The PCB selection committee seems to have created a flutter by naming former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik among the reserves for the national team's upcoming tour of Zimbabwe.
Published: Jul 29, 2011, 10:12 AM (IST)
Edited: Jul 29, 2011, 10:12 AM (IST)
Shoaib Malik has been out of the national team since last September © Getty Images
Lahore: Jul 28, 2011
The PCB selection committee seems to have created a flutter by naming former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik among the reserves for the national team’s upcoming tour of Zimbabwe.
Although chief selector Mohsin Khan insisted at his press conference, while announcing the squad, that Malik’s selection was subject to clearance from the integrity committee of the board but questions are already being raised as to what was the necessity to name him among the reserves.
“Malik is the sort of a player who can be selected anytime in the team whenever the integrity committee clears him. The board creates controversies itself by doing such things,” former test player, Basit Ali said.
Another former test player, Jalaluddin noted that if Malik’s selection was subject to clearance from the integrity committee than the board could have also named leg-spinner Danish Kaneria in the reserves with the same condition.
“It makes no sense to name Malik among the reserves. It looks as if the board is going to clear him soon and the purpose of naming him among the reserves is that he can start training with the Pakistan players,” he added.
Malik has been out of the national team since last September when he toured England.
Since than the board has not considered him for national selection on the grounds that that the integrity committee has some issues with him and he had failed to satisfy them.
The main issue surrounding Malik is that his bank accounts showed an amount of 90,000 pounds and the former captain has been unable to explain where he spent the money to the integrity committee members.
The other players among the reserves list include: wicketkeeper Sarfaraz Ahmed, Khurrum Mansoor, Sharjeel Khan, Hammad Azam and pacer Mohammad Talha.
The board has also not named a vice-captain to Misbah-ul-Haq for the coming series and cricket analysts feel it a clear message to head coach Waqar Younis that he should mind his own business and not interfere in domain of the PCB.
Waqar, in his report on the West Indies tour and in a recent media talk, has advised the board to start grooming a successor for Misbah so that there is no issue in the changeover in captaincy when the times comes.
Waqar noted that Misbah was not getting any younger at the age of 37 and the board needed to groom another captain.
But the board’s refusal to announce a vice-captain indicates it is not happy with Waqar’s advice.
© PTI
