Former Pakistan skipper Aamir Sohail takes a dig at Misbah-ul-Haq's approach towards the game

Former Pakistan skipper and left-handed batsman Aamir Sohail has lashed out at current Pakistan head coach Misbah-ul-Haq for his defensive tactics and approach.

Sohail touched upon Misbah's defensive strategies while he was the captain of the team and feels that his presence and his mentoring may have an adverse effect on Babar Azam, the newly-appointed Pakistan captain.

“If Misbah is to be Babar’s mentor, then we have a problem because he was himself criticized for being a defensive captain. The onus is on Misbah to be honest about his own deficiencies as a captain and to make sure that Babar does not make the same mistakes he made, especially when it comes to making sure that the younger players are given good chances to ensure a brighter future for Pakistan cricket," Aamir Sohail said.

Speaking of Babar, Sohail said that the Pakistan Cricket Board should make a conscious effort of lending a helping hand to the young skipper. The former opener also stated that the PCB must ensure that Babar Azam receives the right guidance from the support staff and coaches.

“If Babar has been identified as Pakistan’s captain in at least two formats of the game, then it’s incumbent upon the PCB to help him become the best captain he can be. This can be achieved by identifying any weaknesses in his leadership qualities and by good mentoring," Sohail quipped.

Aamir Sohail also expressed his disappointment at the appointment of Misbah as the head coach and chief selector. The former left-handed batsman also revealed that Misbah was seeking the batting coach position and had to deal with the indignation and disfavor of several former cricketers.

"Many of us commented then that this was not a good idea as batsmen who are struggling in some aspect of their batting are unlikely to share their problems with the batting coach, who also happens to be the chief selector and the head coach as well. Younis Khan’s appointment is proof that the PCB is accepting the fact that they made the wrong decision by entrusting Misbah with so many roles," Aamir Sohail elaborated.

'Pakistan could compete well against England'

The 53-year old also shared his thoughts on Pakistan's upcoming tour of England, stating that Pakistan could compete well if the batsmen could regularly put up totals in excess of 300.

"Pakistan bowling attack is pretty strong with Shaheen Shah Afridi looking most likely to be the top performer in the Test series. The only issue, as always, will be with our batting but if they can put up scores of 300+ then they will give their team a very good chance of dominating the home team,” the former Pakistan skipper signed off.