Sarfraz calls for sacking entire selection committee

ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistan fast bowler Sarfraz Nawaz Wednesday called for sacking the entire selection committee, saying that giving too much powers to Wahab Riaz ahead of the T20 World Cup was not a wise decision.

Talking to ‘The News’ on the telephone, Sarfraz, who underwent leg surgery at a London hospital last week, said that the entire selection committee was incapable of delivering. “The selection committee has worked collectively as was apparent during the pre-World Cup press conference with every member admitting that the team was constituted after consensus. Every member of the committee was responsible for the selection, so all should be sacked. The entire selection committee was incapable of delivering.”

Sarfraz said time and again he had written letters to former PCB Management Committee head Zaka Ashraf and now to present chairman Mohsin Naqvi on Wahab Riaz’s limitations as an administrator in any capacity.

“I am on record to have written letters to Zaka and Naqvi regarding Wahab’s suspected past and his lack of abilities as an administrator. Nobody paid heed to my suggestion. I knew well that Wahab was not capable of delivering in any capacity yet he was made selector, advisor and manager. On all fronts he failed.”

Even Wahab in his tweet on ‘X’ said every member of the selection committee was responsible for selecting T20 World Cup team. “I don’t agree with the statements being discussed as adding pressure to the members of the selection committee. How can one vote dominate 6. Everything is documented on record in the minutes of meeting,” Wahab said.

Sarfraz also called for a major surgery rather a selective one. “Major surgery is required if at all we want to put the system on the right track. There should be a three-member selection committee and mere sacking Wahab and Abdul Razzak would not be enough. Not even Asad Shafiq (a silent spectator) and Mohammad Yousaf are capable of delivering.”

Sarfraz added that it was Inzamamul Haq and Yousaf who earlier gave a free hand to Babar Azam and supported his all decisions with the reason that they collectively went into sponsorship deal with the US-based firm.

“Now you cannot ignore all that has led to such a poor performance during the T20 World Cup. So the decisions should be taken in the best interest of the country’s cricket rather falling into the trap of those who have their vested interests in the PCB.”

Sarfraz supported the idea of involving leading cricketers in club activities. “All former cricketers of eighties and nineties used to play club cricket over the weekend. There is no such practice these days with the reason that the fitness standard of players and youth’s urge to improve their credentials at the club level has gone down considerably. It should be made pertinent for leading cricketers sitting idle to start playing club cricket over the weekend.

This will fetch two benefits. Such activity will improve players’ fitness and secondly it would generate interest in youth to improve their technique while playing side by side with the leading cricketers.”

On captaincy front, Sarfraz favored retaining Shan Masood as Test captain and Mohammad Rizwan as white ball captain. “Rizwan has proved his captaincy credentials by helping KPK win all domestic events in the past while his performance as Multan Sultans’ captain has been consistent over the years. He is the best choice for the job. Babar Azam is low in confidence and should not be considered for the job.” —