Basit Ali criticizes the selection of Babar Azam for Pakistan’s South Africa tour while questioning the omission of Shaheen Afridi. Concerns arise over Babar’s return after dropping form, alongside scrutiny of Shaheen’s exclusion following a controversial incident. Pakistan’s squad for the tour features Babar, with several emerging players, raising debates about selection meritocracy and team dynamics.
Former cricketer Basit Ali has voiced his concerns regarding the selection of Babar Azam in Pakistan’s squad for the upcoming tour of South Africa, as well as the omission of star pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi from the Test lineup. As Pakistan prepares for the multi-format series starting on December 10 in Durban, the selection committee’s decisions have raised eyebrows. Babar, previously dropped from the team during his recent tenure in the Test series against England, is returning despite a lack of substantial domestic performance post-removal. Conversely, Shaheen, who faced removal amidst a controversial incident during a Test match against Bangladesh, remains sidelined from red-ball cricket altogether.
Basit expressed dissatisfaction with the selectors’ rationale, critiquing Shaheen’s exclusion after an incident where he reportedly rejected the team skipper Shan Masood’s gesture during a huddle. “Shaheen Afridi was asked to bowl on dead pitches, and he couldn’t perform, so what about Naseem Shah’s performance?” he remarked in a YouTube discussion that highlighted the inconsistency in selection criteria. “How many domestic matches Babar has played since being removed from the Test team?” he questioned, highlighting Babar’s modest returns in both ODI and T20 formats in recent outings.
The Pakistan squads for the tour feature notable selections: in T20Is and ODIs, Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi are included, whereas in the Test squad, Babar returns to the fold under captain Shan Masood alongside other emerging players. The decisions reflect the selectors’ confidence in Babar while simultaneously raising concerns about player meritocracy in selection processes.
The topic concerns the recent selection of Pakistan’s cricket squad for the upcoming tour of South Africa, a multi-format series that includes Tests, ODIs, and T20Is. Babar Azam’s re-inclusion after his removal from the Test side has sparked controversy, particularly given his recent performance metrics. Meanwhile, the exclusion of Shaheen Shah Afridi, a prominent bowler, is under scrutiny, particularly due to an incident during a team huddle that may have impacted the selectors’ decisions. The differing fates of these two players highlight the ongoing challenges within the Pakistan cricket selection committee.
The selection of Babar Azam and the removal of Shaheen Shah Afridi from the upcoming South Africa tour raises significant questions regarding the standards and criteria employed by the selection committee. Basit Ali’s critiques underscore concerns over player performance accountability and the implications of team dynamics on selection decisions. As Bumrah’s form is touted as a reason for his retention, the selectors must navigate the balance between past performance and present capabilities as Pakistan seeks triumph in South Africa.
Original Source: sports.ndtv.com
