KARACHI: Some of the country’s best players in the domestic circuit, who have struggled to find a place in the national team either due to rigorous competition for places or mere lack of favour for them, will have a chance to prove themselves in Pakistan Shaheens’ upcoming tour to Zimbabwe, the side’s head coach Aizaz Cheema has said.

Seven out of the 15 players selected for the tour – which runs from May 3-27 and includes a four-day and six one-day matches — have played for Pakistan but couldn’t cement their place in the national side, including the likes of Imran Butt, Hussain Talat and Aamir Jamal.

The remaining players are those who have shown immense promise in the domestic circuit but there is doubt about their ability to adjust readily at the international stage.

Calling the Shaheens’ opportunity “a step away” from the national side, Aizaz believed the Zimbabwe tour would have important answers in store.

“The players who have been selected for the tour have earned it through their performances in the past,” he told reporters at the National Stadium here on Saturday.

“[The Pakistan Shaheens tour] is a great opportunity for them to put in great performances and increase their chances to make it to the national side, which is just one step away for these players.”

Aizaz, who is famous for his final over that won Pakistan the 2012 Asia Cup final against Bangladesh, retired from the sport as a player back in 2019 before reinventing himself as a coach a year later.

The former right-arm pacer has worked players across the domestic circuit over the past three years and believed he knew how to get the best of them now that he has been appointed as the Pakistan Shaheens head coach.

“I’ve assessed all these players over the past two to three years being involved with the PCB as a coach at the domestic level,” he said.

“My conversations with them have been mostly about how the call up is a reward for their consistent performances during the period and that it’s a great opportunity for them to earn in a place in the Pakistan squad.”

The new Pakistan Cricket Board regime under its Management Committee’s interim chairman Najam Sethi has shown intent towards providing domestic performers enough opportunities to help them knock at the doors of the national side.

They treated Pakistan’s recent three-match T20 International series against Afghanistan as an opportunity to test a host of new names, though Pakistan lost the series 2-1.

However, the PCB is looking to arrange tours for the Pakistan Shaheens side to cut down the quality gap between the country’s domestic level and the international level.

Published in Dawn, April 9th, 2023