Karachi: Pakistan Twenty20 captain Muhammad Hafeez today said he was neither consulted nor aware of the national squad announced for the three T20 matches against Afghanistan and Sri Lanka in the UAE this month.
Hafeez, who returned from South Africa tonight, was candid in telling reporters at the airport that he did not know who were the members of the squad announced for the upcoming matches. "I don't know because I was on a flight and no one consulted me about it," he said.
"I don't know what the squad is and will now see who is in," he added.
The Pakistani selectors today announced the squad and left out seniors Shoaib Malik and Abdul Razzaq and opted to include two new young batsmen -- uncapped opener Sharjeel Khan and Haris Sohail.
The role of the captain in the naming of squads by selectors has always been a tricky issue in Pakistan cricket. While many captains in the past had complained about not having a say in selection matters, others have been accused of being too dominating. The selectors themselves have complained in the past of not having the final say.
Former chief selector Iqbal Qasim on a recent television show conceded that Misbah-ul-Haq and Muhammad Hafeez had dominated selection matters in recent times. Hafeez defended his own form in recent matches which has not been very impressive.
"I am not too worried because these things happen to any cricketer and overall I think my performance has not been bad," Hafeez said.
The all-rounder also expressed satisfaction with the team's recent ODI series win over South Africa. "It has been a big win for us and we needed it. It has helped the team get back momentum and I think that will help us in our coming series against Sri Lanka."
