Pakistan’s former skipper Shahid Afridi has raised concerns over the exclusion of two Pakistani allrounders Aamir Jamal and Mohammad Wasim Jr.
Aamir Jamal represented Peshawar Zalmi while Mohammad Wasim Jr. represented Quetta Gladiators in Pakistan Super League season 9.
Both the players showcased glimpses of brilliance during the PSL but none of the players impressed the selection committee that selected the 18-man squad for the away tour against Ireland and England.
While speaking to the media in Karachi, Afridi pointed out that the exclusion of Mohammad Wasim Jr was surprising as the Pakistan team management had invested in him over the past year but now suddenly the player has been dropped from the team.
The T20 World Cup winner said that Aamir Jamal showed glimpses of a great allrounder in the making during the away Test series against Australia and he should be given more chances in the shortest format of the game.
“It’s surprising how after keeping Wasim Jr in the team, he was dropped, after Abdul Razzaq, we saw a good all-rounder in Aamir Jamal, it’s surprising he wasn’t retained.”
He also expressed his concerns over Babar Azam’s captaincy against New Zealand and urged him to take brave decisions on the field in order to achieve success as Pakistan’s captain in white-ball cricket.
“A good captain takes important decisions in difficult times. We want Babar to become a great captain as much as he is a great player. All these players have been playing for a long time, their job now is to do well in the World Cup.” said the former Pakistan skipper.
Pakistan will take on Ireland to play their first T20I match on Friday. The remaining two games will be played on May 12 and May 14, before the team heads for a series of four T20Is against England.
