The dramatic changes in Pakistan’s preparations for a final Test match against England have been caused by rising worries about the selection of the side and its lack of competitiveness, says PCB selection committee chief Aaqib Javed.
Pakistan have already lost the 3-match Test series and the PCB reacted to the situation by making substantial changes prior to the final Test. Seven new players were despatched for England with white-ball coach Mike Hesson replacing Sarfaraz Ahmed as the coach of the Test team.
Javed has now said that the board was not happy with some of the decisions taken by Babar Azam’s team and the previous captain.
Elevate every aspect of the game with new additions and enhancements.Add new things to the game and make it better.
Javed said that Pakistan had options for having greater range of players but the management did not avail them.
He highlighted the case of young fast bowler Ubaid Shah who could bring additional pace to an attack that boils down to a combination of a few players.
Javed also asked Pakistan why they were lacking in middle order and top-order batsmen. He thought they were lacking in balance as they weren’t including an all-rounder.
According to the selection chief, after any decision taken by the captain and coaching staff were contrary to that made by the PCB, the PCB intervened.
He admitted that messages could be sent about the playing XI and in an open admission will no doubt bring a renewed debate about the role of the board in making decisions on the pitch.
Babar and Sarfaraz are under pressure.Babar and Sarfaraz come under fire.
Prior to PCB making drastic changes, Javed had spoken to both Babar and Sarfaraz regarding the combination, he said.
He said Pakistan were unable to make tactical changes in the face of the challenges faced in the series.
The team’s performance in England has been dismal, putting them under pressure to improve and Javed has said they were not even playing well against the hosts.
He also raised some individual selection issues, such as the ratio of specialist wicketkeepers to other options available.
The team is sending 7 players to the final test.There are 7 players going to the final test.
The series is already history and hence the PCB has opted for fresh faces in the setup for the last Test.
On the other hand, Javed lauded the decision, claiming it provides Pakistan with a chance to showcase the depth of its domestic talent and test youngsters.
Now the recalled and newly selected players will get their opportunity to showcase themselves in an important overseas tour.
Two major changes highlight the frustration of the PCBs.The PCBs’ frustration is highlighted by two major changes.
It’s clear just how frustrated the PCB is after suddenly releasing Sarfaraz and naming Mike Hesson as his replacement at the helm of the Test side.
Pakistan’s series defeat has clearly led the board to believe that they need to make some changes before the series ends.
The selectors’ relationship with the team management and the captain was also getting tense, according to Javed.
After a tough series, the new-look Pakistan side will have a chance to play back in the final Test against Sri Lanka. The dramatic intervention, however, has engendered new questions over the regulation of team selection and the playing XI by the PCB.
