Comeback hopes: Tanvir chosen to lead the ‘A’ team

KARACHI:

Rejects and prospects have formed the 15-man Pakistan ‘A’ squad – led by in-and-out left-armer Sohail Tanvir – that will take on the touring Afghanistan team in a three-match limited-overs series from Wednesday.

The selectors have also named wicket-keeper Sarfraz Ahmed and middle-order batsman Umar Amin, who impressed on the ill-fated England tour last year, in the squad, with the duo hoping to press claims for a recall to the national side.

Sohail Khan, the right-arm fast-bowler gradually fading into obscurity after a thunderous debut, and Sadaf Hussain, who was part of Pakistan’s limited-overs squad for the West Indies, are also lined up to face Afghanistan.

The series will also mark the arrival of an international team in Pakistan for the first time since the Lahore attacks on the Sri Lankan team bus in March 2009.

Wary of that fact, Tanvir is looking for a trouble-free week that sees the final match of the series taking place in Abbottabad that has taken the headlines since Osama bin Laden was killed in Abbottabad, a garrison town 60 miles from Islamabad.

“This is a huge opportunity for Pakistan to get cricket back in the country,” Tanvir told The Express Tribune. “When it comes to situations like these, the results don’t really matter. We just hope the series goes smoothly and acts as a signal for teams to start touring Pakistan.”

Tanvir, who was ruled out of the World Cup after he failed to convince the selectors with his fitness, last represented the country against New Zealand in February. He has taken just nine wickets in the last ten One-Day Internationals (ODIs).

“The fact that I’ve been named in the ‘A’ squad means that I’m just one step away from making my comeback for the national team.

“It was my performance for the ‘A’ side against the Australian counterparts that earned me a place in the Pakistan side and allowed me to play the inaugural World Twenty20 in 2009. I’m sure with a good show against Afghanistan, I can force my way into the team again.”

With the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) planning on making a few changes for the Ireland tour that takes place at the end of May, Tanvir has put his summer plans on hold for now and is eager to don the national colours instead of spending his summer in league or club commitments.

Afghanistan beat a makeshift Pakistan side in the Asian Games semi-final last November before losing the final.

The side is coached by former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif and its rise up the cricket world in the last two years has promised a bright future for the war-torn nation.

The series kicks off with a day-night match in Faisalabad followed by the second match on May 27 in Rawalpindi before the third and final match taking place in Abbottabad two days later.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 19^th, 2011.