He noted that the team management must try out new players when Pakistan face relatively weaker teams in the coming months to be match-ready heading into the World Cup next year. The global T20 tournament will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, starting February 7, 2026.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cRight now, Pakistan are playing against relatively weaker teams. In January, they have a series against Australia, but before that, they\u2019re facing lighter opponents. I think this is the right time to try out new players if you want to strengthen the team \u2014 later, there won\u2019t be time for experimentation. The other teams are all very strong \u2014 South Africa, New Zealand, India, England, and of course, Australia. It\u2019s going to be a tough competition for Pakistan, but sometimes in knockout tournaments, when no one is expecting much from them, that\u2019s when they perform well. Still, they\u2019ll have to work really hard to reach a certain level,\u201d Latif told IANS.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The 57-year-old further opined that Pakistan lost three matches against India at the Asia Cup after being in a strong position at one point in the game, and believes the middle-order needs to improve in the shortest format.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cHistorically, Pakistan have been a team that performs well when people count them out \u2014 you can never entirely rule them out. Now, if the openers Fakhar and Ayub click, things look good because they\u2019re quality players. But if both get out early, it becomes very difficult. The middle order isn\u2019t very strong and has struggled recently. Against India in all three Asia Cup matches, we lost from strong positions. That\u2019s where they need to put in the hard work,\u201d he added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Pakistan are currently hosting South Africa for a multi-format series, which consists of two Tests, three T20Is and as many ODIs. The Tests and T20I series have concluded, with the two sides now facing off in ODIs. While the red-ball series ended in a draw, with both parties winning a game each, Pakistan made a remarkable comeback in the T20I series to win it 2-1.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
After losing the T20 series opener by 55 runs, the hosts charged up and secured back-to-back wins in the next two games. In the ongoing ODI series, Pakistan are leading 1-0, looking to win the next game on Thursday and take an unassailable 2-0 lead.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Pakistan are currently hosting South Africa for a multi-format series, which consists of two Tests, three T20Is and as many ODIs. The Tests and T20I series have concluded, with the two sides now facing off in ODIs. While the red-ball series ended in a draw, with both parties winning a game each, Pakistan made a remarkable comeback in the T20I series to win it 2-1.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIn international cricket, we recently beat South Africa, but we lost a Test match. I believe new players should be tried out. This series presents the ideal opportunity to test bench strength, as you cannot experiment in the same way in tournaments like the World Cup or Asia Cup. Our ODI team is good. We\u2019re facing some issues in T20Is, but in ODIs, Saim Ayub\u2019s bowling has made a difference. Salman Ali Agha, Rizwan, and now some of the senior players are returning. Shaheen has come back and become captain. The players who were being dropped a year ago have now all returned,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\r\n\r\n