Former cricketers slam Pakistan's team selection for New Zealand Tour

Former Pakistan cricketers Kamran Akmal and Basit Ali have strongly criticized the Pakistan team selection for the upcoming New Zealand tour, alleging that the squad was chosen without considering performance and merit.

Speaking on ARY News “Champions Trophy” special show, Kamran Akmal questioned the selection process, saying that players were chosen behind closed doors without evaluating their performance on the ground.

He claimed that selectors simply raise their hands in agreement after being handed a paper with the proposed team members.

Akmal said “Had they gone to the ground and observed performances, a better team would have been formed.”

He expressed his frustration, stating that international cricket has lost value in Pakistan, with little emphasis on performance or merit.

He pointed out that players who haven’t even scored a fifty in domestic cricket are being selected for the national team, asking “Can anyone name a Pakistan player who has truly earned a spot based on their domestic performance?”

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Kamran Akmal further questioned, “Can anyone say they formed the team after watching the boys’ performance on the ground? It has become too easy to get selected. There’s no hunger for performance anymore; just hit two sixes and you’re in the team.”

Basit Ali, another former cricketer, shared a personal story from 1987, highlighting the flaws in the selection process.

He recalled an incident when a camp was set up in Lahore for the Pakistan Under-19 team, which was about to travel to Australia for the World Cup.

Basit Ali said, “I pointed out that a left-handed batsman was very good, and the coach agreed with me, saying, ‘Yes, yes, that player is very good.’ The reality was, the player batted right-handed.”