Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar: “I would rather have a 20-member selection committee. I will take their advice: ‘What do you guys say? Tell me'”
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Former seamer Shoaib Akhtar has announced he would have a 20-member selection committee in a bid to fix Pakistan cricket.
Akhtar made it clear that if he were offered the role by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), he would prefer having a large group of selectors so that he can heed their advice before making decisions.
The men in green have experienced turbulent results in recent months, notably at the Asia Cup, where they lost to India three times, including in the final.
Akhtar knows things are a mess and feels that if he were entrusted with the task of fixing Pakistan cricket, he would do whatever is necessary to accomplish that goal as he wants to see the national team become a force to be reckoned with once again.
“First of all, PCB will never ask me to do this job. The reason is that I’m going to do the right thing, whatever is necessary. I’m not saying give me the power. I believe in teamwork. I believe in logic. I believe in working together. It’s not about ‘give me the power and I’ll fix it.’ No, no, no, it’s not like that. I would rather have a 20-member selection committee. I will take their advice: ‘What do you guys say? Tell me’,” Akhtar said in a YouTube video posted by TapMad as quoted by NDTV.
Pakistan are now hosting South Africa on home soil and drew the two-Test series 1-1.
The two sides then played three T20Is, with the men in green triumphing 2-1.
Next up, Pakistan and South Africa will face off in a three-match ODI series between November 4 and 8.
Once their series against South Africa finishes, Pakistan will play a three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka from November 11 to 15, before taking part in a T20I tri-series with Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe from November 17 to 29.
Pakistan squad for South Africa ODI Series: Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah Khan, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha
Pakistan squad for Sri Lanka ODI Series: Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah Khan, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha
Pakistan squad for Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe T20I Tri-Series: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan (wicketkeeper), Usman Tariq
Reserves: Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Sufiyan Muqeem