The former Pakistan spinner Saeed Ajmal said during a recent interview:
"In ODIs, you have to play a little more positively since it is longer than the T20s. Saim Ayub was our opener and his absence was a big blow. I don’t know what they did with Imam-ul-Haq. He’s a good player, who maintained a consistent average of 45 as an opener, so how can you keep him out as an opener? That’s not all. First, you drop him and then you again call him back, that’s not fair on the player because his confidence takes a beating. He constantly fears that he may be thrown out again, so that was a major problem."
"Then, we forced Babar Azam to become an opener. So, there are problems, and if you want to build a team for the future, you can’t make 50 changes in a year. You have to minimise your changes and create a bench. You have to give time to the players, irrespective of their form. Look at the way India backed Virat Kohli. His bad patch continued for long, but no one forced him to quit and not many wanted him to leave, while Babar, who is undoubtedly one of the biggest stars of Pakistan cricket, is going through a lull, everyone is busy pulling him down. Aapke paas ek hi toh star hai (You have only one star), if you degrade him also, then how will your cricket run? These are the big issues. Our former cricketers should keep their mouths shut."
"As a cricketer, one must realise that bad patches are part of a player’s career. You can’t play cricket the same way all your life. Even if you were Sachin Tendulkar, you couldn’t score 100 runs in every match. He has also been out for duck. He is a world-class player, but he has also gone through bad patches. So, you have to show some patience. Cricketers give it their all to the sport and when chips are down, they need that support. When he’s World No.1, he does not need support, but he needs it at a time when there’s a rough patch."
"As a coach, one needs to understand this. If I am coaching someone like AB de Villiers, I wouldn’t tell him how to play, rather I would tell him how to make the most of the conditions. Similarly, when under pressure, our players deserve this backing."
"Mark my words, they will again get them back into the T20I team. If you want to send a clear message to Babar and Rizwan stating that they won’t be considered going forward, that’s one thing. But you have dropped them from T20Is, but they are still part of ODIs. So, what do you do if they score runs in ODIs against New Zealand? You bring them back again to the T20I squad?"
"Look, the way you’ve removed them is wrong. It’s not like they are the only ones who haven’t scored, while others have. That’s not the case. Ideally, the selectors should sit down with Babar, and discuss about rest so that he can come back stronger."
"Babar and Rizwan are great players. Their stats are as good as anyone, but the only difference is - they don’t bat aggressively, but they still score runs. Our guys have suddenly realised that in international cricket, everyone plays aggressively. Come on, what aggression are we talking about? If they are your proven matchwinners, you don’t need aggression. Even legends like Virat often pace their innings slowly before attacking, that’s his style. We need to allow our players to play their natural game, and ensure that they are mentally in the right space."
