Abdul Razzaq hits back at Pakistan’s Team Management
Pakistani all-rounder Abdul Razzaq has hit back at the Pakistani Team Management, after he was discarded for the upcoming West Indies tour, set to begin on 18 April.
The all-rounder blamed the team management for his unimpressive performance throughout the ICC World Cup 2011. Razzaq insisted that the administration had not utilised him properly, which affected his performance in the mega event.
Razzaq said, “I think I was not utilised well throughout the tournament. I played at number eight in most matches and I was also not given much chance with the ball.”
The hard-hitting batsman was axed by the selection committee, along with senior players Umar Gul, Kamran Akmal and Younis Khan for Pakistan’s next assignment in the Caribbean.
Razzaq revealed that the management wasted his skills, by sending him to bat at number eight.
According to the match-winning all-rounder, he was willing to go one down in the batting-order during the tournament, but the team management showed no interest in his readiness.
Defending his position, Razzaq said, “I was told to bat at number eight and I hardly got a few overs in every match. So, where does the question of my not non-performance arise? How can one perform when he is batting at number eight and bowling just a few
overs in every match?”
The all-rounder single-handedly allowed Pakistan to win a game against South Africa in a bilateral series in the United Arab Emirates last year.
However, he managed to collect only six-wickets and scored 104 runs in the ICC World Cup 2011.
In an interview before the World Cup, Razzaq had stated that he wanted to continue playing for another two years after the tournament. Razzaq, who won back his spot in the national team after recovering from a spell of injuries, had looked upbeat and wanted
to win the World Cup for Pakistan.
Pakistan was ousted in the semi-final of the mega event by arch-rivals India in Mohali, where the Men in Green failed to chase a total of 260 runs.
According to Pakistani skipper Shahid Afridi and Head Coach Waqar Younis, the upcoming tour will be a good opportunity for the team to inject new talent and give young players a chance to play international cricket.
Critics have come down hard on Razzaq and believe that the time has arrived for Pakistan to look for a new all-rounder, as the hard-hitting batsman seems to have passed his prime.
The Pakistani selection committee announced the team for the West Indies tour on Wednesday, after a day’s delay. The members of the squad include: Shahid Afridi, Ahmed Shehzad, Tanveer Ahmed, Mohammad Hafeez, Asad Shafiq, Taufeeq Umar, Umar Akmal, Abdur
Rehman, Saeed Ajmal, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan, Hammad Azam, wicket-keeper Muhammad Salman, Usman Salahuddin, Aizaz Cheema and Misbah-ul-Haq.
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