16 February 2005	Wednesday	06 Muharram 1426

LAHORE, Feb 15: The three-day trials to select two more players for the Pakistan team for the Davis Cup tie have again been postponed for an indefinite period due to continued inclement weather.

Trials were to be held at the Punjab Coaching Association centre in Bagh-i-Jinnah to pick two players, to make up a four-member Pakistan team to meet Thailand in Group-I tie at the Cosmopolitan Club courts in Bagh-i-Jinnah from March 4 to 6.

The other two members, Top seed Aisamul Haq and Aqeel Khan are exempted from the trials. Those who will appear in the trials are Asim Shafiq, Shahzad Khan, Nomi Qamar and Jalil Khan.

They all have reported in the camp. Earlier, trials were scheduled for Friday, but the training camp could not start due to rain. The camp could start on Monday and the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) has decided to start the trials from Wednesday. "If there is no rain, they can start from Friday, otherwise things are uncertain," the newly appointed coach Mohammad Khalid told Dawn.

Khalid, who replaced the most senior non-playing captain Rashid Malik after he opted to remain away due to a tragedy in family, admitted that time was running short but Pakistan had the best in-form players like Aisam and Aqeel and hopefully they would recover the loss.

He said that there was no other option and added "We are at the mercy of the weather." He said that Aqeel had informed him that he would reach Lahore to join the camp from Thursday.

Aisam, currently, living in United States, was to resume the camp some time next week, Khalid said. He disclosed that the camp would be shifted from the Punjab Tennis Association coaching centre to Cosmopolitan next week.