Younis believes Ahmed should not have even been selected for the tour
Former Pakistan pace bowler Waqar Younis has voiced his anger towards the national selectors, stating that they do not have the right frame of mind when it comes to selecting the quick bowlers for overseas tours.
Younis questioned the selectors’ decision to include medium pacers Tanvir Ahmed and Rahat Ali in the squad for the recently concluded South Africa tour.
“Pakistan is known for its fast-bowling legacy over the last five decades,” Waqar told ESPNcricinfo. “We are better than this and have better options than Tanvir. I don’t know what the selectors and team management have seen in him. Do they not know we need a bowler who can bowl with sheer pace in South Africa? Where is Aizaz Cheema and Wahab Riaz? Why weren’t they picked in the first place?”
Ahmed last represented Pakistan in May 2011, after which he was dropped due to his inconsistency and fitness.
He ended up playing four Tests and took 16 wickets before his international career was derailed, which saw him sidelined for nearly the next two years.
Ahmed failed to impress anyone with his performance during the Test series, but Younis pointed out that he was not the only culprit.
“The problem isn’t Tanvir,” Younis said. “It lies with the selectors and the team think-tank who have to decide where they are going.
“I am really disappointed with Umar Gul, too. In my time, consistency was the key for every bowler. There was always a plan and a back-up plan every time, with a lot of commitment, but here everything looked uncertain.”
Despite being known for having an all-star pace attack, Pakistan have heavily relied upon their spinners over the past three years, especially after pace duo Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir was banned after being found guilty of match-fixing.
Saeed Ajmal has become Pakistan’s saving grace as of late and Younis was full of praise for the unorthodox spinner.
“He [Ajmal] will continue to play his part with success – because he knows his role and his line and length,” Younis said. “We talk about our fragile batting, but it’s the fast bowlers who are letting the team down. Gul looked bad with both the new and old ball.”
Younis also noted that Pakistan wasted their opportunities with the new ball throughout the Test series.
“We bowled to their strengths,” Younis added. “South Africa simply bowled in the right areas at perfect lengths. Pakistan were in a good position in the second Test, thanks to Ajmal’s outstanding bowling. But we lost the opportunity and handed them a win.”