THIS is with reference to the letter ‘Cricket: new players wanted’ ( March 29) by Khan A. Shamshad.

After the poor performance by senior players like Younis Khan, Misbahul Haq and Shahid Afridi both in test matches and ODIs against the host South African team, it is time the Pakistan Cricket Board took a bold decision and inducted fresh and young competent players into the national cricket squad.

For how long will the selection board be relying on Shahid Afridi who hardly performs in one ODI or T20I out of 10 matches? For how will long players like Misbahul Haq, who takes sufficient time in ODIs to settle on the crease, prove to be a burden on the team rather than an asset despite all his satisfactory batting techniques? For how long will Younis Khan be proving shaky in his initial ODIs overs?

One-day cricket is all about making runs and taking wickets by batsmen and bowlers, respectively. If batsmen would struggle in making runs or would play nonsense cricket (as Shahid Afridi often does), it would definitely add to the team’s worries. The next ICC World Cup of ODI would be played in Australia/New Zealand in 2015. The PCB’s main focus should be that World Cup and to select and groom young talented players accordingly.

Barring Shahid Afridi, I, however, strongly support the continuation of both Younis Khan and Misbahul Haq for international test matches because of their nature of building up innings slowly.

ABDUL SAMAD SAMO Karachi