This interview took place shortly after Iqbal's resignation as Chief Selector. As you can appreciate, there were a whole host of questions that we could have asked Iqbal, but for the purpose of this interview we stuck to mainly the Australia and New Zealand tours.

by Saj Sadiq (19th February 2010)

PakPassion.Net: Can you confirm why you handed in your resignation and also why hand in the resignation before the team had even arrived back from Australia?

Iqbal Qasim: You have to understand my situation. I was employed in an honorary capacity and was performing the job to help Pakistan cricket as I have a passion for Pakistan cricket. Unfortunately the team didn't do well and I thought it best to let someone else come in and do the job. My thoughts were to make a good team, a team that could perform well against Australia, as I believe Australia is the yardstick for other test playing nations. The team didn't perform as it should have and I felt it my duty to resign from the post of Chief Selector.


PakPassion.Net: You mentioned the fact that the team didn't perform, what was the most disappointing aspect of the tour? There were so many negative aspects of the tour, what for yourself was the most disappointing aspect?

Iqbal Qasim: You see, well I felt that we could have done better. This team was, I honestly felt one of the best teams in the present circumstances from the available talent. I think the best teams were put out for the New Zealand and Australia tour. 

Firstly I don't think the team played to their potential. Secondly their approach was not professional, if you remember the Sydney test match, 175 we could not make it. Similarly we got many chances to take hold of matches in New Zealand and Australia and those opportunities were not taken. I don't know what has happened with this team but unfortunately things just did not click.


PakPassion.Net: The squads that was chosen for New Zealand and Australia, for all formats. You were chief selector, how much of this squad was actually what you wanted? Were there players that you wanted to select but you were overruled and not allowed to select those players, or were there players that were selected that you did not want to choose?

Iqbal Qasim: First of all we have to see this in a different way. The New Zealand series was our home series so we could select 17 players as we were the "home" Board. For New Zealand we selected the team minus Misbah ul Haq and my thinking behind that was that as he was not playing domestic cricket in Pakistan and secondly he was not in form. He played one or two domestic matches and then suddenly he went away to Dhaka to play in some league matches in Bangladesh. The entire selection committee was not happy with this and we asked the PCB Chairman what is the policy regarding selcting players who are not playing in Pakistan domestic cricket. The Chairman said there is no policy and any player can go and play anywhere, regardless of whether a tour is currently going on. I said if that is the policy then ok we have no objection, if the requirement comes up then we'll see. Then Yousuf made the request for Misbah in New Zealand and we let him go there. Yousuf wanted him desperately in the squad so we agreed to this request. 

In addition the request for Younus Khan was made. Younus was not in form though and we wanted him to play some domestic cricket and get some form. He started playing some domestic matches and we watched him and he was trying very hard for Habib Bank, so we sat down and talked about sending him to Australia for the one day matches. 

As for Mohammad Sami, he was the captain's choice as an addition to the squad. We offered the captain 2 or 3 alternatives and he came back and said I definitely want Sami. So there were no problems there, the captain wanted him so we obliged. 


PakPassion.Net: With regards to the actual squads chosen, that was the squad that the selectors and captain wanted? Were there any individuals that you yourself would have preferred to go on this tour?

Iqbal Qasim: There were no disputes amongst the selection committee and the touring selection committee except for one or two players here and there that I have mentioned such as the Misbah ul Haq and Younus Khan situations which had to be addressed and necessary clearance obtained. With regards to the tour of Australia we had less flexibility as it was an away tour and we couldnt select as many players as we had for the "home" series in New Zealand.


PakPassion.Net: You mentioned in the previous response about Younus Khan, there was a lot of discussion in the press about Yousuf wanting Younus for the test series in Australia. However Younus was not sent. You said yourself you wanted Younus to get into form and play some domestic cricket. Would you say the reality was that Younus never got into form and it was almost as if the selectors were being forced to select Younus for the ODI series?

Iqbal Qasim: After the Dubai debacle and during the test series in Australia we tried to contact Younus, but he was not reachable, we couldn't trace his whereabouts. As far as we (the selectors) were aware, Younus was sitting somewhere in the sea. We had no idea whereabouts in the sea he was and we had no idea where he had gone.

The team management and captain in Australia asked for Younus Khan, but Younus Khan was not there, we couldn't reach him.

Eventually when we located Younus we asked him to come and play some domestic cricket so we could judge him. Then he played some games for Habib Bank and we sent him for the one day squad.


