Shoaib Malik To Lead Pakistan In ODI Series Against Australia

It seems like Pakistan wants to make most of the opportunities from the next couple of series against Australia and England. The chief selector of Pakistan Inzamam Ul Haq wants every player of his side to be fully fit ahead of the grand event. For the same, he doesn’t want to risk any players, who recently sustained injuries and continuing their rehab process. Meanwhile, Shoaib Malik will take captaincy role in absence of Sarfraz Ahmed.

Speaking of the possibilities for the squad selection against Australia, Inzamam quoted that they are eyeing to rest a few players including the regular skipper Sarfraz Ahmed. In his absence, Shoaib Malik would lead the team with a young unit present in the dressing room.

”This is my idea [to rest Sarfaraz] and a few others. Our players have been playing for quite a long time. I don’t think players should play for that long. So I am resting those who are under a lot of stress from last five months and playing in all three formats,” he said to ANI.

We need players to be 100% fit:

Further, he went on to add saying that the fitness of the players is their main concern. He wants to go into the tournament like ICC World Cup 2019 with fresh legs. Inzamam doesn’t want any stiff backs, hamstring injuries for the players during the progress of the event.

“If you enter in any event, I have a strong belief that you should go [in] with fresh legs, fresh minds, instead of having injuries like stiff backs, shoulder injury, elbow problem or hamstring injury. I don’t think we should enter into such a big tournament like this,” he quoted.

”We have to enter the tournament with players who are 100 per cent fit and fresh both physically and mentally. Within two months of time, starting from England series, we have to play around 20 to 21 games and it will be a hectic outing to England including practice matches,” Inzamam said.

Umar Akmal might get the nod:

The injury of Mohammad Hafeez is a major blow for the team. However, the selector is confident of the cricketers like Umar Akmal and Hussain Talat, who are in a good form for their respective sides. In fact, Talat travelled to Pakistan as well.

”The injury of Mohammad Hafeez is a major blow for the team. However, the selector is confident of the cricketers like Umar Akmal and Hussain Talat, who are in a good form for their respective sides. In fact, Talat travelled to Pakistan as well,” Inzamam Ul Haq inferred.

Well, it would be a nice decision from the Pakistan board to rest their players for the upcoming bilateral series. In not only helps the regular players to take rest but also helps the management to find their reserves for the major event.