Inzamam-ul-Haq speaks about inclusion of Umar Gul and Hasan Ali for the upcoming ODI tour in England and Ireland

Pakistan chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq spoke to PakPassion.net about the inclusion of Hasan Ali and the return of Umar Gul for the upcoming ODI series in England and Ireland. Inzamam, who is known to take bold decisions said that Umar Gul’s inclusion in the squad makes a lot of sense as he is one of the most experienced bowlers in the setup and has proved his worth in the domestic circuit in the last one year.

In recent times, there has been serenity about the selection process in Pakistan and gone are the days when players were selected on whims and egos of certain selectors. Some might still ponder upon the fact that the infrastructure in the domestic circuits is not good enough but with the aura of competence that surrounds the new chief selector, Inzamam-ul-Haq the Pakistani fans can surely hope for better results in the near future.

A stalwart in his own rights, Inzamam was a prolific run-getter for Pakistan during his playing days and is considered one of the greatest ever batsman Pakistan has produced. He had taken some really bold decisions during his initial phase as a national selector and the announcement of the squad for the ODI series in England and Ireland has followed a similar pattern.

The inclusion of 20-year-old Hasan Ali in the ODI squad was a clear indication that Inzamam wanted to look forward rather than giving chances to the veteran players who have failed to prove their worth in the team in recent times. Not only Hasan Ali is held in high esteem at the domestic level but his recent bowling performances during Pakistan A tour of England where took 20 wickets has left very little doubt about his potential as a bowler.

“We have included some young players like Hasan Ali to build the team for the future, and in that regard I would like to say that he is a great prospect. His performance for Pakistan A in the recently concluded tour of England, where he took twenty wickets, was outstanding and so we have rewarded him with a place in the ODI squad,” Inzamam said.

While the inclusion of Hasan Ali is understandable, the selection of Umar Gul has raised a few eyebrows. Umar Gul who has successfully represented Pakistan for many years was left out of the squad after a string of poor performances and lack of match fitness and he will be making a comeback after a year.

Inzamam emphasised on the fact that Gul was the most experienced bowler in the squad and that was the only thing they were lacking in the bowling department in recent times.

“It is my belief that our fast-bowling attack needs the backing of some solid experience. There is no substitute for game experience and in that regard, Umar Gul’s inclusion makes a lot of sense. Apart from his experience of bowling in tight situations against top quality opposition teams, and with a good track record to boot, I was also encouraged by the thoughts of the selectors who felt that Gul was extremely fit which is a key requirement for the ODI format,” the former Pakistan captain said.