According to sources close to the national selection committee, the two bowling stars have let it known to the authorities that they are available for only the one-day home series against India and onwards. ``The two are not only the key to success for Glamorgan and Somerset (both having equal chances to win the county championship), Waqar Younis is reportedly suffering from some injury which has sidelined him from the previous three or four county matches,'' sources told Dawn on condition of anonymity.
Waqar is in his first season with Glamorgan while Mushtaq is representing Somerset. The duo along with Wasim Akram also missed the Independence Cup as well as the Asia Cup. Wasim Akram has already informed the board that he is unlikely to regain fitness from shoulder injury before the home series against the West Indies. However, the good news is that Ijaz Ahmad and Saqlain Mushtaq have confirmed their availability for the Canadian trip. Ijaz, it may be mentioned here, skipped the Asia Cup as he went to England on vacation. The three-member national selection committee, meanwhile, meets at the cricket headquarters in Lahore on Saturday afternoon to finalize the Sahara Cup outfit. It has been hinted that the selectors will submit the squad to the Chief Executive of the PCB, Majid Khan, for the Council's approval.
The squad, it is anticipated, will be officially announced on Aug 20. Informed sources said no major surprises were in store. Nevertheless, they added that main debate would revolve on Aamir Sohail, who returned to cricket for the Asia Cup after being sidelined for nearly seven months.
Sohail had a bad return to cricket as he was out for six and nought in the two matches in Colombo. But he is expected to earn the selectors' nod chiefly because they (selectors) want to give him another chance to cement his place in the national team. Sohail also enjoys a cutting edge over others as he is also a useful left-arm spinner besides having one of the finest pair of hands.
If Sohail retains his place, which he is expected to, the axe may fall either on off-spinner Arshad Khan or left-arm spinner Mohammad Husain. The latter, however, may just sneak into the team ahead of Arshad because of his batting skills which he briefly showed in India. Shahid Afridi will also keep his place in the team after an alleged misbehaviour on the Air Lanka flight while on way back to Karachi from Colombo. Sources said the one-day specialist would be penalized in cash and no match suspension would be imposed.
The selectors are also expected to include two players from the Pakistan A squad, which returns from England on Aug 20. Allrounder Azhar Mahmood is all set to reclaim his place after losing it for the Sri Lankan tour (chiefly because he was touring England) while the other place may go to Hasan Raza. Raza is expected to be preferred over Mohammad Wasim on the basis of continuity.
The expected 14 are: Ramiz Raja (captain), Saeed Anwar (vice captain), Aamir Sohail, Shahid Afridi, Ijaz Ahmad, Inzamamul Haq, Salim Malik, Hasan Raza, Azhar Mahmood, Moin Khan (wicketkeeper), Saqlain Mushtaq, Mohammad Husain, Aqib Javed and Shahid Nazir.