Mohammad Amir accuses Pakistan selectors of lacking vision

Former Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir is of the opinion that Chief Selector Mohammad Wasim lacks the vision to help make the country a cricketing force.

Amir feels that Wasim selects teams based on public opinion. The quick called time on his international career after a breakdown of his relationship with Pakistan team management and the PCB.

Wasim lacks vision – Amir

“I don’t see any vision of the chief selector [Mohammad Wasim],” Amir told Cricket Pakistan. 

“I don’t know if he asked to work like this or it’s his own mindset. Selecting teams on public opinion is not the right thing to do. He should select players who are best suited to play for Pakistan.”

Amir feels that Pakistan have shifted their selection criteria in order to include Sharjeel Khan.

Khan was handed a five-year ban by the PCB for his role in spotfixing during the 2017 Pakistan Super League. Amir himself was caught up in a spotfixing scandal during the 2010 Test series in England. The photographs of Amir’s massive oversteps at Lord’s are an enduring image, and many in Pakistan feel he should never have been allowed back into the national team fold. There are ample fans and pundits who share the same views about Khan but Amir feels that while he has served his punishment the PCB lack consistency.

Amir accused the PCB of being swayed by a shift in public opinion on Sharjeel, who cracked an incredible T20 ton for Karachi Kings in the 2021 PSL and accumulated 200 runs in five innings before the tournament was suspended.

“In each series they are bringing in two to three new players while six or seven players are being discarded. This does not happen anywhere in the world. The Pakistan cricket team is not a lottery where you can just bring in everyone one by one,” Amir said.

“There is no doubt that Sharjeel [Khan] should be in the white-ball squad because he is most dangerous player in white-ball cricket in Pakistan,” said Amir. “One or two series ago, you were saying that he needs to work on his fitness to get selected so why have you taken this decision now? The only thing you considered is his performance, right?”

“It is important that they [selection committee] keep the same criteria of selection for every player,” he added.

“I think the chief selector is just riding the trend that was all over social media of giving youngsters a chance. They should definitely give youngsters a chance but teams are not made based on public choices. Teams are made based on the quality and performances of the players. The public can say whatever they want. The public will have its own opinion which is their right. But a selector has to do the job given to him and not follow the public or the media by playing three players from Karachi or three from Lahore. This should never happen. They should think about Pakistan,” Amir said.