LAHORE, Jan 2: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the National Cricket Academy officials have exchanged views with the national selection committee over the list of 31 players recommended for the next central contract which comes into effect from Jan 1, 2008.
The names were recommended to the board by the national selection committee last week and on Wednesday they met again to further discuss the players out of which the PCB will be selecting the final 20.
Deciding the ‘A’, ‘B’ or ‘C’ categories for the players also rests with the board. The 11 remaining players, comprising mainly those who impressed the selectors with their form in the ongoing Quaid-i-Azam Trophy, will be given a retainership.
Sources in the PCB told Dawn that while exchanging views over the recommended 31, it became rather difficult to determine whether captain Shoaib Malik was to be considered as a batsman, bowler or fielder. His performance in the last six months has remained low-par in all departments of the game.
The new central contract is to be given on a player’s performance in the last six months and many star players including Shoaib Malik, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Asif, Imran Nazir along with several others have not been able to perform well during the period.
If the PCB goes by merit, many big names would be degraded to the ‘B’ or ‘C’ categories instead of the ‘A’.A debate was also held on the inclusion of Shoaib Akhtar.
Surprisingly, neither the selectors nor PCB officials raised a finger on the fast bowler’s attitude during the Indian tour. More concerned over his fitness level, they were of the view that improving it was the job of the team’s trainer.
It is being said that even though team manager Talat Ali Malik in his report on the Indian tour had highlighted Shoaib’s attitude, he failed to take any spot action against the ‘Rawalpindi Express’.
Those recommended for fine performance in the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy include Sohail Khan, Abdul Rauf, Junaid Zia, Naumanullah, Samiullah Niazi, Khurram Manzoor, Nasir Jamshed, Shoaib Khan, Khalid Lateef and Fawad Alam.
Almost all key Test and international cricketers, except the six who were banned for taking part in the Indian Cricket League (ICL), have been included in the list.
The banned cricketers are Inzamam-ul-Haq, Imran Farhat, Taufiq Umar, Shabbir Ahmed, Azhar Mahmood and Abdul Razzaq.