PakPassion.Net: With regards to the choice of captain for the tours of Australia and New Zealand, obviously the selectors and board were put in a difficult position with Younus handing in his resignation shortly before the tour of New Zealand. Yousuf was appointed as skipper, was that a unanimous choice?

Iqbal Qasim: The choice of captain was not the selection committee's decision to make. It was the job of the PCB chairman and the Executive Board members to choose the captain, remove the captain and appoint any captain. We (the selection committee) were never asked about this decision and we didn't interfere in this decision.


PakPassion.Net: What you are saying is that it was a board decision to appoint Yousuf, the selectors had no say in the captaincy?

Iqbal Qasim: Yes, appointing a captain for any tour, whether that be a senior tour or junior tour is the job of the PCB Chairman and the Executive Board. I never interfered in that matter.


PakPassion.Net: About the selection of Imran Nazir, he was only selected for one T20 match, what was the thinking behind selecting a player just for one match?

Iqbal Qasim: There are two captains, each with their own plans and ideas. One was Yousuf and the other was of course Shahid Afridi and both had to be consulted regarding which players they wanted in their squads. Shahid Afridi had his own plans and his own strategy. We discussed the make up of the T20 squad with Shahid and he asked for Imran Nazir because he had performed well in Dubai and Shahid desperately wanted him in his squad.


PakPassion.Net: So what you are saying is that it was Shahid Afridi who wanted Imran Nazir for the T20 match in Australia?

Iqbal Qasim: Yes, thats correct.


PakPassion.Net: There has been a lot of discussions in the press recently about what has gone on in Australia, a lot of negative hype out there with regards to the players and what has occurred in Australia. Have there been any discussions between the board, yourself, the players and the manager while they have been in Australia with regards to any issues? 

Iqbal Qasim: Regarding what?


PakPassion.Net: For example there have been complaints with regards to players not getting along with each other, there have also been issues regarding . . . [Iqbal Qasim interrupts] 

Iqbal Qasim: I'm a very straight forward man, I don't interfere in matters that I'm not privvy to. My role was to handle the selection process and thats what I focussed on. I've not involved myself in any of the issues in Australia, neither have I asked anyone about what went on there. I have not involved myself in any of this.


PakPassion.Net: So that would be something the PCB chairman and the board would deal with?

Iqbal Qasim: Well there was a manager, there was a coach. The team management structure was in place and there was no point in asking the players to do this and not to do that as the team management were out there to handle any issues. So any incidents were to be dealt with by the team management in Australia. 


PakPassion.Net: Putting on your cricketing hat rather than chief selector hat, you are a very experienced cricketer yourself having played for a number of years, you played a lot of cricket for Pakistan. Looking at the coaching situation now, as I say not as a selector I would like your opinions on some cricketing matters. We had three coaches in Australia, Waqar Younis, Aqib Javed and Intikhab Alam. All three are bowlers, how do you think that will have affected perhaps the batsman on tour? Would it have been wise perhaps to have one specialist batting coach?

Iqbal Qasim: All three coaches you have named are close to me and former colleagues. If I say anything about this, it won't be nice so I would much rather talk about this with you at a future time when some definite decisions have been made regarding the coaching situation. 


PakPassion.Net: Going back to selection policies, the Pakistan A squad was chosen for the tour of UAE recently, any reasons why some of the very successful under 19 boys were not selected for that tour? 

Iqbal Qasim: We thought about some of the Under 19 boys in particuar Hammad Azam. Myself and the selection committee felt that it would be more benefical for the Under 19 boys to get selected in first class cricket and for them to play first class cricket and gain some experience before they are chosen for the Pakistan "A" team. 


PakPassion.Net: Looking ahead for yourself now, what projects are you going to be working on, are you still going to be involved with National Bank Cricket? 

Iqbal Qasim: I'm looking after some divisions in National Bank that includes various sports. I'm going to be involved in some community projects as part of this role. 


PakPassion.Net: As far as Pakistan cricket is concerned, obviously the New Zealand and Australia tours have been disappointing, what in your mind is the way forward for Pakistan cricket? What changes do you think need to be made?

Iqbal Qasim: Lets wait and see what the committee comes up with that has been assembled to look into what happened in Australia and New Zealand. They will hopefully probe into what has gone wrong. Lets see what their findings are and what they recommend. 


PakPassion.Net: Haroon Rasheed has withdrawn from that committee, would you be interested in being part of that committee yourself?

Iqbal Qasim: I don't think so.


PakPassion.Net: Thank you very much for your time

Discuss!