'Why have we made it so easy for players to represent the country?' - Shahid Afridi criticizes Pakistan's selection policy

Pakistan has had an utterly dismaying outing against England where they were whitewashed by the hosts. Their defeat has made the cricket experts put their thinking hats on to dissect the varied reasons for their failure. The former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi has also put forward his opinions on the buildup of a national team.

Making it into the national team is a dream for all the cricketers and at the same time, it is a tough nut to break. Thus, Shahid Afridi has criticized the selection policy of Pakistan across formats. Afridi opened up about the fact that during his times, playing for the nation was the ultimate thing but now the path to the destination seems quite easier for the players. Often it is observed that players are included and dropped within no time which makes it hard to build a strong team.

Echoing similar sentiments Afridi threw light on the importance of domestic cricket and its consideration before selection of players. “Why have we made it so really easy for players to represent their country? I am sad to see that a player gives one or two good performances in domestic cricket or the PSL and he is in the national team. What is this? You should make your cricketers play domestic cricket,” Shahid Afridi asserted as reported by Eastern Eye.

Shahid Afridi opens up on the importance of players’ mental strength

In international cricket, one has to be mentally strong to give their best performances on the field. Thus, good domestic exposure and a lot of match practice come in handy for the players to learn to handle and cope with the pressure. If they possess enough experience, it comparatively becomes easier for the players to stay calm in crunch moments at the biggest level.

Considering these aspects Shahid Afridi opined that in the domestic circuit the players need to be groomed well. Afridi added that after playing two to three years of domestic cricket one can observe the temperament of the player and the coaches can read his physical and mental conditions precisely. The veteran also feels that the selectors need to be more responsible in backing the players once they are selected.

“The real difference playing international cricket is how strong a player is mentally to handle all the pressures that come in international matches and that includes the criticism and glare of the media and fans. We must now judge the difference between just talent and mental strength of a player,” Afridi added.