Cricinfo - Blogs - Pak Spin - Shoaib's New Year curse

While plenty of ink has already been spilled on Shoaib Akhtar not making the cut for the South African tour, in all this what’s been ignored, in my opinion, is the mistake of not including Shabbir Ahmed for the tour, specifically for the test matches, assuming his action has now been cleared as legal. Compared to Rana, Sami and Nazir, Shabbir has a far superior Test record and without doubt he would be far more effective in the trampoline pitches of South Africa compared to the other three because of his height and point of delivery. His non-selection suggests not everything is honky dory with his new action...

Without Shoaib and Shabbir, Pakistan should be careful in getting over-confident about their pace attack, especially when comparing with the success of India’s pace attack in South Africa. For one, South Africa would be much more wary of the Pakistan pace attack, having been caught by surprise by India; for the other, for those who have watched the India / South Africa series, the Indian bowlers have bowled within their means and that is something Pakistan would need to do as well. On paper, Pakistan was the stronger side heading to England last summer as compared to Sri Lanka. Yet Sri Lanka held England to a 1-1 result and we know what happened to Pakistan. Pakistan needs to be careful heading to South Africa and shouldn’t pre-judge South Africa based on their performance against India.

not again.....no shoaib....simply a no brainer by PCB....what i think is needed a major brain surgery for entire PCB management..(IF THEY HAVE ANY..)...it seems more of a personal then professional ...between PCB management and shoaib....and i read ..that iqbal qasim was questioning shoaib fitness...LMAO....i do remember his days playing for pakistan team...and on countless ocassions he wasn't even able to stop the ball..or even could run with it...and yet he is questioning shoaibs ability....COMEEEE ONNNN qasim....please don't be dirty and personal...with national hero....we need to support shoaib...and pray ....GO SHOAIB......ALLAH HAFIZ.

Another mistake...another blunder...and another feeble excuse...who else but the good old PCB.

Leaving Shoaib Akhtar out of the squad for the test series against South Africa has meant any optimism for the tour should be quickly dampned. I dont believe for one minute that his exclusion was on fitness grounds or for any of the saga involving WADA. As if it was the latter than Mohammed Asif would not be involved either.

As far as his fitness goes...he has played 3 twenty20 games, a four day game where he bowled 21 overs and has been part of a 3 day training camp. Also considering that Pakistan will be leaving early for the South African in order to play a number of practice matches to climatise the unfit excuse seems just that an excuse.

The recent refusal by Shoaib to sport the sponshership logo in the Twenty20 cup may have cost him more than just a fine.

Shoaib should have been included. For too long Pakistan cricket has taken an interest in Shoaibs social life and using that as a reasons for his exclusion in cricketing contests. From a pure cricketing point of view...who cares what he does in his social life as long as he is performing on the field. Pakistan are wasting a talent which will possibly not be around in the not too distant future for them to utilise.

Every other board in world cricket protects its players...except for the PCB.

Even if he is unfit...there are enough games in South Africa which would enable him to get fit and that too under the watchful eye of the team management. Pakistan have enough fast bowling riches to take an unfit Shoaib with them, leaving him behiend makes no sense, especially with the world cup round the corner. Who would the South Africans rather face Shoaib Akhtar or Sami

The guy hasn't played international cricket for a long time and hasn't performed well on return recently. Controversies apart, those are reasons enough to be dropped from the touring party.

shoaib is well love by antiguans and west indians a like simply because he is the fastes bowler in the world, he is excited and lively, we love him and we love inzi too, but i just have a feeling that inzi is not a big fan of shoaib. Pakistan people need to question the captain motives for not taking his best fast bowler to south africa, the way south africa's top order crumble under the medium pace of the indians, shoaib at 94 miles would surely be breakin records just by showing up. I sa inzi be fair to shoaib, we want to see, smith and boys will thank you after you lost.

Good riddance, I'd say! It'll make the dressing room atmosphere more pleasant for the Pak team. National hero!?? please!

But one negative effect of his omission is that Sami is back! Ugghhhhh! Nothing I can do but pull my hair out. Happy hunting, South Africa. Here's a New Year's gift for you...a toy for you play with in the field. Pull him, cut him, drive him, hit him, and knock the stuffing out of the ball that he presnts you with on a platter.

Two careers reach a glorious end Down Under. One of them the bad boy of Australian cricket, who bows out in supreme form as nothing less than an all-time great to have ever played the game. The bad boy of Pakistan cricket on the other hand, begins to be pushed out humiliated, scorned, ridiculed, and tainted. There are no parallels to be drawn here.

I cannot help but see this as the end of Shoaib’s career. He might stage a comeback for the world cup but then what? I see darkness, total darkness thereafter. His tanks of energy and glamour are running on empty. Bye bye corporate sponsors one by one. Hello Bollywood. And hello sponsors again.

If there’s a lesson to be learnt, it should be in the comparison of how Cricket Australia managed its star cricketer versus how the PCB turned its star cricketer into a spoiled brat. CA reaped the ultimate benefit out of the controversies of Shane Warne’s soap opera life while using his own psychology to keep him focused on taking wickets. The cronies at the PCB, however, focused only on winning the next match and the next tournament, exposed themselves so badly that the tail started wagging the dog. Shoaib was made to feel that he was indispensable. Top that with the corporate sponsors who jumped in to spoil the broth and it was way too much for the poor guy to handle. Everyone, from the managers to the coaches and the captains, to the sponsors, journalists, and fans have some sort of a contribution in his demise, not to exclude his complete inability to handle fame and fortune.

What will be Shoaib's legacy? Laughable at best.

I think your point about the patience the Pakistani cricket fraternity has with Shoaib Akhtar is on the mark. First, there were the obviously off-the-wall comments by Intikhab Alam during the first hearing regarding the doping scandal, and then an absence of strong support from Bob Woolmer, or any high-ups in the PCB setup. I think another major problem is the absence of any true match winners in the Pakistani squad now, in the absence of Shoaib Akhtar and Shahid Afridi. Pakistani is going to be hard pressed for success if these two are absent for the ODI series as well.

"Fumum et opes strepitumque Romae.... " i.e., after the smoke, and the grandeur and the noise of Rome....

This is exactly what the PCB officials have done ...... after so much noise and heated debates on doping, drug testing, "yada, yada-ing" and then finally leaving behind the bad boy, Shoaib Akhtar on the basis of - not enough match practice - poor performance at domestic level and a few rumours. Is anyone surprised at this decision? I don't think so. This is what PCB is all about - A total mess, a bunch of unprofessional hypocrites and bureaucrats who cannot do nothing good to cricket in Pakistan except for damaging and tarnishing the country's image and reputation.

It was also expected that Shahid Afridi will not be included in the team, but they don't need an explanation about his exclusion in the team. But one can clearly see the PCB culture is so full of partiality, favourtism and nepotism, the irony is they are not accountable to anyone. Can anyone say that; Yasir Hameed, Imran Farhat, Hafeez or Faisal Iqbal are better players than Afridi? Have they ever won a match for Pakistan single handedly? Never. As regards performance, Razzaq and Malik are no good these days and Afridi's recent domestic form is much better than others. Since this thread is not about Shahid Afridi so I'll put this subject aside. But, he is too good a player to be left out for SA tour......or, are they going to call him for ODI matches? This is a 'fish-full' thinking on part of his supporters.

