Pakistan overlook Shoaib and Tanvir
Paceman Shoaib Akhtar has not played for his country since May last year
Controversial fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar and left-arm spinnner Sohail Tanvir have been left out Pakistan’s 30-man preliminary squad for the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean.
Shoaib has not played an international since May last year, while Tanvir has been overlooked due to a knee injury.
Last week, Shoaib said he was not only confident of returning to international cricket, but also harboured hopes of becoming captain.
Pakistan’s longlist includes seven uncapped players, while wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal, who was dropped from the team following a poor performance in the Test series in Australia, has been picked.
The PCB chairman Ijaz Butt had already announced a new coach would be in place for the tournament.
Butt told reporters an offer has been made to former fast bowler Waqar Younis, while coach of the under-19 side Ijaz Ahmed, who was at the helm for a two-match Twenty20 series against England in Dubai last week, would be handed the fielding coach role.
Pakistan squad: Imran Nazir, Imran Farhat, Khalid Latif, Mohammad Hafeez, Salman Butt, Shahzaib Hassan, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Naveed Yasin, Hasan Raza, Kamran Younis, Misbah-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Fawad Alam, Abdul Razzaq, Shahid Afridi, Yasir Arafat, Hammad Azam, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Umar Gul, Mohammad Aamer, Mohammad Asif, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Sami, Saeed Ajmal, Raza Hasan, Abdul Rehman, Kamran Akmal, Sarfraz Ahmed, Zulqarnain Haider.
