Chief selector to accompany team

KARACHI: Chief selector Mohsin Khan will accompany the Pakistan team in the Twenty20 World Cup leaving for the West Indies later this month.

According to Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials, the PCB chairman is convinced that the chief selector should travel with the team to assist the team management in picking the playing eleven.

“The decision to this effect has been taken to avoid controversies in selection matters during the mega event,” revealed the official while talking to The Express Tribune. “It may be recalled that former chairman, Dr Nasim Ashraf, used to send a selector with the team, who used to serve as part of the tour committee,” added the official.

Mohsin wants exposure for Pakistan A

The chief selector, Mohsin Khan, has also advised the PCB to arrange a series for Pakistan’s second string sides in foreign countries, including India.

“Our cricketers need international exposure, therefore, I have requested the Chairman Ijaz Butt, to arrange series with New Zealand, South Africa, England, Australia and India for Pakistan’s A team,” Khan told The Express Tribune, adding that the chairman responded to the suggestion positively. The chief selector, who had earlier announced his plans to build a strong pool of talented players, said that Pakistan’s national team is scheduled to play in the forthcoming Asia Cup and England series but the younger cricketers, who have been deprived of international cricket at home, need the exposure.

He is of the view that International Tests end up providing a one-off chance to only three to four young players but a proper series will provide a much larger number of youngsters a chance to prove their mettle at the international level. Khan claimed that that the selection committee would pick a lot of 40 to 45 players from the ongoing Pentangular Cup One Day Tournament and would be inducted in a camp to be held just after its conclusion. Two teams of 20 to 22 players would be formed players to provide them with match practice.