I do believe that a regular wicket keeper is always a better choice in the team over a make shift wicket keeper. But, to include a second wicket keeper in the team is not a luxury; its like carrying extra baggage, and also depriving a bowler or a batsman a place in the team. If Zulqarnain Haider's inclusion is only to make him sit on the sidelines or to give him an opportunity to learn or gain dressing room atmosphere's experience, then PCB should send him seperately as a guest or an observer rather than sending him as a second wicket keeper.

It is not likely that Kamran Akmal would be dropped. If Kamran Akmal gets injured, then the PCB can always ask for a replacement. For emergency purposes we have Younis Khan as a make-shift wicket keeper. And in fact, Younis should have honed his wicket keeping skills and capabilities, because as a make shift captain he failed to prove his effectiveness in leading the team. Not only in terms of temperament but, also in leading from the front as a leader, as a shrewed captain and a tactician. Besides that captaincy burden on him was too much that, he failed with the bat in Champions Trophy.

During the last Caribbean tour, when he captained the team in absence of Inzamam, he had a row with Shahid Afridi about the batting order in which the later wishes to play. It is an open secret to which Younis first denied and then admitted that,"two bhai's" can always disagree and argue (but he made fool of himself) but its all over.

Just before the departure to India to play the Champions trophy he goofed up the whole thing and proved how good a dummy captain he is. Then, again while leading against the SA, when Umar Gul was on the roll and took 3 wickets in his first 6 overs and SA were 46 for 5, he removed Umar Gul to spare him for the death overs. The irony is Umar Gul bowled only 8 of his 10 overs quota in that match which Pakistan lost mainly because of his dummy captaincy.

He has been hyped by the media as a good captain and as usual Imran Khan the great has a hand in it. Imran talked and praised so much about Sami, he did the same for Younis and both performed badly after that. During his days, Imran Khan did the same with his blue eyed boy, Mansoor Akhtar who was his pet and kept him in the team despite his repeated failures. Imran Khan cannot be right all the time, besides he has no time to look in to the details of every single players performance.

Talking of Shoaib Akhtar again and the reasons of leaving him behind, prompts me to ask a question, what about Younis Khan's match practice? He too has not played enough cricket due to the tragedy in his family. But he is a good boy and Shoaib is a bad boy or should I say its like; "Bon Cop Bad Cop" situation? The personal reputation of a player especially when one knows which side of the bread to butter, has an edge over the others.

Pakistan's over dependency on Mohammad Yousuf should come to an end. He has played superbly during 2006 breaking all records and creating new world records. He is away on Hajj and everyone knows how tiring the Hajj pilgrimage ,is. Morally and spiritually you are elated but physically you are drained and exhausted and you need at least 2 weeks rest to play international cricket. Whereas, MOYO is joining the team immediately after Hajj and without any rest and without any break. May God bless him for his sincere, honest and dedicated efforts in playing for the country and grant him more success.

i wish i was allowed to swear here - i mean why else would the board go through all the trouble of staging Shoaib's innocence in the drug scandal - seriously - or is there yet another twist coming - i read some news 2-3 days ago where his performance in domestic cricket was questioned - woolmer had it hinted already a couple of weeks back - somebody please explain it to me - if the rumours of issue between Inzi and Shoaib are correct then Inzi is seriously affecting pakistani cricket here - his ego is becoming as big as his waistline - choosing malik despite his no core competency, making afridi play despite his only 5 successes in 10 years, keep pushing for sami when he is the fastest - yet useless - bowler around - and now Shoaib - so we think fast bowlers have no issues with captains - McGrath has no issues with Ponting? McGrath actually walks up to Ponting and Lee and takes the ball from Ponting's hand and starts bowling - Lee just takes his cap back from the umpire and goes to fielding, so does Ponting - Bravo has no issues with Lara? we saw it so often in the field - Flintoff and Harmison and Hoggard has no issues with Vaughan? then why is Vaughan in the team anymore? seriously, Inzi gotta get mature now - he needs to have Shoaib in the team because we all saw Shoaib's better attitude when he last played and he was always talking to Asif, Rana and Gul - these young players need him - Inzi needs to get mature and act as a main batsman in the team so that two overs before victory he doesnt make Gul and Rana bat whole over and take single on the last ball - Inzi backed up on Younis issue because having Younis out would seriously weaken the team - but he can afford losing Shoaib because he can see Asif, Gul, Rana and Sami there - no matter what a fast bowler has more respect for a fast bowler - it is a brotherhood - causing issues in it will cost Inzi - and pakistani team dearly.

I think PCB made the right decision of not selecting Shoaib for the South African tour. He is a bad influence for the other team members and is not serious about cricket at all. If he would be an honest and sincere cricketer then he would not be taking banned substances and most recently refused to wear sponsor's tag in the 20/20 game. This shows that he thinks he is above all and can do what ever he feels like. Cricket is a game of discipline and we don't need people like him to give a bad image to Pakistan cricket.I admit that he is the fastest bowler in the world but first he has to be a good human being which unfortunately he is no where close to. I think Sami performed well in the last match against the West Indies and bowled according to the field placing. It's about time we get over Shoaib and include young gun Anwar Ali in our squad as a replacement for Shoaib cuz he is only 21 and very quick.

Kamran sahib, this one baffles me. I am obviously not sure for the reason(s) for Shoaib's ommission from the team. If it is indeed as reported than he has to be in a pretty miserable state to be left out. Evidence however, suggests otherwise. The man has been on television in the very recent past playing the domestic circuit. I agree with the poster who suggested that a half ready Shoaib at the start of the tour may still prove to be a handy and a formidable weapon against the opponent. And another thing I just don't get this attitude business. Yes we all know Shoaib is a premadona, and yes he has the tact of a horny bull in a china shop. So what? He is supposed to have a nasty attutude; he is a FAST bowler. Take Sreesanth, Indian bowler, takes a few wickets and then hits a damn six off Andre Nel and starts dancing in the middle of the pith like a 10 dollar you know what. What ever Shaoibs fitness problems maybe and or his hissy fits, the fact remains that the guy gives 100% on the field. Remember, Shaoib may not take a lot of wickets, but his sheer bravado and lethal speed creates enough shock which in turn helps bowlers with line and lenght take wickets from the other end. How can you not take a guy who bowls at 90+ for a tour which offers bouncy pitches. Beats the heck out of me! AMF

This is another example of silly selection. Look at what is happening in SA right now. India is succeeding due to sheer pace, seam, and bounce that their bowlers can elicit from those pitches. Shoaib has raw pace, Shabbir has bounce, and Sami has neither; Sami bowled poorly in the last 2 matches against the West Indies and bowls 4 bad balls in every over. He is not a wicket taking bowler, and his record attests to that. He has had his chances and has failed and is absolutely not deserving of this selection. I wonder who is getting paid to include him in the squad.

Shoaib is important for the team, but we have suffered all too often in the past when he has broken down in the middle of a test match. If there is a question about his fitness for a test match, I understand his exclusion. Shabbir, on the other hand, has been doing well in domestic cricket and elicits more bounce than any other Pakistani bowler.

This is another example of pathetic selection. Mohammad Sami has to be asked to retire.

