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Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday decided not to send left-handed opening batsman Saeed Anwar to South Africa for the two-Test series which gets under way from next week but offered him fresh hopes of playing in the World Cup.

The Pakistan team management in Cape Town on Wednesday had requested that Saeed be flown out as a reinforcement while sending back the perennial unfit fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar.

Their contention was that an experienced man was required to beef up Pakistan batting.

Bari said that since the selectors were unsure of Saeed's current form and match fitness, it was agreed unanimously not to risk him on the unfamiliar tracks at Durban and Cape Town where the Tests will be played.

"We discussed at length and finally reached the conclusion that Saeed Anwar should not be sent to South Africa for the Tests because he has not played any competitive cricket for over two months. We are not sure of his match fitness and form," Bari said.

Saeed who hit a match-winning century in the Durban Test almost four years had been one of the few batting successes for Pakistan on previous tours of South Africa. Therefore, the selectors' reluctance to send him now to reinforce the brittle top-order is rather strange.

Bari believes that the selectors have taken the right decision because Saeed's confidence was likely to suffer. "We have reasons to believe that pitches for the Test series would be difficult and different as to what would be in the World Cup.

"Instead of taking the risk of sending Saeed now and shattering his confidence, we have decided that since he is now a near certainty for the World Cup, he be allowed to play in the domestic circuit so that he can regain the form, fitness and confidence," Bari explained.

"Of course, it has been a hard decision to make and a lot of thought has gone into it.

I believe we have taken the right decision that is in the interest of the player, team and the country."

The chief selector said that Saeed has the chance of reclaiming his touch in the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy National Cricket Championship, which starts from Saturday, when he dons the pads for National Bank.

The PCB on Thursday made an official request to National Bank sports department to include the left-hander in their squad as a guest player.

Pakistan in recent times have tried a number of opening combinations but none of them managed to inspire confidence as the best stand in five matches against South Africa produced 54 in the fourth game at Paarl when Salim Elahi was partnered by Kamran Akmal.

Salim played in all 10 one-dayers in Zimbabwe and South Africa with some success, although he was out first ball in the last match in Cape Town on Wednesday.

Taufiq Umar was put in cold storage after the opening one-dayer in Durban. But he is now favourite to regain his place for the Tests.

© Dawn