India vs Pakistan: Afridi may be retained for if he does well in T20s
Pakistan`s flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Afridi can be retained for the three ODIs in India if he strikes form in the two T20 International matches to be held in Bangalore and Ahmedabad.
|Last Updated: Dec 13, 2012, 09:39 PM IST|Source: Bureau
Karachi: Pakistan`s flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Afridi can be retained for the three ODIs in India if he strikes form in the two T20 International matches to be held in Bangalore and Ahmedabad.
There has been a lot of hue and cry over the decision of the national selection committee to drop Afridi for the ODI series while retaining him in the T20 squad.
But Chief selector Iqbal Qasim indicated on Thursday that if Afridi did well in the T20 matches and if the team management made any request to retain him for the ODIs, the selection committee would definitely consider the request.
"Shahid is a very experienced player and we felt the time now was to give him a chance to focus on the two T20 matches as his form has not been consistent in the ODI matches," Qasim said.
"We want him to regain his confidence. It is a wrong impression that we have lost confidence or faith in him."
A well-placed source confirmed that after the captain of the one-day team, Misbah-ul-Haq had wanted Afridi`s inclusion in the ODI squad but the selectors told him that if Afridi did well in the T20 matches, they would allow Afridi to stay back for the ODIs.
The source also said that it had been decided that despite criticism from some quarters particularly during the recent World T20 Cup Mohammad Hafeez would continue to open in the T20 and ODI matches.
Hafeez, who leads the T20 national team, had batted lower down the order in the just concluded national T20 championship where he led the Lahore Lions team to the title.
This raised hopes among his critics that Hafeez had finally decided to bat lower down the order in India.
But the source said there was no such plan and Hafeez would open the innings in the T20 games.
"He made it clear to the selectors at the meeting that domestic cricket was different but in international cricket, he faced comfortable facing the new ball and would open the innings."
PTI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.