Basit Ali has criticized the inclusion of Babar Azam and the exclusion of Shaheen Afridi in Pakistan’s squad for the South Africa tour. Ali questioned Babar’s form post-exclusion and cited Afridi’s recent conduct as a factor in his removal. The Pakistan squads for T20I, ODI, and Test formats have been announced, raising eyebrows about several selections.

Former Pakistani cricketer Basit Ali has raised concerns regarding the inclusion of Babar Azam in the squad for the upcoming South Africa tour while simultaneously questioning the removal of star pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi. Pakistan’s selection committee announced the squads for the multi-format series set to begin on December 10 in Durban, which featured some unexpected decisions. Babar Azam is making a return to the Test side despite being dropped from previous matches against England. Conversely, Shaheen Afridi’s absence in the Test format continues, prompting criticism from Ali.

Ali argued that Afridi’s exclusion stems from a controversial incident during the first Test against Bangladesh, where a video surfaced showing him dismissively removing Team Captain Shan Masood’s hand from his shoulder during a team huddle. “Shaheen Afridi was asked to bowl on dead pitches, and he couldn’t perform so what about Naseem Shah’s performance?” questioned Ali, suggesting there were disparities in performances considered by the selectors. He asserted that the actions during the huddle impacted Afridi’s standing within the team, insinuating that he was being penalized for a perceived lack of professionalism.

Moreover, Ali criticized Babar Azam’s return to the red-ball squad, expressing doubts over his form since being sidelined. He emphasized Babar’s limited domestic appearances and his lackluster performances during the Australia tour, where he scored only 80 runs in three ODIs and a mere 47 runs in three T20Is. Ali questioned whether the national selectors had adequately assessed Babar’s readiness to rejoin the Test team.

The selections for the South Africa tour are as follows:

T20I Squad: Mohammad Rizwan (captain & wicketkeeper), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Tayyab Tahir, and Usman Khan (wicketkeeper).

ODI Squad: Mohammad Rizwan (captain & wicketkeeper), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Tayyab Tahir, and Usman Khan (wicketkeeper).

Test Squad: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Haseebullah (wicketkeeper), Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, and Salman Ali Agha.

The selection of national cricket teams often brings scrutiny from fans and former players alike, particularly when it involves notable figures such as Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi. Babar has been a dominant player for Pakistan in recent years; however, his recent performances have raised questions about his form and fitness for red-ball cricket. On the other hand, Shaheen Afridi is one of the team’s leading fast bowlers, and his exclusion due to purported conduct issues has raised eyebrows regarding team dynamics and selection criteria. Basit Ali’s comments reflect wider debates within the cricket community about selection methodologies, player performance, and the influential role of off-field behavior in career trajectories.

In conclusion, Basit Ali’s criticisms of the selection decisions for the upcoming South Africa tour highlight significant concerns regarding player performance evaluation and conduct issues impacting team selections. Babar Azam’s return to the Test squad, following a decrease in form, raises questions about the rationale behind selection committees’ choices, while Shaheen Afridi’s exclusion appears linked to behavioral concerns. Such discussions are integral to understanding the complexities of maintaining competitive integrity within national teams.

Original Source: sports.ndtv.com