Razzaq quits

Abdul Razzaq's sudden departure from international cricket is a big loss to both cricket as well as the Pakistan team. He was undoubtedly an amazing all-rounder, although I always felt that his bowling at times looked sluggish but his pinch-hitting style batting has always been a treat to watch. His unexpected retirement comes at a time when Pakistan are looking to re-build their team after the World Cup debacle and also at a time when a new coach has just arrived. I would blame the selectors here because Razzaq has made it clear that the reason behind his retirement is that the selectors did not include him in the 15-man squad heading for the twenty20
World Cup and he has also stated that his retirement is a symbol of protest. The selectors' decision seemed absolutely ludicrous because Razzaq is the kind of player who is perfect for a twenty20 tournament and he is the sort of batsman which every team will dream to have, especially in twenty20 matches because he has the ability to shatter the morale of the bowlers with his fiery shots and most importantly he can score swiftly. He has proved it in the past that he is a match-winner plus he is also vastly experienced and hence his exclusion had no justification. His retirement highlights the unpredictable nature of the PCB as the board at times seem to make preposterous choices without giving proper attention to the consequences their decisions would have on the team. These sort of incidents are nothing unusual for Pakistan cricket because we have seen in the past that talented players suddenly faded away after playing for a year or two, may be due to rifts with the board or may be they never got a second chance after just one or two poor performances but that does not necessarily mean that they deserved to be omitted from the squad. Similarly, the reason behind Razzaq's exclusion from the squad is also a mystery. But now he has left and I am sure that all-rounders like him are not available in large numbers
In fact, he was a rare player who will be sorely missed by his fans and fellow players. I hope that he will withdraw his decision and return to international cricket soon.