LAHORE, Jan 28: Chairman of the national selection committee Abdul Qadir has termed the performance of Pakistan team in the recently held One-day International series against Sri Lanka as “humiliating”, saying it lacked character and professionalism.

“After doing too good in the opening match [in Karachi] the team’s performance straight went down in a manner which was contrary to the spirit of a professional team,” Qadir, a former Test leg-spinner, said at the Gaddafi Stadium here on Wednesday. He added the team show indicated it lacked any character.

Refusing to accept any responsibility (for the Sri Lanka series loss) as chief selector, he said: “Our job is to finalise 15-member squad, then it is a responsibility of the team management to finalise the playing eleven.”

Qadir revealed that he has selected the squad after consulting the selection committee members, team manager and captain.

“I cannot go in the middle [of the ground] to help players display good cricket, it’s their responsibility to show spirit and professional approach in crunch situations,” he emphasised.

Commenting on the selection of the squad that exhibited an up-and-down show in the home series against Sri Lanka, Qadir said when he picked the squad nobody raised any objection on the inclusion of any player and when Pakistan won the first ODI by eight wickets every one praised the team’s performance.

“There was a dire need to boost the confidence and performance of the team after its defeat in the second ODI by forming a strategy which was not done. However, I cannot interfere in anyone’s job, my role is confined to selection of the squad,” he clarified.

“After winning the first match [against Sri Lanka] we should have made it 2-0 [in Karachi] with a collective effort but the team exhibited a different approach by conceding a setback and then it was an unexpectedly poor performance in Lahore resulting in a humiliating defeat,” he expressed.

The chief selector believed Shoaib Malik alone is not responsible for the setbacks in the Sri Lanka series, including for the Lahore debacle, underlining that all the team members are equally accountable.

He said he always advocates keeping two senior teams – A and B – to evolve a system of promotion and relegation of players based on their performance.

On the selection of the national squad for the two-Test series at home against Sri Lanka next month, Qadir hinted that there will be “some changes” in the team in the backdrop of the huge ODI losses Pakistan suffered at the hands of Mahela Jayawardene’s men.—APP