"Don't think there are many players out of the squad that are crying to be in" - Michael Vaughan on lack of depth in Pakistan cricket
Former England captain Michael Vaughan doesn't think there's a lot of depth and quality in the pool of players that Pakistan can choose from after their T20 World Cup debacle. PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi had recently claimed that a 'major surgery' was needed in Pakistan cricket, hinting at wholesale changes in the squad.
Vaughan believes Gary Kirsten, Pakistan's white-ball coach, is the right man to handle the transition. However, he has his doubts about whether the Men in Green have an abundance of quality players outside the fifteen that they took to the T20 World Cup.
Here's what Michael Vaughan said on Cricbuzz:
"I think Gary Kirsten will bring some young players to build the culture around that squad. He will be looking at Pakistan and thinking is there a huge amount of strength and depth? I don't think there is. I don't think there are many players out of the squad that are crying to be in the squad."
Vaughan feels the PCB chairman has too much power and wants Gary Kirsten to have a major say in decisions to bring about the changes needed in Pakistan cricket.
Michael Vaughan on Pakistan's lack of 'power'
While Michael Vaughan agrees that Pakistan have some quality fast bowlers, he doesn't think their batting has enough power-hitters to adapt to modern-day T20 cricket.
Fakhar Zaman is the only batter from the current line-up that Vaughan feels can hit sixes from the get-go and neither Babar Azam nor Mohammad Rizwan. On this, Vaughan opined:
"I just don't think they're a great team. I am not being disrespectful. But the way Pakistan play their T20 cricket, I just don't think they have enough power. They have got some half-decent seam bowlers. They lack a world-class spinner which is unheard of in Pakistan. Four quality seamers but if you look at the batting, how many of them are destructive powerful players?"
Pakistan lost to the USA and India and failed to get out of Group A and qualify for the Super 8 phase. Only time will tell what steps the PCB take to try and resurrect their brand of cricket in the shortest format.