Champions Trophy 2008

Shoaib included in preliminary squad

Cricinfo staff

July 14, 2008

Preliminary squad: Shoaib Malik (capt), Misbah-ul Haq (vice-captain), Salman Butt, Nasir Jamshed, Khalid Latif, Ahmed Shehzad, Khurram Manzoor, Yasir Hameed, Younis Khan, Azhar Ali, Bazid Khan, Shahid Afridi, Sohail Tanvir, Fawad Alam, Mohammad Hafeez, Yasir Arafat, Mansoor Amjad, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Mohammad Ali, Iftikhar Anjum, Sohail Khan, Abdur Rauf, Wahab Riaz, Anwar Ali, Mohammad Aamer, Kamran Akmal, Sarfraz Ahmed, Abdur Rehman, Saeed Ajmal

Shoaib Akhtar has been included in Pakistan's preliminary 30-man squad for the Champions Trophy in September after the Lahore High Court temporarily suspended an 18-month ban imposed on him by the board. The board will also conduct dope tests on all the players on July 19 and 20, and those testing positive will be ineligible for selection.

The list has been the subject of considerable delay, after disagreements between the board and selection committee over a number of players. Shoaib's eligibility and Mohammad Asif's latest drugs saga further pushed back the announcement by a day.

Asif, understandably, is out as is Mohammad Yousuf, who has opted to pull out of the squad as the tournament will be played during the month of Ramadan. Yousuf had made the request some time ago, though last year and the year before, he played for Pakistan during Ramadan. In his place comes Mohammad Hafeez.

The selectors have also chosen five uncapped players in the squad: Mohammad Aamer and Ahmed Shehzad, both of whom are 16, as well as Azhar Ali, Mohammad Ali and Anwar Ali. Aamer's inclusion comes just days after former captain Wasim Akram had called for his selection during an interview with Cricinfo. Akram had earmarked Aamer as a future talent during a fast bowlers' camp in May 2007. Shehzad, Aamer's under-19 team-mate in the Pakistan team, has impressed as a batsman since making his debut last season, scoring 360 runs at 51.42 from eight domestic limited over matches.

Azhar, the Lahore batsman, has been rewarded for his consistent performances in the domestic circuit - he has made 1305 runs at 50.19 in first-class cricket, and 903 runs at 47.52 in List A matches. Mohammad Ali, the 18-year-old Sialkot seamer, has taken 41 wickets at 25.46 in his first year at the first-class level last season. Anwar Ali led Pakistan to their last under-19 World Cup win in 2006 and has hovered close to Pakistan selection since.

© Cricinfo

	Email

Watch our daily Cricinfo SportsCenter news round-ups Available on Cricinfo.tv     Add a Cricinfo Widget to your website now! Cricinfo Widgets     Fantasy cricket: India v Australia and Bangladesh v New Zealand Login to check the standings

Stories

Yousuf pulls out of Champions Trophy

Pakistan to name probables on Monday

Players/Umpires

Ahmed Shehzad

Azhar Ali

Mohammad Aamer

Mohammad Ali

Shoaib Akhtar

Series/Tournaments

ICC Champions Trophy

Teams

Pakistan