Tauqir clarifies team selection procedure

Squad for Kenya not finalized yet: Karachi, Sept 11: The chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Lt Gen Tauqir Zia on Monday said the skipper and coach of the team would be consulted before finalizing teams for future assignments.

He also said that team manager would not be part of the team selection committee during tours or series' as his assignment was only to look after administrative matters. He said the coach would be the chief selector while the captain and his deputy would be the fellow selectors.

Speaking from Mangla, the PCB chief said the selectors have not submitted the 14-man squad for Kenya. He, however, admitted that the selectors presented teams for the warm-up matches against England which were rejected.

"When the team for Kenya is to be discussed, the captain and the coach would be consulted. Their views would be duly taken into consideration but the selectors would be the final authority.

"However, the captain and the coach would not be considered when players for a training camp are being picked. That's precisely why the two were not invited for the meeting," the general said.

The PCB chairman said he rejected the warm-up teams submitted by the selectors on the ground that there were no youngsters. He said the selectors had included Test players who were either established or tested.

"I want youngsters in the team so that they get an opportunity to play and perform against a Test team. Besides, if the selectors pick a team which does not include players of the city where the match is being played, who would come to see the game?

"Secondly, for one of the matches, the selectors recommended Ijaz Ahmad as captain. It doesn't sound practical to me because we should groom some youngster as captain who can be considered for the job in future."

England will play two warmup one-dayers and then three first-class matches on their 57-day tour of Pakistan starting Oct 16.

The general, discussing his Dubai visit for the Asian Cricket Foundation (ACF) meeting, dispelled impressions that the continent was splitting and that Pakistan was being pushed into the corner by the other three members.

"It's not true. In fact, we are very much close. The only thing which could have split the world was inadequate development funds sanctioned by the International Cricket Council (ICC). Now that has also been averted because the ICC has promised to increase our funds by 50% and the money would be delivered within a week after the conclusion of the Kenya tournament.

"Also, Bangladesh has proposed a reciprocal two-Test and three one-day international series in case India doesn't tour Pakistan this winter. The suggestion is under consideration."

Tauqir Zia said he met his Indian counterpart A.C Muttiah in which the possibility of the forthcoming series was discussed. He said the BCCI was very keen to tour but depended on the approval from his government.

He said the PCB has withdrawn its Sept 29 deadline for the confirmation of the tour because the two-day BCCI meeting will conclude on Sept 30. "But we have asked them to confirm the tour at the earliest."

On the advisory council meeting in Lahore last week, the PCB chairman said the media had created a hype as if it was a special meeting. "It was a routine meeting in which he discussed our management, development programmes and other things like the presentation of reports by Col (retd) Shujauddin and NESPAK official on the Australian academies."