It seems like the Pakistan batting coach is not happy with the early picking of players for international cricket. The former Pakistani Great feels that the players should be given time to establish themselves at their highest level.
He has also appealed to Pakistan’s citizens to not put intensive pressure on young Pakistan ahead of the South Africa Series. He also asked everyone to keep patience.
Pakistan has handed the test cap to 43 players in the last ten years and just three players have played more than 30 test matches!!
Younis Khan showed his concern on the player selection ahead of the test series against the Proteas. He said that the players have been selected in the test format by seeing their performances in other formats in two-three matches. A lot of players have been selected like this in the previous decade. He just gave his opinion that the players and the young side should be given time so that they can establish themselves as their highest players.
Younis’ concern seems right to me. I was looking at the test squad of Pakistan against South Africa and they are nine uncapped players in that squad. It means that nine out of 20 players will be playing red-ball cricket for the first time. Well, after a humiliating loss to New Zealand, the Pakistan team has seen many regular playing being dropped. A series can’t define a player and they should be given the chance dropping players can be an option but not the first.
Shan Masood, Mohammad Abbas, Imam ul Haq, Haris Sohail, and Naseem Shah are those regulars who have been dropped. Let’s see who has joined the squad.
Haris Rauf and Abdullah Shafique two white-ball specialists have been taken to the test squad along with few players who have been picked from the domestic cricket. Pakistan in the last decade from 2010 has handed the test cricket cap to 43 players. And you won’t believe me, just three players out them Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, and Sarfaraz Ahmed have played more than 30 test matches.
Babar Azam is the only successful output of this Pakistani experiment with the hope that he will achieve more. The team management has failed to develop that belief in the players to play long and consistently. And the struggle for the team is continuously running. In the end, Younis Khan said to ESPN that players should be given two or three series before entering into the longest format of the game. It becomes tough for the coaches to handle the young lads who are not that prepared mentally.
Conclusion
I am agreed with Younis Khan. We have recently seen India’s victory over Australia and the visitor was full of young and inexperienced boys but the bench strength of the Indian team is strong enough. Most of the new players in that Indian test Squad have great experience in the limited-overs format.
What is your opinion on this issue? Share with us.
