Pakistan Cricket Selection – A Merry-Go-Sorry Tale

We all know in biology what kin selection means. Selecting Pakistan team reminds me of this concept. It has always been an interesting albeit bizarre phenomenon. I will not go back in history to prove the short-sightedness and inadequacies of our selectors. If you look back and review the selections made for the last three tours you will find enough reason to muse, fret and chuckle at the same time.
In the last year or so most of the things have gone horribly wrong as far as composition of the test team is concerned. The story brings more frustration than joy and it goes like this:
1-     Selection of Imran Farhat despite his clear limitations in test cricket is beyond one’s intellectual capacity. Only credential he has is that he is son-in-law of Muhammad Ilyas.
2-     The sudden ‘demise’ of Fawad Alam from test matches is incredible. He has been criticized because of his diminutiveness and over-shuffling technique but he always showed the determination and hunger to occupy the crease whenever he is given chances. His average in all forms of the game proves this.
3-     Ignoring Faisal Iqbal when he had actually started showing some technique and mental toughness is also beyond comprehension for me. Despite the fact that he was selected because of Miandad he looked more assured than a few others in Australia.
4-     Khurram Manzoor looks as ugly as sin while batting but when he scored a defiant 80 odd in Australia he was dumped out of the next squad and now he is totally out of favor.
5-     Shoaib Malik the famous ‘Shoania’ fame was never a serious test prodigy but he has been thrown into oblivion from all forms of the game all-together. May be it is for a ‘big-bang return’ later on. If it is for extra-cricketorial reasons then it is justified but why are then Kamran Akmal, Umar Akmal, Wahab Riaz, Yousuf and Misbah still in the team!
6-     Every sane cricket mind was calling for Taufiq Umar to be given a chance in English conditions but we were knocked-over with the return of Yasir Hameed who had long been labeled and forsaken as ‘fisher-man’ because of his incurable anomaly of flirting with the ball well outside the off stump.
7-     The curious case of Younis Khan. He is the most well-mannered, spotless and devoted player but is being treated shoddily by the PCB just because one Mr. Butt wants an apology from him. Apology for what no body knows.
8-     Kamran Akmal has been given countless chances despite his shambolic performances both in front and behind the stumps in tests for the last two years. No wicket-keeper was groomed and when Zulqarnain Haider performed on his first outing he was sent home because he had a minor injury scare. Thanks to Kamran’s appendix which got inflamed in time to give Zulqarnain another chance to prove himself. Why Sarfraz has been discarded after just one test in Australia is another matter where logic has been laid to rest.
9-     Misbah’s career was a foregone conclusion till now judging by his age and form. But it is Pakistan cricket where any thing can happen any day. He has come back as a captain. No one including Misbah is surprised in Pakistan. He was contemplating retirement just few days back but Aladdin has the magic lamp and he can call any one from heavens even!
10-  Danish Kaneria was mercilessly and unceremoniously cut from the squad after the first test against England but he is back now all forgotten.
11-  What Tanvir Ahmad and Sohail Tanvir are doing in test squads for the UAE is a question which only Mohsin Khan and his ‘mohsin’ Ijaz Butt can answer with any confidence!
12-  Wahab Riaz could have been rested till the conclusion of on-going probe into the spot-fixing allegations against Amir, Asif and Salman Butt by the ICC. Although nothing has been proved against him but it would have been better for him and Pakistan cricket to wait till the trio gets clean chit.
13-  Muhammad Sami is back again. Yasir Arafat is not.
14-  Junaid Khan, Sohail Khan, Muhammad Talha and few other up-coming fast bowlers deserved a go now but perhaps it is blessing in disguise for them that they would escape South African batsmen and UAE pitches on their debuts.
15-  Good news is that Asad Shafiq and Abdur Rehman have been given a go and Taufiq Umar is back to prove that he is a test product.
Consistency is the word our selectors are totally unfamiliar with. Further they do not watch domestic games and mostly select players in their drawing rooms on the bases of past records, hearsay or their likes and dislikes. Some of them take bribes (cf Shafqat Rana and Wahab Riaz issue) and most of them luxuriate in nepotism.
Pakistan cricket is going to die very soon if a change is not brought in the PCB. It is imperative to say good bye to Mr. Butt ASAP so that cricket in Pakistan is saved and belief and passion in the fans is restored. Amen