PCB’s decision not to name Pak skipper for World Cup “strange practice”: Akram

KARACHI - Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram has expressed surprise over the Pakistan Cricket Board’s decision to withhold the name of the captain while announcing the final 15-member squad for next month’s World Cup to be held in the sub-continent from February 19.

“It is a strange practice to me, and it only means that it gives many players an idea that they are contenders for the captaincy and that could spoil the spirit in the dressing room,” the Daily Times quoted Akram, as saying.

“The captain should have been announced first, and the squad should have been picked with his input to the selectors as well,” he added.

The former bowling great opined that the PCB should not waste any more time in announcing Pakistan’s captain for the World Cup 2011.

“If the board is waiting to see how Afridi performs as captain in the one-day series in New Zealand, I don’t think that is a wise move because this is not the time to change the captain. For the World Cup they must persist with Afridi,” Akram said.

Before the World Cup starts on February 19, Pakistan will play a six-match one-day series against New Zealand from January 22 to February 5.

Akram also refused to agree that even if the three suspended Pakistani players- Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamir and Mohammad Asif- were cleared of the spot-fixing charges on February 5, they would be in a proper state of mind to play the World Cup.

“Even if these players are cleared, I don’t think it would be a good idea to include them into the World Cup squad because they were suspended in September and since then have been going through a lot of mental pressure and stress,” the former pacer maintained.

“I think it would be better to give them sometime to settle down and then include them into the national team,” he added.

The former captain, however, backed the selectors’ decision to include youngsters Ahmed Shehzad and Asad Shafiq in the World Cup squad.

“I think the selectors didn’t go with Mohammad Yousuf’s experience because they had doubts and issues with his fitness. But Shehzad and Shafiq are good young talented players and can deliver in the World Cup.”

Akram, who led Pakistan in two World Cup tournaments in 1996 and 1999, and guided his team to the final of the latter edition, said that batting would play an important role on the generally slow pitches in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

“It is a fallacy to think that the pitches would be tailor-made for spinners. Yes, they will get help but the most important thing would be to put enough runs on the board. And I think it is the batting on which the Pakistan team should focus a lot,” he said.

Overall, Pakistan had announced a good balanced side, which had the firepower to go to the final stages of the World Cup, said Akram. (ANI)