Ajmal reveals which two Pakistan players should have been in the World Cup squad

Posted on by
Saeed Ajmal believes Mohammad Amir and Asif Ali should have been in Pakistan's World Cup squad cricket

Saeed Ajmal: “Mohammad Amir should have been in the team”

Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo

Ex-Pakistan spinner Saeed Ajmal believes that left-arm seamer Mohammad Amir and big-hitting batsman Asif Ali should have been included in the World Cup squad.

Amir was most likely left out of the World Cup squad due to his abysmal form in ODIs since the conclusion of the Champions Trophy in June 2017 as he has taken five wickets in 14 matches at an average of 92.60.

However, he has been included in Pakistan’s squad for the five-match ODI series against England, which will run from May 8 to 19.

“You need experienced players in a World Cup. Mohammad Amir should have been in the team,” Ajmal told Sport360. “Pakistan should have announced the same 15-member squad for the England series that would have played the World Cup. Now they have two extra players (for the England ODI series). It’s a bit of a mix and match.

“My thinking is that Amir is an experienced player. He won us the Champions Trophy final. He should have played.

“The conditions in England suit fast bowlers. Amir is the one Pakistan bowler who swings the ball both ways. Experience is experience. A player can’t perform all the time. Even the biggest players go through a bad patch.”

As for Asif, he was snubbed despite having a solid campaign at the Pakistan Super League (PSL), where he accumulated 281 runs in 12 games for Islamabad United, which included two half-centuries, at an average of 35.12 and an incredible strike-rate of 182.46.

“The team that has been picked looks OK in batting. One player they should have taken is Asif Ali,” he said. “Pakistan need a pinch hitter who can hit 15 runs an over. (Top order batsman) Abid Ali is a decent player, but the fact is the team needs a pinch hitter.”

Pakistan are allowed to make changes to their World Cup squad without permission from the International Cricket Council (ICC) until May 23.

The men in green will kick off their World Cup campaign against the West Indies in Nottingham on May 31.

[interaction id=”5c1d9088e5245c5b0b264d12″]