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Sohail dropped from Pak squad

Aamir Sohail, Shahid Nazir, Waqar Younis, Wasim Akram, Shoaib Akhtar and Mushtaq Ahmed are the notable absentees from the Pak squad to play India in the five-game Sahara Cup ODI tournament in Toronto, Canada, due to begin on September 13.

Rameez Raja will lead the side, with Saeed Anwar as deputy. Haroon Rashid will be coach for the touring party, Dan Kiesel continues as physiotherapist and Maazullah Khan will go along as administrative manager of the side. The team will leave for Canada on September 10.

The most interesting omissions, obviously, are those of Sohail and Shoaib Akthar. PCB CEO Majid Khan indicated that Akthar's omission was based on a fax message from the manager of the Pakistan A squad now touring England, stating that Akthar had "misbehaved". Thus, Akthar was dropped despite having been selected for the tour by the Pakistan selection committee. The PCB, Khan said, has asked the selectors - Salim Altaf, Shafiq Ahmad and Zaheer Abbas - to pick a replacement pace bowler.

The dropping of Sohail was, in a sense, only to be expected. He was in poor touch during the Asia Cup, and Khan indicated that he had been picked only under pressure from the government and the media. "His present form does not justify his selection to the side," Khan said.

Rameez Raja will therefore be the likely opener, though Shahid Afridi - one of the all rounders in the side - is also sent in on occasion to jump start the side with his big hitting brand of cricket. While the team has a good lineup in the spin department, with Saqlain Mushtaq, Shahid Afridi, left-arm spinner Muhammad Hussain and Salim Malik, the pace department is weaked by the absence of Waqar Younis (due to county cricket commitments) and Wasim Akram (due to injury). Aqib Jaaved will once again play the spearhead, with left-arm quick Azhar Mahmood (who doubles as a bowling all rounder) as his strike partner. Besides, the selectors will also pick one more quick to replace the disgraced Shoaib Akhtar.

The young all-rounder Azhar Mahmood, who proved a success during the Pakistan "A" team's recent tour of England, will also strengthen the batting. Interestingly, the middle-order batting looks quite formidable in the presence of experienced Salim Malik, Ejaz Ahmad, Inzamam-ul-Haq, and young Hasan Raza. The captain of the Pakistan "A" team Muhammad Wasim has also been dropped.

The squad of 13 (one more to be added before the team leaves) is: Ramiz Raja, Saeed Anwar, Salim Malik, Ejaz Ahmad, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Moin Khan, Hasan Raza, Azhar Mahmood, Saqlain Mushtaq, Muhammad Hussain, Shahid Afridi, Aqib Javed, and Kabir Khan.