Pakistan cricket team selection criteria (Performance)
The second criterion for the Pakistani cricket team selection has been performance and form. After a cricketer has proved his fitness, he has to prove his form with the bat or ball.
Mohsin Khan, Chief selector, has said that there will be no compromise on form, or performance of the player. But contrary to what Mr. Khan says, half the Pakistan side looked out of sorts with on their tour of England.
Shoaib Malik is a prime example of a player struggling for form. He hasn’t been able to perform well with the bat. The inquiry committee after the Australian tour banned him for one year. After an apology his ban was overturned and he was inducted into the
team for the Asia cup, and the tour of England.
In ODI cricket, the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sialkot-c842 all-rounder has earned his place. He can score a century with the bat, and bowls handy off-spinners. In the field he can save a couple of runs, and has one of the safer pair of hands on the Pakistani team. So his place in the
Asia Cup was justified as far as his potential and class was concerned, but he was struggling for form. His recent performances were did not tell of a cricket player in form.
Shoaib Malik failed to impress in the Asia Cup. He should have been dropped for the England tour, but was selected for uncertain reasons. His place is in the Test side is ambiguous. In the last 10 years he has only played 32 Test matches, but continued to
be a consistent part of the Test squads. Most recently, he has featured in 6 Test matches, scoring just 212 runs at an average of 17, managing just one half century.
Pakistan’s already fragile batting line-up, missed there middle order anchor batsmen, Younis Khan, and Mohammad Yousuf. Pakistan needed a solid batsman but was given a struggling Shoaib Malik by the slectors
Umar Amin, and Azhar Ali’s selection also creates doubts about the criterion Pakistani selectors used. Top domestic performers like Amir Sajjad, Naveed Yasin and Asad Shaffique were ignored. These three players had performed consistently in the domestic
circuit. All of them scored more than 1200 runs in the current season. If form and performance is one of the criterions for selection, why were these prolific batsmen ignored by the selectors when beefing up Pakistan’s batting order?
One of the most controversial selection choices for the Pakistani team is the smiling Kamran Akmal. The wicket keeper batsman has been criticized for his dismal keeping. He has been dropping catches regularly. His struggle for form with the gloves started
from the England tour of 2006. He continues to struggle but is constantly selected.
Akmal has dropped 41 catches in his last 26 Test matches. In the first Test against England, it looked, as if he had bricks in his gloves. Resultantly, five catches and a missed stumping popped out of his hand.
Akmal is more commonly known as a “back stopper” in cricketing circles rather than a wicket keeper.
The solution behind Akmal’s mysterious selection might be his batting. He has played some match winning knocks. Nobody can forget the Karachi Test of 2006. Pakistan was stuttering at 39/6. He made a brilliant century which proved to be a match winning one.
But as a wicket keeper, he is primarily in the team for his keeping, and then batting is a bonus.
If he scores 50 odd runs, but drops Sachin or Ponting, his 50 runs will be of no use. Players like Sachin, or Ponting, if provided with an opportunity can really punish you. It was seen in the Sydney Test where he dropped Hussey 4 times. It cost Pakistan
the Sydney Test.
Sarfraz Ahmed and Zulqarnain Haider have been sidelined for various reasons. Whenever, they are given a chance they have proved themselves. The current team favours Kamran Akmal regardless of his performance.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Khan-c71319’s team claims to select player based on performance but their actions tell a different story.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Kamal-c70069 should be brought back to stabilize the batting line-up. Top performers, like Amir Sajjad and Naveed Yasin should be given a proper chance to boost their confidence.
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