ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) continues to neglect top performers of domestic cricket and keeps on preferring the blue-eyed players to the deserving ones with such pathetic selection can cost Pakistan T20 series.
It was strange and shocking team selection made by chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq, who didn’t give even a second thought to the consistent performances of Kamran Akaml, who has been suffering at the hands of PCB and selection committee since long.
Despite scoring loads of runs in all formats at domestic level, Kamran is not even considered for any format for national team, which is not only a huge injustice with a stuff like Kamran, but also clearly indicates that domestic performances means nothing for PCB and Inzamam, who just know how to facilitate near and dear ones.
The injustice was also done with Umar Akmal, who is in great form, scoring loads of runs and helping his team scale down new heights. Mickey Arthur has already spoilt careers of many talented players just because of his personal liking and disliking and he is all set to continue with his hate spree. It is crystal clear that the PCB has given him licence to sabotage careers of best talent.
Kamran is well-known of scoring runs on pitches like Australia, New Zealand, England and South Africa. The selectors deliberately gave him chance in West Indies, knowing that the tracks are slow and not suited to his style of play and after that, Kamran was left high and dry. Same is the case with Umar Akmal and Salman Butt.
The PCB has its own style and ways of dealing with certain individuals, as at one end, M Aamir, who is no way close to what he was in 2010 with only exception of Champions Trophy final against India, but due to being favourite and blue-eyed of the PCB chairman, he has been enjoying so much liberty, while M Asif, who is much better bowler than Aamir, is still waiting to catch the eyes of the selectors. Asif’s track record is much impressive than Aamir, as he had provided breakthroughs up front, unlike of Aamir, who only takes wickets of tail-enders.
Pakistan team badly needs a bowler like Asif, who may destroy any given batting order with his pace, venom and ability to bowl at any surface, but he is not in the PCB’s good books, reasons best known to PCB and chief selector. Same is the case with former Pakistan team captain Salman Butt, who is helping his department Wapda win titles, scoring loads of runs, leading the sides superbly. Salman is highly disciplined and hungry to score runs and Pakistan cricket team badly needs an experienced opener like him, especially in the longer version of the game.
Test cricket is the real cricket and Pakistan team is badly struggling to find a suitable opener, who may provide runs and much-needed stay at the crease, but the PCB has the likes of Shan Masood, Sami Aslam and others, who have strong connections and enjoying unlimited backing despite being not more than average players and their record is enough to prove their abilities.
Inzamam should inform the nation about the criteria of players’ selection as on what grounds, a player is being selected. Ahmed Shahzad has time and again proved that he is a problem child, but somehow, he managed to escape and staged comebacks in the national team, but others never get same treatment.
The double standards and nepotism have already inflicted huge miseries on green caps. The time is high when PCB chairman Najam Sethi must interfere and provide justice to long suffering Salman, Asif, Kamran and Umar and others, who have proven their worth time and again. M Nawaz and Rumman Raes were preferred over above mentioned players just because they enjoy skipper Sarfraz Ahmed’s backing.
Shoaib Malik and Babar Azam were huge disappointments in the ODIs, but they too were still enjoying backing and their places are cemented in the playing XI. The top class performers are being ignored while powerful mafia in the PCB is free to destroy the careers of talented youngsters and there is no one who may provide them justice. Najam Sethi must open his eyes and implement rule of law and merit must prevail while selecting the national team. The first T20 will be played on January 22 and the last one on 28th.