Blow for Pakistan as Irfan ruled out of Asia Cup, WT20 squads

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Blow for Pakistan as Irfan ruled out of Asia Cup, WT20 squads

Agencies Published February 14, 2014

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Pakistan suffered a huge blow to their Asia Cup and World Twenty20 preparations as fast bowler Mohammad Irfan, the team's spearhead in recent times, was ruled out of both events due to a recurrence of his hip injury.

Lanky Irfan, the tallest ever man to play international cricket at 7 feet one inch, fractured his hip in Pakistan's T20 series against South Africa in UAE in November last year.

However, his recovery proved short lived when the injury recurred in a domestic tournament this week, prompting chief selector Azhar Khan to say Irfan had to be left out of the squads.

“Irfan was left out as he injured himself again and needs some time for recovery,” Khan told reporters while announcing the squads.

The notable inclusions in the squads for the upcoming events are Fawad Alam, who returns to the ODI squad after a gap of over two years and Kamran Akmal and Shoaib Malik who have been included in the World T20 squad.

“Kamran and Malik will give experience to the team for the important event,” said Khan.

The Asia Cup will be held in Dhaka, from February 25 to March 8. Besides Pakistan - the defending champions - India, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and hosts Bangladesh will also take part in the event.

The fifth edition of the World T20 with 16 teams in competition will also be held in Bangladesh from March 16 to April 6.

Asia Cup squad:

Misbah-ul-Haq (Captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad, Sharjeel Khan, Shahid Afridi, Umar Akmal, Sohaib Maqsood, Fawad Alam, Saeed Ajmal, Abdul Rehman, Junaid Khan, Umar Gul, Anwar Ali, Bilawal Bhatti, Mohammad Talha

World Twenty20 squad:

Mohammad Hafeez (Captain), Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Saeed Ajmal, Umar Gul, Sharjeel Khan, Sohaib Maqsood, Junaid Khan, Bilawal Bhatti, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Akmal, Zulfiqar Babar, Mohammad Talha, Ahmed Shehzad, Kamran Akmal

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Imran

Feb 14, 2014 07:41pm

Najam Sethi has started his dirty business.. Thank you Nawaz Shareef for encouraging sirafish psychology back into the country... I don't remember why we voted for you.

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Anees

Feb 14, 2014 07:51pm

Here come the legends.. the TWO and ONLY Kamran Akmal and Shoaib Malik..RIP Asia Cup and W T20.

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Feb 14, 2014 08:20pm

Crazy selection!!! Why is Anwar Ali out of WT20!!! HE has been the pick of last tournaments..where every one failed to perform Anwar Ali and Bhatti scored most runs!! Anwar Ali is a good already and deserves his place more than Shoaib Malik!

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shado

Feb 14, 2014 08:21pm

Where is Junaid Khan! * is he no longer top performer * ?

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Kamran

Feb 14, 2014 08:25pm

This is crazy, only bowling alrounders selected for T/20 , with the exception of Ahmed, sharjeel and shoaib maqsood.. What are they thinking in these selection meetings.

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Hassan

Feb 14, 2014 08:45pm

What the hell !!! So, they intend not to win the cup by including two losers - Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal. I truly fail to understand what they see in Shoaib Malik beside being Punjabi and sifarshi ?

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Ahmad zubairi

Feb 14, 2014 08:45pm

Averages mean something Kamran and Shoaib having batting averages in barely 20's mean they are most likely to make only that many runs. Thanks for taking us backwards rathjer than forward with new players. It also shows the insecurity of Hafeez. Same old stuff going again I have not much hope for our T20 success.

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junaid

Feb 14, 2014 08:49pm

The 30 punctures wala has started mending old bicycle tubes... Fawad and shoaib ... :D

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Hakheer

Feb 14, 2014 09:10pm

Yes - Shoaib and Kamran will bring experience to the team - BAD EXPERIENCE

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Ali Tahir

Feb 14, 2014 09:34pm

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Salman

Feb 14, 2014 10:57pm

They played Mohammad Irfan for two tests, 5 odis and two t-20s... He was bound to get injured.. All the blame lies with management and Misbah who kept him playing. For God Sake yaar,Why can't we protect our assets ? Now who is going to be responsible ? If we have not learned now than when would we learn ?

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asad

Feb 15, 2014 12:48am

Cant believe Kamran Akmal and SHoaib Malik can make it to any side in the world. I guess fans will have to speak up and boycott Pakistani matches. These two cost us dearly in the last Asia cup and especially in the semis against SL. No wonder, this team will never get out of the rebuilding process.

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Naveed

Feb 15, 2014 01:04am

Azhar Ali and Younis Khan should be part of Asia Cup squad in place of Fawad Alam and Abdul Rehman. If we want to win T20 world Cup Misbah should make a come back to T20 in place of Malik, Kamran Akaml should replaced with Sarfaraz. Rest of the squads are good. Just My 2 cents!!

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M. Siddique

Feb 15, 2014 01:27am

Now that out of form Shoab Malik and Kamran Akmal are included, I wonder if Inzimam and Razzaq will be included to add experience to the team. I think Mailk and Kamran are dumb choices.

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Yousuf

Feb 15, 2014 02:25am

Where is "Sarfraz"...the architect of SA win. Is He unfit , or lost form after SA tour.

