Hafeez believes Pakistan will have more “quality cricketers” if they play more Test matches
Pakistan batsman Mohammad Hafeez has urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to organise more Test series for the national team, stating that they are in desperate need of it and added that the longer format substantially helps to develop and improve a team.
In the last five years, Pakistan have played 35 Test matches, which is only more than Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, while England on the other hand, have played 63.
“It’s unfortunate that we get less Test matches,” Hafeez said. “We played three Tests in January [2012] and then three in June, and again after six months we will play in South Africa, which is hard on us. I would urge the board to take up this issue and try to schedule more Test matches for us because I believe players only develop by playing Test matches.
“Test cricket produces good quality cricketers, like we have found Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq. We need to promote Test cricket but if we play only six Tests in a year then it will be tough. I think PCB needs to fight for more Tests in the next fixture because you get quality cricketers from Test cricket.”
According to the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Future Tours Programme (FTP), Pakistan are scheduled to play 88 Tests between 2012 and 2020.
Pakistan will play ten Tests this year and have a huge gap before they are supposed to host Australia for a three-Test series in October 2014.
In the last four years, Pakistan have had to play all of their ‘home’ series in the United Arab Emirates after the Sri Lankan team were attacked by militants in March 2009, which has made all other nations uneasy about touring the war-torn country.
Pakistan are currently touring South Africa and are 1-0 down in the three-Test series.
However, even before the national team flew to South Africa, Hafeez knew the series was going to be no walk in the park.
“A Test series in South Africa will be challenging because the conditions are different,” Hafeez said. “We played there in 2007 but this time we are carrying an entirely new combination.
“They have a good combination of batting and bowling but we too are going there after winning our series in India, which has lifted our morale a lot.”
Pakistan have included youngsters Mohammad Irfan and Ehsan Adil in the pace attack, along with Junaid Khan and Umar Gul and Hafeez stated that while he may not agree with some of the choices, he would respect every decision the PCB and national selectors decide to make since they know what is best.
“It’s a decision of the selection committee,” Hafeez said.
However, Hafeez admitted that his “side is short of another fast bowler”, but noted that he had full confidence in the bowling attack which had been assembled.
“We have an emerging bowler in Junaid Khan and then Umar Gul is very experienced,” Hafeez said. “Mohammad Irfan is also progressing well.”