March 29, 2008	Saturday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 20, 1429

KARACHI, March 28: With top pacers of the country nursing injuries, Pakistan’s selectors will have a tough task at hand when they meet on Saturday to pick the squad for the first two One-day Internationals against Bangladesh.

While fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar is facing a disciplinary hearing, Mohammad Asif, Umar Gul and Rao Iftikhar are on the injury list and that will make the task difficult for the selection committee.

Chief selector Salahuddin Ahmed, however, said that they would only consider these players after the cricket board and medical panel cleared their fitness.

“As far as Asif, Umar and Iftikhar are concerned, the team’s trainer and a member of the board’s medical panel will tell us if they are fit for the first two games while Shoaib is facing a disciplinary hearing and will only be considered if cleared by the board for national duty,” he said.

The selectors are expected to announce 15 to 16 players for the first two games on April 8 and 11 in Lahore and Faisalabad respectively.

In a bid to fill in the gap created by Australia’s pullout, Pakistan has hurriedly arranged the five match one-day series against Bangladesh.

Shoaib is due to appear before the board’s disciplinary committee on April to face charges of violating the players Code of Conduct. Shoaib has said he will present his point of view to the committee and is confident of escaping any punishment.

Shoaib also said this week he was keen to play against Bangladesh and nothing was more important to him than playing for his country.

Salahuddin said if the board’s disciplinary committee cleared Shoaib he was a strong contender to be selected depending on his fitness. “Players like Shoaib, Asif and Umar are experienced players and if available will be considered by us,” he added.

Asif has already been ruled out of the Bangladesh series by coach Geoff Lawson, who says he is still to make a complete recovery from his elbow problem after a surgery in Australia earlier this year.

Umar has resumed playing domestic matches but Salahuddin said the team trainer and doctor were still monitoring his recovery from his back problem.

The chief selector said no major experimentations would be made against Bangladesh like they were done against Zimbabwe earlier this year and the same group of players would be given more exposure.—Agencies