Pakistan greats criticise Akhtar's exclusion

Former bowling greats have criticised the dropping of paceman Shoaib Akhtar from Pakistan's 17-man team for the South Africa tour starting next week.

Pakistani selectors said Akhtar lacked fitness for a five-day Test despite bowling 21 overs in a four-day first class match and featuring in a domestic Twenty20 tournament.

"There must have been some compelling reasons to keep a bowler like Akhtar out of the team, reasons we don't know," Imran Khan said.

The 31-year-old Akhtar has not played for Pakistan since a one-day match against England three months ago.

He was banned for two years, and fellow paceman Mohammad Asif for one year, last month after both tested positive for the banned steroid nandrolone in October.

A Pakistan Cricket Board committee overturned the bans earlier this month on the grounds that the pair did not take the banned substances knowingly.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has challenged the decision and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is likely to hear WADA's appeal this week.

"It is tough to keep a fully fit Akhtar out of the team - he is a match winner. If selectors feel he is not fit, then they must watch him in a match, and if found fit he should be sent on the first available flight," Khan continued.

Khan's former new-ball partner, Sarfraz Nawaz, said Akhtar's exclusion had eased pressure on South Africa.

"Now with Akhtar not in the team, South Africa will prepare fast pitches, as there would be little pressure on them," said Nawaz, who played 55 Tests for Pakistan.

Former medium-pacer Aaqib Javed said questioning of Akhtar's fitness was surprising to him.

"I watched Akhtar bowl in the Twenty20 and I saw no reason to question his fitness, but I think selectors have different ways," said Javed, who played 21 Tests for Pakistan.

"But having said this, I expected Akhtar to be 100 per cent fit after he missed cricket due to the doping issue.

"I think the selectors should have still sent him and waited for the second and third Test, because you need to have match winners in the squad, as it keeps pressure on the opponents."

The Pakistan team will leave on Tuesday and open the tour with a three-day game against South Africa A at Kimberley from January 6, before playing the first Test at Centurion from January 11.

Asif returns to Pakistan colours

Controversial paceman Mohammad Asif has been included in a 17-man squad to play three Test matches on their tour of South Africa starting in January.

Asif was banned for a year on 1 November after testing positive for banned nandrolone but won an appeal a month later and was free to play.

Shoaib Akhtar, banned for two years before also winning an appeal, has been left out of the squad as he is unfit.

And there is no room for Shabbir Ahmed, who is available after a one-year ban.

Shabbir's suspension was not drugs related. A fast bowler with a good Test record, he has had an illegal bowling action corrected.

But Mohammad Sami and Shahid Nazir, with more modest Test averages and strike rates, retain their squad spots.

Asif has taken 30 wickets in his last five Tests but has not faced South Africa before.

The squad, led by Inzamam-ul-Haq, has nine batsmen, two wicket-keepers, five fast bowlers and one spinner.

Pakistan play three Tests from 11 January. Five one-day internationals follow and an adjusted squad for that series will be announced in due course.

Pakistan's Test squad: Inzamam-ul-Haq (capt), Younis Khan (vice-captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Imran Farhat, Yasir Hameed, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Yousuf, Faisal Iqbal, Asim Kamal, Kamran Akmal, Zulqarnain Haider, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Mohammad Asif, Danish Kaneria, Shahid Nazir, Umar Gul, Mohammad Sami.

