Initial discussions held last week between the selection committee and team management saw most of the stake holders against the inclusion of Afridi, says an official. PHOTO: AFP
KARACHI: The inclusion of all-rounder Shahid Afridi will be the main debate as the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) selection committee and team management meet in Lahore today to finalise the 15-man squad for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy.
Initial discussions held last week between the selection committee and team management saw most of the stake holders against the inclusion of the star all-rounder, said an official close to the team management.
The hard-hitting batsman, who has seen a dip in form barring a few handy knocks, was preferred on the South Africa tour due to his additional abilities as a leg-spinner.
However, Afridi’s failure with the ball in recent games is going against his favour.
Afridi was axed from the One-Day International (ODI) squad for the India tour last December before regaining his place in the format for the series against South Africa.
Chief selector Iqbal Qasim, while refusing to share details, confirmed that the decisive round of meeting with the team management will be held today.
“We will finalise and send the squad to PCB Chairman Zaka Ashraf on Monday [today],” Qasim told The Express Tribune. “The team announcement may be made the same day but it depends on when the chairman approves it.”
‘Selection after fitness reports’
Meanwhile, the official close to the team management said fitness test of players will also be assessed to finalise the squad.
The official added that Umar Akmal, Wahab Riaz and Sohail Tanvir were also likely to be excluded.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 29th, 2013.
COMMENTS (10)
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Afridi ko team say out ni karna chaya wo boht acha bowler or batsman ha afridi like a super hero not a zero.
@Azmath Azzu: it was a good innings but he has done that twice in the last 2 years. Not good enough, we need someone like an MS Dhoni or a michael clarke that will play those innings 7 out of 10 times they go in to bat
Can u watch 88runs innings in last series agains south africa.
Hopefully sanity will prevail and all the old horses including Farhat, Malik and Afridi will be dropped. But I still have a sneaky feeling that all of these guys and MYK, who was not even part of the shortlisted players, will be selected for the tour. Unfortunately, that is how our selectors work, preferring experience over youth, even when the experienced players are not performing.
Yo bro Mubasher. Shoaib Malik has been performing these past few series? hes done well to the Pakistan cricket team YES afridi is not peforming regularly butt hes the man that can turn the tables around he has the experience and he can manage to do something occasionally.
the selector have to justify there positions by giving Hammad Azam and Ahmad Shahzad a chance.
It's all about news or article published by the player. Any how i know that Afridi shall excluded in to the squad in place umar akmal must include.
Its better for Afridi to take retirment by himself. Its time to say ba by. He has done lot for Pakistan Cricket but his time is over now.
@Abutt56: would you please let us know about the method/ criteria of selecting Imran Farhat & Shoaib Malik on every tour??? what 're their performances?
This article must be written on the request of Shahid Afridi to put pressure on the selectors. He is not a "The hard-hitting batsman" rather a failure for many years now. Afridi needs to be dropped and some young guy needs to be given chance like Hammad Azam.