KINGSTON, March 17: Pakistan’s touring selection committee, in a surprise move on Saturday, dropped leg-spinner Danish Kaneria and included all-rounder Azhar Mahmood in the playing eleven for their crucial World Cup Group D game against Ireland.

Greenish look of the Sabina Park pitch could have been the reason for Inzamam-ul-Haq’s decision to induct Azhar in the playing eleven in place of Kaneria. The decision to drop Kaneria was taken just seconds before the match by Inzamam and Bob Woolmer.

The official score-sheet, distributed among the media personnel, carries the name of Kaneria but Pakistan reversed the decision minutes before the toss.

Former West Indies fast bowler Andy Roberts is supervising the preparations of pitches at the Sabina Park but local reporters said they have never seen such a greenish and lively pitch here in the past few years.

Kaneria, 26, could prove a trump card because of the weakness of teams like England, Ireland, and Scotland against quality leg-spin. “Because of the greenish looking track the touring selection committee decided to include Azhar in place of Kaneria,” Pakistan team’s media manager Pervez Mir said.

Kaneria took eight wickets in a match and five in the second innings to bowl Pakistan to a Test series squaring 1-1 victory over the West Indies in June 2005.

As expected fast bowler Mohammad Sami was brought in place of struggling all-rounder Rana Naved-ul-Hasan after Irish skipper Brent Johnston won the toss and put Pakistan in to bat first on a seaming track. —APP