August 23, 2007	Thursday	Sha’aban 9, 1428

KARACHI, Aug 22: Pakistan skipper Shoaib Malik was equally responsible for the exclusion of senior batsman Mohammad Yousuf and all-rounder Abdul Razzaq from the national squad for next month’s inaugural World Twenty20 Championship, according to an insider on Wednesday.

Shoaib voiced his opposition – against the inclusion of Yousuf and Razzaq – when the national selection committee, headed by Salahuddin Ahmed, asked the Pakistan captain to give his input on the team selection.

The insider, a former Lahore-based Test cricketer who requested anonymity, claimed that Shoaib didn’t feel comfortable with the idea of having a senior player like Yousuf in the squad considering his lack of athleticism in the field coupled with a weak throwing arm.

Shoaib, the insider further said, had told the selectors that Razzaq was not worth a place for the Twenty20 format since his medium-pace bowling had lost the nip to unsettle batsmen.

“The ball barely reaches the wicket-keeper at a decent pace when Razzaq bowls these days,” the captain had reportedly told the selectors, according to the insider.

Salahuddin and his fellow selectors – Saleem Jaffer and Shafqat Rana – had been facing a barrage of criticism ever since they announced the 15-man Twenty20 squad earlier this month.

Razzaq, who hastily decided to retire from international cricket on Monday, and left-handed opener Imran Farhat, had held the selectors responsible for their omission. Both of them also blamed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for its stance towards them.

They have also signed up for the breakaway Indian Cricket League along with Yousuf and former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq.