News
Malik to lead rookie squad against Zim
By
Jan 18, 2008, 09:28

Pakistan have selected three uncapped players in a 14-man squad for the first two one-day internationals against Zimbabwe with all of their normal first choice bowlers missing.

Opener Nasir Jamshed and left-arm seamers Samiullah Niazi and Kamran Hussain are yet to play for Pakistan while other rookies with little international experience were included such as Fawad Alam and reserve wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed.

Jamshed plundered 182 against the touring Zimbabweans in a four-day game for the Pakistan Cricket Board Patrons XI in Karachi this week, when the Pakistanis triumphed by an innings.

Usual captain Shoaib Malik leads what is a shadow squad against Zimbabwe with Mohammed Yousuf, Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi, Misbah-ul-Haq, Salman Butt and Kamran Akmal the only players with much experience.

Pakistan are going in without their usual preferred bowling line-up of Shoaib Akhtar (dropped), Mohammad Sami (dropped), Mohammad Asif (recovering from surgery) and Umar Gul. There is also no place for spinner Abdur Rehman.

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