November 02, 2007	Friday	Shawwal 20, 1428

KARACHI, Nov 1: Pakistan’s former captain and coach Javed Miandad on Thursday expressed surprise at the reaction of chief selector Salahuddin Ahmed over the criticism levelled at the team’s selection during the South Africa series.

“I am highly disappointed at the way Sallu unsportingly took the healthy criticism on team selection,” Miandad told newsmen on Thursday. “Everywhere in the world, former cricketers and experts carry out postmortems of a lost series which I did too,” explained Miandad.

He recalled that Salahuddin was the most vocal critic of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the selection committee in the past but he himself failed to absorb routine criticism.“I feel sorry for him because instead of facing the blame, he was condemning his own team players and own selection. I think he took it too personally and the language he used surprised me.”

He expressed surprised how the selectors never realised the affect of frequent changes in the batting order during both the Test and one-day series against the Proteas.

“Shahid Afridi was batting at six and seven in the first couple of one-dayers and was suddenly sent to open the innings in the later matches which caused problems,” the master batsman pointed out. “The same was the case with wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal and the reshuffling affected his performance,” he said. “Kamran Akmal’s first role is of that as a ‘keeper and not as opening batsman.”

“We also lost talented players like Imran Farhat, Abdul Razzaq and Taufiq Umar to breakaway Indian Cricket League (ICL),” he reminded. “It was a fine gesture on part of Dr Nasim Ashraf that he brought Mohammad Yousuf back in Pakistan team, otherwise we had almost lost him because of selectors’ bad treatment,” he remarked.

Commenting on the selection of his nephew Faisal Iqbal, Miandad said everyone was aware of Faisal’s talent and that is why he was appointed the captain of Pakistan ‘A’ against the touring Australia ‘A’ side recently.

“Being an ex-players I have always been giving my honest opinion on the issue of the game in larger interest of the country. I have always been a well wisher of Pakistan cricket and will remain one for ever.”

Miandad said Sallu always used to take his advise in the selection of the team and it was “I who suggested that the selection committee should finalize the final eleven in consultation with the captain.”

He also rubbished the allegations about the selection of his brothers Anwar Miandad and Sohail Miandad.—APP