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[aryan]

SYDNEY: Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf feels that a good all-rounder will improve his team's performances in the Tests.

Yousuf lamented that when it comes to One-day and Twenty20s Pakistan have plenty of talented all-rounders, but in Tests they are hard to find.

Former captain Shoaib Malik had performed that role of an all-rounder but in recent times he doesn't bowl much while Abdul Razzaq has almost retired from Tests.

In the first Test against Australia, Pakistan had to rely on just four bowlers and have faced criticism from some experts, who believe that they should show more aggression and play with five specialist bowlers to achieve better results.

"How can we do that. That would mean dropping one batsman. It would further weaken our batting. What we need right now is an all-rounder. He could be our fifth bowler," Yousuf said.

Yousuf, who replaced Younis Khan as the Pakistan captain last year, is likely to get a longer stint as a regular skipper.

Asked whether he was disappointed when the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) ignored his request to send Younis to Australia, Yousuf said: "I can't say anything about it. It's been many days since I made the request. It's not my call. It's up to the board and the selectors to make the decision."

Yousuf had made the request during the Melbourne Test when Pakistan's batting flopped yet again. However, Younis failed to regain his form in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy forcing the PCB to turn down the captain's request.