Pakistan drop Kamran, Yousuf for NZ tour
Wednesday, 1 December 2010
LAHORE, Nov 30 (AFP): Pakistan left under- suspicion wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal and senior batsman Mohammad Yousuf out of the Twenty20 and Test squads announced Tuesday for next month's tour of New Zealand.
Shahid Afridi will lead the Twenty20 team while Misbah-ul- Haq was retained as Test captain.
Akmal, who was ruled out of Pakistan's recent series against South Africa in the United Arab Emirates after surgery for appendicitis, has been at the centre of match-fixing allegations.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) reportedly issued notice to him regarding Pakistan's controversial defeat against Australia in the Sydney Test in January.
But there were reports in Pakistani media suggesting Akmal, 28, had contacted the ICC regarding his selection and was told that he was cleared for selection.
Yousuf, 36, had to return home after a recurrence of a groin injury earlier this month and although he too was featuring in the domestic matches, selectors left him out.
Also out of the team was former captain Shoaib Malik.
Malik, 28, was also left out of the team against the South African series after performing poorly on the tour of England.
Twenty20 squad: Shahid Afridi (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shahzad, Younis Khan, Umar Akmal, Fawad Alam, Adnan Akmal, Saeed Ajmal, Abdul Rehman, Abdul Razzaq, Umar Gul, Shoaib Akhtar, Tanveer Ahmed, Sohail Tanveer, Wahab Riaz (subject to fitness).
Shahid Afridi will lead the Twenty20 team while Misbah-ul- Haq was retained as Test captain.
Akmal, who was ruled out of Pakistan's recent series against South Africa in the United Arab Emirates after surgery for appendicitis, has been at the centre of match-fixing allegations.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) reportedly issued notice to him regarding Pakistan's controversial defeat against Australia in the Sydney Test in January.
But there were reports in Pakistani media suggesting Akmal, 28, had contacted the ICC regarding his selection and was told that he was cleared for selection.
Yousuf, 36, had to return home after a recurrence of a groin injury earlier this month and although he too was featuring in the domestic matches, selectors left him out.
Also out of the team was former captain Shoaib Malik.
Malik, 28, was also left out of the team against the South African series after performing poorly on the tour of England.
Twenty20 squad: Shahid Afridi (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shahzad, Younis Khan, Umar Akmal, Fawad Alam, Adnan Akmal, Saeed Ajmal, Abdul Rehman, Abdul Razzaq, Umar Gul, Shoaib Akhtar, Tanveer Ahmed, Sohail Tanveer, Wahab Riaz (subject to fitness).