Ahktar & Sami bowling in tandem at Newlands! Alas not to be. Ahktar's career could be over and there must be reasons other than a less than stellar performance in domestic cricket. You don't leave out your premier strike bowler because of a few domestic matches. He's possibly gotten up the noses of management and is paying the price. If domestic matches were a criterion I don't see where Asim Kamal has been lighting up the scoreboards. Shabir's non-selection is understandable. He's missed a lot of cricket and you don't reward performances by Gul & Nazir by dropping them.

i am a pakistan supporter, but last year or so im subsiding from that claim, claims about inzi forcing religion on players in order to be selected, pcb attacking shoaibs personal life, "internal" drug scandal... etc etc..

its safe to say i will NOT be supporting pakistan from here on out unless there are some major changes in management, coaching(woolmer has to go!), and Captaincy (inzi is turning out to be some sort of horrific disease for pakistan)..

lets hope Shabbir is reported again for chucking and pakistan gets white-washed by the proteas.

Go South Africa!

I have a rather different hypothesis.

As some of you may be aware, it was the team management which requested September's steroid testing because Woolmer at al were strongly suspicious that Shoaib was abusing steroids, and they were afraid that he would get caught out in competition (ie outside the PCB's jurisdiction). Just think that through please. The team's own management were convinced that Shoaib was abusing anobolic steroids. Not supplements, but steroids, administered by injection.

I believe that Shoaib abused steroids over a far longer period than Asif, and that he is still testing positive whereas Asif is not. (I have never belived the fairy tale about contaminated supplements, which was one of many ludicrous defences that the players put forward, but which was the most convenient one for the appeal panel to cite as reasons for exonerating the two drug cheats.)

The PCB can't afford the scandal of Shoaib testing positive in ICC tests during the South African tour, so he is excluded until such time as he stops testing positive, which may be as soon as the ODI series after the Tests.

My point of view is, if a captain has such an authority ( as it has been suggested that Inzi was not in favour of selecting Shoaib)then what's the role of selection comittee,let Mr.Inzi select the whole touring squad.I have no praise for Shoaib's stupid ego, infact plain dumb behavior for refusing to wear sponsor's lego,specially after what had transpired recently(doping saga)in situations like these you go extra yard ,out of your way to ensure that u remain in good books of people who matters, I have come to two conclusions, either, Shoaib is plain immature with no intelligence or vision to sense the atmosphere around him OR he is a slave of his own personal ego(which unfortunately will become a cause for his demise).In any event personal grudges(inzi vs shoaib),if speculations are true, should not come in the way of bigger picture, Team's interest.I feel Imran and Javed handled it the best way "off the field".

ThankYou,
Syed ............USA.

This is hilarious.
PCB at its best.
First of all 2 or 3 20/20 games are no judgement of form and should not be a criteria for being selected.
Secondly, as we all know there must be some thing going on behind closed doors.
Either there is a rift between PCB and Shoaib (sponser logo or doping whatever) or PCB is just trying to protect Shoaib so that he is fully fit for the WC. As we all know Shoaib has the tendency of getting injured after playing just a few matches. But whatever the reason, he should have been in the squad. Atleast that way he can get some of his fitness back to normal levels.
If i was Shoaib right now, i would leave Pakistan Cricket.
On the team in general, whenever Pakistan has sent a big squad there have always been problems.
The selectors take the easy road by sending a 17 man squad and then the coach/captain are not sure whom to play and whom not to play.
Lets see what happens and lets hope for the best
Happy New Year every one

Shoaib's antics outside the field are a cause for shame for the Pakistani public. These guys are supposed to represent your country. Besides he doesnt seem to have a good relationship with the team. He seems to be "the other guy" when playing with the team.

Having said that, I would choose Shoaib over Sami any day :D

Taking Sami along for the ride is perhaps the STUPIDEST (if that is a word) thing that can be done. The guy has an average just below 50 (that's bowling average folks)... that is perhaps the worst average that any regular bowler has ever had. I would have one less player in the squad rather than selecting Sami.

My verdict: Shoaib, Shabbir or my grandma over Sami any day...

Stupid PCB. You have the fastest bowler in the world and all you can think of is dropping him. Do you think that Australia will drop Bret Lee? Come on, put on you thinking cap(i.e. if you have any)

It is clearly a zonal politics in pakistan selection committee when retarted people like iqbal qasim are in charge and dumbest guys like wasim bari are the bosses, you can expect all kinds of things from these clowns. Secondly selecting Sami has a big KARACHI FACTOR to it since Sami is the worst fast bowler ever successful to play 20+ test matches and have a almost 50 runs per wicket average. Shabbir is one of the brightest ppl in the pakistan pace battery and he is left behind , even rana naveed is a fluke player , medium pacers like him donot have a great value and he also has a SAMI -LIKE record in test cricket on the other hand only two bowlers have taken 50 wickets in 10 matches for pakistan Waqar and Shabbir.

And by the wat what is shoiab malik batsman , bowler or fielder or are they grooming him to be another Mike Brealey.

What a waste , Shame on those retarted clowns "Selectors".

pcb selection committee is all member karachi to link.but he is like to only mohammad sami.umar gul is new stress farcture come tour south africa.pakistan batting line up is flop tour soth africa.inzamam ul haq is last four month cricket.but he is no good response for captain ship.

What else do you expect from PCB? Sami has done nothing whenever he was given a chance. Shoaib @ 50% is better than 100% Sami like the other person said. PCB should have selected someone else other than Sami, i.e,Shabbir Ahmed.

I just hope Waqar Younis had a say in this and he has a plan to use Sami and others taken ahead of Shabbir (and Shoaib) in some better way in SA. As far as Shahid Nazir is concerned, I think the guy has worked hard, been consistent and deserves his spot. Just an observation: I think the team management is looking for players who are hard workers rather than mercurial 'heroes' like Afridi and Akhtar. They have my support on this for sure.

Good to see Yasir Hameed and Asim Kamal back in the fold.

But Sami? One (Urdu) word sums it up: Parchi

It was the right decision not to take Shoaib to the South African tour. He has already shown signs of indiscipline recently by hiding the sponsers tag. In addition, I agree that Shoaib must learn a lesson from this at his age and concentrate on getting focus so he ends up his
career with some dignitiy. I hope he will grow
up soon before he retires from any form of cricket.

Shoain's omission from the squad has a lot to do with his original 2 year ban and PCB is trying to signal its intention to WADA having assumed that Shoaib will not get away without any ban at all if ICC intervenes. As he already understands doping issues and is widely known for his attitudes i find it hard to believe that he will find many sympathize with him in ICC's panel hereas Asif was regarded as one of the emerging cricketer of the year and despite the doping scandal, he was in contention for the award and there is also a widespread belief that he knew nothing about banned substance and was led into taking the substance and thus its highly likely that Asif will get away with it where PCB wasnt willing to take any risk by taking Shoaib as it tantamounts to absolute disregard to ICC's code of conduct.

Pakistan will definitely find it difficult to win test matches without Shoaib. Asif, Umar Gul will be very useful bowlers and lets not forget sami's role here is a first change bowler ... not one of an opening bowler. Sami will probably be picked ahead of Rana Naved. Shabbir Ahmed is not quick at all and Umar Gul and Asif will swing the ball anyway so there is nothing to be concerned about.

Exclusion of shoaib always on the cards.
But SAMI ugggggghhhhhhhhhh.... my god y r they just sticking with him.he had terrible time in england giving away runs like anything.i mean that is the reason ehy australia is on top.IN SHORT POOR SELECTION.

I think Shoaib is a matchwinner, and is the ideal bowler to support Asif and Gul in such good form. Line and length merchants helped by genuine pace!
What i dont understand is, why the heck is Sami in the squad? He took 1 wicket and gave away 107 runs in 3 matches...not to mention Imran Nazir slog sweeping him for six!
No Abdul Rehman, none of the talented Karachi boys, no Imran Nazir?!?!?!?!
The problem with Pakistan Cricket will always be they never look outside their comfort zone...
Look at Australia...they gave Hussey a chance when he was 31 and there is no looking back for him.
Look at Clark, the highest wicket taker in the Ashes, with the likes of McGrath and Warne!
What do we do...stick with Sami and Shabbir...and then we wonder why we lose??
A crocked Shoaib over Sami anyday...please give us a break!
Sami was in Dubai for a cricket tournament...and even here he managed to take only 1 wicket.
A 35 year old domestic player i know took 18 runs of him, twice, just to prove how bad he is!
Some one please explain where all the fast bowlers have gone in Pakistan?!?!?

If Pakistan wishes to win the World Cup, then they need all of their ODI matchwinners: Inzy, Moyo, Razzaq, Afridi, Asif and Akhtar - 2 sublime batsmen, 2 powerful hitters, and 2 world class bowlers. If Akhtar has been left out to give him time to prepare for the World Cup, given how injury-prone he is, then fair enough. But Afridi and Akhtar need to be on that plane to South Africa for the ODIs if Pak are serious about the WC. That will be the time to put aside petty Pakistani bickering, mud-slinging and politics. Matchwinners are like gold dust: if they're mavericks, then management needs to do what it's paid to do and manage them.

I think it is a very wise move to not to take Shoaib Akhtar. Imagine that WADA succeed in their appeal before the world cup. It would be simply a chaotic situation. To avoid the chaos, we shall only play with one of them in any match keeping in mind that we will only need to replace one of them in the worst case scenario for world cup.

Same goes for Shabir, People have suspicions about his bowling action, so we will just tag him along in the world cup.

Shoaib shall only play one day games, as he neither has the patience nor the stamina for the test matches. Lets hope Asif will be rested for the one dayers and Shoaib will play to keep both of them "Match" Fit.

Lastly regarding SAMI, well what I hear is that he is advised by Waqar to bowl medium pace, I think he should be asked to bowl fast which he is quite capable of. The rest of the bowlers are being coached to bowl those inswinging yorkers and stuff then why not SAMI? He can for sure do it.

Goodluck Pakistani cricket.
Signing off Musstanser.

I think its wonderful thinking by PCB. However this is the way it should be, if its not, then May God help PCB.

The selectors did the right thing by asking Shoaib to get back into form before being picked for the tour. If he was selected when out of form it would've only put unnecessary pressure on him to come good. It would also have put unnecessary pressure on the captain and coach to have him in the side and not play him in the games. We have other bowlers who are forming better at present and so it just makes sense to play them. I don't understand what the fuss is all about.

Same thing goes for Shabbir. You don't want him to break down due to lack of test match fitness. Away tour in South Africa is always a tough one and you want to be careful with your resources.

I totally concur with the bowling selection choices, it just makes plain common sense.

I wasn't even shocked this time, PCB are on a role baby, they have made the most mind numbingly dumb decisions this year. They have raised the bar!! ZCB and BCCI have some real competition!!

And that is so true, I would rather have my monkey go to South Africa in Sami's Place any time... it has been a fairly eventful year, and the PCB made sure that the Cricketing world remembers it as the FOLLIES OF PAKISTAN YEAR by saying good bye to it with another dumb decision....

A few things to note:

1. Shoaib went into a slump during the drug ban. He gained weight and lost all motivation to play cricket.

2. The selection committee cannot base its selection on reputation alone. Meritocrasy demands that each player be condiered on performance and fitness... nothing else.

Kudos to Iqbal Qasim, the most fair person in Pakistan cricket.

hi guys... well the thing is our selector's are really so silly and greedy cuz they make the team with approach like who ever has got uncle or dad who played before will be in the team without any hurdles.... and also who ever gonna put money in our selector's mouth will be in the team... Sami got selected ahead of Shabir Ahmed and Shoaib Akhtar cuz sami is bloody puppy of imran khan... he always puts the pressure on selectors to fit sami in the squad... in recent odi series sami played 2 one dayers but only got 2 wickets in both tests.... he is not wicked taking bowler and cant even bowl dot bowls.... his bowl goes 200 miles per to the boundary... Shoaib and Muhammad Shabir are way more better than sami... cuz they always put pressure on opposition and they can get 3, 4 wickets easily in each match or innings.... sami played in twenty20 but got the record worst than Shoaib and Shabir.... he is been giving like 34 in 4 overs then how can selector's say that sami bowled well in recent games....

ok then take care and pray for our selctor's to be positive

my dad used to say there is alot of politics in pak cricket which i am reliasing now.......itzzzzz realy shaaaaaaame.... shoiab.. shabir and afridi is as important as world cup for pakistan,,

A case can be made that Sami is perhaps the worst bowler in all of international cricket today; he is selected over Shabbir and Shoaib. What a travesty ! Shoaib on one leg is better than Sami.

If fitness and form is the only issue, the decision to leave Shoaib out of the squad is totally UNJUSTIFIABLE. Rather he must be in playing 11.

very strange..
if we wanted Shoaib for this tour,at least they should bound Shoaib with current squad so he can analyze and improve his fitness by playing 4 day tour match or training regularly with the entire team.

keeping in mind the fast and bouncy tracks of South Africa, we are analyzing match fitness of fast bowler on dead or slow pitches pitches of Pakistan and a tournament of 20,20. :-)
i personally think there is something else behind this decision..

Shoaib was ordinary at best in the 20-20 and an International series is no place for a player to 'find himself' or for the team management to 'help him get into form and fitness'. When Shoaib is fit and in form then he should be back in the team. Till then, all of you 'superstar' lovers need to put on your cricket brain and understand that one man does not make or break a team. Mohammad Asif, Shahid Nazir, Mohammad Sami, Umar Gul and Rana Naveed are a formiddable bunch. We are likely to play 3 quicks and one spinner so plus Akmal and 6 batters anyway, so our fast bowling attack is stable with Umar Gul and Mohammad Asif to lead with Mohammad Sami as the 3rd seamer. Our attack is good - but the only way we are to win in South Africa is if the batters come to the party, and the technical defiencies of guys like Farhat, Hafeez and Younis Khan are likely to be the main course of concern, not our bowling attack. And by the way, lay of Mohammad Sami. If Shoaib had even one quarter of the team spirit and fighting quality of Sami, then he would have had a far better and less controversial career by now.

i don't know that what is wrong with shoaib why he gets unfit all the time.He should do something about that.we don't need unfit players.

well but undoubtly he is a match winner for pakistan . his attitude is the problem. he should be strictly handled.

trying sami again I think is the big mistake.he should be dropped once and for all. there are lot of deserving bowlers in Pakistan that are waiting for there chances.trying a failed bowler again ,i don't know what the selectors are thinking.

100% No Showdoo Actor ,Oh sorry I mean Shoaib Actor .He is not for the Pakistan team at all .He needs to go to India & start new career acting .Probably he will get fit there ,as he has said that on several occasions that India is his second home.So pl GOOOOO GOOO.We really don't need a big mouth Guy .We need players like Inzi or M Yousuf and so forth .
How can a retired army guy can tell lies that he slapped the coach in the bus ,Plz think for a second.No body talks about that guy ,and his statement .This was not a small issue which is pushed under the rug & One walks over it .
PCB has wasted lot of money on this guy .Just add up his medical bills probably we could have build another small stadium instaead some where for poor & good talent ,which could prove 100 % fit all the time .Look at the youtube.com and U will find this guy singing & smoking.Oh Plz take him away & let him go as wea have a strong pace attack by which we can win lot of matches.
Bye Bye Mr Actor

I don't see why the PCB do not just tell the truth why Shoaib was not selected. Secondly, I do not think he (Shoaib) promotes harmony in the team by his constantly silly comments and the fact that he remains constantly unfit.

Sami has had many opportunities to shine and unfortunately, while he has pace, he is in-effective and he also has an attitude.

Kaneria is not a maych winner as many people think he is. His always concedes many runs and if he does take several wickets in an innings it is usually for over 100 runs. We need a new spinner. The new boy we recently tried should have been in the squad.

The bowling attack should be Mohammad Asif, Naved Ul Hassan, Umer Gul, Razzak & Kaneria as per the current selection.

Shohaib is not team man, any Pakistani skipper will feel happy not to have him although they won't say that in out,

not taking akhtar is a gud decision becoz he's not fit but shabbir should have been taken as he's tall

PCB has yet again made a blunder in the selection process , how can you leave Shoaib Akhtar behind on a trip to South Africa, even if the selectors had nothing to do with the final team and Inzi and Bob did have a choice in the decision making Shabbir Ahmed should have been selected , its absolutely unneccesarry to carry an extra wicket keeper in your squad , theirs already alot of good players ( batsmen and bowlers ) missing out quite an uncalled for system of selection so close to the world cup....somebody needs to take control of PCB with integrity and a vision, Our countries cricket is taken too seriously and passionately to be just messed about with in experienced selectors and biased heads of management....In the end...WE NEED SHOAIB in south africa so get him there..

Sami perhaps the STUPIDEST
Shoaib is hero

I remind when the great Maradona was in Argentina Team in 90 s world cup he was not fit enough to deliver the best but he was the captain of Argentina.Why because a 1% fit Maradona can beat 5 great difenders any time.Result One of the greatest move against Brazil in Second Round Match.It was possible because of his talent.Not everybody is gifted with that.I am not comparing Shoaib with Maradona.But a Name Shoaib is enough for the opponent team.He is the finest talent pakistan have got in last 10 years.I remind one thing again in 92 cricket world cup When the legendary King Khan used to take 5 or 6 penkillars to play a match.why Because His presence was enough to boost the confidence of the team.And what about Miandad . I recall Once Imran told about Miandad that If he need stretcher he will bring that to take Miandad to 92 world cup.I dont understand why comparison is going on Shoaib with the others?Shoaib is the fastest bowler world have ever produced and bad luck to him that he is playing for Pakistan andunder One of the typical pakistani captain.The awesome twosome Wasim and Waqar started playing under the most Intelligent and Visionary Captain ever.That was good luck for pakistan and both wasim and waqar that they got Imran. Imran also have a tremendious conflict with Miandad but He never thought to omit Miandad.Yes the cricketing attitude of Miandad and Shoaib not be compared.But the devotion and commitment is no different. A man who used to bowl at a speed of 94 miles/hour or greater than that cotiniously what you expect from him?good fielding?good batting? Ha.

Hi all are mess. This is Pakistan's administration.They are always poor with man management.They never have been fair with the great characters.If they cant manage Shoaib properly how will they manage a cricketer like Warne(if they get).Every talent is not Roger Federer or Tiger Woods or Pit Sampras or Pele. Some are like Jeorge Best,Dieogo Maradona,John McEnroe,Mike Tyson,Paul Gaskoen.If you get some one immense talented like them you also know how to handle them.They are very much sentimental,emotional and basically light hearted man with no clever intelligence.Please dont take me personally I am a great fan of Pakistan Team From a very long time.And I am watching their cricket from my child hood.When they losses I really feel bad. I am a great fan of every pakistani cricketer.I love every one.Inzi you are one of the greatest batsman but Shoaib also the fastest of the world.Please respect his talent Its the gift ofAllah.Dont make comparison and self satisfied with Nazir or Gul .I know they are talented but They also need Shoaib beside them to mature and to be a match winner like shoaib.We all looking forward to Pakistans success.You need shoaib badly.You also need Shahid because he is also fantastic talent.He is among the few cricketers who can change the color of a match singlehandedly so as shoaib.You need them.Please be fair with their talent Because Pakistan needs them.

2 days ago Dr. Danish zaheer a member of tribunal told some truths about doping issue. he was the more knowing person about doping among all six pcb appointed in this scandal as he is a professional one. he told that if pcb makes one player out of both to play in south africa and later on if wada succeeds in its filed appeal then the action is going to be taken against that player and if both players play and wada wins its case then all the won matches of pakistan team will be forefietd. i think this is the only reason behind all this chaos.

Its nice to call them back,But PCB should be very clear about the Policies,Always making new Policies and new decision either ynder aby pressure or Its an individual mistake of an individual of PCb,But at the end,Any one will go to feel that PCB is a fool,So New PCB Chairman should appoint some reasonable team which not only work as a professional but also a Policy maker.

Regarding the Pakistan Crickter Professional Behaviour ,I would like to say sorry,Every time We have a lot of excuses but no Solution,No matter who is the Coach ,which field,which Country.We should show some good behaviour in the field.
In the end my request to the Chairman PCB that There should be a plan of at least one Cricket Institute ,Which is fully Equiped with one Ground,Variable Pitches,Coach & Trainer.If It is not feasible then There should be some Policy like that Every year 10% of the Profit of PCB should be used to make the Institutes for Cricket.

Best regards

Muhammad Usman Khan
usman4ud@yahoo.com

The selection is totally bogus! I'll draft Shoaib in the team even with my eyes closed. He's a match winner and venomous on seaming tracks; even 80% Shoaib can prove to be a destructive force. The other point which I feel is unfair concerns with Fawad Alam, a young talented all rounder from Karachi. After scoring tons of runs against world class bowlers like Asif, Rana and Shabbir in the recent 20/20 tourney, he deserved to get a call for the camp atleast!

Not Taking shoaib for south african tour is a good move by PCB selection commitee.Because of his attitude , lot of injuries and current form matters a lot.If pakistan has any chance of winning the world cup then there shouls be a proper 11.If u pick shoaib for south africa tour and if he again gets injured then his cricket life will vanish. And without him in west indies pakistan attack will be one dimesion,because there is no express fast bolwer like him in pakistan.

If u consider Rana,asif shabbir,nazir or sami they seems to be one dimension bolwer.Sami can bowl around 140 kmph.But the real aggression will be missing.

so it is s VERY GOOD MOVE

i think Shoaib should be in team but in the 20/20 games he didint show much form. but just 3 shouldnt be judjment of selection and form. And i think Shoib normally doesnt put to much effort into firstclass games. However Shoaib should have gone wwiththe team so that he can work With waqar Younis and get better.

I think taking shoaib out of the team is not a wise decision. Including sami in the team is even worse. I think PCB need full time selection committe. Also senate/national assembly standing committes should take action on personal decision imposed over decision of national interests.

