Pakistan selectors name Shoaib, Rashid for World Cup

Pakistan sprang a major surprise on Tuesday when the national selectors decided to gamble with the fitness of injured all-rounder Azhar Mahmood and named him in the 15-man World Cup squad.

As widely expected, the vastly experienced 34-year-old opener Saeed Anwar was recalled for his third World Cup campaign largely on the basis of his 8605 runs in 242 One-day Internationals, including 19 centuries.

Other than Saeed, 13 names were almost certain starters. Skipper Waqar Younis, vice-captain Inzamam-ul-Haq and coach Richard Pybus were consulted before releasing the names.

Only four players - Salim Elahi, Younis Khan, Mohammad Sami and Taufiq Umar - have no previous World Cup experience while 10 of the squad were in the 1999 Wasim Akram-led side.

Azhar on Monday was all but ruled out by a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) spokesman who officially informed Dawn that the 27-year-old was unlikely to be considered for selection since he was making a slow recovery in England from recurrence of a shoulder injury. But as usual, Wasim Bari, the chairman of national selectors, came with up a flimsy explanation while briefing the media at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore when he announced the squad: "Dale Naylor, Surrey's physiotherapist has informed us that Azhar would be ready for South Africa where his track record is excellent."

But Bari failed to specify why the selectors had opted to take such a huge gamble for an event like the World Cup. Of late, Azhar has done nothing of note to merit inclusion.

This year Azhar had played in just 12 One-day Internationals, scoring 103 runs (averaging 11.44) in 10 innings with 32 as highest score. With his medium-paced bowling, he took only four wickets in 2002 at 90.25 per scalp in 76.4 overs.

The selectors also resisted the temptation of recalling former captain Moin Khan by retaining Rashid Latif, another player with injury problems, in the squad because they wanted to follow the policy of continuity.

"Rashid has now been with the team for almost 18 months and has been playing very well. Plus he has the experience of 1996 World Cup behind him," the ex-Test wicket-keeper remarked. "As regards Moin, he is an excellent batsman/wicket-keeper but then we had to back our instincts."

Bari also added that Kamran Akmal, the 20-year-old who made his international debut in Zimbabwe and is currently involved in the Test series against South Africa, is a future prospect.

Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, with a history of injury worries behind him, was also included once given a clean bill of health when he appeared on Tuesday before PCB's panel of doctors who examined his dodgy knees.

"Shoaib was included after being given clearance by specialists in South Africa. A lot of investment has gone into Shoaib for this tournament, Now the onus is on him as to how he can repay," Bari said.

Opener Taufiq Umar was selected ahead of fellow 21-year-old Faisal Iqbal as a reserve batsman simply because of the fact that the left-hander could also be used as an emergency wicket-keeper if required. However, the selectors have gone for only four specialist fast bowlers in Waqar, Wasim, Shoaib and Sami. What will happen in case of injuries. Waqar, for example, has been playing Tests and one-dayers continuously since he assumed the mantle of captaincy in May 2001.

Waqar remained Pakistan's most successful one-day bowler in 2002 with a haul of 52 wickets but for the second year running he had conceded more than five runs an over. He is bound to face fitness problems as well as mental exhaustion but as captain he has to carry on playing.

Wasim, for whom this will be his fifth and final World Cup, had sensibly preferred one-day games over Tests in the last 14 months. But like any other human being he is also prone to injury as is, the unpredictable Shoaib.

Therefore, the selection of Azhar becomes more debatable as Pakistan in recent times had been plagued by fitness problems to key players. World Cup organizers are hardly going to be lenient to the 1992 winners and the runners-up in 1999 if the squad is afflicted by a horde of unfit players.

Key batsman Inzamam-ul-Haq has played on by taking painkilling injections when it is clear that his heel requires surgery. Abdul Razzaq is struggling to regain confidence after his left wrist was fractured by a Brett Lee bouncer during Sharjah Test in October.

What is the guarantee that some of the players in the squad are back to peak fitness? Pakistan's chances of progressing to the Super Six stage will depend initially how the fittest survive to last through six preliminary round matches of Pool 'A'.

Pakistan start with a daunting tie in Johannesburg on Feb 11 against Australia, who thrashed them in the final in England more than three years ago.

Pakistan contingent, whose average age is 27, flies out to their base in Johannesburg on Jan 24 where there will be a reconditioning camp before they become guests of the World Cup organizers from Feb 1 onwards.

Full squad (current age and number of one-day appearances given in parenthesis): Waqar Younis (captain, 31, 256), Inzamam-ul-Haq (vice-captain, 32, 284), Saeed Anwar (34, 242), Salim Elahi (26, 36), Taufiq Umar (21, 6), Younis Khan (25, 70), Yousuf Youhana (28, 121), Shahid Afridi (22, 173), Abdul Razzaq (23, 119), Azhar Mahmood (27, 123), Wasim Akram (36, 350), Rashid Latif (wicket-keeper, 34, 143), Shoaib Akhtar (27, 75), Mohammad Sami (21, 18) and Saqlain Mushtaq (26, 165)