January 19, 2008	Saturday	Muharram 09, 1429

LAHORE, Jan 18: Three new players were named in the 15-member Pakistan squad on Friday for the first two One-day Internationals of a five-match home series against Zimbabwe which commences in Karachi on Monday.

The national selection committee — headed by Salahuddin Ahmed with members Shafqat Rana and Saleem Jaffer — announced the team.

While left-arm medium pacer Samiullah Niazi, all-rounder Kamran Hussain and opener Nasir Jamshed are the new faces in the squad, wicket-keeper Sarfraz Ahmad and Fawad Alam also don’t have any significant experience at this level — each having played three ODIs.

The selectors picked the team from among the 21 probables who had been attending the Gaddafi Stadium training camp as well from the four-day game against Zimbabwe held in Karachi.

However, it may mentioned here that no newcomer could make the squad from the national training camp as Shadab Kabir, Khurram Manzoor, Naved Latif, Mansoor Amjad, Abdur Rauf, Rauf Akbar, Junaid Zia and Anwar Ali failed to impress the selectors.

Nasir, who has scored 800 runs in the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy, walked into the side after his fine 182-run knock against Zimbabwe. Similarly, pacer Samiullah was preferred for his six wickets against the touring team although some would like to point out that Wahab Riaz (51 wickets in Quaid Trophy) should have been considered ahead of Niazi (46 wickets), for the matches.

All-rounder Kamran Hussain’s selection over in-form Abdul Rauf is also debatable. Rauf should have been the automatic choice as his Quaid Trophy performance is equally impressive to that of Kamran (35 wickets each). In the Zimbabwe four-dayer Kamran claimed just one wicket while Rauf has been on the verge of making Pakistan eleven a number of times in the recent past with some good bowling performances.

The other Quaid Trophy top performers, who must have felt disappointed at being left out, are Naumanullah (949 runs in Quaid Trophy) who struck a fine 86 against Zimbabwe and Afaq Raheem (801) who also scored 77 in the Zimbabwe game. Others like Shoaib Khan (884), Khurram Manzoor (780), Test discard Mohammad Hafeez (708 runs and 15 wickets) Hasan Raza (785), Shadab Kabir (791) also pressed for selection with their efforts in the top level domestic competition.

“We have decided to introduce some new players and other upcoming ones would also get a chance in the series,” said Salahuddin. “Abdul Rauf and Khalid Latif will also be considered because some more changes arrre likely in the remaining three ODIs.”

Sallu said Sohail Khan, the top wicket-taker (65 wickets) of the Quaid Trophy, was a huge contender but was left out at the eleventh hour since he was not fully fit. “Sohail is feeling pain in his arm during fielding, otherwise he had bright chances of making the squad,” he added.

Salahuddin clarified that paceman Mohammad Sami was not considered for selection at all. It seems that the Karachi pacer’s career is almost over now since he has failed to make the most of the several opportunities that have come his way including the recent tour of India where he managed just three wickets in the three Test matches.

Squad: Shoaib Malik (captain), Mohammad Yousuf, Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi, Misbah-ul-Haq, Salman Butt, Nasir Jamshed, Rao Iftikhar, Sohail Tanvir, Samiullah Khan Niazi, Kamran Akmal, Sarfraz Ahmed, Fawad Alam, Kamran Hussain and Yasir Arafat.