No plans to change Pak T20, ODI captains: Sethi

Karachi: There were no plans to change Pakistan`s T20 or ODI captains and no decision has been taken yet on the next coaching panel of the team, acting Pakistan Cricket Board chief Najam Sethi said on Monday.

Sethi at a press conference here retorted to questions about changing the national T20 and ODI captains and said such talk was mere speculation. "We have taken no decision to change Muhammad Hafeez as the T20 captain presently. As far as the captains are concerned, it is a status quo," he said. "When the time comes we will see what to do," he said with reference to Hafeez`s captaincy. He also spoke out about the reasons for changing the team doctor and fitness trainer of the national team recently before the Sri Lanka series and bringing in a foreigner, Dale Naylor. "We fired Dr Riaz Ahmed recently as team doctor for mishandling the injury case of Shoaib Malik...The decisions to bring in a foreign trainer were taken to provide the best people for our players," he said. Sethi also made it clear that while it was decided to have a local coach for the national team when Dav Whatmore`s contract expires in February but no decision has been taken on any candidate so far. Sethi, who has been under fire recently for tweeting before the second T20 international between Pakistan and Sri Lanka that young left arm pacer Usman Khan Shinwari was going to play in the match, explained the background for the rookie pacer`s selection for the two games against Sri Lanka. "Basically Misbah-ul-Haq had come to me and told me he saw Shinwari as a unique talent. I spoke to the selectors about this and they also agreed that he can be tried out in the team. "I asked the selectors what assurance was there if Shinwari was sent to Dubai the captain would take the risk of playing him and after initial reluctance Hafeez also agreed to play him in both matches," he said. Sethi said: "After Shinwari was given just one over in the first match against Sri Lanka and there was lot of hue and cry and I was informed by the team management he would be playing again in the second match and will be given a full chance which is what I tweeted... The fact is that I don`t interfere in selection or team affairs and when taking cricket related decisions, I always consult the experts." Shinwari, 19, went for 52 runs in his four overs in the second high scoring T20 game against Sri Lanka which Pakistan lost in Dubai. The youngster was rushed to Dubai for the two T20 games after not being selected in the original squad. After the first match, there was talk about Hafeez purposely not giving the youngster more than a over as he was not in favour of having him in the team. Sethi also explained that the selectors want to try out Shinwari because the board had to sent probable squad for the next World T20 Cup soon to the ICC. "With Muhammad Irfan injured and some questions over Umar Gul`s fitness the selectors felt this was the best time to try out all options," he said.