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Why Pakistan coach Misbah didn't want Sharjeel in T20I squad

Sharjeel had been banned earlier for his role in spot-fixing in Pakistan Super League

sharjeel-misbah Sharjeel Khan (left) and Misbah-ul-Haq

Pakistan opening batsman Sharjeel Khan is weighing down on head coach Misbah-ul-Haq's mind. Literally!

In an era when fitness is paramount in cricket, the inclusion of Khan, who reportedly weighs 112kg, in the Pakistan T20I squad for the series against South Africa and Zimbabwe, has not gone down well with Misbah. As per reports in Cricket Pakistan, skipper Babar Azam, too, is unhappy with some selections and has raised the issue with the selection committee. Both the skipper and the coach feel that Khan's selection will pave the way for other 'unfit' players into the team.

The national call-up will mark Khan's return to international cricket, having been banned for five years for his role in spot-fixing in Pakistan Super League. The ban was reduced after multiple appeals. Interestingly, it was PSL 2021 that paved the way for his return. Khan was the third-highest scorer, with 200 runs in five matches at a terrific strike rate of 170.94, before COVID-19 cases brought the tournament to an abrupt halt.

Misbah had raised the issue of Khan's fitness in the past too when Mickey Arthur was the Pakistan coach.

Chief selector Mohammad Wasim, however, said he believes that fitness cannot be the only criteria and that the players can be given a chance if they are performing consistently.

“Fitness isn’t the only criteria for selection. At the end of the day, a player has to play cricket. We are already working on reviewing the fitness testing levels and will introduce a new strategy [to gauge fitness]. I didn’t comment on Sharjeel’s fitness earlier as his performances [last year] were patchy, but now we have to look at anyone who performs, whatever the fitness they have.

“Yes, I understand there is still a lot of work that needs to be done on his fitness and he will improve with time, but at the moment he can win us big games with his bat,” Wasim said in a press conference.

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