KARACHI, 23 November 2004 — Pakistan will take two uncapped pace bowlers among a battery of five quicks on next month’s tour of Australia, selectors announced yesterday.
Promising right-arm bowler Muhammad Asif and left-armer Muhammad Khalil will strengthen the attack as Shabbir Ahmed recovers from a knee operation and Umer Gul returns from a stress fracture of the back.
Inzamam-ul-Haq will lead the side while Yousuf Youhana is vice captain for the three-Test tour, starting in Perth on Dec. 16, and tri-series one-day tournament which also includes West Indies.
All-rounder Shahid Afridi will tour as the 17th member.
A senior Pakistan cricket official said the new squad included both young and experienced players to face the world champions.
“We know how tough it is for any team in the world to play against the world champions and taking that into account we have selected the best available squad,” chief selector Wasim Bari told AFP.
“We have selected a blend of youth and experience and hope they put up their best on the tour of Australia and come with rich experience,” said the chief selector.
Khalil, who played the Junior World Cup in 2002, has been in the reckoning for the past year and was among the 15-member squad which won the Karachi Test against Sri Lanka earlier this month.
Asif caught the selectors’ eyes during the current Quaid-e-Azam Trophy domestic tournament when he took 25 wickets in five matches.
“Khalil has been knocking at the door of international cricket for a while and Asif has shown his promise recently so we have given them a chance and hope that they make their marks on the tough tour,” said Bari.
Taufiq Umer lost his place among the three opening batsmen as 20-year-old Salman Butt earned a call-up following his match-winning hundred against India in the one-off limited-overs international in Calcutta earlier this month.
Kamran Akmal will be the only wicket-keeper in the squad after the selectors axed experienced Moin Khan and Rashid Latif from a 25-name preliminary squad.
Bari said two changes for the one-day squad will be announced later.
Only captain Inzamam, Youhanna, Shoaib Akhtar, Younis Khan, Afridi and Abdul Razzaq have previously toured Australia.
Umer, Bazid Khan and Rao Iftikhar were placed on stand-by.
Squad: Inzamam-ul-Haq (captain) Yousuf Youhana (vice captain) Imran Farhat, Yasir Hameed, Younis Khan, Abdul Razzaq, Salman Butt, Kamran Akmal, Muhammad Sami, Shoaib Akhtar, Shoaib Malik, Danish Kaneria, Rana Naveedul Hassan, Asim Kamal, Mohammad Khalil, Mohammad Asif and Shahid Afridi, Bob Woolmer (Coach), Haroon Rasheed (manager).
Itinerary:
Departure from Karachi on Nov. 28; Dec. 7 vs. Cricket Australia Chairman’s XI - Perth; Dec. 9-12 vs. Western Australia, Perth; Dec. 16-20 first Test, Perth; Dec. 26-30 second Test, Melbourne; Jan. 2-6 third Test, Sydney; Jan. 12 vs. Australia A, Adelaide Oval; Tri-series; Jan. 14 - West Indies vs. Australia - Melbourne; Jan. 16 - Australia vs. Pakistan - Hobart; Jan. 19 - Pakistan vs. West Indies - Brisbane; Jan. 21 - Australia vs. West Indies - Brisbane; Jan. 23 - Australia vs. Pakistan - Sydney; Jan. 26 - Australia vs. West Indies - Adelaide; Jan. 28 - Pakistan vs. West Indies - Adelaide; Jan. 30 - Australia vs. Pakistan - Perth; Feb. 1 - Pakistan vs. West Indies - Perth; Feb. 4 - Ist Final - Melbourne; Feb. 6 second final - Sydney; Feb. 8 third final (if needed) - Adelaide.
