Pakistan team head coach Dav Whatmore was not satisfied with the selected national team for the South Africa tour, it has been learnt.

Dav Whatmore left the meeting called for selection of the national squad announced for the tour. It has learnt that Whatmore pleaded for the inclusion of wicketkeeper batsman Adnan Akmal but the selectors insisted for Sarfraz Ahmed. The head coach also wanted to include fast bowler Rahat Ali having much pace but the selection committee turned down his suggestions, the private channels reported on Saturday.

The head coach is extremely unhappy with the selection committee and to record his protest, he walked-out the selection committee meeting prior to announcement of the squad for the tour. Though he protested for the inclusion of the blue-eyed players in the squad yet he failed to impress the selectors and they named their own selected team so he left the meeting to record his protest.

The cricket circles of the city were of view that though Sarfraz Ahmed is a good wicketkeeper and performing well in domestic circuit but whenever he was selected for the international tours he failed to deliver for Pakistan. It was felt that he had forgotten his abilities of keeping the wickets and disappointed his countrymen with his power showing in the past, they added.

But the selectors included their favourite wicketkeeper and if he fails to deliver in South Africa then the selectors have to accept his failure responsibility and quit immediately after the return of team to Pakistan, they suggested. The selection of team decision has some flaws, if the selection committee had accepted Whatmore’s suggestions, it would prove better for Pakistan at the bouncy pitches in South Africa.

Inclusion of Adnan Akmal, Umar Amin, all-rounder Asad Ali and fast bowler Tanvir Ahmed and Rahat Ali instead of Sarfraz Ahmed, Faysal Iqbal, Abdul Rehman will be much better for the tourists on South African pitches.

Dropping Adnan Akmal and including four fast bowlers, one bowler less, has also shows poor selection of team for the conditions in South. The selectors should have dropped Abdul Rehman and picked a batsman Umar Amin who had performed well in President’s Cup and visited India as a visitor despite his inclusion. Asad Ali should have been included in place of Faysal Iqbal, who was included as a 16th player of the team.

All-rounder Asad Ali also deserves a place in the squad due to his good show with bat and ball during the President’s Cup and was also selected for India tour but witnessed the matches sitting at benches. There was no place for Rehman in the presence of Ajmal and Hafeez who were also included in the squad.

The selectors done injustice with Adnan Akmal despite his good show in Quaid-e-Azam Trophy in which he was performing consistently but was dropped by the selectors reasons best known to them or to select their choice Sarfraz Ahmad despite his poor show in QAT as he hasn’t scored any 50 in last three QTA matches.

Adnan, who kept wickets for Pakistan in the previous 11 consecutive Tests and in his last innings despite injury he batted courageously and scored 35 off 96 balls and saved the Test for Pakistan against Sri Lanka at Pallekele.

Faisal’s Test average is 26.76, Tanvir’s is 24.56. Tanvir had two fifties in his last three first class matches and also scored a crucial 96-ball 57 last time he played Test cricket. With bowl, Tanvir took 38 wickets at 20.13 in the President’s Trophy and bowled vital spells in the few wins of Port Qasim Authority. He also grabbed a six-wicket haul on his Test debut, which was against South Africa at Abu Dhabi 2010, and it could have given him psychological advantage against the Proteas.

Pakistan Cricket Board chief Zaka Ashraf should take note of the selection and do just with the players axed from the squad due to reason best known to the selectors. The selectors should be made accountable for this unjust selection and include players who justified their selection through their performances in the past in place of selectors blue-eyed players. The selectors are being paid by the Pakistan Cricket Board and chairman Zaka Ashraf must inquire about the criticism going on over the selection of team from its employees.