KARACHI, Sept 16: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) caretaker chairman Najam Sethi has defended Pakistan’s humiliating defeat against Zimbabwe, saying it is part and parcel of the game.

“There is nothing to worry about as it is part of the game,” said the caretaker chairman while commenting on a private television channel on Saturday night.

Unnecessary hue and cry is being created by former cricketers who wanted jobs in the PCB, stated Sethi. “I will not give them jobs in the board,” he maintained.

Misbah-ul-Haq’s team suffered their first loss to Zimbabwe in 15 years when they went down by 24 runs in the second and final Test at Harare.

Expressing confidence in Misbah and Co, he said the national team will live up to expectations by winning their upcoming series, adding that Pakistan have recently achieved some fine victories during the West Indies tour where Shahid Afridi, Misbah and others performed well.

Sethi also praised captain Misbah, saying that he was keeping the team together besides doing well with the bat.

He further said that senior batsman Younis Khan was severely criticised but he performed exceptionally well.

It is instructive to note that selectors overlooked emerging batsmen Umar Amin, Harris Sohail and Sohaib Maqsood for the Test side in the face of their consistent performances in domestic circuit and criticism of Misbah and calls for his replacement as a captain by former captain Ramiz Raja and ex-Test paceman Sikander Bakht.

“Former Test cricketers have been advocating giving exposure to youngsters but what have they done?” Sethi questioned.

Sethi said that he wanted a do a lot of things in the PCB but the honourable court stopped him from doing so, adding that he wanted to form a new selection committee and to bring in a new chief selector.

“But I was stopped by the court from doing so,” he remarked.

Former cricketers in their statements have demanded clean-up operation and overhaul in the PCB besides strengthening cricket structure and launching of strong cricket committee comprising selfless cricketers.—APP