Waqar throws weight behind inclusion of teenage pacer Hasnain

LONDON: Pakistan’s former captain and fast bowler Waqar Younis has called for the inclusion of young fast bowler Mohammad Hasnain in the final-11 to bring energy in the bowling line.

After Pakistan’s defeat in World Cup match against India, Waqar wrote in his column for ICC that Pakistan team is missing real pace.

“I would now try and bring one of the youngsters back into the team. In this Pakistan bowling attack, there’s no real pace apart from Wahab,” Waqar highlighted.

“When you look around at the other teams, they have guys that can bowl 140kph, so maybe Hasnain is the way to go up front with the new ball,” he added.

Waqar added that Mohammad Amir has come back with a bang and he’s now bowling really well, finding a nice rhythm but that spark isn’t seen in other players and the pace is going down.

“Mohammad Amir was the only one who created a bit of pressure by bowling a good length,” he said while analysing the fast bowler’s performance against India on Sunday at Old Trafford.

“I feel English conditions actually suit him the most because there’s always something there for him. He knows how to bowl on these pitches,” Waqar added.

The former head coach of Pakistan team expressed the hope against the hope saying that Pakistan can still make it to the final four.

“All is not lost, despite the blow of this latest defeat. I feel that if Pakistan win all four games, there’s still a chance they go through,” Waqar mentioned.

“The chances of that happening are low now, but it's simply a case of starting to win games first and then see where you are later in the tournament,” he wrote.

The former fast bowler further wrote that Pakistan now has time ahead of the next match to go back and reflect on the mistakes that have been made and what needs to change.

“The good thing is Pakistan now have one week off before the next game against South Africa,” he said.

“The South Africans are also down, so it’s a match between two teams that have not really justified their potential yet,” he highlighted.