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Test discard Faisal Iqbal was named Thursday to lead Pakistan 'A' in the forthcoming home series against Sri Lanka 'A'.

The junior selection committee headed by former Pakistan skipper Zaheer Abbas also included all-rounder Azhar Mahmood in the 16-man squad, which was approved by the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Lt Gen Tauqir Zia.

Faisal's elevation to captaincy is a clear indication that he is being groomed for the future. He had previous experience of leadership at the junior level, first having captained Pakistan to the final of the inaugural Under-15 World Cup six years ago in England and then leading the Under-19s.

However, as usual the selectors sprang a few surprises by ignoring the claims of Salim Elahi and wicket-keeper Atiq-uz-Zaman, both having played in Tests and One-day Internationals not long ago.

The inclusion of controversial Junaid Zia, however, raises quite a few eyebrows.

He had been reported for throwing on no less than four occasions in the Junior World Cup in New Zealand earlier this year by various umpires and match referees, including Asoka de Silva, the Sri Lankan umpire now on the ICC's elite panel.

Mohsin Kamal, now coach of Bangladesh, was assigned the task of rectifying Junaid's suspect action.

But the question arises how come there is sudden lack of depth in the pace bowling department that they were forced to call up someone like Junaid.

At the same time, why the selectors decided to invite only a handful of pacers when the probables were finalized. Instead they flooded the list with as many as 11 batsmen, of which eight have been retained in the final squad.

Therefore, Zaheer and his selection panel of Rashid Khan, Sultan Rana and Farrukh Zaman were left with no choice but to pick Junaid, after Mohammad Akram (opting for greener pastures in England) and Mohammad Zahid (fitness problems) were not considered.

With the pitch at Faisalabad likely to aid quick bowlers, Junaid's chances of finding a spot in the XI are bright because Abdul Rauf and Umar Gul are the only other specialist pacers.

Umar Gul's inclusion is thoroughly deserved. The Peshawar lad, who also represented the country in the Junior World Cup, is a fine prospect for top honours and he's already held in high esteem by those who have seen him in action.

Rana Naveed-ul-Hasan is almost certain to miss out in the presence of Azhar Mahmood, now fighting to regain form and reviving hopes of joining his senior team colleagues.

Zahid, meanwhile, will be considered for the second 'Test' if he regains full fitness by then. Otherwise, the injury-prone fast bowler may only feature in the three-match one-day series.

Qaiser Abbas, the left-handed all-rounder, Yasir Arafat, Kamran Sajid and young wicket-keeper Amin-ur-Rehman have been listed for one-dayers.

The Sri Lankans, led by Test all-rounder Thilan Samraweera, arrive Saturday. The four-day 'Tests' are slated for Faisalabad (Sept 17-20) and Multan (Sept 23-26), followed by one-dayers at Multan (Sept 28), Faisalabad (Oct 1) and Lahore (Oct 2).

Pakistan 'A' squad: Faisal Iqbal (captain), Imran Farhat, Taufiq Umar, Hasan Raza, Naved Latif, Yasir Hameed, Bazid Khan, Asim Kamal, Azhar Mahmood, Rana Naveed-ul-Hasan, Umar Gul, Danish Kaneria, Kamran Akmal, Abdul Rauf, Junaid Zia and Irfanuddin.

© Dawn