Shahid Afridi reveals criteria for selecting T20 batters

Shahid Afridi, newly-appointed interim chief selector, revealed that players in the domestic circuit with a strike rate of less than 130 or 135 will not be selected to represent Pakistan in the T20 format. 

Speaking to a private channel, the former Pakistan captain described his job as the chief selector "difficult", saying that it is hard to please everyone while holding this post. 

The flamboyant all-rounder of his era also said that he is holding one on one meetings with the players and the management. 

"There is a good understanding between the team and the selection committee," he said.

Talking about the pitches prepared for the Test series against New Zealand, Afridi said that he was not satisfied with them. He said that he had asked the groundsmen for a bouncy track and he agreed to do it. 

The interim chief selector further said that the pitches are not helpful as the bowlers have to work hard to control runs. "If we don't practise in the home ground, how will we play the pitches in South Africa and England," he questioned. 

Afridi said that they will have to look for the future and the new players, hence, a lot of things were under discussion. 

Bold, beautiful player

A day earlier, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Najam Sethi championed the appointment of Afridi as worthy, calling him a “bold and beautiful” player having the guts to take daring as well as endearing decisions on and off the field.

Speaking to Arab News, Sethi, who was given the responsibility last month in a sudden change of guard at the cricket board, said that Afridi was very popular and the sort of person they wanted in the selection committee who could take “bold” decisions.

Afridi was given charge of men’s team selection after Mohammad Wasim was sacked by the new PCB management. Since then, multiple changes have been made in the squad for the New Zealand Test series.

Defending his decision to bring in the swashbuckling batter, Sethi said he was someone to experiment with new talent and to realise where "the old was still gold".

“I think that was missing in this team which is why we had four defeats in a row in Test matches," he said, referring to back-to-back losses in the red ball format against England and Australia.

"Afridi was on board, he wanted to make some changes and he wanted to play bold and exciting cricket," Sethi told the foreign media.