CricketViewer.com

Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Nasim Ashraf has criticised the ill-performance of selectors and talent hunt finders, saying a governing body meeting on Jan 25 may take a hard look on this growing problem and would also take some actions in this regard.

But Imran thinks that that would be not that beneficial. “I was critical of some players in India because they really didn’t perform well and played with a disenchanted heart. Issuing statements has become a fad on the part of PCB. The need is to do something concrete in that regard.” he said.

Imran Khan also criticized the ouster of Shoaib Akhtar from the Pakistani squad for Zimbabwe tour and he said Pakistan can only dispense with Shoaib if they find someone better.“There were occasions when Shoaib was at his best, even on the India tour, so unless Mohammad Asif and Umar Gul attain peak form and there are adequate replacements you cannot leave out Shoaib,” he said. Imran said Pakistan need to lift the standard of domestic cricket in order to produce quality cricketers. “The non-competitive first class structure is the bane of Pakistan cricket,” he said.

Perhaps PCB heard Imran, or they were up to it at their own, but at last they are taking some short steps in the right directions. Three new players were named in the 15-member Pakistan squad on Friday for the first two One-day Internationals of a five-match home series against Zimbabwe which commences in Karachi on Monday.

Left-arm medium pacer Samiullah Niazi, all-rounder Kamran Hussain and opener Nasir Jamshed are the new faces in the squad. PCB would do well to carry on experimenting intelligently and get rid of arrogance and divisions in the team permanently.