"The feeling will be like I am on debut once again" : Fawad Alam on selection for Sri Lanka Tests

[Abdullah719]

Fawad Alam at a press conference today after being selected for the SL Tests:

"It's a great feeling, I can't express it in words. I am feeling really happy to be making a comeback after such a long time"

"Performing is a blessing from Allah. I can't ever think of leaving cricket because we have families and they depend on this and function. Of course it's sad when you work hard and perform and you don't get selected but you have to look forward. I always thought that I need to perform next season and keep performing and knocking on the door. Sometime, that door will open and thanks to Allah it happened"

"I have received a lot of support and love. I think this is the result of duas (prayers). This also motivated me to not fall down and to keep working hard. I am thankful to all those people who expressed their love and support for me and please keep praying for me and supporting me so that I can do well for myself and for Pakistan"

"When a player is playing a club match even, there is pressure, same with a domestic match. There is always pressure for performance. Pressure will be there for performance, I'm making a comeback after a long time but I need to overcome that and look forward and give my best"

"I want to focus on the opportunity Allah has given me right now, I don't want to look far ahead and lose sight and focus of what I have now. I will give me 200% to perform here"

"It's great for Test cricket to be returning to Pakistan, it's good for the country. As for a possible D/N Test vs Bangladesh, these things are happening in the world and our best wishes are with PCB that their efforts bear fruit. If it happens, it will be a good experience for us"

"Lakmal is one of SL's best bowlers in Tests, he has the most wickets amongst their fast-bowlers so that will be a loss for Sri Lanka. As a team, we have to face whatever we come up against and do well"

(Former Chief Selector said you are only a domestic player like Ramprakash) "If someone is comparing me with Ramprakash, that's a big honour for me, he was a big player and played many matches for his country also. However much I've played, he played a lot more than me and made more than 100 hundreds, I don't even have half that many. I will try my best to perform and prove people wrong"

"We all have to make this event successful so that the players can take a positive message out from Pakistan. It will be beneficial for Pakistan. Other teams like WI etc. have also supported us. I think that the real cricket lovers will come to the stadium and support Test cricket"

"Being in the playing XI depends on the team's management, I am happy to be back in the squad. Wherever the management feels I can do well, they will give me a chance and I will try to perform"

"My focus right now is on the Test matches and on trying to deliver. 10 years is a long time, lots of days, hours, mins, secs, it will be difficult to discuss that time. It was a difficult time, you need motivation but when your family is with you then you get that. It's important to stay amongst good people and in gatherings where you hear positive things. If you sit with people who say negative things like this is injustice etc. (amongst friends), I didn't have any gatherings like that. My friends always motivated me to keep performing next year and to keep knocking on the door. My father always used to say that I should keep fighting and not get worried"

(Inzamam said you are a domestic player, what do you think about that) "He is one of our legends, I am not even close to him. That he said something about me, and I should reply to that - I can't do that and my parents always taught me to have respect for elders. That's his way of thinking. I will try to deliver and not focus on such things because that will bring negativity. He will always remain a legend for me, I can't reply to what he said"

"No matter who the bowlers are, it depends on the conditions. The first Test is at Pindi, if we win that and get a lead, we can put SL under pressure in Karachi so we will try to perform well and deliver"

"The feeling will be like I am on debut once again because my debut was so far in the past. Allah gave me so many records and that is a matter of honour for me. It will be like a debut, I've played 3 Tests and I will try to take this as long as I can. The feelings of the first match against SL in SL will be there again and I hope to Allah that the performance is also the same as it was that time"

"The mentality is a little different when you go to play for Pakistan. The ball, wickets etc. don't matter so much, you are focused on performances. The Kookaburra has been used in domestic after a long time and the bowlers are having a few problems because we were using Dukes and Greys which favoured bowlers before. Pacers will be helped by the Kookaburra when they put in effort but medium pacers will be troubled a bit specially after the ball becomes a bit old. This was a good challenge for the fast-bowlers, now they have to prepare for next year to perform with the Kookaburra and deliver with it. We have good fast-bowlers in Pakistan"

"When you know about weaknesses then you try to overcome them and improve. There wasn't one specific thing that was keeping me out I think. My thinking is that as a Muslim, when your name isn't going to come then many faults show up but when your name is going to come, the doors all open for you somehow and nobody can stop it from happening"

