|
|
| October 29, 2005 | Saturday | Ramzan 24, 1426 |
Shoaib, Mushtaq in 16-man squad
LAHORE, Oct 28: Pakistan cricket selectors on Friday named paceman Shoaib Akhtar and leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed in the 16-member squad for the first two Tests against England.
The first Test of three match series is scheduled to start at Multan from Nov 12 and the second at Faisalabad from Nov 20.
Shoaib, a veteran of 36 Tests, in which he has claimed 144 wickets, had missed the series against India and West Indies this year due to fitness and attitude problems.
Mushtaq took four wickets for 173 runs in the trial match. But his 80-wicket haul in the last county season in England and 33 wickets in nine matches against England forced the selectors to recall the googly bowler.
Another notable entry was of middle-order batsman Hasan Raza, who has been recalled after three years on the basis of his performance in the domestic season and last tour of South African Academy and Australia ‘A’ to Pakistan this year.
Hasan made his debut at the age of 15 way back in 1996 against Zimbabwe in Faisalabad. He played his last Test for Pakistan also against Zimbabwe in 2002.
The selectors, have surprisingly selected only one regular opener Salman Butt.
PCB chairman Shaharyar M Khan said that it was a balanced side selected with the consent of coach Bob Woolmer and captain Inzamamul Haq and expected the team would give a tough time to England.
“Shoaib Akhtar bowled well in the trial match and coach and captain were satisfied with his performance while Mushtaq is the part of our planning against England,” he said.
He said that Pakistan’s fast bowling department was better as compared to England and his side would not play defensive game.
Squad: Salman Butt (six Test, 311 runs), Shoaib Malik (nine Test, 449 runs), Younis Khan (37 Test, 2765 runs), Inzamam-ul-Haq (captain, 102 tests, 7621 runs), Mohammad Yousaf (59 Test, 4272 runs), Asim Kamal (11 Test, 712 runs), Shahid Afridi (19 Test, 1198 runs), Kamran Akmal (15 Test, 510 runs), Muhammad Sami (21 Test, 58 wickets), Danish Kaneria (28 Test, 132 wickets), Arshad Khan (nine Test, 32 wickets), Mushtaq Ahmed (52 Test, 185 wickets), Shoaib Akhtar (36 Test, 144 wickets), Rana Navidul Hasan (five Test, eight wickets), Shabbir Ahmed (nine Test, 46 wickets) and Hasan Raza (five Test, 213 runs).
|
|
