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- Aug 1, 2023
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Ramiz Raja seems to argue that Babar Azam should have been retained in the team because he attracts crowds to the stadiums. This is a weak argument on so many levels:
1) People don’t show up for Test cricket in Pakistan anyway.
2) Selection should be based on merit, not on fan following.
3) If our media and marketing agencies can turn someone like Babar—who isn’t particularly charismatic, traditionally handsome, or exciting in terms of strike rate—into a star attraction, why can’t they do the same for Rizwan, Naseem, or even Zulfiqar Babar loll?
I do agree that our current players lack the larger-than-life personalities that past players like Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Akhtar, Wasim Akram, and Inzamam had. But still, you can't select a player simply because you think they'll draw crowds. How was he even PCB chair with thinking like this?
1) People don’t show up for Test cricket in Pakistan anyway.
2) Selection should be based on merit, not on fan following.
3) If our media and marketing agencies can turn someone like Babar—who isn’t particularly charismatic, traditionally handsome, or exciting in terms of strike rate—into a star attraction, why can’t they do the same for Rizwan, Naseem, or even Zulfiqar Babar loll?
I do agree that our current players lack the larger-than-life personalities that past players like Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Akhtar, Wasim Akram, and Inzamam had. But still, you can't select a player simply because you think they'll draw crowds. How was he even PCB chair with thinking like this?