In a statement, Mudassar advised against playing young opening batsman Saim Ayub in Test cricket, recommending Imam-ul-Haq instead. He added that Imam, the nephew of former cricketer Inzamam-ul-Haq, is often unfairly criticized for his family ties.
Mudassar also suggested giving in-form domestic player Kamran Ghulam a chance in the team, stating that in-form players should be selected immediately rather than waiting for them to fail. He further pointed out that Pakistani batters are making technical errors, asking if the support staff is addressing these issues. He expressed confusion over Mohammad Rizwan’s approach to playing on these pitches.
Speaking about Babar Azam, Mudassar said that Babar is going through a rough patch, which is natural for a player. He suggested that playing domestic cricket can help a batter overcome such slumps.
Mudassar also highlighted the importance of pitch management over workload management, claiming that Pakistan may be the only country that hosts teams with a plan to lose. He noted that struggling continuously in international cricket makes it difficult for players to regain form.
Discussing the bowling department, he mentioned that Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah bowled 26 and 31 overs respectively but were unable to achieve reverse swing. Aamir Jamal, on the other hand, managed a few reverse swing deliveries intermittently. Mudassar concluded by saying that the absence of reverse swing indicates poor ball maintenance, stressing that without proper care, the ball will never reverse swing.
