HYDERABAD: National cricket selectors have recommended the names of former captain and all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez, wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal and fast bowlers Mohammad Irfan and Junaid Khan to the Pakistan Cricket Board for inclusion in the five-match One-day International series against Australia which will follow the three-Test series.

Some of these players have already been asked by the PCB to initiate their visa application process, sources close to PCB said on Saturday. “Kamran (Akmal) for one has already been told by a PCB official - looking after the players’ travelling plans — that he initiate the process for obtaining the Australian visa and other players could well receive similar orders soon,” a source close to the cricket board disclosed on Saturday evening.

“The names of around twenty players have been sent to the PCB which will now consult the tour management in Australia and then the ODI team will be finalized,” said the sources. “You can also expect a surprise choice since a few rookie players like Fahim Ashraf are also there among the twenty,” said one of the sources.

According to reports, the selectors are considering the performances of outstanding players in the recently concluded domestic season and the on-going national one day tournament and have recommended a few for Aussie tour since many players including skipper Misbah-ul-Haq, seniors pro Younis Khan and others will be returning home after the Test series.

The sources, however, said that Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif are not among those being considered by the selectors at this point of time. “Of the experienced ones, both Kamran and Irfan are likely to get the nod for the Australia ODIs,” a sources said. “Hafeez is also now bowling in national one day cup and is being closely watched by selectors.”

Kamran — who last played for Pakistan in T20 World Cup in Bangladesh — has scored 1,035 runs in the current domestic season and has 291 runs in national one day cup so far while representing Wadpa. His performance under Salman’s captaincy enabled Wapda to register their maiden Quaid Trophy title win earlier this month.

Published in Dawn December 25th, 2016