Pakistan in West Indies: Mushtaq and Saqlain set to be recalled

Karachi, March 28: Saqlain Mushtaq is all set to be included in the 17-man Pakistan cricket team which will be announced for the tour of the West Indies from Sharjah on Wednesday.

Saqlain, who missed the last two Tests against Sri Lanka and the ongoing Sharjah Cup, conveyed his availability and fitness to the selectors from England on Monday.

Also confirmed of a place in the Caribbean-bound team is wrist spinner Mushtaq Ahmad who last played for Pakistan in the Brisbane Test in Australia five months ago. Saqlain and Mushtaq will replace Arshad Khan and Shoaib Malik currently in the desert city.

However, Saeed Anwar is still a doubtful starter as he has yet to inform the selectors about his fitness and availability.

Although chairman of selectors Wasim Bari left for Manchester on Tuesday morning, he will hold discussions on telephone with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) hierarchy along with the team management presently in Sharjah.

The deliberations will take place on Wednesday afternoon and the team will be announced after that.

Rookie batsman Naumanullah, who is in terrific form in the ongoing one-day cricket tournament, is among the short-list of 21 players which does not include opener Naveed Qureshi.

Naumanullah is tied with Imran Farhat and teenager Faisal Iqbal.

There is also a tie for anotherslot in the middle-order between young Mohammad Wasim and veteran Ijaz Ahmad. Wasim is, however, likely to earn the selectors nod who have been emphasising on injecting young blood in the team.

Surprisingly, Rashid Latif was also being considered for selection after the former captain preferred to play in the ongoing one-day cricket tournament as a batsman. He is bracketed with 25-year-old Atiq-uz-Zaman who made a highly impressive debut against Sri Lanka at Peshawar.

With Azhar Mahmood having declared his non-availability for the tour, the selectors have decided to stick to all-rounder Abdur Razzaq who was dropped from the third Test against Sri Lanka after playing in the first two which Pakistan lost.

The likely 17:

Moin Khan (captain), Inzamam-ul-Haq (vice-captain), Imran Nazir, Shahid Afridi, Wajahatullah Wasti, Mohammad Wasim, Younis Khan, Yousuf Youhana, Naumanullah, Abdur Razzaq, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Akram, Saqlain Mushtaq, Mushtaq Ahmad and Atiq-uz-Zaman.