Former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Kamran Akmal is not pleased with the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) and its decision to send seven players back home from England following the national team's disastrous results in the opening two Tests against the Three Lions. The PCB on Monday evening confirmed that seven players have indeed been released from the squad, including Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha and Imam-ul-Haq.
Moreover, seven replacements were named, and they will join the Pakistan camp ahead of the third and final Test in Birmingham. Not just the players; even Test head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul were released and replaced by white-ball coaches Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke.
Akmal believes that the board should have shown some respect towards the players, saying the messaging doesn't augur well for the remainder of the squad. He added that Rizwan and Agha could have been left out of the playing XI, but sending them would send the wrong message.
Deep Dive
Why did the PCB decide to send Mohammad Rizwan and other players back to Pakistan?
What are the implications of sending senior players like Rizwan back from the tour?
How has Mohammad Rizwan performed in the recent Tests against England?
“There was one more Test left. You could have had both Agha and Rizwan in the squad. You could have dropped them from the playing XI. You should have kept them in the squad. They are your senior players. They have been captains. Sending them back is not a good message for the remaining players,” Akmal said on the ‘Game Plan’ show.
{{/usCountry}}“There was one more Test left. You could have had both Agha and Rizwan in the squad. You could have dropped them from the playing XI. You should have kept them in the squad. They are your senior players. They have been captains. Sending them back is not a good message for the remaining players,” Akmal said on the ‘Game Plan’ show.
{{/usCountry}}“This will result in more pressure for the remainder of the team. It is not a good decision; if you are sending them back, then the chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, needs to rejig the entire system. Make a new team. This decision to send back players is not good for our country, and it doesn't send a good message to the rest of the world,” he added.
Poor performance
Agha led Pakistan in the opening Test at Headingley in the absence of captain Babar Azam, but once the latter returned, he was dropped from the next contest at Lord's.
On the other hand, Rizwan has been in poor form, returning with 61 runs in the four innings against England. The right-hander displayed poor game awareness throughout, going for shots against the run of play.
Speaking of Imam, the opener had a dismal opening Test and then suffered a calf injury while fielding on the opening day of the second fixture. He then didn't come out to bat, and scrutiny increased on the extent of his injury. Days later, a former Pakistan selector alleged that the left-hander has a history of faking injuries.
Pakistan squad for third Test: Babar Azam (captain), Abdullah Fazal, Abdullah Shafique, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Imran, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wicket-keeper), Razaullah, Saad Baig (wicket-keeper), Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood and Ubaid Shah.