Rashid Latif believes ignoring Kamran Akmal for Australia tour is a ‘blunder’

• Kamran Akmal would have been an ideal replacement for Sarfaraz Ahmed in T20Is, says Latif.
• The former captain also said that Fakhar Zaman should not got selected for the Australia tour.

A day after squads for the upcoming Test and T20I tour of Australia were announced, Pakistan's former captain Rashid Latif has said that ignoring Kamran Akmal and not includin him was a ‘blunder’.

“If Sarfaraz was not selected, then Kamran Akmal would have been his ideal replacement in T20I cricket,” said Rashid Latif, while talking at a private channel.

The former captain was of the view that Akmal is the best opener right now for Pakistan, so he should have been selected in the T20I squad whereas, Rizwan should have been picked for Tests only. “If we are going there [Australia] to win the T20I series, then not picking Kamran Akmal is a blunder,” said Latif.

Wicket-keeper bastman Mohammad Rizwan replaced the outgoing captain and will perform the glove duties in both formats of the game against Australia.

Latif further said that opener Fakhar Zaman too shouldn’t have been picked for the T20I, due to his poor performance in recent matches, if the selection was based on performance.

Pakistan cricket chief selector-cum-head coach Misbah-ul-Haq announced on Monday the Pakistan squad for T20I and Test squad against Australia. “We know that Australia will present different and exciting challenges for us. There is a need to play a different type of cricket, the balance of the squads is reflective of us having options to play aggressive, attacking cricket,” said Misbah, at a presser.

Newbies, Mohammad Musa and Naseem Shah, have been picked for the tour of Australia. Alongside uncapped middle-order batsman Khushdil Shah and wrist spinner Usman Qadir, meanwhile, lanky fast bowler Mohammad Irfan too makes a comeback.

Pakistan is scheduled to play three T20Is and two Test matches in Australia in November.

Pakistan T20I squad:

Babar Azam (capt), Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Imam-ul Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Irfan, Mohamad Rizwan (Wkt), Musa Khan, Shadab Khan, Usman Qadir, And Wahab Riaz.