New selection has created opportunities - Qasim

By naming different Test, one-day and Twenty20 squads the PCB has expanded the base of its pool of players, Iqbal Qasim, Pakistan's chief selector, has said. Pakistan's selection committee has seemingly covered as many bases as possible in the three formats, recalling several forgotten names and forming an unusually large 18-man Test squad for the Tests against New Zealand.

"It's a new experience and format under two captains - Younis Khan and Shahid Afridi," Qasim told reporters in Karachi. "The new selection [method] has expanded selection and created more opportunities for players. The selection committee has taken various aspects into consideration while picking longer version, shorter version and Twenty20 teams. Our main criterion for selection is the form of the players in domestic and international cricket."

Pakistan's one-day captain is Younis Khan, who resigned as captain earlier this month following match-fixing accusations during the ICC Champions Trophy semi-final against New Zealand, but had his resignation refused. The Twenty20 side is captained by Shahid Afridi, whose contributions in the semi-final and final of this summer's World Twenty20 were pivotal. One of the key issues for Pakistan's selectors is how they handle Younis and Afridi regarding different squad compositions.

"It's a ticklish position for us because both the captains have their own thinking and we have to satisfy both of them," said Qasim.