January 11, 2007	Thursday	Zilhaj 20, 1427

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LAHORE, Jan 10: The national cricket selection committee has announced names of 30 players to prepare them for the upcoming World Cup in the West Indies. According to the list, upcoming medium-pacer Samiullah Niazi and middle-order batsmen Asim Kamal and Shahid Yousuf failed to impress the selectors headed by Wasim Bari.

Asim's omission is surprising as he at least deserves to be bracketed among country's top 30 players.

Pacemen Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif have succeeded in finding their place in the initial list after going through the drugs controversy. However, the Court of Arbitration on Sports can take up their issue any time as the World Anti-doping Agency filed an appeal against the exoneration of the two fast bowlers.

Test-discards Imran Nazir and Salman Butt are also among the 30 players.

Imran showed an impressive form in the last Twenty20 Cup, leading the Sialkot Stallions defended their title. Salman is doing well in the ongoing Quaid-i-Azam Trophy while representing Lahore Shalimar.

Umar Gul, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Shahid Nazir, Shabbir Ahmed, Mohammad Sami, Rao Iftikhar Anjum and Mohammad Khalil are named to strengthen the pace attack.

Abdul Razzaq, Shahid Afridi and Yasir Arafat are selected to fill slots of all-rounders.

Kamran Akmal and Zulqarnain Haider have to shoulder responsibilities of wicket-keepers.

Bazid Khan, Hasan Raza, Misbah-ul-Haq and Faisal Iqbal, who were always used as scapegoats when senior cricketers decided to take rest, are also named in the list.

Probables:

Inzamam-ul-Haq, Younis Khan, Imran Farhat, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Yousuf, Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Umar Gul, Shahid Nazir, Danish Kaneria, Yasir Hameed, Shabbir Ahmed, Mohammad Sami, Abdur Rehman, Salman Butt, Faisal Iqbal, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Rao Iftikhar, Imran Nazir, Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Khalil, Bazid Khan, Mansoor Amjad, Zulqarnain, Yasir Arafat, Mohammad Asif, Shoaib Akhtar, Misbah-ul-Haq, Hasan Raza.