Pakistan’s selectors have not named a captain in the final squad for the ICC World Twenty20 in April-May but have included Shahid Afridi and the Akmal brothers, who were fined heavily by the PCB based on the inquiry committee’s report, in the 15-man list.
There were recalls for Misbah-ul-Haq and Salman Butt while under-19 allrounder Hammad Azam was chosen after a good World Cup.
Re: Pakistan's 15 Man World Twenty20 squad Announced
Chalo bhai, once again Butt as opener. Salman Butt & Misbah back - I wonder what they've done to justify selection & what Shahzaib & Naveed Yasin hasn't done to be included. Glad to see Imran Farhat not in this team.
Re: Pakistan's 15 Man World Twenty20 squad Announced
From the interview of Akram: I think Afridi might still be made captain.
"The biggest problem with this team is that there are many players who want to be skipper. How can there be team spirit? I am not surprised that the players are fighting among themselves," Akram said, adding: "We faced similar situations during our times, but on the field, we played to win."
Akram slammed Afridi for the ball-tampering issue. "It was a silly thing to do and especially when you are leading the team. Yes, he was under pressure to win, but no one loves a cricketer who adopts unfair means," he said.
Then why did the PCB not ban Afridi? "In Pakistan, saab kuch chalta hai (everything is fine). If you want to, you can turn a blind eye even to the biggest mistake. We love it that way. We love mayhem," Akram said tongue-in-cheek, adding: "Afridi could even be our next skipper."
The only PCB verdict that got Akram's vote was the fine on Umar Akmal. The younger Akmal has been pulled up for indiscipline and he is definitely wrong somewhere, explained Akram. "Right or wrong, the decision on Umar is a good one. You will see its effect five years down the line. The boy will remember this fine," Akram said.
1- Why have they not annoucned any captain?? I believe Afridi was meeting with Butt today. If for some reason they couldn't decide anything even after that meeting they could have waited. Eventually they will have to annouce a captain sometime, Afridi or anyonce else. They coould have waited till then to annouce the team as well.
They had a chance to close this capataincy topic for the time being but now with this awesome decision of naming a World Cup side without the captain they have managed to make this issue of captaincy even more bigger.
2- What the hell is Salman Butt doing in the team? The guy was not part of the semi final or the final of last T20 Worl Cup. He was not even part of the must win game against New Zelaand prior to the semi final. Infact he played his last T20 during the World Cup against Srilanka in a pool match where he scored a first ball duck. Since that game Pakistan has played 10 T20 games and none of them feautred Salman Butt.
3- Never understand the fascination of selectors with Yasir Arafat. The guy is an ordinary all rounder at best and don't think deserve a spot in the side as an all rounder in presence of Afridi and Razzaq. I will be really pissed off if I see him in the playing 11 alongside Razzaq and Afridi. I am hopeful he is just selected as a reserve all rounder in case there is an injury to Razzaq or Afridi.
Overall it looks like a balance squad though I would have loved to see no Salamn Butt in it. In my view Shahzaib Hasan should have been in his place.
Re: Pakistan’s 15 Man World Twenty20 squad Announced
I dont want to see Kamran Akmal keeping gloves any more. He needs to do extra ordinary stuff behind stumps for at least two years before he earns my credibility. I would really like to see a solid keeper being groomed. There would be some matches against weak teams, right?? That is the time include young blood to give them confidence.
on the other note, why in the world there is Yasir Arafat in the team…
Afridi shouldnt even be Captaining a CLUB team after his antics. Let him serve his 6 month probation...if he does not screw up again between now and then, and his performances are good, then he can be appointed the 20-20 Captain.
But for now, he shouldnt be Captaining the team.Razzaq should be Captaining the team in the 20-20 World Cup. Maybe even for the ODIs.
Butt's selection in 20-20 team is surprising but considering Nazir and Farhat havent done anything recently...they both deserved to be dropped.
Anyway, I dont see Butt in the playing 11 for the 20-20 games anyway...Hafeez will probably open with Kamran Akmal.
Re: Pakistan’s 15 Man World Twenty20 squad Announced
So Geo was spot on with its report! Seriously, wtf is Salman Butt doing in the team? This was Mohsin Khan’s first assignment as Chief Selector, and in my view he failed BIGTIME.
No Imran Nazir and you picked the likes of Hafeez and Butt instead of him? Yasir Arafat, well he isnt that bad I would say, as long as he’s not in the playing eleven and is a back up to Afridi/Razzaq. I guess Arafat pretty much replaced Malik/Rana in the squad.
And why in the world would you announce the WC squad if you dont know who the captain is yet? Never heard of that before..another first from the genius’s who run PCB. Would it have killed them had they waited 3-4 more days to announce the squad so they know who the captain is? Seriously, what was the damn rush to announce the squad without naming the captain.
Mohsin Khan…you’re worse than Iqbal Qasim! I still miss the days when Sallu was selector
Hafeez has justified his place by performing in domestic as well as A team while Imran Nazir has put himself in trouble by not performing in so many T20s now (including domestic).
Re: Pakistan's 15 Man World Twenty20 squad Announced
I have to back Hafeez, despite knowing his limitations from his previous International Assignments. He's really played well and deserves a place in the team. Maybe he has transformed his game more since he has been out of the international setup for a while now. Plus he could actually fill in as a part time spinner too. Salman Butt is a shock to me too. I'd go for Shahzib instead, he did resonabily well last year in the T20 WC. I dont know why Naveed Yasin wasnt selected.
Hafeez has had numerous chances but he crumbles under pressure. That's precisely the problem with Salman Butt as well. Both players are stars at the domestic level and will hammer bowlers in domestic games but when it comes to playing for Pakistan they will provide catching practise to slip fielders of the opposing team.
The chances of the likes of Hafeez/Butt clicking for Pakistan are the same as Imran Nazir...but at least u know if Nazir gets going he will rape the opposition where as even if Hafeez or Butt get going they will provide nothing but a 'good start'
One thing I do like about Hafeez is his excellent fielding. He's a decent T20 bowler as well so he could be an okay-ish replacement for Malik
Hafeez has had numerous chances but he crumbles under pressure. That's precisely the problem with Salman Butt as well. Both players are stars at the domestic level and will hammer bowlers in domestic games but when it comes to playing for Pakistan they will provide catching practise to slip fielders of the opposing team.
The chances of the likes of Hafeez/Butt clicking for Pakistan are the same as Imran Nazir...but at least u know if Nazir gets going he will rape the opposition where as even if Hafeez or Butt get going they will provide nothing but a 'good start'
One thing I do like about Hafeez is his excellent fielding. He's a decent T20 bowler as well so he could be an okay-ish replacement for Malik
In international games he plays as a player but in domestic he plays as captain so there he plays his natural game but under someone else's captaincy he is probably told to adapt to captain's desires. Lets see what he does in this chance.
