After Misbah-Younis retirement, Pakistan eyes raw talent available.
Babar Azam
Babar Azam, 22, is already establishing
himself in the Pakistan side and is the
favourite to replace Younis Khan at No. 4.
A right-hand batsman with free-flowing
strokes, Babar made his name with three
successive ODI hundreds against West
Indies in the UAE and has played nine Tests
so far. While he averages over 50 in ODIs
and T20Is, Babar hasn't found the same
form in Test cricket, where he averages 27.
There is little doubt about Babar's talent,
though, and the stake-holders are willing to
remain patient - rare in Pakistan cricket - as
he evolves as a long-form batsman and
finds his feet in Tests.
Usman Salahuddin
Usman Salahuddin, now 26, made his ODI
debut as a 20-year old in 2011, following
high-scoring domestic seasons. He was
tipped as a promising prospect after
Mohammad Yousuf's career ended abruptly,
but scored only 5 and 8 in two innings in
the West Indies before dropping off the
radar.
Salahuddin once admitted that his
international opportunity had come too
soon - before he was ready - and that a
couple of more domestic seasons would
have prepared him better for the pressure.
He's played six years on the domestic circuit
since, and some league cricket in England,
and now averages 47 after 92 first-class
matches.
Salahuddin has 19 hundreds and 32 half-
centuries, and in the most recent Quaid-e-
Azam trophy he made 843 runs for National
Bank of Pakistan at an average of 70. That
form resulted in him being included in the
Test squad for the ongoing tour of the
Caribbean, after which Misbah-ul-Haq and
Younis Khan will retire.
Fawad Alam
Fawad Alam averages 56 in first-class
cricket and his non-selection in Pakistan's
Test squad has been a mystery over the
years. No selector has offered a satisfactory
explanation.
Alam made his Test debut in 2009, when he
was 24, and made 168 in his first Test at P
Sara Oval. His performances were less
impressive in the next Test at the SSC, and
then four months later in Dunedin, and he's
been on the outside ever since.
Seven years later, Alam is still a contender to
fill one of the gaps left by Misbah and
Younis' retirements. He's fit, has been
making runs in domestic cricket, and his
extensive first-class experience could make
him the easy answer for the selectors.
Umar Amin
Azhar Ali and Umar Amin made their Test
debuts against Australia at Lord's in 2010,
but their careers have taken divergent paths
since then. Azhar's gone on to play 59 Tests
and counting, while Amin's tally has stalled
at four - 99 runs at an average of 12.
Amin never returned to the Test side but
was in the limited-over squads periodically -
15 ODIs and 10 T20Is - and featured in the
Pakistan A team. He was often praised for
his agility, work ethic and utility as a bowler,
but his prospects were hindered by injuries.
He now has 6589 runs at an average of 39
in 104 first-class games with a highest
score of 281. Amin, 27, probably isn't an
immediate contender for a Test spot but
could push his case by performing
consistently in domestic cricket.
Fakhar Zaman
Like Younis, Fakhar Zaman was also born in
Mardan, a city in the Pakhtunkhwa province
of Pakistan. He's made a strong impression
in the last year: second highest run-scorer
in the 2016 Pakistan Cup, prolific on the A
tour of Zimbabwe, made 170 in the Quaid-
e-Azam final, and was one of the successes
of the 2017 PSL.
Zaman, 27, played the three T20Is on the
ongoing tour of the West Indies - arguably
he was picked for the wrong format - and
has also been included in Pakistan's
Champions Trophy squad. Having had
success in first-class cricket, Zaman has a
strong case for Test selection too.
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