Youth or experience in T20 cricket: Azhar Ali defends Asad Shafiq

The 34-year-old Test specialist has scored 134 runs at an average of 22.3 in six matches

PHOTO: AFP

Pakistan’s Test captain Azhar Ali and commentator Tariq Saeed had a heated exchange on air over the inclusion of senior batsman Asad Shafiq in the Sindh team for the semi-final of the National T20 Cup.

Saeed believes it was unfair of Sindh to drop young batsman Saud Shakeel for Shafiq. However Azhar argued that Shafiq has previously been a top scorer in the National T20 Cup on two previous occasions.

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Saeed maintained that young players should be preferred in the T20 format. Azhar wasn’t ready to budge either from his argument and said that senior players should not be written off just because of their age.

The 34-year-old Test specialist has scored 134 runs at an average of 22.3 in six matches, whereas Shakeel has played only three matches in the ongoing National T20 and scored 51 runs.

Here is the exchange: