Asif: Comeback on the cards?

In Pakistani cricket fortunes rise and fall with the sun. While only a few days ago I wrote about the myriad challenges being faced by Mohammad Asif, it now appears that Ijaz Butt, PCB Chairman, has all but mandated that Asif will be making a comeback and soon.

Suddenly, a drug arrest in Dubai, is a "minor" incident. Only in Pakistan can the Chairman of the PCB wash away a problem like this, with a casual comment. Asif has many problems, and as a young man he needs to sort them out. Give the man some time. Plus, does he just walk back into the squad? Sohail Tanvir, Umar Gul and Rao Iftikhar seem to be doing pretty well. Sohail Khan and Azhar Ali are knocking on the door. Does an unfit Asif who hasn't played competitive cricket for a year have a place in the squad?

Sohail Tanvir: Selection issues?

Well, newcomer Sohail Tanvir, who I know nothing about yet, has been selected to replace Shoaib Akhtar at the Twenty20 Cup in South Africa. According to The News, Sohail Tanvir has shown no special aptitude in the Twenty20 form of the game, and while not an automatic selection, someone may have lobbied excessively for his selection to the squad. Knowing nothing about him, I'm not sure what the story is, but he did take 4 wickets against a fairly strong Australia A squad in the recent ODI match for Pakistan A. Best of luck to the young lad, but I hope the selection is based on talent, not on external pressures.

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