Saeed asked to join nets

KARACHI, April 28: Former captain Saeed Anwar has been asked by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to practice with the national squad for the first of the two Tests against New Zealand, starting at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore Wednesday.

Saeed, who has been out of action for a while because of a wrist fracture, was however, not among the 15 players named Sunday by the national selection committee.

One significant omission from the national side is Faisal Iqbal, the right-handed batsman. Faisal, nephew of ex-Pakistan skipper Javed Miandad, was controversially included in the Sharjah Cup squad as a non-playing (16th) member.

Misbah-ul-Haq's excellent form in the recent domestic first-class season earns him a recall to the Test squad. He made 28 in the final One-day International against the Kiwis Saturday.

As widely expected, leg-spinner Danish Kaneria has also been recalled to the squad. He last played against the West Indies in the 'home' series in Sharjah in February.

The 15-man squad is: Waqar Younis (captain), Shahid Afridi, Imran Nazir, Younis Khan, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Yousuf Youhana, Abdul Razzaq, Rashid Latif, Wasim Akram, Saqlain Mushtaq, Shoaib Akhtar, Misbah-ul-Haq, Danish Kaneria, Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Sami.