The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday announced the men's team's squad for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan on Monday, resting five senior members including captain Babar Azam. Fast bowlers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf, along with Mohammad Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman, will also miss next week’s series in the United Arab Emirates. All three games are scheduled to be played in Sharjah on March 24, 26 and 27.
Babar and Rizwan had been an integral part of the Pakistan side in the shortest format of the game over the past few years, with the opening duo being the most successful among its contemporaries in 2021 as well. Last year, Babar had also led the national team to the final of the T20 World Cup, but concerns have been growing over the duo's strike rate in the shortest format.
Regardless, the senior players' absence from the squad has sparked some strong reactions from fans and former cricketers alike, and Pakistan's former captain Rashid Latif had a rather explosive remark on the same. Latif attacked the selectors after the team's announcement, insisting that it is ‘destroying’ Pakistan cricket.
"Our players are featuring in ICC rankings and winning awards after a long time. Babar and Shaheen won ICC awards. They [PCB] couldn’t digest it. They said we won’t let it happen and now we are here and will take decisions. Those who never took rest and are 70 or 80-year-old and need to rest, are now deciding the fate of Pakistan cricket. You can say rest in peace Pakistan team. Our team is now resting in peace," Latif said, as quoted by Cricket Pakistan.
{{/usCountry}}"Our players are featuring in ICC rankings and winning awards after a long time. Babar and Shaheen won ICC awards. They [PCB] couldn’t digest it. They said we won’t let it happen and now we are here and will take decisions. Those who never took rest and are 70 or 80-year-old and need to rest, are now deciding the fate of Pakistan cricket. You can say rest in peace Pakistan team. Our team is now resting in peace," Latif said, as quoted by Cricket Pakistan.
{{/usCountry}}"When you bring new players, you break a team combination. Some new players, who are selected, will perform in the Afghanistan series, so will they bring back the senior players back with lesser strike rate. Media will also put pressure on them. This is the first step towards destroying Pakistan team," he further said.
Chief selector Haroon Rasheed said that the selection committee wanted to enhance the pool of players with an eye on next year’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the United States.