LAHORE: Chief Selector Haroon Rasheed on Wednesday defended the Pakistani squads announced by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for the ODI and T20I series against New Zealand to be held from April 14 to May 7.

Talking to media on Wednesday, he said that three mega-events are to be held in the next one year, which includes Asia Cup, World Cup and T20 World Cup. “We are trying to make a (good) combination,” he said.

Stressing the importance of playing ODIs, Rasheed said that Pakistan has eight 50-over matches before the Asia Cup. “We have played few ODIs,” he added.

He expressed the hope that Pakistan cricket team would come up with a good performance in the series against New Zealand. “I don’t consider any team weak,” he said.

About batsman Azam Khan who was dropped from the squad, he said the cricketer needs to identify his weakness and come back after working on it. “Azam Khan has faced difficulty against spinners and will have to work on it,” he suggested.

Haroon was all praises for Haris Sohail who, according to him, is an extraordinary left-hand batter. “Haris Sohail can prove good in Asian conditions. It will support the middle-order if he remains in form and fit,” he added.

To a query, he said Haris Sohail and Azam Khan cannot be compared. He defended Shadab Khan’s inclusion citing “less cricket” as reason for giving the 24-year-old a chance in the team.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023