Mighty South Africa inflicted an empathetic whitewash on Pakistan as they beat green caps by an innings and 18 runs in the third and final Test played at Super Sport Park, Centurion.

Pakistan batting was badly exposed in the three-Test series as before this important series, Pakistan had played most of their cricket in last one year or so on slow pitches of Subcontinent or UAE. The major share of Pakistan’s worst results lie on the shoulders of chief selector Iqbal Qasim, who instead of picking players on merit, fully obliged from one particular province. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is also to be blamed for such a pathetic performance shown by the green caps as despite paying huge foreign currency to head coach Dave Whatmore and fielding coach Julian Fountain, Pakistan failed to even achieve ordinary results in return.

Pakistan fielding always remained an area of concern, and in this series, the fielders missed some catches, which could have easily been taken by even club cricketers. The chief selector must have to explain his poor selection of players in the first phase. Only four fast bowlers were picked despite the fact that South African wickets always support pace bowlers. Later on, on the request of the team management, two more fast bowlers Tanveer Ahmed and Rahat Ali were sent to Africa. Rahat performed well in the last Test but Qasim must have to explain the reason behind sending Tanveer at the twilight of his career since he has well passed his peak.

The reason behind this is quite simple as the chief selector wanted to oblige some special quarters. Qasim must also explain why Sarfraz Ahmed was picked ahead of inform Adnan Akmal despite fully aware of the fact that Sarfraz, after tried on numerous occasions, has never scored runs at international level of cricket. Besides, the PCB is fully aware of the fact that it is almost impossible to host any international cricket event in the current prevailing law and order situation of the country, and Pakistan has to play their home ties on neutral venues. They should have at least prepare fast and bouncy tracks with lush green grass on the wicket to help their batsmen adopt pace of wickets they had to face in other countries including South Africa, Australia, England and New Zealand.

But the board chief and his advisors, who earn millions every month in the shape of hefty salaries, don’t have enough wisdom and much-needed knowledge of coping with the given situation. M Hafeez, who is Pakistan Twenty20 captain, clearly showed his ambitions of taking over the captaincy of both Test and ODI teams, but has pathetic field performance. Hafeez just managed to score 43 runs in six innings against South Africa with 18 as his best effort while magical spinner Saeed Ajmal was better than him as he scored 68 runs. Asad Shafiq remained the highest batsman with 199 runs followed by experienced Younus Khan who scored 184, Misbah 135, Azhar Ali 133 and Imran Farhat could manage 73 runs in just two innings, as he was given chance in the final Test.

Before current series, Misbah was the only skipper who has the best track record of victories as captain, but no one even thought that all his victories have been achieved in the Subcontinent or at the dead tracks of UAE, which is a paradise of slow bowlers. Ajmal along with Abdul Rehman fully utilized these slow wickets. However, playing against the world No 1 Test nation, the selectors should have selected players on purely merit basis but, in fact, they failed to do so. Watching at Pakistan batting in the third Test, it was clearly evident with the fact that, they were not playing a competitive Test, rather, it seemed, they were going through a practice session and helping slip fielders going through routine catch practice.

All the Test playing teams give top priority to top professionals while selecting a final XI, but when we examine at Pakistan team selection, it looks completely different from the rest of the pack. Saeed Ajmal, Rahat Ali, M Irfan and Ehsan Adil were looking terrified with the bowlers pace and threw their wickets cheaply. They should realise the fact that they are professional cricketers not the ordinary players. If other teams’ batsmen could hit big shots why Pakistani low order fell like nine pins. In fact, they didn’t even try to put up a decent fight. Kyle Abbott, who was playing his first Test, was gifted seven wickets in the first innings.

He was not an express bowler neither he had extraordinary swing, but batsmen threw their wickets away by playing wayward deliveries and giving routine catches to slip fielders. Abbott also managed to create new record of taking seven wickets in his very first Test as he finished with nine wickets conceding 68 runs only. Ajmal looked at his usual best in the second Test but he was kept at bay in third one as he failed to take even a single wicket in 29 overs he bowled.

The team management, after the exclusion of Umar Gul and injured Junaid Khan, left with no other option but to enter inexperienced pacers Irfan and Rahat and Ehsan Adil. How could one expect better results from such inexperienced bowling attack. Time is ripe to relieve Misbah from captaincy and instead a youngster should be handed over captaincy keeping in mind longer future of Pakistan cricket. The PCB after such dismal performance should at least sack chief selector Iqbal Qasim as well as fielding coach Julian Fountain as he had done nothing as far as contributing towards improvement of Pakistani players fielding is concern.

The board should also give a stern warning to head coach Dave Whatmore and demand better results from him, as he is being heavily paid for this so he has to deliver with desired results. The board should immediately lay down bouncy tracks at all the available venues especially at National Cricket Academy without any further delay for getting improved results outside the Subcontinent and UAE. Pakistan lost three Test matches in just 10 days instead of 15 days which is a clear indication of sorry state of affairs.

What was the reason of taking Faisal Iqbal on the tour if his services were not utilized? The PCB has to shun this policy of giving preference to blue-eyed players. The selection criteria should only be only on the field performance while players who perform exceptionally well in the domestic circuit should be given fair chance, only then we can get better results in big Test series against the mighty teams like Africa, Australia and England.