'Rest in peace Pakistan team' - Rashid Latif lashes out at PCB over squad selection for Afghanistan series

Former Pakistan cricketer Rashid Latif has slammed Pakistan Cricket Board for tinkering too much with the team combination after the board announced the squad for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan.

Pakistan rested their key players, including Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi, while they have also rested skipper Babar Azam, with all-rounder Shadab Khan set to captain in the T20Is.

Latif criticized the PCB for dropping key players for the T20I series against Afghanistan and also stated that players like Babar and Shaheen, who feature in the ICC rankings and win awards, make the PCB jealous.

"Our players are featuring in ICC rankings and winning awards after a long time. Babar and Shaheen won ICC awards. They [PCB] couldn’t digest it. They said we won’t let it happen and now we are here and will take decisions. Those who never took rest and are 70 or 80-year-old and need to rest, are now deciding the fate of Pakistan cricket. You can say rest in peace Pakistan team. Our team is now resting in peace," Latif was quoted as saying by cricketpakistan.

Latif also said that the PCB has set up a ploy to destroy senior players in the team by bringing in new players for the Afghanistan series.

"When you bring new players, you break a team combination. Some new players, who are selected, will perform in the Afghanistan series, so will they bring back the senior players back with lesser strike rate. Media will also put pressure on them. This is the first step towards destroying Pakistan team," Latif added.

Pakistan squad for Afghanistan T20Is

Shadab Khan (c), Abdullah Shafique, Azam Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Ihsanullah, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub (Peshawar Zalmi), Shan Masood, Tayyab Tahir, Zaman Khan

Reserves – Abrar Ahmed, Haseebullah and Usama Mir

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