No change in team for Down Under

Lahore, Dec 16: Despite calling Test opener Aamir Sohail for the training camp, no change will be made in the Pakistan cricket team, for a triangular competition in Australia next month.

Talking to journalists here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday the new chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ad Hoc Committee Lt-Gen Tauqir Zia said that he liked the game of Aamir Sohail too, there would no change in the 14: member team already announced for the Australian tour.He said that Aamir Sohail was only called for the training camp.

The chairman said that he was looking into affairs of the board and would soon speak on every issue.

He said that foreign media was acting on a plan to defamePakistani players and urged for ways and means to counter them.

Later, the chief selector Salahuddin Ahmad who briefed the PCB chairman on the selection of the team said that he had satisfied the chairman on the selection issue.

APP adds: A closed door meeting between the new PCB chief and the selectors lasted 45 minutes in which selection committee, led by Salahuddin Ahmad and members Iqbal Qasim,and Masood Iqbal, highlighted the criteria of selection for the coming tour.

The PCB Chairman listened to the views of the selectors regarding selection of the team and reserved his comments regarding ignoring any deserving player.

Sources from the board said that the meeting discussed the past and recent performance of players selected in the team during the domestic and international tournaments.

The selectors also revealed the reasons for dropping in form dashing opener Aamir Sohail and star pace bowler Waqar Younis.

The selectors blamed attitude problems with Aamir Sohail for not considering the batsman and said they need improvement in his behaviour.

The General was informed that Waqar was dropped on the basis of lack of performance in the recent tour of Australia.