By: Express News ServiceSeptember 22, 2025 12:51 PM IST 4 min readFormer Pakistan captains Misbah-ul-Haq and Shoaib Malik weren’t happy with Pakistan’s bowling selection against Abhishek Sharma. (AP)Within the first 13 balls he faced, Abhishek Sharma had slammed two sixes and two fours and as Shubman Gill too piling on the attack, India had raced away to 69 runs in 6 overs. Former Pakistan captains Misbah-ul-Haq and Shoaib Malik weren’t happy with Pakistan’s bowling selection and their plans.“The main weapon for a fast bowler is hard length. When Shaheen hit that length in the line of stumps at the body, Abhishek did give a bit of respect to them. But if it’s shorter or some width, then he hits them. He makes room also and hits,” Misbah told PTV Sports.“I didn’t understand Faheem’s bowling. He kept mid-off up and bowled over the wicket, across him. We talk about matchups and it’s clear that you can’t bowl that across to Abhishek (on these pitches). The kind that ends up outside off stump. That too with an old ball. He will hit you. You have to try to come around the stumps and get the ball to finish on the stumps. Have protection there with deep midwicket square-leg. And do your variations from there. And Faheem was hit for boundaries over mid-off. That’s ABhishek’s strengths. He doesn’t leave that against the new ball, against 140kmph+ pace bowlers even.”ALSO READ | ‘Dhoni-style helicopter cover drive’: India legend raves about Abhishek Sharma’s ‘inside-out shot’ in Pakistan Asia Cup matchMisbah also analysed the plans of the legspinner Abrar Ahmed. “He bowled them in Abhishek’s zone. Where he could clear his front leg and hit it over midwicket or square-leg. And that too he bowled leg breaks in that line. He tried the googly very late and he got him out. All these mistakes if you do against a top-class batsman who is so clear that if the ball is in the zone, baahir hi jaana hai (Will clear the boundary) … He puts your main bowler under pressure and then after that your team can’t cope. It needs great planning. Saim Ayub got stuck. In 6 overs, when they score 69, then it gets difficult against this team. This was a batting pitch and the part-time spinners couldn’t do it. And you didn’t know what to do. Only Haris Rauf to an extent showed by taking a wicket or two but no one else could support him.)”Shoaib Malik called for more specialist bowlers and batsmen to be selected in the team, and not depend too much on bits-and-pieces players.Firing on all cylinders to get to his half-century! Watch #INDvPAK LIVE NOW, on the Sony Sports Network TV channels & Sony LIV.#SonySportsNetwork #DPWorldAsiaCup2025 pic.twitter.com/txzrHyWrrL— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) September 21, 2025“You played with three genuine bowlers, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf and Abrar Ahmed. You didn’t even give one over to Mohammad Nawaz. So you have three main bowlers.“Shaheen is a good bowler but in the last 4 T20s against India, he has taken just one wicket. The management should have sense that he is the main new-ball bowler but give him some cushion to him, along with him. Else, how are you going to strike? If your strike bowler has one wicket in the last 4 T20s, and you are playing with bits and pieces players. Play specialists, have one allrounder. Only specialists can win you big game pressure. Name one captain in the world when under pressure, who gives the ball to allrounder, they will bring your main specialist bowlers.”Malik also talked about the mistakes in the batting department. “You have played 40 consecutive balls at one phase without a boundary. Then you have played 50 dot balls today. Then your opener Farhan who made 50, scored only 7 runs in his next 11 balls.”Stay updated with the latest sports news across Cricket, Football, Chess, and more. Catch all the action with real-time live cricket score updates and in-depth coverage of ongoing matches.© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd