Aamer Sohail: “If we are struggling in the batting department and are having to fall-back on veterans like Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik then why not try out some youngsters and do justice to their talent”

Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo

Former Pakistan captain Aamer Sohail believes that veteran all-rounders Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik shouldn’t have been picked for the tour of England.

Aamer noted that Pakistan have to stop falling back on them and instead pick talented players who are doing well in domestic cricket.

He added that if Pakistan continue to rely on Hafeez and Malik, they run the risk of not having many players who are ready to take the step up to international cricket in the future.

“There are always differing views whenever a squad is selected for a series, but my biggest reservation is regarding the choice of batsmen,” Aamer wrote in his blog for PakPassion. “We were led to believe that PCB’s reorganisation of the domestic structure which involved the elimination of departmental teams and the introduction of six teams in the First-Class and an equal number of 2nd XI sides would lead to an improvement in the quality of our cricketers.

“Well, I don’t see the top performers in First-Class cricket included in the squad and to me that is nothing but an admission of failure by the PCB in terms of what they wanted to achieve by changing the domestic structure.

“If we are struggling in the batting department and are having to fall-back on veterans like Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik then why not try out some youngsters and do justice to their talent, and get some good back-ups ready as well?

Pakistan are scheduled to play three Tests and three T20 Internationals against England, with the first Test starting on August 5 and the T20 series beginning on August 28.

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