Pace trio included in list of probables

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LAHORE, Dec 18: Three pace bowlers Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Asif and Shabbir Ahmed have been included in a list of 25 probables, called for the training camp, starting from Dec 26 to finalise Pakistan team for the next month’s tour of South Africa.

Shoaib and Asif had missed the last ICC Champions Trophy held in India in Oct-Nov and later the home series against West Indies, due to having tested positive in a random dope test and later getting themselves cleared from the PCB Appellate Tribunal. Both Shoaib and Asif were facing two and one year bans, imposed by the PCB anti-doping commission headed by Shahid Hamid.

But they filed appeals against the punishment before the PCB Appellate Tribunal, headed by Justice Fakhruddin, G Ebrahim, which surprisingly waived off the ban.

Shabbir has been included after the he completing a one-year ban on Monday, imposed by the ICC for his illegal bowling action.

Shabbir's bowling action was reviewed by an Australian biomechanics expert Bruce Elliot whose preliminary ruling had cleared the bowler.

Opener Salman Butt is also included in the list in addition to Imran Farhat, Mohammad Hafeez, besides one-day cricket opener Kamran Akmal, Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik.

Middle-order batsman Asim Kamal, Faisal Iqbal were also called. However, the selectors again missed promising batsman Bazid Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Hasan Raza and medium-pacer Abdur Rauf.

Meanwhile, Shoaib Akhtar, Asif and Shabbir will all play in the third Twenty20 Cup, starting in Karachi from Thursday.

Shoaib will play for Islamabad Leopards while Asif for Sialkot Stallions. Shabbir along with Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq will be representing Multan Tigers, as almost all international cricketers are featuring in the third edition of the tournament.

In all, 13 teams will feature in the contest.

Probables:

Imran Farhat, Mohammad Hafeez, Yasir Hameed, Salman Butt, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Shoaib Malik, Faisal Iqbal, Asim Kamal, Abdul Razzaq, Kamran Akmal (wicket-keeper), Danish Kaneria, Abdur Rehman, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Asif, Shahid Nazir, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Umar Gul, Mohammad Sami, Rao Iftikhar, Shahid Afridi, Zulqarnain Haider (wicket-keeper), Yasir Arafat, Shabbir Ahmed.

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