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| 1 May 2005 | Sunday | 21 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1426 |
Nothing finalised yet: Bari
KARACHI, April 30: Wasim Bari, the chairman of selectors, declared that nothing yet has been decided about the combination of Pakistan squad for next month’s tour of the West Indies. He told the Dawn on Saturday that the 16-man squad will be announced by the ad hoc committee of the Pakistan Cricket Board on Monday after a meeting of the national selection committee at Lahore the same morning.
Bari reaffirmed that the composition of the team was yet to be decided. “How can I say that we have finalized the squad when we (the selectors) have yet to meet for discussion,” he remarked.
He refused to confirm or deny that the PCB had decided not to recall fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar for the month-long series in the Caribbean Isles.
Bari, however, confirmed that he has received reports compiled by PCB’s panel of doctors on the current fitness level of pace quartet, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Sami, Shabbir Ahmed and Umar Gul. “We have received the medical reports of these fast bowlers. But we are still waiting for the fitness report from team trainer (Grant Compton). Until then, we can’t say for sure who’s going to be selected in the squad.”
Shoaib, who missed the recent tour of India, has apparently recovered from a hamstring problem and showed no signs of injury in the two matches of the Twenty20 Cup in Lahore held during midweek.
But there are indications that the temperamental paceman is unlikely to be recalled just yet. Bob Woolmer, the Pakistan coach, and a couple of other team members have already expressed their reservations about his expected comeback under Pakistan colours.
Even the selectors themselves were undecided about considering Shoaib for the tour because they were dissatisfied with Shoaib’s level of fitness. Shoaib last played international cricket in Australia before being sent home with a hamstring problem.
Wicket-keeper Moin Khan is hotly tipped to be included in the Caribbean-bound squad after an excellent domestic season. The 33-year-old was sidelined after an indifferent performance in the Faisalabad Test against Sri Lanka last October.
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