Head coach Warren Gatland named three scrum-halves in his Lions squad on Tuesday but Laidlaw was not one of them however - but former Lions captain Hastings thinks his goal-kicking abilities ought to have earned him a place on the plane.
"In my opinion Greig Laidlaw would have been the viable option to cover stand-off and scrum-half," Hastings told the Scotsman.
"I was slightly surprised that Conor Murray [Ireland scrum-half] was selected. I thought that Greig had showcased in the Six Nations that he was a better all-round player.
"First and foremost he is a scrum-half and he has shown what a competitor he is there, and it was good to see him back there, but he also hardly ever misses a goal-kick, has a confidence and an assurance about the way he plays the game and is a leader, all attributes that are needed on a Lions tour."
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