Karachi: Former Chief Executive of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Arif Ali Khan Abbasi is not in favour of offering a farewell game to a player and said that such precedents would haunt the board in the future. “A player should not be included in the national team at the cost of a team combination as no one is bigger than the game and the national side. Such precedents are not worthwhile at all.” said Arif Abbasi
Shahid Khan Afridi, who has been out of favour since World T20 in India, has recently revealed that he had been in touch with chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq regarding his international future.
“Members of the selection committee are there to select the best possible combination. It’s not their mandate to accommodate a player for a reason other than merit”, Abbasi maintained
Arif Ali Khan Abbasi is regarded as the top sports administrator in the country. Apart from heading the Pakistan International Airlines, he led the cricket board, the hockey federation of Pakistan and the squash federation of Pakistan.
On a question, the former chief executive has however endorsed the idea of holding a ceremony to honour an outgoing player. “No harm in organising a function to bid farewell to a seasoned player. I am all for it”, Arif Abbasi said.