July 11, 2007	Wednesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 25, 1428

LAHORE, July 10: The national selection committee on Tuesday named several youngsters including Khurram Manzoor, Khalid Latif, Mohammad Irshad and little-known Sohail Tanvir in a list of 30 probables for the inaugural Twenty20 World Championships to be held in South Africa in September.

The list of probables was dispatched to the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday since the ICC has set July 11 as last date for the submission of probables. The last date to finalise the 15-member squad is Aug 11.

While Khurram and Khalid have been named among batting probables in the list, Sohail features in the already impressive all-rounders’ category which includes skipper Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, Yasir Arafat and Fawad Alam.

Sohail, a left-arm, medium-fast bowler has so far played 10 Twenty20 domestic matches but is yet to claim any wicket. Besides that, he has played 19 first-class games and 11 one-day matches, capturing 65 and 13 wickets in both mediums of the game respectively.

Chief selector Salahuddin Ahmed ‘Sallu’ announced the names of the probables after getting the approval from PCB chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf. “A best team of 15 members will be announced for the first Twenty20 World Cup well before the ICC deadline (Aug 11),” Salahuddin said.

“As Twenty20 matches are played at a gruelling pace, the selectors have decided to include some youngsters in the list as well.

After watching them in the next camp, a well-balanced squad comprising young and experienced players will be selected for the World Cup,” he said.

Upcoming players like Khurram Manzoor and Khalid Latif have been included as openers alongwith seniors Salman Butt, Imran Nazir, Imran Farhat and Mohammad Hafeez.

Similarly, in the middle-order batting, Shahid Yousuf, Faisal Iqbal, Misbah-ul-Haq, Naved Latif have been named alongside seasoned players like Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf and Yasir Hameed. Kamran Akmal and Zulqarnain Haider are the two wicketkeepers.

Seven fast bowlers including upcoming Mohammad Irshad and Najaf Shah have been named in the list alngwith seasoned campaigners like Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Sami, Mohammad Asif and Umar Gul and Rao Iftikhar.

Leg-spinner Danish Kaneria and slow left-armer Abdur Rehman complete the list.

Probables:

Salman Butt, Imran Nazir, Imran Farhat, Khurram Manzoor, Khalid Latif, Mohammad Hafeez, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Yasir Hameed, Misbah-ul-Haq, Naved Latif, Faisal Iqbal, Shahid Yousuf, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, Yasir Arafat, Fawad Alam, Sohail Tanvir, Kamran Akmal, Zulqarnain Haider, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Sami, Mohammad Asif, Rao Iftikhar, Umar Gul, Mohammad Irshad, Najaf Shah, Danish Kaneria and Abdur Rehman.