Moin dropped as blundering selectors play musical chairs

The blundering Pakistan cricket selectors continued to play musical chairs with next month's England tour aspirants when they named a 20- man provisional list on Tuesday instead of naming the final 16.

All the "walking wounded" that toured New Zealand but forced to return including former captain Wasim Akram were named in the provisional list. The sole casualty being Moin Khan who had lost his captaincy to a lucky Waqar Younis earlier this month.

"Moin has been left out because of his inconsistent performance," chairman of selectors Wasim Bari explained without elaborating if it was his wicket keeping or batting that led to his ouster.

To benefit from Moin's unceremonious exit was another former captain Rashid Latif who last represented Pakistan in Harare, Zimbabwe, on the 1997-98 tour. Rashid is the only wicket keeper in the list, which guarantees him a third successive tour to England for which the team leaves on May 2.

Inconsistent Imran Nazir and Shahid Afridi, who were described by the selectors as one-day specialists and were not considered for the Test series in New Zealand after the limited overs rubber, were retained. In-and-out, Mohammad Wasim, who has played 18 Tests since making his debut in 1996, was also recalled after 12 months in wilderness.

Also amongst the probables was paceman "joyrider" Shoaib Akhtar whose fitness was unknown though his controversial bowling action was cleared by the University of Western Australia.

"The formal official report on his (Shoaib), will be forwarded by the PCB's bowling advisors for onward submission to ICC," a PCB statement said.

On a day of chaos and confusion, powerless chief selector Wasim Bari, said in the afternoon that he had submitted a squad of 16 to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) advisory council for approval and announcement.

However, the PCB in the evening came up with the names of 20 probables claiming that the squad would be finalized in the next couple of days because the medical reports of several players were still being awaited.

Later in the evening, Bari took a somersault when he claimed he had, in fact, submitted the provisional squad and not the 16- man team. Nevertheless, Bari left the PCB officials red-faced when he confirmed that he had been conveyed by the cricket managers in Lahore that all the players were available for selection after clearing medical tests.

Contradictions after contradictions and repeated communication gap between the selectors and the PCB hierarchy once again reflect the sad state affairs of Pakistan cricket. If there is no planning and coordination amongst the administrators themselves, to demand cohesion and unity from the team is perhaps asking for too much.

Brig Munawwar Rana, the director of the PCB, said from Lahore that the medical reports on some players were expected within the next 48 hours after which the team would be announced.

He, however, didn't reveal the names of the players whose selections were subject to medical clearance.

Wasim Akram had appeared before the three-man medical team on Sunday while Moin had cleared his medical test on April 13. The remaining players could be Yousuf Youhana, Azhar Mahmood and PCB's blue-eyed boy Shoaib Akhtar.

Sequence of events confirm apprehensions that the PCB administrators were adamant to show Moin the door. Initially named skipper until the tour to England, Moin was removed as captain on fitness grounds even though only two days before, he had been given a clean bill of health by the medical experts of the board and along with Wasim Akram also appeared in the on-going one-day competition.

The statistics of Moin, who was also dropped in 1993 before regaining his number No 1 slot in 1996, in the last 16 months doesn't justify the claims of the selectors.

Moin, who was bestowed with lifetime achievement award by the PCB last year, in 11 Tests as captain, scored 369 runs at 24.60 while accounting for 28 batsmen behind the wickets. In 63 Tests, Moin scored 2,493 runs and dismissed 134 batsmen. In 190 one-day internationals Moin has scored 2,853 runs. His 256 dismissal is a world record.

But the factor that played the decisive role in his dismissal was that he made more enemies than friends in the PCB. Moin repeatedly objected to outside interference in team matters which didn't please PCB officials and the selectors.

Needless to say that the PCB sacked two selectors earlier this year when they protested against outside interference. Last month another selector Sikander Bakth also resigned.

The unnecessary delay in the announcement of the 16-man squad obviously smells rat. And the bone of contention or debate is none other than Wasim Akram.

Sources within the PCB have confirmed that skipper Waqar Younis, once declared by the PCB chief himself that he (Waqar) was not a certainity in the team, was in no compromising mood and flatly refused to accept Wasim in the squad. Sources say Waqar feels that Wasim's inclusion in the team will not allow the skipper to enjoy total command over the affairs.

"The PCB are trying to buy time, hoping that they will convince Waqar to change his heart," sources said.

Wasim's allout effort to get into the squad has helped him retain his place in the 20. But whether he would find a place in the touring side? Only time will tell.

Saeed Anwar (32, 52), Imran Farhat (19, 3), Mohammad Wasim (23, 18), Imran Nazir (20, 5), Shahid Afridi (21, 11), Faisal Iqbal (20, 3), Inzamam-ul-Haq (vice-captain) (31, 72), Yousuf Youhana (26, 30), Younis Khan (24, 12), Salim Elahi (25, 8), Abdur Razzaq (22, 12), Azhar Mahmood (26, 19), Wasim Akram (34, 100), Waqar Younis (30, 71), Shoaib Akhtar (26, 15), Fazle Akbar (21, 4), Mohammad Sami (20, 2), Saqlain Mushtaq (24, 34), Mushtaq Ahmad (30, 50), Rashid Latif (wicket keeper) (32, 22).