LAHORE - Former cricketers have given mixed reactions to the squads announced by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for Bangladesh tour on Friday. While some said that it was necessary to oust the players who couldn’t perform in the World Cup 2015, others termed ousting Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal as a joke.
Opposing the decision to drop Umar Akmal and Ahmed Shehzad, former Chief Selector Mohsin Hassan Khan said that both the players had performed just like the other players in the team. “If performance is the only criteria then nobody other than Misbahul Haq and Sarfraz Ahmed deserved to be part of the team while if they have been dropped due to some disciplinary action then they must also be given show-cause notices”, he said. Mohsin Khan said that dropping Ahmed Shehzad from Test and One-Day Internationals (ODI) formats and keeping him with Twenty20 squad under Shahid Afridi’s captaincy raised questions. “This has caused embarrassment for Pakistan as team has been selected on the basis of favoritism”, he added.
Former Test cricketer Akram Raza said that dropping the players who couldn’t perform in the World Cup was an excellent decision. This will make the players realize their responsibilities, he said. “Saeed Ajmal didn’t play any first-class game after getting his action cleared but he has been included in the squad. This must have been a difficult decision”, he said. Akram said that Saeed Ajmal’s career is linked to this tour because Bangladeshi batsmen play the spinners well on their home soil. “We will have to see how Ajmal bowls with his new action. If Ajmal gets to face a tough opposition, he may well start bowling with his previous action”, he added.
Qaiser Abbas, former Pakistan Test cricketer, said that adding new players to the team was a good decision. “By picking players on basis of good domestic performance will encourage other players to play better”, he said. However, he expressed concern on neglecting Bilawal Bhatti and Anwar Ali. “If the team has been formed keeping future in the mind, youngsters should have been given a chance in place of Anwar Ali and Sohail Tanvir”, he opined.