Former Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir has slammed the national selectors’ decision to drop batting stars Babar Azam and Saim Ayub from the squad for the ODI series against Bangladesh.
During a recent interview at Jio News’ On the special ‘Harna Mana Hai’, the left-arm fast bowler questioned whether the pair had dropped in terms of form or simply rested from the 50-over format.
“Did you drop Saim and Babar from ODI cricket because they performed well in T20 cricket? Or did you retire them from this format? That is the first question that needs to be answered,” Amir said.
If any player was dropped due to poor performance, he made the selectors on the track return to the side.
“If they are left out because of their lack of form, in which ODI cricket will they get back into the squad? That is the second question,” he added.
Amir also expressed concern over long-term planning for the next ICC ODI World Cup in South Africa later this year.
“The World Cup is only 8 months away. Will the same players who were selected for the Bangladesh series be the core of our squad for that tournament? If these new players fail to perform, will the dropped ones be brought back? We need clarity of vision,” he noted.
Adding his voice to the debate, former opener Ahmed Shehzad questioned whether Babar had been trusted before Azam’s exit.
“Was Babar consulted before dropping him? If so, tell us why. If he has damaged Pakistan cricket in any way, make it clear. But if not, he doesn’t deserve this treatment,” Shehzad said.
Babar is the country’s premier batsman in the longer formats, Shehzad said, adding, “He should be in the team because he is your best batsman. You don’t have a better batsman than him in ODI and red-ball cricket.”
The Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) announcement of the 15-man squad for the three-match ODI series against Bangladesh sparked debate, with no apparent explanation for Assam and Ayub’s absence.
Babar endured a tough T20 World Cup, scoring just 91 runs in six innings at a disappointing average of 22.75, his recent form in the 50-over format encouraging.
He scored 165 in Pakistan’s last ODI assignment, a three-match home series against Sri Lanka in November last year, which included a long-awaited 20th century in the format.
Left-arm fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi will continue to lead the ODI side.
The squad consists of 6 uncapped players namely Abdul Samad, Mas Sadaqat, Muhammad Qazi Ghori, Saad Masood, Sahibzada Farhan and Shamil Hussain.
Samad, Sadaq, Masood and Hussain were part of the Pakistan Shaheens team that faced England Lions in Abu Dhabi recently.
Notably, along with Babar, the squad has dropped Faqar Zaman (due to a hamstring injury), Haseebullah, Mohammad Nawaz and Naseem Shah.
Pakistan’s last ODI series was a 3-0 clean sweep against Sri Lanka last November.
The series marked captain Shaheen Shah Afridi’s second ODI assignment, his first in charge coming in the home series against South Africa, which Pakistan won 2–1.