LAHORE, April 6: While axing veteran players including Younis Khan, Abdul Razzaq and Kamran Akmal, the selection committee on Wednesday introduced some new faces besides recalling a few other campaigners as it announced a 16-member limited-overs squad for the West Indies tour.The tour, starting with a one-day warm-up on April 18 at St Lucia, will feature one-off Twenty20 and five One-day Internationals . The limited-overs contests, ending on May 5, will be followed by a two-Test series for which a separate squad will be named later.
While Shahid Afridi has been retained as limited-overs captain, Taufiq Umar, Usman Salahuddin, Aizaz Cheema, Ahmed Shahzad, Misbah-ul-Haq, Tanvir Ahmed, wicket-keeper Mohammad Salman, Hammad Azam and Junaid Khan were included in the squad.
What looks surprising is the recall of Taufiq who played his last ODI against Australia in February 2005. His performance in the last National One-day Cup was not very impressive where he could score just 166 runs at a moderate average of 41.50.
The selectors also decided to give another chance to failed opener Ahmed Shahzad who could amass mere 44 runs in five World Cup matches.
In the middle-order Usman Salahuddin, an upcoming batsman from Lahore, has been included. Usman represented Lahore team in the Division Two of the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy first-class event and remained top scorer with 927 runs. In the National One-day Cup, he scored 204 at 68.00 to help his team win the final against the Khan Research Laboratories.
Usman's inclusion has eclipsed the future of Aamir Sajjad and Naved Yasin — two upcoming youngsters who had been tipped as significant prospects for the future by the same selection committee.
Paceman Aizaz Cheema also got the nod of the selectors who ignored Mohammad Talha, top wicket-taker of the One-day Cup. Aizaz took five wickets at not-very-impressive 42.40, while Talha claimed 21 scalps at a remarkable 14.42. Uzair-ul-Haq (21 wickets at 14.80) also could not attract the selectors' attention.
Hammad Azam has been included as replacement of veteran all-rounder Abdul Razzaq. Hammad has secured one wicket in the One-day Cup besides scoring 279 runs.
Mohammad Salman from Faisalabad got the place as Amin-ur-Rehman of the NBP, who held 10 catches in the One-day Cup was ignored. Salman kept only seven catches.
Left-arm fast bowler Junaid Khan, who was part of the World Cup squad but did not feature in any match, was retained in the pace attack which besides Aizaz also has Wahab Riaz and Tanvir Ahmed.
The selectors also announced five reserves for the tour. They include Rameez Raja, Sadaf Hussain, Asif Zakir, Sohail Khan and Zulfiqar Babar.
Meanwhile, Waqar Younis, Aaqib Javed and Intikhab Alam were retained as head coach, bowling coach and team manager respectivel while Shahid Aslam will accompany the team as assistant manger.
Faisal Hayat and Saboor Ahmad are squad's physiotherapist and trainer respectively.
No security manager is going with the squad.
Agencies add: Meanwhile, chief selector Mohsin Khan said blundering Kamran needs a break.
The 29-year-old was criticised for dropping crucial catches during the World Cup, where Pakistan lost in the semi-final to archrivals India.
“We have given Kamran a break because his wicket-keeping was not up to the mark during the World Cup,” Mohsin said. “We think Kamran needs a rest.”
Local media said the wicket-keeper will also lose his Test place to younger brother Adnan Akmal, part of the Test team to New Zealand earlier this year.
Mohsin said the tour gives Pakistan an opportunity to test new players.
“We have chosen the team with a plan to try some youngsters who can serve Pakistan in the future,” added Mohsin. “Younis and Umar Gul have been rested while Razzaq could not fit into the team.”
Gul, in the meantime, said he wanted to take rest.
“I wanted a break from cricket for a while so I requested the board to not consider me for the [West Indies] tour,” Gul asserted.
“I had also informed the chief selector that I wanted to spend time with my family,” added Gul, who finished with 14 wickets in the World Cup.
Squad:Shahid Afridi (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shahzad, Taufiq Umar, Usman Salahuddin, Misbah-ul-Haq, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Abdur Rehman, Saeed Ajmal, Tanvir Ahmed, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan, Hammad Azam, Aizaz Cheema, Mohammad Salman.