By Sohail Ali
LAHORE:Pakistan Cricket Team Chief Selector Haroon Rasheed has said that Babar Azam is our captain and he has been fully consulted and talked about every player for team selection for the home tour of New Zealand now it depends on him whom he wants in the final line up keeping in view the potential of the players.
Talking to the media here on Wednesday Haroon Rasheed said that two or three meetings have been held with Babar Azam and there is no disagreement on the selection of anyone and everyone is on the same page.
He said the coaching staff of the team will be finalized in a week and a half.
The chief selector said that there have been only rumors regarding the captaincy of Babar Azam and he has never discussed the captaincy of the team.
“We look forward to exciting cricket in the series against Kiwis and it will be a good series against New Zealand and I do not consider any team lightly”, he said.
He said, “Here we have more problems on losing and winning, it does not happen in the world, no team enters the field to lose.”
( There are 8 ODIs before the Asia Cup)
The Chief Selector said that the 3 mega events Asia Cup, World Cup and T20 World Cup are to be held next year according to which ‘we are trying to make a combination and we have less time for this purpose’.
Haroon Rashid said, “We have 8 ODIs before the Asia Cup in which we have a lot to see regarding the potential and talent of the players to come up a with a group of talented players.”
He said that Haris Sohail is exceptional left hand batsman and he can prove good in Asian conditions, and if stays in form and fit then he can support the middle order.
Haroon Rasheed said that Azam Khan himself has to see what is the weakness and work he needs to make a come back.
Azam has had a hard time against the spinners which has to be worked on, if a player is dropped it does not mean he can’t make a come back , he added.
The Chief Selector said that Haris Sohail and Azam Khan cannot be compared, and Shadab Khan has played very little cricket and he has to be given a chance.
“There is No specific number for any player and every player can bat anywhere, no one has any specific number”, he asserted.
He said that why the selection committee would contact any player, the doors are open for everyone, if you play in the leagues, do well there and you will make a place. “We have 30 to 35 players in mind. Several among these players will be going with Pakistan Shaheens,” he added.
Pakistan squads
T20I: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Ihsanullah, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood and Zaman Khan
ODI: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haris Sohail, Ihsanullah, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood and Usama Mir
Series schedule (T20Is to start at 9pm; ODIs to begin at 3:30pm):
14 Apr – 1st T20I, Lahore
15 Apr – 2nd T20I, Lahore
17 Apr – 3rd T20I, Lahore
20 Apr – 4th T20I, Rawalpindi
24 Apr – 5th T20I, Rawalpindi
27 Apr – 1st ODI, Rawalpindi
29 Apr – 2nd ODI, Rawalpindi
3 May – 3rd ODI, Karachi
5 May – 4th ODI, Karachi
7 May – 5th ODI, Karachi