Nepotism: Shoaib Malik accuses Pakistan Cricket Board over selection criteria

Malik's remarks come after the PCB selection committee reportedly ignored captain Babar Azam's suggestions on player selection for Pakistan's recent Test series in Zimbabwe, which Pakistan won 2-0 in Harare.

Published on:

17 May 2021, 9:40 am

Cricket and controversies in Pakistan are inextricably linked. Though Pakistan cricket has had its fair share of infamous moments, their selection policy has recently come under scrutiny. Mohammad Amir, Junaid Khan, and Wahab Riaz have all accused the national selection of favouritism, bias, and unfairness.Now, veteran all-rounder Shoaib Malik has backed their claim with strong words.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been accused of nepotism by Shoaib Malik. According to the 2017 Champions Trophy winner, team selections are made based on connection rather than results. The star all-rounder also said that Pakistan cricket can only progress if players are chosen on merit rather than by connections.

Malik has been out of the national side of late, having withdrawn from

ODI cricket after the 2019 World Cup and Test cricket even earlier. He last represented Pakistan in a T20 series in England in September of last year. However, the veteran cricketer said that rather than remaining silent on the issue, he is willing to risk his career

Also Read: ‘He didn’t speak to me for 2-3 years’: Robin Uthappa sheds light on sledging incident with Australian cricketer

“Whatever is in my fate is in the possession of the Almighty and beyond the influence of everyone. If I am not asked to play again, I will have no regrets, but I will have more regrets if I had not spoken up on behalf of my fellow cricketers,” Malik said.