Shoaib losing race against time ahead of South Africa tour

KARACHI: The indifferent form of fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has alarmed Pakistani cricket authorities since returning to competitive cricket after being controversially cleared of a drug-related ban earlier this month.
Well-placed sources told this correspondent on Sunday that Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials are double-minded whether to recall Shoaib in their squad for next month’s important tour of South Africa after watching his lacklustre bowling in a few domestic games recently.
It is quite visible that Shoaib, known in the cricket world as the ‘Rawalpindi Express’, is yet to gather pace after missing Pakistan’s last two assignments - the International Cricket Council (ICC) Champions Trophy and the home series against the West Indies - because of a doping ban.
The world’s fastest bowler turned out to be quite harmless for local cricketers when he starred for Rawalpindi Rams in the ongoing Twenty20 Cup in Karachi.
Shoaib took just one wicket in two matches as his team crashed out of the event at the first hurdle.
Shoaib, 31, also played a four-day Patron’s Trophy game for KRL where he did show some sparks by taking three wickets against WAPDA after going wicketless in the first innings. KRL lost that match.
National selectors have made it clear that Shoaib will have to prove his form and fitness in domestic matches to earn a recall in the Pakistan team for the tour of South Africa. The proof they need, however, is not yet visible.
Now Shoaib has one more platform to show the PCB, national selectors and the Pakistan team management that he is still an asset - a conditioning camp getting underway in Lahore from tomorrow.
The injury-prone Shoaib is a part of a 25-man list of probables, which would form the brief conditioning camp during which Pakistan would pick their squad for the Test series against South Africa getting underway with the first match at Centurion from January 11.
“Shoaib is walking on thin ice,” said an official on the condition of anonymity. “His fitness history is far from encouraging and might become a stumbling block for the bowler’s international return in the current circumstances,” he added.
Shoaib, who has taken 165 wickets from 42 Tests, is one of the several fast bowlers in contention for the tour of South Africa.
They include Mohammad Asif, who was initially banned along with Shoaib for doping last month. Asif has made an effortless return to competitive cricket after being cleared by an appeals committee of any doping offences and is all set to spearhead the Pakistani attack in South Africa.
Then there are more pacers who have shown good form in recent international outings like Umar Gul, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Shahid Nazir, Mohammad Sami and the lanky Shabbir Ahmed, who has been allowed to return to international cricket after serving a 12-month ban for an illegal bowling action.
Time is running out for Shoaib as Pakistan are to announce their touring party for South Africa within the next few days. He will have to come out with a convincing display of fast bowling and he will have to do that quickly.

Pakistan have vast pool to choose from for SA tour

KARACHI: Pakistani officials will be facing selection headaches when they sit down next week to finalise their squad for the tour of South Africa.
Unlike the situation before Pakistan’s previous away tour ñ against England this summer ñ it is not an issue of unavailability of players but stems from the fact that they have a vast pool to choose from.
With the expected return of fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Asif and Shabbir Ahmed, Pakistan have received a huge boost ahead of next month’s series against South Africa that is expected to be played on pace-friendly strips.
Shoaib and Asif, who missed the International Cricket Council (ICC) Champions Trophy after failing a dope test in October, made them themselves eligible for selection after successfully appealing against doping bans earlier this month.
Medium pacer Shabbir Ahmed’s one-year ban for illegal bowling action ended on Tuesday and he is now expected to be cleared by the ICC following positive reports on his action by biomechanics experts.
In the absence of the pace trio, several other fast bowlers, especially the young Umar Gul, made an impact while playing for the national team. The talented medium pacer was Pakistan’s most successful bowler this year and has consolidated his place in the Test line-up. Even if Shoaib and Asif return, he will certainly find a place in the squad for South Africa.
Medium pacer Shahid Nazir, brought back from international wilderness, also made full use of the surprise opportunity and bowled well in England and later on flat tracks at home.
With a performance in the one-dayers against the West Indies earlier this month that earned him the man-of-the-series award, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan is also back in business.
The medium pacer had been suffering from a lean patch since making his international comeback in September following a groin injury.
Mohammad Sami, generally regarded as an under-achiever, also came across as an improved bowler when he played in a couple of one-day games against the West Indies and should be in contention for a Test return after a forgettable summer in England.
“It is great to see that for a change we have so many bowlers to choose from,” says chief selector Wasim Bari. “But in the meantime, it also makes things tough for us,” he explains.
Bari agrees that Pakistan will choose a pace-oriented attack for South Africa but said that the touring party will only be finalised next week after getting input from the team management.
Pakistan also face a tricky question whether they can choose a second string specialist spinner for the tour following the successful debut of Abdul Rehman. The left-arm spinner is now in the run for a Test spot along with Danish Kaneria. Then in batting, opener Yasir Hameed showed he is in prolific form with a couple of good outings against Brian Lara’s men. He could find a place in the squad as cover for Mohammad Hafeez and Imran Farhat ñ the two batsmen who have become Pakistan’s regular openers in recent months.
Bari and company will also discuss the selection of a substitute wicket-keeper for the tour that comes just ahead of next March’s World Cup in the West Indies.
Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer has supported the idea of keeping two wicket-keepers in the squad just in case regular gloveman Kamran Akmal suffers any last minute fitness problems before the World Cup.
Pakistan have included ‘A’ team wicket-keeper Zulqarnain Haider in their 25-man preliminary squad for the tour of South Africa.
Pakistan’s expected Test line-up: Inzamam-ul-Haq (captain), Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Mohammad Hafeez, Imran Farhat, Yasir Hameed, Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal (wicket-keeper), Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Asif, Umar Gul, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Mohammad Sami, Shahid Nazir, Danish Kaneria.