Afridi, Umar Akmal back in team, Razzaq ignored

The Pakistan Cricket Board on Wednesday took a one step forward and two steps back when it announced the national ODI and T20 teams for the upcoming West Indies tour.

The PCB gave in to the pressure built by the Shahid Afridi-lobby after Pakistan’s poor performance in the Champions Trophy, included the allrounder in both the ODI and T20 teams. While one of the most suited players for the formats Abdul Razzaq was once again overlooked with a reason that he (Razzaq) does not stay in touch. Afridi who was last selected with a condition that he was being given a last chance is known for igniting controversies in the team.

Although blue-eyed Afridi has been selected in the teams but unfortunately his selection in the playing eleven now depends on his fitness as the allrounder sustained severe thumb injury during training on Wednesday.

An official of the PCB stated that any such injury takes five days to recover and by the time the team leaves for the West Indies, he will be fit to play.

“He has been the fittest player of all who took the fitness test taken as part of the selection,” said Iqbal Qasim.

Pakistan will be playing five ODIs and two T20 matches on the tour this month with the Caribbean tour starting from July 14. Another known name that has been selected in both the teams is Umar Akmal. “He has been taken in as a wicket-keeper batsman,” he added.

But the non performing senior players Imran Farhat, Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal were dropped for poor displays in last month’s Champions Trophy. However, the condition of performance-based selection was totally ignored in case of Afridi.

Ahmed Shahzad and Umar were recalled with uncapped Haris Sohail, Zulfiqar Babar and wicketkeeper Rizwan Ahmed in the squads.

The ODI squad features the uncapped 21-year-old wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan, as a backup to Akmal, who was picked as the first-choice wicketkeeper. Ahmed Shehzad, the opening batsman, has been recalled to both squads. Zulfiqar Babar, 34, who has been part of the domestic circuit for more than ten years, figures in the T20 squad.

“We have started our rebuilding process keeping the 2015 World Cup in mind,” said Qasim.

Experienced all rounder Afridi, who has played 354 one-day internationals, was left out of the Champions Trophy squad but Qasim said the 33-year-old would be useful in the rebuilding process.

“The pitches in West Indies are also doubled paced and low bounced and Afridi can not only shore up the lower order but also be effective as a bowler on such pitches.”

Pakistan lost all three group matches in the Champions Trophy in England.

Qasim said the trio was dropped because of poor form but could make comebacks with strong performances in domestic cricket.

“It is not the end of the road for them they have served us well in the past and they can always come back,” he said.

On Afridi’s recall, the chief selector said: “We can’t just drop all seniors and put pressure on the new players or youngsters. We also feel that wickets in the West Indies are doubled paced and there is low bounce and Afridi can not only shore up the lower order but also be effective as a bowler on such pitches.

Squads:

ODI: Nasir Jamshed, Ahmed Shahzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan, Asad Ali, Umar Amin, Mohammad Rizwan, Abdul Rehman, Haris Sohail.

T20: Nasir Jamshed, Ahmed Shahzad, Mohammad Hafeez (captain), Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Hammad Azam, Saeed Ajmal, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan, Asad Ali, Umar Amin, Sohail Tanvir, Zulfiqar Babar, Haris Sohail.