Pak national selector claims players have 'limited talent' post loss to India in WC opener

Pakistan national team selector Shoaib Muhammad has claimed that their players have limited talent, while Pakistani experts have expressed their disappointment on their 76-run loss to arch-rivals India in their World Cup opener on Sunday in Adelaide.

Shoaib said that the fact is that most of their players have limited talent, adding that the batsmen especially do not have a strong base and are still not aware of the importance of converting their starts into big performances.

The former Test player added that the difference between the two teams was the professional manner in which Indian batsmen approached the task and made the most of the batting-friendly conditions, The Dawn reported.

Shoaib said that the Indian top-order took total responsibility of building a big score and their approach helped their team immensely, adding that on the other hand, the Pakistan batsmen failed, and they need to identify the cause of the steep decline in quality of cricket at home.

He also feels that the decision to send Younus Khan at the top of the innings in a crucial match wasn't a wise move.

However, former Pakistan ace Saqlain Mushtaq feels that the decision to send Younus at the top of the order must have been made in consultation with the senior batsman.

Mushtaq claimed that it wasn't a bad move to send Khan at the top of the innings, as there was no other possible role for the veteran and he is sure that the veteran was taken into confidence.

Saqlain also backed the team management's decision of playing five bowlers in the crucial match.

Meanwhile former Test batsman, coach and chief selector Mohsin Khan expressed his anger at the defeat. Mohsin, who briefly coached Pakistan during a successful period in 2011-12, feels that certain officials in the Pakistan Cricket Board were harming the game with questionable policies.