A player’s appearance in domestic cricket is second to none in the selection criteria for Pakistan’s upcoming tour of Sri Lanka, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials have reiterated.
“Past international performances and those in domestic competitions of other countries aren’t really what the selectors are basing their judgment of players upon,” selector Saleem Jaffar told PakPassion.net, echoing the chief selector of the PCB Iqbal Qasim.
Jaffar’s statement came after all-rounder Azhar Mahmood expressed an interest in representing Pakistan on its 46-day tour of Sri Lanka in an interview.
Mahmood chances of a return to the international stage are slim despite his excellent form in the Twenty20 format around the world. He starred in Auckland Aces’ title-winning campaign in the HRV Cup in New Zealand before helping the Dhaka Gladiators to the inaugural Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) title. He has also been a top performer for the Kings XI Punjab in the ongoing Indian Premier League.
According to Jaffar, Mahmood fits the bill when it comes to attitude and level of fitness. But the 37-year-old cricketer has not appeared in Pakistan domestic scene since 2010, which the selector considers a better barometer for measuring the ability to do well in international cricket.
“I give you the example of Yasir Arafat, he has played cricket around the world but has always ensured that if he was fully fit, he would play in every domestic competition in Pakistan. You simply cannot pick and choose which competitions you want to play in back home and when you feel like it,” Jaffar stated before adding that age would be irrelevant when we selecting players.
It must be noted here that the selection committee had put forward a similar condition in front of veteran batsman Mohammad Yousuf who had hoped of making a comeback to the national team.
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