Former Pakistan captain and commentator Ramiz Raja has expressed his disappointment and slammed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) over their team selection after they announced the squads for the upcoming tours of England and the West Indies.
On Friday (June 4), PCB and the Pakistan selectors announced the squads for the upcoming tours of the UK and the Caribbean islands, as Pakistan is scheduled to play three ODIs and three T20Is against England, followed by five T20Is and two-match Test series against the West Indies.
Slamming Pakistan’s think tank for capricious policies, Raja said he is still unable to understand the slotting and the selection of players in Pakistan cricket after they overlooked the youngsters and talented uncapped players for the older cricketers, questioning whether they are thinking backwards.
He also feels Pakistan’s selection policy of picking up ex-players rather than looking for young talent is detrimental to the team and isn’t a good sign for the future.
Ramiz said on his YouTube channel: “I still don't understand the slotting and the selection of players in Pakistan cricket. That is because you select a team, you announce a lot of uncapped players and it is appreciated because once again, there is an eye on the future. And then you don't play them.”
He further added, “It's just like sending an all-decked-up bride back without getting her married. Then you suddenly look back to the recycled players. Not only are they recalled to the team but they are also made to play. They are preferred over the uncapped players.”
Meanwhile, the 58-year-old cited the example of Tabish Khan, the oldest Test debutant for Pakistan in 66 years, said PCB seems confused regarding the selection policy as they are favoring “recycled” players at the cost of promising youngsters. Tabish, a domestic cricket veteran with more than 590 wickets, made his debut at the age of 36 in a Test against Zimbabwe but was not picked for the West Indies tour.
The cricket analyst further explained, “Then, according to the slotting, you announce a player in the Test squad like Salman Ali but you play him in the ODIs next time. So, either the earlier selection wasn't right or this selection isn't. You aren't aware of the quality of the player.
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It is like you debut a 36 or a 38-year-old (Tabish Khan) in Zimbabwe against a team like Zimbabwe but you don't give a chance to a 22-year-old. I mean I haven't seen this happen anywhere in the world. And then you also free him after the Test debut. It's basically a benefit match for him because you did not give him a Test cap with the future in mind. What kind of thinking and logic is this?”
Raja also suggested that the high-performance centres in Pakistan need to change their approach in order to increase the talent pool and inspire the coaches to focus on the young and uncapped players.
He signed off by saying, “See, these (high-performance centres) platforms and centres are meant for age cricket where you bring out the future stars. When you invest big coaches on the future stars, only then your cricket and your system is benefitted and not that the already-established first-class and Test players. If you bring them back, how will you increase the canvas, the scope, and talent pool with this execution and planning? I will say it again, the biggest problem with Pakistan cricket is that their GPS is not set yet about moving forward.”
