Shoaib and new faces in Pakistan squad for Sri Lanka

Amid reports of dire warnings given to Shoaib Akhtar by no less than the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman to shape up, Akhtar has been included in the Pakistan 15-man squad for the Triangular Tournament in Sri Lanka.

During the training camp at Gaddafi Stadium in preparation for the tournament, Shoaib has been reported being very cooperative and hard-working. His performance in the series which starts on May 10, will go a long way to showing if he has turned a new leaf.

The squad includes two new faces - Yasir Hameed and Faisal Athar both middle-order batsmen who have been in the runs in the recently-ended domestic season. Pacer Shabbir Ahmed also gets a recall in a squad heavily tilted towards fast bowling.

"Although we won the Sharjah Cup we are aware of the areas that need attention and improvement," explained Rashid Latif, Pakistan's captain.

"The objective in the coming week or so is to create an understanding and develop an atmosphere where the players are gelled together and focused on the assignment in hand.

"I must admit that after a long time I have seen the boys coming [to the camp] fit and hungry for cricket. The determination to do well and take Pakistan cricket back to its days of glory is visible.

"But I would again repeat that we are in a rebuilding phase and the priority is to identify the potential 15 to 18 players and blend them into a winning combination."

Squad:
1. Rashid Latif (capt/wk)
2. Taufeeq Umar
3. Mohammad Hafeez
4. Yousuf Youhana
5. Younis Khan
6. Shoaib Malik
7. Yasir Hameed
8. Shabbir Ahmed
9. Shoaib Akhtar
10. Mohammad Sami
11. Umar Gul
12. Abdul Razzaq
13. Faisal Athar
14. Faisal Iqbal
15. Danish Kaneria.

Itinerary:
May 10 - Pakistan v Sri Lanka at Rangiri Dambull Stadium - Dambulla
May 11 - Pakistan v New Zealand at Rangiri Dambull Stadium - Dambulla
May 13 - Sri Lanka v New Zealand at Rangiri Dambull Stadium - Dambulla
May 17 - Pakistan v Sri Lanka at SSC Ground - Colombo
May 18 - Sri Lanka v New Zealand SSC Ground - Colombo
May 19 - Pakistan v New Zealand SSC Ground - Colombo
May 23 - Final (D/N) at R.Premadasa Stadium - Colombo