Pak selection challenged in High Court

A petition against the abysmal performance and team selection of the Pakistan cricket team was filed in the Islamabad High Court yesterday.

The petition, filed by Advocate Bilal Farooq, states the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is answerable to the nation and “owing to its present-day precarious operations is causing shame, disrepute and dishonour to the citizens.”

It adds that “in the backdrop of recent failures of the Pakistan team and the gradual downfall of the standard of cricket in the country and lastly the manifest politicking and nepotism”, the respondents should be answerable.

The petitioner has named prime minister Imran Kahn -- patron-in-chief of the PCB -- the ministry of interprovincial coordination, the PCB and its selection committee as respondents in the case.

The petition demands the formation of a fact-finding commission over reports of groups being formed in the current squad and an inquiry against those responsible.

It also requests that Rashid Latif, Shoaib Akhtar and Muhammad Wasim be subpoenaed to give their opinion on the petition and provide technical input.

“One player, namely Shoaib Malik, has previously been found guilty of this. It is for the respondents to answer as to why and how a player of such credentials and such mediocre cricketing skills is still part of the team,” it states.