'Blue-eyed' Shoaib named in probables: Wasim, Moin axed

Pakistan selectors have left out veteran Wasim Akram and Moin Khan from the 27 probables named Tuesday to attend the national senior training camp due to be held at the National Stadium, Karachi, from Aug 6.

It appears that Wasim Akram has been finally shown the door while Moin's future hangs in balance as the selectors headed by Wasim Bari have picked Atiq uz Zaman as Rashid Latif's deputy. However injuryprone and controversial Shoaib Akhtar, the blue eyed boy of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) - despite his poor record as Test bowler and millions of rupees wasted on him over the years - once again finds favour with the selectors.

Shoaib Akhtar, who deserted Pakistan team in England due to fitness problems but turned up for a local English club, could still find favour with the selectors is mind-boggling. Even young Mohammad Sami who was also unfit but toured England and remained with the team as a "joyrider" gets the selectors nod although he was reported to be suffering from a stress fracture of the shin. "Indispensible" Yawar Saeed has been retained as manager and former Test paceman Sikandar Bakht, who earlier quit as selector, once again has been rewarded with the job of camp coach.

Probables: Imran Nazir, Imran Farhat, Taufiq Umar, Saeed Anwar, Faisal Iqbal, Hasan Raza, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Yousaf Youhana, Younis Khan, Abdur Razzaq, Danish Kanaira, Rashid Latif, Waqar Younis, Irfan Fazil, Shabbir Ahmad, Mohammad Sami, Naveed Lateef, Rana Naveed, Shahid Afridi, Saqlain Mushtaq. Atiq-uz-Zaman, ShoaibAkhtar, FazleAkbar, Mohammad Akram, Yasir Arafat, AzharMahmood and Shoaib Malik.