Wasim misses out opening practice tie

Wasim Akram will miss the first practice match of the three-game series after delaying his arrival, officials said. Wasim, who was named to lead the team on Tuesday, will now arrive in city on Wednesday and might appear in the remaining two games scheduled for Aug 17 and 20, if selected.

The PCB have yet to announce Wasim's replacement and captain though Moin Khan appears to be an automatic choice. Wasim's absence leaves Moin and Mushtaq Ahmad as the only stars appearing on Tuesday after being overlooked for the training camp which is currently in progress at the National Stadium. However, there has been severe difference of opinion on the hosting of matches with the most valid point being raised - will the trio be considered for the forthcoming Test matches on the basis of one-day match performance.

If the selectors have doubts about their fitness, the two should have been put on trial in the camp where the other boys are sweating in testing and humid conditions. To test their fitness and form on the basis of a one-day match where Wasim Akram will bowl a maximum of mere 10 overs and stay in the field for 50 overs along with Moin and possibly under lights when the conditions will become more pleasant, is injustice to the two players as well as to the other camp trainees who have been working extremely hard to catch the selectors' eye.

The selectors might justify that Wasim, Moin and Mushtaq might be put in other matches, fact of the matter is that no player can be selected for a five-day game on the basis of one-day performance.

Shafiq Ahmed XI: Taufeeq Umer, Imran Farhat, Naved Latif, Younis Khan, Hasan Raza, Moin Khan (wicket-keeper), Azhar Mahmood, Danish Kaneria, Irfan Fazil, Azam Hussain.

Stand-byes: Ariz Kamal, Danial Ahsan

Mohsin Khan XI: Waqar Younis (captain), Imran Nazir, Saeed Anwar, Faisal Iqbal, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Yousuf Youhana, Rashid Latif (wicketkeeper), Abdur Razzaq, Mushtaq Ahmad, Shoaib Malik, Rana Naveed-ul- Hasan.

Stand-byes: Mohammad Farooq, Sibtain Raza.

Umpires: Salim Badar and Feroze Butt.