"We haven't focused on building strong bench," Former Pakistan cricketer criticizes player selection strategy

Former national team pacer Yasir Arafat has expressed concerns about Pakistan’s approach to building a strong reserve of players over the past four to five years.

According to Arafat, inconsistent selection strategies and favoritism have hampered the development of a robust bench for the national team, often sidelining deserving talent in favor of familiar faces who may not always deliver.

In a recent interview with a local sports platform, the former cricketer highlighted how players in form and physically fit were sometimes overlooked in favor of players with recurring injuries or underwhelming performances. Using the example of domestic cricket star Kamran Ghulam, he noted the challenges faced by promising players despite their achievements. 

"For the last 4-5 years, we haven’t focused on building a strong bench. There are many reasons for this, including favoring a certain type of players even when they weren’t performing or were injured, while fit players in good form were overlooked. For example, three years ago, Kamran Ghulam broke Pakistan's domestic record for the most runs in a calendar year, scored centuries too. At that time, one could argue it was too soon to put him in the deep end, but he has consistently performed since then, even on 'A' tours," Arafat said. 

Drawing parallels with India's approach to talent cultivation, Arafat pointed out that other countries typically allow players to build their experience over a substantial number of domestic games before integrating them into the international setup. He cited the example of India's Sarfaraz Khan, who had to play nearly a decade in the domestic circuit before his international debut.

"If you look at other countries, players generally play 50-60 first-class matches over 4-5 years. India’s Sarfaraz Khan, who batted exceptionally well, only made his international debut last year, almost 8-10 years after his first-class debut back in 2012-13," he said.

Arafat praised the 29-year-old Ghulam's exemplary character and professionalism following his call-up to the national squad, highlighting his resilience.

"Kamran Ghulam always kept his head down and never went to the media or complained on social media, even though he had a lot of support from fans saying he deserved to be in the team. And the way he made his debut deserves praise. Despite the heavy criticism, especially because he replaced a big player and came in at Babar's batting position, he didn’t let it affect him. He played a match-winning innings, proved himself to the world, and brought Pakistan to a position where they won the match," he said.

It is worth noting that the young top-order batter made a memorable international Test debut, stepping in for former skipper Babar Azam in the second Test of the ongoing three-match series against England in Multan. Demonstrating poise and skill, the right-hander delivered a match-winning knock of 118 runs, guiding Pakistan to their first Test victory at home in nearly three years. With the series now tied at 1-1, the high-stakes decider is underway in Rawalpindi.