Pak players' batting approach in T20 WC 'matter of concern': Azhar Mahmood

Pakistan all-rounder Azhar Mahmood has advised the trio of Imran Nazir, Shahid Afridi and Umar Akmal to review their approach towards batting in the shortest format of the sport, in light of their unimpressive performance in the ongoing ICC World Twenty20 championship.

Mahmood said Pakistan could claim to be a valid contender for the ICC World T20 title due to their varied and effective resources, but their batting inconsistency remained a matter of concern, reports the Daily Times.

Mahmood, who is now settled in the UK as a qualified resident and a specialist T20 player, noted that the talented trio needed to change their approach towards batting.

"Imran is very talented but he needs to use his head. He needs to think that if he faces 50 deliveries he will get eighty or ninety runs, but it seems that all he wants to do is to hit the ball out of the ground from ball one. What Imran needs to do is to stay at the crease with a calm mind and use his talent. Instead if he doesn't use his head then he will get those 10 or 12 run scores which are not good for the team," Mahmood was quoted, as saying.

"Afridi is another such case and that really is nothing new. Everybody knows that Afridi has not been performing well as a batsman recently. However, he needs to apply the same advice that I have for Imran. The other day, he blocked the first ball and then tried to hit a six the very next ball which did not work," he said.

"Afridi needs to give himself a chance by playing for a longer time. We all know how dangerous a player he is but he needs to allow himself more time at the crease. People usually think that in T20 cricket, you have 120 balls to play and you have to do something spectacular from ball one but the reality is different. 120 deliveries is a lot of time and Afridi needs to play a few balls, take some singles and doubles, get used to the conditions and the bowling and then target the bowlers.

Mahmood, who has played in T20 professional leagues around the world, said that shot selection was very important in T20 cricket.

"I think a lot of Pakistan players are not doing this and both Imran and Afridi are guilty of this problem, as is Umar Akmal. Umar also seems to be making the same mistakes. The aforementioned cricketers are so talented but they just don't seem to be using their minds and their experience," he said.