ISLAMABAD: Pakistan batting great Javed Miandad hailed the decision to appoint Shahid Afridi as the new Twenty20 captain but cautioned the all-rounder not to take the position for granted.
In a interview with APP on Tuesday, Miandad said Afridi's form with the bat would be crucial for the team and that Pakistan could no longer afford his slapdash approach.
“He should focus especially on his batting and improve it,” the 124-Test veteran said.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said the 34-year-old Afridi's appointment was for two years, until the World Twenty20 in 2016.
In an apparent hint at the issue of ODI captaincy, the former PCB director-general Miandad, who has also coached the national team in the past, advised the board to not rush into a decision.
“If a slot is empty and appointment has to be made than the player who is in focus for the spot should be called and interviewed about how can he make the team better,” he said.
“Appointments should be performance-based only.”
Miandad said the best way for the current ODI captain Misbah-ul-Haq to respond to his critics would be to perform on the field in the upcoming series against Australia.
“Don't repeat the mistakes that were made in the Sri Lanka series,” he advised Misbah.
Miandad said without Saeed Ajmal Pakistan's bowling attack would be weak and that is why the role of the batsmen became even more important when the team comes up against the Aussies.
Pakistan will start their tour against Australia next month with a T20 scheduled on 5th October 2014 at Dubai Cricket Stadium, UAE.
