Selectors ignore deserving players

Deserving cricketers like Fazle Akbar, Yasir Arafat, Arshad Khan, Ijaz Ahmad Junior and Bilal Asad who showed good performances in the recently concluded Patron's Trophy Grade-I have not been included in the list of 25 probables who have been called for the national training camp starting at the Gaddafi Stadium from Dec 1.

The camp is being organised to finalise Pakistan team for the forthcoming tour of Bangladesh starting from Jan 2 for two Tests and three one-day international.

Playing for PIA, paceman Fazle Akbar got 41 wickets with an average of 18.85. He took five wickets four times and 10 wickets in a match for two times.

Last week, the PCB chairman Lt. Gen. Tauqir Zia also mentioned his name as a deserving cricketer for the camp but said that the selectors had missed his name in a 26- probables list, but he would consider the bowler.

Mohammad Zahid who recovered from his back problems and played in the Patron's Trophy is also not included in the probables of the camp.

Yasir Arafat (KRL) who got 42 wickets in nine matches with an average of 23.45 is also prominent bowler who was overlooked for the camp. Test rejected Arshad Khan laboured hard to convince the selectors with a haul of 39 wickets in eight matches but he too failed to get a place in the camp.

Test discarded Ijaz Ahmad Junior scored 697 runs in eight matches with excellent average of 63.16. He hit four centuries and three 50s. He was also the second best fielder with 11 catches in eight matches.

Bilal Asad (PWD) is also the victim of the PCB despite scoring 716 runs in nine matches with an average of 47.73. He made one century and five 50s.

Pacemen Waqar Ahmad and Abdur Rauf who got 51 and 50 wickets respectively, rightly got their names in the list.

Yawar Saeed and Mudassar Nazar retained as manager and coach of the camp, respectively.

Openers: Saeed Anwar, Taufiq Umer, Imran Farhat, Shadab Kabir, Shahid Afridi.

Middle-order batsmen: Inzamam-ul-Haq, Yousaf Youhana, Naveed Latif, Younis Khan, Faisal Iqbal.

Wicketkeepers: Rashid Latif, Kamran Akmal.

All-rounders: Abdur Razzaq, Azhar Mahmood.

Fast bowlers: Waqar Younis, Wasim Akram, Shoaib Akhtar, Abdul Rauf, Mohammad Sami, Waqar Ahmad, Faisal Irfan.

Spinners: Danish Kaneria, Saqlain Mushtaq, Shoaib Malik and Mushtaq Ahmad.