Selectors axe Malik for One-day series against Aussies (4 November 1998)

4 November 1998

Selectors axe Malik for One-day series against Aussies

By Our Sports Reporter

KARACHI, Nov 3: Salim Malik's international career has been halted for the third time in as many years when he was axed from a 16-man team named on Tuesday for the first one-day international against Australia.

The opening match will be played here on Friday followed by matches at Peshawar and Lahore on Nov 8 and 10 respectively.

The Pakistan cricket selectors also ignored injured Saeed Anwar, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mushtaq Ahmad, Waqar Younis and Mohammad Zahid. But recalled world's youngest Test player Hasan Raza, Azam Khan, Mohammad Akram, Kabir Khan and uncapped rookie Mohammad Naveed Qureshi.

Besides Malik, two other changes were made in the team that participated in the mini World Cup in Dhaka. Akhtar Sarfaraz and Aqib Javed were left out from the side which lost to West Indies in the quarter-finals.

The 35-year-old Malik was dropped because of inconsistency in form.

"We gave him six one-day internationals and three Tests this season. But he failed to be consistent with the willow," chief selector Wasim Bari said.

"We had expected more from a man as experienced as Salim Malik. But he didn't come up to our expectations," added the chief selector.

In the three Tests against Australia, he scored 111 runs including a pair in the last Test. In the Sahara Cup against India, the former captain scored 160 runs (41, 4, 37, 39, 39) while in Dhaka, he could score only 16.

But his distinguished playing career spanning over 99 Tests and 274 one-day internationals deserves some consideration. His illustrious career should not be terminated because of failure in a couple of innings.

"His career has not ended," vowed Bari, adding: "Ouster from one match doesn't mean that his playing days are over."

Bari maintained that his committee was trying different combinations so that they had a bunch of players before the World Cup.

He said the team has been picked from the best available players with the idea to win the series against Australia.

Hasan Raza, Azam Khan, Kabir Khan and Mohammad Akram have all represented Pakistan but not too recently. All the four last played two years ago, including Raza who at the age of 14 years and 232 days made his debut at Faisalabad against Zimbabwe in 1996-97.

Uncapped Mohammad Naveed Qureshi has earned selectors nod after he scored a century against Australia in the four-dayer while playing for Rawalpindi. But it is to be seen if he has made his way in the presence of openers like skipper Aamir Sohail, Shahid Afridi and Salim Elahi.

"Shahid (Afridi) has not been a spectacular scorer. There is a possibility that Naveed might open the innings with Salim Elahi," sources close to the selection committee said.

Wasim Bari said Mushtaq, Saeed, Inzamam, Waqar and Mohammad Zahid were not considered for selection because they were not fit for the first match.

"Saeed and Inzamam might be considered for the second match because they are the men in form," he remarked.

Mushtaq Ahmad, according to sources, had confirmed his availability for the one-dayers but had maintained that at the same time he had not played any cricket since the second Test against Australia at Peshawar.

No specific reason was given for the ouster of vice-captain Aqib Javed but sources believed that it was an awkward situation for the bowler and the team management to make him sit in the matches. "He is a senior player. Therefore, he qualifies in the team only when he is in the playing lineup," they said.

Sources further said coach Javed Miandad and skipper Aamir Sohail were unanimous on 15 out of the 16 players.

"Javed Miandad wanted Aqib Javed in the side while Aamir Sohail opposed Aqib's inclusion because of the uncomfortable feeling he had over making him (Aqib Javed) carry the towels."

As far as a combination of the team, there is hardly any experience in the middle-order which makes the team look brittle.

Aamir Sohail (captain), Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Naveed Qureshi, Salim Elahi, Ijaz Ahmad, Yousuf Yohanna, Hasan Raza, Azam Khan, Moin Khan, Azhar Mahmood, Wasim Akram, Shoaib Akhtar, Kabir Khan, Mohammad Akram, Arshad Khan and Saqlain Mushtaq.

Source :: Dawn (https://dawn.com/)