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SHARJAH, Oct 16: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)'s decision to call up Shahid Afridi as a replacement for 'out of commission' Abdul Razzaq to face the rampaging Australians in the third Test is another mind-boggling step which defies logic.

This only confirms PCB' management's incompetency and lack of imagination.

Shahid, who arrived here early Wednesday, first of all should have been in the original team. He was overlooked for reasons better known to the PCB selectors and the top management.

Shahid's record as an all-rounder at Test level is better than Razzaq's. Even the unavailability of Razzaq is no excuse to replace him with Shahid as the second all-rounder Rana Naveed-ul-Hasan is in the original squad and so far done nothing but act as a "drinks carrier".

In case the PCB's blundering management decided to use Shahid as an opener in place of a mediocre Imran Nazir there is already a third opener in the squad - Imran Farhat - who should be given a chance because he too was regarded as a better option than Shahid in the first instance by the selectors.

It is certain that Shahid will play in Saturday's Test. The all-rounder will be under tremendous pressure to perform well in this one-off given to him. And if he fails with the bat here then the selectors and the team management should be blamed.

One cannot expect a player of even a bigger stature than Shahid to performhis best when the team's morale is so low and especially when the rivals are the world's best side. So it seems that Shahid is once again being sacrificed by PCB.

With the series already decided, another victory for Australia will give them a second clean sweep against Pakistan, which is the most likely outcome barring a mini-miracle from beleaguered Waqar Younis' boys.

And the Aussies are determined to heap further humiliation on Pakistan by winning sixth successive Test success, a perfect retort to uncalled for empty threats from Shoaib Akhtar and coach Richard Pybus.

The Australians did their talking on the field and the result of the second Test amply illustrated the steely determination of Steve Waugh and his colleagues.

Majority of the diehard Pakistan team's followers believe that the third Test is not going to last the distance as Waqar's boys are not in the same league as the Australians. They are not accepting PCB's excuses that the team tackling Aussies is short of experience.

Another example of PCB's bowing to player power is Razzaq's presence here when he should have been flown back to Pakistan to give his injured wrist time to heal. Why he is still wandering around Sharjah and Dubai shopping centres with his left hand in sling is anybody's guess.

And as he has been ruled out playing cricket for six weeks there is no justification of him being with the team as one of its members.

Reuters adds: Wicket-keeper Rashid Latif has been passed fit to play in the final Test.

The former Pakistan captain was unable to keep wicket in the humiliating second Test defeat because of a muscle spasm in his back.

Rashid, who went for an MRI scan on Tuesday said: "The scan showed no major problems, and the problems which surfaced will be treated with ultra sound, massage and icing.

"I have started training and will play the third Test as wicketkeeper and batsman."

© Dawn