‘Did not receive chairman approval': Shahid Afridi on not selecting Sharjeel Khan in Pakistan’s ODI squad vs NZ

The interim chief of the National Selection Committee, Shahid Afridi, has disclosed that he cannot select Sharjeel Khan without the approval of PCB Chairman Najam Sethi, which is the main reason for the left arm opening batter's omission from the team.

On Thursday, the interim chairman of the National Selection Committee held a press conference at the National Bank Cricket Arena.

“24 ke andar maine select kiya tha (He was part of the 24-player shortlist),” said Afridi in a presser on Thursday, January 5. “This, owing to his performances in domestic cricket.” The former Pakistan skipper then turned towards Haroon Rashid, convener of the interim committee and said, “I’m very straight, we did not receive a green signal from the chairman regarding whatever had happened in Dubai.”

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) suspended Sharjeel Khan in 2017 for his alleged involvement in the Pakistan Super League spot-fixing incident. He was banned for five years, with two and a half years suspended in total, however he was allowed to play domestic cricket during the latter part of his punishment.

Sharjeel has represented many teams in domestic cricket, including Karachi Kings, Islamabad United, and Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), as well as Karachi Blues and Sindh in the domestic first-class competition.

Sharjeel has had a great international and domestic career, amassing over 3,000 runs in international cricket and over 7,000 runs in domestic cricket. He is well-known for his aggressive playing style and ability to score runs quickly.

Meanwhile, Shan Masood and Haris Sohail make their ODI comeback. Masood last played an ODI in 2019, while Sohail has not played a fifty-overs match since 2020.

For the first time since the hosts won the series 5-0 in 2003–04, New Zealand will play an ODI series in Pakistan. The most recent bilateral series between the two teams finished in a 1-1 tie in 2018–19.

Pakistan ODI Squad: Babar Azam (c), Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haris Sohail, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Salman Agha, Shahnawaz Dahani, Shan Masood, Tayyab Tahir, Usama Mir

READ| Pakistan vs New Zealand: Shahid Afridi-led selection committee announces squad for ODI series, Details Inside