The Pakistani Spectator

ABN AMRO Pentangular Cricket Cup commencing from February 10 at various centres will help in identifying fitness and performance of players for their selection in a challenging home series against Australia in March-April.

This was stated by Chief Operating Officer, Pakistan Cricket Board, Shafqat Nagmi at an unveiling ceremony of Pentangular Cup trophy at a local hotel  on Wednesday.  Also present were Salman Sarwar Butt, Country head, Consumer department, ABN AMRO, Salahud din ,Chief Selector ,Zakir Khan, Director Cricket Operations, PCB and Dr Ahsan Malik, Director Media selectors Shafqat Rana and Salim Jaffar also attended the function.

Nagmi said the tournament aims at determining individual performance of players serving as a chance to get useful practice ahead of a tough home series besides helping the young players to learn from the experience of test cricketers.

“ It will be the first event in which all the test cricketers will be playing which will enhance its competitiveness “,he said.

“ This tournament is one step away from making in the national team and an ideal chance for young players to explore talent “,he asserted.

Salman Butt of ANB AMRO his organisations association with cricket mainly focuses on making domestic cricket a viewers sport.

“ We need to work at domestic cricket to make cricket more popular and to identify young talent “,he said adding “ we are patronising cricket ,specially domestic cricket and we will continue our struggle to supplement ongoing efforts of PCB”.

He hoped that tournament will be a big success as top ranking players of country will be taking part.

Chief selector Salahud din said best performers of Quaid-e-Azam trophy are placed in five participating teams of the tournament whose captains and vice captains have been appointed based on their standing and performance.

He said the home series against Zimbabwe helped in resolving long standing problem of Pak team in openers and fast problems.

“ Most of our pace bowlers are suffering from injuries and fitness problems and we believe that Pentangular Cup will help in knowing their exact performance and fitness for their possible selection in the team for playing Australia “,he added.

Answering a question the participation of pace bowlers Muhammad Asif and Umer Gul in the Pentangular Cup depends on their fitness while express bowler Shoaib Akhtar has regained full fitness and he would be leading Islamabad (Federal) team.

He said selectors are following a strict selection policy and that is why they would be closely watching the matches of the Cup to recommend the names of players for selection.

“ I believe Shoaib is fully fit and that is why he is leading a team in the tournament and his selection in the team largely depends how he performs in the tournament “,he said.

Zakir Khan four matches of the tournament will be played at Karachi, two at Lahore, one each at Peshawar, Sialkot, Quetta and Islamabad.

He said Rawalpindi has not been included as a venue because the stadium is undergoing renovation.

Source : APP

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