Babar Azam is the most important person in team selection, not the chief selector: Inzamam-ul-Haq

Pakistan's former captain and legendary batsman Inzamam-ul-Haq has expressed his dissatisfaction with the treatment of Babar Azam by Mohammad Wasim, the Chief Selector of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Inzamam-ul-Haq opined that Babar Azam must be extremely unhappy, as his suggestions are virtually ignored by the selectors:

“Babar Azam is not impressed with the team selection, and Mohammad Wasim is saying it's not your concern. How can Mohammad Wasim say such a thing to Babar Azam? This is surprising. Now, where are those statements of Mohammad Wasim and the policies of the board saying that the captain will have the full authority and will have the main role in the selection,” wondered Inzamam-ul-Haq.

The Multan-born Inzamam-ul-Haq maintained that the selectors are not the most important people in team selection. The captain needs to be consulted before the squads are announced because he is the one who has to fight it out in the middle with his men:

“The important thing is that the team is selected with consultation, and I have already said many times that the most important person is the captain. Chief selector and coach are not the most important people because they can’t go inside the ground and the captain who has to make the team fight insidme he should have the confidence,” said Inzamam Haq.

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PCB should open its eyes and think about what it wants to do with Pakistan Cricket: Inzamam-ul-Haq

The 51-year-old also took a dig at the PCB for remaining silent on the matter.

Inzamam-ul-Haq also criticised the standard of squad selection, pointing out that five to six changes were made in Pakistan's T20I squad despite the team beating South Africa in their most recent assignment.

Inzamam-ul-Haq said in this regard:

“The board should open their eyes and should think about what they want to do with cricket. You have won the last T20 series ,and you have still made five to six changes. Five to six changes have been made in ODIs and players that are selected have played just two to three matches. This is not the standard of Pakistan cricket. The player who bowled well in two matches of PSL is selected, is this the standard of Pakistan cricket," Inzamam-ul-Haq fumed.

Meanwhile, Pakistan's white-ball and red-ball teams have been announced for the upcoming tours of South Africa and Zimbabwe.