Pakistan has announced its squad for the test series against Australlia. Mohammad Yousaf will lead the team, Younis Khan as expected was not selected since he has gone underground and has not given his availability to PCB.
Younis probably is waiting for an opportune time to return, he will announce his availability when the captaincy issue will again surface after a loss. Younis is often portrayed as a man of principles and integrity but his egoistic decision not to play for Pakistan when he knows that the team needs him is totally in contradiction of his image especially when he is still on PCB’s Payroll.
In past Miandad, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, and several other players faced similar revolts but they kept their personal differences and ego aside and kept playing for the country, ideally Younis Khan should have done the same, his fans who supported him through thick and thin might feel betrayed.
Younis Khan would be 37 next year, even if he does make a return his mind will not be clear as it is evident from his behavior so it is best that PCB should move on and completely ignore players like Akhtar and Younis who do not play domestic cricket and still get paid their contracts should be terminated. We donot need players who only play for themselves.
The decision to persist with Shoaib Malik and Khurram Manzoor is mind baffling, the selectors are going to get some serious criticism for persisting with these two players. Malik will get dropped in the third test so why the selectors feel that he will be of any good to the team in the Australian tour the guy has scored just 47 runs in four innings does Iqbal Qasim believes a miracle is going to happen over night and Malik’s form will improve, Pakistan cricket is at it’s lowest ebb just because of stupid and moronic decisions like this one. I think Mohammad Yousaf has influenced Malik’s inclusion in the team.
Squad:
Mohammad Yousuf (capt), Salman Butt, Khurrum Manzoor, Imran Farhat, Shoaib Malik, Fawad Alam, Faisal Iqbal, Misbah-ul-Haq, Kamran Akmal (wk), Danish Kaneria, Saeed Ajmal, Umar Gul, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Aamer, Abdur Rauf, Umar Akmal.
Faisal Iqbal will play in the third test and will get a chance to prove his worth. After the third test I do expect some changes in the squad. It won’t be a bad idea to play Khalid Latif at #3. He has the ability to play the new ball and has played some good innings against the Australian A team in the past.
Malik is out, his replacement another mediocre player Faisal Iqbal couldn’t even score in double figures, why do we make changes for the sake of a change, when there was no promising youngster on the tour then their was really no need for it but having said that now atleast we know Faisal Iqbal is also good for nothing.
I don’t think Malik had any role in kicking Yousaf out of the T20′s it was the selectors decision and you must have noticed that Yousaf even now is not a part of T20′s. Yousaf accused Malik but Malik never disrespected him and that is the reason they don’t have any bad blood between them.
But any ways we need to induct some new blood in the team at least two new batsmen for the Australian series, we should not try out any players who have failed in the past fresh, chance should be given to fresh talent.
Today’s media reports are filled with Yousuf’s support to include Malik on the basis of seniority since Younis is absent. Yousuf went to ICL because of Shoaib Malik dropping him from T20 side and now it was expected that same will happen to Malik specially after his performance in the two tests. But Yousuf’s support for Malik looks like an attempt to create some friends and support for himself in the squad and also may be an attempt to keep Younis away by packing middle order with couple of senior players. But a traitor is always a traitor so If Malik was involved in revolt against Younis then he can probably do the same against Yousuf despite all these favors, so be aware buddy.