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The national cricket selectors included Shoaib Akhtar and Azhar Mahmood in the list of 33 probables without guaranteeing them a place in the New Zealand-bound squad.

The list of probables, likely to be released later this week, was sent to chairman of the Pakistan cricket Board (PCB) Lt Gen Tauqir Zia for his clearance on Monday. The probables will be invited for a reconditioning camp.

The camp was scheduled to start from Jan 22. But since most of the senior players will be engaged in the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy final from Jan 20, the camp might start from Jan 25.

The new date is also doubtful because of PCB's decision to hold a limited overs competition amongst the departmental sides from Jan 26.

The selectors, while including Shoaib and Azhar, have decided to see both the players in action before including them in the team. The PCB boss has been informed of the policy which the general is said to have accepted.

Initially, the selectors had demanded that the two players should appear in the four-day games but agreed when they were assured that they would participate in the three warm-up one-day games between Pakistan and Pakistan A.

Since for the first time Pakistan will be experimenting separate teams for one-dayers and Tests, the selectors have decided to stick to the 33 probables.

The probables are:

OPENERS (5): Saeed Anwar, Salim Elahi, Imran Nazir, Mohammad Wasim, Imran Farhat.

MIDDLE-ORDER BATSMEN (10): Inzamam-ul-Haq, Yousuf Youhana, Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi, Hasan Raza, Faisal Iqbal, Bazid Khan, Naumanullah, Misbah-ul-Haq, Qaisar Abbas.

FAST BOWLERS (9): Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar, Azhar Mahmood, Abdur Razzaq, Kabir Khan, Mohammad Akram, Fazl-i- Akbar, Mohammad Sami.

WICKET-KEEPERS (3): Moin Khan, Humayun Farhat, Atiq-uz-Zaman

SPINNERS (6): Mushtaq Ahmad, Saqlain Mushtaq, Danish Kaneria, Shoaib Malik, Arshad Khan and Shafiq Ahmed.

© Dawn