Last night i heard on the news that Shahid Afridi,Shoaib Akhtar,Abdur Razzaq and one more players whose name i cannot recall have not been selected.How can one drop all these match winning players from the squad on such an important tour just before the worldcup !!!? Not selecting Shahid Afridi for Test matches makes sense but not selecting ShoaiB and Razzaq is very dissapointing.Both of them are match winners,Razzaq can bowl and bat well and has proved it on many occasions in test matches while Shoaib has always been a match winner,this new chairman is worst than the previous one.I think its just politics and personal grudges against shoaib more than anything ...

Hi Being an Indian I am naturally interested in pakistan cricket.
Well shoaib Akhtar should be in the team for sheer charisma that he brings to the game.I think by not including him PCB is not only accountable to pakistan people but Cricket lovers in general.Well the biggest Blunder PCB is doing is the way they are handling his case.Well if there is an attitude problem bring it to notice and let cricket lovers know it too.I personally feel Shoaib looks best with his sport shoes red cherry in hand and that nasty glares in his eyes , Cmon guys he is too talented to b wasted like this

Some things never change
Shoaib Akhtar will always be shoaib akhtar. Asif's bowling was par excellence in the 20 20s while Shoaib's was ..let's just say not up to the mark.

So what i think is that Shoaib should be left out of the tests (cuz he'll probably injure himself or 'get' ;) himself injured and go partying in South African nightclubs)

But..he should be back for the ODIs so that Smith has that psychological pressure of watching Shoaib steaming down the stadium.

match fit or not... i think the way newspapers are quoting ( SHoaib stormed out of the meeting) his attitude for not being selected ... tells us that he'll want to burst back to the stage of cricket with a bang... red eyed.... his chain hanging loosely over his unbuttoned pepsi shirt and with an even chinker hairstyle... but most of all he'll have that vindictive look in his eyes..

and thinking about the PCB when he bowls would make him bowl faster then :D

I have a hunch..Shoaib would return.... stronger and faster...more lethal.....
....DEADLIER then before

I am so glad Shoaib has been dropped. As long as Shoaib is around there is a black cloud above pakistan cricket. If he was picked for the test side and played, I am super, super confident he would have done something very stupid and brought further disgrace upon pakistan cricket. As for not picking Shabbir, I think that that was a ridiculous move. Sami!!!! Why is he getting another chance. Picking Sami was a bad decsion. I am positive he will pick up no more then a handful of wickets this series. The only smrt thing that the PCB has done is to take Zulqernain Haider with them. Very smart move. I know Kamran Akmal will screw up and this will open the door to a fine young keeper. Exposing him to some International cricket now will do Pakistan a lot of good in the future.

Its really shocking to see Shoaib left out.
Whatever the circumstances are, I now think that Pakistani selectors are never in honest mood in selecting players. I do not believe their reasons. They had to accomodate Sami and so they did it at the expense of Shoaib and Shabbir. What was the fault of Shabbir. They say he is not in the groove and form. How ignorant they are. Didnt they see his bowling for minnows Multan in the Twenty20 or his bowling in the patrons trophy match against HBL where Afridi smashed a quick century and his bowling analysis showed 21 runs from 14 overs against the flowing Afridi.

I am not surprised ; WorldCup is coming everytime such things happen just before WorldCup.

I think your should have written som thing for the whole team selection rather than S.Akhtar only.

mr. kamran is every time write to shoaib akhtar is career end. but shoaib akhtar is every time come and select to cricket team. but now shoaib akhtar is again select test seires continue or after test odi serices select. but you kamran write to mr.inzamam ul haq is last four month in international cricket.inzamam ul haq is career end now after world cup 2007.

well you guys should know that sami wont be playing the test matches,he has just been picked up to complete the squad.With gul,asif,rana and nazir in the squad I dont think he wull get a chance...maybe in the practice match but who cares...

i still think that i am dreaming or something. seriously i havn't played match cricket and having watch much cricket like most of u here. but i think this is the most stupidest selection by any team's selection commitee ever.
when shoiab is playing ther is a phsycological advantage for pakistan. the opposit team's batsman would be coution all the time and are always intimidated from the pace of shoaib akhter. not only that but the bowlers who bowles with shoaib akhter also gets fired up from his performance and try to perform. u have to think there is not any batsman in the world that isn't afraid of shaoib akhter.
lets put this aside and talk about shoaib's spead. i am sure most of u people watch india vs sa test serious. average bowlers like seasernath and zahir khan is giving the sa bats man hard time considering that if shoaib plays there don't u guys think it would make a big difference in the result of the match and his performance woud be better than any of those guys considering his spead. the problem with pakistani selection is that it is based on fivertism. as a fan of pakistani cricket i am realy upset with this decision. whatever and however shoaib is he is a match winner bowler who should be in the team. pakistan cricket board should only think about wining not about some personal issues with ther players.
i have always been a supporter of sami. at least even untill the last series. pakistan cricket board was selecting some low class bowler like iftekhar anjum. i always thought if they play with sami instead it would have been better. but i have never tought that sami would be picked over shoaib and shabbir in sa tour. that is one of the worse decision ever. sami is over. he isn't the same as he used to be. he is the worse bowler with worse test career record. it doesn't make sense to me why he was picked over shabbir. shabbir's hight would give pakistan a big boast when pakistan is going to play there in bouncy pitches but pakistani selections are too ignorant to know this.

this is a completely stupid desicion. the pcb selectors should go to hell.

Hey guys.....Gul Asif Rana and Nazir only....NO SHABBIR AHMED?????????

I think it is really unfair to our bad boy,Shoaib.If he is not in his wicket taking form,his sheer pace can put enough pressure on batsman so the bowler bowling at other end can easily grab wickets.I think Shabbir deserves a go ahead of Muhammad Sami and even Rana,because Rana has yet to prove himself in five day cricket.And the decision to take extra Keeper is really bad one from PCB.Younis can keep the stumps in case of emergency.It would have been really good if PCB had selected Abdur Rehman as a cover for Danish Kaneria who is not in his best of forms in recent past.

I agree with "Javed A. Khan" that if selection is based on performance then Younis Khan certainly doesnt deserve a place in the side and infact I think he is a liability. He hasnt performed one bit besides scoring vs India. Surely Shoaib couldnt have been worse.

I get the feeling Shoaib will be called half way through the test series in SA. I think its only a matter of time before one of the touring party members gets injured.

I think this should be Sami's last chance. If he doesnt perform this time then he should really retire. I do believe he can get wickets when he bowls in an attacking manner. He also needs to develop a slower ball and use the crease very well like Ntini does for SA. I think he would do well to learn from Ntini as they are similar type of bowlers with their bowling style/speed.

I don't think Shabbir deserves a place in the side. This guy has always had a problem with wides and no balls and talk about his fielding. He;s most of the time been just as erratic if not worse than sami.

If Pakistan is to have any chances of winning Inzi is really going to have to attack the opposition and playing the waiting game isnt going to help Pakistan win.

I still remember the "Durban test" the last time Pakistan toured here and if my memory serves me right happens to be the only test Pakistan ever won on SA soil and that was due to attacking captaincy and old Mushy and Shoaib were the chief destroyers so really Pakistan need to take something out of that script if they are to come anything close to wining.

