We feel let down by Qadir’s comments: Intikhab

Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam has brushed aside comments of ‘too much interference’ made by the former chief selector Abdul Qadir.

Sharing his disappointment at the timing of the comments – in the middle of Pakistan’s ICC World Twenty20 campaign – Intikhab told Dawn that the squad was selected in agreement with all parties concerned and it was shocking to hear Qadir’s comments given that he, himself, had agreed to the name beforehand.

“Comments regarding our interference is Qadir’s own opinion,” Intikhab said. “Whenever the team is selected, everybody, including the selectors, coach, and captain, and it is only then the piece of paper with everyone’s signatures if forwarded to the PCB chairman.”

“If he [Qadir] had issues with our interference or had problems with the selection, why did he sign those papers? He should’ve come out there and then and shared his thought instead of waiting until after tendering his resignation before making such statements,” quipped Intikhab.

Following his resignation last week, Qadir blamed Intikhab and Yawar Saeed, the team manager, for interference in selection matters, tendering his team of selectors as a ‘dummy committee’.

According to Qadir, he would have also stripped Younis Khan of the team’s captaincy in the Twenty20 format of the game while omitting Shoaib Malik, Younis’ predecessor as captain, from the side altogether for conspiring against the current captain.

Denying a rift in the current squad, Intikhab termed the allegations baseless and felt let down by the former chief selector making such statements when the team could do without them.

Meanwhile, Intikhab praised the stunning performance of Umar Gul and comeback guy Abdul Razzaq with the ball against New Zealand here on Saturday that won a key match for them in the Super Eights.

“He’s [Umar Gul] a fantastic bowler,” he said. “He’s disciplined, trains hard and is always thinking about his bowling. No wondered he achieved that feat [world record].”

Intikhab admitted Razzaq’s inclusion has strengthened the squad.

Highest wicket-taker in the recently-concluded domestic Twenty20 tournament, Razzaq shone with the bat too and scored the only century of the tournament. Judging by his performance on Saturday, he did not look short on confidence.

The coach said that Pakistan has hit form at the right moment.

“’It’s important to peak at the right time and this is what the team is doing right now,” he said. “Our batting clicked, our bowlers performed and our fielders took their catches. Special emphasis on Afridi’s brilliant catch and it’s moments like these that life the team’s moral on the field and turns players into match-winners.

“His [Afridi’s] batting was a bit of a concern prior to Saturday but it was due to circumstances [not many overs left in the innings] rather than anything else. He’s a match-winner and despite his lack of form with the bat, his bowling been brilliant as he’s shown how a leg-spinner can be so effective in Twenty20 cricket.”

© Faras Ghani 2009
Published in DAWN newspaper June 15, 2009