KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has named senior players Younus Khan, Kamran Akmal and Shoaib Malik in their 30-member preliminary squad for the 2015 ICC World Cup, while banned off-spinner Saeed Ajmal is also in the list.
In September, chief selector Moin Khan had said that Younus was not in the selectors’ plans for the World Cup, which led to severe criticism and an outburst from the 37-year-old himself.
Fast forward to December, Younus will probably be the first name on the team sheet in the upcoming ODIs against New Zealand due to his prolific form in the Test series against Australia and New Zealand.
Kamran Akmal has been recalled due to his good form in domestic cricket, as selectors feel he can give the option of a third opener in the World Cup squad — a role which he has fulfilled in his career on the bouncy tracks of Australia and New Zealand.
As far as Malik in concerned, the selection committee has named so that they have an all-rounder who can bowl off-spin in case Muhammad Hafeez is stopped from bowling.
As reported by The Express Tribune, left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman has been overlooked along with fast-bowler Muhammad Sami.
Rehman was part of Pakistan’s last World Cup along with retired Shoaib Akhtar and all-rounder Abdur Razzaq, and 80% of the squad players of 2011 have survived in the preliminary squad.
“Winning or losing aside, Pakistan are performing adequately well in all three formats of the game at the moment,” said Moin. “The belief in the think-tank is that the squad holds immense potential and promise to perform in any condition.
“The most positive aspect is that some of our foremost players have overcome physical issues and are raring to be given an opportunity at the mega event.”
Ajmal has been added on the faintest of hopes that he just might get cleared in time before the naming of the final 15-man squad prior to the world body’s deadline of January 7.
Misbahul Haq has already been named as skipper for the ICC’s global quadrennial spectacle.
“In our assessment, by the time the five 50-over games in the UAE against the Black Caps and the away short ODI series against New Zealand as well as the practice games are over in the next two months or thereabouts immediately prior to the mega event, Pakistan will be close to hitting their peak,” added Moin.
“For me personally, the 1992 World Cup victory ranks amongst our greatest cricketing achievements. I am positive that the present outfit has the capacity to replicate that triumph Down Under.”
The ICC World Cup commences in Australia and New Zealand on February 14, 2015, with Pakistan featuring in its first game against arch-rival India on February 15 at Adelaide.
The preliminary squad contains five openers, nine middle order batsmen, six pace bowlers, four spinners, four all-rounders and two wicket-keepers.
The squad includes Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad, Nasir Jamshed, Sharjeel Khan, Sami Aslam, Misbah (captain), Younus, Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, Sohaib Maqsood, Fawad Alam, Haris Sohail, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Muhammad Irfan, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan, Umar Gul, Ehsan Adil, Muhammad Talha, Ajmal, Zulfiqar Babar, Raza Hasan, Yasir Shah, Shahid Afridi, Anwar Ali, Bilawal Bhatti, Sohail Tanvir, Sarfraz Ahmad and Kamran.
The prodigal son returns: Fawad to lead Pakistan against Kenya
Middle-order batsman Fawad Alam, who was overlooked for the ODI squad in the first two one-dayers against New Zealand, has been named to lead Pakistan A against Kenya in the five-match series this month.
The squad consists of Sami Aslam, Sharjeel Khan, Fazal Subhan, Babar Azam, Fawad Alam (captain), Saad Ali, Iftikhar Ahmad, Muhammad Rizwan, Anwar Ali, Hammad Azam, Imran khan, Muhammad Talha, Ehsan Adil, Raza Hasan and Shahzeb Ahmad while the reserves are Junaid Ilyas, Zafar Gohar, Amir Yamin, Bismillah Khan, Ziaul Haq and Shahzad Rana.
The Kenyans will arrive in Pakistan on December 10 and the series is scheduled to be played from December 13 to December 20 in Lahore.
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Where is Abdul Razzak, he is needed in the Pakistan team in order to win 2015 world cup.
Please recall him in the squad along with Imran Nazir....
Pakistan has always been a potent force in Cricket so long as they have had the services of quality tearaway pace bowlers. Their batting has always been brittle and unreliable and it used to be bowlers like Shoaib Akhtar, Wasim Akram, Waqar Yunus etc who managed to win matches for Pakistan. Who can forget those famous instructions by Imran Khan, the then Captain of the 1992 world cup winners to Wasim Akram to just bowl as fast as he could without worrying of wides and no balls? So as long as Pakistan does not revert back to its strengths the prospects in the world cup am afraid are not very bright.
I bet Pakistan will the very first match against India.
When there are Akmals, you forget winning the game any ways. These 4 years should had been spent with new energetic boys. In the absence of Ajmal, we are not going to make a good impact and to date, we dont have a reliable fast bowler. Dont ask about the pathetic batting display that always fails in the time of need.
Have they hired any psychiatrist for the team so far?
Where is Abdul Razzaq : O : o : O : o