After all the drama past 5 months it has come to this-Sami picked for the tour to SA ahead of Shoaib,I understand not taking Shabbir because his presence may dig out old wound that is the scandal of chucking.PCB has to be the most predictable sporting organisation in the whole world.Why dont they just forget about Sami already?Now that he's in, there will be a dilemma in selecting the final 11.For the tests it should be Asif,Gul,Nazir,now that Razzak is injured they will go for either a specialist batsman(hopefully Asim Kamal)or a 4th pacer which should be guaranteed to Rana and no way to Sami.They shouldnt have picked Sami even though Shoaib and Shabbir are left out.Its going to be a huge bonus for SA and surely they will take the initiative.

Then PCB left out Afridi(who shouldve played the last ODI against the Windies)should have been in the squad just for the fact that he will be a more effective batsman than Hafeez on those moving pitches.Now Hafeez-this guy is going to be the ultimate bunny of SA bowlers,if he is chosen to open the batting ahead of Malik,Pakistan will be already one down before even the start of each innings.Afridi was always going to be vital now that there's no Razzak.

Selection of Zulkarnain Haider is another waste of space in the flight to SA.In this unnecessarily extended squad of 17 there are at least 5 players who will be clueless in the hostlie territory of SA.And once again it will be up to the PAK middle order(INZI,YOUNIS,YOUSUF and hopefull ASIM not FAISAL)who's competency will be tested.It's YOUSUF's time to prove that he is indeed one of the greatest batsmen of all time.

And my advice to INZI:Do not pick SAMI for the final 11.

I agree with Kamran and feel a bit sorry for Shoaib. But we should also understand the dilemna of Pakistan selection panel. We have got two super bowlers in Asif and Omer. We also have strong back up support in Rana (on his current form) and the work horse called Shahid Nazir. Adding near certain place for Kaneria, you have four candidates for third seamer spot, Shoaib, Sami, Rana & Nazir. I would go for Nazir in tests and Rana in ODI's. Sami has unfortunately been an under-achiever and needs some confidence boost. Ideally if Shoaib was fit and kicking (match fitness that is) he becomes the first choice along with Omer & Asif. The panel is showing their comfort in people who have borne the weight of the attack in recent series and this argument cannot be regected outright.

Terrible........ SAMI's selection.... i dont think he deserves a place in pakistan's team obviously he does not even in bangladesh's team ....... beleive me i dont follow pakistan series in SA rather i would like to follow india/westindies/srilanka one dayers ..... shame to selector for not selecting shabir ahmed

Shoaib is not fit to play because you dont let him play!!, what the hell is PCB thinking? I fail to understand....i mean seriously, you can't even compare Sami to Shoaib...how will he ever be fit to play if you don't make him play the tests? It's not like pakistani team plays test matches every day on their own

Politics, Politics and Politics!

Where there should be politicians, there aren't. The country is being ruled by a military dictator but where there should be Sportmen and good administrators, there are politicians in PCB. Shoaib is a match winner!!! He single handedly wins matches for Pak. His performance against SA in Sharjah where he got Red HOT Klusener and two other batsmen in one over only and enabled Pak to successfully defend a total of 120-.

But we can't blame PCB entirely. He is to be blamed as well. He is the center of all controversies. He wants to be more of BodyBuilding Model rather than being a Cricket model. He has had problems with Inzi, Woolmer, PCB when contracts were being signed, Drug issue in Champions trophy, and the latest being hiding the Sponsors logo by tapes!

Despite all this believe, that he should be taken and PCB can take other actions if he behaves in an indisciplined manner by fining him his match fee or just dropping him for a few matches.

PCB is stupid for not picking Shoaib.Which team would not pick Shoaib on their team??? Its a shame how thePCb board and other memebers on the team have a problem with him. Pak need shoaib.

Shoaib Out? Nothing New. I agree with most writers here that it has to do with personalities rather than match fitness. Moreover Shoaib dont help the cause by not wearing company logo in 20 20 games. But again i will prefer a 50% Shoab rather than 110% Sami. And one more thing about Selector Iqbal Qasim! Please dont talk about Match Fitness

Chacha Koora kirkut--sounds like someone I know well, but hats off to you sir for concocting a great sign-on!

Having the luxury of seeing the PCB mindset up close and personal, I must salute their mind-boggling consistency! Choosing Sami is something that obviously pains all Pakistan other than Bari & Co and Imran Khan, who really should yield in pursuing this chap's hopeless cause.

Firstly: the entire appeals process and allowing the bowlers back in the field after dismissing them was a farce. It will as always come back to bite us and has done tremendous damage to us...time will tell. But, I digress...

Secondly, and more importantly, Shoaib is one of the very few and most exciting things to happen to world cricket in the last decade or so. Period. He is feared, he is ruthless and there is no single batsman in the world who would not have their pulse racing a tad higher when this demon runs in to bowl...what a sight. IF we have forgiven and forgotten all the t-bomb, t-max and viagra-driven life-catalysts, then one cannot drop him. Sure, he thrown tantrums, etc but at the end we know that no one can deliver the ferocity we need like Shabby. Live with the best you have...no point comparing to the Aussies...worlds apart.

Bad move. And by the way all, this is not just PCB driven but also fair share rests on the shoulders of our illustrious captain Inzi, who is instrumental in this move. He too needs to go.

The sami inclusion id purrly down to his dad being on the selection panel. Thats the only reason i can think of

Do you think people could lay off Mohammad Sami?

He is 25 years old, and as Woolmer freely admits his main problem has been psychological: his confidence is fragile and he lets it disrupt his accuracy.

But Imran Khan swears by him, and that's good enough for me. And many, if not most, legendary fast bowlers had achieved less by Sami's current age of 25.

At the same tender age of 25, Allan Donald had zero Test wickets, Curtly Ambrose had 29 Test wickets and Imran Khan had 62 wickets for 2385 runs at an average of 39, whereas Sami has 73 wickets for 3531 at an average of 48.

Pakistan needs a fast bowler who has the pace to pin batsman on the back foot. Shoaib is at the very end of his career, and no-one other than Sami offers that pace. Pakistan needs him for the next five years.

Every time Sami has been sent back to domestic cricket to prove himself he has succeeded. Sure, he failed in England, but he was short of form and support (in the absence of Shoaib, Asif and Rana Naved) and his strike rate was markedly better than the over-rated Danish Kaneria.

In fact, I would argue that it is Kaneria who leads a charmed life, given that his record away from Pakistan against teams other than Bangladesh is 69 wickets at almost 40 runs each.

I would argue that on bouncy wickets in places like Australia and South Africa Kaneria has just as much to prove as Sami.

Hey guys!

Chill out please. I am sure PCB is aware of this "blunder" they are being accused of committing. Trust me, they do.

I read all the comments. A couple of guys have linked this development (Rawalpindi Express dropped) with WADA and ofcourse Shoib's doping antics. I also am not doubting WADA's committment to penalise our doppers. WADA, by all means, will be on these guys' case. PCB is just taking a precautionary step here. Shoaib, as someone else mentioned here, perhaps is still testing positive.

Come one, guys. Give it sometime. Do you want to see the World Cup in Inzi's hand, or Pak-SA series trophy? It is common sense that there can not exsist the WC plan for Pakistan in Shoaib's absence. I am sure he will be back for the World Cup.

Don't worry Shoaib, no South African girls and drinks this time, buddy. All your fault though. Thank your doping antics. Cheers.

