TANGIERS, Aug 10: Pakistan was having selection headaches on the eve of the Morocco Cup after picking 15 players of equal strength with an added advantage of fielding them anywhere in the batting order.

The biggest question mark is against off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq who joined the team from London. The Surrey player might not figure in Monday’s opener against South Africa at all after coach Mudassar Nazar confirmed that Shahid Afridi would play in the lower-middle order.

“I am not saying that Saqlain will not play but I am also not guaranteeing anyone a place in the starting lineup. We will have to go match-by-match and whatever is the game plan and strategy, the team will be picked according to it,” Mudassar said.

Also a doubtful starter was allrounder Azhar Mahmood who is all set to surrender his place to Abdul Razzaq. Azhar made to the final lineup in the Super Challenge-II against Australia chiefly because Razzaq was on duty with Middlesex in the English County Championship.

Then there is Shoaib Malik who has two one-day centuries and that too on different batting spots. His first was against the West Indies in the middle-order while his second was an opener against New Zealand. The youngster, after his century and three wickets at Lahore in April, failed to find a place against Australia.

Also unsure is pacer Mohammad Sami though there is a vacant spot after Shoaib Akhtar decided to take rest on fitness grounds. Misbah-ul-Haq is probably the only player who would be a mere tourist on this tour.

Mudassar admitted having selection headaches but said it was a pleasant change. “It’s nice to have so many options. It was not the case sometime ago but now I can make changes and rotate the players around,” he remarked.

He said Saeed Anwar and Imran Nazir were certain to open the innings and Shahid to come down the order. He maintained Imran and Shahid were integral components also because of their agility in the field.

“These two give the team an added advantage. Either they would hold a blinder or stop certain boundaries. They seem to be essential players,” he said.

In the bowling department, Waqar Younis being the captain and Wasim Akram being the most successful bowler are certain to take the field Monday. Razzaq because of his past reputation might get the nod and Shahid Afridi has already been given the vote of confidence by the coach.

Meanwhile Pakistan and South African managers were seeing the Morocco Cup with different prospectives.

South African Gholam Raja said it would be premature to judge the strength of the teams and their prospects in the World Cup on the basis of this competition while Mudassar Nazar believed it was the launching pad.

RAJA SAID: “I think most of the teams are still in building process and some of the players who will figure in the Word Cup are still not included in the teams. I don’t think you can judge anything before November.”