The Pakistani Spectator

RECENTLY our selection committee announced the team for ICC Championship but unfortunately ignored the best batsman and highest scorer of the Quaid-i-Azam trophy, Nomanullah. Omission of young dynamic player Fawad Alam is also unfortunate. Fawad Alam was part of the Pakistan one-day team. In the last one-day series with India, he won the last match for us.

Khurrum Manzoor also had been ignored. He played a single one-day match for Pakistan and scored 50 runs, not out. He is still out of the team. Once again wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal is back in the team. He was out from the team due to his bad performance. Recently he played IPL and his performance was once again unsatisfactory.

I wonder what is the criterion for selectors to bring people like him back? Other victims of the selection committee are Yasir Hamid, Anwar Ali and Sohail Khan who also performed well in domestic cricket. Anwar Ali is the hero of the under-19 World Cup winning team. He never got a chance. Sohail Khan is the highest wicket taker in the Quaid-i-Azam trophy matches.

I remember when the new selection committee resumed its current responsibilities, chief selector Salahuddin said in his televised interview: “In future everything will be based on merit.The best performer of domestic cricket will be in the team.”
Now the question is where are the best batsmen and highest wicket takers in the Quaid’s trophy? Why has Kamran Akmal come back in the team despite showing an unsatisfactory performance? The selectors should be questioned.