Commentating for the Haier Cup Twenty20 I kept running into Moin Khan and Waqar Younis last week at the National Stadium. They had meetings with Misbah-ul-Haq and other selectors, Salim Yousuf and Ijaz Ahmed. Shoaib Mohammad and Wajahatullah Wasti were missing but their views were probably on board wherever they were.

It was eventually reduced to one point -- whether to keep Younis Khan in the ODI squad to face Australia. It took some sweltering discussions and an extended debate on the second floor rooms but led only to an impasse. And the line of TV cameras were eventually packed up by 5 on Tuesday as word came that the announcement was delayed till the next day and would be made from Lahore.

Misbah would not have it any other way but to take him as his able lieutenant while the selectors were said to be split. The casting vote was apparently carted all the way to Lahore for the PCB Chairman to take. In the end the call made by those selectors in favour of new blood was given the nod.

Bold decision or a sensible one? That is the debate but I back Moin in his judgment. I am and will be a lifelong fan of Younis Khan. He is the most brilliant cricketer I have seen in Pakistan since Javed Miandad; a cricketing genius, devout team man, devoid of ego, high on integrity and supremely fit.

But as I have written several times in these columns over the last three years, despite his overall brilliance, Younis is now a batting liability in the limited overs games; in fact he has been so throughout since the 2007 World Twenty20, with the odd revival, somewhat, in the 2009 edition where he led the Pakistan side and performed well with the bat. Likewise in ODIs.

Misbah perhaps sees his value as his consultant on the field for he remains a shrewd reader of the game and the opposition. But his unimpressive strike rate due to his off stump weakness where he struggles to connect early in the innings and the inability to rotate the strike, which he once used to be master of, puts pressure on the other batsmen. Crude stats point out his failing in this format.

Despite opportunities in the top order in the one-day format, his last hundred came in 2008 and his strike rate is in the mid 70′s; should be far more for a No3 bat.

In 2013 he played seven matches and averaged 19, with a strike rate of below 60. I was surprised at his recall for ODIs in Sri Lanka last month and watching him bat in the first game of the Twenty20 tournament this week where he made 3 off 8 balls against a weak Bahawalpur attack made me firmer in my opinion.

What I must say, however, is that Younis is rightly annoyed at being dropped after just one game into his comeback, even though he appeared rusty in that innings. He returned home to grieve his nephew’s death which further makes his omission heartless. A man of Younis’ stature and considering his sacrifices to Pakistan cricket, should have been given one more ODI against the top team. If he was at all recalled, he deserved more than just one shot at rehabilitation. Pleased I would have been to see him leaving on a more respectable note, Moin’s comment that he can still play the world cup notwithstanding.

But disappointed I was to see confirmed failures inducted into the two squads. It is about time some better performing players against tougher opposition were given the opportunity. For instance, Umar Amin and Sohail Tanvir picked ahead of Haris Sohail/Ali Waqas/Mukhtar Ahmed and Hammad Azam/Zia ul Haq. Both have been given enough chances over the last year and have failed to impress; Umar especially with a line of failures on his last international visit to the UAE. Clearly it is the ‘Pindi effect’; the axis of power shifting north from Lahore over the past couple of years.

It’s good to see the selectors bringing back Raza Hassan. He has bowled artfully while Zulfiqar Babar was totally off colour in the group games. His back up is Saad Nasim, the Lahore Lions leg spinning all-rounder who was good with the bat in the previous Twenty20 Cup. He played a good knock in the on-going CLT20 in India but didn’t bowl. He has been probably picked on potential rather than current performance and is unlikely to play.

It’s good also to see Sarfraz Ahmed in the ODI squad as a specialist wicketkeeper. He has proved that given a level-playing field he can be far more potent with the bat than the Akmal brothers.

In fact I would have inducted him in the T20 game as well because Umar Akmal is suspect behind the stumps and the opponents are Australians who do not give second chances.

Sarfraz has shown that he can step into the shoes of any aggressive batsman; in my books he is a better batting option than even Umar Amin.

Asad Shafiq batted wonderfully in the Haier Cup, considering the requirements of the one day game, and has improved his T20 batting skills.

Some would think how the selectors can drop Umar Gul for a Twenty20 game but watching him this week bowling for Islamabad Leopards showed he wasn’t right up there, especially at crunch time against his previous team, Peshawar Panthers. I would have pulled in Junaid Khan for the T20 game as well instead of Wahab Riaz and dropped the Lions left-armer for Bilawal Bhatti in the ODIs. Pakistan already has Irfan and Junaid to bowl left arm pace. Bhatti is in my view a better bat than Wahab.

Pleasing to see the debonair Awais Zia, left-handed opener of Rawalpindi Rams, being called up again. He played three Twenty20 internationals against England in 2012 but managed less than 50 runs in total.

At the time he was clearly intent on hitting every ball and hopefully will show more maturity this time. His hundred last week was probably the catalyst for a recall taking the place of Sharjeel who has disappointed not just his fans and selectors but I’m sure even himself.

Credit must go to Moin & Co for getting a lot of performers of this week’s Haier Cup into the squad for the ëAí team that plays five ODIs against UAE, though I’m surprised Mukhtar Ahmed of Sialkot Stallions, whose hundred and 3/28 against Karachi Dolphins helped knock out the favourites, is not in any team.
I’m especially looking to see how Quetta Bears’ skipper Bismillah Khan does as he was a revelation in the Haier Cup even against the better teams in his group.

But what Rahat Ali is doing ahead of Zia Ul Haq and a couple of other fresh talented seamers in the four-day game against Australia beats me.

Nevertheless, it’s pleasing to see Asad Shafiq and Sohaib Maqsood given leading roles, captaining in the four-day match and the five UAE one-dayers, respectively. PCB does more wrong than right but here I can see the chairman is backing the selectors who are giving opportunities to domestic performers as they reignite the concept of ëAí teams. This is what happens when you appoint selectors from among those who have played the modern game and are in touch with younger talent.