Inzamam-ul-Haq, Shoaib Akhtar and Moin Khan in the list of 25 probables. Training camp begins on April 23. Don’t start jumping on conclusions. It’s just a report. Nothing has been finalized yet.
World Cup flops called for training camp
KARACHI: Hardly have two months passed since the Pakistan team’s debacle in the World Cup that the selectors have recalled Inzamamul Haq and Shoaib Akhtar, two of the biggest disappointments in the tournament, for the training camp being set up in Lahore for the Sri Lanka tour.
‘The News’ has learnt that Inzamam, Shoaib and even former captain Moin Khan feature in a list of 25 probables that were to be named on Monday for the training camp which begins from April 23.
However, indications are that the National Selection Committee headed by Aamer Sohail and including Shoaib Muhammad, Farukh Zaman, Saleem Yousaf and Shafiq Ahmed were unable to get approval to release the probables list from the Chairman of the Board, Lt. General Tauqir Zia until Monday, which is why the delay has occurred.
Infact if there is a way that the rebuilding process of the Pakistan cricket team does not receive a severe setback at so early a stage, it is that Tauqir Zia puts his foot down and blocks the recall of the two failed World Cup stars to the national camp.
A development every Pakistani cricket lover wants to see after what happened in the World Cup and after the much proclaimed promise of the Board that it would start rebuilding a new team for the future sans the tried and tested stars who have failed in recent times to deliver for the nation.
The general consensus is that when Pakistan fared so badly in the World Cup and before it in various tournaments with all the seasoned stars present, what harm would it cause if Pakistan were to lose in the future matches but with a young team.
“But it is unlikely that the Chairman will not approve their recall for the training camp. As it is difficult to visualize the Chairman disagreeing with the selectors choices at so early a stage,” said a PCB source.
According to him, besides Inzamam, Shoaib and Moin, the 15 who recently went to Sharjah, Farhan Adil, Shabbir Ahmed, Kamran Sajjad, Babar Naeem, Imran Farhat, Imran Nazir etc feature in the list of camp trainees.
The national selectors will announce the touring side for the triangular series in Sri Lanka starting from 10th May from amongst the camp probables at the end of the month as the team has to leave on 4th May for Colombo where it will have short conditioning camp.
Interestingly so far no logical reason has been given out by anyone including the chief selector for including the names of Inzamam, Shoaib and Moin at so late a stage for the trial matches being held in Lahore.
In the trial matches, as expected Inzamam who could not cross a single double figure score in the World Cup in 6 innings showed form to score 89 runs, while Shoaib in his two outings had spells of 10-55-2 and 5-17-0.
He bowled only five overs in the second trial match involving him as he broke his spikes and didn’t have a replacement boot so he could not bowl again.
Moin interestingly was tried in the first trial match as an opener but till Monday had not got a big score in any of the trial matches.
**A lot of questions surround the recall of Inzamam and Shoaib for the trial matches as the inside word is that they were invited on the insistence of captain Rashid Latif who feels their presence will strengthen the batting and bowling for the tougher assignments ahead.
But another side of the story is that Rashid has not been involved in the entire selection process for the trials at all and this has been done entirely by the selection committee and infact the Pakistan skipper has decided to let the selection committee and coach pick the 15 for the Sri Lanka tour without having any say in it at all.**
The recall of Moin Khan for the training camp is another intriguing decision and there are questions being asked is this a move designed purely to pressurize the captain?
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