Pakistan squad for Asia Cup announced

Lahore, May 28: Six players, who toured the West Indies, have been dropped while three new inducted as a 14-member Pakistan cricket team for the Asia Cup was announced on Sunday.

The cricketers dropped are pacemen Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar, legspinner Mushtaq Ahmad, batsmen Younis Khan, Wajahatullah Wasti and off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq.

The new men in are opener Saeed Anwar, middle-order batsman Azhar Mahmood and off-spinner Shoaib Malik. Shoaib Akhtar and Saqlain Mushtaq were relieved to allow them to honour their commitment with the counties.

The team is: Moin Khan (captain), Inzamam-ul-Haq (vice-captain), Imran Nazir, Saeed Anwar, Mohammad Wasim, Yousuf Youhana, Abdur Razzaq, Azhar Mahmood, Wasim Akram, Mohammad Akram, Shabbir Ahmed, Shahid Afridi, Arshad Khan, Shoaib Malik.

Manager: Brig (retd) Khawaja Mohammad Nasir. Coach: Javed Miandad. Physio: Dr. Dan Kiesel.

Announcing the team at the Gaddafi Stadium, the Pakistan Cricket Board ad hoc committee chairman Lt Gen Tauqir Zia said that Younis Khan had greatly disappointed him as he scored in the West Indies on an average of eight runs.It looked Younis Khan was playing under some pressure as time and again he had been trapped LBW.

The promising paceman Shabbir Ahmad had rectified his bowling action and a chance was given to him in place of of Waqar Younis. Leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmad was not suited to Dhaka's wicket, hence, could not earn a place in the team. However, he would be considered for the Sri Lankan tour, Zia said.

Mushtaq Ahmad was not cleared by the one-man judicial commission headed by Justice Malik Mohammad Qayyum as the statement of one witness Aftab Butt against him had yet to be recorded, Tauqir Zia said.

However, the PCB chairman clarified that that was not the only reason of Mushtaq's ouster from the team.

Saeed Anwar has recovered from knee injury and proved his fitness and the selection committee had picked him for the Asia Cup, otherwise Salim Elahi would have been the second choice for the tour, the PCB chairman said.

The chairman said that Wasim Akram was not in the Asia Cup team till Saturday but his name was included after watching his marvellous bowling in the ongoing third Test against West Indies.

Wasim Akram had informed the team management about his nonavailability for the Asia Cup due to back pain, but "I found Wasim Akram in good form as well in good health on Saturday, therefore, I decided to include him", the PCB chairman revealed.

The seasoned opener Saeed Anwar with promising Imran Nazir will open the innings while Mohammad Wasim, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Yousuf Youhana and Moin Khan will form the middle-order.

All-rounders Abdur Razzaque, Azhar Mahmood, Wasim Akram and Shahid Afridi are very useful players and had excelled on many occasions with bat and ball. Duo off-spinner Arshad Khan and Shoaib Malik are the two specialist spinners. S

habbir Ahmad who made his debut impressively but was banned for illegal action, has again got a chance to show his potential with another paceman Mohammad Akram.