5 key takeaways from the South Africa-Pakistan test series 

#3 The fragility of Pakistan’s batting line-up

Pakistan's batting suffered due to the lack of form of their key batsman Azhar Ali

When Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan retired from Test cricket, questions were raised about the future of Pakistan’s batting. It was hoped that both Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq, who were consistent performers and had played a key role in their success under Misbah’s captaincy, would rise to the occasion and fill the void left by them.

Alas, it hasn’t happened. It’s not as if the two haven’t been scoring any runs, but they just haven’t replicated the big scoring prowess that Younis had or the stability that Misbah provided. While Shafiq played a couple of good innings in the series, where he displayed what a good player he is, there wasn’t the consistency and prolificity needed to win matches.

Azhar Ali had a torrid time and would need some big scores in the near future to mend his reputation. However, it would be foolish for the selectors to drop him considering the great contribution he has been making over the years and the experience he brings to the table.

What is even more troubling is the fact that there is controversy in Pakistan regarding the selection of Imam-ul-Haq. It is being widely alleged that his continued presence in the team is due to the influence of his uncle Inzaman, who is part of the selection committee.

But the main issue is the core of the batting line-up – Shafiq and Azhar. Until they start producing big runs, Pakistan will keep struggling.