LAHORE: The batting coach of the Pakistan Cricket Team Mohammad Yousuf claimed that the right-handed batter Asad Shafiq could not perform up to the mark in first-class cricket.
Yousuf, while talking to the media on the sidelines of the ongoing conditioning camp of the players called by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), claimed that the middle-order batter Asad’s performance was not satisfactory in first-class cricket.
“I admit that I used to advocate for Asad Shafiq, but solely on the basis of his performance. Asad, however, could not perform satisfactorily in the recent season of first-class cricket,” he said.
“I think a player needs to perform well in order to make a comeback,” he added.
The batting coach then commented on the team’s home ODI series against West Indies, which will take place next month in the midst of a heatwave, claiming the weather does not make any difference if the players’ fitness levels are good.
“We are working to improve the fitness of the players and I think if the players are fit then the hot weather will not be an issue for them,” he said.
“Being professionals, players have to play in both hot and cold weather. There is no doubt that the weather is too hot and it is going to be challenging but again they are professionals so it will not be an issue,” he maintained.
The former captain then lauded the left-handed opener Shan Masood, who is currently the leading run-scorer of the ongoing County Championship 2022, saying “The way Shan Masood is playing in the County, no other player has played like that till date”.
Yousuf also opined on the right-handed top-order batter Abid Ali, saying “I think Abid will soon return to the team the way he is training.”
It is pertinent to mention here that Abid was diagnosed with heart disease – Acute Coronary Syndrome, after complaining about the sharp chest pain during a Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (QEAT) fixture in 2021 against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK).