"Selectors always told me to keep performing, nobody even said there is any specific reason for my non-selection in the past. Regarding my stance, I wasn't like this when I started playing cricket. When I kept playing, I didn't know how it was changing. We didn't used to have TV analysts etc. before. Then when I saw on TV then I realised. So it became like that over a period of time. You have one coach who helps you and then you are also your own coach. You can decide how you are comfortable. By myself, I began to stand like that. In the middle, I tried to reduce it a bit but it didn't work out"

"In 2011, I went to Sri Lanka for a league and Chanderpaul was there. I spoke to him at that time, and that time there was a lot of talk about my stance. He said something really nice which I took as advice: He said people will keep talking no matter how you stand, there has been a lot of talk about my own stance but how did I stop that, it was due to my runs. So no matter how you stand, if you make runs then the same people who criticise will also applaud you, so I adopted that mindset and I stopped worrying about how I was standing. That helped me a lot as well"

[Forward Defensive Push]

I remember him scoring a lovely century on debut - I guess around 160 - when al batsmen around him were playing. Hope we get an encore!

[shah_1]

Wish him well for his comeback

[MenInG]

I feel that this press conference with him not wearing a Pakistan shirt/kit was unnecessary - it has now drawn too much attention on him when all he should be looking to do is to put his head down and score runs.

Once he's done that, he can do what Warner does - speak of himself.

[HappyWarsFan]

Pakistan to score 511/6d after being 26/4, courtesy of Fawad Alam 226"

[HappyWarsFan]

Also by the way he is talking he seems sure that he will be in the starting 11.

[Deewana Mastana]

Why even have such press conferences in the first place.

The guy needs to just keep his head down and focus on being ready to play for the country after 10 years.

[Slog]

“Mehnat itni khamoshi se karo ke kamayabi shor machae” - Shoaib Akhtar on Fawad

[Abdul]

Kudos to Misbah for selecting Fawad. This is something which others couldn't do including Sarfaraz, the leader of Karachi mafia.

[Shazzam]

Gotta thank Misbah for this great press conference. He allowed this man to follow his dreams. Of course thanks to the almighty who made Misbah realize his mistakes in the previous Test.

[Slog]

Lol at Misbah getting credit

Fawad was selected because it was literally impossible to ignore him now with so many open spots and everyone tried not performing.

[minamino]

Just don’t become a termite like Misbah. Enjoy last two years of your cricket and then retire peacefully rather than sticking up until 45 and then being thrown out of the team

[topspin]

Kudos to Misbah for selecting Fawad. This is something which others couldn't do including Sarfaraz, the leader of Karachi mafia.

Absolute nonsense, but this is no surprise coming from a blind follower.

Pakistan's test cricket would have been in a better place had Fawad replaced Misbah from 2013, following the embarrassing Zimbabwe tour.

Whilst Misbah decided to play on, everyone knows why he could not let a far superior version of himself join the side, which is why Fawad never played under him in red ball cricket.

[daytrader]

Lol at Misbah getting credit

Fawad was selected because it was literally impossible to ignore him now with so many open spots and everyone tried not performing.

He was ignored for 10 years by previous selectors. Credit goes to Misbah, he's not afraid of making bold decisions

[Abdul]

He was ignored for 10 years by previous selectors. Credit goes to Misbah, he's not afraid of making bold decisions

Someone understands.

[Shazzam]

He was ignored for 10 years by previous selectors. Credit goes to Misbah, he's not afraid of making bold decisions

Finally someone who understands cricket.

[Hawkeye]

He was ignored for 10 years by previous selectors. Credit goes to Misbah, he's not afraid of making bold decisions

He's making some really bold decisions indeed. Never seen a selector this fearless.

Dropping Sarfraz and Malik was a huge task as well. Then selecting Naseem for Aus.

[Junaids]

Kudos to Misbah for selecting Fawad. This is something which others couldn't do including Sarfaraz, the leader of Karachi mafia.

Is this a joke? Are you being ironic?

It is Misbah who destroyed Fawad Alam's career.

Misbah had been discarded by 2010, because he was an inferior batsman to people like Salman Butt, who wasn't yet known to be corrupt.

His recall made sense in a way, but he was 36 when he was recalled, and he was 37 and a half when he led the disastrous tour to South Africa.

That should have been time for Misbah to hand over the reins. But for the next four and a half years he locked down the entire middle-order as:

Azhar Ali - aged 26.11 to 32.3
Younis Khan - aged 37 to 42 probably - his age remains a mystery
Asad Shafiq - aged 26.0 to 31.5
Misbah aged 37.5 to 43.

