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Out-of-favour cricketer Fawad Alam has refused to criticise or even appear the slightest bit peeved at the selectors for keeping him out of the national team yet again.
The 32-year-old batsman, who was part of a recent national camp and scored an impressive 19 in the Yo-Yo Endurance, again failed to make the national team squad for the tours of England and Ireland, as the selection committee instead chose uncapped Imamul Haq, who also happens to be the nephew of chief selector Inzamamul Haq.
When given an opportunity by Roznama Express to air his grievances, Alam declined, instead opting to take the latest snub in his stride.
"It (his non-selection) has been happening but it's all right," he said. "A player's job is to remain fit and keep on performing in whatever opportunities you get in the domestic circuit. These things pay off one day.
"As far as my selection is concerned, only the selection committee can answer that question. I'm just trying my hardest to do whatever is expected of a player."
Read: Fawad Alam's exclusion from Test squad leaves Twitterati baffled
When asked if his freeze-out is due to any run-ins he might have had with Inzamam, the veteran cricketer said: "Inzamamul Haq is a massive name of Pakistan cricket. Who am I, or anyone else for that matter, to be rude to or have a run-in with him. I have neither thought about it [being rude] nor is this how I was raised. Only he can explain the decision."
Regarding his relationship with head coach Mickey Arthur, Alam said: "He was happy with my fitness as well. He saw me bat and appreciated me as always."
Alam also shot down the theory that a spot-fixing or match-fixing connection could be the reason why he is in the good books of the selectors no more.
"Clarification are given when you've done something so I don't feel there is even a need for me to comment on this," he said. "However many times I played, my record was squeaky clean. I have never even thought about it so doing it is completely out of question. And if this were the case then I would not have been allowed to play domestic cricket either."
"Everyone has a mouth and an opinion and you can't stop anyone. They have the right to say whatever they want to. I can too [but I won't]," he added.
Alam's exclusion discussed in National Assembly
While Alam himself may not have questioned the selectors' call, the members of National Assembly's standing committee on Inter-Provincial Coordination did so on his behalf.
In Monday's session, the standing committee's members asked PCB Chairman Najam Sethi to explain that on what basis Inzaman's nephew Imam and limited-overs specialist Fakhar Zaman were preferred over Alam.
Sethi had been summoned to brief the committee on the finances of his brainchild, the Pakistan Super League.
