KARACHI, March 7: The Islamabad-based Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) has invited eight players from across the country for trials to select the Pakistan team for next month’s Davis Cup tie in Iran.

Relegated to group III in the Asia Oceania zone Davis Cup, Pakistan is pitted against Iran, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tajikistan, UAE and Vietnam in the April 9-13 tie being played on round robin at clay courts in Tehran.

According to information made available here on Friday, the players who have been invited by the PTF are Jalil Khan, Yasir Khan, Nasir Mushtaq, Asim Shafik, Abid Ali, Jibran Mohammadi, Usman Ejaz and Tanveer Ashiq. They have been asked to report in Islamabad on March 9 where the trials begin Monday.

Yasir, Nasir, Usman, Abid and Tanveer are drawn in one group and after round robin competition top two will join Jalil, Asim and Jibran for a league.

Jibran is a Pakistani-Canadian and have shone in the doubles in Futures event held at Islamabad and Lahore last year, an official of the PTF told Dawn.

Pakistan No 1 Aqeel Khan who is currently undergoing training in a Ludhiana Academy in India besides participating in Futures tournaments has been exempted from trials. He will be joined by top three players from the trials.

The participation of tennis ace Aisamul Haq who skipped the last year’s Davis Cup ties is again in doldrums.