Responding strongly to statements by coach Waqar Younis and captain Shahid Afridi, chief selector Mohsin Khan said it was not mandatory to consult the coach or captain while selecting the national squad.
Both coach Younis and limited-overs captain Afridi have complained about team selection for the UAE series. Afridi went on to express his resentment in the media while Younis discussed the situation in the National Assembly Sports Standing Committee meeting this week.
The chief selector, however, said it was unjust to protest over the lack of consultation saying the selection committee was not obliged to take input from them. “It’s not necessary for selectors to ask the coach or captain. The selection committee is only responsible to give the team to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) management before the deadline,” said Mohsin.
Although Mohsin claimed it was always his priority to consult the team management, he also added protesting for not being asked was an unjust act on part of the team. “I made it clear on day one that I want to take the captain, coach together but we were asked by the PCB management to select a squad on very short notice.”
Mohsin defends selection before Twenty20 Cup
Mohsin also defended selection for the UAE series and said the series mainly consists of One-Day Internationals (ODI) and Tests. “We will play five ODIs, two Tests and only a couple of Twenty20s and the performance in the ongoing Twenty20 competition does not count much. The youngsters giving a good performance would definitely be considered for future events,” said Mohsin.
The selectors received fierce criticism from several former and current players who said selection before the tournament affected the performance of the youngsters.
