Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi believes that forming separate teams for Pakistan in white-ball and red-ball formats, which is quickly becoming the standard in international cricket, is quite difficult.

Afridi also thinks that Pakistan should not rely too heavily on captain Babar Azam and pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi.

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“It is difficult to make separate teams for both formats. We need to improve our bench strength. Proper bench strength will force players to do well consistently,” Afridi said while speaking to the media during a private event in Karachi.

“Pakistan team should not revolve around Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi only,” he added.

Afridi also believes that middle-order batter Fawad Alam "should have been part of the squad" for the upcoming three-match Test series against England later in December.

Fawad was dropped after scoring only 33 runs in four innings of three Tests earlier this year against Australia while scoring 25 runs in his only Test in Sri Lanka.

Despite scoring a century in his first Test appearance in 2009, Alam was dropped from Pakistan's squad just two matches later.

After more than a decade on the sidelines, the left-hander made his long-awaited return to the national team during Pakistan's 2020 tour of England.

The 37-year-old has played in 19 Test matches and scored 1011 runs, averaging 38.88, including five centuries and two fifties.

The England team will arrive in Pakistan on November 27 for the highly anticipated tour, with the first Test scheduled for December 1 in Rawalpindi.