‘PCB constitution does not demand selection input from captain or coach’

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan chief selector Mohsin Khan has hit back at ODI captain Shahid Afridi and coach Waqar Younis over criticism that they were not consulted for selection of the squad for the forthcoming series against South Africa.

Khan said that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) constitution does not state that the captain or the coach must be involved in the selection process.

“Let me clarify that it is not written down in the PCB constitution that the coach and captain must have a say in the selection of any squad,” PakPassion.net quoted Khan, as saying.

“My selection committee and I were asked by the PCB management to select squads for the series against South Africa, so we did that.”

“We were asked by the PCB management to select a squad at short notice, because of the logistics of the series in the UAE and the travel arrangements of the team had to be sorted out very quickly,” he added.

Afridi had earlier fuelled speculation that he and the board were unhappy with each other.

“I make it a point to give the selectors my input because I am the one who has to get the desired results from my team on the field,” Afridi had said in a television interview.

“I wanted 2-3 players other than Sohail Tanvir in the side. I will meet PCB chairman Ijaz Butt to discuss this,” he added.

He also had to pay the price for speaking the truth, as the PCB pointed its guns at him for expressing his displeasure.

A PCB spokesman had disclosed that Afridi had been officially warned over his comments.

“It is not a show-cause notice but a written warning, asking Afridi to avoid giving statements on selection issues,” the spokesman added.

Under the PCB code of conduct, players are forbidden to speak on selection matters, and are also not allowed to criticize the board’s policies.

The ‘home series’ against South Africa would consist of two Test matches, five ODIs and a Twenty20 match. (ANI)