Daily Times

LAHORE: Pakistan opener Imran Farhat is a dejected man these days. He has not been considered for selection for quite sometime now, despite giving continuous commendable performance in domestic circuit. What is more lamentable that the dashing opener is not even selected by any franchise of the Pakistan Super League in previous as well as for the upcoming edition in the United Arab Emirates in 2019. Imran, who made his debut in 2001, was last included in the national team for the tour of Zimbabwe in 2013. But owing to the serious illness of his wife, he pulled out of the tour. But since then, he has been overlooked by the national selectors despite a string of strong performances in domestic cricket. Imran scored 2400 runs in 40 Tests with three centuries and 14 half-centuries. He also played 58 ODIs while scoring 1719 runs with one century and 13 half-centuries. He also played seven T20 matches. “I could still play international cricket but the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is ignoring me constantly for the last couple of years. Personal likes and dislikes in team selection is order of the day. Nepotism rules! Even my name was never included the list from which five teams of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) pick players,’ Imran said on Saturday.

Imran is an experienced Test cricketer who has won so many honours for Pakistan and for his domestic teams Lahore and Habib Bank Limited. It is pertinent to mention that this season, under his captaincy, HBL won Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and National One-day Trophy. Test players like Umar Akmal, Umar Gul, Faheem Ashraf, Imamul Haq and Abdur Rehman played under his captaincy. Left handed batsman Imran has never indulged himself in any controversy. At 35, Imran is physically super fit. “I appeal to PCB chaiman Ehsan Mani to look after those players who are fit and performing in domestic circuit,” he added. Imran’s 32 years old wife has incurable disease of Multiple Sclerosis and is permanently on wheel chair now. Imran was selected for the National Twenty20 Cup for Multan team but he refused to play because he was of the view that this tournament was just an eyewash and had no importance. Imran is leaving for England in a couple of days to look after his wife and children. “Before leaving for England, I want to give a message to the PCB, national selectors, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Aqib Javaid, mentors and PSL franchise owners that they should give more importance to nationalism and not ignore those players who have potential and can still serve Pakistan cricket for another couple of years,” he concluded.

Published in Daily Times, December 16^th2018.