July 30, 2002	Tuesday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 19,1423

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KARACHI, July 29: Pakistan cricket selectors Monday have finalized the 15-man squad for next month’s tri-nation tournament in Tangiers but expected to announce it on Aug 2.

There are likely to be three changes from the team that toured Australia last month. Saqlain Mushtaq, Abdul Razzaq and Misbah-ul-Haq will be added to the remaining 12 after the withdrawal of Shoaib Akhtar.

However, the selectors are in quandary over the team for the tournament in Kenya to be played between Aug 29 and Sept 7 and the ICC Champions Trophy in Colombo between Sept 12 and 29.

For these two tournaments, only 14 players are allowed and the selectors are perplexed how to include Shoaib Akhtar and who would be the two players to be left out.

Indications are that Misbah and Azhar Mahmood might be dropped but no final decision has been taken because Saqlain Mushtaq’s appearance in Kenyan tournament is uncertain.

Also during the meeting between the top team management and chairman PCB at Lahore Monday, it was decided to introduce the concept of central contracts to the players. The objective behind the idea is to keep the players under control and curb the trend of off-shore ventures during off seasons.

The PCB chairman has authorized the four-man team management of Yawar Saeed, Mudassar Nazar, Waqar Younis and Inzamam-ul-Haq to put up the recommendations as early as possible. The players are keen to sign the contracts before leaving for Tangiers on Aug 7.

The contracts will be awarded to 12 players including Waqar, Inzamam, Wasim Akram, Saeed Anwar, Rashid Latif, Yousuf Youhana, Younis Khan, Azhar Mahmood, Shoaib Akhtar, Saqlain Mushtaq, Abdul Razzaq and Shahid Afridi. They would be paid a fixed amount of around $30,000 (Rs1,800,000) irrespective of their selection in the team for various competitions.

The initial contracts would be until the World Cup. The 12 players will, however, get their match fee, tour fee and daily allowance according to the existing slab system.