LAHORE: The national selection committee on Thursday invited 31 probables including wicket-keeper/batsman Kamran Akmal and opener Ahmed Shehzad to a training camp starting from March 17 at the Gaddafi Stadium ahead of the ODI and T20 contests against the West Indies.

The national team will be touring the West Indies to play four T20s and three ODIs in addition to three Tests with the probables being announced only for ODIs and T20s while the Test squad will be finalised later on.

While Kamran and Shehzad have succeeded in making it to the list of probables on the basis of their fine performances in various domestic events including the PSL, Test opener Salman Butt is yet to receive any call despite his prolific run in the season.

Kamran last represented Pakistan in the 2014 World T20 but has been performing impressively during the last three years in all domestic events which is one of the main reasons behind his call-up at the probables camp.

Discarded opener Shehzad is also likely to stage a comeback in the national team after being out of the team for almost a year. He was sidelined in the wake of 2016 World T20 after his poor show as well as his involvement in disciplinary issues which forced then head coach Waqar Younis to file a written complaint against him with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

However, the recently-ended PSL saw Shehzad playing not only impressively for the Quetta Gladiators but was also on his best behaviour both on and off the field.

On the other hand, Salman who scored a century in each innings of the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy final which enabled Wapda to win it for the first time last year. The PCB has already cleared the former captain for selection but the selection committee is apparently not ready to give him a chance.

Salman, who was also not selected in any of the PSL outfit, has been seen doing physical exercises regularly at the NCA these days.

“Apart from serving the five-year ban and completing the rehabilitation programme of the PCB, I have also performed well in the domestic season,” said the former Test captain while talking to Dawn. “Now it is up to the selectors to give me a chance.”

Kamran said his consistent scoring had gained the attention of the selectors and if he succeeds in making the touring party for the West Indies tour, he will not disappoint his fans. On the other hand, former ODI skipper Azhar Ali has also been called up for the camp. According to PCB chairman, Azhar has decided to step down from the ODI captaincy after his team failed to perform well against Australia but the top-order batsman wanted to press ahead with his career as ODI batsman.

Though the PCB chief has assured Azhar of his place in the ODI team, there are reports that the team management is not highly convinced about his abilities as an ODI player.

Meanwhile, some prominent upcoming talented players including Fakhar Zaman, Rouman Raees, Mohammad Abbas, Fahim Ashraf, Mohammad Asghar, Shadab Khan, Usman Shinwari, Saad Ali, Hussain Talat, Amad Butt and Asif Zakir have also been included in the list of probables for the camp.

Probables:

Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Fakhar Zaman, Azhar Ali, Shan Masood, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Asif Zakir, Saad Ali, Sarfraz Ahmed, Kamran Akmal, Fahim Ashraf, Hussain Tallat, Ammad Butt, Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali, Wahab Riaz, Rahat Ali, Rumman Raees, Sohail Khan, Junaid Khan, Sohail Tanveer, Mohammad Abbas, Usman Shinwari, Usama Mir, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Asghar, Shadab Khan, Muhammad Nawaz, Yasir Shah.

Published in Dawn, March 10th, 2017