Waqar Younis has retained his post as Pakistan's captain despite a recent run of dismal results, and will lead the team for the forthcoming tour of Zimbabwe and South Africa. Some familiar names are back in harness – Inzamam-ul-Haq and Yousuf Youhana return after injury – but there is no place for Wasim Akram in the Test squad. He will join up with the team for the one-day internationals.

"We have to have a team of youth and experience, so this is the best possible team which we have selected," said Wasim Bari, the former Test wicketkeeper who is now Pakistan's chief selector. "All those seniors who proved their fitness are back in the side."

The Pakistan Cricket Board had appointed Waqar as captain until the 2003 World Cup, but his position was in doubt after Pakistan's abject performances in the recent series against Australia, where they went down 3-0.

Wasim Bari refused to accept the blame for Pakistan's poor showing against Australia, and rejected for his resignation. "Why should I resign? We selected the best team, so the causes of defeats could have been bad planning and bad captaincy or any other."

Inzamam and Youhana return after missing the Australian series, but there was no place for opener Saeed Anwar or wicketkeeper Moin Khan, a former captain himself.

Anwar and Akram opted out of the Australian series because they wanted a rest (although they managed to play in a knockabout tournament at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium), a decision which came under severe criticism from Waqar and the national media.

Pakistan will play two Tests and five ODIs in Zimbabwe. After a warm-up game on Nov 3, the Tests will be played at Harare (Nov 9-13) and Bulawayo (Nov 16-20). There will then be two ODIs at Bulawayo and three at Harare.

Pakistan will then cross the border to play five one-dayers and two Tests in South Africa in December and January. There may be some changes to the teams for that leg of the trip.

Test squad Taufeeq Umer, Shahid Afridi, Salim Elahi, Inzamam-ul-Haq (vice-capt), Yousuf Youhana, Younis Khan, Faisal Iqbal, Hasan Raza, Rashid Latif (wk), Kamran Akmal, Waqar Younis (capt), Saqlain Mushtaq, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Zahid, Mohammad Sami.

One-day squad Shahid Afridi, Taufeeq Umer, Salim Elahi, Misbah-ul-Haq, Inzamam-ul-Haq (vice-capt), Yousuf Youhana, Faisal Iqbal, Rashid Latif (wk), Saqlain Mushtaq, Azhar Mahmood, Kamran Akmal, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis (capt), Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Zahid.

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