Top Story

  Editorial

  Metro

  Kashmir

  Business

  Sports

  Scoop

  Societal

  Health

    Cartoon

LAHORE: The Pakistan cricket selectors named a 15-man Pakistan cricket team for the five-match one-day series against New Zealand starting from November 29.

Shoaib Akhtar has been named in the side but will not be available for selection for the first two matches to be played at Lahore as he is serving a two-match ban.

Squad:
Inzamam-ul-Haq (captain), Imran Farhat, Saleem Elahi, Yasir Hameed, Yousuf Youhana, Shoaib Malik, Abdul Razzaq, Azhar Mahmood, Moin Khan (wicketkeeper), Danish Kaneria, Shabbir Ahmed, Mohammad Sami, Shoaib Akhtar, Misbah-ul-Haq and Junaid Zia.

Chairman of Selectors, Aamir Sohail, said: "This is the best combination we can offer to the team management that was consulted before the squad was finalized."

On the inclusion of Junaid Zia, Aamir Sohail said: "He was one of the star performers of the inter-departmental qualifying tournament taking 35 wickets and scoring over 150 runs. In addition to this, he was also adjudged Player of the Series in Sri Lanka where Pakistan Emerging team won the tournament. In addition to this, the team management also requested for his inclusion."

New Zealand names seven new comers for Pakistan tour

Pakistan Times Monitoring Desk adds: New Zealand named seven new comers Friday for a short tour of Pakistan next month. The revamped team for the five matches in Pakistan starting on November 29 include Richard Jones, Hamish Marshall, Michael Mason, Matthew Walker and Kerry Walmsley, all who have not played one day internationals.

Those who have not played for the Black Caps at all are Canning, Cumming, Jones and Walker. Nathan Astle and captain Stephen Fleming were not considered because of injury, while Kyle Mills was ruled out with a viral infection.

Chris Nevin, out of form in India, is the only one dropped from the side. New Zealand selection manager Richard Hadlee said the unavailability of several players had created opportunities for others to impress before New Zealand hosted Pakistan and South Africa over the summer.

"For the selectors this is exciting, as we will now get to learn something about the new players' capabilities at international level," Hadlee said.

Touring side:
Chris Cairns (captain), Tama Canning, Craig Cumming, Chris Harris, Paul Hitchcock, Richard Jones, Hamish Marshall, Michael Mason, Brendon McCullum, Jacob Oram, Mathew Sinclair, Daryl Tuffey, Daniel Vettori (vice-captain), Matthew Walker, Kerry Walmsley.

Schedule

The first two matches of the series will be played at Lahore on November 29 and December 1 while Faisalabad will host the third match on December 3.

The last two games will be played at Rawalpindi on December 5 and 7. The New Zealand cricket team has changed their travel plans. They will now land in Lahore by EK622 on November 28 at 0150 hours.

No PCB Complimentary Tickets

The Pakistan Cricket Board has decided not to issue any complimentary tickets for the forthcoming five-match one-day international series against New Zealand.

This was decided in a meeting held under the chairmanship of PCB Chairman Lt Gen (retd) Tauqir Zia. The PCB also decided that no board officials will be allotted complimentary tickets.

PCB Chief Executive Ramiz Raja on Friday said: "We issued complimentary tickets (in the series against Bangladesh and South Africa) to create our goodwill. But that sadly backfired and we ended up making more enemies than friends. Therefore, we have decided not to issue any complimentary tickets for the New Zealand one-dayers and we will set an example by discontinuing this facility even for the PCB officials who will have to buy tickets for their families."

Afridi leads Pakistan A

Meanwhile another news report from Lahore says that discarded All Rounder Shahid Afridi has been named captain of a 14-man Pakistan "A" squad that was announced by the selectors for next month's triangular one-day series to be played in the Indian city of Kolkata.

The tournament will run between December 13 and 21. Besides Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka will also take part in the event. The members of the team have been advised to report for a training camp to that will start in Lahore from November 29.

Squad:
Shahid Afridi (captain), Salman Butt, Mohammad Hafeez, Saeed bin Nasir, Naved Latif, Amin-ur-Rehman (wicketkeeper), Umar Gul, Mohammad Khalil, Mohammad Irshad, Mansoor Amjad, Faisal Iqbal, Bilal Asad, Imran Nazir and Abdul Rauf.

Officials: Azhar Zaidi (manager), Naveed Anjum (coach), Dr Sohail Saleem.