Umar Akmal needs to start batting up the order.Throw Farhat out,and make Umar open the innings.He usually comes in to bat when the top order has already been blown apart,and then expecting him to do wonders is slightly unfair on him.
The responsibility of throwing away his wicket a lot of times lies squarely on his shoulders,but making him bat up the order would do the team more good than his current position.The talent is there,and despite Umar's own carelessness,he's not being used properly by the management either.He isn't afraid to have a go at the bowlers,and his aggression would reap far greater rewards up the order than his current position.
Hafeez
Umar
Asad/Azhar
Younis
Misbah
Sarfaraz/Adnan
Afridi
Ajmal
Gul
Wahab/Junaid
Rehman
I don't agree with the notion that every one after Afridi is your run of the mill old fashioned tailender.Both Ajmal and Gul can bat,not as well as Broad and Swann perhaps,but they are hardly from the Courtney Walsh school of tailenders either.Even Wahab can whack a few around.
Also,the conern for me at this point in time is the 2015 world cup.Younis and Misbah need to make way sooner rather than later.Blood in some youngsters like Usman Salahuddin.He was taken on the West Indies West Indies tour,but he only got 2 games.He needs to be given another chance since he has tons of potential.
Asad and Azhar will form the heart of the our middle order for 2015,but the supporting acts need to be groomed soon.
Oh and for the record,Afridi needs to be given the ODI captaincy again.I think it's only a matter of time till that happens.