Srinagar: Former Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Hafeez has raised questions on Pakistan team management tactics of promoting Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz in the batting order.
Pakistan on Saturday in a match against New Zealand promoted Shadab Khan to No.4 spot after losing Mohammad Rizwan and Shan Masood early.
Shadab Khan and Babar Azam stabilised the innings with their 61-run stand. After Shadab’s dismissal for 22-ball 34, Mohammad Nawaz was sent at No.5 to ably support Babar. Pakistan wrapped up the chase with 10 balls to spare.
However, Hafeez did not agree to Babar’s notion of sending Shadab and Nawaz ahead of Iftikhar Ahmed and Asif Ali.
He took to Twitter to post, “Promotion of @76Shadabkhan at no 4 & @mnawaz94 at no 5 can give short term success but will put more pressure & doubts in the minds of middle order batters. Why they r there for??? If no confidence on them then why they r with the team?? Middle order will remain an issue… #PAKvNZ”.
“We have a plan to send him up to charge the bowlers, he played well [on Shadab at 4]. Me and Shadab planned that I play all the way and he will go for his shots,” Babar Azam later explained the reason.