Mohammad Wasim: “We have Agha Salman who is a specialist at number 5 or 6 and if I put someone else in that spot that wouldn’t be fair”
Image courtesy of: Pakistan Cricket Board
Pakistan chief selector Mohammad Wasim said Agha Salman is a specialist number five or six batsman and it wouldn’t be fair if another player like Usman Salahuddin were to replace him.
This comes after Salahuddin was not picked for the tour of South Africa and Zimbabwe.
However, Wasim pointed out that he has spoken to the 30-year-old “about the areas that he needs to work on”.
Salman was the third-highest run-scorer in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy with 941 runs in 10 games for Southern Punjab, which included two hundreds and six half-centuries, at an average of 58.81.
As for Salahuddin, he was fourth-highest run-scorer with 924 runs in 11 matches for Central Punjab, which included a career-best 219 not out and eight half-centuries, at an average of 48.63.
“Usman had a good second half of the domestic season. I had a chat with him and spoke to him about the areas that he needs to work on,” Wasim told PakPassion.
“I’m looking at the type of player we have for each role. We have Agha Salman who is a specialist at number 5 or 6 and if I put someone else in that spot that wouldn’t be fair.”
Pakistan will play three ODIs and four T20 Internationals against South Africa before heading to Zimbabwe for two Tests and three T20 Internationals.
Pakistan departed for South Africa on March 26 and the tour will commence on April 2 and conclude on April 16. The ODI series will be played first.
The men in green will then head to Zimbabwe on April 17, but the dates for the matches have yet to be confirmed.
However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) noted that the national team will travel back to Lahore from Bulawayo on May 12.
Pakistan’s Test Squad: Babar Azam (capt), Imran Butt, Abid Ali, Abdullah Shafique, Azhar Ali, Fawad Alam, Saud Shakeel, Agha Salman, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Tabish Khan, Hasan Ali, Shahnawaz Dhani, Nauman Ali, Zahid Mahmood, Sajid Khan.
Pakistan’s ODI Squad: Babar Azam (capt), Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, Haider Ali, Danish Aziz, Saud Shakeel, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Usman Qadir, Hasan Ali.
Pakistan’s T20 Squad: Babar Azam (capt), Shadab Khan, Sharjeel Khan, Mohammad Hafeez, Haider Ali, Danish Aziz, Asif Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Usman Qadir, Hasan Ali, Arshad Iqbal.
Why that player who topp scored in quid azam trophy is totaly ignored.. It looks very strange that he is not considered for any format..