Miandad slams national selectors

Javed Miandad, the former Pakistan captain, has slammed the national selectors for persisting with older players while ignoring new talent, which he felt led to the ODI series loss against South Africa.

"The selectors have repeatedly been trying the same players who have failed to fulfil the nation's expectations," Miandad told a private TV channel. "Inconsistent selection policies led to Pakistan's defeat against South Africa. The selectors' poor selection is bringing cricket at par with hockey [in Pakistan]."

According to Miandad, the selection committee should be held responsible for the series loss against South Africa even after all the credit it received for selecting a team that reached the final of the ICC World Twenty20.

He also expressed his disappointment over the manner in which Pakistan's batsmen were dismissed in the final match, ending up on the losing side after being well-placed for a series win. "It was one of the most pathetic [batting] displays I have ever seen as six wickets tumbled for just 20 runs. It was a golden opportunity for Pakistan to win the series but they ended as 2-3 losers.

"Imran Nazir, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi and Misbah-ul-Haq all played poor strokes, sealing their fate. Pakistan could have easily won the game without any fireworks but they played indiscreet shots to turn their victory into defeat."

Pakistan now head to India for a five-match ODI and three-Test series starting on November 5.