The Central Contract list is out and Pakistan Cricket Board continues to disappoint by awarding Cricketers with no future and snubbing those that can actually help the team perform well. While many new faces were included in C & D category, some players who should have been in the pool of 35 are still not…
SAMAA | Omair Alavi – Posted: Jul 13, 2017 | Last Updated: 4 years ago
The Central Contract list is out and Pakistan Cricket Board continues to disappoint by awarding Cricketers with no future and snubbing those that can actually help the team perform well. While many new faces were included in C & D category, some players who should have been in the pool of 35 are still not in the list. Let’s take a look at a few of them who deserved to represent Pakistan but are not on the Board’s radar for reasons better known to the officials.
Fawad Alam – On this day in 2009, Fawad Alam made his Test debut and became the first Pakistani to score a debut century, abroad. Since then, he has played just 2 more Tests and a handful of limited over appearances for no reason. He has been scoring heavily in domestic cricket without any reward and the latest Central Contract snub shows that the PCB is least interested in recalling the batsmen at a time when the middle order could use a steady left-hander who can bowl and field as well. He is also the most fit cricketer in the country, although it doesn’t add much weight to his inclusion.
Anwar Ali – He has won matches for Pakistan with the bat and the ball, yet finds himself out of contention for a few bad matches. A player like him would never have been dropped had he been in some other team but when the priority is Wahab Riaz and Rahat Ali, you can only feel sorry for the talent that is going down the drain. A couple of good matches would have cemented his place in the side, considering the team needs a bowler who can score quick runs in the final overs.
Bilawal Bhatti – He is fast, very fast yet faster was his exit from the national team because he couldn’t perform as per expectations in a few matches. Wahab Riaz has been doing that for a decade now yet he finds himself in the side after every tour. The rise of Hasan Ali might prevent him from getting selected but he is young and enthusiastic; who knows he might make a comeback soon.
Sohail Tanvir – He came, he saw and he confused all with his wrong-footed action but that was a decade back. Sohail has been playing continuously for international T20 leagues making him an ideal choice for the shortest format of the game. The inclusion of youngsters like Rumman Raees, the return of Junaid Khan and the constant inclusion of Wahab Riaz are reasons why he can’t make it into the Top 35. He is better than Wahab Riaz and/or Rahat Ali any day since he can swing the bat and take wickets when it matters.
Sohaib Maqsood – When he came on the scene, he was regarded as an Inzamam for the future however fitness issues marred his career and he is no longer in the top players of the country. He still has the potential to do well given the chance and a little guidance from the coaches and management can help in the longer run. We all want to have a batsman that can hit huge out-of-the-park sixes and keep the aggression associated with Pakistan in check.
