http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 cricket has been going through a major crisis since the controversial tour of England where the test captain Salman Butt and 2 of the main Pakistani bowlers Muhammad Asif and Muhammad Amir were alleged of spot-fixing. After the allegations, ICC
has suspended these players to play any sort of cricket. All 3 of them are the main players of Pakistan and their services are definitely being missed at the international level.
Without its main players, Pakistan is playing international cricket with almost a second string side but on top of that the selection committee of Pakistan Cricket Board is making some decisions which are not making a lot of sense. Unfortunately, since last
2 years things have been going in the wrong direction as far as Pakistan cricket is concerned.
In the absence of the controversial trio, Pakistan should have gone with the best available options as this is not the time to experiment with the World Cup just around the corner. But the selection committee decided to axe Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal
for the series against the Proteas in UAE. If not in test matches, both of these players should have been an integral part of the limited overs squad. Both Malik and Akmal have been match-winners for Pakistan since last 5 years. Although they have had bad
patches in between but that’s also a part and parcel of the game. Pakistan has spent a lot on both these players and now when they are at the peak of their career, Pakistan should make best use of them.
The best part is that both of them have not shown any negativity in the media and instead have performed exceptionally well in the ongoing Quaid e Azam Trophy which is the primary first class tournament in Pakistan. Shoaib Malik has scored 365 runs in only
2 first class matches so far with an outstanding average of 121.66, that includes a double century and a century. He is amongst wickets as well.
On the other hand, Kamran Akmal has scored 519 runs in the 4 first class matches so far with an average of 86.50. He has also scored a double century, a century and 2 half-centuries. Apart from that he has taken 13 catches behind the stumps.
These are not ordinary performances by both of them, especially considering the fact that International players find it hard to perform at the domestic level because of lack of incentives. But both Malik and Akmal have proved their point in the domestic
cricket and have thrown the ball in selection committee’s court.
Pakistani team’s next assignment is in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754 which is their last tour before the all important World Cup. Both of these players should be inducted in the limited overs squad at-least as they are in supreme form right now and Pakistan would be needing
their services in the World Cup as well.
It is about time that the selection committee and the team management, which includes the captain and the coach, sit down and develop a combination that is going to give a hope to the Pakistan cricket fans in the World Cup. They can do as many experiments
after the World Cup as they want but Pakistan into the event with the most experienced squad available as only that will guarantee some consistency from the otherwise inconsistent Pakistan team.
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