LAHORE: While Hasan Ali remains doubtful for the upcoming tour of Australia, particularly for the first part of the three-match T20 International series, pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi bowled at the two-day national training camp that started here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday prior to Pakistan’s demanding tour to Australia.

The Pakistan squad for the Australia tour starting early next month is scheduled to be announced on Monday.

The problems for Misbah-ul-Haq, the chief-selector-cum-head coach, have been compounded after prominent fast bowlers Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz a while ago decided to quit Test cricket to concentrate on T20 and ODI formats. And now 25-year-old Hasan, struggling with his back injury, and is most likely to miss at least the three-match T20 series Down Under preceding the two-Test rubber starting in Brisbane on Nov 21. According to reports, the pace bowler needs another three weeks to recover.

Fifteen bowlers of all types, including several from the domestic circuit, have been called to the camp by national team bowling coach Waqar Younis. Right-armer Hasan was not invited because of his injury.

However left-armer Shaheen, who missed the recently-concluded limited-overs home series against Sri Lanka due to dengue fever has recovered and bowled during both the training sessions at the camp for bowlers on Saturday.

Meanwhile, newly-appointed Test captain Azhar Ali and T20 skipper Babar Azam also visited the camp.

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2019