Pak selectors ignore speculative reports

SHARJAH, OCT 20: Pakistan's cricket selectors today picked fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar and recalled Ijaz Ahmed and Mushtaq Ahmed for the up...

SHARJAH, OCT 20: Pakistan8217;s cricket selectors today picked fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar and recalled Ijaz Ahmed and Mushtaq Ahmed for the upcoming tour of Australia. Shoaib, who missed the ongoing Sharjah Cup one-day tourney due to a shoulder injury, was picked after passing a strenuous fitness test before the selectors and team officials here.

The 22-year-old was asked to fly in from England to undergo the test ahead of the selection, which was advanced by a day to enable travel formalities to be completed.

The 16-member squad, led by Wasim Akram, flies out from here after Friday8217;s final against Sri Lanka for three Tests and a triangular one-day series against hosts Australia and arch-rivals India.

The three-member selection committee, headed by Naushad Ali, ignored the imminent release of the judicial commission report on match-fixing and recalled trusted middle-order batsman Ijaz Ahmed and leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed.

Five of the six players who were named in Pakistani media reports yesterday as beingheld guilty by the commission 8212; Akram, Mushtaq, Saeed Anwar, Inzamam-ul Haq and Ijaz 8212; were picked in the touring party.

The only exception was veteran Salim Malik, who was anyway not in contention for a place in the team.

The report by judge Qayyum of Lahore High Court has been referred to the country8217;s President Rafiq Tarrar, chief patron of the Pakistan Cricket Board PCB, for further action.

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8220;We cannot go by speculative media reports,8221; Naushad Ali said. 8220;No one has told us not to select a particular player. We have picked the best available team. It is a well-balanced team which is bound to do well in Australia.8221;

Ali said the team had been ratified by Javed Zaman, the lone member of the ad-hoc committee running PCB. The other member of the ad-hoc panel, Mujeeb-ur Rehman, a close aide of deposed premier Nawaz Sharif, is reported to be under detention after last week8217;s military coup.

Asked what would happen if President Tarrar recommends action against any player midway through the tour,Ali said: 8220;We cannot go on ifs and buts.8221;The team boasts of six fast bowlers, including 17-year-old pace sensation Shabbir Ahmed, but there was no place for veteran Waqar Younis. Akram, Shoaib and Shabbir will be supported in the new-ball attack by Mohammad Akram and all-rounders Abdur Razzaq and Azhar Mahmood.

The selectors also ignored experienced opening batsman Aamir Sohail and included Ghulam Ali as the third opener alongside Anwar and Wajahatullah Wasti. Mushtaq and wily off-spinner Saqlain, fully recovered from a knee injury, are the two slow bowlers in the side.

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The middle-order will be manned by Ijaz, Inzamam, Youhana and the recalled Mohammad Wasim, who will also double up as the reserve 8216;keeper to Moin Khan.

SUCH REPORTS8217; STRENGTHEN TEAM8217;S RESOLVE: AKRAM

DUBAI: Pakistan cricket captain Wasim Akram has dismissed media reports that a judicial probe into betting and match-fixing charges had recommended life bans and hefty fines on leading players, saying his boys8217; were notbothered, reports PTI.

8220;It does not bother us,8221; Akram said reacting to Pakistan media reports that the Justice Malik Mohammad Qayyum panel had recommended stiff penalty on top players.

Akram said 8220;speculative media reports8221; only tended to strengthen the resolve of his teammates to perform better, in obvious reference to his team8217;s brilliant run in reaching the final at the tri-nation tournament in Sharjah.

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8220;I have had a word with the Pakistan Board in the morning and my worries are over,8221; he told The Khaleej Times. 8220;The boys are looking forward to the Australian tour. As far as we are concerned, nothing has changed.8221;He admitted such reports did affect the players but said, 8220;we don8217;t take it seriously as nothing is official about it.8221;

Pakistan team manager Yawar Saeed also dismissed the press report. 8220;I have seen the report on the internet and all I can say is that it is a speculative leak of recommendations. It is not official. Therefore, nothing has changed as far as ourforthcoming tour of Australia is concerned,8221; he said. 8220;I cannot stop people from speculating,8221; Saeed, who will also be managing the team in Australia, said.

The Squad

Wasim Akram captain, Moin Khan vice-captain, Saeed Anwar, Wajahatullah Wasti, Ghulam Ali, Inzamam-ul Haq, Ijaz Ahmed, Yousuf Youhanna, Mohammad Wasim, Abdur Razzaq, Azhar Mahmood, Saqlain Mushtaq, Mushtaq Ahmed, Mohammad Akram, Shoaib Akhtar, Shabbir Ahmed.
Manager: Yawar Saeed. Coach: Richard Pybus.