'I was staunchly against Jamshed's selection'

Published March 31, 2015
Outgoing selector Shoaib Mohammad says Jamshed's miserable form at the World Cup was no surprise to him. — Reuters
Outgoing selector Shoaib Mohammad says Jamshed's miserable form at the World Cup was no surprise to him. — Reuters

“He struggled with his attitude, form and fitness. His failure was no surprise because he was out of touch,” outgoing selector Shoaib Mohammad said of the embattled opener Nasir Jamshed.

Shoaib, who was a member of the selection committee which picked the 15-man squad for the World Cup under Moin Khan, added that he was never in favour of including Jamshed in the side.

“I was staunchly against his selection,” Shoaib wrote in his column for Sport360.

The 25-year-old Jamshed scored just five runs from three World Cup matches and was a liability in the field, with captain Misbah-ul-Haq bringing substitute fielder Yasir Shah in his place on several occasions.

Shoaib along with Salim Yousuf, Ijaz Ahmed, Wajahatullah Wasti and Mohammad Akram were all shown the door along with chief selector Moin Khan on Monday as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) installed a fresh committee under Haroon Rasheed

While there were some dubious selections in the squad picked for the World Cup, Shoaib said the team management failed to realise the perfect combination throughout the tournament.

“The team management did misuse the resources at their disposal by leaving out the likes of Sarfraz Ahmed, Younis Khan and Yasir Shah when they were most needed. Another fault I saw from the management was their failure to evoke the passion required at such a big event. It seemed like it was only evident in Pakistan’s thrilling win over South Africa in the group stages,” Shoaib went on to write.

Shoaib, who played 45 Test and 63 ODIs for Pakistan, picked wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed as the star of the tournament for Pakistan.

“The whole of Pakistan was championing Sarfaraz’s inclusion but had to wait for his chance in the side. The street-smart Sarfaraz did Pakistan proud with the gutsy performances that make him my highest ranked player.”

Shoaib's assessment of the Pakistan squad

Misbah-ul-Haq

'When everyone was back in the hut, he was fighting like a lone survivor.'

Wahab Riaz

'He certainly brought back the lost respect of Pakistani fast bowlers, bowling with venom and aggression. I feel he will struggle to repeat that in the remainder of his career.'

Misbah fought like a lone battle in most games. —AFP
Misbah fought like a lone battle in most games. —AFP

Sarfraz Ahmed

'In my opinion he was the best candidate to take over from Misbah-ul-Haq.'

Mohammad Irfan

'The result against Australia could have been different had Irfan been on the field.'

Haris Sohail

'Haris’ mindset is good but he needs to get over his shortcomings quickly.'

Shahid Afridi

'Star all-rounder Afridi failed to make his mark in his last hurrah in ODIs and it is a sad end for him.'

Sohail Khan

'Despite looking like a body builder, Khan gave his all on the cricket pitch. With better fitness levels, he could have been integral to Pakistan success.'

Rahat Ali

'Rahat Ali bowled well up until the quarter-final loss to Australia where he just could not cope with the pressure.'

Younis Khan

'Younis was misused by Pakistan.'

Ahmed Shehzad

'For Shahzad, it is his mindset which needs changing.'

Sohaib Maqsood

'He should have stamped his mark on the World Cup but was not able to deliver.'

Ehsan Adil

'The slim seamer was far too inexperienced for such a big event.'

Yasir Shah

'Leg-spinners cannot perform well without confidence and overs in their arm.'

Umar Akmal

'He needs tuning in his weakest attribute, which tends to be his brain.'

Nasir Jamshed

'Most people would give Jamshed a zero but I give him two marks – one for being called up for a World Cup and one for failing in three matches.'

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