KARACHI: Pakistan's former Test players have supported the national selectors for picking a well balanced World Cup preliminary squad.
Former chief selector and Test leg-spinner Abdul Qadir, however, criticised the selection of former captain and senior batsman Mohammad Yousuf in the preliminary squad.
"If captain Shahid Afridi pressed the board and selectors to recall Yousuf then he is wrong because Yousuf is no longer fit enough for the one-day version. His fielding is just not up to the mark," Qadir said.
The selectors on Tuesday recalled Yousuf for the World Cup squad while ignoring another former captain Shoaib Malik. Qadir said the decision to recall Kamran Akmal and Rana Naved was a good one and it would pay dividends for Pakistan team.
"They are experienced players and they will be useful in the World Cup. But I would urge the selectors to also give the younger players in the side a chance to play in the mega event instead of just naming them in the preliminary squad," Qadir added.
Former captain Zaheer Abbas also backed the recall of Kamran Akmal but expressed disappointment over the exclusion of Malik.
"I don't know what has happened behind the scenes but I would have liked to see Malik in the World Cup squad because he is an ideal player for the pitches in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and India," Zaheer said.
He said it was a good sign that the selectors have named six to seven newcomers in the side and said this was a step forward for Pakistan cricket.
He also felt that if the selectors had included Yousuf in the World Cup squad they should now send him and some of the newcomers to New Zealand for the one-day series to test them out.
Yousuf, 36, who has played 90 Tests and 288 One-day Internationals was dropped for the tour to New Zealand because of lack of fitness after he had earlier returned home from Dubai without playing the Tests against South Africa due to a strained muscle.
Former Test batsman Basit Ali said he was surprised at the omission of leg-spinner Danish Kaneria and dashing openers Shahzaib Hasan and Khalid Latif from the preliminary squad.
"Kaneria is one of the most experienced spinners around and would have been ideal for the pitches in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. If Kamran Akmal can be cleared for selection then why the Board have not cleared Kaneria and Shoaib Malik for selection," said Basit.
He also expressed surprised that the selectors have forgotten Hammad Azam who was even sent for the T20 World Cup.
"This is how we waste our young talent. I just hope the newcomers in the side get proper opportunities to prove their worth."
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Prime Minister David Cameron's brother goes in to bat for Pakistan's Mohammad Asif at 'spot-fixing' hearing
David Cameron’s barrister brother will lead the defence of suspended Pakistani cricketer Mohammad Asif when the fast bowler, his team-mate Mohammad Amir and former national captain Salman Butt face corruption charges at an International Cricket Council disciplinary hearing in Qatar, starting on Thursday.
My career is certainly not over: Shoaib Malik
The selectors yesterday did not pick the experienced allrounder in the 30-member preliminary squad and the board just stated that Malik was not cleared for selection.
"I was mentally prepared to be selected as I am in good form and am performing well in the domestic cricket. But I don't know why they didn't pick me.
"Missing the World Cup is a big setback for me but my career is certainly not over and I can still continue to play for another five to six years, so I know that I can make a comeback," he added.
However, Pakistani newspaper 'Dawn' on Wednesday carried a story that said that Malik was not picked because he could not explain the presence of 90,000 pounds in his bank account in the UK to the integrity committee of the board.
"Malik was unable to explain from where the money came from, its source and how it was in his account. That was the reason why he was not cleared for selection," the report said.
The PCB integrity committee had inquired into the assets, bank accounts and sources of income of Malik, Kamran Akmal, Danish Kaneria and Rana Naved in the lead up to the World Cup selection. It also sought advice of International Cricket Council (ICC) till the last moment before considering Kamran and Rana for selection, while ignoring Malik and Kaneria.
Malik, who led Pakistan between 2007 and 2009 also clarified that he had no dispute or differences with any player in the national team and was ready to play under anyone's captaincy.
"I am ready to play under any captain and offer him full support. The impression that I am an intriguer is not right."
Malik said he would continue to play domestic cricket and wait for his time to make a comeback.
Meanwhile, the former Pakistan captain Aamir Sohail said that if the board had functioned properly in the past, there would never have been any need for an integrity committee to keep a check on the players.
"But anyway the good thing is that the selectors have picked the right mix of experienced and youth in the World Cup preliminary squad, because in such a big tournament you need seniors to lead the way," Sohail added.
He, however, criticised the selection of Yasir Arafat in the World Cup preliminary squad, pointing out that he had already been given lot of chances in the past and had failed to capitalise on them.
Suspect players receive dues from PCB
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has made part payments of the outstanding dues to six suspect players namely Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamir, Mohammad Asif, Kamran Akmal, Shoaib Malik and Danish Kaneria, Dawn learnt on Monday.
Well-placed sources said that both Salman and Aamir received payments of Rs2.44 million each from their total outstanding dues of the last couple of series which come to approximately eight million Pakistani rupees.
The PCB has also deducted Rs2.5m from their dues to make a payment to English lawyer Elizabeth Robertson who was hired to defend the tainted trio soon after the Scotland Yard detectives raided the team hotel in England following the spot-fixing scam.
The PCB is, however, yet to pay around Rs3 million each to Aamir, Asif and Salman, the sources said, which may not be cleared until the ICC’s decision on the spot-fixing case is finalised.
All the three players are going to Doha, Qatar on Tuesday to defend their position before an ICC anti-corruption tribunal which will be holding a hearing into the spot-fixing case from Jan 6 to 11.
