Probables for New Zealand one-day series short-listed

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has shortlisted the New Zealand one-day series probables to 16. The final 14 will be finalized after a five-match series between Pakistan Probables and Pakistan Hopefuls to be played at Lahore (Jan 26, 27), Karachi (Jan 29), Peshawar (Jan 31) and Rawalpindi (Feb 2).

The Lahore match on Jan 27 and the ties at Karachi and Rawalpindi will be played under lights.

Pakistan cricketers leave for Auckland, New Zealand, on Feb 12 where they will play five one-dayers on Feb 17, 20, 22, 25 and 28.

The three-Test series, for which the selectors will make a few changes in the squad, will be played between March 3 and 31.

As per the request of the selectors, the PCB has included injury-prone Shoaib Akhtar and Azhar Mahmood in the 16. But Mushtaq Ahmad has been ruled out of a place in the one-day squad though he remains a candidate for a place in the Test side.

Pakistan Probables are:

Moin Khan (captain), Inzamam-ul-Haq (vice-captain), Saeed Anwar, Salim Elahi, Imran Nazir, Yousuf Youhana, Faisal Iqbal, Shahid Afridi, Abdur Razzaq, Azhar Mahmood, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar, Fazli-Akbar, Saqlain Mushtaq, Danish Kaneria.

The Pakistan Hopefuls teams will be finalized as per the venue of the games. "Local players (recommended by the selectors) along with a few who performed well in the domestic circuit will form the home team."

The Pakistan Hopefuls, as selected by the selectors, are:

Mohammad Wasim, Imran Farhat, Younis Khan, Hasan Raza, Bazid Khan, Naumanullah, Mishab-ul-Haq, Qaisar Abbas, Kabir Khan, Mohammad Akram, Mohammad Sami, Humayun Farhat, Atiq-uz-Zaman, Mushtaq Ahmad, Shoaib Malik, Arshad Khan and Mohammad Shafiq.

The holding of the five-match series rests hopes of a training camp though the cricket managers still emphasised that a week's reconditioning camp will be held in Lahore after the games.

Players with impressive performances for Pakistan Hopefuls will not only be in contention for a place in the Test squad, they will also be considered for inclusion in the cricket academy which starts in Lahore from Feb 5.