LAHORE – Pakistan Cricket Board chief selector Mohsin Hasan Khan believes that Shoaib Akhtar has left behind all controversies and still carries the fire to rattle the opposition. He is still is a capable and match-winning bowler, he added. According to a website, he said: “Shoaib Akhtar is still good at his line and length and is still the fastest bowler around. He can give us great results in the World Cup”.
Pakistan are placed in the Group A with Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Canada and start their World Cup campaign against Kenya at Hambantota on February 23, 2011. Mohsin hoped that the team management would be able to use the world’s fastest bowler appropriately, saying Akhtar is a match winner should be used in a way which is fruitful for Pakistan.
Talking about non-selection of fast bowler Tanvir Ahmed, the chief selector said, “No doubt Tanvir Ahmed is a wonderful bowler and he still has more cricket to play. Whenever the committee needs him, he would be in the squad”. Talking about the fitness problems associated with fast bowlers like Shoaib Akhtar and Umar Gul, Mohsin was of the view that at present the team looks in great shape as far as fitness was concerned.
He added: “If any of the players get unfit, the PCB has an alternate from the 30 probables announced earlier, so we can manage it easily as all stand-by players are fit enough”. On Sohail Tanvir, the PCB chief selector said that the left-armer wasn’t fully fit so he was replaced by Junaid Khan.
Mohsin added, “No compromise would be made on fitness. We did not compromise even on great players like Mohammad Yousuf”. “I’m not criticising anyone, but this squad has far better fielders than the ones we used to have in the teams selected by the previous selection boards”, he claimed. “During the selection process, we focused on all the three basic areas, bowling, batting as well as fielding,” he added.
Mohsin said that he urged the management to let him select young players in the team. “I personally requested the management to let me induct newcomers who are not only good batsmen but also good fielders because without good fielding, you cannot win matches.”
“Ever since I took charge as Chief Selector, it has been my priority to chose the best squad. We have selected the best possible squad for the mega event”, he noted. “Sometimes players perform really well but on other days they just can’t do it for their team, but in both ways I’m very much satisfied with the work that I have done at my current job”, Mohsin said.
