Razzaq cries conspiracy
All-rounder says PCB is against senior players
Out-of-favour Pakistan all-rounder Abdul Razzaq has accused the Cricket Board (PCB) of indulging in a conspiracy to keep senior players out of the national team and said such a move is detrimental for the future of the game in the country.
The PCB has ignored several senior players like former captain Shahid Afridi, Razzaq, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz and Abdur Rehman and announced a relatively young 16-member team for the tour of Zimbabwe in September under Misbah-ul-Haq’s captaincy.
But the decision to leave out senior players from the Zimbabwe tour did not go down well with Razzaq, who claimed that although PCB chairman Ijaz Butt was working honestly and diligently there was a lobby of opportunists within the board who were misguiding him.
“This lobby is active in slowly ousting all senior players from the team and there is one main person who is calling the shots from behind the curtain,” Razzaq, who has appeared in 46 Tests and 262 ODIs, told ‘Jang’ newspaper.
“The axing of senior players is not in the interest of Pakistan cricket,” the 31-year-old all-rounder added.
Razzaq last played a Test for Pakistan in December, 2006 but his last ODI appearance was in the World Cup semifinal against India at Mohali earlier this year.
Since then the national selectors have ignored him for the tour to the West Indies and last week he was also not named in the Zimbabwe-bound squad.
“I am playing for Leicestershire right now and I am doing well. I know that I can still serve Pakistan for atleast another two years, but I have been sidelined without any reason,” Razzaq said.
Representing the English county in the domestic Twenty20 event, Razzaq came up with some good all-round performances.
“I am very disappointed not to be considered for the Pakistan team, it hurts. I don’t want to take names but there is a lobby that does not want to see senior players in the national team,” he said. “I have fallen victim to the conspiracies of this lobby.”
Razzaq said the only reason for the lobby to conspire against senior players was to strengthen their position in the board and cement their jobs.
“That is why they are now talking about blooding new talent in the team.”
“These people are misguiding the chairman on selection issues and in the end the result will be bad for Pakistan cricket,” he stated.
