The Pakistan team selected to tour India is the "weakest-ever" and resembles a club side, according to Mushtaq Mohammad who is rated as one of the shrewdest captains that the country has produced.
The former Pakistan captain also said that after learning about the make-up of the Pakistani squad, Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly "must be laughing" while Inzamam-ul Haq must be having his fingers crossed.
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"I am sorry to say that this Pakistan team looks like a club team to me," he said, as Pakistan gear up for their first full-fledged series, involving three Tests and six one-day internationals, in India in six years.
"Sourav must be laughing and feeling very confident because he has seen most of the players in Pakistan last year and knows their weaknesses. As far as Inzamam is concerned, he must have his fingers crossed. He will be hoping that his boys put up a better performance than what they showed in Australia."
Mushtaq was unsparing in his comments on the Pakistan batsmen saying, "barring a couple of them, there are no quality batsmen in the side. They have faulty techniques, are too flashy, have no footwork, no temperament and consequently they are inconsistent," he said.
"Other than Inzamam and Yousuf Youhana, there are no batsmen in the team who could survive two sessions," the 62-year-old Mushtaq said.
"The little that I have seen of the Pakistan batsmen, I have noticed that they put their bat behind the pads. They need to put their bat in front of the pad. That is the basic."
Equally unimpressed by the bowlers, Mushtaq said, "to win Test matches, you need to take 20 wickets and I don't see any bowler capable of running through the innings. Danish Kaneria has been bowling well recently but he needs support. Besides, figures of five for 140 will not win you Tests. You need to have figures of five for 50 to win you a Test. And how regularly can Danish do this?"
Nevertheless, Mushtaq hoped that his assessment of the team would prove wrong and Pakistan would come out with flying colours.
"I desperately want my country to do well in India and win the Test series because this series means a lot to the people of Pakistan. But sadly, cricket is not played with emotions. It is played with talent and skill. I hope my assessment about the team is incorrect and if they [Pakistan team] prove me wrong, I will be the happiest man on this planet."
Adjudged Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1963, Mushtaq was the Pakistan captain on the ice-breaking 1978-79 series against India at home, the first cricket series between the two countries in nearly 18 years.
Mushtaq's men beat Bishen Bedi's team 2-0 in that three-Test series. But a year later, he was elbowed out by Asif Iqbal as captain in controversial circumstances for the return tour that eventually brought the downfall of Iqbal after Pakistan returned vanquished.
Mushtaq played 57 Tests for Pakistan between 1958 and 1979, including 19 as captain between 1976 and 1979, and scored 3,643 runs besides taking 79 wickets. His brothers -- Hanif, Wazeer, Sadiq and nephew Shoaib -- represented Pakistan while six other nephews played first-class cricket.
He said he is taking heart from the fact that the team would not be up against a hostile bowling attack in India as was the case in Australia.
"The only advantage Pakistan have is that they will not be facing the same hostile bowling like Australia and the wickets will be more batsmen friendly."
He also said that one should accept the fact that India are a better Test side than Pakistan although in one-dayers it was the other way around.
"I think we are pinning too many hopes from this Pakistan team in Tests. We should accept that India are a much better, improved and matured side than ours in all departments of the game.
"But we are definitely a better one-day side because we have utility cricketers who are capable of turning the match on its head in one just over," he said.
