Pakistan include five uncapped players for Lanka Test

KARACHI: Pakistani selectors on Wednesday included five uncapped players in a new-look 15-man squad for the first Test against Sri Lanka starting on Saturday.

Chief selector Abdul Qadir said opener Ahmed Shahzad was picked after batting a brilliant 100 in the two-day tour match against Sri Lanka.

"Shahzad was not selected in the initial squad of 22 but I said last week that we can pick a player from outside the first list, so after hitting a 100 against Sri Lanka we could not ignore Shahzad," Qadir told reporters.

Pacemen Mohammad Talha and Sohail Khan, opener Khurram Manzoor and all-rounder Fawad Alam were selected after domestic match performances.

The 20-year-old Talha, who hails from Faisalabad, has impressed with his quick pace and wicket-taking ability in domestic matches.

Left-handed middle-order batsman Asim Kamal was also included in the team after breaking into the initial list.

The 32-year-old left-hander played the last of his 12 Tests against England in 2005 before losing his place due to poor form.

All-rounder Shahid Afridi and paceman Sohail Tanveer were omitted.

With frontline paceman Shoaib Akhtar ruled out of the series because of an injured knee, Umar Gul will lead the fast bowling attack with Sohail, Talha and Yasir Arafat as back-up.

Arafat played his only Test against India at Bangalore in December 2007, picking up five wickets in the innings. Leg-spinner Danish Kaneria is the only regular spinner in the squad.

Squad: Younis Khan (captain), Salman Butt, Khurram Manzoor, Ahmed Shahzad, Shoaib Malik, Misbah-ul-Haq, Faisal Iqbal, Asim Kamal, Fawad Alam, Yasir Arafat, Danish Kaneria, Kamran Akmal, Umar Gul, Mohammad Talha, Sohail Khan

Soruce: http://cricket.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Pakistan-drop-Tanvir-and-Afridi-for-Sri-Lanka-Test/articleshow/4150709.cms

Sohail Khan replaces Asif in tri-series squad

June 4, 2008, Sohail Khan has replaced Mohammad Asif in Pakistan's 16-man squad for the upcoming tri-series in Bangladesh, which will involve the hosts and India. The series is due to begin from June 8.

Asif was originally selected in the squad on Sunday, the very day he was detained at Dubai airport for suspected possession of an illegal item. It is unlikely now that Asif will be back in time to play in the tournament. Selectors told Cricinfo that they were not aware of Asif's situation when they picked the squad.

Khan has had an impressive first-class season, picking up a Pakistan record 91 wickets in his debut year and he has impressed many with his pace and stamina. He was rewarded for his efforts with an international call-up against Zimbabwe earlier this year in an ODI series. In three ODIs so far, he has picked up four wickets, with a best of 3 for 30 against Bangladesh.

He wasn't part of the original squad because selectors felt that Wahab Riaz's left-arm provided a more seasoned limited-overs option. Khan spent a week at a fast bowlers' camp in Lahore under the eye of Wasim Akram, where it was widely felt that despite his undoubted promise, there were still areas he needed to work on. Outside of his bowling, his poor fielding is considered a serious concern within the selection committee.
The Pakistan squad leaves for Dhaka on June 5.

Source: Cricinfo staff