Cricket: ‘Tours needed for young players ‘

Selectors wants ample exposure before handing national cap.

KARACHI: There seems to be an abundant supply of talent in the country’s domestic circuit but a dearth of foreign tours for young players has hampered their transition to the international stage.

Given the young guns’ lack of international exposure in different conditions, the national selection committee has called for an increase in the number of tours for the Pakistan ‘A’ team before players are drafted into the national squad. Of late, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been unable to send its second-string team to any foreign tour, hampering players’ progress.

“The ‘A’ tours are necessary because they help backup players get exposure in different countries,” a national selector told The Express Tribune. “It helps them develop their game in line with the demanding conditions. The head coach [Dav Whatmore] has also expressed his concern and has asked the senior board officials to try and arrange more ‘A’ and under-19 tours so that the backup players don’t get exposed against quality opposition.

“The gap between our domestic and international cricket is huge. The only parameter left to judge a player is domestic cricket which is not enough.”

According to the selector, when Pakistan ‘A’ toured Australia in 2009 – where they played against Shaun Tait, David Warner, Doug Bollinger and others – it helped the board unearth players like Umar Akmal and Azhar Ali.

Meanwhile, chief selector Iqbal Qasim echoed the sentiment.

“These tours are crucial and give us a chance to try out the youngsters at the top level,” he said.

“But it depends on the available finances. These tours are played on a reciprocal bases and that makes the arrangement difficult since Pakistan has been unable to host teams.”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 18^th, 2012.