Azam, Nawaz earn Test call-ups

Struggling Hafeez and Masood snubbed for series against West Indies

KARACHI: In-form middle-order batsman Babar Azam and all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz earned maiden Test call-ups as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) selection committee named a 14-man squad for the opening game of the three-match series against the West Indies in Dubai.

Mohammad Hafeez and Shaan Masood, who struggled in the previous series against England, were left out of the squad along with Mohammad Rizwan and all-rounder Iftikhar Ahmed, who got the axe just after making his debut at the Oval last month.

Azam has been selected on the basis of his outstanding performance in the recently-concluded one-day series against the West Indies, in which he scored three successive centuries and achieved a record of scoring most runs (360 runs) in a three-match series.

The 21-year old is expected to replace seasoned player Younus Khan in the playing XI for Pakistan’s maiden day-night Test, starting in Dubai from October 13.



“Babar proved his ability to play in the longer format,” chief selector Inzamamul Haq told reporters after announcing the squad at the National Stadium Karachi yesterday.

“We expect him to continue his form in the Test series as well. The achievement of scoring three consecutive centuries is not ordinary,” said the former captain, before adding that he hoped Younus would return for the second Test after recovering from a bout of dengue fever.

Speaking on Nawaz’s inclusion, the chief selector said that the all-rounder was preferred due to his batting credentials. “Hafeez was our main all-rounder before, and Nawaz has shown the capability of becoming one. He has the ingredients of a complete batsman and his spin-bowling is an added advantage.”

Inzamam added that the selection committee can add more players in the squad after the first Test. “We want to see maximum number of players in action in our ongoing first-class tournament [Quaid-e-Azam Trophy], which is why we have selected just a 14-member squad for the first Test. It’s our home series and we have an option to add more players.”



Meanwhile, Inzamam backed Azhar Ali as the ODI captain amid questions of his place in the 50-over format.

“Selecting captains is not my domain, but I feel Azhar has a good record in Tests. I feel we need consistency in our policy of selecting captains, as abrupt changes will not be in the team’s interest.”

Monitoring Butt’s performance

The chief selector said his committee had clearance from the PCB for the selection of batsman Salman Butt, whose five-year ban from international cricket for spot-fixing ended last year.



“We have been monitoring his performance along with other players who are taking part in the domestic tournaments,” said Inzamam. “The selection committee has not discarded anyone, and players like [pacer] Junaid Khan still have a chance to make a comeback.”

The second Test will be played from October 21-25 in Abu Dhabi, while the third will be played from October 30 to November 3 in Sharjah.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 9^th, 2016.

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