A joke to not consult captain or coach - Akram

Wasim Akram, the former Pakistan captain, has criticised the PCB and its selection committee for not consulting the coach and captain prior to selecting the squads for the upcoming tour of the UAE. The board announced a 15-man squad to take on South Africa last week, but didn't initially name a captain. A day later, Misbah-ul-Haq was appointed Test captain and Afridi was retained as leader of the side for the shorter formats.

"It's a joke to select the team without consulting the coach and the captain," Akram told The Express Tribune. "The duo has to marshal the team in the series and tournaments and it is not the selection committee which will have to bring the best out of the players on the field.

"If I was a chief selector, I would've definitely taken feedback from the coach and the captain before naming any squads. With the World Cup just a few months away, we're still mulling over captains while other teams have their formations ready for the event. This shows poor leadership qualities in the current PCB setup."

Both limited-overs captain, Shahid Afridi, who was cautioned by the PCB for expressing his unhappiness at the team, and coach Waqar Younis had complained that their inputs on team composition weren't taken by the selectors. Waqar reportedly told the national assembly's standing committee on sports that this was not the first time such a thing had happened; he was not consulted by the selection committee for various other tours, including the tour to England earlier this year and the World Twenty20 in the West Indies.

Pakistan's chief selector Mohsin Khan, however, defended the decision to name squads without consulting the captain or the coach, saying that it was not stipulated in the PCB's constitution that they must have a say in selection.

Pakistan play two Twenty20 internationals, five ODIs and two Tests against South Africa in Dubai and Abu Dhabi from October 26. Akram said Pakistan would be the favourites for the shorter formats but the Tests would be tougher. "The players will be under extra stress and pressure because of the spot-fixing controversy from the last tour and the series is going to be a tough test for them both on and off the field."