Pakistan’s team selection for the New Zealand tour: M. Yousuf, Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal axed
The selection of the cricket team in Pakistan has never been child’s play. In other Test playing nations, teams might be selected solely on the basis of form and fitness, but in Pakistan there are a number of side issues like politics,
relations with the current captain, and more recently a player’s suspension status, that need to be considered before a team can be finalized. In such circumstances, it is sensible to expect some surprises from the selectors; sadly though, the people at the
top always seem to come out with some pretty big bombshells whenever a team is announced.
Let us take the recently announced T20 and Test teams (the ODI team is yet to be announced) for Pakistan’s tour of New Zealand as a case in point.
The notable exclusions from the side for the tour are ex-captains Mohammad Yousuf and Shoaib Malik and beleaguered wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal.
Mohammad Yousuf’s exclusion, according to Chief Selector http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Khan-c71319, was because the selection committee was concerned about his fitness levels. The bulk of the batting workload now seems to be taken by youngsters Azhar Ali and
Asad Shafiq, while back-to-the-team and back in form Misbah and Younis provide the needed experience in the middle order. However, Yousuf’s worth in the team, especially in conditions like in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754, cannot and
should not be underestimated. It can only be hoped that the selector’s decision to axe the 36-year-old master batsman does not come back to bite them in the proverbial behind.
Equally surprising is the exclusion of Kamran Akmal, for the limited overs team at least. Although he hasn’t been too great behind the stumps in the recent past, he definitely deserves a place in the side even if only for his batting,
particularly when it is evident that his brother Adnan, who is the new Pakistan wicketkeeper, does not have the batting potential to even try to match Kamran’s feats with the bat. The reason cited for him and Shoaib Malik being left out is their non-clearance
by the PCB’s integrity committee. While it might be a blessing in disguise for the team in Malik’s case, Kamran’s non-clearance is seriously questionable since he was cleared of match-fixing charges even by the ICC back in October.
Coming to the new entrants now, Ahmed Shahzad and Khurram Manzoor are perhaps the most noticeable ones. Shahzad’s is an inclusion few can question; the young Lahore-based opener showed serious talent in his brief stint with the
Pakistan team and is a much better choice as far as ability and technical prowess is considered than http://www.senore.com/Cricket/West-Indies-c760 A,
but he has some serious technical issues that became all too evident in the testing New Zealand conditions when he last toured the country with Pakistan. Ahmed Shahzad should probably have been given the third opener’s slot instead of Khurram. For the moment
though, Pakistan’s opening department looks in safe hands with Mohammad Hafeez and Taufeeq Umar at the top, and let us hope that those two can hold the fort for http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 for the complete tour.
In the fast bowling section, the workload will again have to be divided between Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz (whose selection is subject to fitness), Tanvir Ahmed, and back-in-the-side Sohail Tanveer, since Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif
are yet to be cleared by the ICC over the spot-fixing allegations levelled against them. This is a true tragedy for Pakistan, since the form they showed against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 and England earlier this year was enough to leave any batsman in the world apprehensive
about facing the duo. Spinners Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman have been retained for the tour; it has to be said that even though the two can do a great job in the limited overs format of the game, whether or not they can effectively do the wicket-taking job
in the five-day format remains to be seen.
Overall the team looks in good shape and Pakistani fans can definitely look forward to some good encounters when the national team arrives in New Zealand,
provided the players do justice to their abilities.
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