Pak team combination for Asia Cup was horribly wrong: Aamer Sohail

Former Pakistan chief selector Aamer Sohail has blamed the "horribly wrong" team combination for their failure in the recently-concluded Asia Cup.

The team had slumped to a thumping 37-run debacle at the hands of Bangladesh in their Super Four clash to bow out of the prestigious tournament.

Sohail further stated that the management seemed to have no clarity about the strengths and weaknesses of their own players which led to some confused choice during the tournament.

"I would say that Pakistan got their team combination horribly wrong during the Asia Cup," the Express Tribune quoted Sohail, as saying.

"It seemed that Pakistan seemed to be betting on the wrong horses for this race and our planning wasn't based on sound future planning. What really shocked me was that the Pakistan team management seemed incapable of judging the strengths and weaknesses of their own players. They had no clarity on what their players could bring to the table which would benefit the team, and this is why we saw some confused team choices, and the results were there for all to see," he added.

Reflecting on the last-minute inclusion of veteran all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez in the team for the upcoming two-match Test series against Australia, Sohail said that the selectors should convince their critics instead of bowing to the pressure.

"If the selectors have thought through their initial decision, then they should be able to convince all their critics about why they selected or not selected a certain player in the squad in the first place," he said.

"What is happening now is that they are bowing to pressure and including players to avoid further criticism, specifically in the case of Hafeez. We were categorically told that he had no place in the Pakistan side but he has been brought back and is now part of the Test squad," he added.

Pakistan are slated to play their first Test against Australia at Dubai starting from October 7 followed by the second match at Abu Dhabi beginning October 16.