A series of three T20 International matches between Pakistan and Afghanistan cricket teams is being held in Sharjah from March 25 to 29. The host of the series is Afghanistan. The Pakistan T20 cricket team is led by Shadab Khan. During this series, the players who have performed brilliantly in the PSL Edition 8 have been given an opportunity. Babar Azam, Rizwan, Fakhrzaman, Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf are not included in Pakistan’s 15-member squad, they have been given a chance to rest. While Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Mohammad Hasnain and Khushdil Shah have been dropped. It should be remembered that the players who were dropped were part of the T20 World Cup team held in Australia last year, while seven players of this team and Shadab Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Muhammad Haris, Shan Masood, M.Nawaz, Wasim Jr. and Naseem Shah have been retained for the three-match T20 series to be played in Sharjah against Afghanistan. The outstanding performances of PSL season 8 Saim Ayub, Tayyab Tahir, Ehsanullah and Zaman Khan have been included in the national team for the first time but surprisingly the top wicket taker in PSL season 8 Abbas Afridi has been ignored. The Pakistani squad for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan in Sharjah consists of Shadab Khan (Captain), Abdullah Shafiq, Azam Khan, Fahim Ashraf, Ehsanullah, Imad Wasim, M.Haris, Iftikhar Ahmed, M.Nawaz, Wasim, Jr. Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shan Masood, Tayyab Tahir and Zaman Khan. While Abrar Ahmed Haseebullah and Osama Mir are among the reserve players, they will not join the team.

It is a good thing that the Pakistan Cricket Board has given a chance to the new players, but it is surprising that Abbas Afridi, the bowler who took the most wickets in the PSL season eight, has been ignored. He is on top with 22 wickets in PSL Season 8. Three spinners namely Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim and M Nawaz have been included in the team. These three cricketers are also all-rounders. It is a fact that in other teams including Australia, England, New Zealand and South Africa, experienced players are rested despite good performances from time to time.  At the same time, new and young players who perform well are given chances with confidence.  Resting players and testing new players is a common practice in these foreign teams. We should also go through such a process so that the performance of other players in the same position can also be revealed. It is better for the team and the players as well. Seasoned players with good performance not only get tired of playing continuously but also get injured. Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and other players can be cited in this regard, who are tempted to play a role in the victory. These players used tirelessly and then suffer from fitness problems for months. So senior analysts and well-performing players being rested should never be taken to mean that they have been dropped from the team. This process provides an opportunity to test the skills of new and well-performing players. The ball is now first time in the court of the players to see if they can repeat what they did in PSL season eight in the T20 series against Afghanistan in Sharjah?

Here it is worth noting that the former captain of the national cricket team and famous wicketkeeper Rashid Latif said that large-scale changes in the team are the beginning of the destruction of the national cricket team, Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi have won ICC Award and PCB is not digesting it.  The former captain Rashid Latif said that you break the team’s combination by adding new players while another former captain Misbah-ul-Haq said that the decision to try the young players is a wise one as it will give a good chance to test the domestic performers before the World Cup. This will give a good opportunity to test the domestic performer before the World Cup. According to Misbah-ul-Haq, PCB has made a good plan with the advice of senior players.  While the acting captain of the national cricket team, Shadab Khan, said that in the absence of seniors, the new players will have a great opportunity to shoulder the responsibility under the pressure of international cricket and prove their ability and I hope that the young cricketers will fulfill the test. In this regard, PCB Management Committee Chairman Najam Sethi said that senior players are being rested and new players are being tested, the rested players have been taken into confidence, there is no conspiracy, Babar Azam.  The captain of the national team will continue to be retained.

It should be noted that Lahore Qalandars became the first team to win the PSL for the second consecutive time. Lahore Qalandars won the toss in the PSL Season 8 final at Gaddafi Stadium and scored 200 runs in reply to Multan’s team scored 199 runs and lost by only one run. It should be remembered that the first match of the same edition between Lahore and Multan in Multan was also won by the Lahore Qalandars team by one run, so both teams played a total of four matches during this PSL, in which Lahore won three matches and Multan won one match.

On behalf of Lahore team captain Shaheen Afridi and Abdullah Shafiq played an important role in the victory. Shaheen Shah Afridi scored 44 runs off 15 balls but also got four wickets, on the other hand Abdullah Shafiq was able to score 65 runs off 40 balls. On behalf of Multan, Riley Russo scored 52 runs off 32 balls while Osama Mir gave 24 runs and dismissed three players. Ehsanullah won Player of the Tournament and Best Bowler award in PSL season eight. Best batsmen and wicket keeper award went to Rizwan.  Kieron Pollard was adjudged the best fielder. The emerging players award went to al-rounder Imad Wasim. The Spirit of the Cricket Award was won by Peshawar Zalmi and Alex Wharf was adjudged the best umpire.

While the PSL season was an overall success, there were some controversies during the event. The positive thing was that record tickets were sold, for the first time it was held in four cities of Pakistan, Multan, Karachi, Rawalpindi and Lahore, where foreign players performed brilliantly in the event, Pakistani young players also impressed with their performance and now, except for Abbas Afridi, those players are part of the national team in the series against Afghanistan in Sharjah. Once again, PSL season eight received a record reception in the world of cricket and the soft image of Pakistan increased through cricket around the world. However, during the event, a dispute over money for services between the caretaker government of Punjab and the Cricket Board emerged, and at one point it seemed that the matches in Lahore might be shifted elsewhere. While allegedly some foreign players have been delayed in initial payment. At the same time, during the PSL, the notice of activities related to illegal betting during the matches was revealed by the State Bank. It was through the media that the reports that the Indian bookies have control of the PSL, meanwhile there were also reports of the betting sites receiving information from the dugout. On the other hand, Najam Sethi, chairman of the management committee of PCB, while talking to the media at the end of the league, said that “After assuming the position, I saw that the board and the franchise have allowed surrogate betting companies, but we will review it, no matter how much profit is made, we will not do anything against our religion, culture and country’s laws”. However, all these things are in their place, but it would be better if all these matters should be decided before the start of the event in the upcoming PSL, so as to avoid scandals and improve the image of Pakistan and cricket so this positive action continues.

Published in The Daily National Courier, March, 23 2023

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