Zaka Ashraf criticises PCB over Afridi outster

Terming Shaheen Shah Afridi ouster from captaincy and bringing back Babar Azam a hasty decision, former Pakistan Cricket Board chief Zaka Ashraf has criticised the composition of the national selection committee announced recently.

"Shaheen should have been given some more time, at least one year, so that his performance [as skipper] could be analysed before taking any decision in this connection," Zaka said during an Iftar party in Lahore on Saturday, according to media reports in Pakistan.

During Zaka's tenure as PCB chief, Babar stepped down as captain of all three formats, and Shaheen was named the T20 skipper following Pakistan's disastrous show in the Asia Cup and the World Cup in November last year. However, Pakistan under Shaheen in his first series as national captain suffered a 4-1 drubbing in New Zealand in January.

"We wanted to keep Babar as Test captain but he gave up the captaincy of all formats; it was his own [Babar's] decision.

"However, now as the PCB has brought Babar back [as captain] as a Pakistani I can have best wishes for the national team," Zaka was quoted as saying by Dawn.com.

The seven-member national selection committee announced by the Mohsin Raza Naqvi-led PCB contains seven members out of whom five members — Mohammad Yousuf, Abdul Razzaq, Wahab Riaz, Babar Azam and analyst Bilal Azhar — are prominent former cricketers from Lahore. Only one member, former Pakistan batter Asad Shafiq, belongs to Karachi.

To a question regarding the composition of the selection committee, Zaka said it was wrong.

"The national selection committee should have representation from all the provinces," he said categorically and expressed surprise at the committee which has no head.