LAHORE: Dilemma abounds for selectors ahead of the two-match T20 series against Sri Lanka, with T20 captain Shahid Afridi being out of form while batting all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez suspended from bowling by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

On the other hand, injured fast bowler Wahab Riaz is another concern for the national selection committee ahead of the T20 series starting from July 30.

The players who will be inducted into the T20 squad will leave for Colombo on July 26 to join the rest of players for the T20 series.

Sources told Dawn that the selectors were likely to announce the squad until Friday soon after confirming whether pacer Wahab had recovered from his hand injury he sustained during the Test series against Sri Lanka forcing him to miss out on the ongoing five-match ODI series against the Islanders.

A Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) doctor is likely to give Wahab’s medical report until Friday after which the selectors will be in a better position to decide about the injured pacer.

However, the dilemma the national selection committee is faced with at the moment is not injured pacer Wahab but the out-of-form Afridi and beleaguered Hafeez who has recently been banned from bowling by the ICC.

“Wahab’s fitness is not a big deal,” sources claimed while stating that “the fast bowler has still got nine days before playing the first T20.”

However, they were not upbeat about T20 captain Afridi stating: “Selectors’ main concern is the poor form of the T20 captain.”

“Afridi as a captain and the most senior player has to strike form as soon as possible and it is important since the selection committee has limited time for selecting a strong squad for next year’s World T20,” sources further said.

The sources while talking about the T20 captain getting less practice at international level due to less number of T20 games said: “Confining himself to just T20 cricket is apparently an unwise decision by Afridi as after almost two-month gap the all-rounder has to play one or two T20 matches which may be a big problem for any world class cricketer to maintain his form.”

The PCB in a hasty decision in 2014 appointed Afridi as T20 captain until the next World T20 ignoring the fact that the less number of T2O matches he gets will also have a negative impact on the flamboyant all-rounder who has already announced retirement from Tests as well as ODIs.

It may be mentioned here that, though the all-rounder has proved his mettle as a bowler taking eight wickets in the last seven matches, he scored only 98 runs in the same number of matches.

The all-rounder continues putting up a poor show with the bat in the Caribbean Cricket League, for he has plundered only 96 runs in nine matches wherein he succeed in taking nine wickets.

“Afridi has to lead the team from the front. Otherwise, it will not be easy for him to control players and extract performance from them,” maintained the sources.

On the other hand, Hafeez’ case is the same as that of the T20 captain, for the former has been performing dismally in the T20s since 2014 which besides his bowling ban is enough to set the alarm bell ringing for the national selectors.

To be more specific, Hafeez played eight T20s from January 2014 until now and has been able to score only 104 runs with his highest score being 26. The same is the case with his bowling, for he took just two wickets in the same number of matches.

However, the selectors have more options in promising players like Mukhtar Ahmed and Noman Anwar and that’s what the sources also echoed when they said: “Hafeez’ selection in the T20 squad may easily be avoided as the selection committee have got more young players like Mukhtar and Noman.”

Published in Dawn, July 22th, 2015

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