Wasim Akram has been left out of the Pakistan squad selected for the Asian Test Championship final against Sri Lanka in Lahore starting on March 6th.

Wasim Akram Photo © AFP

The pace bowler limped out of his last Test - against Bangladesh in January after bowling just two overs and four balls. However, he was back to face West Indies in Sharjah earlier this month, playing in the first match of the one-day series. He was replaced by Mohammad Sami who took a hat-trick in the second match of that series.

Sami retains his place in the squad for the ATC final along with Mohammad Zahid while Wasim attempts to regain fitness by testing his hamstring in domestic cricket.

Pakistan captain Waqar Younis has denied reports that the bowler with whom he formed such a devastating new ball attack would be nursed through to the World Cup in South Africa in 2003. He says that, once restored to full fitness, he will be considered for all Pakistan's fixtures.

In a surprise move the Pakistan selectors picked off-spinner Shoaib Malik to replace wrist-spinner Danish Kaneria in the side that beat the West Indies 2-0 in the Sharjah Test series.

Full squad:
Taufeeq Umar, Shoaib Malik, Younis Khan, Inzamam-ul-Haq (Vice-Captain), Yousuf Youhana, Abdul Razzaq, Rashid Latif, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Akhtar, Waqar Younis (Captain), Mohammad Sami, Saqlain Mushtaq, Mohammad Zahid, Faisal Iqbal