Chief selector of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Haroon Rasheed has ruled out a national team comeback at this point in time for Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif, who will resume playing domestic cricket from January 10 in the National One-day Championship.
The PCB has permitted the duo to play for their department Wapda in the national event which will begin in Karachi and Islamabad.
Rasheed made it clear that there would be no immediate return for Butt and Asif to the national team even if they performed well in the championship, Cricket Country reported on Wednesday.
“I would say they will have to wait until the next season and appear in the first class tournament before we can decide whether their form, fitness and attitude makes us consider them for national selection,” Rasheed said while talking on sports channel.
He said even Mohammad Amir, was only recalled to the Pakistan team after one proper domestic season.
“In Aamir’s case, the ICC allowed him to resume playing last April and first he played Grade-11 cricket, then in different T20 tournaments and finally in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and Bangladesh Premier League before we invited him for the national camp,” the chief selector said.
“It was only after we were satisfied with his form, fitness and behavior in the camp that we decided to give him a second chance to play for the national team and picked him for the tour to New Zealand,” Rasheed said.
He also pointed out that Amir had undergone all necessary reintegration and rehabilitation programs of the PCB before he was allowed back into the team.
“It is too early to consider Butt and Asif. They are still completing their rehab and we have to see how they perform. But they will have to wait I think until next season,” he added. (APP)
