The Hindu : Pakistan recalls Akram, Mahmood and Mushtaq

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 25, 2002

Sport

Sport - Cricket

Pakistan recalls Akram, Mahmood and Mushtaq

KARACHI, MARCH 24. Pakistan has recalled the experienced trio of Wasim Akram, Saqlain Mushtaq and Azhar Mahmood in its 15-man squad for the three-nation one-day series in Sharjah starting on April 9.

The selectors also named in the squad on Sunday middle order batsman Misbah-ul-Haq and opener Imran Nazir as they made several changes to the team which lost this month's Asian Test Championship (ATC) final to Sri Lanka in Lahore.

Misbah made his debut for Pakistan in New Zealand early last year, but has not been selected since. Nazir, a specialist one-day opener, has also been ignored since last year's series in England.

``It's a very balanced team and we have based our selection on the recent performances of the players in the national one-day championship,'' chief selector Wasim Bari said.

``Wasim has been included as the selectors are satisfied with his fitness and form in the one-day game.'' Wasim was controversially overlooked for the ATC final, while off- spinner Saqlain Mushtaq was also left out of the Pakistan team which lost to Sri Lanka by eight wickets.

All-rounder Azhar Mahmood has been sidelined by the Pakistan selectors since last year's Test and one-day series in England.

But there was no place in the squad for wicketkeeper Moin Khan, who was invited to the national training camp in Lahore for the Sharjah tournament. ``Moin is without doubt a very experienced and proven performer,'' added Bari.

``He was invited to the camp as a reserve to Rashid Latif, keeping in mind the hectic commitments of the Pakistan team leading up to the World cup. ``But since Latif has been performing very well, he remains the no. 1 wicketkeeper.''

Also left out were youngsters Taufiq Umar, Faisal Iqbal and leg-spinner Danish Kaneria, although all three featured prominently in the series against the West Indies and in the ATC final.

Faisal Iqbal, nephew of former Pakistan captain Javed Miandad, has been out of favour with the selectors, despite an impressive run of scores as a makeshift opener in the domestic one-day championship.

The squad: Shahid Afridi, IMran Nazir, Younis Khan, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Yousuf Youhana, Misbah-ul-Haq, Shoaib Malik, Rashid Latif, Abdul Razzaq, Waqar Younis (capt), Wasim Akram, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Sami, Saqlain Mushtaq and Azhar Mahmood.

- Reuters

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