LAHORE: Chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq said on Thursday that he anticipates quality and challenging cricket during the national T20 Cup as the best combination regional teams have been selected through drafting.
Talking to the reporters after drafting of the National T20 Cup here at a local hotel, Inzamam said: “Coaches, captains and selectors have put in their best efforts to make best combinations and teams and I look forward healthy and enthralling competition ahead.”
Senior players are inducted in great numbers in the National T20 Cup to make the teams balanced, he added.
When asked whether junior players should be given preference to the seniors in this event to find out future stars for the national team, Inzamam said: “Yes, this suggestion needs to be pondered over, and we must prefer juniors and upcoming players to the seniors. Young players are more energetic and passionate, and they perform more enthusiastically in the Twenty20 format.
So we should surely think about it and try to get in more and more juniors in this event.”
Reportedly during the drafting, Inzamam got angry at the selection of a player for Lahore Blues team. When the chief selector was asked about it, he said: “I, being the chief selector, see the things differently. I don’t want youngsters in a team, where already there are great players, as it will deprive them of exhibiting their prowess properly and they won’t be able to perform in a better way. So that’s why, I wanted each region selects a balanced team, where every young and upcoming player gets the best chance to prove their mettle and excel.”
When asked whether to retain the Champions Trophy winning combination for the Sri Lanka series or the top performers of this National T20 will also be considered for the upcoming series, the chief selector said: “Whenever a player performs very well in a national tournament, we can’t take him to the national team very next day. We need to observe top performers for at least one year, and if they succeed in giving consistent performances, then they must be considered for the national team.
“And secondly, if during the series, we need a player, then we will have a very good back-up and in that case, we can surely give the top performers a transparent chance in the national team,” he added.
To another query he said: “Thanks God, we have won the Champions Trophy. All credit goes to boys, who performed very well and succeeded in earning the great feat. This victory boosted the team’s morale and it will help the players improve their game and give out their best, so that the team may continue giving consistent performances.”
Inzamam also reminded the players to forget about the past victory and continue working hard for the upcoming series. “As the competition is very tough in the team, the players have to work really hard to maintain their place in the team. We have very good back-up in shape of young performers, who are capable of replacing any senior, so everyone needs to do well and try to make the team number one.”
