There is no such thing as a warm-up cricket match between Pakistan and India. Every match is fought to the bitter end. The so-called warm-up match on Monday was no exception. In fact it turned out to be a thriller in every sense of the word. Aside from the fact that Pakistan won, it should have provided the management with a fairly good idea of our team’s strength and weaknesses. The first and most serious offender is Umar Akmal. The pundits keep talking about his potential but mere potential does not put up any runs on the board which is what the team needs. So the selectors need to review his inclusion in the side. Next in line is Afridi .He too has not done much in the last many games. In fact it would not be wrong to say he is playing on his past reputation. Sohail Tanvir is also a doubtful starter. He has not taken many wickets and is very expensive. What can one say of Imran Nazir? He has been given numerous chances but has yet to come good. I do not pretend to know more than the selectors but the performance of Umar Akmal Afridi, Nazir and Tanvir has to be highlighted so that the team management does not get the feeling that no one else aside from them is watching.
The answer is to give a chance to the youngsters.
PARVEZ MASUD
Lahore