May 26, 2006	Friday	Rabi-us-Sani 27, 1427

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LAHORE, May 25: The joint conditioning camp of Pakistan cricket team and ‘A’ team started on Thursday with injury-prone paceman Shoaib Akhtar a prominent absentee.

The joint camp is being organised to prepare the national team for the upcoming tour of England and the ‘A’ team for tour of Australia in July.

The selection committee invited 21 probables to select the national team and 29 players to pick the ‘A’ side.

Those who attended the camp on Thursday were senior team members Shoaib Malik, Taufiq Umar, Asim Kamal, Faisal Iqbal, Zulqarnain Haider, Rao Iftikhar and Bazid Khan.

Shoaib Akhtar, who despite being in the city, failed to report at the camp.

Trainer Grant Compton said he had no information about the fast bowler’s absence.

Ten senior players, including captain Inzamamul Haq, are currently in Jeddah for a two-match exhibition series against Asian XI. They will join the camp from Sunday.

Three others players – Rana Navedul Hasan, Shahid Afridi and Mohammad Asif – are in England playing county cricket. They will be available for the second phase of the camp starting from June 12.

‘A’ players Yasir Hameed, Hasan Raza, Shahzad Malik, Mohammad Hafeez, Shahid Yousuf, Samiullah Niazi, Misbahul Haq, Naumanullah, Jamshed Ahmed, Tahir Khan, Mohammad Irshad, Mohammad Khalil, Akhtar Ayub and Aminur Rehman attended the camp.

Mansoor Amjad and Yasir Arafat are in the UK playing league cricket.