This meant that there was no space for anyone - from Fawad Alam to Babar Azam to Umar Akmal - to break into the Test team.

Misbah's weird views on seniority meant that he viewed Azhar and Shafiq between the ages of 26 and 32 as promising kids rather than the senior players they should have been.

And it meant that for Fawad Alam the pathway to selection was closed, and that Babar Azam's Test career was delayed by 2 years.

Misbah is not the person allowing Fawad the destiny which others so cruelly deprived him of.

Misbah is the one who deprived him of that destiny.

And, for the record, Misbah's Test record in those neverending five years from South Africa onwards when he insisted on carrying on, in South Africa, Australia, England and New Zealand is:

Misbah in SENA, 2012-2017
Matches 11
Innings 21
Not out 0
Runs 537
Highest Score 114
Hundreds 1
Fifties 3
AVERAGE 25.57

That's what Fawad Alam was thrown overboard to allow. To allow a geriatric and mediocre batsman to play 5 extra years of Test cricket in which he averaged 25.57 in the matches which counted.

And Pakistan lost 9 of those 11 Tests, largely because the captain was a passenger.

[DRsohail]

is this a joke? Are you being ironic?

It is misbah who destroyed fawad alam's career.

Misbah had been discarded by 2010, because he was an inferior batsman to people like salman butt, who wasn't yet known to be corrupt.

His recall made sense in a way, but he was 36 when he was recalled, and he was 37 and a half when he led the disastrous tour to south africa.

That should have been time for misbah to hand over the reins. But for the next four and a half years he locked down the entire middle-order as:

Azhar ali - aged 26.11 to 32.3
younis khan - aged 37 to 42 probably - his age remains a mystery
asad shafiq - aged 26.0 to 31.5
misbah aged 37.5 to 43.

This meant that there was no space for anyone - from fawad alam to babar azam to umar akmal - to break into the test team.

Misbah's weird views on seniority meant that he viewed azhar and shafiq between the ages of 26 and 32 as promising kids rather than the senior players they should have been.

And it meant that for fawad alam the pathway to selection was closed, and that babar azam's test career was delayed by 2 years.

Misbah is not the person allowing fawad the destiny which others so cruelly deprived him of.

Misbah is the one who deprived him of that destiny.

And, for the record, misbah's test record in those neverending five years from south africa onwards when he insisted on carrying on, in south africa, australia, england and new zealand is:

misbah in sena, 2012-2017
matches 11
innings 21
not out 0
runs 537
highest score 114
hundreds 1
fifties 3
average 25.57

that's what fawad alam was thrown overboard to allow. To allow a geriatric and mediocre batsman to play 5 extra years of test cricket in which he averaged 25.57 in the matches which counted.

And pakistan lost 9 of those 11 tests, largely because the captain was a passenger.

nailed it.

[GLORY OF '92]

Watch him fail to hit the ball 20 yards.

Brainless selection.

[topspin]

Is this a joke? Are you being ironic?

It is Misbah who destroyed Fawad Alam's career.

Misbah had been discarded by 2010, because he was an inferior batsman to people like Salman Butt, who wasn't yet known to be corrupt.

His recall made sense in a way, but he was 36 when he was recalled, and he was 37 and a half when he led the disastrous tour to South Africa.

That should have been time for Misbah to hand over the reins. But for the next four and a half years he locked down the entire middle-order as:

Azhar Ali - aged 26.11 to 32.3
Younis Khan - aged 37 to 42 probably - his age remains a mystery
Asad Shafiq - aged 26.0 to 31.5
Misbah aged 37.5 to 43.

This meant that there was no space for anyone - from Fawad Alam to Babar Azam to Umar Akmal - to break into the Test team.

Misbah's weird views on seniority meant that he viewed Azhar and Shafiq between the ages of 26 and 32 as promising kids rather than the senior players they should have been.

And it meant that for Fawad Alam the pathway to selection was closed, and that Babar Azam's Test career was delayed by 2 years.

Misbah is not the person allowing Fawad the destiny which others so cruelly deprived him of.

Misbah is the one who deprived him of that destiny.

And, for the record, Misbah's Test record in those neverending five years from South Africa onwards when he insisted on carrying on, in South Africa, Australia, England and New Zealand is:

Misbah in SENA, 2012-2017
Matches 11
Innings 21
Not out 0
Runs 537
Highest Score 114
Hundreds 1
Fifties 3
AVERAGE 25.57

That's what Fawad Alam was thrown overboard to allow. To allow a geriatric and mediocre batsman to play 5 extra years of Test cricket in which he averaged 25.57 in the matches which counted.

