LAHORE: Not only will Haroon Rasheed select the team but the newly-appointed chief selector also vowed to set targets for the Pakistan cricket team.

Haroon was named the new chief selector in place of Moin Khan by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday and the 60-year-old former Test batsman, who will give up his role as Director Game Development, has vowed to finalise a comprehensive selection policy.

“I’ve accepted the role as a new challenge,” Haroon told reporters at a news conference here on Monday. “I also accepted the role as Director Game Development as a challenge where positive results have started to emerge.

“I will not only focus on preparing a team for one series only but I will also set targets, where Pakistan cricket should stand in next two and then four years.

“We will finalise a comprehensive selection policy after consultations with the members of the selection committee and get it approved by the PCB before implementing it. With good intentions, positive results will come.”

He admitted that Pakistan cricket was “passing through a difficult period” with the foreign teams not coming to the country and thus “the youngsters are unable to get maximum exposure”.

“Besides the selection committee, we will also get input from regional coaches, umpires and referees to get maximum information about the players,” Haroon added. “The role of team management, coach and captain would also be important for selecting the team.”

“I will perform my duties with honesty and without any favouritism for any particular players. The players will have to perform consistently to retain their place in the team.”

He said he would be meeting Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq, newly-appointed ODI captain Azhar Ali, Twenty20 skipper Shahid Afridi and head-coach Waqar Younis to exchange views over the selection.

With the PCB expecting a tour of Bangladesh next month, Haroon said he would finalise the team soon before a training camp would be held but admitted the Pakistan team needs time to evolve into a world-beating outfit.

“The ground reality is Pakistan team is not strong enough at the moment,” he said.

“Don’t expect that the team will start winning the moment this selection committee comes in, it will take time.”

Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2015

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