KARACHI: Former batting great Zaheer Abbas has called upon the Pakistan batsmen to show courage, resilience and responsibility to win the One-Day International series against West Indies in their backyard.
Awesome way the Pakistan team had started in first ODI, I was hoping a clean-sweep in the series.
But it was a dramatic turnaround after a pathetic batting display despite a modest target", he told APP in an interview on Thursday.
"Conditions were perfectly suited to Pakistan team. But they wasted a golden opportunity to take 2-0 lead instead making 1-1, he commented.
"It was fantastic start to the series. But two day later it turned out to a bleak scenario", he said.
The former captain Zaheer Abbas said it looked that Pakistan batsmen were playing for themselves instead of the team.
"Our batsmen must change their mindset and play their natural game with courage and without fear of being dropped", he commented.
"After a huge win in the first one-dayer, our team was complacent and they paid the penalty, he said.
He said he was disappointed that after getting so many chances opener Nasir Jamshed was unable convert into bag hundred while Umar Akmal once failed to finish the match.
"Our batsmen are not learning from their mistakes and not amending them for their own good and interest of the game", he remarked.
Responding to a question about dropping out of sort Muhammad Hafeez and Asad Shafiq and bringing in young-guns like Umer Amin and Harris Sohail in the side with an eye on 2015 World Cup, it was upto to tour selection committee.
However, he said there was need to give confidence to struggling batsmen to get the best out of them. Quick changing and chopping would not serve the purpose; Zaheer Abbas titled Asian Bradman for his heavy scoring, said.
He said it was heartening comeback by Shahid Afridi in the opening match with bat and ball but added consistency is very important for the mercurial all-rounder.
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