The chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) interim selection committee, Shahid Afridi, said he wants to form two teams for Pakistan to improve the bench strength.
Speaking at a press conference, Afridi said, quoted by Pakistan Cricket:
“I want to create two teams for Pakistan before my term ends to improve the bench strength.”
The statement came after Pakistan’s pacers were unable to make it without the injured pacers Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf (he only played in the first Test against England), lost the Test series 0-3 at home. The Speed Riders again failed to overtake New Zealand in the First Test.
The former Pakistan international also said he wanted to end the communication gap between players and officials.
“I feel like there has been a lack of communication in the past. I learned about player issues by talking to them privately.”
The 45-year-old man also justified Fakhar Zaman and Haris Sohail’s pick for the ODI series against New Zealand.
“I spoke directly to Haris and Fakhar and did their Tests. I believe there should be a direct line of communication between the players and the selection committee.”
For the uninitiated, the PCB selection table also includes Abdul Razzaq and Rao Iftikhar Anjum, with Haroon Rashid as summoner.
“Babar Azam is the mainstay of the Pakistan team and we will support him” – Shahid Afridi
Shahid Afridi also praised Pakistan captain Babar Azam’s decision to claim their second inning with a lead of 137 runs and 15 passes remaining in the First Test against New Zealand. The match ended in a draw because the away team could only play 7.3 extra time, scoring 61/1 when the bad lights stopped the match.
I said:
“Babar Azam is the mainstay of the Pakistan team and we will support him. His decision to announce yesterday was the right one.”
Afridi also hinted at the possibility of preparing a bounce track for the second Test between Pakistan and New Zealand, which will begin in Karachi on Monday, January 2.
I said:
“We wanted our cricket to go forward, but the pitch we played on didn’t help us do that. Such pitches are not good for pitchers. We’re trying to make a bounce for the Second Test.”
Babar Azam and Co. will be looking to start the New Year off bright by winning against the Blackcaps. They claimed a lone victory in the 2022 Competition, which took place in Sri Lanka in July.
