Malik, Hafeez cannot offer more: Ramiz

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: Former skipper Ramiz Raja believes the duo of Shoaib Malik and Muhammad Hafeez have enjoyed their prime in Pakistan cricket and expecting more from them would be a mistake.

Malik and Hafeez have been recalled in the 15-player squad for the Twenty20s against Bangladesh scheduled to be played in Lahore on January 24, 25 and 27.

On the selection Malik and Hafeez, Pakistan chief selector and head coach Misbah-ul-Haq said we had tried alternate combinations in the series against Sri Lanka and Australia, but didn’t work the way we had expected.

“Malik and Hafeez bring a total of 200 T20s between them and if you mix these with the other youngsters we have in the side, then I think it becomes a good blend of experience and youth,” Misbah said. Giving his point of view on the T20 squad, Ramiz, who scored 5,841 runs in 198 ODIs, said he doesn’t have any personal grudge against Malik or Hafeez but they have played their best cricket and can’t offer anything more.

“If the duo’s selection was made on experienced basis then why were they not selected for the series against Australia? At this age (Malik 37, Hafeez, 39) they cannot contribute much,” he said on his YouTube channel.

Ramiz, who played 57 Tests scoring 2,833 runs, said no long term planning was seen in the selection process of the team and the new think tank was not heading in the right direction with these types of decisions. “I feel the selection was made fearing for losing the matches against Bangladesh,” he said.