Shahid Afridi

Karachi: Allrounder Shahid Afridi wants captain Shoaib Malik to get tougher with his players to make a comeback in the current Test series against India.

Afridi, who was omitted from the squad for the three-match Test series after Pakistan lost the ODI series, said he believe Malik should be more proactive.

“If a player is not performing to his optimum level, the captain must be tough and demand more. I think our team was in a position to win the first Test,” Afridi said in an interview.

The hard-hitting batsman felt Pakistan could have sealed the match on the third day when they were nosing ahead of India in their second innings.

“The batting didn’t go all the way after a good start. I have no doubt if we had got another 80 to 100 runs, we could have won this Test match,” he said. Afridi said there was nothing wrong with the pitch at the Kotla and with a little application, batsmen could have scored more runs.

“We were in a position to win the match which was very close. It was disappointing to lose out in the end.

“I am sure the rest of the team will be eager to make a comeback in the second Test in Calcutta… But the other bowlers also need to give more support to Shoaib Akhtar,” he said.

Pakistan lost the low-scoring first Test by six wickets on Monday with Akhtar claiming with six wickets, including four in the second innings.

“They must have tried hard but the results are important. I was surprised that leg-spinner Danish Kaneria failed taking more wickets on this pitch.”

“I think Danish was not as effective because of his shortened run-up. He will get more bite into his bowling if he goes back to his old bowling action which allows him more flight and turn,” he said.

Afridi, himself a leg-spinner, felt that Kaneria remained a key bowler for Pakistan and, along with Shoaib Akhtar and Umar Gul, could still win the series for Pakistan.

“It is just a matter of getting back the confidence. In 2005 when we were down in the series, we came back in the final Test in Bangalore because we believed we could do it… And Inzy kept telling us we were close to squaring the series. But this time the batting must click big like it did in Bangalore,” he noted.