PAK vs AUS: You Are Not Making Players, You Are Destroying Their Careers - Danish Kaneria Slams Pakistan Selectors

Former Pakistan spin bowler Danish Kaneria accused the Pakistan selection committee of ignoring many senior players in the squad and destroying their careers.

Pakistan is currently playing Australia in the three-match Test series at home and the first two Tests in Rawalpindi and Karachi turned with no result as both teams move to Lahore to play the series-decider.

I don’t think Sarfaraz Ahmed is even in the plan of the selectors: Danish Kaneria

Senior player Sarfaraz Ahmed, who led Pakistan to the 2017 Champions Trophy title, played his last Test match against South Africa in January 2019. The 34-year-old player, who isn’t part of the Pakistan Test squad, was also excluded from the white-ball squads (3 ODIs and 1 T20I) against Australia.

Kaneria lashed out at the national selectors for destroying the career of the Quetta Gladiators skipper by making him warm the bench for most of the time. Kaneria also slammed the selectors for not looking up to youngsters.

“Injustice continues with the players. The same conversation keeps happening again and again; why are you destroying their career instead of making them?” Sarfaraz Ahmed is almost at the end of his career. I don’t think he is even in the plan of the selectors,” Kaneria said on his YouTube channel.

“But look how he was treated; he was removed first, brought back, was played in select few games and was largely kept on the bench. Worse, they could’ve rather invested in a youngster in his place like Rohail Nazeer. You brought him in for one year and then removed him. You are not making players, you are destroying them,” he added.

Pakistan will most likely be keeping Shan Masood on the bench again: Danish Kaneria

Shan Masood amassed 478 runs in 12 innings for Multan Sultans at a strike rate of 137.32 in the Pakistan Super League 2022 where he was the third-highest run-getter after Mohammad Rizwan (546) and Fakhar Zaman (588).

Quetta pace bowler Naseem Shah claimed 14 wickets from 10 matches at an economy rate of 8.01. Interestingly, both Masood and Naseem were dropped from the white-ball squad. Masood, however, is part of the Test squad but hasn’t played a single match in the series so far.

Kaneria said both Masood and Naseem deserved slots in the limited-overs series against Australia. The former Pakistan player is also of the opinion that Masood won’t get a place in the third Test due to the biased state of mind of the selection committee.

“The ODI and T20I team that was selected for Australia series.. Naseem Shah, who bowled brilliantly in the PSL, is absent from the squads. He took a hat-trick as well. Shan Masood, who played brilliantly in the PSL for Multan Sultans and forged an excellent partnership with Mohammad Rizwan, was also absent,” Kaneria said.

“He was brought to the Test team but he isn’t played; instead, Imam-ul-Haq is played and he has also been named in the ODI squad. In Lahore, Pakistan will most likely be keeping Shan on the bench again, because if he scores, it will put pressure on the selection committee,” he added. 

The Test series will conclude on March 25 and the first ODI match will begin on March 29 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

Also Read: PAK vs AUS: Danish Kaneria Accuses PCB Chief Ramiz Raja Of Betraying Pakistani Supporters By Supporting Rawalpindi’s Wicket