Pakistan team in a transition

        

  Qasim said that handling a transition phase was difficult for all teams in cricket, irrespective of their past performances. "It happens everywhere, even Australia" he said. "We are trying to look for young cricketers, but the situation in domestic cricket is not encouraging.Pakistan are currently ranked No. 5 in ICC Test rankings, No. 6 in ODIs and No. 4 in T20Is. Their highest position in Tests came in 2007, when they made it to No. 3. Qasim was reluctant to predict whether the team would reach the No. 1 ranking . "I can't say whether we can achieve the No. 1 position with the players we have in the team, but I can be optimistic about it. Critics talk about the inconsistent selection but the other side of the argument is that we have to try different combinations until we find the best prospects for Pakistan. Our job as selectors is to pick the best player and it is the player's job to hold on to his place by performing well.Similarly, in the batting line-up, the selectors have failed to find a prolific batsman in the mould of Mohammad Yousuf, although dozens of batsmen have been given chances. Two youngsters, Umar Akmal and Asad Shafiq, have shown potential but they are yet to win a permanent place in the side. Qasim's remarks about a transition phase come soon after Pakistan's disappointing tour to South Africa. They lost all matches of the three-Test series and while their performance improved in the one-dayers, it still wasn't good enough for them to win the series. The re-emergence of Mohammad Irfan, who still needs to work on his fitness, was the only positive from the tour.Kamran Akmal has handled wicket-keeping responsibilities over the last five years, even as the selectors have tried Zulqarnain Haider, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Mohammad Salman and Adnan Akmal. Kamran is considered the best wicket-keeper batsman for Pakistan in limited-overs cricket but the Test slot is still unsettled. The selectors recently identified Mohammad Rizwan from Peshawar as a prospect but the youngster is still waiting for a chance to prove his case.The team has been known for world-class fast bowlers, such as Sarfaraz Nawaz, Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar. Pakistan have been struggling in recent times. Since Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, the Pakistan selectors have brought in 10 bowlers and only Junaid Khan and Irfan have established themselves as long-term prospects.