LAHORE: National cricket chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq, in a surprisingly critical comment on the national team on Saturday, said Pakistan should have won the first Test against Australia in Dubai which ended in a draw.

Talking to reporters here on Saturday on the sidelines of Punjab government’s Clean and Green Punjab campaign, Inzamam said though Pakistan played good cricket in the first Test, they should have won the match, noting “they held the sway over their rivals on all five days”.

Meanwhile commenting on the national ODI team’s disastrous performance in the Asia Cup staged in the UAE last month, the chief selector reckoned Pakistan did not play to their true potential in the event where they could not reach the final after losing to Bangladesh in a crucial Super Four stage match. The Sarfraz Ahmed-captained side lost badly to India, whom Pakistan crushed by 180 runs in the ICC Champions Trophy final last year, twice at the Asia Cup.

Also in the Asia Cup, Pakistan survived a huge scare against minnows Afghanistan whom the former beat in the final over chasing a not-so-huge 258.

“Those who are criticising Pakistan’s performance in the Asia Cup are correct, as no one expected such a poor display from the team in the multi-nation event,” Inzamam said.

In the Dubai Test held last week, Sarfraz-led Pakistan after setting Australia a daunting 462-run victory target, failed to dismiss them as the gritty visitors managed to dig out a draw while ending the final day on 362-8 with opener Usman Khawaja (141) emerging as the Aussie hero.

Inzamam, who during an illustrious career featured in 119 Tests for Pakistan, said he expected better show from Yasir Shah on the spin-friendly pitch in the Dubai Test where the leg-spinner after remaining wicketless in the first innings snared four wickets in the second.

While lauding the fighting spirit of Australian cricketers, particularly Usman Khawaja, Inzamam also praised individual brilliance shown by Pakistan batsmen Mohammad Hafeez and Haris Sohail, who scored centuries in first innings of the Test to put the hosts in a commanding position, and Abbas (seven wickets in the match).

“Abbas bowled excellent spells in both the innings, he is in our plan for the 2019 World Cup to be held in England and Wales, where we hope he [if selected] will do well.”

Interestingly, Inzamam did not express a word about debutant off-spinner Bilal Asif, who captured six wickets for 36 in the first innings to help Pakistan dismiss Australia for a modest 202 in the first innings.

Published in Dawn, October 14th, 2018