Islamabad: Out-of-favour Pakistan allrounder Azhar Mahmood has blamed the flawed selection process and cricket set-up in his country for being “in and out” of the team despite performing consistently.

“What I don’t understand is why I am in and out of the Pakistan team… Whether I perform or not does not seem to make a difference... For a year or two I played consistently, but after that I’ve been in and out of the team, uncertain of my place,” Mahmood said in an interview to a website.

“How many players have been ruined by the PCB in this decade? There is no stability in Pakistan cricket and the players change every series. The only world-class batsman that we have produced since the 1992 World Cup is Yusuf Youhana,” he said.

“Perhaps I’m fortunate. Perhaps Allah has saved my reputation by helping me avoid some embarrassing defeats. At least I can hold my head up high. I’ve always given everything for the team and nobody would dare approach me to fix a match.”

Mahmood blamed the cricketing set-up in the country for the rot that has set in.

“The Pakistan cap has become worthless, and we need to restore some pride. The problem at the moment is that too many players are placed under too much pressure to perform — as soon as they fail they are out.

“At the same time, there are too many players who are under too little pressure. The balance is all wrong,” said Mahmood.