And Pakistan lost 9 of those 11 Tests, largely because the captain was a passenger.

His claims have backfired spectacularly, great post.

I always felt Pakistan's test cricket would have been in a better place had Fawad replaced Misbah from 2013, following the embarrassing Zimbabwe tour.

[light]

I honestly thought he would not be selected again. Good for him

[daytrader]

@Junaids, if you're going to blame Misbah for keeping Fawad out of the team (eventhough he wasn't a coach or selector then) than you also have to give him credit for selecting him now

[topspin]

Babar is still not a better batsmen than Misbah in Test cricket. So his assessment was not all wrong.

Babar has already outperformed him in each of the 4 SENA playing nations and I highly doubt that will change. In the beginning he was poor against spin, but now he’s a lot more proficient in this aspect of his batting, so his record in Asia is only going to get better.

Normally career averages give a good indication of the player’s calibre but in this case it is somewhat misleading because Misbah’s record is boosted by soft runs at number 5 on UAE wickets.

[Junaids]

@Junaids, if you're going to blame Misbah for keeping Fawad out of the team (eventhough he wasn't a coach or selector then) than you also have to give him credit for selecting him now

There's no such thing as giving credit for recalling a 34 year old to the Test team.

Your job as Chief Selector is to groom the next generation, the guys in their twenties.

Not to block their progress by picking grandpas or teenagers.

So I give Misbah the blame for recalling him now.

[Sunny_majoka]

I see captaincy material in him

[Manager101]

I hope he performs well. We need him for current 'world test championship' and contribute as a batsman.

[Cuts_and_cuts_hard]

Poor guy. Never got selected in his prime, and now comes in for a final chance when he's old. Such a shame, but I really hope he does well.

[Junaids]

I see captaincy material in him

He's 34.

That's two years beyond the age that other countries remove the captaincy from veterans in case they become unselectable.

Alastair Cook lost the captaincy at 32.

Michael Clarke lost the captaincy at 34.

Graeme Smith lost the captaincy at 33.

[Slog]

Watch him fail to hit the ball 20 yards.

Brainless selection.

Yea because hitting power wins test matches

[Slog]

@Junaids, if you're going to blame Misbah for keeping Fawad out of the team (eventhough he wasn't a coach or selector then) than you also have to give him credit for selecting him now

He is selecting out of compulsion and orders from higher sources

[Chikkeh]

Nice to see a guy with a positive outlook on life.

Good luck to the boy hope he does great.

[SensiblePakFan]

Its happening.

[GLORY OF '92]

Not hitting power but hitting the ball at all.

[Veteran]

Delighted that he has been given the opportunity. Wish him success in his long overdue comeback.

[Shoaibbtt]

Kudos to Misbah for selecting Fawad. This is something which others couldn't do including Sarfaraz, the leader of Karachi mafia.

Misbah is nobody to be thanked, if had some compassion he would’ve gotten him in the team during his time.

Thanks but no thanks.

People stop complaining about this press conference, a person can take 30-60 mins out his day to speak, he’s just done his training in the form of QeA.

[ARK Rafay]

He's going to score a Century on his 2nd debut now.

[shortbread]

Its happening.

Looking fit, that in itself is a good sign.

Hopefully will raise the team's fitness standards as well, the youngsters will have no excuse when someone like Fawad gives his all on the field.

[JibranAnsari]

lol @ misbah getting credit for selecting fawad. All his years of captaincy he never vouched for fawad alam , its because of failures of haris sohail ,azhar ali and iftikhar that he is forced to select fawad alam. Pretty sure if iftikhar or haris had scored even a 40 the fawad would never have been selected.

[Professor]

Even if you don't like this guy who have to give him credit for continuing to work hard and performing despite being ignored. He could have been like some of our other cricketers and complained on twitter/TV but he kept quiet and scored until it became impossible to ignore him.

[Usman Chadda]

Good luck to him.

[cricketAXEpert]

Hope he plays and is not benched and then quietly dropped. Like in that UAE series.

[Dr_Bassim]

Damned if you do damned if you dont.

Dont really think Fawad will succeed but if he does Misbah wont win anyways.

If he doesnt succeed, Misbah brought an oldie past his prime.

If he does, Misbah waited so long to bring him and wasted his best years.

[daytrader]

Damned if you do damned if you dont.

