The national cricket selectors have decided to include the pace trio of Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Asif and Umar Gul in the list of probables for September’s ICC Champions Trophy.
“Giving utmost respect to the decision of the Lahore High Court, we have included Shoaib Akhtar’s name in the list of 30 probables for the ICC Champions Trophy along with Mohammad Asif and Umar Gul,” chief selector Salahuddin Ahmed told Dawn on Wednesday.
“But while Shoaib and Umar have to prove their fitness, Asif’s selection will largely depend on the report of PCB’s fact-finding committee,” said the chief selector. The PCB committee, formed to probe the lanky pacer’s detention saga in the UAE last month for carrying a banned substance, is yet commence their inquiry.
Umar, who had sustained a rib injury during the ninth Asia Cup at Karachi, is currently going through rehabilitation process.
The final list of 30 probables will be handed over to ICC on Thursday.
All three players will have to prove their fitness by playing domestic cricket, the only domestic tournament currently in progress is the Inter-district cricket the final of which will be held on July 21st, No other domestic competition has been finalised for the coming weeks and therefore, the players are unlikely to fulfil the requirement of proving their fitness for the Champions Trophy at least until August.
Although the selectors are saying that they will respect the courts decision to reinstate Shoaib Akhtar but I don’t think he will be selected keeping in view his tiff with the chairman.
I am against Asif’s inclusion in the team, the guy should be banned at least for two years, but the statements made by the chairman and other PCB officials are highly indicative of that he will be escape any disciplinary action. He is already working out in the academy to regain his fitness.
Given the fragility of his body, his recent form, and the scandals he has been involved in his inclusion in the team will draw huge criticism and will eventually have a negative affect on the team, my first choice will be Umar Gul if he is fit or else any other youngster.
Shoaib Akhtar if he passes the fitness test, it would be foolish to leave him behind he should not have been banned in the first place.
Wasim Akram criticized Malik in an interview for not having the balls to lead from the front and stand up against the selectors.
Its a fact that the selectors are being biased and are trying to select the team based on regionalism they time and again declined the request of Malik to include Saeed Ajmal and Mansoor Amjad but they kept on giving an extended run to Afridi and Fawad Alam the former was completely out of form and the later is a nothing bowler you can either be completely biased or completely biased if you select Fawad over Saeed Ajmal or even Mansoor Amjad.
Its a captain’s job to stand up against the selectors and back the deserving players.
I have been criticizing the board for selecting and using the youngsters just as water boys and dump them after the series without even playing a match.
Akram took malik to task in his interview on the above issues this one is going to hurt Malik as Akram is supposed to be his benefactor and mentor if he is now speaking openly against him then Malik must listen.
Here’s what Akram said about Malik:
Q Selection in Pakistan is highly politicised. Things work differently here, don’t they?
Of course they do. Fourteen boys went to the Kitply Cup; they won the tournament, but two have been dropped. They didn’t even play and are dropped. What they must be going through, I can only imagine.
That’s where Shoaib Malik has to be strong. As a leader and as a player he has to be positive. In the beginning I thought he had the skills; now I have my doubts. Against Zimbabwe he bowled ten overs in almost every match, against Bangladesh he bowled a little less. But in big matches he is not bowling. Do you think nobody notices? People do. Most of all, players notice how the leader is doing.
Hassan,
Those are just rumors,if it happens it will be good for Pakistan cricket Malik is a puppet of DNA and as long as DNA is in office he will protect Malik.
If a change is on the cards it will happen after champions trophy.
Somehow my criticism of Afridi is taken as Jingoism and defense of Malik by you know who.
The fact is that I have criticized both of them equally for not playing their roles.I have been criticizing both of them since last one year.
Both of them are disrupting the balance of the team and time and again we have seen that the team struggles because of their failures as all rounders.
I could care less who captains the team, under the current scenario either YK or Misbah should be given the captaincy, these struggling all rounders are not a good choice.
As if they become the captain and then do not perform it will be hard to axe them from the team.
On paper Malik and Afridi have been the best all rounders not only in Pakistan but also in the world but we all know that both have them feasted upon minnows and struggled against quality teams.Once they are shown the axe their performance will automatically improve.
I am not sure if Afridi will ever become a batsman but if he has to be included in the team as a bowler only then he should only be played in matches where Pakistan can afford to play 5 regular bowlers.
If Shoaib passes the fitness test then it will be a test of the man management skills of the selection committee how they use him. Shoaib should only be used selectively.
The sooner they will come the sooner they will go.
Its being rumored that Malik is being removed from Captaincy.Misbah will be the new captain.