ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistan skipper Moin Khan has proposed sweeping changes in the national cricket team in the wake of poor show during the ongoing tour to South Africa.

“These players have served Pakistan cricket well for several years, but now I think time has come for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to make some tough decisions after the South Africa tour,” Moin said while commenting on the team’s recent performance.

He said Pakistan needed to now repose more confidence in youngsters like Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Faisal Iqbal and some others, who had been performing well in domestic cricket for quite some time.

Moin was of the view that Misbah-ul-Haq had led the national side well during the last two-and-a-half years, but added that his future role in limited-overs cricket must be reviewed.

“Younis Khan has also struggled in ODI cricket [lately] while Shoaib Malik has also not been consistent. I think the PCB needs to think about the future. Those who are not performing consistently now and can’t finish big matches, must be replaced,” Moin insisted.

The former wicket-keeper/batsman also felt that experienced all-rounder Shahid Afridi was not at his best as a bowler as he didn’t appear fully fit.

“I think there is a fitness issue somewhere with him, which is preventing him from bowling like he used to do. He was effective because he had pace in his deliveries and he went through his overs quickly. Now he is taking too much time between balls and he does not appear to bend his back fully like he used to do in the past to get grip and break,” Moin noted.

Afridi, despite hitting his best batting form in the one-dayers against South Africa after more than one year, has gone wicketless in the three matches played so far in the series.

Moin said Afridi’s success with the ball was one of the primary reasons that Pakistan did well in ODI and Twenty20 matches in the past. But, he added, in recent months his bowling had not been up to the mark which was why opponents were now regularly getting big totals against Pakistan.—APP