Pakistan’s batting problems have continued on their England tour, but batting coach Michael Smith believes the young players in the team need time to settle into Test cricket.

Pakistan were 52/2 at stumps on Day 2 of the third Test in Birmingham and still trailed England by 268 runs. Persistent rain then brought an early end to the day’s play.

Despite the difficult situation, Smith backed the youngsters to improve with more experience. He believes Pakistan have enough talent coming through and that helping the younger players become comfortable in Test cricket will be important for the team’s future.

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Pakistan’s Batting Struggles Continue

Pakistan have found it extremely difficult to put together big scores during the series.

After heavy defeats in the first two Tests at Headingley and Lord’s, the team made several changes to its squad. Seven players, including Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq and T20I captain Salman Ali Agha, were sent home midway through the tour.

The changes have left Pakistan with a relatively inexperienced batting lineup. Of the top seven players featuring in the ongoing Test, only Babar Azam and Shan Masood had previously toured England.

Smith admitted that the batting unit is going through a transition and needs to spend much more time at the crease.

Smith Wants Young Batters To Learn Quickly

Smith pointed to Saud Shakeel, Azan Awais and Shan Masood as players who have shown glimpses of what they can do. However, he stressed that they need to convert those starts into long innings.

‘Too Early To Judge’ Pakistan’s Youngsters

Smith also said the players remain positive despite the tough results. He believes it would be unfair to judge the younger members of the team based only on their first experience of playing Test cricket in England.

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