October 20, 2002	Sunday	Sha'aban 13, 1423

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SHARJAH, Oct 19: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is known to come up with bizarre decisions and the latest example is the team selection for the third Test against Australia Saturday morning.

All-rounder Shahid Afridi was flown in to replace the injured Abdul Razzaq.

However the tour management surprised everyone by leaving out both the all-rounders and instead went into the match with four specialist bowlers, two of them still greenhorns and not regular members of the team.

What was the logic behind dispatching Shahid for one Test when he was not to be considered is another decision by befuddled PCB officials.

According to PCB officials, Shahid was not selected due to shoulder injury and lack of Test cricket. If this was the case then the flamboyant player should not have been flown to Sharjah in the first place.

It seems obvious that Shahid was sent against the wishes of the tour selection committee which in fact trying its best to ruin his Test career.

The same could also be said about poor Rana Naveed-ul-Hasan. He has been part of the original squad but so far has done nothing but carry drinks and do fielding stint as substitute which shows lack of imagination on part of PCB management.

It was time for PCB to explain the cases of Shahid and Rana Naveed and whoever is responsible for this mess should be taken to task so that such blunders are not repeated in the future.

Unfortunately nothing will happen, a legacy of our past, and such unfortunate and wasteful exercises will be swept under the carpet with the usual everything was satisfactory and the PCB was doing its best to win the 2003 World Cup.