Mohammad Hafeez: “If they are doing the job okay lower down the order, they should stay there”
Image courtesy of: Unsplash
Pakistan batsman Mohammad Hafeez said if Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz are doing well lower down the order, there is no need to promote them.
This comes after Pakistan captain Babar Azam identified the duo as players who can strengthen Pakistan’s middle order in limited overs cricket.
Hafeez made it clear that Shadab and Nawaz have the ability to thrive higher up, but noted that “they need practice for that at the international level”.
“I’m not saying that Shadab or Nawaz don’t have the ability but for them to bat higher up the order, they need practice for that at the international level. If they are doing the job okay lower down the order, they should stay there,” Hafeez told Cricwick.
Azam and Nawaz recently featured in the two-Test series against Sri Lanka, which ended as a 1-1 draw.
Azam was the highest run-scorer for Pakistan in the series with 271 runs, which included a century and two fifties, at an average of 67.75.
As for Nawaz, he took 10 wickets at an average of 26.10.
Pakistan will now tour the Netherlands, where they will play three ODIs in Rotterdam from August 16 to 21.
They will then take part in the Asia Cup, which will be held in the UAE from August 27 to September 11.
Pakistan squad for Netherlands ODIs:Â Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shahnawaz Dahani, Zahid Mehmood
Pakistan squad for Asia Cup:Â Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shahnawaz Dahani, Usman Qadir