PCB does volte-face,drops ICL players

In a bid to avoid a face-off with the International Cricket Council,Pakistan on Tuesday dropped three Indian Cricket League players.....

In a bid to avoid a face-off with the International Cricket Council,Pakistan on Tuesday dropped three Indian Cricket League players from its 30-member list of probables for this year8217;s Twenty20 World Cup in England.

Confusion reigned supreme at PCB which dropped the trio and,at the same time,said in a statement that if ICC agrees,Abdul Razzaq,Rana Naved and Imran Nazir would return again replacing any three players in the provisional squad. There,however,was no explanation how this would be possible as the participating teams have to finalise their 15-member squads by May 5 and once they have submitted their provisional squads changes can only be made if some players are unfit.

8220;Maybe the board has got special permission from the ICC to change their provisional squad once a ruling comes on the ICL players,8221; one source in the board said.

Oram,Styris in NZ squad

Wellington: Injury-prone all-rounder Jacob Oram and out-of-favour Scot Styris were on Tuesday named in the 15-member New Zealand squad for the World T20 World Cup to be held in England this June. The selectors,however,dropped all-rounder Grant Elliott and medium-pacer Tim Southee. Although Oram played a part in the five-match one-day series against India,he missed the Tests since he was not fully fit. Styris,on the other hand,last played for New Zealand in December against the West Indies. The selectors have also included wicket-keeper batsman Peter McGlashan,who played in the ODI series against India,and uncapped all-rounder Brendon Diamanti.

Squad: Daniel Vettori captain,Neil Broom,Ian Butler,Brendon Diamanti,James Franklin,Martin Guptill,Brendon McCullum,Nathan McCullum,Peter McGlashan,Kyle Mills,Iain OBrien,Jacob Oram,Jesse Ryder,Scott Styris,Ross Taylor.

Parnell in probables list

Durban: Roelof van der Merwe and Wayne Parnell have been included in South Africas 30-member list of probables for the World T20. The Graeme Smith-led side would be pruned to 15 next month.The 19-year-old Parnell became the youngest South African cricketer to get a central contract. Parnell,playing in only his second ODI,destroyed world champions Australia with a four-wicket spell in the second game of the ongoing five-match series.

Squad: Graeme Smith capt,Yusuf Abdulla,Hashim Amla,Gulam Bodi,Loots Bosman,Johan Botha,Mark Boucher,Henry Davids,AB de Villiers,CJ de Villiers,Friedel de Wet,JP Duminy,Herschelle Gibbs,Arno Jacobs,Jacques Kallis,Heino Kuhn,Johann Louw,Albie Morkel,Morne Morkel,Makhaya Ntini,Justin Ontong,Wayne Parnell,Alviro Petersen,Robbie Peterson,Ashwell Prince,Daryn Smit,Dale Steyn,Lonwabo Tsotsobe,Roelof van der Merwe,Vaughn van Jaarsveld.