July 24, 2007	Tuesday	Rajab 08, 1428

LAHORE, July 23: Chief selector Salahuddin Ahmed has said that senior player Inzamam-ul-Haq will be given full opportunity to prove his fitness and form to get a place in the Test team.

Talking to Dawn at the end of the second phase of national team’s training camp at the Gaddafi Stadium on Monday, Salahuddin said former skipper Inzamam was not considered for the Twenty20 practice games at the training camp because the series was aimed at the forthcoming Twenty20 World Championship while the Multan player had already announced his retirement from limited-overs cricket.

“We shall invite Inzamam to attend the camp which will be organised for the home series against South Africa, and if he proves his fitness and form, he will be selected in the team,” the chief selector asserted.

Commenting on the recent selection of Geoff Lawson as Pakistan coach, Salahuddin said he was satisfied with the choice of former Aussie fast bowler for the job and added that critics trying to run down Lawson were not talking much sense.

“Critics, apparently, believe that Pakistan should have a batsman as the coach while I feel that as a fast bowler Lawson will be in a better position to pin point the weaknesses of our batsmen and to overcome those shortcomings,” said Sallu. “Lawson must have been aware of Pakistan’s limitations in all areas before accepting the job.”

Meanwhile, about the low-scoring Twenty20 practice matches at the national camp, Salahuddin said it was because the boys lacked experience in the Twenty20 format.

“With more and more Twenty20 games played at the camp, the boys will improve their skills and in the third phase of the camp in Karachi the totals are likely to improve,” said the seasoned official and added that a total of 180 was ideal for defending in a Twenty20 match.

“We still have to play 12 matches during the third phase of the camp and the captain will finalise a comprehensive strategy for the World Championship by the end of the camp,” he said.

He added the matches at the training camp helped the selectors in assessing the players’ talent for this type of cricket. “Shoaib Akhtar is improving with each day while Imran Nazir and Mohammad Hafeez have played some very fine knocks and that is surely encouraging.”

About announcement of the final squad for the Twenty20 mega event, Salahuddin said the team would be named before Aug 11 which is the deadline set by the ICC.