It is important to look at the number of chances he was given because a player may keep performing but can’t do wonders until he’s provided a significant opportunity. Let us first see his numbers compared to some of the modern-day greats who also had difficulties in their early international careers.

First Few Years’ Performances of Modern-Day Greats

All the players mentioned above are among the modern-day greats and players who have made an impact in ODIs. The above table analyzes what these greats were after few international matches, but the below stats show how much of a difference these greats had from their initial stints to now.

Each of the batsmen has been able to score runs after initially struggling, and one of the most important facts is a drastic improvement in strike rates. This is where Khurram Manzoor had let it off. He has been low on strike rate whenever he has scored runs, which is a modern-day requirement. Even strike rates in the early 80s are below-par nowadays. However, returning to the number of chances, the number of matches he played are too few to judge his career as an international player.

Khurram Manzoor debuted in 2007 in ODIs. At the time, he had played 21 List A matches with an average of 49.11 (SR 80.29) along with 2 centuries and 5 half-centuries. With an average of 3 innings per 50+ score, he showed a lot of promise, but his strike rate was only 80 when strike rates in international cricket were on the way up. A few of the matches he played for Pakistan were against the decent bowling attacks of Sri Lanka, West Indies, and Zimbabwe. He surpassed 50 on three occasions but at a relatively lower strike rate. At the same time, Kamran Akmal was going all guns blazing in the late order and was a strong contender for the opening spot.

Domestic and international cricket pose different types of challenges, such as viewership and strict scrutiny. Therefore, all aspects are important. Thus, SR is as important as anything else for a batsman. It was in the 2010s where Khurram really began to hit big runs in List A cricket with ease. However, his strike rate was perhaps still lower than what the Pakistan team felt was necessary. If he was to be provided a chance in limited-overs, 2012 or 2013 would have been ideal as he was coming off three successful seasons of 50-over cricket. His selection and the process of dropping him from the Test team is another matter of great debate, which has been the case for many openers in Pakistan.

Performances in 50-over games since 2012

Performance in T20s till date

Highest run-scorers in the 2021 Pakistan Cup

In the recently concluded Pakistan Cup, Khurram finished as the second-highest run-scorer. However, his strike rate was below the average SR for openers in the tournament (92.75). Still, his strike rate since 2012 (as shown above) is a healthy 92. Therefore, the fact that he didn’t play an ODI again after 2009, particularly during his peak years, will remain one of the more puzzling things about Pakistan cricket. It becomes even more difficult to understand when one considers Pakistan’s various opening options during the 2010s.

Perhaps Khurram can still become a valuable asset in PSL as the time for him to be picked in international cricket may be behind him now, as he turns 35 later this year. He can still play cricket for a few more years, keeping his fitness and performance in consideration. Ideally, he would like to become a PSL regular now. Still, he will surely be remembered as a prolific domestic cricketer – and one of the domestic greats – excelling in opening the batting.

The opinions expressed solely belong to the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Grassroots Cricket.