PSL standouts called up for national training camp

Akmal bros, Shahzad, Shadab all included in list of probables

KARACHI: When the National Selection Committee said the Pakistan Super League (PSL) will be a showcase event that will feed the national team, they must have really meant it as the training camp for the upcoming tour of the West Indies features a bunch of players who impressed at the recently concluded T20 league.

Compiled by chief selector Inzamamul Haq and company, the 31-player list includes PSL2 player of the tournament Kamran Akmal as well as Ahmad Shahzad, Fakhar Zaman, Umar Akmal, Ammad Butt, Usman Shinwari, Usama Mir, Muhammad Asghar, Shadab Khan, Rumman Raees and Muhammad Nawaz — all players who saw their stock rise during the month-long spectacle.

Kamran, in particular, is confident of making the cut in light of his recent stellar showings. “I have delivered in the domestic tournaments of every format and also in the PSL where I was named the best batsman and player of the tournament. My team also won the tournament so I have done my work and now I am confident of being named for the tour [of West Indies],” he told The Express Tribune.

“I have been waiting for this moment for quite a long time and I believe I have done all that is required of me to make the cut," he added before vowing to make Pakistan proud and proving the selectors right, if afforded the chance.

Invites have also been extended to domestic cricket standouts such as Asif Zakir, Muhammad Abbas, Shan Masood, Saad Ali, Fahim Ashraf, Hussain Tallat, and Sohail Tanvir.

Meanwhile, Muhammad Hafeez, Azhar Ali, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed, Muhammad Amir, Hasan Ali, Wahab Riaz, Rahat Ali, Sohail Khan, Imad Wasim, Junaid Khan and Yasir Shah are the usual suspects for the camp.

Held solely for the limited-overs sides, the camp will run from March 11 to March 17 at the Gaddafi stadium Lahore, with a final 16-man squad for the Caribbean tour set to be announced at its conclusion and after close monitoring of the participants' fitness and performance.

A separate camp for the Test team and information regarding its attendants will be held and released later.

The national team will play four T20Is, three ODIs and three Test matches on their tour of the West Indies, which will commence in Barbados from March 26.