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Current Pak team weakest-ever: Mushtaq
The Pakistan team selected to tour India is the "weakest-ever" and resembles a club side, according to Mushtaq Mohammad.
The Pakistan team selected to tour India is the "weakest-ever" and resembles a club side, according to Mushtaq Mohammad who is rated as one of the shrewdest captains that the country has produced.
The former player also said that after learning about the make-up of the Pakistani squad, Indian skipper Sourav GangulyGanguly "must be laughing" while Inzamam-ul Haq must be having his fingers crossed.
"This is the weakest ever Pakistan team selected for any tour. The team that visited England in 1978-79 under Wasim Bari was definitely weak but it was because of unavoidable reasons as there was ban on cricketers who had signed for Kerry Packer," Mushtaq said in an interview to PTI.
"But I am sorry to say that this Pakistan team looks like a club team to me," he said as Pakistan gear up for their first full-fledged series, involving three Tests and six one-day internationals, in India in six years.
"Sourav must be laughing and feeling very confident because he has seen most of the players in Pakistan last year and knows their weaknesses. As far as Inzamam is concerned, he must have his fingers crossed. He will be hoping that his boys put up a better performance than what they showed in Australia."
Mushtaq was unsparing in his comments on the Pakistani batsmen saying "barring a couple of them, there are no quality batsmen in the side. They have faulty techniques, are too flashy, have no footwork, no temperament and consequently they are inconsistent," he said.
Other than Inzamam and Yousuf Youhana, there were no batsmen in the team who could survive two sessions, the 62-year-old Mushtaq said.
"The little that I have seen of the Pakistan batsmen, I have noticed that they put their bat behind the pads. They need to put their bat in front of the pad. That is the basic."
Equally unimpressed by the bowlers, Mushtaq said, "to win Test matches, you need to take 20 wickets and I don't see any bowler capable of running through the innings.
Danish Kaneria has been bowling well recently but he needs support. Besides, figures of five for 140 will not win you Tests. You need to have figures of five for 50 to win you a Test. And how regularly Danish can do this?"
