National cricket team’s Chief Selector, Mohammad Wasim, has rubbished the rumors of differences with the Head Coach, Misbah-ul-Haq, and Babar Azam over the selection of the squad for the forthcoming tour of Africa.
Speaking exclusively with Cricket Baaz, a sports YouTube channel, Wasim said that the selection committee and the team management are on the same page.
The team that was announced for the last home series, I can say that 100 percent of things were done based on mutual consensus, and this time also the same thing has happened. I am reading on many platforms that they asked for 11 players. I am also thinking that what 11 players are in Pakistan that are better than these playing. People don’t think before putting up news. Nothing like this happened.
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Wasim also opened up about the selection of Sharjeel Khan in the T20I squad despite fitness concerns. The Chief Selector understood that Sharjeel’s fitness was not up to the mark for ODI cricket, but he is fit enough to play the shortest format.
As you talked about Fakhar and Sharjeel, so there was a debate on that. If we look at Sharjeel’s fitness, it is not suitable for ODI cricket, and we all agreed on it. Fakhar is suitable for ODI as his fitness is good.
He said that all such matters were brought up with the team management, and there was not that big a difference in our opinions, and a majority of the players in the squad were asked by the captain and the coach.
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He also reflected on why Sharjeel was preferred over Fakhar in the T20I squad.
We talked about Fakhar as well, but if you look at the squad, we can only keep one opener. When we compared both of them and looked at their current form, we decided to keep Sharjeel in the T20I squad and Fakhar in the ODI squad. Babar and Rizwan are performing well as openers. That’s why Sharjeel Khan is in the squad.
Wasim clarified that Sharjeel was picked as a third opener and that he would only make it to the final XI if need be. In this case, one of the openers will have to step down.
Our job is to provide the available resources to the team and giving them backup as well. The combination will be made by the captain and the coach.
“We have tried that the type of player that is needed is present in the squad so you can see that every area is covered,” he concluded.
