Pakistan’s T20 Team Selection Affairs – An Objective Analysis

An objective analysis of the recent decisions of the PCB..!

The following squad was selected by the PCB for the coming T20 Asia and World Cup tournaments.

Pakistan: Khurram Manzoor, Iftikhar Ahmed, Anwar Ali, Wahab Riaz, Shoaib Malik, Rumman Raees, Mohammad Irfan, Mohammad Amir, Imad Wasim, Babar Azam, Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Nawaz, Sarfraz Ahmed, Umar Akmal

Unfortunately, there is only one player namely Umar Akmal in the above squad, who is a genuine world class T20 material.

However, with the inclusion of following players, we have made a complete mess and mockery of the selection of the Pakistani T20 team.

1. Khurram Manzoor:- (Classical case of rampant SIFARISHI culture prevailing in the PCB, where they are playing with Pakistan, not playing for Pakistan. Played his last ODI 7 years ago in 2009 and last Test 2 years ago in 2014. He has never represented Pakistan in T20 format. Surprisingly, he was not even selected among the 100 players of the 5 PSL teams. Since, cricketing logic and merit belies his selection, only the PCB and its selection committee knows the non-cricketing reasons, justifying his inclusion, which must be made public before some else, opens the lid of this so called secret matter).

2. Iftikhar Ahmed:- (Another out of merit selection, where he has never represented Pakistan in T20 format. His performance during the 2 ODI matches for Pakistan, is so pathetic that no other even non-Test playing team will select him as a 12th man.
His batting average is 4 runs with a strike rate of 25.80.
His bowling average is 49 runs per wicket with strike rate of 60 runs per wicket. With this ODI performance our PCB wizards have selected him for the T20 Asia & World Cup matches).

3. Rumman Raees:- Any person with minimum cricketing knowledge can observe that he is a below average player, absolutely not having the ability to make an impact at world level. It is a Classical case of selecting a below average, low calibre player. His selection exposes the abilities of the PCB and its selectors, in picking up the potential players for the world arena. Selection of such low potential players, have made the PCB and its selectors a laughing stock).

3. Wahab Riaz:- He is somehow himself proving that T20 game is not his cup of tea. Junaid Khan and Muhammad Sami are much better choices to replace him in the T20 format.

4. Shoaib Malik:- He is also past his prime and absolutely not a world level T20 stuff. And, after what Ravi Bopara has spoken about him, if I were in the authority, he won’t be allowed to come near the Gaddafi stadium. If the people at the helm of affairs in the PCB have not yet read his damning statement about Shoaib Malik, they must go through it, sooner than later; because Ravi Bopara has also said that he was compelled to tell the truth about Shoaib Malik, who advised him to bowl at off stump side, while fielders were placed at the leg side.

5. Muhammad Irfan:- He can’t be and must not be selected for the world level T20 games, due to his below club level fielding and batting abilities.

6. Shahid Afridi:- He can only be included in the team on his bowling and fielding abilities. As far as, his batting and captainship abilities are concerned, he is well past his prime and the less said the better it is. Moreover, as they say the proof of pudding is in its eating, the ranking of our T20 team is rapidly going down, under his leadership.

Muhammad Hafeez is in his prime form these days. Moreover, when he holds the world record for the most successful T20 captain, it was high time he was given the chance to once again lead the Pakistani T20 team.

The PCB has hit another six by appointing Azhar Mahmood as bowling coach.
The current PCB chairman was manager of Pakistan’s ODI World Cup team in 2003, which was played in South Africa. Hope he will be remembering how much problem was created for our World Cup team, which took an unfit player for the trip.
Although, that player got selected for the 2003 World Cup team, by getting the fitness clearance from the concerned authority, yet, he was declared unfit, after arrival in South Africa, without playing any match.
This situation forced our team to play the World Cup with only 14 players, because rules didn’t permit any replacement, for old injuries which didn’t occur during the World Cup.
Now, if the chairman PCB has decided to make such a person part of the team management, we can only pray for his success.

Best of luck for the Pakistani team in its endeavours to win the T20 Asia Cup and the World Cup.