Dont really think Fawad will succeed but if he does Misbah wont win anyways.

If he doesnt succeed, Misbah brought an oldie past his prime.

If he does, Misbah waited so long to bring him and wasted his best years.

This is exactly why we need people like Misbah in PCB admin. People that can cancel out the noise and focus on the job. He fully knew what he was getting into by accepting both roles and the type of flak he was gonna get. He accepted responsibility and is determined to do the job

[MenInG]

Not picked for the 1st Test - will he actually play in the series?

[anakwalajinn]

10 years of wait... might as well wait another week then... hopefully!

[Cuts_and_cuts_hard]

So lame. Just give him a full series for God's sake

[Slog]

Batsmen will fail. He’ll get chance in 2nd test

[JibranAnsari]

If haris sohail gets a 50 , fawads wait will be longer.

[JattMaula]

He has decent moustache.

I'm not envious at all. Not even a little.

[aukhan]

It will be one failure and its all over for him. Misbah is a vindictive man who has only selected him to divert criticism from Karachi's media.

Just sad really.

[MenInG]

If there is little chance for Pakistan batsmen to perform in this Test, on what basis will Fawad Alam find a place in the Karachi Test?

[Saj]

If there is little chance for Pakistan batsmen to perform in this Test, on what basis will Fawad Alam find a place in the Karachi Test?

Yes, very difficult for him to find a place now in the 2nd Test, unless someone gets injured.

[Jabo]

No chance he will get a chance

If they fail
It's fine

[Shoaibbtt]

If there is little chance for Pakistan batsmen to perform in this Test, on what basis will Fawad Alam find a place in the Karachi Test?

We all know the answer to why he deserves a chance and on what basis. I’m hoping Karachi media hammer them so he gets a chance.

[MenInG]

We all know the answer to why he deserves a chance and on what basis. I’m hoping Karachi media hammer them so he gets a chance.

Drop Shan or Haris for Fawad?

[Junaids]

Drop Shan or Haris for Fawad?

Fawad was only selected in the squad to get the media off Misbah’s back, rather like the Usman Qadir case.

I don’t think Misbah ever intended to play him.

[SensiblePakFan]

Fawad was only selected in the squad to get the media off Misbah’s back, rather like the Usman Qadir case.

I don’t think Misbah ever intended to play him.

Yea, to put pressure on the current batsmen, like usman did with shadab. Probably wont play.

[Shoaibbtt]

Drop Shan or Haris for Fawad?

It would have to be Haris cause Fawad is a middle order batsman. However, Fawad did open on his debut.

Shan needs to go himself, everyone else might be fooled by his bits and pieces performances but not me. An average in the mid 20s after playing how long he’s played is pathetic, I would think about replacing him with Sami Aslam but am a little suspicious over one of the matches in QeA trophy in which he decided not to chase a target of 83 runs in 10 overs.

Azhar ali’s days are numbered as well. 12 test matches and no 50s.

[Shoaibbtt]

Finally someone who understands cricket.

Then why did misbah not add him in his squad during his tenure????

[Abdullah]

Then why did misbah not add him in his squad during his tenure????

Lol!!

[Shazzam]

Then why did misbah not add him in his squad during his tenure????

Just watch. Next test Fawad Alam will come down the crease with a smile. He will chew his gum, rub the crease with his bat, stare at the bowler with intent of hitting him for all parts. This man has waited 10 long years for this moment. No way can Mr. Cricket Misbah the tuk tuk Badsha give up his debut after 10 long years.

[Shoaibbtt]

Just watch. Next test Fawad Alam will come down the crease with a smile. He will chew his gum, rub the crease with his bat, stare at the bowler with intent of hitting him for all parts. This man has waited 10 long years for this moment. No way can Mr. Cricket Misbah the tuk tuk Badsha give up his debut after 10 long years.

He will play mark my words whether it's in Karachi or against Bangladesh he'll play, selectors have been hard on him that he needs to be played he's not some furniture.

[Shoaibbtt]

He has decent moustache.

I'm not envious at all. Not even a little.

Please Tom Selleck of Magnum PI would be proud.

[ExplicitAI]

He's just in the squad for decoration and to pacify fans who wanted him to play for years. The current crop of players in the starting XI are running the team dry whilst they inflate their bank accounts; they're just ensuring that they stay in the team as long as they can and generate a good amount of money from it.

[gazza619]

Seems like he will have to wait further.

We can easily drop any of the top 6 (bar Babar & Abid) and slant him in.

