October 07, 2008	Tuesday	Shawwal 7, 1429

LAHORE, Oct 6: For further observing the players’ performance in the ongoing National Twenty20 Cup, the announcement of the Pakistan squad for the Canada four-nation Twenty20 tournament has been delayed till Tuesday, a spokesman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Monday.

“We will announce the team sometime tomorrow (Tuesday),” a PCB spokesman said.

The Oct 10-13 contest is being held in Canada, with Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Canada being the other participating teams.

Asked why the PCB delayed the announcement, the spokesman said the selectors wanted to watch the performance of as many players as possible in the ongoing national Twenty20 tournament before giving final shape to the 15-member national squad for the Canada event.

The PCB was to announce the team on Monday, but till the announcement late in the evening, the officials had been informing the media that it could be announced any time.

The uncertainty is still prevailing as the spokesman was not ready to inform at which time the team would be announced on Tuesday.

However, sources claimed that the selectors were not free in picking the national squad as several PCB officials wanted to send their blue-eyed boys to Canada. In fact, sources added, many in the PCB wanted to go to Canada.

However, the Canada High Commission, it is learnt, has also refused to give visas to everyone. Sources said the Commission has asked the PCB that it would only give visas to 15-member squad and not to all 22 players, for which the PCB had applied for.

A good number of PCB guests are also on board and waiting for their visas.