Karachi, June 15 (ANI): Former Pakistan captain Zaheer Abbas has backed seasoned middle-order batsman, Mohammad Younus Khan by saying that he should be given more time in order to prove that he is still worthy of a place in the national squad.

Younus has scored just two half-centuries in his last 16 One-Day International (ODI) innings with his last century coming against the West Indies in November 2008, reports The Express Tribune.

According to reports, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), owing to Younus' poor form, was also mulling over the option of restricting him to just Test matches. But Zaheer said Younus should be supported during this rough period.

Lean patches come in every player's career. He's a senior player and the team needs him. You just have to see his consistency in the past. And it's not like our youngsters are outstanding so there's no point in getting rid of him, Abbas said.

Abbas, meanwhile, said he feels that the Pakistan team was far from being professional and that it needed improvement.

We need to go up a gear in all departments, especially batting and bowling. Foreign coaches haven't brought professionalism to the side in the past but Whatmore's an experienced coach and players will definitely gain a lot from him. You need to give him time too instead of expecting miracles in three months, he said. (ANI)