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The long awaited suspense over announcement of Pakistan squad for next year's World Cup in southern Africa will end on Tuesday afternoon when the national selectors unfold the 15-man party in Lahore.

Chairman of national selection committee Wasim Bari was scheduled to arrive in Lahore on Monday evening to discuss the finalization of the squad with fellow selectors Shafiq Ahmed and Abdur Raqeeb.

The squad will be approved by chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Lt Gen Tauqir Zia at the board's council meeting on Tuesday morning before it is made public at a press briefing later in the day.

The task in front of Bari and company is definitely tricky, although most of the squad, who were on duty during the recent one-day series in Zimbabwe and South Africa, pick themselves. But in this country where everything is possible, a few surprises in the final list cannot be ruled out.

After the calamities in the Morocco Cup, the tri-series in Nairobi, the ICC Champions Trophy in Colombo and the 4-1 thrashing against Shaun Pollock's Proteas, the PCB has already come under a barrage of criticism.

The selectors must keep in mind that the time for whatever experimentations is over and they must ensure the best available team is picked for cricket's most prized trophy. They are left with no alternative but to include a few players who were not considered for selection despite having strong claims.

Saeed Anwar, barring a last minute change of mind by the selectors, is almost certain to be recalled for the mega event after being constantly overlooked since the ICC event in September.

The left-handed opening batsman, a veteran of 242 One-day Internationals, was sorely missed in South Africa where his experience would have surely come in handy at the top of the order where time and again Pakistani openers failed to deliver.

Another ex-captain who is hotly tipped to make a comeback is Moin Khan. According to well-placed sources, Moin, who was dumped after leading Pakistan in New Zealand 20 months ago, is being considered as reserve batsman and the second wicket-keeper behind Rashid Latif.

Moin's inclusion with 2853 runs in 190 one-dayers is likely to face strong resistance from Waqar Younis because the Pakistan skipper does not feel comfortable with yet another ex-captain coming under his wings with Wasim Akram, Saeed and Rashid already in the squad.

Azhar Mahmood is certain to miss out because Surrey physio Dale Naylor, has intimated to the PCB that the all-rounder is making a slow recovery from an old shoulder injury that flared up on Zimbabwe tour last month and is unlikely to be fit on time.

Shoaib Akhtar, meanwhile, finally arrived back in Lahore on Monday from Durban after his latest 'disappearing act' and is expected to appear tomorrowbefore the PCB panel of doctors who will assess whether the injury-prone speedster has recovered from reportedly sore knees.

Shoaib was supposed to return on Dec 21 along with Wasim and Rashid after the conclusion of the one-day rubber in South Africa. Tauqir, must have heaved a sigh of relief to have his favourite player back. Any disciplinary action against Shoaib is unlikely because he is supposed to be the key to Pakistan's remote hopes of repeating their World Cup triumph of 1992.

This time the selectors must get the balance right otherwise another disappointing campaign is on the cards for Pakistan.

On another front, the PCB is keeping its options open as regards to naming a new manager to replace Brig Khawaja Nasir, who reportedly twice clashed with Waqar during the Zimbabwe tour.

However, in some quarters it is believed that either ex-Test off-spinner Hasib Ahsan or Salim Swaleh, a Karachi-based businessman, are the front-runners to take over from Nasir.

Likely World Cup squad: Waqar Younis (captain), Inzamam-ul-Haq (vice-captain), Saeed Anwar, Salim Elahi, Yousuf Youhana, Younis Khan, Abdul Razzaq, Rashid Latif, Wasim Akram, Saqlain Mushtaq, Shoaib Akhtar, Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Sami, Moin Khan and Faisal Iqbal

© Dawn