As expected, they left behind Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir and though team manager Yawar Saeed insisted that they had some work back in the team hotel and would join their team-mates later.
Media people, who tried to enter the ground to watch the practice session, were sent back by the security as Pakistan tried to remain away from the glare two days after a ‘spot-fixing’ scandal involving several of their players rocked world cricket.
Pakistan are in Taunton to play a warm-up match against Somerset on Thursday ahead of their limited-overs series which will begin with a Twenty20 International in Cardiff on Sunday.
Though it seems unlikely that Pakistan will field the tainted trio in the series-opening clash against England, a final decision is yet to be taken by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on whether to retain or suspend the three players.
Sources say that the PCB is under increasing pressure from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the International Cricket Council (ICC) to suspend the trio but Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, has so far insisted that he would take no such action against his players unless they are proved guilty.
Butt has in fact summoned Salman, Asif and Amir to London for what sources in the Pakistan team are describing as a crucial meeting on Wednesday (today).
The three players, who are accused of having links with match-fixers, have so insisted that they are innocent.
The mood in the Pakistan camp, meanwhile, remains somber even as the tourists try to focus on the Sept. 5-22 series against England that will include two twenty20 Internationals and five One-day Internationals.
“We’ve seldom been under so much pressure,” a Pakistan team player, who requested anonymity, told Arab News.
“It reminds some of us of Kingston (Jamaica) after we lost against Ireland (in the 2007 World Cup) and then Bob (Woolmer) died,” added the player who was a part of the national team that crashed to a shocking defeat against minnows Ireland three years back. A day later, their coach Bob Wooolmer, a former England Test batsman, died in mysterious circumstances prompting the local authorities to launch full-fledged investigation. Pakistani players were also interrogated but were later cleared by the local police.
With just four days left in the first Twenty20 game in Cardiff, Pakistan are facing a major problem because if Salman, Asif and Amir are axed, which is almost certain, then they will have just 13 players available for selection.
There is this option of calling a few players from Pakistan but a source said a final decision will only be taken on Thursday.
“The PCB is expecting some concrete stuff on the case by Thursday after which it will take a decision on whether to call any reinforcements from Pakistan,” said a source.
