Veteran Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik dropped a bombshell as he slammed Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) over their selection policies and made a big claim that the players are selected on the basis of their contacts and not on their skills. Shoaib Malik, who retired from the ODI format after the 2019 World Cup, made his last international appearance in a T20 series against England in September last year.
Recently, Shoaib Malik was quoted by Pakistani journalist Saj Sadiq, saying that there’s a need for change in Pakistan Cricket Board and urged that cricketers should be selected on the basis of merit and not on the basis of their connections. He said:
“We have a system of liking and disliking in our cricket, which is something that is present in the rest of the world as well, but seems to be a bit more in our culture. The day things change in our cricket system where more importance is given to skills rather than who a person knows, only then will things improve,”
Babar Azam also had a fallout with the selectors recently. Shoaib also backed Babar Azam’s thought process, saying the skipper’s wish should be granted at all costs. He said:
“In the recent squad there were many players who Babar wanted to pick, but they weren’t selected. Everyone has their opinions but the final decision on selection should be that of the captain because it’s he who will fight it out on the ground he with his team”,
Shoaib Malik has been out of the scene of late, with a call from the national cricket team looking unlikely. He conceded by admitting that he has put his own career at risk by highlighting such grave flaws in Pakistan cricket. He said:
“Whatever is in my fate is in the hands of the Almighty and not in any person’s control. I will have no regrets if I am not asked to play again, but I would have felt more regret if I had not spoken up on behalf of my fellow cricketers,” Malik conceded.