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sali

Feb 15, 2014 02:33am

Unbelievable. I am not sure if one should cry for leaving out Junaid Khan or curse PCB for inclusion of Shoib Mirza and Kamran Akmal. A winning combination and iduction of talented new players like Shoib Maqsood, Sharjeel, Ahmed Shezad will be haulted now with suck up boys.

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Faisal Jamali

Feb 15, 2014 06:03am

I cannot believe what I have just read. Kamran Akmal, the worst wicket keeper the world has ever seen is yet gain selected when we have Mohammad Rizwan in our ranks!! How many times will Shoaib Malik keep failing !! These two loosers should be retired permanently. Where is Anwar ALI! He played so well. This team reeks of prejudice and safarshees

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Combaticus

Feb 15, 2014 08:19am

My ODI team (in batting order): Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Umar Akmal (W), Sohaib Maqsood, Fawad Alam, Misbah-ul-Haq (Captain), Shahid Afridi, Bilawal Bhatti, Saeed Ajmal, Umar Gul and Junaid Khan. 12th Man: Anwar Ali T20 Team (in batting order) Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez (Captain), Umar Akmal, Sohaib Maqsood, Sharjeel Khan, Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal (W), Bilawal Bhatti, Saeed Ajmal, Umar Gul and Junaid Khan, 12 Man: Sohail Tanvir I do not want to put Kamran Akmal but PCB packed the 15 player squad with all-rounders and not many batsman. Also I didn't add Sohaib Malik: why was he selected again ?

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Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad

Feb 15, 2014 01:01pm

Bad luck.

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Effy

Feb 15, 2014 02:16pm

why this enemity against Harris Soahial......?? why ?

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Rehan

Feb 15, 2014 06:08pm

Akmal Bridari is back !! What a Disgrace ......

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Ameera

Feb 15, 2014 07:04pm

@Imran: Leave the reason, do you even remember voting for him?

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marcmywords

Feb 15, 2014 10:08pm

Despite of all the criticism hovering around the selection and appointment of new support staff and coach i still firmly believe that this time frame of two months is a very well placed out card by the PCB. Cos if things go haywire after God forbidden debacle of Pak team post Asia Cup or T20 ..They can think back at this selection of theirs and can make changes accordingly ..No disrespect but Moin was a very mediocre player himslef when he played for Pak team his presence was merely due to his wicket keeping skills , but this job requires a lot more responsibility than Moin in my opinion is capable of ..just a couple of suggestions for future although i am no way a part of PCB but my fellow commentators will soon know if i was right or wrong well that only time will tell. Main coach should be a strict disciplinarian preferably of foreign origin someone like kirsten if available. Fielding coach definitely has to be a non subcontinental player of past ..someone who can improve better fielding in upcoming tours especially keeping in mind WORLD CUP 2015. Md. Akram as a bowling coach seems ok so far but still he must employ players with better death bowling techniques. and lastly , Sir Zaheer Abbas must bring all his experience together to help Pak batting in future especially at the roles of each batsmen at various stages.

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justbecoz

Feb 16, 2014 12:20am

bad selection. why have they ignored the legendary batsman imran farhat and the amazing wicket keeper- batsman adnan akmal. i am happy with the selection of kamran akmal, shoaib malik and sohail tanvir. i am sure they will bring back the T20 and asia cup to pakistan, inshallah ! thank you mr. sethi and mr. nawaz sharif.

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Ali

Feb 16, 2014 07:36am

Khan saab, if 'experience' is the only criteria for selection, why not bring yourself and Intikhab Alam back as well? Favoritism at it's ugliest!

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arslan saleem

Feb 16, 2014 10:37am

Junaid khan..................? sohail tanveer inclusio will prove fatal

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Shahzad

Feb 16, 2014 10:46am

Mr Azhar Khan is living in another world as I think he does not know how Malik and Kamran has performed in their last two stints when they were put in the team. Malik was a spectator in his Big Bash team as he played only or two matches and scored less than 20 in both the matches. They didn't played him after that. Parchi zindabad for malik and "barey bhai ko khilao warna main nahi khelonga" for Kamran bhai..................

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Ossy

Feb 16, 2014 12:46pm

My view: PCB must have sold out Pakistan team to match-fixers, promising that certain players will be included for chosen tournaments where betting is at its peak. There is no other explanation for this kind of selection tournament after tournament. Our opposiing teams will be laughing at the team chosen: 9 Bowlers (5 Fast+ 4 Spin) + 3 Batsmen and 3 match-fixers.

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marcmywords

Feb 16, 2014 03:30pm

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kirther

Feb 17, 2014 12:35am

what a shame, does he have any self respect, somehow such people have made their way to the top. Like politicians certain media personnel have also displayed below par morale values.

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MNK

Feb 17, 2014 07:04am

Selection of Kamran Akmal and Shoaib Malik ahead of Sarfaraz ahmed and Hammad Azam is a disgrace. I agree with few comments that match fixing mafia will always influence team selection to have the right agents for rigging matches that is why we never seem to get rid of Akmals and maliks for long. Hafeez is an excellent ODI/T20 support bowler but his mediocrity with the bat is fast developing him into a bowling allrounder and we already have too many bowling allrounders Despite performing so well, Sarfaraz is again left out. I would also blame Misbah for his mishandling of Karachi based players and his biasedness towards a particular province players has clearly become apparent in last few years My ODI team Ahmed Shehzad, Sharjeel Khan, Misbah, Sohaib Maqsood, Fawad Alam, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Anwar Ali,Bilawal Bhatti, Shahid Afridi, Junaid Khan, Saeed Ajmal

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