Afridi wants to create ‘two Pakistan teams’
He is the chairman of the interim selection committee
The chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Interim Selection Committee, Shahid Afridi, is keen on making two teams for the men’s national side in order to improve the bench strength.
The PCB Management Committee, led by Najam Sethi, had appointed former Pakistan captain Afridi as the interim chair of the selection committee for the home series against New Zealand.
Other members of the panel are Abdul Razzaq and Rao Iftikhar Anjum, while Haroon Rashid (member Management Committee) will be the Convener.
“I want to create two teams for Pakistan before my tenure ends in order to improve bench strength,” Afridi said while speaking to media in Karachi on Saturday.
He also spoke about communication gap between the players and the officials.
“I feel like there was lack of communication in the past. I got to know about the issues of players by speaking to them individually,” he said.
Afridi also hinted at making a bouncy pitch for the second Test between Pakistan and New Zealand in Karachi, which begins on January 2.
“We want our cricket to move forward but the pitches we have played on won’t help us do that. Such pitches are not good for bowlers. We are trying to make a bouncy pitch for the second Test,” the former captain, who met the curator in Karachi on Saturday, said.
The legendary all-rounder also brushed aside the notion that the selection committee is a ‘one-man show’.
“This [selection committee] is not a one-man show. I believe power sharing make you more powerful,” he said. “I will try to give proper chances to performers as long as I’m here. My work will be incomplete if I’m not able to do justice to the players.”
“I directly spoke to Haris and Fakhar and took their tests. I believe that there should be a direct line of communication between the players and the selection committee,” he added.
Afridi also backed Pakistan’s all-format skipper Babar Azam while also lauding his bold declaration during the first Test against New Zealand.
“Babar Azam is the backbone of the Pakistan team and we will back him. His decision about declaration yesterday was a good one,” he concluded.
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