[KingKhan12]

Hope he gets a game. If they don't play him after his recall it will be criminal.

[Prince of Pakistan]

Hope he gets a game. If they don't play him after his recall it will be criminal.

They can't drop anyone. Seems like it's Faadi's destiny to not play for Pak again.

[The Viper]

If he plays, it will most likely be Shan dropped.

This is Fawad’s home ground, he would most likely do well. It would be worth opening with Abid and Azhar and slotting Fawad in the middle order.

[NoBallZombie]

If he plays, it will most likely be Shan dropped.

This is Fawad’s home ground, he would most likely do well. It would be worth opening with Abid and Azhar and slotting Fawad in the middle order.

Not sure Azhar will go back to opening just to slot Fawad in. They may want to give Shan another chance to finally let him go for the next series and then bring Sami aslam in his place. I just hope they do not leave him from the squad without giving him a chance--- which is looking highly likely.

[MenInG]

Mickey Arthur on Fawad Alam

"I am very happy to see Fawad Alam have a go to be honest, and one can see how long it was when he last played a Test match which was 10 years ago"

"That was before me and at time of other coaches and what happened 10 years ago that he didnt continue with his Test career, that wasnt my ambit when I arrived here - which was to develop young players, that was what we wanted to do"

"But its great for Fawad, I follow every score in the QeA Trophy and I have watched all scores to see who was playing well because I was genuinely interested to see Fawad do well and keep scoring runs. it was credit to him and his mental capacity, it was a credit to him to make sure he was the best he could possibly be so good on him"

"How good will it be if he made a comeback in Karachi which would feel like a debut in Karachi"


Misbah on Fawad:

"When you bring any player in the squad, you do it to strengthen the squad. Whenever we feel that we need Fawad, we will play him. It's not necessary that it will be in this Test or the first Test but we will look at how we can make our best combination"

[ARK Rafay]

He won't play. Azhar Ali said it himself.

[SensiblePakFan]

Will he be dropped?

[Shoaibbtt]

He won't play. Azhar Ali said it himself.

Same political answer given by Misbah. I'd question Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq over their last 20 innings with averages of 28 and 35 respectively. I'd like to also ask is on what basis you were made captain?

[arehaan]

He won't play. Azhar Ali said it himself.

Says the guy who himself should be kicked out on form alone. What has Harris done to get back in the playing XI after being proved a sitting duck in Australia. When are we going to start playing deserving players if only we had invested so much time on Fawad as opposed to Azhar/Asad, I am sure Fawad would have been a star batsmen in Test cricket. Surely his talent has been wasted and same mafia who kept him out earlier is back at the helm of things. An out of form player like Harris S. suits Azhar more than an inform Fawad who can be a big challenge to these so called seniors.

Shameful to say the least if you were not going to play him why pick him. Could have picked a younger batsmen if the objective was just water boy why degrade him at this stage of his career? Misbah will never be successful with this attitude and will sink this team further which I might not feel too bad about given the bigger picture.

[Shoaibbtt]

Will he be dropped?

He won't be dropped unjustifiably from the squad and so will march onto the Bangladesh series. He looked really good in his nets session which is a good sign. I really question how he played Iftikhar Ahmed straight away into the first test match but didn't play Fawad.

Someone needs to get Misbah in a hot seat and ask him about his questionable decisions i.e.
Why did you take a young team to Australia for such an important series?
Why did you play Iftikhar in the first test and not Fawad in the first test of this series?
Why were Umar Akmal and Ahmed Shehzad selected in the t20 squad against SL and furthermore why did you play Ahmed Shehzad one done when he's an opener in the second t20?
On what basis was Azhar Ali made captain?

Loads more but that's a few.

[Titan24]

He was never gonna play in 2nd match unless Azhar went to opening the batting. Asad and Haris were part of the 1st test lineup so obviously they were the first preference, they were never gonna be dropped without even getting a chance to bat.

[gazza619]

You dont call somebody after a 10 year gap and then not pick them in the 11.

What was the point of this whole Fawad Alam comeback? Another of Misbah’s brainless moves.

[topspin]

You dont call somebody after a 10 year gap and then not pick them in the 11.

What was the point of this whole Fawad Alam comeback? Another of Misbah’s brainless moves.

Couldn't agree more, what was the need for Misbah to humiliate him?

[gazza619]

Couldn't agree more, what was the need for Misbah to humiliate him?

Probably trying to make a section of the media happy.