Elahi to lead Lahore Blues

Test discarded Saleem Elahi will lead the defending champions Lahore Blues in the Quaid-i-Azam Cricket Trophy Grade-I Tournament starting from Jan 2.

Another former Test cricketer Aamir Malik was named as the captain of the Lahore Whites team.

Lahore Blues and Whites will play their opening match against each other at the LCCA ground from Jan 2.

Besides Saleem Elahi, the Lahore Blues has the services of other Test cricketers including Imran Farhat, Humayun Farhat and Mohammad Hussain. The international Irfan Fazil is also included in the team.

The teams were announced after holding three-day trials at the LCCA ground from Dec 20 to 22.

The LCCA president Aamir Hayat Rokari as chairman of the selection committee with two members Ameer Akbar and Pervez Shah selected the teams.

Lahore Blues: Saleem Elahi (captain), Bazid Khan (vice captain), Imran Farhat, Sohail Idrees, Shahnawaz Malik, Amjad Ali, Zia-ur-Rehman, Imran Nazir Junior, Saleem Shahzad, Mustaqeem, Humayun Farhat (wicketkeeper), Ali Raza (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Husain, Kashif Shafi, Mudassar Mehboob, Irfan Fazil, Waqas Ahmad, Mohammad Khalil, Hasnain Kazim, Saqib Maqsood, Amjad Minhas, Hafiz Bilal, Rizwan Arshad, Hafiz Yawar, Naeem Rao. Reserves: Raza Ali Dar, Irfan Haider, Yasar Hashmi, Yaseen Butt, Kamran Khalil.

Manager: Mirza Azmat Beg. Coach: Hafeez-ur- Rehman.

Lahore Whites: Aamir Malik (captain), Tariq Mehmood (vicecaptain), Shahid Anwar, Faisal Mehmood, Kashif Siddiq, Rizwan Aslam, Adnan Butt, Tariq Rasheed, Aamir Sajjad, Ghayur Abbas, Intikhab Alam, Musahraf Ali, Kamran Akmal (wicketkeeper), Zulqarnain (wicketkeeper), Sajid Ali, Adnan Naeem, Wahab Riaz, Ahmad Khan, Fahad Masood, Mohammad Asif, Farhan Rasheed, Shahid Mehmood, Irfan Sohail, Naeem Khan, Faiz Rasool. Reserves: Shahid Ali Khan, Aamir Maqbool, Bilal Muqeet, Suleman Khan, Adnan Usman Khan.

Manager: Nasir Alam. Coach: Tariq Cheema.