Atiq-uz-Zaman: “Dropped because of personal disliking of that time head coach and bowling coach. I had heard it from my ears”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Atiq-uz-Zaman has claimed fast bowler Mohammad Abbas was dropped from the Test squad in 2021 due to “personal disliking”.
He alleged that the head coach and bowling coach at the time, who were Misbah-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis respectively, were responsible for the decision to axe Abbas from the team.
Atiq’s comments come after Abbas made his comeback in the two-Test series against South Africa, where he was Pakistan’s best bowler.
The 34-year-old finished with 10 wickets, which included career-best figures of 6-54 in the 1st Test, at an average of 24.60.
Considering how effective he was, even after spending three years away from international cricket, Atiq believes it was senseless to drop Abbas in the first place.
“Dropped because of personal disliking of that time head coach and bowling coach. I had heard it from my ears,” he said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Pakistan’s next assignment will be a two-Test series against the West Indies, which will take place in Karachi and Multan from January 16 to 28.
Interestingly, Abbas was not selected for the series, even though he performed spectacularly against the Proteas.
Pakistan Squad for West Indies Test Series: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Kashif Ali, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Noman Ali, Rohail Nazir (wicketkeeper), Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha