‘Whitewash exposed difference in approach of ECB, PCB’

KARACHI: Former Pakistan Test fast bowler Abdul Rauf has said that the whitewash against a third-tier team which was established in six hours after senior team members tested positive for Covid-19 highlighted the difference in standard and approach of both countries' authorities.

While talking to 'The News', he said it was the result of PCB's wrong policies. "ECB had adopted an advanced cricket system. That’s why they have alternatives in their system," he added.

Rauf said Pakistan cricket was in the hands of its worst-ever administration. "The most popular game in the country is being destroyed and the young generation has neither opportunities to showcase their skills nor employment due to the wrong policies of PCB, led by Ehsan Mani and Wasim Khan," he added.

"England brought in nine new players and we are talking about the comeback of Muhammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, and Wahab Riaz for the T20 World Cup," he said.

He said that T20 was a youngsters' format but in Pakistan the youngsters had not played a single match at any level in the domestic season for last two years as club cricket had been banned.

He said that Pakistan was the only country where domestic events were not being organised for last three years at city, district, region and provincial levels. "There is no event for under-15, and under-19 players," he added.

Rauf asked what the criteria was for the selection of players for the teams recently announced.

He said the PCB's top five were trying to hide behind the big names like Misbah-ul-Haq, Waqar Younis, Muhammad Yousuf, Younis Khan, Saqlain Mushtaq, and Mushtaq Ahmed. "But this strategy did not work and they have been exposed, first against Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka, and now England," he said.

He said that Misbah was a great player and captain, but he had no experience in coaching. "He has no experience at the domestic level of holding the positions that he has been given during the last two years," he said.

He said there should be separate squads for ODIs and T20Is. "When they announced the team they said that Sohaib Maqsood would play only in T20s, but then the team management made him play in ODIs on English pitches," he added.