in him. He doesn’t have noteworthy performances of late, in domestic cricket as well as in PSL. Despite that, they’re showing confidence in him and it’s time he does justice to it” said Akmal.