Abdul Razzaq has taken back his decision to retire from international cricket and is available once again to represent Pakistan. The allrounder’s decision comes after discussions with his local club and long-time coach.
“I have reversed my decision and am available for Pakistan once again,” Razzaq told Cricinfo. “I have had many discussions with P&T Gymkhana and my coach, Azhar Zaidi, and we felt it was better if I took back my original decision. Maybe I made that in the heat of the moment.”
Razzaq announced his retirement from international cricket in August, in protest at being ignored by the selectors in the squad for the ICC World Twenty20. He accused the selection committee and the board of not treating him with enough respect and dropping him for matters other than his form. The selectors maintained that he was still in their plans for ODI and Test cricket, though his form in those formats has been unconvincing over the last year or so. In his last 15 ODIs, he averages 17.30 and has taken only 12 wickets.
Three fifties and 38 wickets in his last 15 Tests have also done nothing to help his cause, though injuries have hardly helped the process. He missed the Test series against South Africa late last year and the World Cup in the West Indies subsequently. In 2005, he also missed the home series against England with an elbow injury.
Razzaq now plans to take part in the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam trophy for Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL). The doors back to international cricket will not open immediately, however. Salahuddin Ahmed, chief selector, said Razzaq would need to show that he was back to his bristling best. “Let him play first-class matches first and prove his form and fitness there. After that, the doors are always open for every first-class cricketer in the country,” Salahuddin told Cricinfo.
And further obstacles may exist in the form of the Indian Cricket League (ICL). Razzaq was one of four Pakistani players to sign up for the league and the Pakistan board still maintains that anyone who does turn out in the ICL will not represent Pakistan.
Mohammad Yousuf, another player to sign for the ICL, was convinced by the board to opt for Pakistan instead, though no similar efforts were made with Razzaq. The league has threatened legal action against Yousuf. Razzaq says, however, he will wait and see how matters develop before deciding on a course of action as far as his contract with the ICL is concerned.
He should join PML-Q and forget about ever playing for Pakistan again! If you watch Naseem Ashraf's interview with Nadia, he says that the selectors felt that Razzaq's fitness level + his performance graph had gone down over the past 12 months.
On a serious note if Razzaq can show improvement in those two areas, he should atleast be a part of our one-day team for a while. We clearly miss his batting in the slog overs.
^ It doesn't mean he will be selected again though. He made a fool of himself by taking retirement and by talking trash about Woolmer and co. I doubt he will be selected again. On the other hand Pakistan do need his batting+bowling in the middle overs.
Well, Razzaq said that he may have made the decision in heat. So he is being honest. Good to see him back.
Exactly, the decision indeed was taken in the heat of the moment. Razzaq definitely realizes that and must be aware of the fact that alot of people will be making fun of himself. So salute to him for atleast taking a wise step forward instead of playing an ICL season. He is a tremendous talent who has been an underachiever. Hopefully he will make his way back in the Pakistan ODI squad.
If I was anybody in Pak cricket (thank God that I am not), I would have tied up Inzi and Razzaq both on a canon and fired it. When Inzi was made captain, I opposed his appointment for several reasons, including his lazy self, his poor body language and later the feeling was strengthen because of his poor knowledge of basic cricket laws, dictatorship and favouritism. Only because the team was united under his fatherly figure, his stupidity was tolarated. One of the biggest liablity of his time was Razzaq, specially in Tests. No captain would even imagine to play a 'spent force' who is the least interested person in training etc.
Razzaq, you have made a right decision, you will get good 'izzat' after all those press statments. You deserve a phenty!
Once again, these players show how immature they are. First it was Afridi, retiring from Tests, then it was Razzaq. In between somewhere, Younis declined captaincy because he was made to wait too long in the PCB chairman's office. I think part of the reason these players pull stunts like this is their huge sense of entitlement, and belief that someone from the establishment or the public would fuss over them and insist on reversing the decision because of the huge loss to the team their absence would incur.
Razzaq was immature no doubt but at least he made the couragoues admission (Unlike many former cricketers). Its because of his exclusion that we have to play an extra bowler at the expense of a batsman. I hope he regains some form and come back in ODI squad.
I dont get the laughing stock thing.
No person in their right mind believed that he'll stay retire. I'm glad he took this decision back early. He is in his prime age and was finally getting sting back in his bowling. I hope he proves his game form in first class cricket. His addition would be great morale booster to this young team.
well he scored 30 and 51 in the tournament yesterday. The 30 came off 114 in a 104-run partnership with Wasti and the 51 was the top score in the second innings while the others fell apart.
how many Afridis do we have?