The short-arm jabs through the leg side, the flowing, away-from-the-body drives through the covers and the tight defensive push back to bowler have all gone.

Despite the bulk, Nasir Jamshed looks quite frail at the crease now. One can almost hear the little man inside his head instructing him to swing while the body reacts more cautiously, almost unsure of what to do until the ball eventually hits the bat.

Jamshed looked like an almost certain fixture at the top for Pakistan in ODIs when he pinned India almost single-handedly in December last year. There was relief at the prospect of finally landing an opener who was self-assured, could play his strokes and hang in for a grind as well if needed. Yet, in his last 10 innings, the lefty has scored a mere 223 runs, all of which have come from a bat which has seemingly been in conflict with the man’s natural instinct.

“He has all the shots in the book, he can be aggressive and be more watchful. We are very excited about him,” Misbah-ul-Haq had said of the 23-year-old batsman at the start of the year. According to some in the Pakistan cricket circles, though, it has been captain Misbah’s dressing-down of Jamshed during this year’s Champions Trophy that has forced the opener into his uncertain state.

Former Australia captain Ian Chappell put it aptly after watching the Pakistani batsman play last year: “Nasir Jamshed has got a lot of skill - he plays proper cricket shots and is very strong on the leg side - but he strikes me as someone who bats how he expects other people expect him to bat. He needs to work out how he wants to bat."”

It is clear to everyone that Jamshed can bat. What matters now is that the management and captain realise that it will take time and a little bit of backing from them for the batsman to get back into his stride. For now, as former players call for the batsman's axing and Mohammad Hafeez’s promotion back up the order, it remains to be seen whether Jamshed will be afforded a little bit of patience.