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Thursday March 28, 2024

There is no favouritism or bias, says Cheema

ADELAIDE, Australia: During the best part of Pakistan’s ongoing sojourn Down Under, Naveed Akram Cheema has been portrayed as a jailer carrying a whip.But Pakistan’s no-nonsense manager on Thursday showed his softer side here at St Peter’s College ground when he labelled the national team’s players as his children and

By Khalid Hussain
March 13, 2015
ADELAIDE, Australia: During the best part of Pakistan’s ongoing sojourn Down Under, Naveed Akram Cheema has been portrayed as a jailer carrying a whip.
But Pakistan’s no-nonsense manager on Thursday showed his softer side here at St Peter’s College ground when he labelled the national team’s players as his children and described their behaviour during the current tour as “exemplary”
“I must say that the Pakistan cricket team is a high calibre team. The players’ conduct is exemplary. You can compare it with any team when it comes to discipline. They follow rules and regulations in a professional manner,” he told reporters.
There has been a lot of talk over the team management’s inexplicable decision of keeping the vastly-talented Sarfraz Ahmed out of the playing eleven but Cheema made it clear that there was no politics behind it.
“I don’t think there was any issue. Sarfraz is an important part of the team. We had a specialist opener (Nasir Jamshed) in the squad. He came here as a replacement for Mohammad Hafeez who unfortunately got injured and had to return home. We gave him a chance in a few matches and when he didn’t perform we looked towards Sarfraz.
“There was consensus when we didn’t play him (Sarfraz) and there was consensus when we decided to include him the playing eleven for the game against South Africa,” stressed Cheema, who retired as Punjab’s Chief Secretary last December before returning as Pakistan’s manager ahead of the World Cup.
Cheema also squashed suggestions that the playing line-up were being decided on the whims and fancies of team officials.
“There is no favouritism or bias against anybody. All players are united and behave like a team. I must say that the impression that Sarfraz was being kept out because of personal reasons is utterly wrong.”
Cheema, who is the chairman of Pakistan’s tour selection committee, said that all decisions regarding the playing eleven are taken after reaching a consensus.
“I must make it clear that when Moin Khan was here with the team he was the chairman (of the tour selection committee). Now it’s my responsibility. We select a line-up on consensus. We consider all aspects. The conditions, wicket, players’ fitness and form. Then we reach a consensus. I always give importance to the suggestions of coach and captain.
Cheema said that he is trying to meet International Cricket Council officials as well as managers of other participating teams in a bid to help revive international cricket in Pakistan.
“I try to meet important ICC officials and managers of other teams. I have talked to Zimbabwe chief executive who was keen to visit Pakistan. I would give recommendations to PCB and now he is in talks with our board. They want to visit Pakistan in May and then they want to host Pakistan after that.”
When asked whether he believes that the security situation in Pakistan was conducive to host a foreign team Cheema said: “Things are fine now. There is no reason why cricket shouldn’t return to Pakistan. We will make all possible arrangements to ensure that our guests are safe during their visit.”