'I would never pick Shadab Khan for national team,' says Basit Ali

Former cricketer and analyst Basit Ali has made a strong statement about Shadab Khan, saying he would never select him for the national team based on Pakistan Super League (PSL) performances.

Speaking on ARY News' show Har Lamha Purjosh with host Wasim Badami, Basit expressed strong disagreement with those supporting Shadab's inclusion after PSL 10.

"As a selector, I would never include Shadab Khan in the team because he won't make it just on PSL performance," said Basit Ali.

He added, "When we have players like Abrar, Sufiyan, and Khushdil Shah, they deserve a place. And if senior players keep getting selected for the national team based on PSL performances, then where will the young players go?"

Former wicketkeeper-batter Kamran Akmal, however, disagreed with Basit and supported Shadab's inclusion. "Looking at his performance in the PSL, Shadab Khan deserves a place in the national team. Now it depends on what performances the selectors consider," Akmal remarked.

On the same show, both Basit Ali and Kamran Akmal also discussed team strengths in the ongoing PSL 10.

Basit said, "In my opinion, the strongest team in PSL 10 right now is Islamabad United. And the second-best team is not Quetta, but Lahore Qalandars."

Kamran Akmal agreed, saying Islamabad's squad had improved with the inclusion of new and foreign players. "Especially with the inclusion of Alex Hales, the team has benefited a lot," he added.

It merits mention that Shadab Khan is currently leading Islamabad United in PSL 10. He is also part of the squad announced for the Bangladesh T20I series.