If you are an opener, have played for any A, B, C side and scored a few runs against even a low grade team you have a very bright chance to get an opportunity for Pakistan cricket team as an opener soon. The Pakistan cricket management is trying its best to give a chance to players who can open the innings at any level of cricket.

The final of the Asia Cup T20 is being played today between India and hosts Bangladesh. Pakistan were knocked out from the tournament when they lost to India and Bangladesh. The reason for the failure once again was poor batting, especially from the top order.

Khurram Manzoor who got a surprised call in place of Ahmed Shehzad failed miserably as he scored only 11 runs (10, 0 and 1) in three matches.

The other opener Sharjeel Khan was included in the squad after his superb century in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) against Shahid Afridi’s Peshawar Zalmi. But he also failed to continue his form and only scored 21 runs in first three Asia Cup matches.

Veteran Mohamamd Hafeez, the third opener in the side, also managed only 17 runs in three games.

In the Asia Cup, Pakistan’s average runs per wicket in the Power Plays were just 8.66, the lowest among the participating five teams.

PSL’s top scorer Umar Akmal again failed in crunch matches. He scored 58 runs in three matches (3 against India and 4 against Bangladesh). He scored 50 against the weakest side, UAE.

Only former captain Shoaib Malik was consistent as he scored 108 runs. Behind him was wicket-keeper batsman Sarfraz Ahmed who scored 83.

Against Bangladesh, Pakistan scored only 34 runs in the first ten overs, the lowest in Twenty20 Internationals. Their previous lowest was 35 for 4 against West Indies in World Twenty20 in 2014, also in Dhaka.

Openers have been the weakest point in Pakistan’s batting line-up for a long time. Only in the last two years, the management has tried nine opening batsmen, but the opening slots have remained uncertain.

Last year against England in UAE, Pakistan’s opening partnerships were 5, 3, 51, 1 and 5.

Pakistan’s opening batsmen have scored 152 runs in six T20Is in 2016, an average of 12.67, lowest among the full-member sides. The highest stand Pakistani openers have provided is just 33.

Pakistan have tried 15 opening combinations since 2010 and only Mohammad Hafeez and Taufeeq Umar, who played 35 innings together, provided some reasonable foundations.

A captain’s performance always plays a vital role in the team’s performance. The skipper leads from the front, he is the motivator, but Shahid Afridi has failed to lead from the front and motivate his players.

His performance has often been a burden on the team. In first three matches of Asia Cup, he scored only two runs and took only two wickets.

As captain Afridi has been bowled out four times on ducks, an honour he shares with Ireland’s William Porterfield. His duck against Bangladesh was overall his eighth duck in T20 -- third most after Tillakaratne Dilshan (10) and Luke Wright (9).

On the other hand, bowlers gave their best and tried to pull the game back in every game but the batsmen, especially the top order, failed to provide enough runs to defend.

Muhammad Amir was outstanding throughout the tournament. He took seven wickets in the first three matches, averaging 7.14 at an economy rate of just 4.16.

The selectors should be asked on what basis they selected Khurram Manzoor, Iftikhar Ahmed, Ramman Raes in the presence of Mohammad Rizwan, who is a utility player in the middle order and a fine fielder, and Sohaib Maqsood, who was considered a future Inzamam-ul-Haq.

The cricket board management should realise that a team that fails to deliver against average teams cannot win the World Twenty20 in India where they will be under tremendous pressure in unfavourable conditions and in front of huge biased crowds.

After losing every game, a routine statement is given by the coach and the skipper that they would learn from the mistakes and bounce back in the next game. But it is time to take some concrete decisions and select a few openers to solve this perennial problem and give them enough chances to show their skills on a long-term.