Post Sri Lanka success, Pakistan selectors looking to give youngsters ‘proper run’

Anwar Ali played the lead role in guiding Pakistan to a dramatic last over win over Sri Lanka in the second T20 international on Saturday night. (Source: AP)

Pakistan chief selector Haroon Rasheed has said that a few more youngsters will be tested out in the coming months prior to the World T20 Cup early next year.

Appreciating the national team’s clean sweep in the T20 series in Sri Lanka, the former Test batsman also rejected suggestions that captain Shahid Afridi or head coach Waqar Younis had any personal axe to grind with wicketkeeper Sarfaraz Ahmed who was rested for both T20 matches causing an uproar in the cricket circles.

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“I think we shouldn’t jump to conclusions. The way I look at it Sarfaraz is our proven performer now and he has been playing non-stop cricket in Sri Lanka. Maybe the team management felt he needed a rest so they could give others more chances,” Rasheed told PTI.

“But anyway when the team returns home the selection committee will sit down with the team management and captains and have a discussion  with them on the tour and find out why Sarfaraz was not played in the T20 matches,” he said.

The chief selector said that it was the job of selectors to ensure no injustice was done with any player.

“But we shouldn’t be judgemental so soon it is a fact that the team management because of the World T20 wants to try out new combinations and also give more exposure to some of the younger players.

“He pointed out that all-rounder Anwar Ali, batsman Muhammad Rizwan and left arm spinner all-rounder Emmad Wasim were all given a proper run in  the limited over series in Sri Lanka which was a positive sign.”

“We all felt that the new players needed to given a proper run so that we know where they stand,” he added.

Anwar and Wasim played lead roles in guiding Pakistan to a dramatic last over win over Sri Lanka in the second T20 international on Saturday night.

Rasheed made it clear that a clear message had been given to the seniors if they didn’t perform they would be dropped.

“The presence of such talent just shows that our domestic cricket is producing talent and we just have to give them opportunities to find out who can make a successful transition to international cricket,” the chief selector said.

“We can’t expect all the lead performers in domestic  cricket to also be successful in international cricket and we also now have specific roles in mind for some players,” he said.

Haroon Rasheed, who took over as chief selector after the World Cup, also said that in the time the national team has no international commitments in August and September, Waqar Younis and his support staff would supervise a training camp for emerging players in Lahore.

“The purpose is to work on the fitness of these players as nowadays only teams with high fitness levels and top fielding skills can be successful consistently,” he added.