Anwar to lead

KARACHI, FEB. 11. Opener Saeed Anwar was named to take over as skipper for the forthcoming limited overs and Test series at home against Sri Lanka starting on Sunday in the wake of Wasim Akram stepping down as captain on Thursday.

Akram, 33, who was appointed for his fourth tenure as captain early last year, is still to be part of the team.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has responded to the wretched results in Australia by dropping Ijaz Ahmed, Inzamam-ul- Haq, Shahid Afridi, Waqar Younis, Wajahatullah Wasti and Mohammad Wasim for the opening one-dayer.

All-rounder Azhar Mahmood has been left out because of injury while fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar is banned by the PCB for the first match because of his bad conduct on the Australian tour.

Pakistan has called up five players who were in the youth World Cup in Sri Lanka last month, Imran Abbas, Yasir Arafat, Zahid Saeed, Faisal Iqbal and Imran Nazir.

Also chosen is middle-order batsman Younis Khan, who scored over 1,100 runs this season with two double centuries.

Experienced opener Aamir Sohail has been recalled after he was omitted both for the World Cup in England last year and for the Australian tour.

Sri Lanka is playing three one-day internationals and three Tests on the tour.

Pakistan one-day squad: Saeed Anwar (captain), Aamir Sohail, Imran Nazir, Younis Khan, Faisal Iqbal, Imran Abbas, Yousuf Youhana, Moin Khan, Yasir Arafat, Abdur Razzaq, Wasim Akram, Zahid Saeed, Shahid Nazir, Saqlain Mushtaq, Shoaib Malik.

- Reuters

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