The sports analysts lamented the selection cricket ahead of the Pakistan national cricket team’s next assignment in red-ball cricket against England.
Speaking on the Samaa TV programme “Zor Ka Jor”, Renowned Sports Journalist Abdul Majid Bhatti said: "The script-writing of the Champions Cup reflects that things are going the other way. Champions One-Day Cup might be a game changer, but time will tell. There is a need to bring the team into the playing XI, who is having a spark."
“We may witness good outcomes in Pakistan cricket in the in the near future. But right now, there was an improvement in the performance of Kamran Ghulam. After his snub was highlighted by the media in the past two days, he [Kamran Ghulam] has now been inducted into the Pakistan squad as a reserve player,” Bhatti said.
He said: “Zahid Mahmood, who belongs to the small city of Sindh, Dadu, has been selected as the 16th player. There were many players who deserved to be the automatic selection into the Pakistan national cricket team.”
“Right now, I am in the United Arab Emirates. During this time, I have met with some Indians, who expressed their concerns and believe that Pakistan cricket is following in the footsteps of Sri Lanka and the West Indies and going towards decline.
Bhatti said: “I agree that we do not have the big pool of the players, but yet there are some better cricketers. There is a selection blunder due to which we had to face shortcomings against the team like Bangladesh in the red-ball format.”
He said: “After the worst performance against the United States in history of cricket ever in the T20 World Cup and getting drubbed at the hands of Ireland, Afghanistan, and the recent poor performance against Bangladesh, there was a need to provide the opportunity to the players like Kamran Ghulam, Mehran Mumtaz, and Mohammad Hasnain by resting some of the players from the national side.”
Bhatti said, “If we are facing defeats continuously, then it is better to lose with the new players. Why do we have to always go with the tried and tested lot?”
He stated: “Pakistan cricket is having a lot of expectations from Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Naseem Shah. But if the star players are not performing, then it would be better to provide the opportunity to Kamran Ghulam and Zahid Mahmood.”
“During the series against Bangladesh, Mohammad Huraira was in form, but he was sidelined. Whoever comes in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) forms the selection committee at will,” Bhatti said.
“Imamul Haq should have been brought in place of Abdullah Shafique, who was not in form. What about your batters as they let down us against Bangladesh? There is a dire need to form the team, which would reap benefits for the Pakistan cricket team,” he said.
Meanwhile, expressing his thoughts, Sports Journalist Shahnawaz Rana said: “Unfortunately, selection is not independent. The team is being formed to fulfill somebody's desires."
“If you feel that the seasoned player should stage a comeback in international cricket, then Imamul Haq would have made a comeback into the team,” Rana added.
He said: “No matter, Babar is a great player, but what to do if he could not notch up a single fifty in 16 innings? We need to get out of fear of defeats and stop believing that the team will not perform well without the star players. Where are you standing even with the presence of these players?”
“What wrong Huraira has done that he is not getting the opportunity. The selection of the team was comprised of those who got drubbed at the hands of Bangladesh, the United States, Ireland, and Afghanistan, with the exception of Noman Ali, who was just included in the Pakistan squad,” Rana said.
