Afridi ditched, Zahid recalled

The injury-plagued fast bowler Mohammad Zahid was recalled Saturday for Pakistan's forthcoming offshore home Test series against Australia but surprisingly all-rounder Shahid Afridi was overlooked.

The omission of Afridi, who narrowly missed the fastest 50 in One-day Internationals when he slammed an electrifying 55 off 18 balls against Holland in the Champions Trophy on the same day, from the considerably inexperienced 16-man squad remains a mystery.

Afridi, who is named among the reserves alongwith wicket-keeper Moin Khan, has a creditable 14-match Test record which boasts of 780 runs and 21 wickets. Among his two centuries are 141 against India at Chennai in 1999 and 107 against West Indies in Sharjah earlier this year. With his quickish leg-spinners Afridi claimed a career-best five for 52 on his Test debut against Australia at Karachi four years ago.

With the side already depleted by the absence of batting stalwarts Inzamam-ul-Haq, Yousuf Youhana (both injured) and the non-availability of left-handed opener Saeed Anwar, Afridi could have added much needed experience at the top of the order against the rampaging Australians.

Pakistan go into the Test series with the most inexperienced batting line-up ever with Younis Khan, named vice-captain, having played only 20 Tests. Imran Nazir and the left-handed duo of Imran Farhat and Taufiq Umar will vie for the opening slots with just 15 Tests between them.

There are gaping holes in the middle-order, missing the 120-Test collective experience of Inzamam (81) and Youhana (39). Here Moin would have easily solved the crisis in the department had the selectors had the sense of playing him purely as a batsman. Moin's batting figures are respectable because in 63 Tests he averages 28.32. His tally of 2493 runs (three centuries) have only been surpassed by Inzamam, Youhana, Saeed and Wasim Akram among the current players.

Misbah-ul-Haq just had a solitary Test (on the tour of New Zealand 18 months ago) behind him while the recalled Hasan Raza played the last of his two Tests (both against Zimbabwe) as far back as December 1997.

Hasan, Test cricket's youngest ever debutant, now faces the biggest test of career against arguably the most potent bowling attack.

Faisal Iqbal, nephew of great Javed Miandad, gets another chance to cement his place after being in and out of the side in recent times.

With Wasim also opting out of the Australian series, the selectors have opted for risks rather pick those pacers who have performed at the domestic level. Fazle Akbar is desperately unlucky after taking more than 90 wickets in the last first-class season.

Zahid's inclusion is certainly a desperate measure by the selectors. They have taken a gamble with the fast bowler since he has been asked to prove his fitness in the 'Test' against Sri Lanka 'A' at Multan over the next few days.

Zahid had been sidelined by a spate of crippling back injuries after a spectacular 11-wicket Test debut against New Zealand at Rawalpindi nearly six years ago.

The 26-year-old Gaggu Mandi-born speedster's previous appearance at the highest level was at Peshawar when the then Australian captain Mark Taylor rewrote history with that unforgettable 334 not out.

Recalled for the West Indies series in Sharjah earlier this year, Zahid was forced to return home midway because of his mother's death.

Saqlain Mushtaq and leg-spinner Danish Kaneria are almost assured of bowling in tandem on the slow tracks of Colombo and Sharjah. Saqlain missed the recent one-day series in Nairobi and the Champions Trophy event in Colombo but kept himself match fit with Surrey.

All-rounder Rana Naveed-ul-Hasan, the only uncapped player in the squad, has been preferred over Azhar Mahmood.

Squad (with number of Test caps): Waqar Younis (captain, 80 Tests), Younis Khan (vice-captain, 20), Imran Nazir (6), Imran Farhat (3), Taufiq Umar (6), Faisal Iqbal (5), Misbah-ul-Haq (1), Hasan Raza (2), Abdul Razzaq (21), Rashid Latif (31), Rana Naveed-ul-Hasan (0), Saqlain Mushtaq (40), Danish Kaneria (8), Shoaib Akhtar (21), Mohammad Sami (3) and Mohammad Zahid (4).