Wednesday, October 23, 2002 Pakistan chose youth against Australia - and were humiliated. The boys never had a prayer. It was a bizarre strategy to contemplate overturning the world's best and most professional team with one of the youngest and least experienced sides in Pakistan's history. The Pakistanis were mostly in their early twenties, while the Australians were virtually all over 30. A decade of experience, technique, and temperament separated the two sides.

One theory emanating from the Pakistani camp is that the young players can only learn from this experience. Possibly. Some of them may be so traumatised by this hammering that they will never recover, strangled at birth. Overall, the bowlers performed well, especially when Shoaib Akhtar was firing. But the batting was shocking. Pakistan, without Inzamam-ul-Haq and Yousuf Youhana, had little stomach for the fight and less idea how to build an innings.

So which of the boys has the temperament to make it? Who should be in the squad for southern Africa?

Imran Nazir, 20 (In)
Always promised much, with a wonderful eye and attacking flair. Suffered again more through technical failings than lack of temperament. Like many of Pakistan's batsmen he is stuck in the one-day groove. But if Imran has that beaten out of him, he remains a bright prospect for the future.

Taufeeq Umar, 21 (Out)
Battered Bangladesh and briefly flickered in the first Test, but the Aussies worked him out quickly. By the end Taufeeq was a sitting target, barely able to move his feet or play down the right line, and completely shot of confidence. I don't see how he can recover from this.

Imran Farhat, 20 (In, once Saeed Anwar's out)
Replaced Imran Nazir for the final Test and showed plenty of attacking gusto. He was unfazed by the Australians, but lacked the knowhow to play a long innings. With Imran Nazir and Shahid Afridi, he should be one of the three openers that Pakistan stick with once Saeed Anwar retires.

Misbah-ul-Haq, 28 (Out)
More new than young, he was highly rated but had a woeful series. He is one of those players you suspect will never quite have the technique or temperament to dominate at Test level. Misbah had a great opportunity to show some guts in this series, but spilled it. He should go.

Faisal Iqbal, 20 (In)
Played with a swagger that belied his record and his ability - blame his uncle Javed Miandad for that. Despite falling away after the first Test, Faisal clearly showed that he does have the stomach for Test cricket, and always appeared in control at the crease. A bright future awaits.

Hasan Raza, 20 (In)
The youngest to play Test cricket (unofficially) and still in only his third Test, he was the only Pakistani batsman to show any understanding of batting at the highest level. Hasan played it simple, straight, and unhurried. He also knew when to leave the ball. Short-pitched bowling might be his undoing on bouncier tracks, but he genuinely enjoyed himself in the middle. Another bright prospect.

Mohammad Sami, 21 (In)
Fast, lively, but often wayward, he has huge potential. Needs a few more lessons in reverse-swing, and you can only hope that he has learned something from Glenn McGrath's accuracy. After the World Cup the pace department will be all Shoaib and Sami.

Danish Kaneria, 21 (In, unless Mushtaq Ahmed is back in favour)
Promised to stand tall against Warne but was dwarfed. While Warne was a constant threat, a master of his art, Danish lacked zip and ingenuity. He neither had a good series nor a particularly bad one, although he isn't a world-beater on this performance. Mushtaq Ahmed's brief appearance for Surrey this summer reminded us that Mushy was pensioned off too early.

Kamran Abbasi, born in Lahore, brought up in Rotherham, is deputy editor of the British Medical Journal.

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd