The selectors have retained the 15 who participated in the first Test at Peshawar which Pakistan lost by seven wickets to give Zimbabwe their first Test victory abroad.

In anticipation to get another seaming track for the second Test of the three-Test rubber, the selectors have recalled Mohammad Akram and Mohammad Zahid. The 18th player is Humayun Farhat, the fast emerging wicket-keeper.

What is mind boggling is the fact that the training camp is being held during a cricket season. At a time when Patron's Trophy is in final stages, the authorities could have easily instructed the cricketers to play for their respective teams and arrive for the second Test on Tuesday - two day's before the start of the Lahore Test.

But strange are the workings of the cricket board as they have preferred a training camp rather than match practice in crucial matches of country's premier competition.

Another interesting point to mention here is that in the last of 18 players, Aamir Sohail's name has been included but his designation as captain is missing. No one can say for sure if that indication of his being stripped of captaincy for the remaining two Tests after breaching the code of conduct.

The 18 probables are:

Aamir Sohail, Saeed Anwar, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Ijaz Ahmad, Yousuf Youhana, Moin Khan, Hasan Raza, Azhar Mahmood, Wasim Akram, Shoaib Akhtar, Saqlain Mushtaq, Mushtaq Ahmad, Salim Elahi, Waqar Younis, Aqib Javed, Mohammad Zahid, Humayun Farhat and Mohammad Akram.