As Shoaib Malik feels the heat for his "uninspiring" leadership
in the ongoing series against India, he has found support from former Pakistan
teammate Imran Farhat who thinks the young captain has it in him to steer
the unpredictable side.
"At 25, I think Malik is very young but he has enough
experience to lead the team. He should be backed in tough times. It is not easy
to be a Pakistan captain," Farhat said in an interview.
"We started our careers together. He is a nice guy and
I think he is very capable of handling the team," he added, in support
of his ex-teammate, who has been blamed by former players and experts for Pakistan's
ODI series loss and the defeat in the first Test against India.
Farhat, who signed up with the rebel Indian Cricket League
(ICL) after "getting frustrated" with the selectors back home, said
the politics within the PCB makes it difficult for any captain to function
independently.
"It's nasty. They (the board and the selectors) target
you for no fault of yours and keep you out even if you perform. I am a victim
of it. But I think Malik has the backing. He has been made captain till next
December, but in Pakistan you never know," he quipped.
Farhat, however, felt Malik still had to overcome a lot of
shortcomings before becoming an undisputed leader.
"He needs to be stronger, assert himself more and not allow the pressure
to build on himself. All this will take time," he explained.
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