Pakistan has a rich cricketing history with a deep pool of talent. However, identifying and nurturing that talent can be challenging. Cricket is an evolving sport with changes in formats, rules, and playing conditions.

The Pakistan cricket team has a passionate fan base that expects consistent success. The selection committee, especially the chief selector, is responsible for assembling a competitive team that can perform well in various formats of the game. The selectors must have a keen eye for potential and the ability to assess players’ skills, form, and fitness accurately. Striking the right balance between experienced players and young talents is crucial. They need to make decisions about promoting new players while also ensuring the team has enough seasoned players to provide stability and mentorship.

Assessing the quality of the domestic cricket structure is important for talent development. The chief selector might need to work with other cricketing authorities to improve the domestic setup.

Earlier this month, former Pakistan captain and World Cup 1992 winning team member Inzamam-ul-Haq was appointed the chief selector for a second time. Previously he served in the same position from 2016 to 2019. Inzamam will succeed Haroon Rasheed who stepped down last month.

Inzamam is a legendary cricketer known for his remarkable batting prowess and leadership qualities, and his contributions to the growth of Pakistan cricket. He played 120 Tests, making 8830 runs at an average of 49.60 with 25 hundreds and 46 fifties. From 378 ODIs, Inzamam amassed 11739 runs at 39.52 with 10 centuries and 83 fifties. He also played one T20I.

Inzamam, 53, was known for his support of players during difficult phases of their careers. He believed in giving players a fair chance to overcome challenges and rediscover their form. This patient approach yielded dividends for some players who eventually went on to become pivotal assets for the team.

Having been a player himself, Inzamam understood the importance of clear communication between the selection panel, players, and team management. He made an effort to maintain an open dialogue with players, discussing their roles, expectations, and areas of improvement. This approach helped in building a harmonious and cohesive team environment, resulting in better on-field performances.

Inzamam’s term as the chief selector brought significant improvements to Pakistan cricket, leaving a positive impact on team selection, player development, and team dynamics. His approach of fostering young talent, strategic team selection, effective communication, and backing players during tough times helped in reviving the team’s performance.

He selected the team that won the Champions Trophy under the leadership of Sarfaraz Ahmed in 2017. He also picked the team for the ICC World Cup 2019.

Inzamam will once again work with Mickey Arthur, Pakistan team director, and head coach Grant Bradburn.

In the second tenure, his first assignment was to pick the national squad for the three-match ODIs against Afghanistan, to be played in Sri Lanka from August 22, and the Asia Cup, scheduled to take place also in Sri Lanka between August 31 and September 17.

His most important assignment will be to select the national squad for the 50-over World Cup to be held in India in October and November this year.

The legendary cricketer is expected to bring a wealth of cricket knowledge to the team. This significant responsibility requires great cricketing intelligence, something Inzamam has repeatedly shown.

“Heading a selection committee is already a tough job in Pakistan, but it is going to be more challenging this time with the ACC Men’s Asia Cup and ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup around the corner followed by the tour of Australia,” Inzamam said. “But, I know I can deliver in this role and I will try to do better than I did the last time. Despite the paucity of time, we will announce the best possible sides,” he promised.

Inzamam’s previous tenure as the chief selector was marked by a consistent and pragmatic approach to team selection. His emphasis on performance and form rather than reputation or seniority led to the inclusion of deserving players who proved their mettle in international cricket. This policy created a competitive atmosphere within the team, motivating players to perform at their best to secure their spots.

One of Inzamam’s main objectives will be to invest in grassroots cricket and establish talent-hunting programmes in various regions to spot promising young cricketers. By providing these youngsters with ample opportunities and exposure, he should create a strong pool of future cricketing stars for Pakistan.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has also formed a high-profile Cricket Technical Committee (CTC) consisting of Misbah-ul-Haq, former captain Mohammad Hafeez and Inzamam. They all have vast experience of international cricket and with their guidance Pakistan cricket team can get space in the top three in all formats of the game.

The committee is supposed to provide recommendations on cricket-related matters, to revamp overall domestic structure, scheduling, playing conditions, appointment of the national selection committees, appointment of national team coaches, central and domestic contracts and plans for the development of umpires, referees and curators.

It will not be an easy task for the committee to improve domestic cricket structure and make it competitive and interesting to pull crowds.

In spite of having an enormous amount of cricketing talent, Pakistan has not achieved the standing in the game many experts believe the country should have gained and maintained on a highly consistent basis.

Pakistan cricket’s bad luck is that our domestic structure is not up to the international standard and has failed to provide quality players who can compete with other top team players and take the pressure of crunch situations. Players who scored a record number of runs and took wickets regularly in domestic cricket failed to deliver the goods when chances were provided to them in international matches.

The Board and management are more responsible for this situation than players themselves. What can a player do when he is not used to the conditions he faces at the international level? In their domestic matches, batsmen face deliveries on the same height, same bounce and without any movement and they have acquired very good practice to face this kind of deliveries. But when they play in Australia, England, New Zealand or South Africa, they ultimately throw their wickets away, mostly behind the stumps or in the slips.

The board never provided the opportunity to the domestic players to play their trophy matches on fast and grassy tracks. Every country prepares its pitches according to their own team’s strength, but Pakistan is most unfortunate in the sense that it doesn’t utilise its strength according to its cricketing capabilities.

Only financial benefits can’t produce quality players. Provide them the best ground facilities, upgrade ground conditions and make hard pitches and grassy outfields. All domestic cricket must be played on those pitches so that high quality batsmen can be produced who can face top class bowling abroad.

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