Despite an emphatic series victory over England in the recently concluded test series, the Pakistan team was brought back to earth with a rather shambolic performance in the four-match One Day International (ODI) series which England sealed with a margin of 3-1.
There have been calls for removing the Pakistan coach Waqar Younis and ODI captain Azhar Ali, however these demands seem to be rather hasty, Azhar was only appointed as captain earlier this year and has performed well so far. The decision to appoint him as the captain was made after careful consideration and the consensus was that he is the best available option for the captaincy slot.
The recent series loss to England has raised some questions but at the same time the critics must realize that it takes some time for a captain to settle, chopping and changing too often is never the answer. The fact that Pakistan has lost two of its best spinners in Saeed Ajmal and Muhammad Hafeez and recent injuries that ruled out key players such as Harris Sohail, Sohaib Maqsood and Imad Wasim have also been a factor in the team’s poor performance.
Perhaps Pakistan’s most glaring deficiency is in the fast bowling department, this is where the team desperately needs a top class bowler. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) should look to bring the supremely talented Muhammad Amir back into the fold, now that he has completed his ban and seems to have regained his rhythm.
With a bit of patience the current crop of players will certainly deliver the results under the captaincy of Azhar Ali, and the team will soon rise from its currently lowly eighth placed ranking in the ODI standings.
Calls for removal of the captain are too early, with a bit of patience the results will come.
