Former cricketers question Misbah’s performance

Pakistan’s former cricketers have questioned the role of head coach-cum-chief selector Misbahul Haq after the Men in Green’s two-nil Test series loss against a dominant Australia Down Under.

Pakistan’s former Test cricketer Mudassar Nazar has termed the Men in Green’s recent performance as ‘disappointing’ after the team’s clean sweep at the hands of Australia. 

“The two senior players fast-bowlers Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz retired at an unfortunate time which has really affected the team. Misbahul Haq is probably feeling the pressure of his dual appointment however it is upto him to decide about his immediate future,” said Nazar.

The former batsman believed that it was really hard for the young pacers to perform well in Australia due to the increased pressure.

“The young pacers were taking part in their first big challenge and were under a lot of pressure. Naseem Shah and Musa Khan played as the main strike bowlers for the team.  It is really hard for youngsters to perform well in Australia,” he said.

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 Nazar criticised the performance of Pakistan’s skipper Azhar Ali who has not performed upto the mark for the last two years.

“Azhar Ali has failed to contribute with the bat in the last two years which is a cause for concern. He needs to focus on his performance. Experienced Pakistan sides in the past have also been unsuccessful in Australia. A lot of work needs to be done to end this tradition,” he said.

Former Test cricketer Mohammad Ilyas also questioned the role of Misbah, however, he stated that the newly appointed head coach-cum-chief selector deserved some time to turn things around for the Men in Green.

“Misbahul Haq will have to make a decision regarding his future. I believe that he should be given more time. This was just his second series. To apply so much pressure is not right. To hope that a young team can win in Australia is not realistic. I think they would have learned a lot from this experience which will help them in the future. I hope these young players can perform better against Sri Lanka and prove their worth,” said Ilyas.