Shahid Afridi declares only batters with high strike rates can play for Pakistan

Pakistan cricket team’s interim chief selector Shahid Afridi said that batters with a strike rate lower than 135 won’t be considered as far as T20 selection is concerned.

The former all-rounder, who was known for his explosive batting back in his playing days, said domestic batters must score at a strike rate above 135 in order to earn a national team call-up in the shortest format.

“No batter in T20 will be selected for Pakistan who will not have a strike rate of more than 135 in domestic cricket,” Afridi told Samaa TV.

Also read: PCB chief selector Shahid Afridi adds three bowlers to hosts’ squad

The comment comes at a time when two of Pakistan’s prolific run-scorers in Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are often blamed for scoring runs at a low strike rate.

PCB chief Najam Sethi later backed Afridi’s comment saying he can take any bold decision he wants to as a national selctor.

“He’s very popular, he’s the sort of person we want in the selection committee who can take bold decisions,” said Sethi.

“Afridi was on board, he wanted to make some changes and he wanted the team to play bold and exciting cricket. We are not going to play to win or to lose, but we are now going to play the game in the true spirit.”

Afridi earlier was appointed as the interim chairperson of the men’s national selection Committee by The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for the home series against New Zealand.

Abdul Razzaq and Rao Iftikhar Anjum will also be part of the panel while Haroon Rashid (member Management Committee) will be the convener.

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