Karachi: Former Pakistan spinner Saqlain Mushtaq believes national selectors and team management were wasting Danish Kaneria by not including him in the one-day side.

"Danish is a very experienced bowler and he has quality about. I would like to see him playing in tests and other forms of the game as well," Saqlain told Geo News in Colombo.

Saqlain, who took 208 Test and 288 one-day wickets for Pakistan during a successful career that ended in 2004 due to a knee injury, said the selectors were making a mistake by not playing Kaneria regularly in the Test and one-day teams.

"Pakistan should take advantage of the fact that they have a seasoned bowler like Danish and he and Saeed Ajmal can form a potent and effective spin pair for Pakistan in test and one-day games," Saqlain felt.

Kaneria, who has taken nearly 250 Test wickets, was not considered for the first two Tests in Sri Lanka but played in the final Test in which he took five wickets in the first innings.

He was, however, dropped for the one-day series and Twenty20 match and has left for England to resume his contract with Essex where he has a very successful career for them.

Saqlain also said that he accepted the New Zealand offer because no one from Pakistan ever contacted him for any coaching or consultancy role.

"I am a professional and I have to earn my living from somewhere," he said.