Crictier

Cricket strategy, matchups and tactical reads. Helping teams and fans see the game differently.

[Crictier @crictier]

@TUnlimitedd Australia usually move on from players before the decline becomes this obvious.

Marnus still has the reputation, but across two formats the output hasn’t matched the backing for a while now.

At some point, selection has to be based on current impact, not past trust.

[Crictier @crictier]

@was_abdd Funny how every Pakistan loss becomes a Babar debate.

Meanwhile the team was 59/5 chasing 232.

At some point we have to decide whether we're analysing cricket or just looking for a headline.

[Crictier @crictier]

@CallMeSheri1_ At this point the debate isn’t whether Shadab can bat.

It’s whether Pakistan can afford a frontline ODI spinner who isn’t taking wickets and is leaking runs.

One fighting 60 shouldn’t cover two games of bowling concern.

[Crictier @crictier]

Pakistan lost because they turned a chaseable ODI into a rescue mission at 59/5.

Shadab’s 63 was useful, but one recovery innings cannot erase the bigger question around his role with the ball.

Don’t pick a team off one half good performance. Pick it off repeatable value.

[Crictier @crictier]

Abrar strikes early and Australia are already 2 down.

This is where Pakistan look dangerous: new ball pressure backed up by spin before the innings settles.

ODIs are not just won at the death. Sometimes you win them by making the first 10 overs feel uncomfortable.

[Crictier @crictier]

@Abdullahhhh_56 Sufiyan Muqeem has done enough to at least deserve a proper run, especially when the current option is still struggling to define his ODI role.

At some point, “bench strength” has to actually leave the bench.

[Crictier @crictier]

@HassanAbbasian Babar scoring runs was never the issue.

The question is: with this level of consistency, should Pakistan be getting more game changing innings from him?

Is so, when will we see that match winner?

[Crictier @crictier]

@DoctorofCricket The obvious question is Shadab’s role. If Arafat is already giving you control and wickets, then the second spinner has to add threat, not just overs.

Sufiyan for Shadab is the real debate.

[Crictier @crictier]

@CoachHesson Fair point, Coach. The venue variation across SA, Zimbabwe and Namibia is important context.

The real challenge now is making sure preparation reflects that full range: spin friendly surfaces, true pace, slower decks.

Variety has to be the plan, not just the explanation.

[Crictier @crictier]

@ESPNcricinfo The split powerplay idea is the most interesting one.

Right now T20s reward batting momentum too easily. Giving captains more flexibility with when to attack could bring tactics back into the format.

The best rule changes don’t just reduce runs. They create better decisions.

[Crictier @crictier]

@mufaddal_vohra That celebration tells you everything.

Kohli knew that wicket wasn’t just another moment. It was the pressure finally breaking in RCB’s favour.

Finals are about small shifts becoming huge ones, and he felt that shift before anyone else.

[Crictier @crictier]

@LoyleRohitFan Calling him a fraud is unfair.

The real concern is role pressure.

When you are captain, opener and face of the batting unit, 30s and 40s don’t carry the same weight anymore. In finals, reputation needs one innings that changes the room.

[Crictier @crictier]

@IPL2025Auction RCB fans have waited long enough for this timeline.

If Kohli lifts another one tonight, X might actually break.

[Crictier @crictier]

@Sher__Ali The longevity is unreal, but the scary part is how he’s still adapting.

18 years in and Kohli is not just surviving on reputation. He’s changing tempo earlier, taking on matchups quicker, and still reading big moments better than most.

[Crictier @crictier]

@cricbuzz Earlier Rabada had success because he could keep him locked into lower risk scoring zones.

This season Kohli has attacked the length earlier, accessed both sides of the wicket, and stopped Rabada from building dots.

That’s how a matchup flips.

[Crictier @crictier]

@SelflessCricket Harsh, but this is what finals do.

They don’t just test whether you deserved to be there, they expose whether your game holds up when the pressure peaks.

GT had the route, the names and the structure.

Tonight, RCB had the moment.

[Crictier @crictier]

@ESPNcricinfo Kohli didn’t just score quickly, he took the fear out of the chase before GT could build pressure.

Big players don’t wait for the moment to settle.

They settle it themselves.

[Crictier @crictier]

RCB are 11 runs away from ending years of heartbreak.

Kohli gave them the belief, the bowlers dragged GT into pressure, and now it’s almost there.

Some finals are won by dominance. This one feels like it’s being won by finally refusing to collapse under the weight of history.

[Crictier @crictier]

@Abdullahh_56 This was a proper Babar ODI innings.

Not flashy, not forced, just control when Pakistan needed calm.

On a surface where 200 was competitive, he read the chase, absorbed the pressure, and kept Australia from turning a small target into a messy one.

[Crictier @crictier]

@HuzaifaKhan021 Context matters here.

Chasing 201, Babar doesn’t need to force a boundary every over. His job is to control the chase.

But the criticism is still fair to a point, if a batter absorbs pressure, he eventually has to release it too.