Pakistan's selection crisis reached a new level of farce when wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal declared his pride would not allow him to play as a specialist batsman in third cricket Test against Australia, and it emerged besieged gloveman would have a vote in deciding his own fate.
Kamran Monday did not retreat from his previous statements, in which he said he would play at Bellerive Oval from Thursday in defiance of his national board, which put reserve gloveman Sarfraz Ahmed on a plane to Australia. As vice-captain, Kamran is part of four-man selection committee that picks the teams on tour, alongside captain Mohammad Yousuf, team manager Abdul Raqeeb and coach Intikhab Alam.
"Before the match, there is a selection meeting, and I will decide with the coach and captain if I'm playing or not," said Kamran, an influential figure within Pakistan team and a veteran of 48 Tests, who dropped four crucial catches during second Test in Sydney.
"Nothing is on my mind as a batsman. I am playing as a wicketkeeper-batsman - I will not play as a batsman. I have pride playing for Pakistan as a wicketkeeper- batsman, so hopefully I am playing as wicketkeeper- batsman."
Asked whether 22-year-old Sarfraz was capable of stepping into his shoes, incumbent wicketkeeper was adamant. "No, I'm definitely playing - I'm very keen I am playing in this Test match but it depends on the captain and coach and management. I've worked very hard in nets. I'm still positive. Hopefully, I will play well here."
Kamran claimed he had support of majority of the team. "They are supporting and encouraging, and a lot of the family is praying for me and brother (Umar) and team also,' he said. Yousuf, who has previously expressed public support for Kamran, was unable to clear up confusion, saying only that it was too early to say who would be playing in third and final Test, a dead rubber. "The XI selection committee will decide on 13th who is playing. Everything is a bit early. You understand my situation, please," Yousuf said at tourists' training session at Bellerive.
All four of Kamran's catching blunders gave lives to two batsmen who produced a match-winning partnership for Australia at SCG - Mike Hussey (three times) and Peter Siddle (once).
While Alam said Kamran will be dropped, and Yousuf has previously said he should keep his place, voting intentions of Raqeeb are not known. The bizarre selection crisis follows tension from team management towards Pakistan Cricket Board, which ignored a request for former captain Younus Khan to join squad after a succession of batting collapses, despite Younus indicating he was willing to help. Now Younus is expected to arrive for limited-overs segment of the summer.
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