Akram, Moin not among Pakistan's probables

By Rizwan Ehsan Ali

ISLAMABAD, JULY 31. Star all-rounder Wasim Akram does not find a place in the probables list for this month's Asian Test Championship.

Akram, the 34-year-old all-rounder, who recently won a double- wicket championship in United States with Shahid Afridi as his partner, wicket-keeper Moin Khan and leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed failed to find place among the probables who would assemble at Karachi's National Stadium on August 5.

With Pakistan still searching for a foreign coach on a long-term basis, former medium fast bowler Sikander Bakht has been appointed as camp commandant by the Pakistan Cricket Board.

Pakistan takes on Bangladesh in the first Asian Test Championship match at Multan from August 29-September 2 before taking on India at Lahore from September 12-16.

The omission of Akram from the probables list is a clear indication that the celebrated all-rounder may not even find a place in the team when Pakistan plays New Zealand in a three-Test home series this September.

Akram celebrated his 34th birthday during the third and decisive Test against England at Old Trafford in early June when Pakistan won the exciting contest and managed to level the three-Test series. ``We are in a rebuilding process and we have to take such decisions at some point. We have to build a team

for the World Cup 2003,'' chief selector Wasim Bari commented on Akram's ouster.

Bari said that he had supported Akram's inclusion in the squad for the tour of England, ``but he (Akram) did not go all out in any of the matches in England. It is time now to think about future,'' he said.

Rashid Latif is the only specialist wicketkeeper in the probables list and the 32-year-old wicketkeeper was praised by chief selector. ``You do not have to think of any other player the way Rashid performed during the Test series in England.''

The probables: Imran Nazir, Imran Farhat, Tafeeq Umer, Saeed Anwar, Faisal Iqbal, Hassan Raza, Inzamamul Haq, Yousaf Youhana, Younis Khan, Abdul Razzak, Shoaib Malik, Danish Kaneria, Rashid Latif, Waqar Younis, Irfan Fazal, Shabbir Ahmad, Mohammad Sammi, Shoaib Akhtar, Naved Latif, Naveed Rana, Shahid Afridi, Saqlain Mushtaq, Atiquz Zaman, Fazal-e-Akbar, Mohammad Akram, Yasir Arafat and Azhar Mehmood. Manager: Yawar Saeed, camp coach: Sikandar Bakhat, physio: Dr Riaz.

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