PCB slammed for being biased against Karachi players after Abrar Ahmed and Mir Hamza dropped from Pakistan Test squad

Former Pakistan cricketer Tanveer Ahmed has sparked the controversy by openly criticizing the exclusion of Karachi-based players by PCB Abrar Ahmed and Mir Hamza from the Men in Green ahead of the upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh at home.

Recently, Abrar and top-order batter Kamran Ghulam were released from the Men in Green by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to ensure the duo get some much-needed match practice before the second and final Test against Bangladesh, scheduled to begin in Rawalpindi on August 30.

Tanveer Ahmed slams PCB for bias against Karachi players

Now, Ghulam and Abrar will participate in the second practice match between Pakistan Shaheens and Bangladesh 'A', and they are expected to rejoin Men in Green Test squad before the start of the second Test match.

Apart from the duo, the star seamer Aamer Jamal was also sent back to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore to continue his rehabilitation. Now, Mohammad Ali was selected over Mir Hamza for the first Test against Bangladesh, starting on August 21 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi.

Following these calls, Tanveer has expressed his deep frustration over the removal of Hamza from the Test squad, following the earlier omission of Abrar, saying that a clear bias is at play. He openly accused Pakistan team management of favoritism.

The former Pakistani cricketer further argued that whenever a talented cricketer from Karachi begins to establish himself in the national team, he is unjustly sidelined. He claimed that there is someone in the selection committee who just can’t accept the rising stars from the region.

Some people can't tolerate Karachi players' success: Tanveer Ahmed

Tanveer Ahmed posted on X: “Mafi k sath 🙏🏻 pheleyey Abrar Ahmed ko team say nikala or ab Mir Hamza ko team say nikala kyn k ye log karachi k han karachi ka larka jab bhi team main jaga bananey lagta ha usko team say farigh kar diya jata ha kyn k kisi ko bardasht nahi hota🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 (Apologies first, Abrar Ahmed was dropped from the team, and now Mir Hamza has been removed too, just because they are from Karachi. Whenever a boy from Karachi starts making a place in the team, he is pushed out because some people can't tolerate it.)"

Mafi k sath🙏🏻pheley Abrar Ahmed ko team say nikala or ab Mir Hamza ko team say nikala kyn k ye log karachi k hain karachi ka larka jab bhi team main jaga bananey lagta ha usko team say farigh kar diya jata ha kyn k kisi ko bardasht nahi hota🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

— Tanveer Says (@ImTanveerA) August 20, 2024

Shan Masood reveals why Mir Hamza was dropped for the first Test

Tanveer’s remarks have added fuel to the fire, as questions about favoritism and fairness in team selection continue to make headlines in PCB. His statement claimed that Karachi players have long been overlooked and sidelined despite their talent and potential.

On the other hand, Pakistan’s Test captain Shan Masood defended the call to drop Hamza, as he stated, “We believe Mohammad Ali is well-suited for this role. He hits the deck hard, can move the ball in the air with the seam, and has that extra pace. It's not about one bowler being better than another, but rather about who fits the conditions best.”

Here’s Pakistan’s playing XI for the first Test against Bangladesh:

Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Khurram Shehzad, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, and Shaheen Shah Afridi