'They will get better with time'- Waqar Younis backs the inexperienced duo of Naseem Shah and Musa Khan
Pakistan will now return home and look to revive their Test fortunes when they take on Sri Lanka from December 11.
Pakistan endured heart-wrenching ordeal at the hands of Australia on their recent trip Down Under. The visitors were shellacked 0-2 in the three-match Twenty20 International series before getting absolutely steamrolled in the Test match series that followed.
The fact that Pakistan could only manage all of thirteen wickets across two Tests and their premier spinner almost went for two hundred runs in two innings puts the thing firmly in perspective. Since then, Waqar Younis has come under the scanner for opting for two inexperienced bowlers in Musa Khan and Naseem Shah for a tour of Australia. Shah bowled 20 overs in the first Test and did not play the second due to fitness issues while Musa Khan had an underwhelming debut in Adelaide.
In the midst of all the criticism, Waqar Younis has come out in support of Naseem Shah and Musa Khan. Waqar called for patience with the young bowlers while also asserting that as they gain experience, they’ll get better.
“Yes, I admit that we didn’t get the sort of performances or results we wanted from them. But for teenagers, you tend to be unable to maintain the line and length you need to bowl in Test matches. I think once they play a few matches more over a period of a year they will get better and Shaheen is an example of this.” Waqar said in a Pakistan Cricket Board podcast.
Pakistan could manage just 13 wickets in the Australia series
While the result was pretty much on expected lines; Pakistan’s team of the past- more celebrated than the current touring party- have travelled to Australia in the past and have been rolled over with similar disdain by the home side.
And, even though their much-famed bowling attacks boasting of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar have had their fair share of struggles on past tours, but never before had a bowling attack from Pakistan has looked so out of depth than the current one consisting of Naseem Shah, Musa Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi and experienced campaigners in Mohammad Abbas and Yasir Shah.
So-much-so that former Australian captain had termed the Pakistan bowling as the worst bowling attack to tour Down Under. “They (Pakistan’s bowlers) have been poor … their bowling attack is terrible really for a Test attack. I’m not sure I have seen a worse bowling attack on our shores in a long time” Ponting had said.
Pakistan will now return home and look to revive their Test fortunes when they take on Sri Lanka from December 11.
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