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Pakistan have named former national team skippers classy left-handed opener Saeed Anwar and wicketkeeper Moin Khan in a 30-member squad of probables for next year's World Cup.

Saeed, 34, not considered for for last month's series against Australia and the on-going tour of Zimbabwe leaving doubts over his career while Moin had not played for Pakistan since March last year.

As expected there are no surprises or shock omissions in the list but the same cannot be said when the final 15 is named before the Dec 31 deadline. Also named amongst the probables is wicketkeeper and another former captain, Rashid Latif, who only Wednesday decided to quit Test cricket but showed willingness to represent the country in the World Cup.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials said the list of 30 probables will be cut short next month and a final squad of 15 is likley to be announced before the deadline of Dec 30 set by the World Cup organisers.

Pakistan is placed in tough Pool A to be hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya from Feb 8-March 23 next year. It appears the selectors have preferred experience over performance, while announcing 30 probables.

Openers Imran Nazir, Saeed Anwar and wicketkeeper Moin Khan were all selected more due to their experience.

"Except two or three players, the final 15-member team for the World Cup is very well known by press and PCB and the rest is only a second string for which we decided to prefer experience as the World Cup is a hard tournament," chief selector Wasim Bari explained while announcing the names of probables Thursday.

When asked who would be the first, second and third choice for the World Cup among three wicketkeepers, Bari said "time will tell. We will do according to the situation."

He admitted that some prominent players of the Super League were missing from the pool but they were too junior.

To a volley of questions regarding sending unfit players in Zimbabwe, Bari said that it was the PCB panel of doctors on whose recommendations every player was included in the team. Pacer Azhar Mahmood and earlier wicketkeeper Rashid appeared unfit during the Zimbabwe's tour.

Probables: Taufeeq Umer, Salim Elahi, Imran Nazir, Imran Farhat, Saeed Anwar, Shadab Kabir, Younis Khan, Yousuf Youhana, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Misbah-ul-Haq, Naved Latif, Faisal Iqbal, Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal, Moin Khan, Rashid Latif, Azhar Mahmood, Abdul Razzaq, Rana Naveed-ul-Hasan, Yasir Arafat, Shahid Afridi, Wasim Akram, Shoaib Akhtar, Waqar Younis, Mohammad Sami, Abdul Rauf, Mohammad Zahid, Fazl-e-Akbar, Saqlain Mushtaq, Danish Kaneria

© Dawn