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Karachi, Oct 21: Salim Elahi has forced the think-tank of the Pakistan cricket team to reconsider its options after slamming scintillating back-to-back centuries.

Salim scored a superb 104 against a Wasim Akram-led attack on Wednesday and then cut England bowling down to size with an electrifying 103-ball 120.

Salim is in the 15-man squad for the first one-dayer. He scored 26 in his first match since November 1998 in Singapore in August but was not played in Kenya. Salim, youngest batsman to scored a one-day century (102 not out) on debut, averages 29.72 from 19 matches in which he has scored 535 runs.

Initially, the selectors were contemplating going in the match with six bowling options with either Shahid Afridi or Shoaib Malik likely to fill that gap. But with Salim showing tremendous form, one of the possibilities may be to stick to the formula of five specialist batsmen and five bowlers.

Whether the lady luck smiles on Salim in the one-day series or not, he is certain to resume his Test career after playing his last in April 1997 against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka.

© Dawn