Team selection irks PCB officials
It has been reliably learnt that Waqar made forced changes while selecting the Test and One-Day International (ODI) squads acting against the strategy he agreed to before the team’s departure.
The team management, comprising the coach, captain Misbahul Haq and manager Naveed Akram Cheema, acts as the tour selection committee which selects the playing-eleven for each match. However, the officials at home were appalled by Waqar’s take on a couple of players despite Pakistan winning the one-off Test and the first two ODIs.
“Waqar’s being stubborn, doesn’t listen to anybody and selects the players that he wants,” a senior PCB official told The Express Tribune. “Fortunately, we won the Test but the decision to play Umar Akmal instead of Asad Shafiq was not beyond comprehension. It was decided beforehand to give every player a chance but not at the expense of other upcoming player.
“The playing-eleven for the first ODI was also flawed. Had Younus Khan and Misbah failed, we would’ve been in a danger of being dismissed inside the 50 overs.”
Pakistan won the opening ODI by five runs after failing to put up a decent total on the board. The match also saw the return of Imran Farhat and Shoaib Malik to the team with neither managing a decent contribution. Farhat, however, made up for his poor show by scoring an unbeaten half-century in the second ODI, taking Pakistan home by ten wickets.
“Waqar is selecting individuals on personal likes and dislikes which is not the first time he’s done that.”
The PCB arranged lectures for the team management before the tour to reinforce the boundaries in order to avoid controversies like the one on the West Indies tour where the coach and Shahid Afridi developed differences on selection matters.
Afridi’s spat with Waqar led to the allrounder’s snub from captaincy and his subsequent retirement leading to a court battle.
PCB chief informed
Meanwhile, the official added that the PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt has been informed about the developments but the board has decided not to pursue the matter.
“Waqar has already decided to step down after the tour so there is no point in raising the matter.”
Published in The Express Tribune, September 13th, 2011.
COMMENTS (6)
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Well Done Waqar you have done a commendable job as a coach of Pakistan Cricket. Afridi is not a captaincy material, he has contributed to most of the Pakistani Team losses in the past. The contribution of Waqar to Pakistan Cricket is 100 times better than of Afridi. We have lost a great coach.
I am really appalled at the support given to Afridi in the comments, please Afridi is not captain material, he has disgraced us several times, dont forget the ball eating episode and the one where he tried ruining the pitch, he is an emotional individual, his demeanor and personality is ordinary, he is a good one day player but not captain material. Waqar is an icon in the world of cricket, a sober, decent educated man, well respected internationally and a professional, just look at his performance as a coach, I think we have lost a great coach, at present he is the only sane respectable person in the whole set up of PCB. Thank you Waqar you dont deserve this .
Disagreed with PCB: what was their strategy? Now Pakistan has won and gaining confidence, therefore we can infer that this is against PCB strategy. They wanted us to get beaten even by Zimbabwe???
What is the source of these comments ? a senior PCB official ? does he have a name !!!
I can put up comments , and you can play with it as well , suiting what you like and what you don't. Totally baseless news Tribune. Im disappointed.
in competent board has realized that afridi was right. national hero and one and t20 asset must return to the national fold as millions around the world look up to him.
afridi stand is vindicated as waqar is culprit