Afridi upset over exclusion of Kamran and Malik from New Zealand tour squad
The limited-overs captain of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755, Shahid Khan Afridi has shown disappointment over the selectors’ decision of dropping the experienced wicket-keeper and batsman Kamran Aksmal and the former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik from the squad
for the tour of New Zealand. The flamboyant all-rounder feels the decision of the selection panel to leave the experienced players home would affect team’s preparations for the next year’s ICC World Cup event.
"I am definitely not happy with the way we are preparing for this mega event. I think we need to have experienced players like Kamran Akmal and Shoaib Malik in the team (for the upcoming tour of New Zealand)," said Afridi while talking
to the media reporters.
When asked about the reason behind axing of Malik and Kamran from the last tour ahead of the mega event, the 30-year-old said that the question should be asked from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the national selectors.
"I think the media should ask the board because we need experience players for a major tournament like the World Cup and you can't expect to go into such a big event with http://www.senore.com/Cricket/A-Young-c41367 and inexperienced side," said the one-day captain of Pakistan.
Kamran Akmal, Shoaib Malik, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754 tour announced by the Pakistan Cricket Board on Tuesday. The squad for the one-day leg of
the tour is expected to be announced while the team will be playing second Test against Kiwis.
The ICC has also asked the boards to name their preliminary 30-men World Cup squads by 19th of this month and Afridi has urged the selectors to announce the squad as soon as possible so that the players could start preparing
for the mega event with clear minds.
Another surprising decision of the national selectors was the drop out of veteran Test batsman Mohammad Yousuf who was called back to the side by the PCB after making a number of requests. When asked about veteran’s exclusion from the announced
squads, the out-spoken Pakistan skipper was quick to say that the middle-order batsman does not deserve a place in the shortest version of the game further adding he had nothing to do with the Test series and its squad.
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