LAHORE, Feb 7: Usman Gondal, a UK-based Pakistani is included in the list of 26 probables shortlisted for selection of Pakistan football team for the 14th Asian Cup qualifiers’ first match against Jordan on Feb 22.

Usman was included in Pakistan team which faced India in the first match of three match series at Quetta on June 12 last year.

But Usman was not selected in the first list of 37 probables. Another UK-based Pakistani Zeshan Rehman, who was included in the list of 37 probables, had been excluded after his club Fulham did not release him for this assignment.

The others, who faced the axe are former national skipper Tanveer Ahmed, Rao Muhammad Yamin, Yasir Sabir, Akram Masih, Asif Ayub, Imran Aziz, Muhammad Asif, Muhammad Nadeem, Lal Bakhsh Lala and Shahid Salim.

Before going to Jordan, the 26-probables will have a training session in Bahrain for which they are leaving on Feb 9.

From Bahrain, the final squad will leave for Jordan on Feb 19. During their 10-day tour of Gulf state the squad will play four practice matches.

It will be Pakistan’s second visit to Bahrain for training purposes after the first held in November, 2005. Pakistan’s coach from Bahrain Salman Ahmed Sharida specially arranged the tour of Bahrain.

“I hope the training in Bahrain will help us a lot to hone the skill, before meeting a formidable Jordan, who are among top six seed teams during draws of Asian Cup qualifiers last month,” coach said.

Salman will be assisted by Muhammad Shamlan al Shamlan and Muhammad Afzal as assistant coaches. Pakistan will play other away matches of the qualifiers against Oman (Sept 6) and UAE (Nov 15).

The schedule of Pakistan’s three home matches is: UAE (March 1), Oman (Aug 16) and Jordan (Oct 11).

The same team is likely to represent the country in the first AFC Challenge Football Cup, to be co-hosted by Nepal and Bangladesh, from March 25 to April 9.

Pakistan along with Macau and two Central Asian countries: Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan - and the hosts Bangladesh are in Group D.

Probables: Jaffar Khan, Muhammad Imran, Gulzar Ahmed, Khalid Munir, Naveed Khan, Imran Hussain, Abid Ali, Faheem Riaz (Army); Farooq Shah, Muhammad Ismaeel, Abdul Aziz, Aurangzeb, Jameel Ahmed (NBP); Naveed Akram, Zahid Hameed, Muhammad Essa, Misbahul Hassan (Wapda); Javed Hamza, Abdul Ghafoor (KESC); Muhammad Waseem KRL); Muhammad Imran (Lahore); Safi Ullah (Peshawar); Aqeel Ahmed (HBL); Usman Gondal Kamran Khan (Islamabad); Samar Ishaq (Panther FC).