Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has challenged the transparency and merit in the recent selection of Shadab Khan in Pakistan’s ODI team.
On a programme being telecast on a private news channel, Basit Ali said that Pakistan cricket is still suffering from weak structural foundations and is not able to develop its domestic cricket properly.
He reiterated the need for the development of Under-19 cricket as the real cradle of future international cricket stars.
He claimed that Pakistan has a weak long-form training system for youngsters as compared to other big cricketing countries which are strong in producing players for international cricket.
Basit also criticised the management of domestic cricket, saying that the authorities are going too far by getting involved in player selection, fitness evaluation.
He believes that this is having an adverse impact on the overall quality and competitiveness of the sport in the country.
The former batter also claimed that at the national level, decisions are also made based on personal preferences, and not just on performance.
He stated that multiple deserving players are still underrated while certain ones were still in team despite their inconsistent form in cricket.
Discussing the recent ODI squad announced for the Australia series, Basit chided the omission of wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan and pointed out Shadab Khan’s inclusion.
He noted that Shadab has not been seen in ODI cricket for a long time and said he was chosen because of his performance in the Pakistan Super League format and not consistent success in the 50-over format.
The comments brought more focus on the issue, especially since they were made in the presence of former Pakistan spinner Saqlain Mushtaq, who is also Shadab Khan’s father-in-law, thus adding another layer of discussion to Pakistan’s selection policies.
Also read: “Perform first, speak later”: Afridi’s strong message to Shadab Khan
