Shoaib Malik has pleaded with Pakistan’s selectors to back the side’s youngsters in today’s second one-day international against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi.
Malik’s swashbuckling 61-ball 81 and a return to form 103 by Babar Malik lifted Pakistan to 292-6 in the first ODI in Dubai on Friday before they kept Sri Lanka to 209-8 in a 83-run win.
The match was Pakistan’s first since winning the Champions Trophy in England in June this year, and Malik sees more success coming in the future, but only if youth is given a chance.
“It’s important to give youngsters consistent chances and by doing that we develop them and the team does well,” he said.
“We have good fast bowlers and the way they took wickets in the middle overs during the Champions Trophy it helped us beat top teams and here too they bowled well and got us wickets we needed.”
Fast-rising paceman Hasan Ali — declared player of the Champions trophy with 13 wickets — finished with 3-36 while left-armer Rumman Raees took 3-49 to derail Sri Lanka.
Pakistan will retain the same combination despite opener Ahmed Shehzad failing to score on Friday.
Sri Lankan coach Nic Pothas is demanding his players snap a losing streak of eight consecutive games.
“We have not been very good in this format for a while now,” said Pothas, a former South African wicket-keeper.
“We have to find answers and find them quick.”
Pothas wants his batsmen to deliver.
“From a batting point of view, the currency of your batting is runs. If you don’t keep making them, the shop is going to close down at some point. We have to ask the batters to take some responsibility.”
“The top six batters managed 96 between them. One batter got 53 and you are not going to get too many,” said Pothas of Lahiru Thirimanne who scored a half century.

Source:Arabnews