Pakistan will pin their hopes on the next generation after their World Cup campaign ended with a quarter-final exit to Australia but with departing skipper Misbah-ul-Haq warning the team is not up to international scratch.

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Pakistan, the 1992 champions, lost their first two matches to India and the West Indies before staging a comeback with four consecutive wins to earn a quarter-final spot.

But they went down by six wickets against Australia in Adelaide, a defeat which critics argue exposed the weaknesses of the players and system.

None of Pakistan’s younger batsmen – Ahmed Shehzad, Umar Akmal and Sohaib Maqsood – could match the guile of 40-year-old Misbah who was the main run-getter with 350 in seven matches.

“It’s necessary that the younger batsmen take responsibility,” said Misbah, who quit ODI cricket after Friday’s defeat. “They are talented players but maybe they were not made responsible enough to help the team.”

Akmal is the most talented of them all but he failed to turn his full potential into performances, scoring only 164 runs in seven innings. Shehzad, a contender for the ODI captaincy, managed 222 at the tournament while Maqsood scored 124 in five innings.

“If our cricket is to match international standards then our youngsters have to work hard,” said Misbah. “They are the best performers in domestic cricket so they have to take the mantle from us.

“Besides batting, fitness and fielding are two key areas where our players have to work very hard because they are not up to international standards,” said Misbah.