Meanwhile, Kamran and Shoaib, who are currently in the process of defending themselves before the PCB’s integrity committee over some fixing allegations, also received a major share of their outstanding dues which, however, does not include payments for the last series against England.
Afridi cautioned over criticism of team-mates in media
Shahid Afridi has been warned by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to adopt a suitable attitude, contending the skipper’s act of criticising his team-mates in the media is not conveying a good message.
Sources told Dawn that Afridi, who met PCB chairman Ijaz Butt here on Monday, apologised for his open criticism while assuring the chairman he would not repeat the act.
Furthermore, the chairman also asked Afridi — a veteran of 306 One-day Internationals and 42 Twenty20 games — to improve his own performance instead of criticising other players, sources claimed.
It may be mentioned here that the PCB is yet to announce the captain for the upcoming six-match ODI series against New Zealand starting on Jan 22 after the end of the two-match Test series.
Afridi, 30, was named captain only for the three-match Twenty20 series against New Zealand which Pakistan lost 2-1.
After losing the first match of the Twenty20 series, Afridi while commenting on the match, had criticised his middle-order batsmen for throwing their wickets away cheaply.
Later, the all-rounder, who has so far accumulated 6431 runs in ODIs besides claiming 288 wickets in this format, also criticised the performance of his bowlers.
However, sources said, Afridi’s own performance as a player also remains debatable as he could only muster 601 runs in 18 matches during the year 2010 at an ordinary average of 33.38 with two centuries, one being against Bangladesh.
In addition, the flamboyant player’s leg-spin bowling show during last year can be termed quite ordinary with stats of 19 wickets at a costly 45.05.
Similarly, in Twenty20 Afridi’s on-field show during 2010 remained very much below average with batting figures of 16 matches, 204 runs, 13.60 runs per innings. In bowling, he could claim 16 wickets at 24.87, which considering the Twenty20 format, is not very impressive average.
The Pakistan skipper, however, ended the year with a 4-14 show with the leather, helping his team furnish a resounding 103-run win against New Zealand in the third and final Twenty20 at Christchurch.
But only after the hosts had already secured the three-match series.
Saeed Ajmal to return home after father’s death
Ajmal is currently part of Pakistan’s 15-man squad for the Test series against New Zealand and is certain to miss the first Test, which starts on Friday, January 1, at Hamilton.
“PCB is making necessary arrangements to facilitate Saeed Ajmal’s early return to the country from New Zealand,” the statement said.
“The entire PCB family expresses their deepest sympathies to Saeed Ajmal on this sad occasion,” it added.
Pakistan name spot-fix suspect Kamran in WC2011 squad
Pakistan — Pakistan selectors Tuesday included spot-fixing suspect Kamran Akmal in a preliminary 30-man squad for the World Cup but left out former captain Shoaib Malik and leg-spinner Danish Kaneria.
The committee twice deferred announcing the squad as they sought clearance from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on players who were reportedly under suspicion of match-fixing during Pakistan's tour of England last year.
Shahid Afridi is expected to retain the one-day captaincy for the World Cup.
The 10th World Cup will be hosted jointly by Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka from February 19 to April 2, with 14 teams competing.
Pakistan will miss former opener Salman Butt and pace bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer, who are suspended on spot-fixing charges.
They appear before an International Cricket Council (ICC) tribunal in Doha from January 6-11 and could face life bans.
A squad for six one-days against New Zealand will be announced next week.
Pakistan received a two-week extension from the ICC on the December 19 deadline to announce the probables as they sought clearance on three players.
Teams now have until January 19 to announce a 15-man squad.
"We are satisfied that we have selected the best squad from amongst the available players," said chief selector Mohsin Khan.
"I request the whole nation to back the selected players who need all the encouragement to win the World Cup," said Khan, a former Pakistan opener.
Commenting on the media reports regarding the clearance of certain players, PCB chairman Ijaz Butt said: "The integrity committee has given its views on some players to the selection committee, which has taken into consideration that input and has selected the probables."
Kamran, 28, has been out of the team since Pakistan?s most recent tour of England was rocked by spot-fixing allegations. He was also not selected for the team?s neutral-venue series against South Africa.
He was excluded from the Twenty20 and Test squad for the New Zealand tour despite recovering from an appendix operation. He has since featured in domestic matches and scored his highest first-class score of 268.
But there have been suspicions of match-fixing against Kamran as well, with the ICC reportedly issuing notice to him regarding Pakistan?s controversial defeat against Australia in the Sydney Test in January 2010.
Kamran claimed, however, he had contacted the ICC regarding his selection and was told that he was cleared for selection for the national team.
The 28-year-old Malik, who married Indian tennis star Sania Mirza last April, has been out of favour since a Twenty20 series against Australia in England in July.
Kamran, Malik and Kaneria appeared before PCB?s integrity committee, formed on the directives of ICC, and submitted details of their assets and accounts last week but only Kamran was cleared.
Veteran batsman Mohammad Yousuf was also recalled among the probables after being left out of the Test series against New Zealand because of fitness problems.
Also included was all-rounder Rana Naved-ul-Hasan.
World Cup 2011 preliminary squad: Shahid Afridi, Ahmed Shahzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Taufiq Umer, Nasir Jamshed, Mohammad Yousuf, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Akmal, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Naved Yasin, Kamran Akmal, Sarfraz Ahmed, Salman Ahmed, Abdul Razzaq, Yasir Arafat, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Abdur Rehman, Saeed Ajmal, Yasir Shah, Zulfiqar Babar, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Sohail Tanveer, Tanveer Ahmed, Junaid Khan, Aizaz Cheama, Asad Ali.
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