Former Pakistan opening batsman Mohsin Hasan Khan has threw his weight behind opener Sharjeel Khan despite question marks over his fitness.  

While talking to Daily Express, Khan claimed that more than half of Pakistan’s current playing XI do not meet the required fitness standards.

“Opening has always been an issue for Pakistan,” said Mohsin. “Sharjeel Khan is a talented player. His fitness should not be a major concern because I think eight players in Pakistan’s playing eleven don’t meet the required standards so it does not make much of a difference.”

He was also disappointed with the lack of consistency in Men in Green’s performance, under Misbahul Haq, and the decision making by the current Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) administration. 

“When Imran Khan became the prime minister, I was expecting that the decisions in PCB will be taken on merit but that does not seem the case. Our cricket is derailing from the right track as there is no consistency in the national team’s performance,” he said. “There is lack of accountability with Misbah as the team’s head coach-cum chief selector. Who will you hold responsible when the head coach fields a side which he had selected himself?”

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“When I was the head coach of the side, PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt had offered me the role of chief selector as well but I refused because of conflict of interest,” he added.

The 65-year-old also heaped praise on Pakistan’s batting maestro Babar Azam, who has been a prolific run-getter in all three formats of the game in the recent past. 

“Babar has continued to perform well in all three formats despite the additional responsibility of the being the captain of the T20I side,” he said. “He is a disciplined player and a role-model for younger players in the country.”