LAHORE, June 3 Maverick fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar and controversial all-rounder Shoaib Malik were named in the Pakistan team for Asia Cup here on Thursday with new faces Asad Shafiq and Umar Amin also making the 15-member squad.

Chief selector Mohsin Hasan Khan, flanked by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ijaz Butt and captain Shahid Afridi, announced the team in a crowded media briefing for the event, scheduled to commence in Sri Lanka from June 15.

Speaking about the selection of Shoaib and Malik, who cleared their fitness tests on Thursday, Mohsin said “It is a healthy sign that senior players like Shoaib Akhtar and Shoaib Malik have been given a chance after they passed the fitness tests, and hopefully they will perform to make the most of this opportunity.”

About the selection of a few young players in the squad, Mohsin said that they had been given a chance under PCB's policy of giving exposure to the in-form, talented player.

However, when asked if newcomers like Umar and Asad would be subjected to the same treatment that was meted out to the talented Under-19 player Hammad Azam in the Twenty World Cup in the West Indies, the chief selector said considering the environment and atmosphere in Sri Lanka, Umar and Asad could play a few games after their impressive performance in the domestic circuit. “The selectors will give chance to every performer,” he assured.

Mohsin added that the team was selected after consulting both the captain and head coach Waqar Younis and he claimed that the PCB had given him a free-hand to select the team.

Skipper Shahid Afridi, while commenting on the return of Shoaib Akhtar, said that though the bowler had been away from international cricket for about a year or so, he is a professional and would hopefully regain his rhythm pretty soon. “The team needs Shoaib Akhtar and we will use him against strong rivals. He is looking hungry for cricket and I have confidence in him that he will deliver,” Afridi said.

The captain clarified that he had no pressure from any quarter to include Shoaib Malik in the team. “I recommended Malik's inclusion from my heart, forgetting the past. He is a talented player and I have advised him to play cricket with full focus as he has the abilities to serve the team,” said the skipper.

Ijaz Butt, also speaking on the occasion, said the inclusion of both Malik and Shoaib was not the result of any sort of pressure and both were selected on merit. “I don't accept any pressure. I have no interference in the affairs of selectors. I gave their clearance on the basis of the report of the medical board.”

“I also witnessed both the players in the physical test at the NCA on Wednesday and saw both putting in good efforts to impress the selectors,” Ijaz said about Shoaib and Malik.

He said the 17-member team for the upcoming tour of England will be named during the Asia Cup, on June 20.

Later, as Mohsin prepared to answer a question regarding the criteria for the selection of two additional players for the tour of England, the PCB chairman interrupted to say “Let me answer this question as it is a very specific one. The changes in the team will be made on the basis of the boys' performances in Sri Lanka and there could be four or more changes for the England tour.”

While the selectors picked the team from among the 35 probables named earlier, major omissions on Thursday included Younis Khan (facing an inquiry against indefinite ban), Yasir Hameed, Khurram Manzoor, Faisal Iqbal, Fawad Alam, Hasan Raza and the talented Aamir Sajjad.

In the bowling department, Umar Gul (fitness problems), Mohammad Sami, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Irfan, Tanveer Ahmad and Aizaz Cheema failed to get the selectors' nod.

All-rounder Yasir Arafat and Mohammad Hafeez were also not considered.

Squad

Shahid Afridi (captain), Salman Butt (vice-captain), Imran Farhat, Shahzaib Hasan, Umar Akmal, Asad Shafiq, Umar Amin, Abdul Razzaq, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Aamir, Mohammad Asif, Shoaib Akhtar, Abdur Rehman, Saeed Ajmal, Kamran Akmal (wicket-keeper).

Reserves Fawad Alam, Azhar Ali, Mohammad Irfan, Zulfiqar Babar.