Rashid Latif to lead Pakistan A team

Lahore, Nov 19: Test Wicket-keeper batsman Rashid Latif has been named captain of the 15-member Pakistan "A" cricket team announced here on Friday for the triangular tournament to be held in Abu Dhabi from Nov 30 to Dec 3.

Besides Pakistan, the other teams of the competition are India and Sri Lanka.

The Pakistan Cricket Board junior selection committee, headed by Agha Zahid with members Rashid Khan, Furrukh Zaman and Arshad Pervaiz met at the Qadhafi Stadium to finalise the team.

Rashid Latif Captain, Arshad Khan (both from ABL), Salim Elahi, Shahid Afridi, Younis Khan, Sajid Shah, Kabir Khan (HBL), Faisal Naveed (Gujranwala), Akhtar Sarfraz (NBP), Bayazid Khan, Yasir Arafat (Pakistan Reserves), Nadeem Khan (PIA), Jaffar Nazir (KRL), Javed Sami (Customs), and Yasir Hameed (Peshawar).

While five players are picked from Habib Bank Limited who are sharing first position with Pakistan Reserves in Pool "B" of the ongoing Quaid-i-Azam Trophy, but no player was from Lahore City Cricket Association (LCCA) Whites selected who are the leaders of Pool "A". Test discard Mohammad Husain displayed all-round performance for LCCA Whites but he is ignored despite scoring about 300 runs and claiming around 20 wickets in four matches. Shahid Afridi who could not perform convincingly in the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy, however, included in the squad.

The team is a blend of youth and experience players. Rashid Latif, Salim Elahi, Shahid Afridi, off-spinner Arshad Khan, leg-spinner Nadeem Khan and paceman Kabir Khan are seasoned players while Faisal Naveed, Younis Khan, Yasir Arafat, Bayzaid Khan, Jaffar Nazir and Yasir Hameed are doing well in the domestic cricket.

Opener Faisal Naveed of Gujranwala had cracked four consecutive centuries and carried the bat thrice in successive matches.

The PCB secretary Shafqat Rana said that a training camp would be held at Karachi, but the dates are yet to be decided. Similarly, the name of manager and coach for the team would be announced, shortly.

When asked that why the junior selection committee announced the "A" team in presence of senior selection committee which was announced on Thursday, Rana Shafqat said that the PCB had to dispatch the team to Abu Dhabi on Friday and only the junior committee was available with the board.

The team will leave for Abu Dhabi from Karachi on Nov 28.