Wasim included but Moin ignored

Pakistan cricket selectors named Wasim Akram for the two-day practice match scheduled at the National Stadium on Aug 20 and 21. However, there was no place for former captain Moin Khan who has been overlooked after having played in Aug 14 one-dayer. Moin scored 13 and accounted for three batsmen behind the wickets.

Wasim is the only outsider in the two teams composed from the 27 probables named on July 31 for the training camp currently in progress at the National Stadium. The other missing boys are the injured duo of Shabbir Ahmad and Mohammad Sami, Shahid Afridi and Saqlain Mushtaq who are playing in English county championships.

Wasim has been included after enormous pressure on the selectors following his exclusion from the camp. As regards Moin, he had been dismissed as captain and then overlooked for the tour to England as the PCB claimed he was unfit. Nevertheless, PCB's panel of doctors gave him a clean bill of health on April 22 which has yet to be considered by the selectors.

Just to recall, the chairman of selectors Wasim Bari had said Wasim and Moin would be given opportunity to prove their fitness and form before they are considered for selection. Wasim has been provided with that opportunity but Moin has been denied. It appears that the two-day fixture is an attempt to include Wasim in the team and end the controversy.

Pakistan Greens: Imran Nazir, Taufiq Umer, Faisal Iqbal, Inzamam-ul- Haq, Yousuf Youhana, Abdur Razzaq, Rashid Latif, Irfan Fazil, Waqar Younis (captain), Shoaib Akhtar, Danish Kaneria. 12th man local boy from Hyderabad.

Pakistan Reds: Saeed Anwar (captain), Imran Farhat, Naved Latif, Younis Khan (vice-captain), Hasan Raza, Rana Naveed-ul-Hasan, Atiq-uz- Zaman, Wasim Akram, Fazle Akbar, Mohammad Akram, Shoaib Malik. 12th man Yasir Arafat.