I feel personally that the team management and PCB do not want to take risks with Shoaib. They are thinking to themselves that what if Shoaib gets unfit now?? If he gets unfit he may not be able to recover in time for the world cup and that is exactly the reason why PCB wants to protect Shoaib from getting injured in the tests, give him a chance to get fully fit and unleash him in the odis in South Africa and the World cup.

Shoaib's non selection should not be a matter of concern because we have performed well without him.So Shoaib should go back to where it all begin and get his act together.

Shoaib OUT? you got to be kidding me!!! How do you justify that...? well Pakistan team mgt really is full of morons!!!

Ref. David Furrows' post (December 30, 2006 3:05 AM) about Shoaib taking steroid injections!

Come on David please keep your hypothesis for a better day i.e., when you are sitting in your living room among your friends and boasting that you have been everywhere, like attending the board meetings of the PCB; and working as a lab boy who personally took care of Shoaib's urine sample; a chemist who dispensed the needles to Shoaib and also the steroid injections; a caddy who heard all the juicy gossip of Bob Woolmer while the later was putting on the green! Or an office boy who peeped into Woolmer's laptop etc.

Revealing insider information David? We have heard a few rumours but, you are hallucinating and fabricating colourful wings of a butterfly to make your rumours fly. To sum it up David, your whole story sucks, c'est ca..

I don't want to discuss Shoaib Akhtar's personal life in public 'coz its nobody's business except for Shoaib. And, I do agree with other readers who supports his inclusion in the team. It is true that his presence in the team makes a big difference in the pace battery. Fast bowlers always perform well in tandem and he could influence the other bowlers while he is attacking with sheer speed and it is also true that many times Shoaib has terrorized the opposition. Please ignore his personal life and the tantrums he throws, everyone have their little woes, so please don't judge him on the basis of personal likes and dislikes like the PCB.

In South Africa he could have played havoc on the bouncy wickets and his,speed like Ntini and Nel. Even Zaheer Khan and a mediocre like Sreesanth are getting wickets. As for Sami, he definitely has got a last chance to prove his worth before the World Cup.

Old Rana is simply lucky, I would never include him in the national team. He is only good for county cricket and domestic matches. And guys, please note that Shabbir is tall and thats all, he is a way-ward bowler with no control and he needs match practice for sure, 'coz he is been out for a long time. If they had included Shabbir in the team, then they had to give another reason for Shoaib's exclusion, which they don't have any.

The word lack of fitness is what is confusing people, why dont they just say, he did not perform good enough in the local cricket circuit to be picked. It is simple, truth, and fair. The guy was giving runs like it was early Eid for him. I think it was a correct decision. As far as Sami is concerned, I am speechless, the cant bowl at the world class level anymore, period. For some reason, he carries a chip on his shoulder, as if he is Glenn McGrath. He does not use his head when he is bowling, and gives runs like there is no tommorow. Shahid Nazir, a belwo average bolwer, who just got lucky in West Indies matches, his selection I dont udrestand either. PCB honestly speaking is an outfit that is built on bribery and connection, and ass-kissing. If you got them you are in like Flint. If you dont, you are in the dog-house. I am amazed how PCB is still running....Having said all this, PCB if used there head, would have been better of taking Shohaib, so to at least keep him under observation in preparing for the world cup. Asif is a great bowler, but he needs support, and having bowlers like Sami, and Shahid, who give runs like...(fill in with all the galis you can think of) is going to ruin Asif's bolwing career.
This shows, PCB really deos not care for the development of there players, because they rally dont know how to, they are bunch of uneducated, illiterate, syndicate sitting on power.

If PCB has decided to drop Shoaib,then why do not they go for Azhar Mahmood who loves to play against South Africa and scored 530 runs at an average of 75 in 6 test matches.Why Sami ??

Shoaib Akhtar's omission from the Test squad for the series in South Africa is a wise decision. The itinerary for the tour is incredibly compressed with 3 days between the first and second test and 2 days between the second and third test. With such a programme and Shoaib's pathetic fitness record the PCB have reached the obvious conclusion that Akhtar will at best manage 1 out of the 3 Tests before getting injured again and hence jeapordising his World Cup chances.

The reality is that the PCB know a player who averages one series a year is really going to be pushed to even complete 5 one day internationals and a 2020 match (a maximum of 54 overs). Shoaib's record is not one of an individual who gains match fitness and plays a number of matches before breaking down again. He simply breaks down after every other game. In this sense Pakistan are better to use their other pacemen in the SA test series as they are the long-term future in test cricket. This last statement takes on particular significance when we look back at 2003 where we were faced with the en mass loss of several established players after the WC.

Finally, a prediction. The World Cup in the Windies will mark Shoaib's ( and Inzi's) departure from the Pakistan team as they will not be available for the 2011 WC. In other words the match winner justification Shoaib relies upon will disappear. Lets hope that we can at least manage Inzi's exit in a dignified and good fashion for the side.

Welcome to the era of the post 92 pakistani generation!

Shoaib should be back

Kamran Abbasi,
Yet again I have felt you have asked a wrong question regarding team selection. I am afraid I can't disagree with you more, yet again. The PCB has made a correct decision-- Shoaib's indiscipline undermines the spirit of the team. As much as I would like him to play for Pakistan, I feel he needs some time to reflect on his attitude. Though I have no doubt that he makes his best effort while he bowls, he needs to understand that he is ultimately a servant of the country, and should be grateful to the country if has to expect the same from his subjects. In any case, Shoaib's omission was the wrong question. The question you should have asked was what is Sami doing in the team in place of Shabbir? Beats me, the whole PCB sounds like a big Duncan Fletcher of Pakistan now.

Just want to know from all of those who critisize Shoaib is why do we keep forgetting his five for against South Africa in South Africa in 1997, The two magic deliveries that got Rahul & Sachin consecutively in 1998-99, Another magic delivery that got Steve Waugh in the 99 World Cup, His three for in an over against South Africa in Sharjah while carrying an injury, His six for against Newzealand in the opening one dayer in Karachi in 2001-02, His five for against Newzealand in New Zealand a couple of years ago. His series winning performance in the last home series against England on flat wickets and immediately after returning from injury his performace in the ODI series against England last Summer?

All I want to say is every one has his high points and low points but the performances mentioned above and many more like them should be good enough to give him respect.

Finally, just want to say that in 1997 PCB got hold of an asset a rare resource infact something that no test playing nation has and that is the fastest tearaway in the world. I don't think it needs to be mentioned how efficiently that resource was WASTED.

Shoaib not being included in the squad was a big surprise, but if we look at the situation more carefully, everything might make a bit more sense. I mean, its clear Shoaib Akhtar is way out of form and he hasn't even got match practise, the last he played was three 20-20 matches which is equivalent 12 overs and one other domestic match. I mean seriously, the management made the right decision not to rush him into International Test cricket; and since Akthar is injury prone, who knows how everything would turn out for him in a Test match against South Africa. However, if Shoaib Akthar has not been included because of his attitude than the selectors should seriously think of some other profession.

And those of the people that say Shabbir Ahmad should be included rather than Sami are dead wrong. Shabbir was only bowling half-decent in the last 20-20 domestic tournament, he has to go a long way before being the same person he used to be. Sami was a much better bowler, David Furrows has made a very interesting comment on Sami. Sami has a long cricketing career ahead of him, he can definetly improve. If he can pick up wickets in the domestic season he can learn to pick up wickets in International matches too and South African pitches can provide just the oppurtunity.

For now, lets see if Shoaib Akthar can make it to the ODI squad.