Mohammad Yousuf and Abdul Razzaq have been omitted from the 15-man squad for the Twenty20 World Championship in South Africa.
Misbah-ul-Haq, back in the side after three years in the wilderness, and Fawad Alam, the talented young allrounder, have been chosen as replacements while left-arm spinner Abdul Rehman, who took a hat-trick in the last of the practice matches in Karachi, also makes a comeback.
"Mohammad Yousuf is a world-class player. However, we have decided to give him a break because we want him fit and fresh for the following series and include some new faces for the South Africa tour," Salahuddin Ahmed, chief selector, said.
Yousuf was not disappointed at being left out of the team and was confident that it would not affect his long-term future. "Selection was in God's hands and I can't force myself into the team." When asked if he felt he could perform in this format of the game, Yousuf said: "You will have to ask the selectors".
While Misbah has not represented Pakistan for over three years, his record in the shortest version of the game, including an unbeaten century, impressed the selectors. Alam also had a phenomenal domestic Twenty20 tournament last year that included a half- century and a five-wicket haul in the final.
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© Faras Ghani 2007
Published on Cricinfo 7th Aug 2007
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