‘Politics and Regionalism influence cricket selections’ – Shahid Afridi makes shocking statement on Pakistan Cricket
A cricket team is selected on the basis of the performances of the top-level players and a team’s continuity is influenced by the performances that are put in consistently over a period of time. Cricket has the front seat and it is not influenced by other things around it. But when regionalism and politics take the front seat or if Cricket is influenced by any other element then it immediately affects the game and the team atmosphere and it can result in factions emerging within a team.
In this regard, Former Pakistani Skipper and legend, Shahid Afridi, feels that Mohammed Rizwan should not be in line for continuous selection in the Cricket team if he is not performing and delivering the runs that he should. Shahid Afridi made the statement on SAMAA TV and talked about the recent test series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Pakistan’s wicket-keeper batter, Mohammad Rizwan couldn’t score a half-century in any of the four innings that he played.
The Pakistan team management slotted Rizwan at no. 5 in the first Test and then promoted him to no. 4 in the second Test, but despite occupying positions in the higher middle order, Rizwan couldn’t deliver the goods.
According to Shahid Afridi, if Rizwan doesn’t perform and the services of an experienced wicketkeeper-batsman like Sarfaraz Ahmed is available to the team management, they should use him, rather than persisting with a player who is not performing consistently.
There have been a lot of discussions in the Pakistan cricket circles that the selections in Pakistan cricket are influenced by regionalism and since Sarfaraz is from Karachi, he has not been given as many opportunities as he should.
When Afridi was asked if regionalism exists in team selections, he didn’t deny it. The former allrounder insisted that there is nothing in Pakistan that is not influenced by politics, not even sports. The decision-makers need to make sure that such things don’t happen and the deserving players get a go.
