Manchester - Pakistan Chief Selector Inzamam-ul-Haq has said that he is not fazed by defeat to England in the second Test...

The manner of Pakistan's capitulation in the second Test, where they lost by 330 runs, appeared to nullify any positives gained by the fantastic victory at Lord's. But despite the gloom that usually descends on Pakistan cricket in the face of a poor performance, newly-appointed chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq is convinced that there is light at the end of the tunnel. "We may have struggled in Manchester, but it is my firm belief that our batsmen will have picked up important experience by the end of this tour which will benefit them in the future," said Inzamam. The chief selector said: "There is no need to panic due to the recent performance. It is usual for a team with many players who have never played in such conditions before, to struggle a little, similar to when non-Asian teams find it tough to play spin bowling in the sub-continent.

"Back home or in the UAE, we try and play every ball that we face, but in English conditions you need to be selective about which balls to play and which ones to leave. Our batsmen need to improve themselves technically. However, I do not believe that there is any blame to be laid at their feet for the defeat. We need to have patience," he added. The England victory at Old Trafford may have been painful for Pakistan cricket followers but England batsman Joe Root's fantastic 254 against a world-class bowling attack was a sight to behold.

A veteran of almost five-hundred international games, Inzamam expressed his admiration for the 25-year-old England batsman who is laying waste to many an international bowling attack. "Root has really impressed me," said Inzamam. "I've watched his career closely; he is a fantastic player and seems to be improving with every innings that he plays. I see a great future for him if he continues to bat in the way he is batting at the moment."

The four-Test series now stands level at 1-1 after Pakistan kicked off their campaign with an impressive 75-run victory against England at Lord's. There aren't many cricket followers who will forget the unique press-up celebration by Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq when he scored a fantastic hundred in the first Test.

Apart from the well-deserved accolades he received for his innings, his performance in that game also underlined his importance to the Pakistan team and seemed to end any talk of age not being on his side on this tour. Inzamam said the only considerations for Misbah's inclusion in this team and for his future participation were his performances and fitness - the latter helped by the squad's pre-tour army boot camp. "Misbah has shown the way for all batsmen to follow. He is the most experienced player in the team and our captain. We also have Younus Khan, who we can rely on for experience. Performances by both these players are key to our successes,” he added.

"Misbah's age is not an issue - there is absolutely no limit on the age of a player for him to be part of the Pakistan team. The only factor that matters is the level of performance and the fitness of the player. The way Misbah is playing now, I see no reason why he should not be given the opportunity to represent Pakistan in upcoming foreign tours, as his experience will be crucial for the team,” Inzi said. .

Chastised by their loss at Old Trafford, Misbah and Pakistan will now need to re-group and look ahead to the remaining two Test matches to try to finish the series on a winning note. While the loss at Old Trafford is fresh in the minds of fans and players alike, Inzamam says the win in the opening Test at Lord's cannot be ignored as it showed to the world that Pakistan are not a pushover. "The win at Lord's has shown everyone that this team is more than capable of winning against tough opposition and in foreign conditions," he said.

"The Old Trafford Test obviously did not go that well, but then we have to give credit to England for making a comeback in this series and shows that they are a very tough team to beat. Regardless of the result in the second Test, I am convinced that as the players get more experience in these conditions, their performance will improve and Pakistan will get better results and bounce back," he concluded.