CricInfo Home
News Home

NEWS FOCUS
Rsa in Pak
NZ in India
Zim in Aus

Domestic
Other Series

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) dropped a bombshell Saturday when former captains Saeed Anwar and Moin Khan were not considered worthy of a place in the two squads named for next week's tour of Zimbabwe.

PCB's stance to ignore claims of world record-holders Moin and Saeed tantamount to great injustice to the two senior players who had given yeoman services to Pakistan. Why then, were these two asked to prove themselves in the farcical trial match 24 hours ago?

PCB's decisions to overlook these two great players is nothing short of disparaging as far as Moin and Saeed are concern.

Wasim Bari, the chairman of dummy selection committee, gave unsatisfactory reasons at the press briefing in Lahore without caring so much for what Saeed had gone through over past 14 months with personal bereavement when his baby daughter died. "He lacked confidence and his fielding has also deteriorated.

"In a match on Friday on his home turf, he batted t No 4 which also confirms our apprehensions," Bari told the newsmen. "However, the curtain has not fallen on his career and he'll be considered for selection in future."

Bari also clarified that Moin's career is not over as yet. "We attached a youngster (Kamran Akmal) who could be groomed for future. We have maintained that policy this time also when Rashid Latif is the first choice wicket-keeper. The impression that Moin's career is over is totally incorrect."

At the same time, the decision to pick Saleem Elahi and Shahid Afridi in both Test and one-day teams alongwith uncapped Kamran Akmal comes as a major surprise as are the inclusions of Inzamam-ul-Haq and Azhar Mahmood despite big question marks over their fitness.

The selection of Kamran means the claims of a better wicket-keeper like Atiq-uz-Zaman were ignored.

Waqar Younis, in a way, has succeeded in ensuring that he would not stand the presence of more than two senior players as long as he is captain.

What was the wisdom of staging Friday's trial match in Lahore and what was the criteria of team selection?

Afridi, about whom Waqar himself has gone on record to say that he was not Test material, now finds a place in both squads. He was out for a duck in the trial game.

The 22-year-old was flown out to Sharjah after Abdul Razzaq was sidelined by a fractured left wrist but then reported on the eve of final Test against Australia that he was unfit and overweight.

One thought Saleem Elahi's international career was over after a disappointing tour of England last year. But now, for the umpteenth time, he is back in favour inspite of the fact that he crawled to nine off 34 balls in the so-called trial fixture. It seems somebody up there likes him.

Saleem went through a lean period last season where in 14 first-class matches accumulated 753 runs in 25 innings. PCB owes an explanation as to why Imran Farhat has been now cast aside.

The left-hander, at 20 is six years younger than Saleem, played in the final Test in Sharjah where he enjoyed some success and should have been persisted on the less demanding trip to Zimbabwe.

Bari defended recall of Saleem. "An extended run was given to all the youngsters. But after their failure to perform at the highest level, we reverted to the best opener available in domestic circuit.

"Saleem Elahi happened to be that player. Besides, the skipper and the coach (Richard Pybus) also had confidence in his abilities. "As regards Imran Farhat the boy showed flashes of brilliance in the third Test against Australia but at the same time he showed that he needs sometime to mature," the former Test wicket-keeper added.

Bari failed to justify the omission of leg-spinner Danish Kaneria, who took three wickets in that trial game, from the Test squad. As things stand, Saqlain Mushtaq, the off-spinner, is the sole slow bowler retained.

Inzamam's return as vice-captain could back fire since he is handicapped by a heel injury which requires surgery. PCB has taken a huge gamble with the burly batsman by naming him in both one-day and Test teams.

Inzamam has not featured in a Test since he made that colossal 329 against New Zealand at Lahore six months ago. On the one-day front, Inzamam had been something of a failure this year, scoring only 250 in 22 innings with two fifties.

Azhar Mahmood is another diabolical selection. He pulled out of the trial game Thursday with a shoulder problem. He must have had made a remarkable recovery overnight to make the squad.

Azhar's gain is poor Rana Naveed-ul-Hasan's loss. Naveed, an upcoming all-rounder, served as a drinks carrier against Australia. It's a pity that an ideal opportunity to blood a young player has gone abegging.

Taufiq Umar and Faisal Iqbal, who were certainties for Tests, are welcome addition in the one-day party. But Mohammad Sami's exclusion from the limited-overs squad is rather harsh for the young fast bowler.

Wasim Akram, the former skipper, as widely tipped, is considered only for the one-dayers and is now almost certain to end his illustrious career at the World Cup next year.

Immediately after Zimbabwe's tour, Pakistan are scheduled to play two more Tests and five further One-day Internationals in South Africa. Squads for that tour will be finalised during the Zimbabwe series.

Squads:

For Tests: Waqar Younis (captain), Inzamam-ul-Haq, Taufiq Umar, Shahid Afridi, Saleem Elahi, Yousuf Youhana, Hasan Raza, Younis Khan, Rashid Latif, Kamran Akmal, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Sami, Mohammad Zahid and Saqlain Mushtaq.

For One-day Internationals: Waqar Younis (captain), Inzamam- ul-Haq (vice-captain), Taufiq Umar, Shahid Afridi, Saleem Elahi, Younis Khan, Yousuf Youhana, Misbah-ul-Haq, Faisal Iqbal, Rashid Latif, Kamran Akmal, Wasim Akram, Azhar Mahmood, Mohammad Zahid, Shoaib Akhtar and Saqlain Mushtaq.

Team officials: Brig Khawaja Mohammad Nasir (manager), Richard Pybus (coach), Sikander Bakht (team analyst), Dennis Waight (physiotherapist) and Riaz Ahmed (doctor).

Itinerary:

Nov 1: Leave for Harare via Johannesburg.

Nov 4-6: v Zimbabwe 'A' (Harare).

Nov 9-13: First Test (Harare).

Nov 16-20: Second Test (Bulawayo).

Nov 23: First One-day International (Bulawayo).

Nov 24: Second One-day International (Bulawayo).

Nov 27: Third One-day International (Harare).

Nov 30: Fourth One-day International (Harare).

Dec 1: Fifth One-day International (Harare).

Dec 2: Leave for Johannesburg.

© Dawn