LAHORE, Aug 8: Former Pakistan captain Javed Miandad has condemned the omission of Mohammad Yousuf and Abdul Razzaq from the Twenty20 World Cup squad and asked the PCB to allow cricketers to play in the Indian Cricket League (ICL).

While talking to Dawn on Wednesday, Miandad criticised the selection of the team and said Mohammad Yousuf and Abdul Razzaq rightly deserved a place in the team as they were match-winners.

“Razzaq has scored 60 to 70 runs in last few overs on several occasions and Yousuf is also a useful batsman in scoring 12 to 13 runs in an over due to his quality of playing strokes,” the legendary Miandad added.

“People believe that youngsters having the ability of taking risky singles and good fielding are suitable for Twenty-20 cricket, but I think Twenty20 is not a game of singles but of hitting fours and sixes,” he said.

When Miandad was told that the selectors also dropped Yousuf and Razzaq for poor fielding, he termed the excuse rubbish and added that the level of fielding of the whole team was not satisfactory. “No one is like Jonty Rhodes,” Miandad commented.

“The players like Fawad Alam, Yasir Arafat, Misbah-ul-Haq are not the alternative of experienced Razzaq and Yousuf,” he said.

Miandad also slammed the strategy of the PCB in preparing the team for the Twenty20 Cup.

“After a long exercise, the training camp closes for 15 days which means the hard work done in three training camps will be wasted and the boys will start from zero when they will reassemble for the next camp,” he said.

Commenting on the decision of imposing fine on Shoaib Akhtar for not attending the training camp for one day in Karachi and also not appearing before the disciplinary committee, he said there was no discipline in the training camp in Karachi.

“The players were playing practice matches in shorts, showing their non-serious attitude but no action was taken against them.”

Pakistan’s highest Test run-scorer said he was unable to understand why the PCB was not allowing the players to play in the ICL and threatening them of lifetime ban.

“People in Pakistan are searching for opportunities desperately and like every one cricketers are also playing for a bright future and I think the ICL provides them a better chance to earn money,” Miandad commented.

“It is good that the ICL is offering handsome amounts to the players. If a player earns Rs80 million to Rs100 in three years for playing three months only, it’s a great offer for him,” he maintained.

He said Pakistan would not have suffered due to players’ participation in the ICL had the PCB prepared back-up players and given them attractive monetary packages.