Waqar, Afridi disagree on Malik''s omission

Fri, Aug 27 10 10:37 AM

Karachi, Aug 27 (PTI) Trouble is brewing in the Pakistan cricket team as coach Waqar Younis is reportedly at loggerheads with ODI and Twenty20 captain Shahid Afridi and chief selector Mohsin Khan over the omission of Shoaib Malik and Umar Amin from the squad for the one-day series in England. Reliable sources told PTI that Waqar wanted Malik and Amin to be retained in the one-day squad and had disagreed with Mohsin and Afridi when they consulted him on phone while finalising the squad on Wednesday. "Waqar felt that Pakistan needed Malik''s experience for the one-day series and he would get back into form soon. While he also believes that Umar Amin is a great talent for the future and must be given confidence," one source said. Malik played in three Tests in England and failed in them while Amin too came a cropper. Both were dropped from the one-day squad by the selectors owing to poor form. Afridi also said it was time for Pakistan to start preparing a nucleus of players for the 2011 World Cup. The source said the chief selector had also questioned the need to have rookie left-arm spinner Reza Hasan for the Test matches when Pakistan had been playing the experienced spinner Abdul Rehman. Incidentally, Pakistan''s former coach Mudassar Nazar has also come out in favor of having Malik in the team despite the all-rounder''s recent poor form. Mudassar told a cricket website that Malik''s omission came as a surprise to him. "Shoaib Malik''s omission has been rather surprising and is not justified. He has been a good one day player and should have been in the squad," he said.

Source: Published>