Another important factor that is obvious when looking at each of the five squads is that the captain each time was an individual who was an out-and-out match winner. While Misbah is definitely top class and has rescued the side, his ability to turn an ODI on its head is yet to be proven.
So if all goes well and Misbah is retained the captain until the World Cup, as has been declared by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), he can maybe take a cue from the past sides. Not that all squads were successful, the 2003 and 2007 team suffered embarrassing first round exits. But there is a lesson to be learnt from each, particularly the 1999 team.
There was no mediocre player in that team and the captain was willing to take risks and change and shuffle the line up. A young Razzaq batted up the order, Saqlain bowled the death overs, Akhtar was given a free license, Yousuf (Youhana), a proper batsman came down at number six and played the big shots and most importantly the team looked like it was always at the throat of the opposition. There is clearly a lack of match winners in the side right now and if the situation calls for trying out a couple of untested players than the team management must act fast.
Pakistan must identify what made them a dangerous ODI outfit in the past and the usefulness of each spot in the line up. They can no longer select a player with the hope that he will come good. They have to be sure that the man they are picking is the right man for the job.
