Pakistan Squad Announced for first 2 ODI's

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Zimbabwe in Pakistan 2007-08

Jamshed, Samiullah included in Pakistan ODI squad

Cricinfo staff

January 18, 2008

Pakistan have called up a number of new names in a 15-man squad to face Zimbabwe in the first two of five ODIs, beginning in Karachi from January 21.

Three men - opener Nasir Jamshed, fast bowlers Samiullah Khan Niazi and Kamran Hussain - have never played for Pakistan before. Sarfraz Ahmed, the wicketkeeper, and Fawad Alam, the allrounder, have only played three ODIs between them.

Jamshed, the young left-hand opener who was a part of Pakistan U-19’s 2006 World Cup-winning team, has impressed selectors through a season where he ended the third-highest run-scorer. His spot was sealed after an authoritative hundred in a tour match against Zimbabwe in Karachi this week.

Samiullah and Hussain have also figured prominently this season; the former, who toured England with Pakistan in 2006, was the season’s second-highest wicket-taker with 52 wickets, playing a prominent role in SNGPL’s maiden Quaid-e-Azam trophy triumph and helping the Patrons XI beat Zimbabwe this week with a timely five-for.

Hussain, another left-arm option, was an influential figure in Habib Bank’s run to the Quaid-e-Azam final. He not only picked up 35 wickets at under 20, but also scored over 500 runs, averaging over 35 with four fifties.

The rest of the squad contains few surprises and Shoaib Malik’s inclusion suggests that the management is confident of him overcoming his ankle injury to play in the series. Pakistan have long maintained that the series would be used to try out new faces in various departments; with Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul and Mohammad Asif not fully fit and Mohammad Sami not considered, fast bowling slots have opened up. The search for a viable opening pair continues, while Kamran Akmal’s poor form behind the stumps has forced the inclusion of an understudy. Abdul Razzaq’s sidelining from international cricket has also allowed for some new allrounders to be tested.

It is expected that a clutch of other players who have impressed domestically will be called up to the squad for the final three games of the series. Those expected to be given a run include opener Khalid Latif and Sohail Khan, the strapping Karachi-based fast bowler from the NWFP, who finished a remarkable debut first-class season as its leading wicket-taker.

Pakistan squad
Shoaib Malik (capt), Mohammad Yousuf, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Salman Butt, Shahid Afridi, Rao Iftikhar Anjum, Nasir Jamshed, Sohail Tanvir, Samiullah Khan Niazi, Kamran Akmal (wk), Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), Kamran Hussain, Yasir Arafat, Fawad Alam.

© Cricinfo

Good Squad overall. Kind of disapointing not to see Sohail Khan there, but im sure he will be called up for the rest of 3 ODI’s probably in place of Kamran Hussain, who is also a very good all-rounder and has been knocking on the doors for a while. Its awesome to see Nasir Jamshed getting selected and finally Samiullah has been selected…ive been wanting to see him play for Pakistan for ages now! He’s the only Pakistani left handed bowler I have seen after Wasim who can bring the ball back into the right handers consistantly.

Only negative selection…KAMRAN AKMAL:smack: when and how will we ever get rid of this idiot?

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Re: Pakistan Squad Announced for first 2 ODI's

^Great move! BUt what is the purpose of having two wkt in one team selection?!?

Tu is qadar mujhe....
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Re: Pakistan Squad Announced for first 2 ODI’s

Pakistan team chosen with ‘an eye on the future’

Saturday, January 19, 2008
By Khalid Hussain

KARACHI: As expected opener Nasir Jamshed and pacer Samiullah Niazi were named in a 15-man Pakistan squad for the first two matches of the forthcoming one-day series against Zimbabwe on Friday.

Promising all-rounder Kamran Hussain also joined them as the third uncapped player in the line-up but highly-rated pacer Sohail Khan was left out because of fitness reasons. Having recovered from an ankle injury, Shoaib Malik was retained as captain for the five-match series to be played from January 21 to February 2.

“We have decided to put some talented youngsters in the team in a bid to try them out at the international level,” chief selectors Salahuddin Ahmed told ‘The News’. “These boys have been doing well at the domestic level while two of them (Nasir and Samiullah) were really impressive in a four-day match against the Zimbabweans,” he added.

Nasir Jamshed, a Lahore-born opener, played a polished knock of 182 in the Patron’s XI’s thumping victory over the Zimbabweans in the four-day game here earlier this week while Samiullah collected a five-wicket haul.

The selectors want Nasir to open the innings with Salman Butt in the first one-dayer on Monday. But skipper Malik appears to be in the favour of Butt having wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal as his opening partner in the game to be played here at the National Stadium.

But according to the PCB policy which says that the selectors have the final say while selecting the playing eleven during home matches, it would be the selection committee that would be calling the shots.

Samiullah, a talented left-arm medium pacer, is also expected to make his debut in Karachi, becoming a part of a pace attack that would include Rao Ifikhar Anjum and Sohail Tanvir.Pakistan have overlooked three of their leading pacers Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul and Mohammad Sami for the series either due to fitness problems and disciplinary issues or indifferent form.

Salahuddin said that the squad has been picked with an eye on the future. “We have to think about the future but in the team meantime, the immediate task at hand is to win matches, which is why we have not sacrificed our core squad,” he said. The chief selector said that the squad was finalised after developing a consensus with Malik and team coach Geoff Lawson. “Both Malik and Lawson back the selections,” he said.

Salahuddin said that the national selectors will make some changes in the squad after the second one-dayer pencilled in for January 24 in Hyedarabad. “We want to bring in some more young players but will only take a final decision after witnessing the performance of the team in the first two games.”

Pakistan squad: Shoaib Malik (captain), Younis Khan, Salman Butt, Nasir Jamshed, Mohammad Yousuf, Misbah-ul-Haq, Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal, Yasir Arafat, Sohail Tanvir, Fawad Alam, Rao Iftikhar Anjum, Samiullah Niazi, Kamran Hussain and Sarfraz Ahmed.

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I have always had a feeling that because of Malik, Akmal never gets dropped. Everyone knows Malik and Akmal are close to each other and are always sitting together in the dressing room as well.

I was happy when Malik was made captain, but seeing this kind of attitude and giving preference to his friends rather than new talent has made me totally against him. He’s also trying his best to get Naveed Latif selected…if you remember, Malik wanted him against India and Naved was also included in the conditioning camp for this series. Naved Latif is a very average player even in the domestic circle, and has been tried at international level before.

I thought maybe its the selectors who favor Akmal blindly, but now im sure its Malik who keeps having Akmal selected and a great talent like Sarfraz Ahmed has to sit out to watch this joker waste a spot and make Pakistan lose by his constant spilling of catches. :frowning:

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Re: Pakistan Squad Announced for first 2 ODI's

[QUOTE]
But according to the PCB policy which says that the selectors have the final say while selecting the playing eleven during home matches, it would be the selection committee that would be calling the shots.
[/QUOTE]

I doubt that Malik has much to say.