April 19, 2007	Thursday	Rabi-us-Sani 01, 1428

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LAHORE, April 18: The newly appointed chairman of the national selection committee, Salahuddin Ahmed, said he would prefer only those cricketers who feel proud to play for Pakistan and not with Pakistan.

In an interview with Dawn on Wedneday, Salahuddin said, “Playing for the country is a great honour and I believe only those players can deliver who have the will to serve the country.”

Salahuddin, a former Test cricketer who replaced Wasim Bari after Pakistan’s debacle in the ongoing World Cup, is the head of the first paid selection committee.

He pledged to work in a more professional manner. “As the board will be paying us, we have to deliver. I think as full time selectors we can do our job with commitment and in professional way.”

He said both members of the committee were selected on his recommendations.

“I preferred Shafqat (Rana) as he is a highly respectable figure and Saleem Jaffar because he is close to domestic cricket as he is the coach of Karachi Urban team.”

The new chief selector said his top priorities were to maintain discipline in the team, improve players’ fitness and find a good opening pair.

“There will be no compromise on discipline and fitness as I consider these two areas as the most important to build a formidable side.

“A large number of changes were the main reason for not finding a good opening pair after Aamir Sohail and Saeed Anwar,” Salahuddin, who has earned the big post for the second time, said.

When asked how he would combat with players' power, the chief selector said it was the job of disciplinary committee or manager of the team.

“I think a strong manager should be appointed with the power to impose penalty on players on the spot and to check such incidents at domestic level, a strong disciplinary committee should be formed,” the new chief selector suggested.

Salahuddin, who is also a member of the World Cup's Performance Evaluation Committee (PEC), said he had no idea that he would be offered the post when he joined the PEC.

About his selection criteria, he clarified that there would be no room for players who knew little batting and little bowling. To get selected, the players should have either strong batting or strong bowling. They must be specialists of their fields.

“I am not against all-rounders, but I do not like 'makeshift' arrangements. A cricketer must and should be selected for his specialisation in one department and his additional qualities in other departments should be treated as secondary,” he explained.

He said the selection committee would be completely independent though it would get the feedback and advice from the captain and coach.

Meanwhile, PCB chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf had a marathon meeting with Salahuddin.