Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi finally broke his silence on Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan being dropped from the team’s 17-member squad for the Asia Cup, saying he doesn’t have a say in the matter as the final call remains with the selection committee.
Recently, Pakistan selectors stunned everyone by leaving the two senior pros out of the team despite losing the three-match T20I series against Bangladesh.
During the squad announcement, head coach Mike Hesson and chief selector Aqib Javed stated that the duo have been asked to work on their game and improve their strike rate.
Pakistan will be led by Salman Ali Agha in the Asia Cup, beginning September 9. The side are placed in Group A alongside India, the United Arab Emirates and Oman.
The PCB continues to receive flak for leaving out Babar and Rizwan despite the team’s mixed results without them in the shortest format. The duo was shown the door from the T20I team after the Champions Trophy, and both batters continue to be in exile.
“First of all, I don’t have even 1 per cent role in putting players into the team or taking them out. We have a selection committee and then an advisory body; they all sit together. The process goes through a lot – discussions that last 8-10 hours, sometimes for 2-3 days,” Naqvi told local reporters, according to the Times of India.
“Definitely, if a team is being selected, it’s in good hands; all professionals are there. I’ve only told them one thing – whatever decision they take, it should be on merit, and I will support that,” he added.
What did Aqib Javed say about Babar’s exclusion?
While announcing the Pakistan squad for the Asia Cup, selector Aqib Javed made it clear that the management have sent Babar and Rizwan guidelines on how they can get back into the scheme of things when it comes to T20s.
He stated that the duo can earn their place back provided they do well in domestic matches, saying they will have ample chances to show their worth in various competitions across the world.
Without mincing his words, Javed stated that the team currently have better players than the duo in T20s and hence they have looked past them.
Pakistan’s squad for Asia Cup: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicket-keeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Waseem Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Sufyan Moqim.