Hasan Nawaz dropped from Pakistan ODI squad vs SL; forgotten domestic star replaces him: Report

Pakistan drop Hasan Nawaz [Source: AFP Photo]

In the latest development, Pakistan has reportedly made one change in their ODI squad for the series against Sri Lanka, starting from November 11. Hasan Nawaz, who failed to make his mark in the ODIs against South Africa, will be dropped from the squad, and in his place, Abdul Samad gets drafted.

The news was confirmed by Pakistan head coach, Mike Hesson, who, after the emphatic series win, urged Nawaz to go back to domestic cricket and hone his skills before getting back in the squad.

"Hassan Nawaz will be going back to domestic cricket. Rather than sitting on the bench, we want him to gain confidence. He is a fine player, but he needs time in the middle," Hesson reportedly told the media.

Why Hasan has been dropped from the ODI squad?

For starters, Pakistan has hardly shown trust in Nawaz as they dropped him midway from their Asia Cup starting XI after a couple of failures. He was included in the playing XI for the first ODI against South Africa, but the hard-hitting player failed to deliver the goods and departed for just 1.

As a result, the explosive batter was dropped from the next two ODIs, and was eventually sidelined from the squad for the Sri Lanka matches. Moreover, Hesson wants him to improve his skills by playing in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, Pakistan’s premier first-class tournament.

What attributes does Samad brings in?

Unlike Hasan Nawaz, Abdul Samad is used to playing in the middle-order, and Hesson wants someone who is used to playing in that particular batting position. Plus, he has done well in the domestic circuit in recent years and Pakistan wants an explosive batter who can be the aggressor in the middle-order.

The Pakistan batters struggled for runs, and Hesson hopes Samad could solve the problems against Sri Lanka.

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